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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-2-20 Climate Action Commission Agenda Iowa City Climate Action Commission Agenda Monday, November 2, 2020, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Electronic Meeting, Zoom Platform Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. You can participate in the meeting and can comment on an agenda item by going to https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqfuivrToiGNziy_ ggiUDEZvhNEZZbPf0m via the internet to visit the Zoom meeting’s registration page and submit the required information. Once approved, you will receive an email message with a link to join the meeting. If you are asked for a meeting or webinar ID, enter the ID number found in the email. A meeting password may also be included in the email. Enter the password when prompted. If you have no computer or smartphone, or a computer without a microphone, you may call in by telephone by dialing (312) 626-6799. When prompted, enter the meeting or webinar ID. The ID number for this meeting is: 957 9173 1828. Once connected, you may dial *9 to “raise your hand,” letting the meeting host know you would like to speak. Providing comments in person is not an option. Meeting Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of October 5, 2020 minutes 4. Public Comment of items not on the Agenda -Commentators shall address the Commission for no more than 3 minutes. Commissioners shall not engage in discussion with the public concerning said items. 5. Staff Announcements a. Action items from last meeting b. Voluntary Bias and Equity Training for Boards and Commissions Dec. 2 c. Schedule presentation of Methane Study results d. Updated Action Plan report (see attachment). 6. Old Business: a. Building Density and GHG Emission, Draft Memo b. Discussion of revised formal statement regarding equity: “Racial discrimination and social injustice have no place in our nation or Iowa City. They produce disparities in health, poverty, and decision-making power that increase vulnerabilities to climate change and hazards. As Climate Commission members, it is our responsibility that the climate actions we advocate serve to diminish these disparities. We acknowledge that the stakes of climate change are highest for the most vulnerable members of our community. We commit to ensuring that equitable approaches and social justice are integral to our discussions, decision-making, and actions. We recognize that public engagement must include diversity. To assess equity in the climate actions we consider, we will use the equity and co-benefit review checklist and related tools, and welcome guidance from the City's Human Rights Commission and the City's Office of Equity and Human Rights.” 7. New Business: a. Update on working groups i. Buildings (Krieger, Karr, Soglin) ii. Transportation (Leckband, Giannakouros) iii. Outreach (Krieger, Fraser, Holbrook, Bradley) iv. Equity/Adaptation (Tate, Hutchinson) v. Waste (Bradley) 8. Recap of actionable items for commission, working groups, and staff 9. Adjourn If you will need disability-related accommodations in order to participate in this meeting, please contact Sarah Gardner, Climate Action Engagement Specialist, at 319-356-6162 or at sarah-gardner@iowa- city.org. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs. MINUTES PRELIMINARY IOWA CITY CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION OCTOBER 5, 2020 – 3:30 PM – FORMAL MEETING ELECTRONIC MEETING MEMBERS PRESENT: Stratis Giannakouros, Ben Grimm, Grace Holbrook, Kasey Hutchinson, John Fraser, GT Karr, Matt Krieger, Jesse Leckband, Becky Soglin, Eric Tate MEMBERS ABSENT: Madeleine Bradley STAFF PRESENT: Sarah Gardner, Ashley Monroe, Brenda Nations OTHERS PRESENT: John Barr, Cheryl Miller, Warren McKenna RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 10-0 the Commission recommends the Johnson Clean energy district continue to work with the City Council and city staff on this study proposal. CALL TO ORDER: Krieger called the meeting to order. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 MINUTES: Fraser moves to approve the minutes from September 8, 2020 with minor edits noted by Krieger. Tate seconds the motion, a vote was taken and the motion passes 8-0 (Giannakouros and Grimm not present for the vote). PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: Electronic Meeting (Pursuant to Iowa Code section 21.8) An electronic meeting is being held because a meeting in person is impossible or impractical due to concerns for the health and safety of Commission members, staff and the public presented by COVID-19. Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 2 of 11 2 John Barr followed up on an item from last month's meeting where he was looking to ascertain that members of the Commission had received a letter of August 24, from Chris Stephen, which was cc’d to this Commission, having been originally directed to the Parks and Recreation Commission. He wanted to verify commissioners had received the letter and that it would be included in the official documents of the Commission. Krieger confirmed it was included in the packet this month. {Stratis Giannakouros, Ben Grimm joined the meeting} RECOGNITION OF BRENDA NATIONS, IOWA CITY CLIMATE ACTION COORDINATOR: Krieger noted this is Nations’ last meeting as she is retiring and Commissioners, many of whom have worked with Nations a long time, wanted to say a few words and thank her for all the work she had done. Krieger began by saying thanks so much for the work that Nations has done. He knows she’s been at it for a very long time. He acknowledged sometimes it could be frustrating that things weren’t progressing as quickly as desired back when there was no urgency around it. Krieger recognized Nations has been a leader locally, across the state, and nationally on these issues and the Commissioners are very lucky to have had her as an asset and working on these issues in the community. Fraser said Nations is one of those people that can make things that are very complicated and very messy look easy and seamless. Nations never complained about anything and he appreciated her very much. He is saddened that she will be gone but happy that she will be retired and doing fun things. Soglin acknowledged she has gotten to work with Nations in many different avenues and always she brings an enthusiasm that will be missed. Nations has set such a good base for them to build on and Soglin is confident things will move ahead and will do Nations proud. Leckband thanked Nations for all her hard work. Tate stated he has been working with Nations over the last several years and found her to be highly knowledgeable but also open minded about learning new things and adding perspective. He also noted he is in a point in his career where he tries to only spend time on substantive projects with people he likes and stated Nations always has a really positive attitude, and he’s enjoyed working with her. Tate wished Nations only the best moving forward and hopefully once COVID dissipates they will see each other again in a coffee shop around downtown sometime. Hutchinson noted that aside from Nation’s knowledge and the talent that she brought to the job, one thing that she has always appreciated is Nation’s attitude. It has always lightened the mood and created a very welcoming atmosphere, which has always increased comfort levels and ultimately produced more effective communication. Grimm noted he has just gotten to know Nations over the last year but from his standpoint, she always offered a lot of guidance on where he should go and what information he needs to have available as far as the Climate Action Commission and progress that has been made. As Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 3 of 11 3 someone that's new to the group, he appreciated the time Nations has given him to get him up to speed. Giannakouros echoed everyone's sentiments in terms of professionalism and competency. He noted he finds sustainability can be a challenging space and it's easy to get down and get depressed. He always looks forward to hearing and seeing Nations. She is the hallmark of someone who's decent, and he will miss her profoundly. Nations thanked everyone for the kind words and said it's been a pleasure to know all of them. She noted she has been working with some for a really long time, and after having been an office of one for so long it felt so wonderful to have climate people to talk to who cared and she appreciates all of the time that the Commission has put in, and all of the effort that they've put in to help guide this work. STAFF/COMMISSION ANNOUNCEMENTS: Introduction of new Commission member, Ben Grimm: Nations introduced Grimm as the newest member of the Commission, noting it's great to have someone from the school system be a part of this work, too. Grimm gave a little background on himself. He has a horticulture background and grew up working on athletic fields. He specializes in taking new operations and getting them up and running. He was hired by the school district in 2013. Prior to this, the school district contracted out the grounds to a contractor or a series of contractors for 26 years. He was hired in to actually get the department implemented. He continued to develop his skill sets farther and then ended up doing a lot of work within integrated pest management, which really got the attention of some of the local community members and the different colleges. Through those networks he branched into sustainability operations. He has the ability to adapt and take situations where there's no procedures, no processes, and try to figure out how to connect the right people and the right procedures to get an achievable outcome. Regarding the school district, he doesn’t want to say that they're completely ahead of the curve on greenhouse gas and emissions and