HomeMy WebLinkAboutAir Quality Advisory Board - Minutes - 10/16/2017MINUTES
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD
Date: Monday, October 16, 2017
Location: Colorado River Room, 222 Laporte Ave.
Time: 5:30–8:00pm
For Reference
Mark Houdashelt, Chair
Ross Cunniff, Council Liaison 970-420-7398
Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison 970-416-2648
Board Members Present Board Members Absent
Arsineh Hecobian Gregory Miller
Mark Houdashelt, Chair Jim Dennison
Harry Edwards Greg Clark
Chris Wood
Tom Griggs
Vara Vissa, Vice-Chair
Staff Present
Cassie Archuleta, Staff Liaison
Selina Lujan, Indoor Air Quality Program Coordinator
Tony Fourcroy, Indoor Air Quality Program Coordinator
Guests
Anika Ramey, CSU Student
Camille Goodale, CSU Student
Blake Warner, CSU Student
Matt Tribby, Citizen
Karen Artell, Citizen
Call to order: 5:34 pm
Public Comments
● CSU students present introduced themselves.
● Matt Tribby made a suggestion relating to the Breathe Easy anti-idling program. He suggested coordinating
with local gas stations to install signs to promote awareness. He referenced the effectiveness of “No topping
off” signs and thought this might be a practical location to introduce similar signs to discourage idling.
Approval of Minutes
Harry moved and Chris seconded a motion to approve the September minutes as amended.
Motion passed, 6-0-0.
AGENDA ITEM 1: Healthy Homes Program Update
Selina Lujan and Tony Fourcroy, with the City’s indoor air quality program, presented results from a recent Healthy
Homes program evaluation and demonstrated the City’s new Do-It-Yourself Healthy Homes assessment web
application.
Presentation
Program Overview
● The Healthy Homes program began in 2011 in response to a survey which found that one in four families in
Fort Collins has member with a respiratory issue. The program was initiated to offer attainable ways for
residents to improve their indoor air quality.
- Americans spend 90% of their time indoors.
- Indoor air quality is up to five times worse than outdoor air quality.
- The greatest environmental risk regarding air quality is in our own homes, where we have the most
control.
● The Program trains volunteers to provide free in-home assessments to identify biological and chemical
factors that may negatively affect indoor air quality. Assessments are customized to each resident to provide
attainable, low-cost suggestions for improvements. The assessment involves:
- A 1.5 hour interview and home walk-through performed by trained volunteer staff in which the
assessor looks for possible causes of air quality degradation (e.g. moisture that could lead to mold,
dirty air filters, excessive dust).
- Residents are left with list of recommendations.
Program Updates
● City Council granted the Healthy Homes Program funding to conduct an evaluation, develop a D-I-Y Home
Assessment tool, and provide Spanish translation for content and literature. The Program evaluation was
completed by the Trebuchet Group and utilized focus groups, interviews, discussions and workshops.
- Staff has already begun addressing data management related issues by revamping the database and its
management practice. The primary focus now is on improving metrics associated with the program.
The City would like to develop more refined metrics in order to strengthen the connection between
Program results and key outcomes, as defined in performance measurement tools such as the
Community Dashboard. Selina and Tony asked the AQAB for suggestions on how to improve
Program metrics.
Selina provided an introduction to the D-I-Y Home Assessment (https://healthyhomes.fcgov.com), a mobile-friendly
web app designed to expand the reach of the Healthy Homes Program at a local, regional and national level. The
application is an interactive tool that allows residences to identify biological or chemical factors that may negatively
affect indoor air quality room-by-room. After completing the D-I-Y Assessment, residents are provided with a score
and a custom report containing prioritized mitigation recommendations.
Discussion
● Arsineh enquired about the nature of data that is currently collected through the Program.
— Data points collected during the assessment include the number of residents, ages of residents, age of the
home, how long residents have lived in their home, radon measurements and any health issues.
● A discussion ensued about the type of data being collected. Tom noted that data is being collected on two
levels: data about the effectiveness of the program and data collected directly about people/their homes.
Tony recognized that this incongruity is an issue and noted that better tools are needed to evaluate the
Program in order to more effectively measure the change that's occurring.
● Vara asked how people are chosen to participate in the Program.
— Program staff members work with Salud Family Health Centers, the Poudre School District, Poudre Fire
Authority and other community partners that can help to reach target populations, including those that
are underserved, those with children, and the elderly that would be highly affected by poor indoor air
quality. Healthy Homes Program staff are able to provide approximately 15-20 assessments each month
with the help of volunteers, but there is a definite need to focus more time/resources on these volunteers.
This has been difficult with only two support staff members.
● Harry asked if quantitative radon measurements were made during the assessment and inquired whether
there is an opportunity for follow-up to determine the effectiveness of reduction measures.
— Selina and Tony responded that concerns about radon make up a significant portion of the program. A
short-term radon test is performed during the assessment, and results are tracked; however, mitigation
rates are not tracked.
● Vara asked if the Healthy Homes Program was working with commercial cleaners/home solution companies
to ensure that they’re implementing practices and installing products that will not be detrimental to indoor air
quality. She also asked whether there was potential for the Healthy Homes Program to coordinate with such
companies with regards to marketing.
— Selina stated that this kind of activity has to do with the vetting process, which the staff is working to
clarify. Program staff would like to align better with commercial industries that prioritize healthy indoor
air quality, including making recommendations to consumers, but this has not been possible yet.
AGENDA ITEM 2: Strategic Planning Feedback and Board Bylaws
Mark Houdashelt, chair, led a discussion regarding feedback for the City’s 2018 Strategic Plan. This plan will be
used to guide development of 2019-2020 budget offers. The AQAB has been provided with a Strategic Planning
Feedback Form which outlines a number of outcome areas and strategic objectives that can be used to provide
feedback for Council.
