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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 12/15/2008AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING MINUTES December 15, 2008 DATE: Monday, December 15, 2008 LOCATION: 215 N. Mason Conference room 1-A TIME: 5:30 -8:00 P.M. Dinner is served starting at 5:15 For Reference: Eric Levine, Chair - 493-6341 David Roy, Council Liaison - 407-7393 Brian Woodruff, Staff Liaison - 221-6604 Board Members Present: Dave Dietrich, Dennis Georg, Nancy York, Eric Levine, Dale Adamy, Katrina Winborn, Greg McMaster, Absent :Kip Carrico Staff Present: Alexis Hmielak, Brian Woodruff Eric Levine called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m.. Public input Brian Woodruff stated last month Colorado Representative Randy Fischer made a presentation regarding an I&M bill to be presented to the Colorado legislature in 2009. Representative Fischer cannot provide the AQAB with text of the bill until the bill is drafted but when it is he would like the AQAB to review it. The purpose of the bill is to do two things: expand the dimensions of the air quality program area and to remove the loopholes for exempting collector cars. Eric Levine stated he was not sold on the "cash for clunkers" program and would not like to subsidize selling efficient old cars for less efficient SUVs. Dennis Georg stated he would share the URL of a website he found that show stats on older cars. Approval of November 17, 2008, minutes. lY aLL4y 1 V3a 3La10111U11L 611V 111aUV Ull pagU Y. Nancy York moved and Greg McMaster seconded a motion to approve the November 17, 2008, minutes as amended. Motion passed unanimously North I-25 Environmental Impact Statement Brian Woodruff presented an Agenda Item Summary that will be presented to City Council the next day, December 16, 2008, and asked the AQAB if they would like to make a recommendation. He explained that, at this time, staff is not going to boards and commissions looking for comments. However, they will be in early 2009. Once the draft is finished with the public comment period they will be focusing on decisions between the alternatives. At that stage, boards and commissions willbe asked to comment. At this stage, the question is only about completeness of the proposal: i.e. have they addressed all the right issues; is anything left out; are there mistakes, etc. The AQAB discussed the issue. . • Greg McMaster stated it seemed to him options A and B will have different impacts to ozone compliance and greenhouse gasses. He asked if anyone has evaluated alternative A versus B. o Brian answered that the summary of direct and indirect impacts listed in the EIS are downloadable from the web under air quality. o The EIS states all options will have no substantial impact on air quality because vehicle emissions will go down as technology, improves. As a result, VMT will increase, but traffic pollution will be less regardless if they build improvements to I- 25 or not. Eric stated he did not believe this to be true and would like to see the data. • Dave Dietrich stated he projects I-25 lanes will be widened and there will be more cars in the area giving off more pollution. He pointed out that even the no action alternative data is based on no real increase in vehicles. The EIS should have given alternatives to A, B and no action but they did not. • Dennis stated he believed the focus of this study should be how to achieve the best high - quality regional transportation system and to address air quality issues. He liked the integration of the rail option to the EIS. • Brian pointed out that the conclusions of all three of the EIS alternatives (A, B and no action) stated there will be no exceedances in pollution from these actions. He and Lucinda commented to CDOT that the EIS needs to address how these choices would impact the various local commitments such as the Fort Collins Climate Action Plan. o When Brian asked where CDOT got their projections he was told it was based on the Regional Transportation Plan run by the Front Range MPO. That plan is based on land use projections that estimates how many houses and jobs will be in the individual regional cities (Fort Collins, Windsor, Timnath, Greeley, Loveland, etc.). • Dave suggested, since the interstate lanes will happen anyway, the AQAB should focus on finding alternative modes of transportation other than cars. • Greg stated it was his observation that the EIS is trying to improve the regional transportation system without doing anything to improve air quality. He suggested the AQAB weigh in on the EIS by saying the three alternatives are not adequate to address increased impact on air quality issues. Dennis agreed and stated transportation is the source of 20%30% of our air quality issues and oil and gas emissions are also a big problem. • Dave stated population will increase and so will VMTs. The EIS does not address any addition of electric cars or other alternative transportation. He suggests the AQAB uses input on the EIS as an opportunity to insert public transit into the plan to address air quality. • Katrina pointed out she very much liked the following staff comments in tonight's meeting handout: In addition, locating this major regional