Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 07/21/2014AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD REGULAR MEETING MONDAY, JULY 21, 2014 DATE: MONDAY, JULY 21, 2014 LOCATION: Community Room, 215 N. Mason Street TIME: 5:30–8:00 pm For Reference: Tom Moore, Chair 970-988-4055 Ross Cunniff, Council Liaison 970-420-7398 Melissa Hovey, Staff Liaison 970-221-6813 Present: Tom Moore, chair Rich Fisher Dave Dietrich Scott Groen Tom Griggs John Shenot Gregory Miller Absent: Melissa Hovey, Staff Liaison Richard (Dick) Thomas (resigned) Jim Dennison Staff Present: Brian Woodruff, Environmental Planner Dianne Tjalkens, Admin/Board Support Tessa Greegor, FC Bikes Program Manager Paul Sizemore, FC Moves Program Manager Guests: None Call meeting to order: Tom Moore called to order at 5:32pm. Public Comments: None Member Comments: Scott Groen is resigning from the board due to work conflict. He accepted a teaching position at FRCC. Review and Approval of May 19, 2014 minutes Tom moved and Rich seconded a motion to approve the May 19, 2014 AQAB minutes as presented. Motion passed, 5-0-2. John and Greg abstained. 1 Introduction of New Member Gregory Miller Greg served on the Parks and Recreation board for over 10 years. He took some time off and was ready to be on a board again. He is a bike commuter and has interest in improving air quality in Fort Collins. AGENDA ITEM 1: Budgeting For Outcomes Tom Moore, AQAB Chair and John Shenot, AQAB Vice-Chair led the board in a discussion of BFO offers to endorse that are aligned with the AQAB’s mission and work plan. The board composed a draft letter to the Budget Lead Team regarding the BFO process and offers. Melissa built a spreadsheet of air quality BFOs. After input, Tom and John will craft a memo to Council, which will be approved by the board via email. John added that the City’s Budget Lead Team provides a proposed budget to Council. They are at the stage where the staff is developing the proposed budget. The letter would give input to the Lead Team to influence what they put before Council. This will not be the last chance to weigh in as Council will still be deliberating the offers proposed by staff. Tom added that many decisions will be made to cull the list between now and when Council sees the list. Comments/Q & A • John said the list is mostly comprised of enhancement offers, which are additions to the budget. It is important to weigh in on a handful we are eager to see remain in the budget. The list is of offers Melissa said had an impact on air quality. The green highlighted offers are those she felt most relevant or beneficial. • Brian said he came prepared with background text on offers if necessary. • Scott asked if there is a definition of a “sustainable neighborhood.” • Tom added that you can see the amount of new offers as opposed to the core offers. Melissa highlighted the offers for attending the Regional Air Quality Council, renewables, guidance manual for air quality impacts, etc. • John feels the ones that deserve the board’s recommendation are ones that the board has said the City should do. We would really like the City to have a more methodical way of assessing the air quality impacts of projects. That one is a top priority. Ozone planning process is also a top priority as is the funding for participation in Regional Air Quality Council. The issue with Martin Marietta was new and unexpected. The air quality program support funding will help with that kind of unexpected project. • Tom Moore said under high performing government there is a compressed natural gas fuel site. This would give easier fueling for energy efficient cars. Melissa did not highlight that one, but you must consider the cost trade off of the proposals. • Tom Moore read descriptions of offers requested by members. • Rich is interested more in implementation offers than strategic planning offers. Dave agreed with that general comment. He would like to see things happen. • John said the offer for a municipal energy efficiency fund is one where the money spent will bring emissions down and directly impact air quality. • Scott had concerns about the numbers presented in the offer. John said he was interested in the creation of a fund to do energy efficiency projects. Brian explained how the fund is built. He said the City is having trouble funding efficiency projects that make a lot of sense and have a good return on 2 investment because generally capital funds are required. Rather than competing for capital funds, this dedicates dollars for the projects. • Gregory asked why an offer regarding bike paths was coming through this department rather than transportation. John clarified that the headings are not departments but outcome areas. He added that the board can send a short list of offers it recommends. • John said recommendations will be conveyed through a memo to the budget lead team, which will be copied to Council. John drafted a letter that any offers the board agrees on can be added into the letter and circulated via email. John would like to start the letter with a discussion of the fact that many of the offers could affect air quality and Fort Collins air quality does not currently meet federal standards. The EPA is also considering making the standards more stringent to protect public health. Therefore, the City should be careful in making any investments that increase emissions. We are in a non-attainment area, but he is unsure the City realizes changes that make the problem tougher to tackle are on the way. • Scott asked how many ozone testing locations are in town. How often do they fail? • Brian said the downtown one does not violate the standard, but the west side one at the atmospheric testing center has problems. Scott said the air shed coming from Denver and the poor location of the meter affect the data. • Rich said if the board wants to focus on ozone, it must look at the transportation offers. He is for public transit, but it is not used much in Fort Collins and cost must be considered. • Brian Woodruff explained Building on Basics and