HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources Advisory Board - Minutes - 05/20/2015MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
NATURAL RESOURCES ADVISORY BOARD
Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Location: 215 N. Mason Conference Room 1A
Time: 6:00–8:30pm
For Reference
Bob Overbeck, Council Liaison 970-988-9337
Susie Gordon, Staff Liaison 970-221-6265
Board Members Present Board Members Absent
John Bartholow, chair Kelly McDonnell
Joe Halseth Bob Mann
Jeremy Sueltenfuss
Harry Edwards
Luke Caldwell
Nancy DuTeau
Staff Present
Dianne Tjalkens, Admin/Board Support
Lisa Rosintoski, Utilities Customer Connections Manager
Matt Parker, Natural Areas Crew Chief
Caroline Mitchell, Environmental Planner
Dan Weinheimer, Policy and Project Manager
Guests
Peter O’Neill, Energy Board Chair
David Tweedale, citizen
Call meeting to order: John called the meeting to order at 6:01pm
Public Comments: David Tweedale handed out flyers for the River Health open house and copies of
the latest Tracks and Trails.
Agenda Review: no changes
Approval of Minutes:
Harry moved and Nancy seconded a motion to approve the April minutes as amended.
Motion passed unanimously, 6-0-0.
Correction: 4-bay, change to forebay, page 2
AGENDA ITEM 1—Draft Energy Policy
Energy Board Chair Peter O’Neill and Utilities Customer Connections Manager Lisa Rosintoski
presented information about the components of the draft Energy Policy, to obtain feedback on
recommendations that are being developed for City Council.
Seeking feedback on Energy Policy draft regarding scope, relationship to other City plans, and
targets or metrics. Energy Board provides vision and innovative advice to Council using City Plan,
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Green Building Program, Transportation Master Plan, and previous drafts of the Energy Policy.
Strategy areas of Climate Action Plan (CAP): buildings, transportation, energy supply, road to zero
waste and carbon sequestration give framework. Added goal of transportation and land use in Energy
Policy draft. Recognizing that partnerships are necessary. Other implementation strategies include
community economics, information and education, and privacy and security. Proposed policy ramps
up building efficiency targets, sets targets for renewables and electric supply diversification, revises
demand response objectives, and maintains reliability objectives. Platte River is looking at
renewables and moving away from coal. By the end of 2016, with new wind farm and solar array at
Rawhide will be at 32% renewables. Distributed solar is increasing. Installing solar array at
Riverside. Transportation ties into natural resources and air quality. Reducing VMT and fossil fuel
used per VMT. Strategies include road and density planning to reduce VMT and encouraging electric
vehicles as reduce coal in power supply. Developing metrics and asking boards to help. Want to
improve VMT annual estimation tools. Want to estimate energy impacts of new development.
Increase multimodal transportation and need metrics for fleet.
Draft policy available on website May 26.
Discussion/Q & A:
• Any plans in long range view to provide energy storage?
o No specific plans, but in order to have high renewable use, must have storage. Can be
ice, refrigeration, batteries, etc.
• Projected cost of electricity to consumer?
o Board relies on staff, and staff relies on consultants. Platte River is working on this
with CAP. Modelling shows increase, but maintains affordability. Platte River has
low rates now and wants to stay low. Changing thinking to lowest bills, not lowest
rates. Time of use rates allow to be rewarded for shifting loads, with efficiencies can
also reduce bill. Ex: LED lights are 6x more efficient than standard bulbs.
• Natural gas as a bridge fuel?
o As bridge and backup. Platte River believes currently that next plant would be
combined cycle. Gas is inherently per BTU lower carbon output. Combined cycle
reuses exhaust and can get up to 65% efficiency. Coal fired is about 35% efficient.
• Structured and logical. Anything people would find surprising?
o No. Endorsing and encouraging CAP might be controversial. Also, privacy and
security. Advanced metering saw some of this. Smart Grid requires two way
communications, which can be subject to hacking. Must be very secure. Spelling out
principles around privacy/security. Must have policies in place and communicate
security with public.
o How can we be sure Utilities is doing a good job with security?
