HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 03/21/2016MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD
Date: Monday, March 21, 2016
Location: Community Room, 215 N. Mason Street
Time: 5:30–8:00pm
For Reference
John Shenot, Chair
Ross Cunniff, Council Liaison 970-420-7398
Lucinda Smith, Interim Staff Liaison 970-224-6085
Board Members Present Board Members Absent
Rich Fisher John Shenot, Chair
Gregory Miller Robert Kirkpatrick
Vara Vissa (6:00)
Tom Griggs
Mark Houdashelt
Chris Wood
Staff Present
Lindsay Ex, Staff Liaison/Environmental Program Manager
Dianne Tjalkens, Admin/Board Support
Cassie Archuleta, Environmental Planner
Councilmembers Present
None
Guests
None
Call to order: 5:31pm
Agenda Review: Lawrence Pollack is unable to attend. Lindsay will give a brief update on the BFO topic.
Public Comments: None
AGENDA ITEM 1: 2017-2018 Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) Process
Lindsay presented a slide in Lawrence’s place. Lawrence Pollack, Budget Director, provided information on
the 2017-2018 BFO process and updated the Board on the City’s 5-year Strategic Plan.
City Strategic Plan draft is being reviewed by Council. It has been updated by executive lead team. Clarity
around air quality issues: ozone, dust, indoor air, etc. Also, there is alignment with the Climate Action Plan.
Starting budgeting process: 1. Staff prepare offers based on department goals (due April 22); 2. BFO teams
(staff and citizens) meet weekly to review offers. 3. Public engagement around the offers. 4. Once teams
develop a “final platform” offers go to the Budget Lead Team. BLT prepares City Manager recommended
budget 5. Recommended budget goes to Council and to public hearing. There is a first and second reading.
Comments/Q&A
• Where is best for AQAB to plug in?
o Boards get involved at multiple places based on interest. AQAB can give input on indoor air
quality goals. Have a few offers for air quality and CAP. $15K toward Colorado
Page 1
Communities for Action—collaboration of communities to advocate for local and state
legislation. Can provide letters to teams. There will be public engagement that can participate
in as public or board.
• Approaching a year since CAP completed—doesn’t seem like a lot has happened in implementation.
We’re in another planning cycle for budgeting. Fort Collins is great at planning, but implementation
is slow.
o Last year created high level strategies. Over last twelve months have developed potential
pathway to get to 2020 goal. Taking implementation to Council in April. Cassie Archuleta
has been working on inventory.
2015 preliminary numbers—10% lower than 2005 baseline year.
Platte River investment in renewables, transportation numbers changing, people are
making efficiency upgrades in homes with rebates. Finally getting good news to go
with efforts made.
Labelling things we have already been doing as Climate Action.
• Projections about how far we would be/where we expected to be?
o Business as usual forecast versus goal line. Inventory has been tracking trajectory of goal
line, except for a recent uptick. Expect to start going back down.
o Things that go into forecast are things like population growth. Inventories showing moving in
right direction.
• Above line and below line cuts made by teams or City Manager?
o Cuts are initially made by BFO Teams, but reviewed by BLT and City Manager. Shifts can
occur here. Council can also make changes.
o In last cycle Energy Board asked for recommendations to get things above the line. They
were told that once the offers are at the BLT that recommendations are not accepted.
Council plays an active role through the end of the process.
Review and Approval of Minutes:
Tom moved and Rich seconded a motion to approve the February 2016 AQAB minutes as amended.
Motion passed unanimously, 5-0-0. Vara arrived after vote.
Corrections: Minor edits submitted via email.
AGENDA ITEM 2: Climate Action Plan Implementation
Lindsay Ex briefed the Board on the information presented at City Council’s March 10 Work Session, and
summarized the reactions of Council.
Shared good news with Council—many resources put into roadmap to 2020. Have 70 staff members and 30
citizens involved as well as Executive Team (5 members). Developed an in-house model to quantify results
and outcomes of initiatives. 31 have been plugged into the model to determine carbon and financial impacts.
Last March adopted goals and framework, since then have assembled teams, held Work Session and open
house, developed in-house model, convened CAC, another work session, another public open house and
business workshop. Will have update to Council in summer and will request funding in BFO. Then on to
implementation and evaluation. Evaluating GDP and population to assess inventory. Project teams: energy
efficiency, clean energy, multimodal, RZW, water and land use and preparation, adaptation and resilience.