commuter rail line in the heart of the Fort Collins community will lessen the likelihood offuture land development shifts occurring away from the existing central population & activity centers within our community. • Brian pointed out Council will be looking at the Agenda Item Summary and will adopt a resolution to adopt the comments that are in it. He pointed out the AQAB has an opportunity to tell Council if it agrees with the comments. Dennis Georg moved and Nancy York seconded the following motion: The Air Quality Advisory Board recommends that the City of Fort Collins support the North I-25 DEIS, consistent with staff comments. The AQAB supports the proposal to create a good long- term investment in developing and achieving a high -quality regional transit service that is consistent with City goals and plans. We further recommend that the DEIS be updated to reflect current air quality issues and standards (ozone, PM 2.5). We appreciate and support City staff s inclusion of comments with regard to land use. Motion passed unanimously • AQAB Chair Eric Levine will draft a memo to Fort Collins City Council incorporating this motion and will send it to them before tomorrow night's Council meeting. 1-25/392 intersection This was presented by Denise Weston at the Board's November meeting. Council will review the matter at its work session on Wednesday December 17. Brian Woodruff pointed out this was pulled out of the EIS with the possibility that the intersection could be built three years prior to the rest of the I-25 project. This was on the AQAB's agenda tonight* in case the board wanted to make a recommendation to City Council. • Nancy York suggested the AQAB make a recommendation to make changes to the on -ramp, leave the bridge as it is and develop a transit alternative based on the Mobility Management Plan. • Dennis stated, even though the bridge is sound, its poor design is also part of the problem. • Dave stated alternative transit needs to be addressed. • Eric was concerned that Loveland refuses to put money into the project. It is a regional issue and they will benefit from this transportation improvement. • In summary, the AQAB decided to take no action on this agenda item. Bicycle Advisory Committee The AQAB needs to select a member to participate in the Bicycle Advisory Committee. This new committee will meet for the first time in January, and will determine its own meeting time and frequency. The time commitment would be similar to that of an AQAB member. • Greg McMaster stated he had spoken with Rick Price regarding the structure of the committee. o It is a subgroup of the Transportation Board o Members should have enough experience with the issue so they can hit the ground running. o The committee will focus on things that need to be done —not just issues. o Staff will not be driving this advisory board. o They want members with varied interests, not just bicyclists. Greg McMaster agreed to be the Air Quality Advisory Board's representative on the Bicycle Advisory Committee. The AQAB agreed to choose an alternate for Greg when he is not able to attend a meeting. Nancy York moved and Dave Dietrich seconded a motion to appoint Greg McMaster to the Bicycle Advisory Committee Motion Passed Unanimously Brief Updates • The group discussed the fact that the third Monday of January and February are national holidays. After discussion, they decided to hold the January AQAB meeting on the third Monday, January 19, 2009, even though it is Martin Luther King Day. Staff agreed to be present for the meeting. The board will decide at the January meeting whether or not to meet on Monday, February 16, which is Presidents' Day. • Dale Adamy stated he received an offer from Garry Steen to represent the Transportation Board by attending AQAB meetings as his schedule permits, and if the agenda dictates an interest. Garry should be added to the AQAB email list to receive the monthly meeting packets. Dale agreed to be the corresponding AQAB representative at the Transportation Board meetings. o Eric pointed out if Gary is invited to an AQAB meeting, it should be a meeting with an agenda of interest to the Transportation Board. One problem could be that the agendas are not finalized until right before the meetings and it might be too short notice to invite him. o Nancy stated this could be the beginning of a collaboration between the two boards. • Eric stated trash districting and stricter requirements on the trash haulers would help air quality and VMT. This issue has been talked about in the City since 1991. o Dave and Dale felt the AQAB should push for a trash utility or at least a trial. o Dennis agreed that more efficient recycling is necessary. • As this was Nancy York's last meeting, the group thanked her for her many years of service and contribution to the AQAB. o Nancy would like to keep involved by receiving future AQAB packets. • There will be two new members joining the AQAB in January: Hugh Mackay and John Schroeer. Adjourn Nancy York moved and Dave Dietrich seconded a motion for adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 p.m.. Submitted by Alexis Hmielak Administrative Secretary I Approved by the Board on G 2008 Signed / Ad stra ive Secretary I Date 1,