environmental, but schools need to operate the most efficient way possible, so they actually had started implementing a lot of environmental measures like geothermal and energy conservation designs into the buildings early on and therefore are ahead of the curve on a lot of their buildings. Additionally. in the last couple years, they've seen students become more and more interested in the environmental movement and really pushing that. Like the community, and society as a whole, the district is really progressive about equity and sustainability and trying to lead by example. Part of his job is to try to bring that all together and put together a nice sustainable operation Action Items from last meeting: Nations noted they completed all the tasks from the last meeting. She sent the orientation information to the member, Grimm. They updated the excel file to show all the staff updates and will pull out what the working groups need to be aware of. They put the solar energy presentation on the agenda again and distributed the updated files. Additionally, the equity statement is on the agenda. Progress Updates on Climate Action and Outreach Office Updates: Nations stated they awarded the five Climate Action at Work Awards during the Climate Fest. Newman Munson won for buildings, Adamantine Spine won the transportation award, Dumpling Darling won for Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 4 of 11 4 waste management, Old Brick won for adaptation, and Crowded Closet for sustainable lifestyle. All the organizations were really pleased to get those awards. The hope is for the award program to progress using maybe some different categories. She acknowledged the good applications from the County and then the school system and said perhaps in the future they will have different categories for nonprofits and businesses and expand it in a way so they can be more inclusive as to who gets the awards. Gardner also shared the Climate Fest happened, and by all indicators it seems to have gone very well. They had some glitches on the night of the virtual film screening (some residents weren't able to access it the way they would have liked them to) but otherwise everything else seemed to have rolled out pretty smoothly. They had several positive press impressions with interviews with the local papers and a local TV station out of Cedar Rapids. She put on the website some video highlights and some of the videos that were created during the festival. The recap video shows some of the submissions that came in for folks submitting their climate stories and it is really moving. Gardner stated that the resources that were created for the Climate Fest are going to remain active on that website and continue to serve as a resource in the community. Gardner next discussed the marketing RFP, which received 11 proposals, 10 of which were viable. One company didn’t have all the required information, and when the City reached out to ask if they’d like to amend their proposal, the company declined to do so. There's a wide range of proposals in terms of what they are offering to do, and also a wide range of price points. They are now in the process of phase one scoring, which is where staff go through each of the applications individually score them. Any application that receives a score above 80 out of 150- point scale, is eligible to be brought in for an interview. Once they identify the ones they would like to bring in for interviews, they'll move to that phase. Lastly, Gardner stated the Climate Ambassador Program has launched and they’ve had 22 applications so far. They will continue to keep the Commission posted and are still on track for the program to launch on October 19. OLD BUSINESS: Johnson Clean Energy District – Cheryl Miller: Krieger noted this was introduced at the last meeting and there was a lot of good discussion. Since that meeting, the updated proposal was sent out to the Commission. The next steps are for Johnson Clean Energy District to work with and develop a partnership with City Council and to take this proposal to City Council, but first they are looking for that endorsement from this Commission. Miller stated again that she and Warren McKenna are two members of the committee that's been developing this project over the last few months. McKenna is retired from the Farmers Electric Cooperative in Kalona. Miller reiterated they brought this proposal for a solar energy planning study to this Commission last month and were here to answer any further questions. Then they will ask for the Commission’s recommendation to move this proposal forward. Miller noted that the context for this proposal is the Climate Action Plan Accelerated Agenda, which called to have taken concrete steps towards establishing a utility scale solar project with MidAmerican by the end of 2020. Following the demise of the Waterworks project last spring, this was an attempt to keep a utility scale solar project on the agenda moving forward. She Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 5 of 11 5 stated they received a lot of good feedback from the September meeting and a lot of approval for the big picture approach that they're taking. They are investigating different options, the technical issues like infrastructure and capacity of the infrastructure, as well as the transmission infrastructure, different sites, and different kinds of partnerships to bring solar energy to Iowa City. They believe education/outreach to be a major component of this proposal, so that they can really educate people and build support and avoid the type of opposition that cropped up in the past. Miller stated that working with the climate ambassadors would be a real opportunity to talk about solar and reach out to people. Some of the questions that they received at and after the last meeting involved how rigorous the analysis would be. Miller stated again this is a preliminary study to identify options, specifically on private and not just public lands. Once they're able to do that, in a next phase, they can look more in depth, including engineering and economic assessments of the most promising options that they’re able to find in the community. People also asked about the opportunities on-site solar arrays could provide and that would hopefully be a few megawatts of solar energy to the community. Miller added it would be great to work with the school district at the opportunities there as well as identifying sites where private landowners are interested in utility scale installations on their land. The Iowa Solar Energy Trade Association has information about long term land leases for solar showing they are three and four times higher than land lease rates for cropland rental rates. Therefore, there could be some interest in the fringe area of Iowa City and private landowners being interested in learning more about the potential for utility scale solar. Regarding the economic benefits of solar energy, McKenna has been trying to quantify some of the potential economic benefits of locally generated solar energy so he can talk about what are the possible benefits, for example, of 100 megawatts of solar energy. McKenna stated they had been exploring the 100-megawatt goal and Miller forwarded to him the greenhouse gas emissions community wide inventory update for 2017. He took the numbers from appendix six and just applied seven and a half cents a kilowatt, which is about $80 million a year that is leaving Iowa City. So, a 20% goal would be about $14 million on 2017 numbers of reduction, and if that were invested in solar, it would be of anywhere from a four to seven, eight year payback. The study will help them break it down from the greenhouse gas study for residential, commercial, industrial, and how many sites would be required. Then the study would further identify those sites. They are currently gathering the numbers of what's already installed in Iowa City to basically quantify these numbers. Miller stated they can share McKenna’s tables where he's trying to figure out a different rate, and what could be the potential economic impact of this to learn some of the economics of solar energy. Miller noted some of the other reactions that they got to the study were questions about where they could find some cost savings in it, so they have been reaching out to the City of Iowa City and MidAmerican Energy to talk to them about data. This includes access to data about the transmission infrastructure, loads, and all the various bits of the data that would need to go into this study. They are also in talks about partnering with the University of Iowa so that they can have access to graduate students to assist with the GIS work and different economic, environmental and social analyses that they think would be an important part of this project. They have made a very generous proposal about what work they'd be able to do for very low costs so that's very encouraging. Miller said they are continuing to look for more partners, such as bringing in the downtown district and financial institutions who hopefully would be interested in a project like this and can help with funding to make it happen. Krieger said given how the initial project at the Waterworks Park did not pass through City Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 6 of 11 6 Council, he sees an opportunity in a study like this to outline what all the potential options are so that people don't just have a single choice to react to. He would like to thank the Johnson Clean Energy District for putting this together and also thinking more broadly about it. Giannakouros asked, when they talk about proposed economic benefits in the study, are they talking about helping MidAmerican build utility scale solar owned by MidAmerican or is the crux of it asking MidAmerican to agree to interconnect to a solar park or solar committee on solar? McKenna replied that part of the study would