Support teams: measuring performance, financing, messaging & engagement, pilots, and climate economy.
Implementation started with 68 potential initiatives that were assessed with triple bottom line in mind. Pared
down to 31 that were put into model for cost/benefit analysis. These are included in draft plan. Goal to
reduce GHG 20% by 2020. Energy efficiency gets us half way there, RZW 25%, Clean Energy 19%,
multimodal 13%, and water and land use 2%. Over 100%, so could move beyond 2020 goal.
Potential pathways:
• Accelerated pathway includes 13 initiatives that would get to goal, without regard to cost.
• Cost effective route doesn’t look at long term payback but is least expensive way to get to 2020.
• Cost effective 2050 is to get most bang for buck over lifespan of the measure.
Page 2
Cumulative costs, not net. Savings and payback potential up to $2.5B in investments by 2020. Each includes
investment from the City and total cost. City cannot make this investment alone—need private sector and
community engagement. Potential funding tools include City debt/cash, utility rates/debt, public-private
partnerships, private debt and grants. Ex: on-bill financing for individual efficiency upgrades.
Top initiatives:
• Business efficiency portfolio (base program), includes Efficiency Works (Platte River)
o EW helps pay for equipment upgrades for businesses. For large industrial customers.
o Have residential programs as well for LED lighting and others.
o Also have pilots with local retailers to improve uptake of more efficient products.
• Community recycling ordinance implementation
• Platte River Renewables
• Expansion of congestion management system
• Expanded business efficiency portfolio
• Home efficiency portfolio (base)
• Power purchase agreement for CHP
• Home efficiency portfolio (expanded)
• Solar power purchase program
• Utility rooftop solar incentives
• Trip reduction programs
• Municipal biomass burner (for Emerald Ash borer)
• Building energy and scoring disclosure
Taking four offers to Council April 5 for appropriations. Funders looking for cities to invest in, up to 2-1
match with City dollars to get staff and tools for building energy disclosure. Offers include 3 FTE staff for
program support. Potential projects include: HEAL (energy efficiency through paycheck); feasibility for
carbon sequestration; commercial lawn and garden—equipment emissions—looking for ways for municipal
fleet to convert to cleaner equipment (ozone impacts); CAP innovation fund and feasibility study for
biomass; municipal green waste sites; solar incentives; and home and business efficiency portfolios will be
taken before Council in next few months. Also, Fort Collins could ask Platte River to explore separate rate
structure for Fort Collins based on an energy mix with more renewables.
Council feedback is that heading in right direction, need to show per-customer numbers, looking at net
investments, and further vetting the model.
First week of May Fort Collins will hold summit to share best practices among Chief Sustainability Officers.
Lindsay showed beta version of website that guides users to specific actions/changes.
Comments/Q&A
• Is model being used to track progress or to assess what has been done?
o Designed to assess initiatives on common platform. Teases out assumptions. Ex: if
population changes can update model.
o Model has 2005 to 2050. Forecast links to separate database. Will be reconciling, as it is used
as a tracking tool.
o Modelling done by contractors, how is it being used?
Some of the data and assumptions are included in this model, but expanded to be
clear on assumptions and adaptable.
New model is specific to strategies.
Can understand how outcomes are calculated.
• What is cost effectiveness?
o Calculated based on number of tons carbon reduced for investment. Preliminary numbers.
o Mike Beckstead has talked to local banks and there is interest in funding.
On-bill financing shows proof of concept. Taking project to Council for funding on
paycheck deductions to finance efficiency upgrades. Have two banks interested
already.
o Do homeowners see benefits within five years, for example with purchasing a furnace?
Page 3
Overall payback happens over a longer period.
o Will still help reach 2020 goal?
Yes.
• What happens when society of self-driving cars? Included in projections?
o Will look holistically at how these things interplay with land use patterns.
• Waste-to-energy?
o Water treatment facility is looking into CHP—creating energy from heat.
• Do you market CAP? Advertisements? If wasn’t board member might not know about the project.
o Coloradoan is covering to a degree. Have had community engagement in Lose-A-Watt. Need
to determine messaging before advertising. Have website to help people select actions to take
and City programs to help.
o Where do you get first sense of awareness?
Heading there.
