HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 10/9/2018 - Memorandum From Cassie Archuleta Re: Follow Up: Offer 43.6 Enhancement: Municipal Lawn And Garden Equipment FundEnvironmental Services
222 Laporte Ave
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970-221-6600
fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
DATE: October 8, 2018
TO: Mayor and Councilmembers
THRU: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Lucinda Smith, Interim Chief Sustainability Officer
Lindsay Ex, Interim Environmental Services Director
FROM: Cassie Archuleta, Air Quality Program Manager
RE: Follow-up: Offer 43.6: Enhancement: Municipal Lawn and Garden Equipment Fund
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide follow up regarding questions raised at the October 1,
2018 Council Work Session regarding Offer 43.6, Enhancement: Municipal Lawn and Garden
Equipment Fund. Specifically, how long it would take to replace all of the existing equipment used for
municipal operations, and how we could influence 3rd party contracts to lower the City’s contributions to
ozone causing emissions.
Bottom Line
Without the enhancement offer, small equipment and medium sized riding mowers will be replaced
through attrition. Full replacement of small equipment might be possible in 3-6 years, depending on
useful life of the existing equipment. Alternative options for larger equipment (such as large mowers)
are becoming more feasible as technology advances, but it is currently unknown when viable electric
options for some of the City’s larger mowers will become commercially available. The City is also
currently updating the Sustainable Purchasing policy, which encourages sustainable practices with the
City’s 3rd party contractors (such as use of electric rather than gas powered equipment), through use of
sustainability factors in the competitive purchasing assessment and scoring process.
Background
The City maintains a large commercial lawn and garden equipment fleet, and when equipment
replacement is necessary, the City is committed to first looking towards electric equipment if options
that meet the City’s operational needs are available. This supports municipal sustainability goals such
as reductions in ozone causing emissions and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
Through cooperative work with the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC), electric options have been
demonstrated as feasible for most small equipment (such as chainsaws and weed whips), and medium
sized riding mowers. Between 2016 and 2018, enhancement funds and a grant from the RAQC were
used to accelerate replacement of existing gas equipment with electric alternatives. Currently, the City
has replaced 40% of the small equipment inventory, and 2 riding mowers (out of approximately 50
medium to large mowers) with electric equipment.
While medium size riding mowers have proven effective, viable options for larger mowers have not
been identified, and a conversion timeline is unknown. The City is working with the Regional Air Quality
Council (RAQC) and the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) to identify alternative equipment
opportunities as options become commercially available. Without additional funds, replacement of large
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mowers will be contingent upon the availability of replacement funds in core budgets, which will be
used based on operational needs as equipment fails or nears the end of useful life.
In response to 3rd party contracts, Sustainability Services is working in close collaboration with
Purchasing to update the Sustainable Purchasing Policy. This policy will continue to emphasize and
encourage sustainable practices with the City’s 3rd party contractors by inclusion of sustainability
factors in the competitive Purchasing assessment and scoring process. A transformational shift to
electric equipment by the City’s 3rd party contractors would require extensive outreach to the local
commercial lawn and garden contractor community and close coordination between departments to
develop reasonable guidelines for implementation.
Next Steps
Continuing efforts will include:
Development of a conversion plan and strategies to fully convert to electric equipment. Staff will
begin working on this in Q4, with a target of having a plan in place by Spring 2019. Timelines
will be dependent both on funding and equipment availability.
Exploring internal and external funding sources to accelerate replacement of municipal gas
powered lawn and garden equipment.
Working with partners, such as the RAQC, to demonstrate feasibility and promote the use of
electric lawn and garden equipment for private commercial lawn and garden businesses.
Increase weighting and emphasis on sustainability factors in Request for Proposals (RFPs) to
encourage use of electric lawn and garden equipment into the City’s 3rd party contracts.
CC: Mike Calhoon, Parks Director
Tracy Ochsner, Sr. Facilities and Fleet Manager
Gerry Paul, Purchasing Director
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