be on projects MidAmerican could build/own, but they have also identified about 20 industrial sites, about two megawatt or larger, 210 commercial sites, that could be not necessarily developed by MidAmerican. Residential would take 2000 to 2500 residential sites at a certain size to fill out 100 megawatt or 20% load and some of that could be co-owned or co-developed by MidAmerican, some will be residential promotion or industrial or outside investors. Giannakouros asked if they have considered putting language in there to guarantee that the work goes to a local installer and not being done by an outside installer. Miller confirmed Johnson Clean Energy District is all about how to benefit the local community’s supply chain, how to really build the energy economy here. Giannakouros understands they cannot say guarantee but it should be something that is strongly considered, and there are local installers who can do that, they're not getting that work traditionally, but this is an opportunity to continue to build those capacities. Fraser asked if MidAmerican is going to welcome this, or have tolerated resistance, and what's their reaction going to be? McKenna said they haven't identified how much solar is in Iowa City, but why they brought him on board basically is to find solutions on how to interconnect this. He doesn’t know whether they MidAmerican will welcome it or not, but on the larger projects of the industrial, or the two-megawatt projects, it would be nice to have a partnership. Miller added they’re just beginning to reach out to MidAmerican and see what type of partnership they can develop with them. She has heard a lot of positive comments from the staff about working with MidAmerican on these kinds of projects, and obviously, there was a project that was that was going forward until it was stopped in April. They’re very hopeful that this is going to be a great thing for them as well as for the rest of the community. Leckband noted they have partnered on the revamped solar bill to meet the installers and consumers and guarantee benefits for both parties. He acknowledged there are limitations on the data that they can give out about the grid, due to the Federal Electric Regulatory Commission and their standards on security/sensitive information that can't be shared publicly. That being said, there could be avenues for NDA or something like that, but the Iowa City franchise agreement in the City Code obligates MidAmerican to participate in a solar study within the framework of existing law. Soglin stated she feels Miller and McKenna have revised this proposal in a way that addresses many of the concerns that the Commission had last time but noted this does not replace the robust work that needs to be done for energy efficiency. The best work with energy is always the energy not used, whether it's clean or not, and so that's something this Commission will still need to address and keep eyes on. She noted there's important equity issues related to that as much as this scope of work includes equity considerations, there's very separate equity considerations when it comes to energy efficiency. Soglin also noted if they're looking at the fringe areas, they may start to get into the territory of Alliant Energy or Rural Electric Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 7 of 11 7 Cooperative. Leckband noted that is a good point and the wastewater plant was outside of MidAmerican territory and in REC, so those will be additional stakeholders moving forward and should be included. Giannakouros had a minor point about the scope of work: he feels it would be useful for this study, when it's finished, to have some sort of explicit assessment of the alignment of the alternatives with existing City goals, or objectives, related to climate equity. Tate noted there was a lot of discussion at the last meeting was about rental units and low income areas and asked were any of those areas identified in this proposal. They have identified some commercial areas, perhaps large commercial residential units – wouldn’t the hook be that this could benefit both the landowner and the tenants? McKenna stated they talked about a portion of this to be community solar and haven’t discussed the low-income option at length so it is part of the conversation. Krieger moved to recommend the Johnson Clean Energy District continue to work with the City Council and City staff on this study proposal. Giannakouros seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 10-0. Working Group Evaluation: Krieger noted the goal here is to address how to proceed with the working groups, whether each of them operates in the same way, should they all continue, and whether clear expectations are set for them. He knows some of the working groups over the last month have already started discussing this internally amongst themselves, so he opened it up for discussion. Leckband said they did discuss this at the transportation working group and because of the nature of some of the stuff that they've been waiting for based on the different projects, they agreed it would probably be best to move towards a project based meeting rather than just having a standard meeting. They also discussed different projects like the transit study and the EV readiness plan, and focusing in on a project basis to support those discrete actions and goals. Karr noted in the building working group they are somewhat unique because they were asked or given a few specific items from Council to report back on and had report that Council wanted them to generate. He suggested maybe each working group discuss and have a goal or homework for the group to do, and then meet depending on the item and solicit additional members for the working group depending on the item. He noted in the building working group they have had a couple of projects that they have been working on (reaching out to ICAR, the local realtors organization, and exploring the idea of a Home Energy Score and those types of things). If there are issues with equity, or transportation or waste, maybe they can have some collaboration. He likes the idea of having a standing meeting, but with a certain goal in mind, because it feels like otherwise, it's a pretty big topic. He would also like to see a quick report in writing on what each group is doing at each of these monthly meetings and then if another Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 8 of 11 8 group has an interest or can help they can reach out. Krieger agreed and liked the idea of having something that's submitted ahead of time as a quick update in the packet. Giannakouros asked about the timing to get that info in the packet. Krieger stated the packet and agenda are finalized the Wednesday before the Commission meeting and the draft of that agenda is put together even days before that so it would mean getting an update from the working groups probably a week ahead of the meeting. Krieger noted the outreach working group met to talk about this as well, but outreach is a little bit different because they're more broad in their membership and they have more members than any other working group. He said that might actually be a goal for some of these other working groups, to broaden the membership to provide kind of more diverse perspective. The outreach working group talked about how they could be actively looking for ways to engage the Plan and implementation actions. So, for instance, this Commission could assign a specific task or Council could assign a specific task, but the working groups themselves could also be looking at the Plan for ways that they could be engaging specifically on specific tasks, on their own. Each working group can create strategic goals for that specific working group on what they should be focusing on and actively working on. Krieger added the outreach working group also talked about working groups having the skills and connections specific to the area and should have diverse membership to provide varied input and members of those working groups should also be thinking about the community. Grimm said he can only really speak as an outside community member looking in at this point since he is new, but the thing that he always sensed or noticed was they have this Climate Action Commission but there was never any central goal that was then distributed or charged to the individual working groups. He always thought it would be beneficial for the Commission to be working as a whole and then requesting that information and going down to the individual working groups. Having that structure, that stability, will ensure that there's always progress being made, and it doesn't become stagnant within the working groups. Tate noted this discussion of diversity is important, but he is reaching the conclusion that inclusion of diverse voices is more important than just diversity. So they have to be careful that they're not using diversity simply in terms of groups that they communicate, but rather these are the perspectives of folks that are part of decision making processes and analysis. Krieger asked if there are strong feelings about moving forward with working groups or are there other comments or direction that's recommended. Soglin added they still will have to see the balance of how the working groups do reach out and engage other folks or different projects, while at the same time making it a working group. By definition, a working group means those on the Commission do the work. In a sense, outreach and engagement is needed to do that work, but outreach and engagement also are a very specific thing and maybe there's ways the outreach committee, as well as the climate ambassador program can make the connections. The equity and adaptation group have been exposed to the report that the City has generated about different groups in the community and hopefully all the Commission can get access to that. She