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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 05/25/199905-07 MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 N. COLLEGE AVE. MAY 25, 1999 For Reference: Eric Levine, Chair - 229-5225 Scott Mason, Council Liaison - 226-4824 Brian Woodruff, Staff Liaison - 221-6604 Board Members Present Eric Levine, Raymond Sons, Jim Dennison, David Gallup, John Schroeer, and Steve Perich Board Members Absent Mandar Sunthankar and Harry Edwards Staff Present Natural Resources Department: Brian Woodruff, Sally Maggart, Susie Gordon and Lucinda Smith Guests None The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. With the following changes, the minutes of the April 27, 1999 meeting were approved: • Page 3, delete 3"d paragraph. Review and Update Action List 1. Eric Levine contacted the Chairs of the Transportation, Natural Resources and Planning & Zoning Boards. Woodruff will get clarification on legal options for the Board's role in development review from the City Attorney's office. 2. Done. Memo in the packet. 3. The committee met and came up with two main strategies. David Gallup moved that the Chair prepare a letter to Council requesting formation of an emergency blue ribbon committee to address the problem of rampant VMT growth in the Fort Collins area and advise Council to set aside emergency funds accordingly. Raymond Sons seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (6-0). A draft of the memo will be e-mailed to boardmembers prior to finalizing and sending to Council. 4. Done. 5. Done. 6. The memo will be sent to Council tomorrow. OLD BUSINESS Cities for Climate Protection — Lucinda Smith Lucinda Smith, Environmental Planner, explained the measures and the City's commitment to the Cities for Climate Protection campaign. She said that the purpose of the plan is to come up with strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Air Quality Advisory Board May 25, 1999 Page 2 Potential New Measures • Lobby for renewable energy and partner with other agencies. • Promote ClimateWise for businesses. Apply for a grant. • Pilot P2 program for energy conservation. • Install more wind turbines and focus on business subscribers. Municipal Measures • Reduce City building energy use. • Optimize water treatment facilities. • Replace traffic signals with LED's. • Purchase one turbine worth of electricity for about $30,000. Residential Measures • Repair and replace broken solar hot water systems. • Look at green building program. Building & Zoning will look at program starting in 2000• with the update of the Energy Code. • Seek alternatives to residential air conditioning through solar orientation, tree shading, building color and use of a whole house fan. • Encourage use of compact fluorescent bulbs. • Continue energy efficiency training for builders through the Building & Zoning Dept. • Work with retailers to stock, advertise, and educate consumers about the benefits of energy efficient large appliances. • Make information available on existing solar energy incentives and provide incentives for this clean source of energy. Transportation Measures • Keep VMT growth rate from outpacing population growth rate. • Promote telecommuting through outreach with employers and incentives to employees. • More funding for transit. • Support development of commuter rail between Fort Collins and Denver. • Accelerate implementation of TDM and parking pricing disincentives. • Lobby for more stringent fuel efficiency standards. • Look at cleaner buses for Poudre School District. Solid Waste Reduction Measures • Reconsider goal for diversion of trash from landfill. • Have a second recycling drop-off site in town. • Expand facilities at the Recycling Center. • Install a gas facility at the landfill. Purchasing Measures - Government • Purchase environmentally preferable products. • Start a City employee purchasing education campaign. • Educate City staff on energy use. • Encourage green building of new administration building. • Distribute bids electronically. `Air Quality Advisory Board • • May 25, 1999 Page 3 Tree Planting Measures • Increase tree planting citywide. • Plant in appropriate locations to reduce building heating and cooling needs. Education Measures • Broker performance -contracting services for small businesses. • Reduce unnecessary night lighting. • Promote benefit of daycare in workplaces. • Develop global warming teacher kits. Current proposals in draft plan: • Establish a reduction target for 1999-2003. • Implement, monitor and evaluate measures. • Establish a future target for 2004-2010. Implementation • Set up an energy management team to recommend future actions, funding sources, and assist with an annual report. • Give each lead department budget responsibility. • Report to City Manager and Council. Schedule • Draft plan comments taken through June 9. • City Council Study Session June 8. • Final Council action on July 20. Jim Dennison said that he is impressed with Lucinda's work, and the past Council should be commended for initiating study of the issue. He asked if sequestration by trees would be the same in 2010 as in 1995. Smith said that she would research it. Raymond Sons moved that the Air Quality Advisory Board endorse the draft Local Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gases and strongly recommend that City Council act favorably upon it John Schroeer seconded the motion. After the following discussion, the motion passed unanimously (6-0). John Schroeer said that he would like to see the use of compact fluorescent bulbs expanded. Jim Dennison suggested, in addition to highlighting VMT, including wind power as an important component. Sons suggested amending the motion to include three specific points: compact fluorescent bulbs, VMT, and wind power. David Gallup suggested adding traffic signal LED's. Levine said that this is the best, most comprehensive fact -filled document he has ever seen in the City in nine years. Air Quality Advisory Board May 25, 1999 Page 4 Next Month's Agenda • Final recommendation on Cities for Climate Protection Plan • Decide course of action on development review • Kick off Action Plan visibility work items • Air quality analysis options (canyover from May meeting) On a motion from David Gallup the Board voted 6-0 to extend the meeting time ten minutes. Short Discussion Items Participants report on John Carver April 30 Workshop Raymond Sons said that the workshop would have been more useful to boards that have power rather than advisory boards. He added that Mr. Carver said that boards should present a united front to the public once a decision is reached. Sons said that, although Mr. Carver was interesting, he did not find the workshop useful for our purposes. Eric Levine said that he agreed with Sons. He added that he was interested in knowing what the City paid for the workshop. Brian Woodruff responded that it was $10,000 including a two-day retreat with the City Council. Woodruff noted that the Carver model would only be meaningful to the Board if Council adopts Carver's Policy Governance model. SIP Committee Report on CO Redesignation Brian Woodruff reported that the committee met with representatives from the State Health Department and Larimer County Health Department. He said that the fundamental concept is to move forward on the redesignation request for Fort Collins. Woodruff added that City staff has direction from the City Manager's office to be alert to anything that might hurt the City, because once the emissions budget for mobile sources is identified, it is with us in perpetuity. He explained that, if the emissions budget is set too strict, it could jeopardize the City or WO receiving any transportation funds from the federal government. On a motion from David Gallup the Board voted 6-0 to extend the meeting five minutes. Woodruff said that the key features of redesignation are to not violate the air quality standard and not exceed the mobile source emission budget. He noted that the Legislature requires that the City look at the issue of whether I/M is still going to be necessary and whether oxy fuels are necessary. Woodruff said that the committee would meet again with representatives from CDOT. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 9:55 p.m.