Have policies, requirements, encryption. Performed cyber vulnerability
assessment with smart meter installation. Passed well. Techniques to test
system. Website includes how security is done. Reviewed annually.
o Have you seen change in use with access to data?
More engaged and appreciate data. With more current data, people can use to
reduce use. Still seeing good conservation.
Within conservation programs, use reports provided to customers have
created most behavior change.
• Think about how there will be increased costs for efficiencies, especially in new
developments. Energy audits of new developments. How will this affect home
prices/affordability?
o That is a concern. Pay for themselves over time, but how to pay over time to make
affordable. Approaching build out. Retrofitting old buildings with on-bill financing,
incentives, etc.
o Sensitivity analysis will be done with CAP.
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• Targeting groups or subsections that could have greatest impact? Outreach and education.
o Customer segmentation study should give answers to this question.
• How is carbon sequestration being thought about?
o CAP team is looking at what kinds of efforts to go after.
o Vegetation is only current strategy.
o CAP presentation noted anticipation of future improvements in technology. A lot of
movement in carbon sequestration innovation now.
• Proposed metrics not clear.
o Will send draft to board. See if have anything to add. Using data shown in annual
report.
• Assuming comparable generation from coal to combined cycle, about ½ the cooling water
would be used.
o Platte River uses a pond for cooling water.
It is reused. Built specifically to recycle the reuse water.
o Using less water also reduces water evaporation.
AGENDA ITEM 2—West Nile Virus Update
Matt Parker, Natural Areas Crew Chief, briefed the Board on the City’s preparations for the 2015
West Nile Virus season. The Technical Advisory Committee has met regularly through the winter and
spring to evaluate last year’s efforts and make improvements for 2015.
Last year was difficult with West Nile. Rely on technical advisory committee that reviews previous
year data. Will be making suggestions and improvements and continuing dialogue with community.
City’s program is targeting reducing risk to human health while limiting environmental impacts; not
addressing nuisance issues. WNV is hosted by birds and transmitted by two types of mosquito.
Colorado has 40 types of mosquitos. Trapping is to analyze population and rate of infection of those
two types; feeds into vector index that relates to human risk. As vector index changes, employ
integrated pest management system. Work with contractor to use larvacide in standing water to break
the cycle before adulthood. This and education are main portions of program. Adult trappings show
historical trends. Larvaciding is going to known sites and seeking new sites. Citizenry can call to
report new sites. WNV amplifies: birds act as host, mosquitos bite birds and contract, then pass on to
other birds and humans. Symptoms in humans can vary from mild fever to neuro-invasive cases
(1%). About 20% of cases produce fever and lethargy that last for weeks. Less than 0.1% of cases are
fatal. CO is state with highest number of WNV infections. Last year expanded larvacide areas and
season, as had additional funding to move to seasonal, weather condition-based program. This year
already seeing third stage larva in ponds. Vector index of 0.75/1 human case per week indicates
adulticiding. Last year had adulticide application conducted by County. Vector was above .5 but
below .75, Department of Health decided to spray; was angst in community. Also broke city into
quadrants to better target spraying. Need more communication with County on trap data and how it is
used. Also last year initiated a business opt-out, mostly for urban agriculture, for adulticiding
applications (with buffer). Had seven opt-outs including a laboratory. Historically have a state
published chemical sensitivity registry. Need to balance opting out numbers with maintaining
effectiveness of application. Improvements include a program manual with pesticide/repellant
review, public outreach, agriculture outside GMA, best practices for irrigation, and business opt-out.
Integrating better with County; co-branding for better reach. This spring has been very wet, so
anticipate challenges. Continuing IPM approach, offering information to new Councilmembers,
further cooperation with County which could include a district approach. Not a municipal scale
issue—regional issue. To appropriately address issue, need to work together. Vector district does not
mean spray more—more larval control and less adulticiding is preferable.
Discussion/Q & A:
• What makes Colorado highest in cases of WNV?