agrees it's going to be a balancing act and each working group may have to come up with a way of talking to the public, or when they Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 9 of 11 9 have public comment within a working group, to take an idea and revisit it next time because they may not necessarily be able to address somebody's idea on the spot. They need to make sure there aren't misunderstandings and hurt feelings or any sense that they don't care. Krieger suggested perhaps taking an approach where this Commission is assigning tasks and/or expectations around certain topics for further review. For instance, they had John Barr’s letter that came as part of this packet and that seems like an opportunity to assign that to a working group for further review. Krieger noted this was a good discussion about the working groups and the expectations around them for assigning and reviewing tasks. He added if there isn't anything for that specific group, then there's probably no need for them to just have a standing meeting for the sake of having it. Additionally, the other expectation is if there are updates to provide them for distribution in the packet by the last Monday of the month. Giannakouros noted since the transportation working group in particular does not have a lot to do as they are waiting on the study, and also given the nature of transportation whether it's electrifying vehicles and EV transition, is big scale, there's not a lot for them to suggest in terms of policy. Therefore he would happy to work on other things. NEW BUSINESS: Discussion of making a formal statement around equity: “Racism, injustices and hurtful disparities have no place in our nation or in Iowa City. As Climate Action Commission members, we will ensure that equitable approaches and social justice are always part of our discussions, decision- making and actions. We recognize with climate change the stakes are highest for the most vulnerable members of our community, and that public engagement must include diversity. We will use the equity and co-benefit review checklist and related tools in our work and welcome guidance from the City’s Human Rights Commission and the City’s Office of Equity and Human Rights. “ Soglin first wanted to reiterate how they generated the statement and why. The goal here is to hold the Commission members accountable. Tate made a good comment in the last Commission meeting that this isn't to make a performance of a statement, it's to have something that they have to follow and hold themselves accountable. Soglin drafted it and Gardner reviewed it. Soglin drafted the statement as a goal but she is fine with additions or changes if something wasn't clear, it is to be a Commission statement. Tate thanked Soglin for taking the lead on this and acknowledged it is a nice statement. Perhaps they should include an acknowledgement of where they are because it’s not performative but helps give a little bit towards the gravity of what they're talking about here. Tate and Soglin and Gardner will continue to review the wording and share an edited statement next time. Fraser acknowledged the key is having a properly written statement and what Soglin wrote is very acceptable. Anyone could wordsmith it forever, and he isn’t suggesting that they not wordsmith it, but that having a statement is lovely yet it doesn't mean anything if their actions Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 10 of 11 10 don't follow what the intent of the statement is. It's really a matter of what the actions going to be once they have a statement. His only comment is that they all understand that it says right there what they're supposed to do, and their obligation as members of the Commission and members of working group is to follow through on what their statement is. Soglin noted the statement mentions equitable approaches and justice are part of the discussions the decision making so it's a very action forward statement but agreed it will be on the Commission to hold themselves to that. Update on Working Groups: Tabled due to time constraints. RECAP OF ACTIONABLE ITEMS FOR COMMISSION, WORKING GROUPS, AND STAFF: Krieger noted if working groups are active over the next couple few weeks please provide an update to be added to the next agenda. That can be sent to Krieger or Gardner by the last Monday of the month. The Equity/Adaptation working group will review the letter from Chris Stephen that John Barr regarding tree removal at Scott Park discussed earlier in the meeting. ADJOURNMENT: Krieger made a motion to adjourn. Soglin seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed unanimously. NAME TERM EXP. 1/6/2020 2/10/2020 3/9/2020 5/4/2020 6/1/2020 7/6/2020 8/3/2020 9/8/2020 10/5/2020 Madeleine Bradley 12/31/2022 X X O/E X X X X X O/E John Fraser 12/31/2020 X X X X X X X X X Stratis Giannakouros UI Rep X X X X X X X X X CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2019 - 2020 Climate Action Commission October 5, 2020 Page 11 of 11 11 Grace Holbrook 12/31/2021 O/E O/E O/E X X X X O/E X Kasey Hutchinson 12/31/2022 X X X X X X X X X GT Karr 12/31/2020 X X X X X X X X X Matt Krieger 12/31/2020 X X X X X X O/E X X Jesse Leckband MidAmerican Rep X X X X X E X X X Katie Sarsfield 12/31/2020 X X O/E X X O/E X -- -- Becky Soglin 12/31/2022 X X X X X X X X X Eric Tate 12/31/2021 X X X X X E X X X Ben Grimm 10/31/2022 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused NM = No Meeting -- -- = Not a Member Progress update on "Accelerating Iowa City's Climate Actions"  as of 10‐28‐20 New/ Next  Step Plan  Alignment Month to Initiate Workplan Equity Focus Status BPP‐1 New 1.5 April Brought forward one project to City Council in  April and was not approved. Will assess  opportunities as locations or chances present  themselves. Discussions could be community‐ initiated, such as the interest from JCED  proposal to create a solar placement study for  Iowa City to engage community in conceptual  conversations and planning for potential solar  sites. Commission recommended JCED  approach Council for further consideration.  Council  agreed that staff should explore the  project with community stakeholders.  Meeting forthcoming in Nov. If the City pursued a plan to site solar infrastructure,  the plan would require examination of equity  throughout process.  Underway BE‐3 New 1.1 & 1.6 May Staff met with local realtors from ICAAR  about housing trends and potential for  education and cooperation on energy  efficiency and projects benefitting residential  properties. ICAAR and City exploring example  programs and will return to meet again later  this year. In the iterim, City staff is collating  information about assistance programs, many  of which enhance climate action initiatives.  ICAAR is supportive of sharing these programs  with the community. Working groups may  identify additional suggestions or examples  from successful programs elsewhere. ICAAR  shared that several initiatives supporting  sustainability measures are in development.   Benefits for informed buying/selling, may need  incentive assistance later on, if concentration of  activity falls within only a few neigborhoods or  stakeholder interest lacking. Education for all  residents and renters about housing with energy  efficiency and indoor air quality speaks to equity  concerns. Commission and Working Group  recommendations and feedback needed. Underway BI‐4 New 1.2 & 5.4 May In August Council finalized approved  establishing and approving Urban Renewal  Areas at Heinz, Sycamore, and Scott Six and  approved changes to downtown URA in Sept.  2020. Staff is beginning to engage with  businesses in these areas and is encouraging  them to take advantage of funding assistance  in remaining years of the TIF agreement. Underway BCP‐1 New 1.1 – 1.4 May Asked State contacts about progress for rule  making process. Response was that due to  COVID, the spring 2020 meeting was delayed  with hopes to reconvene in fall. City staff  preparing communications with elected  officials for delivery pre‐2021 session. Timing  may require advocacy efforts expanded into  2021.  Could support these efforts with help from education  and advocacy from underserved groups that directly  benefit from housing improvements. Staff reached  out to several aligned groups in September but did  not hear back. A second attempt will be made.  Underway BCP‐2 New 1.1 – 1.4 May Eligible staff voted for adoption of new IECC  codes earlier in 2020. This action also requires  letters to and engagement with elected  officials. Advocacy efforts  expanded into  2021.  Could support these efforts with help from education  and advocacy from underserved groups that directly  benefit from housing improvements. Staff reached  out to several aligned groups in September but did  not hear back. A second attempt will be made.   Underway Action Buildings Solar Partnership with  MidAmerican Encourage the Local Realtor  Community to Include Energy  Performance in the Multiple  Listing Services (MLS)  Property Inventory  Launch a TIF‐funded climate  action incentive program  aimed at reducing industrial  energy consumption  Advocate for State Adoption  of Advanced Energy Codes  Advocate for Aggressive  Energy Code Development  and Adoption *(New) BE‐1 Next 1.1 – 1.2, 1.6 June Initiate planning and needs assessment.  Identify resources, contacts, and content.  Assess web access and source development,  method of dissemination. Support eventual  actions with strategy from communications  plan (Action 5.1 ‐ EDU); Communications RFP  proposals received and in review for  consultant selection. Priority issues can be  established prior to work by selected  consultant. Staff discussions with community  groups are positive and developing ideas. Will  bring concepts to Commission in Dec. for  refinement.  Imperative. Review of equity report and assistance  from EHR staff essential. Commission and Working  Group recommendations and feedback needed.   