The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutLand Conservation And Stewardship Board - Minutes - 08/22/2018Joint Work Session Minutes – August 22, 2018 Page 1 City of Fort Collins – JOINT WORK SESSION Water Board, Energy Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, and Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Wednesday, August 22, 2018 This was a work session Meeting Notes Staff Liaisons Water Board: Carol Webb, 970-221-6231 Energy Board: Tim McCollough, 970-416-2622 Natural Resources Advisory Board: Lindsay Ex, 970-224-6143 Land Conservation and Stewardship Board: Daylan Figgs, 970-416-2814 BOARD MEMBERS Water Board Present: Brett Bovee, John Primsky, Lori Brunswig, Phyllis Ortman, Rebecca Hill, Steve Malers, Michael Brown, Jim Kuiken. Absent: Andrew McKinley, Kent Bruxvoort, Jason Tarry Energy Board Present: Amanda Shores, Stacey Baumgarn, Nick Michell, John Fassler, Jeremy Giovando. Absent: Greg Behm, Alan Braslau, Bill Becker, Krishna Karnamadakala Natural Resources Advisory Board Present: Nancy DuTeau, Elizabeth Hudetz, Jay Adams, Luke Caldwell, Robert Mann, Drew Derderian. Absent: Danielle Buttke, Ling Wang, Barry Noon Land Conservation and Stewardship Board Present: Andrea Elson, Marcia Patton-Mallory, Mike Weber, Raymond Watts, David Tweedale, Vicky McLane, Jan Rossi. Absent: Joe Piesman, Ed Reifsnyder, Kelly Ohlson OTHERS PRESENT Staff: Ginny Sawyer, Jen Shanahan, Carol Webb, Katherine Martinez, Michelle Vattano, Kevin Gertig, Jeff Mihelich, Jason Graham, Daylan Figgs, Eric Potyondy, John Stokes, Adam Jokerst, Wendy Williams, Mark Sears, Jill Oropeza, Tim McCollough, Ken Sampley, Dan Evans Members of the Public: Steve Roalstal, Andy Butcher/Platte River Power Authority, Gary Wockner/Friends of the Poudre River, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Karen Artell, Rich Stave, Christina Mikell, Tom Keith, Gina C. Janett Meeting Convened Jen Shanahan called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. Joint Work Session Minutes – August 22, 2018 Page 2 Welcome, Meeting Structure, and Context for Joint Meeting Senior Project Manager Ginny Sawyer and Natural Areas Department Watershed Planner Jen Shanahan summarized the Joint Work Session purpose and format. Ms. Sawyer stated this was an opportunity for board interaction; board members will hear presentations on each topic, followed by questions and answers, small table conversations for 10 to 15 minutes, then each table will summarize and report out their comments to the larger group. Ms. Shanahan reported that the public comment period for the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) has been extended from 45 to 75 days; deadline is September 4 (visit https://www.fcgov.com/nispreview/ ). Public Comment Gary Wockner of Save The Poudre stated he’s been fighting this project for 15 years. His staff and attorneys are combing through the FEIS and believe the document violates federal law (i.e. they believe impacts to the river are incorrectly analyzed, reports are inadequate, science is indefensible, etc.). The organization has hired a Washington, D.C. law firm, plans to take the case to federal court, and invites the City to join the lawsuit. Roundhouse Renewable Transmission Line Request (Attachments available upon request) Natural Areas Department Planning Program Manager Daylan Figgs summarized the Roundhouse Renewable Energy Project and status. He and Water Reclamation and Biosolids Division Manager Jason Graham will follow up with presentations to the boards in October and November. The proposed Roundhouse Renewable Energy Project consists of 150-megawatt wind energy facility to be constructed in Wyoming per the state’s permitting process with a transmission line constructed in Colorado for energy delivery to Platte River’s Rawhide Energy Station (Rawhide). As part of the project, Roundhouse has requested the City of Fort Collins grant an easement for an above-ground transmission line approximately 12 miles across the City of Fort Collins Utilities-owned Meadow Springs Ranch (MSR) in northern Larimer County to Rawhide’s transmission interconnection. Staff provided boards an opportunity to learn about the project and the process used to select the preferred and alternate alignments, and next steps. Discussion Highlights Board members inquired about various related topics including transmission lines and the permitting process. Small Table Conversations: Questions and Comments • 12 miles that goes from transmission plant, is there any mixed-use zoning? No. • What is the infrastructure required to maintain this on what is essentially an old railroad bed, requires access road, what is the impact of that infrastructure? • Broadband easements; can we get compensation? • Show us all the lines that were considered Joint Work Session Minutes – August 22, 2018 Page 3 • Why not build on somebody else’s transmission towers instead of building new towers • Do each of the items have the same impacts, do we weight the value of the criteria? • How much cooperation exists between Colorado and Wyoming, regarding raptors and wind turbines, and possibility of connecting to other transmission lines running east- west? • Why not build it underground? Cost-benefit analysis needed. City’s Response to the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) (Attachments available upon request) Natural Areas Watershed Planner Jen Shanahan summarized the Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), City priorities, project history, and staff’s approach to the FEIS. Staff posed two questions to board members: Which of the City’s themes are most important to you? What else are you concerned about? City goals: Protect City assets and interests, reduce risk and costs to the City, ensure long-term resilience and sustainability, maintain and build regional relationships. History: Permitting began in 2004, Draft EIS released in 2008, Supplemental Draft EIS in 2015, Fish & Wildlife Mitigation Plan in 2017, Final EIS in 2018. Staff’s approach to analyzing the FEIS: considering regulatory process, and working to understand discrepancies, connections, and sufficiency of mitigation. The public comment period has been extended. Deadline is October 4: www.fcgov.com/nispreview/ Discussion Highlights Board members inquired about and commented on various related topics including whether there was a quantitative assessment regarding hydrology (qualitative assessment only); description of no-action alternative and whether it has changed over time; and how much of staff’s review is focused on mitigation (staff is focusing on gross discrepancies rather than every detail); whether the City looked into litigation costs and likelihood of success (staff has reviewed cases across the U.S. and there are very few cases in which similar projects were halted); and whether there’s a way to get the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider climate change (staff can include this topic in the City’s comments). Small Table Conversations: Questions and Comments • Regarding the take of water during the filling period, one concern is that water will contain degradation of river; city should focus on litigation rather than mitigation • One board member’s opinion: There’s no way to mitigate this, mitigation is not possible nor is adaptive management; once the dam is built, mitigation efforts are so constrained, if this dam is built, the Poudre will cease to be a river. • Agreement with previous comment; difficult to mitigate. One board member’s opinion: I suspect it does not encourage the rise of long-term development; there is a host of environmental changes that would not be immediately apparent. • Being environmentally sustainable; concerns about stream-flow; too many unknowns; if climate change is not part of the equation, we’re not being responsible.