HomeMy WebLinkAboutResponse to Constituent Letter - Mail Packet - 10/28/2025 - Letter from Mayor Jeni Arndt to Air Quality Advisory Board re Building Performance Standards
Mayor
City Hall
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2154
970.224.6107 - fax
fcgov.com
October 23, 2025
Air Quality Advisory Board
c/o Selina Lujan, Staff Liaison
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
Dear Chair Welsh and Board Members:
On behalf of City Council, thank you for providing us with the October 20, 2025 memorandum
regarding Building Performance Standards. We appreciate your recommendation and
elaboration on the Board’s rationale for the City to press on toward successful and timely
adoption by 2030.
City Council is scheduled to discuss this item during the Tuesday, October 28 Work Session.
The Board is invited to view the Work Session via FCTV cable channels 14 or 881 or watch
online at fcgov.com/fctv.
Thank you for the expertise and perspectives that you bring to the Board and share with City
Council.
Best Regards,
Jeni Arndt
Mayor
/sek
cc: City Council Members
Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
City Clerk’s Office
300 LaPorte Avenue
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6515
970.221.6295 - fax
Boardsandcommissions@fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 20, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Dan Welsh, Chair of the Air Quality Advisory Board
RE: Building Performance Standards
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
For the City to achieve its ambitious greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals and
improve its air quality, the Air Quality Advisory Board (AQAB) recommends adopting the
Building Performance Standards (BPS) policy, with only delays to the previously established
timeline that are deemed absolutely necessary. Successful and timely adoption remains critical to
reducing the energy burden of our community while protecting the health and safety of our
residents, economy, and environment.
Over the course of its history of nearly 40 years of trial, investigation, piloted implementation,
and review, Fort Collins Utilities staff have sought alternatives to the regulatory approach that is
under proposal. These efforts have included incentives, education, and encouragement for
behavioral changes. Despite these efforts, the desired outcomes have not been met. This has led
to the development of the currently proposed regulatory approach that will help to move our
community more effectively toward climate and air quality goals.
The benefits of BPS, along with associated decreases in the production and release of various
greenhouse gases, support Council Priority 6: Reduce climate pollution and air pollution through
best practices, emphasizing electrification; and Our Climate Future’s Big Move 6: Efficient,
emissions free buildings. Reductions in demand for energy production will decrease emissions of
ozone precursors and help to improve outdoor air quality. Improvements to buildings’ heating
and ventilation (HVAC) systems will also assist in improving indoor air quality.
We encourage the consideration of overall energy usage as well as climate impacts when
determining BPS compliance options. This can be achieved through alternative compliance
options based on greenhouse gas intensity or GHG percentage reduction goals. Such options are
included in the State’s BPS program for buildings larger than 50,000 sq ft, and they allow for a
greater degree of electrification and reduction in GHG emissions. These could be easily
incorporated into the City’s proposed BPS, but if this would further delay implementation,
AQAB would suggest adding this option in a later iteration of the program.
AQAB strongly urges the City Council to implement the policy changes recommended within
the BPS proposal without delay to the 2030 plan. If you choose to extend the deadlines beyond
2030, we recommend consideration of incentives for early adopters who meet the original 2030
deadline. Immediate and urgent action is needed to improve building standards to advance
Council Priority 6.
Very Respectfully,
The Air Quality Advisory Board
cc: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Jacob Castillo, Chief Sustainability Officer
Kelly Ohlson, City Council Liaison to the AQAB
Selina Lujan de Albers, Manager Environmental Sustainability & AQAB Staff Liaison
Katherine Bailey, Program Manager, Energy Services