In  Development BE‐2 New 1.1‐1.4 June Started introduction to organizations, several  more meetings and expansion of contacts  necessary. Met with City development staff  and Home Builders Association. Plan to  engage small group of stakeholders to discuss  barriers and interest in pursuing green build  strategies to create new alliances/education  opportunities. A few ideas in development.  Support more actions with strategy from  eventual communications plan (Action 5.1 ‐  EDU). Use equity report to ensure stakeholders from  impacted groups are represented, and feedback is  shared with development community, landlords, and  builders. Commission and Working Group  recommendations and feedback needed.   Underway BI‐2 Next 1.1 June Received updated report from NDS on  current activity and efforts. Staff currently  exploring alternatives for rehab projects and  ability for City to support incentives or  supplemented energy efficent equipment if  homeowners cannot/won't pay the difference  to upgrade. Have met with two local HVAC  providers to identify key issues and ideal  projects. Proposal still in development; will  bring to Commission for feedback and further  guidance. Education components also  necessary ‐ communications strategy  outcomes. Equity mapping started. Assisted households currently meet federal income  requirements.  Establish a mapped GIS inventory of  energy efficiency assessments and investments.  Ensure access to energy effciency and other  sustainable design elements in each project through  education and engagement.  Underway BR‐1 New 1.1 ‐1.2 June Additional inspector budgeted in FY21. Met  with NDS staff in September to review items  staff will be looking at and addressing  through compliance checks, such as pre‐ drywall conditoins, R and U values of walls  and windows.  Altered inspections program  and initial education about necessary  inspections planned for initiation shortly after  additional inspector hired.  Commission/Working Groups should assist with how  they would like to measure equity and what should  be reported to show progress.  Underway BI‐5 New 1.1 – 1.4 July As discussions with community organizations  progress, new ideas for how to accomplish  this task are being generated. Commission  will need to weigh in on neighborhood pilot  program/s which are in conceptual  development. Explore RFQ for external  partner/s to implement a program.   GIA crew  started again in late September, conducted  first in‐home energy assessments in late  October and plan to continue with safety  protocols.  Approach to populations served critical.  Commission  and Working Group recommendations and feedback  needed for further development.   In  Development Create a More Robust Energy  Code Inspection Program Promote Energy Efficiency  and Performance Tips to the  Public Partner with Stakeholders to  Promote Green Building and  Rehabilitation Enhance Energy Standards for  City Rehabilitation Projects Develop or Partner with Local  Stakeholders on a  Comprehensive Climate  Action Rehabilitation Program BR‐2 New 1.3 – 1.4 Aug Begin review of options, develop revisions to  policy, introduce for Council adoption.  Stakeholder process required. Buildings  Working Group and Commission involvement  in policy review. Currently working on  expansion of additional areas for energy  efficiency improvements funded by remaining  TIF. While codifying these efforts is not fully in  motion, staff continues to encourage actions  informally through development process.  Elements of recent development approvals  require energy efficiency measures, including  LEED Silver standard build (minimum of 8  points from energy category), rooftop solar,  low flow fixtures, and incorporated  stormwater improvements. Greater equity can be achieved through a geographic  distribution of benefits.  Education and advocacy  could benefit populations impacted and served by  policy implementation.  In  Development BI‐1 Next 1.1 Sept Energy Assessments with the Green Iowa  Americorps team look slightly different this  year but still are included in their  responsibilities. Supplemental weatherization  kits available through GIA, available to IC  residents.  Exploring non‐Americorps group to  perform other weatherization services. GIA  crew begins in late September; opportunities  for training supplement to pursue enhanced  energy assessments and community  education.   Americorps is focused on certain groups ‐ seniors, low  income, veterans. Not sure how they track or report  these demographics. May need to get creative in how  audits are performed in light of Covid‐19. Education  delivery and equipment installation/provision  alternatives probably needed in short term. Establish  a mapped GIS inventory of energy efficiency  assessments and investments. Underway BI‐3 New 1.1 Fall Coordinate efforts with Neighborhood  Planner, Recreation, and community  organizations; Support actions with strategy  from communications plan (Action 5.1 ‐ EDU);  will likely align this action with introduction of  Climate Ambassador program.  Party in the  Park efforts cancelled due to COVID‐19.  Climate Action Grant awarded to Green Iowa  AmeriCorps for a lightbulb exchange, which  should be taking place in fall. Staff discussions  in progress, will bring concepts to  Commission for feedback and review. Root  for Trees one model for potential program,  learning and using to shape new, tiered  programs focused on buildings and energy. Assess equity report to determine any areas of focus.  NDS can assist with housing/permit data that can  help focus on neighborhoods with less efficient  housing stock. Outreach to underserved groups may  spur interest in blitz programs or projects. Working  Group recommendations and feedback needed.    In  Development Commission Working Group BE1 & BE2 discuss plans for educating and  engaging residents and business; BI2 ‐ await  staff proposal for enhancing Energy standards  for City rehabilitation projects; BI3 ‐ direction  on neighborhood energy blitz programs,  including type, scale, areas of focus for  programs BR1 ‐ define how City should measure equity in  housing inspection program; BI5 ‐ Recommendations  needed to develop comprehensive energy efficiency  building rehab programs, identify best practices,  suggest example programs, assist with equity efforts;  BR2 ‐ involvement in stakeholder review when  proposal shared later in year New/ Next  Step Plan  Alignment Month to  Initiate Workplan Equity Focus Status TPP‐1 New 2.1 Ongoing Completed study in early fall; was somewhat  delayed from Covid‐19. Presentation of  proposed measures went to City Council for  initial discussion on October 6. Interest in  moving forward with recommended system  route changes, more information coming this  fall for consideration of service expansions  and rate changes. Primary implementation of  recomendations to begin in 2021. Dependent upon study recommendations and  selected actions for implementation. Goal is to serve  residents most needing transit service.  Commission  and Working Group recommendations needed.   Underway Incorporate Stricter Energy  Standards into Tax Increment  Financing Policies Offer Free Home Energy  Assessments through Green  Iowa AmeriCorps Coordinate Neighborhood  Energy Blitz Events Action Transportation Complete the Transit Study  and Implement  Recommendations to Bolster  Service and Increase  Ridership  Additional Notes This row shares more information for Commission members,  including probable action steps and questions from staff. For  reference, follow up items are started with the Action code (far left  of charts) (i.e. "BI3" (Building Incentives, project 3))  TCP‐1 New 2.2 May Written policy completed in Sept. New text  includes preference for EVs, describes process  by which new vehicle purchases are  considered and directs purchase when  multiple factors determine EV appropriate  option and available for needs. Included in  Nov 2020 CAC agenda for reference. Although every vehicle the City purchases cannot be  EV at this time, continually increasing the presence of  non‐emitting vehicles creates a healthier air quality as  City vehicles move about and provide services in the  community.   Complete TCP‐1 Next 2.7 May AVL equipment provides idling data. 37  vehicles currently have the technology and  another AVL for another 60 will be ordered in  FY2021. Reformatting reports to make it  easier to read for improved use and analysis.  Staff will compile data and CAO will assist  with reporting. Transportation Working  Group needs to define and clarify their  recommendation before staff can pursue  exploration of technology. Underway TE‐1 New 2.3 August Transportation metrics are defined. Some of  the metrics are not yet available from the  2019 Census. Climate Ambassador program is  underway. Must continue to identify how we  will engage all residents.  Review equity Report to identify groups and locations  to focus attention. Somewhat reliant upon  recommendations of transit study. Explore language  translations.  Commission and Working Group  recommendations and feedback needed.   Underway Commission: Working Group:  TPP1 ‐ Continued feedback on proposed  Transit Study TPP1 ‐ Continued feedback on proposed Transit Study New/ Next  Step Plan  Alignment Month to Initiate Workplan Equity Focus Status WP‐1 Next 3.7‐3.8 May Preliminary models discussed by staff in  September. Plans and estimated costs are  being refined and should be presented to  Council by year end. Study is near completion  and staff project budget discussions  upcoming.  Consideration will be given after final  recommendations, to impacts on fiscal health of  Enterprise funds and needs to supplement with rate  changes over time.  