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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 04/27/1999r r MINUTES CITY OF FORT COLLINS AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING 281 N. COLLEGE AVE. APRIL 27, 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, Harry Edwards, Jim Dennison, Steve Perich, and David Gallup Board Members Absent John Schrooer, Mandar Sunthankar and John Scanlon Staff Present Natural Resources Department: Brian Woodruff, Sally Maggart, and Tom Shoemaker Guests None The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. With the following changes, the minutes of the March 23, 1999 meeting were approved: • On Page 2, seventh paragraph; change "extend" to "extent". Review and update action list • The faded font in the Council's six-month planning calendar represents items added. • The SIP Committee meeting was rescheduled for May 18. Jim Dennison, Steve Perich, Harry Edwards and David Gallup are members. • The Mason Street Corridor Project Advisory Committee has already started meeting. Raymond Sons represents the AQAB. • The draft memo on VMT growth concerns is in the Board's packet. Review Council six-month planning calendar • May 4 — Mountain Vista Subarea Rezoning • June 8 — Study session on Cities for Climate Protection • June 15 — Northeast Truck Route • July 20 — Cities for Climate Protection vote on Local Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gases. Plan Board agenda for the May meeting (prioritized) • Cities for Climate Protection • Discussion of air quality analysis options • SIP Committee report Air Quality Advisory Board April 27, 1999 Page 2 Short discussion items John Scanlon's resi ng ation Staff was notified that John Scanlon is unable to attend Tuesday night meetings. After the City Clerk receives his resignation letter, then she will advertise the opening. Staff plans for smoking ordinance update The City Manager will determine if the new Council wants to pursue the ordinance. If so, then the project will be assigned to Sarah Fox, Air Quality Planning and Outreach Specialist. She has already met with Ann Watson of the Alliance for Smoke -Free Kids and Communities. Report on Mason Street Corridor Advisory Committee Raymond Sons reported that two meetings have been held and there is a meeting planned for May 12 to receive public input. He added that this would be a long term planning process. Jim Dennison asked about what action the AQAB could take. Brian Woodruff responded that a recommendation could be made to Council that identifies items in terms of a budget recommendation. Dennison suggested making this a future agenda item. Sons said that the committee would be making some decisions in September or October. OLD BUSINESS Objective 3 Eric Levine said that the item he included in the packet categorized different actions and methods to meet Objective 3. He suggested that the Board form a task force to work on the issues. Levine noted that the Mobility Report Card provides the best data on population growth and VMT. Woodruff suggested that the Board clarify what it wants to accomplish at this meeting. For example, the Board could look at policies, determine if Council has the proper policies in place to meet the situation, and make program suggestions. He mentioned that the John Carver workshop might present new ideas for boards. Woodruff suggested the Board might make a pitch to Council to clarify its policy, and what is to be achieved, with regard to VMT growth. Shoemaker said that the Board might be saying to Council that the Mobility Report Card data are disturbing and there is a need to take a hard look at policy that translates into programs. Jim Dennison said that it seems that there is a clear policy, but there are no programs to achieve that policy. Raymond Sons said that the direction at the last meeting was to express alarm to City Council about the new report and indicate that new strategies are Air Quality Advisory Bo• April 27, 1999 Page 3 needed. He added that Council must adopt an urgent new policy, then the Board needs to make specific recommendations as to how to deal with the problem. Sons said that there is considerable urgency to this because the City is into the two-year budget process and any new strategies will cost money. Shoemaker noted that there would be other opportunities to weigh in before the City Manager's recommended budget is finalized in September. David Gallup noted that there is a need to change the way of thinking about the Air Quality Policy Plan. He said that it is a losing battle to assume that air quality can be improved, Gallup added that maybe the connection of VMT to air quality is not valid and the assumptions need to be checked. Edwards asked whether the correct measure of air quality is pollutant concentrations in the air or total pollutant emissions. Woodruff responded that the Policy Plan states that total emissions is the measure of progress and that specific indicators to be tracked are VMT and average tailpipe emissions. The Policy Plan can, of course, be changed. Levine noted that Mountain Vista is the first proposal the Board had seen under City Plan and it will be 12-15 years in the making. Gallup said that if we wait that long to assess City Plan and its air quality impact, we would be too late to do anything about air quality. Dennison said that the new mayor is talking about revisiting City Plan and might take away things that would ameliorate the worsening of air quality. He said that he would like Son's memo expressing alarm sent to the Mayor and Council with the specific recommendation that they do not revisit City Plan in a way to harm air quality. Levine said that transportation staff has a scenario that growth and VMT will be going down in ten years and will be self-correcting. Woodruff said that the transportation staff s goal of ten- percent reduction in SOV by 2015 has been revised to 8 or 9 percent. Harry Edwards made the motion to approve Raymond Son's draft letter and send it to Council Jim Dennison seconded the motion. After the following discussion and amendment to the letter, the motion passed unanimously (6-0). Sons said that he is open to amending the letter to the effect that the Board will proceed to study strategies that can be implemented to meet the new situation. Edwards said that it might be necessary to revisit what constitutes air quality in the community. He said that he is not too worried about VMT as an indicator. Gallup said that there is a definite link between VMT growth and the quality of air. Woodruff said it is appropriate for the Board to discuss whether VMT is still a good air quality indicator. Levine suggested alerting Council that the Board will evaluate different methods and strategies for air quality to deal with the new situation. Sons agreed to amend the draft. Air Quality Advisory Board April 27, 1999 Page 4 Dennison suggested that a task force be formed to study the recommended programs. Shoemaker suggested that a subcommittee determine the membership of the task force. Gallup, Sons and Levine volunteered to be on the subcommittee. Levine will ask Sunthankar and Schrooer if they are interested in joining. NEW BUSINESS City Budget Tom Shoemaker said that the City Manager is seeking early input from boards on the two- year budget for 2000-01. He explained that citywide recommendations could be made, as well as those specifically for the Natural Resources Department. Shoemaker added that the air quality program is principally funded from the general fund, Clean Air Colorado, and various other grants. Steve Perich asked if the budget could be revised to address program issues that occur during the two-year budget. Shoemaker affirmed that the budget process could respond to unexpected issues. Edwards asked what the status is on establishing a pollution prevention staff person. Shoemaker responded that priorities are determined according to need and available funds and staff is in the process of prioritizing budget items. Dennison asked what the overall level of funding is relative to the present budget cycle funding. Shoemaker responded that there would be no increase is the base budget and comparatively little money for supplemental requests for new money. Perich asked if the pollution prevention position would work inside government to promote city services or work with local businesses. Woodruff responded that the challenge would be to come up with a way to help businesses. He added that there is an existing position that provides expertise to City departments. Harry Edwards made the motion to endorse Brian Woodruffs April 21, 1999 budget memo to the Board and forward it to the City Manager. David Gallup seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously (6-0). Woodruff explained that the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign Local Action Plan was inadvertently left out of the memo. Shoemaker said that this could be flagged as a plan being developed that will have budget implications. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.