Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 06/12/20231 06/12/2023 - Minutes Air Quality Advisory Board REGULAR MEETING Monday, June 12, 2023 – 5:30 PM 222 Laporte Avenue, Colorado River Room 1. CALL TO ORDER: 5:32 PM 2. ROLL CALL a. Board Members Present – • Greg Boiarsky • Mark Houdashelt (Chair) • Sandra LeBrun • Gavin McMeeking • Dan Welsh • Sandra LeBrun b. Board Members Absent – • Wayne Chuang • Greg Clark c. Staff Members Present – • Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison • Honoré Depew, Climate Program Manager • DeAngelo Bowden, Senior Air Quality Specialist d. Guest(s) – • Samantha • Kevin • Matt Ayres 3. AGENDA REVIEW 4. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION a. Samantha is part of a Colorado citizens pilot program that is trying to get citizens engaged in government meetings. b. Kevin is part of the League of Women voters. c. Matt Ayers will be joining the Air Quality Advisory Board as a member later this month. 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Mark moved and Sandra seconded a motion to approve the May minutes as amended. Motion passed unanimously 5-0. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 2 06/12/2023 - Minutes 7. NEW BUSINESS a. Climate and Sustainable Revenue • Honoré Depew, Climate Program Manager, provided an overview of Our Climate Future which included the goals, alignment of City plans, the history of the plan, the success of the ambassador program, the Big Moves, 2030 pathways, action roadmap, guiding principles, shared leadership, and community partnerships. The Board shared an appreciation for the plan. Honoré also reviewed Sustainable Revenue for Parks and Recreation, Transit, Housing, and Climate. They are looking for $40 to $46 million and looking at options like a natural gas franchise fee, substance tax (tobacco, alcohol and marijuana), property tax, sales tax, or large emitter tax. • The Board expressed concern about the impact on community members with different socioeconomic status. Honoré mentioned that Council is also considering looking at income qualified assistance programs and keeping food and other necessary products exempt from sales tax. The Board expressed concern with the substance tax and franchise fee because in the past it has demonstrated to unfairly impact lower income residence and the property tax can be passed to renters. Honoré stated that Council has also shared those concerns. In Council discussion, the substance tax and large emitter tax had the least support whereas the property tax and sales tax had more support. • The Board shared they would rather see more money go towards climate than more parks and recreation facilities. Honoré mentioned a climate umbrella fund could provide some flexibility on how the money is used each year. Council will vote in July on what they want to see on the ballot. The Board does have time to provide input to Council and staff. • The Board discussed the timeline, Big Moves, and the roadmap to reach the 2030 climate goals. Honoré mentioned having to work within constraints due to timeframes and how much Council and the community can do at once. The Board emphasized that electricity and buildings are ¾ of the total and focusing time and money there. They also emphasized focusing on human assets vs just money. • The Board also expressed concern around communication and insufficient utilization of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives to help reach the 2030 climate goals. They also expressed concern around rebate programs and how some community members cannot provide those kinds of funds up front to be eligible for the rebates. b. Regional Community Air Quality Monitoring Advisory Committee • DeAngelo Bowden, Senior Air Quality Specialist, provided an update regarding preliminary planning for formation of a regional air quality monitoring advisory committee, which is a commitment under an EPA air toxics grant. Although the committee will help provide direction for the grant, it will not be grant funded, so they can have flexibility to discuss other pollutants and emissions. Preliminary plan is for 14 members with some sub-committees of technical experts. • The Board suggested considering emitters to be part of the committee and some suggested that the project be balanced between using funds to promote and communicate it and funds to do 3 06/12/2023 - Minutes the actual project. Air toxics can get complicated and can turn people off because they are ‘scary’. The Board recommended having qualified opinions, like a respiratory doctor, to share with the community on why air toxics can be bad. They also advised to be careful to not fall into the trap of education as the only outcome. Another concern was that people might not know enough to have an opinion on air toxics, so staff will have to be careful about how they ask for the community’s opinion. Cassie stated a lot of advocacy groups are interested in monitoring, but she doesn’t know if it is reflective of the general community. • The grant will have a focus on oil and gas but will also include other sources. It will include monitoring and communication of results. They also proposed an art piece. • The Board asked why they are creating another committee instead of having AQAB do it. Cassie shared that AQAB represents the City and not the County. This committee is driven by the grant and needs to be more regionally representative. She also shared that AQAB is there to advise Council and has its own set of priorities. They will make sure to provide updates to AQAB as the project moves forward. 8. BOARD MEMBER REPORT a. Gavin shared that he is involved in a statewide indoor air quality ventilation assessment and facility improvement project. They are looking for an additional 10-15 sites for the project. They must be nonresidential. If you can think of any, please contact him. b. Mark shared that he went to the super issues meeting regarding sustainable funding and the Land Use Code. It was more informative than discussion based. He also shared that their Council Liaison, Julie Pignataro wants to attend a future AQAB meeting to find out what air quality priorities the board would like to see the next Council adopt. Mark also spoke before Council last week to put an emphasis on climate and difficulties reaching the 2030 goals. He recommended tapping into IRA and coming up with a plan to deploy that. 9. STAFF REPORTS 10. OTHER BUSINESS a. 6 – Month Calendar Review and Agenda Planning • Planned Agendas for Next AQAB Meeting: • July – Badges, new member introductions, oil and gas setbacks and operational standards. • August – Council priority discussion (Councilmember Pignataro will be joining), ozone SIP update. • Sept – CSU smoke ready grant, legislative process update. 11. ADJOURNMENT a. (7:55pm) Minutes approved by a vote of the Board on 07/17/23