Underway WE‐1 Next 3.2 June Resource Mangagement and NDS engaged in  composting education. Course materials  created for educators Determine how to  tailor it with equity in mind. Expand  opportunities with local businesses. Tie into  carbon sequestration project underway. Plans  for increased downtown access to  composting in development. An education  unit for Climate Ambassadors focused on  waste. Focus is reliant upon meetings with staff, current  efforts, working Equity Working Group, equity report,  translations services available, and outcomes from  Communications strategy. Underway WCP‐1 New 3.5 June Staff reconnected for this project and  finalized simple agreements for sports  organizations renting athletic facilities.  Community education needed. Testing results  with athletics first but the next step to   general facility rental requirements will  require community and equity input.  Must assess whether new requirements impact  populations differently.  Working Group  recommendations needed.   Underway WE‐2 Next 3.3 July Met with Resource Management to assess  current materials. Staff is coordinating efforts  with Neighboorhood Planner, local schools,  and other City staff to share information.  Specific messaging about reduced  consumption or minimizing waste at the  source forthcoming, ideas welcome.  Focus reliant upon meetings with staff, current  efforts, working Equity Working Gorup, equity report,  translations services available, and outcomes from  Communications strategy. Underway Establish an Electric and Fuel‐ Efficient Vehicle Purchasing  Policy  Track Adherence to City Idling  Policy  Significant Transportation  Education and Outreach  Campaigns  Action Waste Initiate a Methane Feasibility  Study Engage the Public to Compost  Organic Waste Require All Park/Public Space  Rentals to Recycle and Use  "Green" Event Best Practices. Education Campaigns for  Neighborhoods to Reduce  Waste/Consumption at the  Source Additional Notes This row shares more information for Commission members,  including probable action steps and questions from staff. For  reference, follow up items are started with the Action code (far left  of charts) (i.e. "BI3" (Building Incentives, project 3)) Commission: Working Group:  WP1 ‐ When project is presented to Council,  Commission members may consider  preparing a response or recommendation WCP1 ‐ Review new contracts for parks athletics use  and provide guidance for general parks rentals,  including equity review; WE1 and WE2 ‐ feedback or  direction on how these programs are going New/ Next  Step Plan  Alignment Month to Initiate Workplan Equity Focus Status AE‐1 New 4.2 May Program is in progress with 10 participants, as  well as participation by the Green Iowa  AmeriCorps team. Initial cohort runs into  December, with another application period  and new cohort starting in early 2021.  Development of program includes application process  not reliant upon technology to participate. If tech is  necessary, will purchase tablets or other device to  loan to ambassador participants for training activities.  Special attention paid to connection with local groups  that can recommend ambassador applicants. Initial  cohort varied in background and experience. Complete APP‐2 New 4.5‐4.6 May Work agreement executed with AES in May.  Significant follow up with neighborhoods  required during process. Planned  concentration on intensive maintenance in  neighborhood park prairies. Education  needed about purpose, need and care for  natural areas; build community partnerships  with advocacy groups. About 60 acres of  public land areas were prepared for prairie  plantings this fall.  Geographic distribution, education variables  dependent on groups impacted. Engage natural area  advocacy groups that can assist with public  education. Underway APP‐4 Next 4.1‐4.2 May Equity Working Group will review Equity  Report and determine further action.  Commission review of project equity review  tool for City and other community climate  projects. Staff has created a basic mapping  tool/resource requested by Equity Working  Group. Additionally, staff is exploring better  documentation for City climate equity efforts.  Emphasis on highly impacted groups, targeted  outreach and collaboration for development and  implementation of each climate action.  Underway APP‐1 Next 4.5 June Met with Stormwater Team. Collect and  review current volunteer lists. Assess if we  need to promote existing program.  Assess  creek clean up volunteer process. Involving various community groups dependent on  makeup of existing volunteer listing and schedules.  Review equity report to verify benefits and  participation equitable.  Underway AE‐1 New 4.6 July Root for Trees  tree planting program began  in October with high interest and over 250  vouchers requested. Residents are able to use  a voucher for a discount on tree purchase  from Iowa City nurseries. Low income  residents are permitted greater discount for  tree purchase. Parks and Recreation  Department is managing program and will  conduct targeted interpersonal and  neighborhood outreach. Need to connect  with Project Green for additional  opportunities for education and outreach  programs.  Commission provided recommendations and  feedback on program proposal. Income eligible  properties will be permitted a greater discount.  City  is tracking planting addresses (but no other  identifying information) to monitor geographic  distribution. Additionally, staff engagement will be  focused in areas that have less tree canopy than  other parts of town. Engagement will also provide an  opportunity to inform about the utility discount  program.  Underway AR‐1 Next 4.6 August NDS will draft ordinance. Research has begun  but drafting will take place shortly after  engagement with stakeholders, planned late  this fall.  New Ordinance will apply to new developments. In  Development Action Additional Notes Adaptation Develop Climate Amassador  Team Continue Implementation of  the Natural Areas  Management Plan Equity Review of  Neighborhood and  Population Outreach; Develop  Outreach Plan for Populations  Highlty Impacted by Climate  Change Flood Mitigation and  Stormwater Management  Programs/Projects; Buyouts Partner with Project Green on  a Tree Planting Partnership;  Incentives for Private Tree  Planting Street Tree Ordinance This row shares more information for Commission members,  including probable action steps and questions from staff. For  reference, follow up items are started with the Action code (far left  of charts) (i.e. "BI3" (Building Incentives, project 3)) APP‐3 Next 4.6 September Provided Tree Canopy memo in 9‐17‐20  Information Packet for Council review and  discussion; demonstrates need for  incremental tree canopy replacement  activities.  Possible small group discussion  with impacted groups ‐ residents, landlords,  City staff, businesses or development groups.  Address negative perceptions through   modifcations or education.  Review inventory maps, locate areas in need, target  workplan outreach accordingly. Emphasis on benefits  of tree canopy in low‐mod neighborhoods. In  Development AE‐2 Next 4.3 October Staff held preliminary meeting with Invest  Health partner to identify current needs and  to explore co‐benefits of climate action  projects centered on public health issues.  Stakeholder group would serve as connection  for further meetings with Johnson County  Public Health, University of Iowa, etc.  Equity reach will become more clear with agency  coordination and partnering. Can use equity  scale/report to identify starting agency discussions. If  full stakeholder meeting held for Invest Health with  focus on climate issues, will seek participation from  Commission.  Underway Commission: Working Group:  AE2 ‐ attend invitation to public health  stakeholder meeting (unscheduled), consider  guidance about ideal projects, or other  partners   APP4 ‐ gudiance on areas of focus or process for  equity review; AE1 ‐ could restart discussions with  Project Green, Master Gardeners, etc. to plan  additional projects New/ Next  Step Plan  Alignment Month to Initiate Workplan Equity Focus Status SLE‐2 Next 5.5 June Pilot awards program introduced and  received applications in summer 2020.  Awarded five businesses. Additional  opportunities for business‐related programs  will be to build a network of businesses with  climate interests that can support additional  demand and resources for infrastructure and  policy upgrades. Program confirmed and  content in development with Iowa City Area  Business Partnership.   Initial program relies heavily on voluntary  participation. Potential for granted funding tied to  participation. Will need to make a greater effort to  identify and work with businesses with less access to  resources. Geographic access and type of business  should also be taken into account. Will map  geographic participation. Need assistance from  Economic Development staff, Equity & Outreach  Working Groups, and other econ dev and small  business assistance groups. For Climate Action at  Work Awards, contacted over 80 community groups  with an emphasis on diversity, inviting their  participation.  Complete SLPP‐2 Next 5.5 June Released RFP for consultant to develop  marketing plan; drafted in June, reviewed by  Commission and received proposals in  September. Plan will be focused on Iowa City  attributes, alignment with current initiatives,  focused attention to branding, models for  promotional rollout schedules, template  materials for modification by project or  program, equity and "language" for how to  frame climate activities as broadly appealing  content.  Application of equity priniciples will be part of  process. Commission member will participate in  consultant selection.    Underway SLE‐1 Next 5.5 September Climate Festival held week of Sept 19‐25.  Activities included digital and written  storytelling, coordinated  indvidual/community acivities, and expanded  local partnerships. Outreach began in  June/July, finalized steps and promotions in  August. Next significant programs in planning.  