Discussion
● Mark stated that the Council would like the AQAB’s rankings of the top two strategic objectives in each
outcome area as well as their general feedback.
● Several Board members expressed concern with the scope of the strategic objectives and conveyed interest in
reviewing it individually before putting together an official recommendation. Concerns expressed included
the following:
- Some of the objectives are quite broad and overlap with others, while some are very specific; the scope
is inconsistent.
- Some issues are far too broad, regardless of overlap with others, and need to be further broken down
(ex. indoor versus outdoor air quality).
- There is a need to make connections between different strategic objectives. Some objectives are
inextricably interconnected and it could be problematic or confusing to frame them individually. For
example, air quality is not linked with transportation.
- Significant changes have taken place since these objectives were set forth in the 2016 Strategic Plan and
some key topics are missing (for example, electric vehicles).
● These concerns and any others can be submitted as comments with the survey. This includes reframing
objectives, noting missing objectives that members feel should be addressed, and the removal of those that
they do not feel are priorities.
● Cassie stated that she believes the 11/7 deadline can be extended so that an official recommendation can be
voted on at the next AQAB meeting on 11/20.
● Board members should email Mark their rankings (top two priorities in each strategic area related to air
quality), and any general comments they have before the next meeting. He will compile a formal
recommendation that will be put to vote on 11/20.
Staff follow-up: Cassie to contact David Young to extend deadline.
Updates to the AQAB’s bylaws, which were last revised in January 2001, were also discussed. Administration of the
Board is currently guided by three documents: the AQAB Bylaws, City Code and Boards and Commissions Manual.
Mark has discovered a great deal of redundancy between these three documents; however, he’s also noted
distinctions in each of them. He has been working with Christine Macrina to clarify items that are repetitious and
those that are dichotomous in each of the documents. This is not an urgent action item, but it is one that should be
addressed by the Board.
● Mark offered two solutions to this administrative overlap:
1) Do away with AQAB bylaws and adhere to the City Code and Boards and Commissions Manual
(The Board is not required to maintain unique bylaws unless members feel there is value in
doing so).
2) Revise the current AQAB bylaws so that they are in agreement with the other two documents;
vote upon the updated bylaws and submit them to City Council for approval.
● Mark will distribute versions of the AQAB Bylaws, City Code, and Boards and Commissions Manual
outlining their similarities and differences to board members via email before the next meeting. He will
include his recommendations for members to review.
● This item will need to be voted on by the Board and will also need to undergo review by the City’s attorney
office.
Board Updates
● Harry noted a technical article published in Chemical and Engineering News (9/25/17) about fuel cell cars
that may be of interest to those who’d like to learn more about the use of hydrogen to power electric
vehicles. He also noted a 2017 Electric Vehicles Buyers Guide put forth by Sierra Magazine and hopes for
further discussion of the role that these vehicles can play in the reduction of carbon emissions.
● Vara would like to organize a tour of the 222 Laporte Ave. building for some of her coworkers. She
presented the idea of establishing recurrent building tours so that members of the public can see, first-hand,
the innovative and creative efficiency measures highlighted in this building.
Staff Follow-Up: Cassie will investigate whether or not it will be possible to establish regular public tours for this
building.
● Vara is hoping to coordinate with Selina Lujan on the Breathe Easy program. She would like Selina to
accompany her to school parking lots to witness the scope of the idling issue at these facilities and to put her
personally in touch with school administrators.
Staff Follow-Up: Cassie will facilitate this connection and request that Selina reach out to Vara.
● Vara noted a few recent traffic issues around Fort Collins and briefly discussed how smart city technology
(signage, alerts, etc.) could be utilized to alert people of traffic incidences, both as a convenience and to cut
down on idling. Cassie noted that it would be beneficial to add such suggestions to the Strategic Planning
Feedback Form.
● Mark provided an update regarding plans for the old Forney industries building, which was recently
purchased by Salud Family Health. The building will be converted into a community health center and
feedback was requested from the community regarding the types of services that will be offered.
● Mark attended the Super-Board meeting last week. Major topics discussed included: 1) regional wasteshed
planning, 2) the 2019-2020 Strategic Plan, 3) the Land Bank program and 4) the Community Trust Initiative.
● Mark met with Sean Carpenter last Friday to obtain more information about the Climate Economy
Implementation Plan. Mark would like to invite him to speak to the Board again in the future as new
developments continue to emerge.
● Mark gave an informational presentation on TOU electricity rates to the Northern Colorado EV Enthusiasts
(a group dedicated to spreading the use of electric vehicles) to help them clarify which rate structure they
want to support. The first reading on rate structures will be held by City Council on 11/7/17, where they’ll
consider three structures: 1) TOU only, 2) TOU with tiered rates, and 3) TOU plus tiered ratees for everyone,
except people with all electric homes, who would have TOU rates only.
● The 2017 Air Quality, Climate and Recycling Survey has been posted. The AQAB aided in its guidance. It
can be accessed at:
https://www.fcgov.com/airquality/pdf/2017_EnvironmentalServices_Survey.pdf?1494958959
● A first reading to appropriate the 2018 budget revisions will be held on 11/7, the second reading will be on
11/21. These meetings will determine whether or not additional funds for the radon program evaluation will
be approved.
Staff Updates
● The Joint City/County Planning technical forum is coming up on 11/15, at which the NCAR results, a recent
oil and gas health effect study, and ozone updates will be discussed. Cassie will circulate the agenda to
Board members.
● The annual Boards and Commissions Appreciation Dinner will be held on 11/15. Everyone should have
received an invitation via email or standard mail.
Meeting Adjourned: 8:01 pm
Next Meeting: November 20, 2017
______________________________
Signed by Chair