Discussions on co-benefits to air quality will be part of messaging.
Linking climate change and public health—event being planned.
• Council suggested developing net costs. Can be misleading to do those since costs are upfront and
benefits are over time. Important to know more about modelling and assumptions to know how
feasible some of the strategies are.
o Energy efficiency projects are based on existing data, collected over a period of time. Next
step is to develop template. Currently have one-pager with paragraphs on assumptions.
Cincinnati has 3-4 page documents for each initiative to back up projects. Ideally would
make model public.
Ex: On-bill financing. People not taking advantage of program. Need incentive to
use. Will initiatives work in real life? What is practicality?
• Why is scoring of building separate?
o All are linked. Without energy scoring and disclosure cannot get to other initiatives. First
step.
• Recycling and waste ordinance has been delayed by Council. How is this impacting the 2020 goal?
o More optimistic knowing we’re at 10% below 2005. Staff is bringing new package to
Council for community recycling ordinance.
o Composting being removed?
Yes.
How will we reach goal without organics?
• Staff will look at how pathway changes as a result of removing organics.
What happened to composting component?
• Lindsay will get update from Caroline.
• Energy source—Platte River—one big assumption is that they are removing a coal plant, but that was
only a model that they did not commit to.
o Emissions factors associated with electricity are directly from Platte River.
o 2020 goal does not depend on Platte River. Whole state, and Platte River, is determining how
to comply with Clean Power Plan.
o Referencing original Brendle modelling for framework, which looks out toward 2030 and
2050 when those coal units are predicted to move offline.
Don’t have regulations that say what date coal plant must be removed. Alternatives
within that—don’t have control over all units are Craig. Modelling requested by the
City from Platte River was not based on Platte River planning.
Platte River board recently shifted from to “lowest cost” to “cost effective.”
Rawhide is optimized to use a particular kind of coal, and pays more for that coal.
Can request Platte River present to AQAB.
• Colorado Energy Collective sold out quickly. Effective.
o Expect to see an offer in 2017/18 BFO cycle. Takes a lot of planning. Community solar
gardens are often more efficient than rooftop solar—better oriented and can track sun.
O&M aspect is important. Ex: cleaning panels.
Page 4
Location of gardens can be close to transmission lines. Easier to manage one large
installation than many small ones coming onto the grid.
180 acres of solar at Rawhide (30 MW)—online in September.
• Implementing beyond 2020 goal will be difficult. Engaging people who aren’t already “members of
the choir.”
o Testing messaging on City employees. Have opportunity to demonstrate leadership and
payback. Ex: Unity Church replaced all light bulbs with LED. Developing messaging on
“what ifs.” Ex: Unity Church saves $50/mth. What if all churches did this?
o Behavioral shift—cool factor.
Utilities completed customer segmentation study. 20% willing to do whatever
necessary. Large portion willing but no time, other large group willing but with return
on investment. Others will always be a no. Often focus on the “no’s” but can make
significant change with those who are already willing. Want to engage and develop
leaders in the business community.
Focus on those receptive to behavior change.
• When Gallegos puts out two carts and the trash is smaller and recycling is
bigger, that is behavior change. Energy efficiency can get us to 2020 goal.
Must try new things to get to 2030 and 2050 goals.
• 25% transportation. Max seems very effective.
o Great ridership. Will have east-west corridors as well. When people start looking for homes
on Max, will have succeeded.
o Concerns about transportation or metrics that must start changing now or will make reaching
2030 infeasible?
Transportation analysis all project trips increasing over time. Need fundamental new
look at transportation master planning. Have modelled 7 transportation initiatives.
Want 50% EVs on road by 2030. Hard to ramp up that quickly.
• High level strategy. Will see shifts.
ACTION ITEMS: Request Platte River present to AQAB on diversification plan. Request Community
Recycling Ordinance update from Caroline.
AGENDA ITEM 3: Fugitive Dust Ordinance
Lindsay Ex updated the Board on the work done by staff and the Fugitive Dust Working Group since City
Council’s February 9 work session.
April 5 going to Council Work Session.
1. Leading by Example: the manual will be part of City project policy—will start immediately, except
for existing contracts.
2. Data on Costs: determined minimum and maximum costs per single family home based on infill,
greenfield, size, etc.