Intentional outreach with underserved groups to  ensure access to awareness, education, and  participation. Staff, planning committee, and CAC  Working Group to connect with local ogranizations  willing to partner on activities, promotion, or hosting  remote event. Efforts underway to include translated  festival materials in digital and print formats.  Complete Expand Public Tree Planting  Educate and Coordinate with  Local Agencies on Health  Impacts Additional Notes Host Sustainability Forum and  Events Action Sustainable Lifestyle  Launch a Green Business  Program: "Climate Action at  Work"  Develop a Climate Action  Strategic Communications  Plan SLPP‐1 Next 5.5 September Working with Parks Department to see if  there are plans for additional community  garden areas.  Equity mapping for plot rentals exists. Need to review  2020 rentals, identify gaps in geo coverage and gaps  in possible access for certain groups. Need focused  outreach to see where needs might be to connect  unresourced individulals with plot availability in  upcoming years; will assist in identifying  needs/potential for pocket gardens in ROW.   In  Development SLI‐1 Next 5.4 November Consider adding non‐profit and business  categories and define what the new program  will look like next year. Identify how grant  program ties into other City funding  initiatives. Initial discussions underway. Follow Equity Report recommendations to identify  and connect with preferred applicant agencies from  first tier needs. Community organizations geared  towards underserved and disadvantaged groups  could also fall into this expansion or, the next year's  funding could be introduced specifically to certain  groups from equity report and an info session can be  held by invitation for these groups, like HRC and  HCDC have done.     In  Development Commission: Working Group:  SLE1 ‐ Feedback on Climate Festival; SLE2 ‐  Feedback on Climate Action at Work program SLI1 ‐ WG can offer suggestions or thoughts on grants  program focus, eligible entities, increments, etc. Additional Notes Community Garden  Expansion/Additions Expand Community Climate  Grants 1 October 28, 2020 From: Iowa City Climate Action Commission, BUILDINGS WORKING GROUP DRAFT Memo RE: Development Density and Carbon Emissions BACKGROUND Property developers have the opportunity to apply to the Planning and Zoning Commission for ‘bonuses’ to add height or density to their projects beyond the maximum typically allowed by the code. In exchange for the additional height or density, the developers must provide prescribed community benefits. The Iowa City City Council has questioned what impact granting these requests has on overall carbon emissions (also known as greenhouse gases or GHGs) and specifically on the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) they adopted in September 2018. To aid their decision-making, the City Council asked the Climate Action Commission (CAC) to make recommendations. SCOPE This memo outlines the primary issues and offers advice based on the expertise of the CAC’s Buildings Working Group members and our research, with review by the entire CAC. While BWG members have backgrounds in planning, sustainability, architecture, construction, facilities management and statistics, we want to be transparent that we are still limited in our ability to comprehensively address building density issues. With that in mind, this memo offers suggestions rather than prescriptive actions. We considered how selected CAAP actions might be impacted by increased building density and large- scale development projects. We examined 17 of the 35 total actions that were applicable. The crux of the matter relates to the pros and cons of taller buildings in terms of (1) amount of GHG emissions, (2) control of sprawl, (3) equity and community connection, and (4) the zoning code regarding maximum height allowed. OVERALL FINDINGS Taller buildings (defined for our community as those above six stories) built in areas zoned for increased density generally support goals in the city’s CAAP. However, there are tradeoffs relative to other city and community goals, and within the plan’s goals. At the same time, there can be co-benefits, such as for equity and community connection. In some cases, this may require some policy change and other deliberate action. Each development proposal must be considered individually for its particular circumstances. We know city staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Board of Adjustment and the City Council are already very mindful of many issues when reviewing development applications. We suggest that all staff and commission/board members involved in development decisions be trained on the CAAP goals. We also recommend there be an impact assessment and trend analysis of taller buildings and projects approved with a density bonus as they relate to the CAAP actions at a minimum of every five years to help measure effects. Measurement would help develop a greater understanding of the impact and assist with future decision-making. KEY CONSIDERATIONS Embodied Emissions vs Operational Emissions Embodied carbon includes emissions related to project procurement and construction while operational emissions are those GHG emissions attributed to day-to-day use. The CAAP is based on operational GHG emissions within the community, and the metrics are operational or consumption based. Some of the plan actions also address emissions beyond the community borders, such as the Sustainable Lifestyle 2 actions related to regional and global food production. The embodied carbon of buildings fits within the latter category as the majority of building materials installed in Iowa City are harvested or sourced, manufactured, and shipped from outside the community. A preliminary review of embodied carbon is included in this memo, but we recognize this is a rapidly developing area of research for the building industry. What Scale of Development is Considered “Large” or “Tall”? The zoning code limits building heights based on location; but frequently, the request for height bonuses are to build above a six-story maximum height. At the same time, the Federal Aviation Administration and the community’s airport flight paths limit buildings in Iowa City’s downtown core to fewer than 20 stories depending on the specific site location. This is important to understand because available research reviews building size based on a much larger scale, comparing buildings anywhere from 3 stories to 100+ stories, which is well beyond the scope of the City Council’s request. Density Impacts on Affordability, Inclusion, and Equity Affordability and equity are also crucial considerations. Taller buildings constructed near the downtown core are located on more desirable properties and thus the higher value of those properties makes development more expensive. A recent project downtown was purchased for the highest cost per square foot of any property in Johnson County. That, in turn, translates to higher purchase costs and rent rates for smaller square footage. More expensive housing in the downtown/near downtown neighborhoods then pushes affordable housing outward to other areas of the community, not allowing for people of diverse backgrounds and incomes to benefit from the more compact walkable neighborhood and services provided downtown. The BWG recommends the impact of land and development costs on affordable housing in the community should be tracked over time to evaluate trends. We recommend affordable housing units be incorporated into developments downtown/near downtown to offer those benefits to a more diverse population rather than the ‘fee in lieu of’ being the default solution. ANALYSIS OF CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN (CAAP) GOALS The analysis outlined below reviews development density through the framework of the applicable 17 CAAP actions. Resources that helped shape our recommendations were more readily available for some actions than others. Generally, our review showed that in relation to the CAAP there are more benefits to denser, taller buildings than negative impacts. Buildings Action 1.3 – Increase Energy Efficiency in New Buildings Building elements that most impact energy efficiency are the mechanical and electrical systems and the building envelope: wall materials, thermal insulation, air barriers, and openings (doors, windows, and louvers). A taller building can stack the same amount of living space into a smaller area as numerous shorter buildings spread out over a larger area. This stacking reduces exposure to elements and provides more insulation to each living unit within the structure. For example, imagine 10 single-family homes on one block as 10 cubes, each with six sides that need to be insulated and protected from the weather. Now imagine the same 10 homes as apartments stacked on top of each other. The top and bottom of each cube are now protected from the elements, reducing the amount of materials and insulation needed per unit. Typically, less energy is then needed to heat and cool those homes within the taller building. This is advantageous for both operational and embodied carbon emissions. 