KFCG funds. • Dave asked about the Bicycles Plan Implementation coming from BOB funds. Tessa said it has been used in the past for trail projects and buffer bike lanes. Dave asked if this was an enhancement to the money they are already getting. Tessa said it would continue the funding that is currently in place. Dave asked if this not getting funded would mean the end of the plan implementation. Tom said yes, unless another funding source was determined, such as the general fund. • Rich said we can improve our transportation significantly along the Front Range corridor. That is worth an investment, but he doesn’t know the details of that. • Tom Moore said the letter could include information about the overall impact of commuters driving to Denver. Rich said the letter could include principal sources of ozone and big picture and recommend offers that implement. • Scott said the City wants to spend $50,000 to study the railroad switching in Fort Collins. The railroad is going to do what it wants to do. Tom Moore added that the highest exposure is at railroad crossing. • Tom Moore asked if anyone objected to using the green highlighted items for the list and adding more “big picture” information to the memo, such as implementing commuter support. • Rich asked to specify recommending greener options for bike path changes. • Greg added that everyone would like to add specificity around bike paths, but that is not necessary for the Budget Lead Team. Dave said he could support offers for specific projects, but not unspecified. • Greg suggested having John and Tom Moore draft the letter and members could add specifics where necessary. 3 • Rich said the Healthy Sustainable Homes program is the only offer related to indoor air quality, and he is in support of it. • Members discussed opinions on specific offers and Tom Moore took note for the memo. AGENDA ITEM 2: Bicycle Master Plan Tessa Greegor, FC Bikes Program Manager, presented information on the draft Bicycle Master Plan and led a discussion on the air quality implications of the plan. Tessa will email maps to the board after the meeting. She highlighted the connection between car use, air quality and health. The Bicycle Master Plan is an implementation item in the Transportation Master Plan. It looks at developing strategies to move forward. New trails and trail connections are identified in the Paved Recreational Trails Master Plans. The Bicycle Master Plan looks at best practices for engineering and safety. An automated bike share business plan is included as well, and is available on the website. Staff has done a variety of public engagement around this project. Plan goals include connectivity, safety, ridership, health, etc. Staff is determining performance measures including crash rates, target audiences, etc. They are analyzing the level of comfort as well, with factors such as speed, travel lanes, width and placement of bike lanes, intersection configuration, etc. This informs development of the network and will help decide types of infrastructure recommended in various locations. Staff is looking at ½ mile grid spacing, denser in downtown, as well as low-stress non-arterial connections. They have identified specific locations for improvements with suggested treatments. Another key piece of the plan is wayfinding and programming (education, encouragement, enforcement etc.). The proposed arterial improvements may include buffered and protected bike lanes, bike dedicated signals, protecting islands and recessed crosswalks. A Public Open House will be held July 30 at the Lincoln Center. Comments/Q & A • John asked if most of the funding for the bike share would be third party. Tessa said a portion of the startup funds may come from the City (pending BFO offer), but the program would generate funds through various sources including sponsorships and grants. • Rich asked if stress is the same as danger. Tessa said it relates to perception of comfort more than safety, but in some cases there are higher collision numbers in higher stress areas. • Rich said fast moving traffic and large trucks are stressful. He wondered about her latitude to address those concerns across the board. If speed limits were decreased along Shields that would address comfort. Can you do that? Tessa said part of the plan is looking at policy changes that would have an impact. Changing speeds is a big deal, but it will be evaluated. They work closely with Traffic Operations and Streets. • Tom Moore asked if the perception of stress is not a good indicator of the danger for cyclists. When he sees physical barriers, they would go a long way if you buy into the model that bikes need to be next to cars and trucks. The other option is to have a freeway of bike trails and take the bikes off the arterials. He does not see the advantage of riding on Lemay, Mulberry or Harmony if you can find a way around them. • Dave said many people use bikes to get to places they need to get to, and those arterials are the way to get there. Tessa said looking at the maps might address questions about connectivity. Our arterials 4 play a role in where our destinations are, so we want to improve comfort in using them as well as identify a functional low-stress network of non-arterial routes. • Rich said there are a lot of ditches on the south side of the town. Does the City have access to run a trail through those? Tessa said Parks and Recreation would work on those kinds of trails. Scott said the liability in using trails in an irrigation ditch area is too great and the land is owned by ditch companies. • Rich asked about the old railway that goes out to Laporte. Tessa was unsure, but she will find out. • Brian asked Tessa to discuss how people are encouraged to utilize the infrastructure. Tessa said this is about shifting habits and creating a culture of biking. They are giving the community opportunities to test out biking and walking, for example through the recent Open Streets event. • John asked if staff has any methods that help them estimate the amount of difference these improvements make in