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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-096-09/05/2006-ESTABLISHING A 'LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN' GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION GOAL FOR RESOLUTION 2006-096 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS ESTABLISHING A "LEADERSHIP IN ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN" GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION GOAL FOR NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS WHEREAS, in the United States, the building sector is the largest consumer of electricity and source of greenhouse gas emissions, and globally, buildings use one-quarter of all the world's wood harvest; and WHEREAS, by 2035, it is projected that three-quarters of the built environment in the United States will be either new or renovated, thus creating an important opportunity to implement sustainable building practices and constrict buildings that are environmentally responsible and healthy places to live and work; and WHEREAS, "green building' is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use and harvest energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment; and WHEREAS, green buildings are cost effective and make good business sense according to a recent study by the U.S. Green Building Council that analyzed 33 green buildings in 12 states and found that the average additional cost for constructing green buildings was less than two percent and the financial benefits were over ten times the additional cost; and WHEREAS, green buildings can boost employee productivity by 15%, provide stronger employee attraction and retention, and result in fewer illnesses and lower absenteeism, which reduces health care costs; and WHEREAS, the City Council intends for the City to take a leadership role in increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations, and conducting municipal operations in a sustainable manner; and WHEREAS, green design and construction decisions made by the City in the construction and remodeling of our buildings can result in significant cost savings to the City over the lifetime of the buildings; and WHEREAS, United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDr") Green Building Rating System and Certification is a nationally recognized standard for excellence in facility design offering multiple levels of certification; and WHEREAS, the City of Fort Collins Action Plan for Sustainability established a goal that all new City buildings pursue LEED-NC Silver requirements; and WHEREAS, the Fort Collins municipal government has already achieved a LEED-Silver certified building (the Vehicle Storage Facility) and has two major construction projects (the Police Services facility and the Northside Aztlan Center) being designed and constructed to meet LEED-Silver requirements; and WHEREAS, green building complements existing policies related to development and natural resource conservation including City Plan, the Local Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the municipal Action Plan for Sustainability, the Electric Energy Supply Policy, and City air quality and solid waste and recycling policies. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That the City shall establish a goal to meet at least LEED Gold certification for all new, City-owned buildings of 5,000 square feet or more by: (a) prior to releasing bid specifications for each new City building, reviewing the current LEED standards and identifying certain standards that must be met in order to ensure the most energy efficient building for that building type; and (b) implementing an integrated design process for new buildings; and (c) proactively and consistently encouraging the City design teams to achieve LEED Gold throughout the design and construction process. Section 2. That, subject to the cost considerations set forth in Section 3, below, the City shall design, contract, build and operate all existing and future buildings to incorporate as many principles of green building (energy, materials, water, site) as feasible to reduce building operating costs and environmental impacts. Specifically, the City should begin using the appropriate LEED standard as a guide for the sustainable operation and maintenance of existing City buildings. Section 3. That, in order to maintain control over the cost of new City building projects, if the payback period for recovering the incremental cost of a particular new facility to achieve LEED Gold, when compared to the cost to achieve LEED Silver is greater than ten years, City staff is directed to design, contract, build and operate the facility consistent with the LEED Silver standard instead of the LEED Gold standard. If the building-type does not lend itself to LEED certification, City staff is directed to consider other options to achieve maximum energy and environmental efficiency as cost-effectively as possible. Section 4. That, in connection with projects jointly funded with other organizations, if the City Manager determines that an external organization providing the majority of funding for a City project has not formally adopted or accepted a LEED certification standard, or is not otherwise willing to participate in the incremental costs of meeting such standard, the City Manager may determine that the LEED certification standards set forth in this Resolution shall not apply. Section 5. That the City Manager is directed to include information regarding progress in achieving green building principles and specifically regarding LEED certifications for any new and existing buildings as part of reports to be prepared regarding the City of Fort Collins Action Plan for Sustainability. Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the C 1 of the City of Fort C ns this Sth day of September, A.D. 2006. / Mayo ATTEST: City Clerk