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o Ditches, irrigation, elevation, climate, population all work together. Larimer and
Weld are counties with highest numbers. 20 types of mosquitos can get WNV, 3 can
transmit to humans and we have 2 of those here.
• What is budget?
o About $300K. Most spent on outreach and contractor who does larvaciding.
o All City budget?
Yes.
o Any specific things that led to increase of budget over last two years?
Driven by spraying (adulticide). In last decade had not sprayed in consecutive
years. People taking more seriously. Need to get message out to encourage
personal protection.
Also discussed increasing scope since some mosquitos can fly up to five
miles.
• Is data available to County?
o Yes. Public data. Spend off-season preparing with County. Collaborating on
messaging. Working closely.
o Does County maintain own traps?
No.
o What are traps?
Light traps and gravid traps.
Contractor pulls traps weekly. CSU tests trapped mosquitos for WNV. Use
map to relay to community where hot-spots are located.
• Increase in citizen science. Can citizens help?
o Traps are in same location annually to maintain reliable data. Council has discussed
more traps, however program is robust. City has more traps than some states.
o Have best data tracking in nation for municipality of this size. Have incredible
resources and expertise.
• If continue to have rain, setting stage to have large problem. Informing Council?
o Memo. Working on it. Have offered 101, but new members very busy. Can give them
the manual for more information.
o Does team need anything from Council?
Not looking to revisit last year’s decisions.
• In off-season had meetings with County. Strong partner? Agreement on how to use data, do
you see that happening?
o Theme is predictability. Have achieved an agreement of thresholds they will work
under which is 0.5 and 5 traps. Technical Advisory Committee has camps of no-spray
vs. human health. New County staff has buy-in and interested in collaboration.
Change in operational staff and now seeking solution. Hopeful for positive changes;
moving in right direction.
• Where do HOAs fit into this structure? Letter received implied HOA could make decisions
about mosquito control.
o Letter was from County Health Department. County is encouraging HOAs to apply
adulticide on their own.
o No requirement for HOAs to coordinate with the City?
No. Another reason to streamline and become more predictable. Want to
protect citizens from WNV and inherent issues with adulticiding. Pesticide
application is targeted to mosquitoes but has effects on other insects.
Can the City program also contact HOAs?
Be proactive. Reduce or eliminate standing water. HOA or not. For own
health, safety, prevention, and nuisance.
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Offer backyard inspections. If have ongoing larval source will treat it. We do
these things, but have not yet targeted HOAs that typically spray. Good
suggestions.
Any larvaciding sites within HOAs?
• Yes. Stormwater detention.
HOAs doing nuisance spraying.
• No one helping them make decisions.
o Data availability on how much HOAs spray?
City does not have this. Applicators must keep data/records, and subject to
state inspection.
• Morale of the TAC? Any discussion of additions/subtractions or term limits for that board?
o History on TAC is that predominantly had technical advisors who were experts on
diseases. In 2013 Council gave direction to expand board to be citizen advisory
board, and introduced urban agriculture and others. Second board that was advisory
to City Manager had 3 members: NRAB member, AQAB member, and medical
expert. That board was disbanded by Council last year. Have not discussed term
limits. Could be in line with citizen advisory board format. Worthy discussion.
• Public money spent on public health benefit, has anyone looked at dollars associated with
public health benefit?
o Hard to understand what has been prevented, which is fundamental to answering that
question.
• Is there talk about putting traps outside of where you treat as a “control”?
o Data on efficacy of larval treatments and adulticiding is strong. Cannot only spray ½
of city to use other as control if there is a risk—ethics. People are mobile, so hard to
pinpoint where infected.
• Concerned about lack of data on how much spraying is actually done.
o Loveland and HOAs spray for nuisance. Have lower vector indexes. But no way to
tell how many lives are being saved.
• Are there other ways to apply adulticide?
o Could be done by airplane.
Would be impossible to opt-out.
o CMC uses best practices, ultra-low volume, timing, etc. But do we really need to be
doing this?
o Larvacide is so benign could drink it.