3. Monitoring/Tracking: have developed system to track and act on complaints.
4. Hybrid Approach: concerns for housing affordability, developed hybrids as result.
a. Proposing all projects must prevent, minimize and control dust
b. All projects must apply BMPs for materials transport and saw cutting.
c. Manual is used for residential projects over 10Ksf.
d. Manual applies to projects under 10Ksf if two written warnings per year.
e. If not preventing off-property transport must apply at least one additional BMP.
Going to Planning and Zoning Board for recommendation.
Comments/Q&A
• What accounts for range between minimum and maximum costs?
o Maximum assumes that will have to use additional BMPs because minimum required dust
suppression is not working.
Page 5
• Can we accelerate implementation? Will miss this construction season. Can we have soft
enforcement sooner with training and education?
o Did previous recommendation support delayed enforcement?
Supported December enforcement.
o Difficult to move soft enforcement into summer?
Goes to Council in April. Could there be a notice that goes to all construction to read
website and begin practicing?
• Need to determine what earliest date could be. Many teams involved in
enforcement.
• Opportunity to be a good neighbor.
• Don’t want to push Council too much when finally starting to take action.
o Proactively educate community.
o Clarification: If builder has contiguous lots, becomes a site larger than 10Ksf.
• Know what is coming up because of building permits.
o 53% of building permits were less than10Ksf in 2015.
o Should be about dust generating potential, rather than arbitrary cut-off.
By including saw cutting, covered loads, and two warnings, address the largest dust
generating activities.
o Includes renovations, road building, etc.?
Would include checklist for smaller projects. Have email list for all contractors in
community.
• What percentage of dust problem does this solve?
o Never had a complaint on construction of a single family home site.
o Applies to large residential and all commercial developments.
o Ozone is regional problem; this is a problem of a small area. Good neighbor policy.
• What about properties that have both commercial and residential?
o Will have to look at attorney’s language for mixed use sites.
• Some residential lots are larger than 10Ksf. Important to build awareness. Ex: reducing speeds on dirt
roads, esp. on private properties. Community should be made aware.
o 80% of all single family residential is under 10Ksf.
o Council is okay with compromise because tracking system allows staff to determine where
the problems are. Have never had complaints on single family homes. Costs are high to apply
to single family homes.
Rich moved and Tom seconded a motion to support the following recommendation to Council:
The Air Quality Advisory Board continues to recommend adoption of the Dust Prevention and Control
Manual for all projects within the community.
However, if Council chooses to adopt a hybrid approach as proposed by City staff, then the Board
recommends prompt adoption of such approach and encourages staff to initiate soft enforcement as quickly
as possible to ensure that contractors and the general public are made aware of these standards during the
2016 construction season.
Motion passed unanimously, 6-0-0.
ACTION ITEMS: Lindsay will look more into when soft enforcement of ordinance could begin.
AGENDA ITEM 4: Updates and Announcements
Transportation Air Quality Impacts Guidance Manual
• Have hired contractor. Kick off with City staff being scheduled. Can present to the board in May.
Downtown and Old Town Plan
Page 6
• Have had discussions on bike sharing. Downtown Plan staff requests coming back to board in April.
Both going to Council in July.
West Elizabeth Enhanced Travel Corridor
• Returns to Council July 19. April presentation to board.
AGENDA ITEM 5: Futures Actions and Agenda Items
Review of City Council 6 Month Agenda Planning Calendar
• Waste Optimization—Sustainable materials management, looking at waste streams. Work Session.
o Lindsay will speak with Honoré and decide if should have presentation.
• Traffic Management—CAP initiative
Agenda Planning—April & May
• Elections (April)
o Neither John nor Mark is interested in Chair position.
• West Nile Virus (move to May?)
• West Elizabeth Corridor (April)
o Appropriate to understand whether transportation and planning staff are addressing air
quality.
o Manual is tracking slightly behind the corridor project.
o Could be project-by-project approach, or could do citywide transportation planning with
goals for emission factors.
Staff has looked at this being a screening tool for project options.
Updates transportation master plan could address air quality.
• Can include NOX, CO, VOCs and fine particles.
• Indoor Air Quality (April)
• Downtown Plan (April)
ACTION ITEM: Lindsay will speak with Honoré and decide if should have presentation on waste stream
optimization.
Meeting Adjourned: 8:00pm
Next Meeting: April 18
Page 7