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