Using very specific product.
Could this be used more to avoid adulticiding.
Additional funds this year went to larvaciding. Will also monitor traps over
longer period. Lots of time we spray and two weeks later stop monitoring
traps, so don’t know effectiveness.
Can we larvacide earlier?
• Must be timed properly or not as effective.
• Should NRAB communicate something to Council?
o Push staff to write memo to Council.
o Bob Overbeck will remain NRAB Council liaison. John will call him directly.
AGENDA ITEM 3—Committee Report: Zero Waste Plan Updates
Environmental Planner Caroline Mitchell reviewed the status of work on planning efforts for a new
Community Recycling Ordinance that will update the 20-year-old Pay As You Throw Ordinance.
Recycling program includes education, incentives, rebates, and ordinances. Pay As You Throw is for
residential and covers trash and recycling. Haulers set own rates, but must bundle trash and recycling
and pay for trash based on volume. Community Recycling Ordinance will consider updating Pay As
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You Throw, have conversation about organics (yard waste) collection, and conversation about
inclusion of business and multifamily in ordinance. Organics can include food and yard waste, but
very different from regulatory components. Different regulations for composting food waste so will
focus on yard waste only. Hired consultant (same as RZW), forming external advisory group which
will include NRAB member Bob Mann, and planning extensive community outreach. Work Session:
October 13. Abbreviated timeline as market has shifted for recycling (contract change and dip in
recycling market). Haulers are feeling pinched. Had planned update anyway. Ordinance must be
flexible for changes in market. Haulers would like to add fee for price paying for recycling. Currently
prohibited.
Discussion/Q & A:
• Free waste audit for multi-family and businesses. Any way to track, add incentives, or revisit
to ensure improvement?
o Too early in process to answer this. Austin requires recycling plans. Will have more
examples of what is working well in other communities when receive consultant
report.
• 48% of businesses in Fort Collins recycle.
o Audit would show how well it is being done.
• How does that compare to other cities?
o Diversion rate is common number. Diversion is % of landfill compared to total waste.
Cumulative includes residential, commercial and industrial. Fort Collins has excellent
industrial recycling. Bump in numbers this year is mostly due to dirt from Foothills
Mall, Woodward, and road rebuilding as a result of the flood.
• Any information on cardboard since ordinance?
o Recycling for all areas increased significantly. Commercial cardboard collected
separately went up by 28% between 2012 and 2014.
• Have had increase in population, but not much increase in waste to landfill.
o Track per capita as well. Goal is to decrease amount landfilling, but also to decrease
consumption in the first place.
• Not enough market to meet supply of recyclables. Can the City be more proactive in spurring
development of uses for recyclables? Market driven demand. Show leadership by purchasing
only recycled products.
o City has good purchasing practices. Recycling is international market commodity.
China is doing better job recycling internally, so need less materials from outside.
Also being stricter about quality of materials coming in due to previous misuse/abuse.
• Glass is challenge as it is so cheap to produce. Is City in conversation with users of bottles?
o City has program to collect glass separately at Rivendell. We have two excellent glass
recyclers in northern Colorado. Bottle Bill (redemption) in other states provides clean
streams of recyclables, so businesses import clean glass. Most glass collected in
single stream gets broken and mixed. Can’t use it. Business that will clean the glass is
opening soon, as well as fiber glass manufacturer. Glass is heavy, so don’t want to
haul it far. Also hard on sorting machinery.
AGENDA ITEM 4—Other Business
Review City Council’s 6-Month Planning Calendar/Agenda Planning
• On top of all topics upcoming.
Announcements/Open Board Discussion
• New Chief Sustainability Officer starting. Invite her to meeting to discuss her philosophy.
• Interest in Meadow Springs discussion.
o On list.
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• I-25 and Harmony wetland. Several large water bodies. Northern section will be developed
commercial/residential soon. This year had issues with WMV. Wetlands are relatively new
and take water out of Poudre, so will put more water in the river.
Meeting Adjourned: 8:13pm
Next Meeting: June 17
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