increasing bike trips that would otherwise be done by another mode of transit. Tessa said they have program evaluation tools, including ridership numbers. Projects are measured and evaluated on whether it affects behavior and trips. They also use data from other communities that have implemented various tools to identify best practices. They plan to install a totem counter on Remington to measure ridership. • Gregory asked if that was considered for the Mason Trail. Tessa said there are trail counters along Mason, but they are not as visible, and that Mason would be a good potential location for an Eco- Totem. • Tom Moore asked if the plan will identify the top priorities to fix. Tessa said they will be developing an implementation plan with phasing. Tom wonders if the Bike Plan is an opportunity to get before Council to address specific problem areas. If we don’t worry about the arterials and double our efforts toward the trails, that would be a way to look at where we want to be in the future rather than just making people more comfortable with what exists. • Tessa suggested the board look at the maps and send a list of concerns, as well as attend the open house to give specific input. • Tom Moore agreed to draft a memo and circulate it to the board for comments and suggestions. AGENDA ITEM 3: Fugitive Dust Brain Woodruff presented information on draft Land Use Code and Municipal Code language regarding fugitive dust emissions as well as the draft Dust Control Manual for initial feedback from the board. Brian and Melissa are working on a comprehensive packet of measure to address fugitive dust issues. They had planned to attend a work session tomorrow night, but have been bumped and are now in communication with the City Manager instead of Council to get the go-ahead. The process is ongoing and involves a new section of municipal code that addresses fugitive dust and amendments to land use code so land development is covered. It will center on a new requirement for a dust control manual that Council will adopt separately. Also, the City Manager will have an administrative policy for City crews to follow the manual, and it will be introduced into City construction specs and RFPs. They will also provide training for staff and developers. Staff is doing outreach to the affected departments in the City, the development industry, and the Chamber of Commerce as well. The timeline includes returning to Council in 2 to 3 months with code amendments, administrative policy, and the manual. Melissa will have detailed code language at the next meeting. 5 Comments/Q & A • Rich asked if there was any risk that it not be adopted. Brian said yes. The sequence of events was the board wrote a letter to Council last year and staff were then directed to add it to their work plan. Staff is trying to head off controversy so Council can feel confident going forward. • Scott said the new stadium would not have to follow the rules since it is at CSU. • Brian said staff is sending a letter to the City Manager in lieu of a work session. Through his regular visits with individual Council members, the Manager can discover if there are any concerns about bringing the ordinances to Council for first reading. • Tom Moore asked about the presentation of ordinances and the manual to Council. Brian said stormwater created a runoff manual and staff is using that process as a model. The ordinances will refer to the manual. • Tom Moore asked if the manual can be changed without a vote of the Council. Brian said no, but it can be revised without having to change the codes. AGENDA ITEM 8: Other Business Updates and Announcements Status of Martin Marietta Materials Air Permit—Brian Woodruff • The draft permit will be available August 6, and Melissa will send it to the subcommittee August 7. August 18 the AQAB regular meeting is scheduled and August 19 the board has a joint special meeting with Larimer County Environmental Board at which ARS will give a presentation and the technical review will be discussed. Council takes action on this issue September 2. o Tom Moore said the subcommittee met, but does not have form to give comment. Some have conflicts that make it challenging to go to two meetings in two days. o Dave is unavailable for the whole cycle and Scott is resigning from the board, reducing the subcommittee to two people. John will be out of town that week. Gregory will also be unavailable August 18. o Rich suggested finding a time to meet on August 19 prior to the joint meeting. Tom Moore is unavailable on August 19. o Brian reminded members that the Board’s bylaws allow it to meet without a quorum, but any action taken would be subject to confirmation at a subsequent meeting. CDPHE is following a process and the board is restricted by their structure. The presentation by ARS would address the constraints. o John said he could review the permit but cannot attend the August meetings. o Rich, Greg, and Tom Griggs (tentative) will attend the August 19 meeting. o The subcommittee can meet the week of August 25 to draft a memo and circulate to the board. John moved and Tom Griggs seconded a motion to postpone the regular meeting to August 25. Motion passed unanimously, 7-0-0. 6 Climate Action Plan Citizen Advisory Committee—Scott Groen/Rich Fisher • The first meeting was process oriented. Next meeting is Thursday. Rich will attend. Review City Council 6 Month Agenda Planning Calendar • Not discussed. Future Agenda Items Hazardous Materials in Railroad Tanker Cars • Scott said the biggest thing the City can do is put together an action plan for when one crashes. Otherwise the railroad is in control. • Dave added that trains carrying hazardous materials go through multiple parts of town, not just downtown, and trains move through town all night. • Discussion to be continued at next meeting. Ozone Actions and Planning • Not discussed. Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 8:18pm. Approved by the Board on August 18, 2014 Signed ____________________________________ 8/19/2014 Dianne Tjalkens, Administrative Clerk II Date 7