3 Compared to many existing buildings in the community that were less concerned with GHG emissions when they were constructed and may have lower performing envelopes, glazing, insulation, etc., new buildings have the ability to control those elements that may be installed for the lifetime of the building. New buildings can also take advantage of the latest technology and install more efficient mechanical and electrical systems. The question is whether an owner or developer will decide to install more efficient systems. Whether new buildings are short or tall is not the deciding factor; it’s whether there is a drive or incentive to install higher performing systems. The market can sometimes drive this--for example, if home seekers know their utility bills will cost less because a home is more efficient, that might be a driver for purchasing/renting the home. Most often, the biggest drivers to installing more efficient systems are initial cost or policy, regulation that does or does not require it, and any incentives. Examples from other cities show that an incentive program that offsets initial costs and streamlines the regulatory approval process helps overcome barriers to enhanced energy efficiency and performance. Iowa City currently has an incentive program tied to TIF monies that requires certification under a green building rating system--either LEED or NGBS.1 Shorter buildings that meet current zoning regulations don’t trigger a more thorough review process and often don’t seek financing incentives that would require certification and higher performance standards. We recommend that all development projects include a sustainability assessment as part of the permitting process. The assessment could be comparable to LEED, NGBS, or the City could develop a set of high performance standards. We also recommend that buildings that qualify for the utility’s Commercial New Construction program or similar incentive programs should be required to participate in those programs. Sometimes, developers are unaware of these opportunities. Buildings Action 1.4 – Increase On-site Renewable Energy Systems and Electrification A taller, denser building has higher energy demand over the same site area of a shorter building. With more demand but the same available space for rooftop solar arrays, the opportunity for on-site renewable energy systems to meet the increased demand on a taller building is very limited. For example, one recent downtown project projected that a rooftop solar array would meet only 5 to 10% of the building’s total power needs. Recently updated mechanical and fire codes require more maintenance and safety clearances around roof-mounted solar arrays. These requirements reduce the overall area available for arrays and thus reduce the overall production capacity. With the community’s utility provider dedicated to achieving 100% renewable energy for its power production (determined by the annual average production across its entire portfolio), achieving higher production of on-site renewable energy is not as advantageous from an emissions points of view as it would be in a community that is supplied more by fossil-fuels on average. At the same time, solar can provide service when wind power from the utility is not available. The local utility is not closing some coal plants so they can maintain a stable baseload of power, and there can be financial savings over the long run for buildings owners who use solar. It may be more important in the Iowa City community to convert building systems from natural gas to electrical power. Taller buildings with distributed systems tend to have mechanical systems that are electrical power-based, rather than natural gas-based, to minimize the number of gas meters and lines running through the building and to eliminate additional trades and materials in the project. While there is not documented evidence that shorter buildings (i.e. 1 LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green building rating system managed by the U.S. Green Building Council. NGBS or National Green Building Standard is a green building rating system managed by Home Innovation Research Labs. 4 six stories or less) use natural gas more often than electrified systems, it could be more likely and should be reviewed further. Buildings Action 1.6 – Support Energy Benchmarking Tools Energy benchmarking and management tools are useful for at least two main reasons: they provide a reference for the market to compare projects, and help identify trends and opportunities for decreasing energy use and/or costs. One significant disadvantage for some large developments relates to electrical utility meters. Oftentimes property owners prefer that each tenant pays their own utilities, determined by the meter serving an individual’s apartment/condo. When this is the case, the whole building can’t be tracked in the benchmarking program; each individual unit would need to be added to the tracking program by the utility account holder. It makes for a very burdensome activity that’s unlikely to be comprehensive. Alternatively, the City should work with the utility to make this data readily available. We recommend that energy benchmarking opportunities be a targeted educational/outreach initiative to developers of local properties, no matter the size or age of the property. We also recommend the City, community partners, and property owners advocate for a mandatory energy benchmarking program. Transportation Action 2.1 – Increase Use of Public Transit Systems When more people are located in a denser area with services nearby, they tend to drive less and have fewer vehicles per household. If more people are concentrated in denser areas rather than in outlying areas, it could potentially shift the use of the public transit system. There might be an increased transit need within the denser area as well as for outbound travel to access outlying areas. Transportation Action 2.2 – Embrace Electric Vehicles, Alternative Fuel Vehicles, and Other Emerging Technologies Parking provisions for low rise development (six stories or fewer) and mid-high rise development (seven or more stories) have taken two different paths in our community. Parking requirements for low-rise (and less dense) development often results in spaces provided at-grade in surface parking lots adjacent to the buildings or as one-story of parking located below the building. A building’s residents may use on- street parking when the development doesn’t provide enough space to meet needs. High rise development (higher density) typically includes multiple levels of parking in the lower and/or underground floors of the buildings to meet the city’s parking zoning ordinance and/or they are located near managed parking structures and are able to take advantage of community-based approaches to off-street parking. These examples outline the potential benefits and synergies of taller/denser development and the importance of its location. In addition, it may be easier and less expensive to install EV charging stations within parking structures where the required infrastructure is nearby compared to surface parking lots where infrastructure needs to be added. This would seem to make a case for taller/denser development. When households in denser neighborhoods reduce their number of vehicles, they tend to increase use of car-sharing services. There’s a potential opportunity to increase EV use in the community by supporting and transitioning car-sharing services to electric vehicles. Transportation Action 2.3 – Increase Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation 5 Similar to Transportation Action 2.2, denser developments in already developed areas reduce the need for vehicles and/or use of vehicles and their contributing GHG emissions. As outlined in the CAAP, more walkable neighborhoods increase the likelihood of walking and bicycling. Developers should continue to be encouraged/required to install bicycle parking and storage options that are protected from weather for the residents of the property. Transportation Action 2.4 – Increase Compact and Contiguous Development Taller, denser development in developed areas of the community such as downtown or the Riverfront Crossings neighborhoods directly meets the intent of this action; though it is not limited to larger developments. Mixed-use developments, a combination of residential and commercial uses within the same property, help reduce vehicle miles traveled across the community and should be encouraged and incentivized. Transportation Action 2.6 – Manage Parking Options The recommendations associated with this action in the CAAP include reducing parking requirements for development projects and incorporating more comprehensive approaches to alternative modes of transportation for residents, including car-sharing, carpools, bicycles, and walking. As part of the site and/or design reviews for projects, city staff could work with developers to encourage the development of comprehensive transportation plans for their projects. Waste Action 3.1 – Increase Recycling at Multi-Family Properties Unlike single-family residences, larger multi-family properties do not have curbside pick-up provided by city services. Recycling at these properties must be contracted through independent hauling companies- -a managed contract and expense that have been barriers to wider adoption by local developers. In 2016, the City passed a resolution, which is now in effect, requiring all multi-family facilities in excess of four units to provide recycling for their tenants. The policy is enforced through rental permit renewals. We commend the City for taking action to fulfill this need. Waste Action 3.2 – Increase Composting of Organics See Waste Action 3.1 for similar issues. While recycling has been mandated for multi-family properties, composting has not. While we understand composting is a newer service in the community and is growing, we recommend a similar approach to recycling in the future. Waste Action 3.3 – Reduce Waste at the Source Consumption is a personal choice, so there is limited impact on this issue; however, larger, denser developments are opportunities to make a broader impact on source reduction and thus reduce GHG emissions. With more people living in one location, education of the residents in multi-family facilities could be more efficient and effective. Waste Action 3.4 – Establish Partnerships to Divert Construction Waste from the Landfill Large developments with larger mass have higher volumes of construction waste than smaller projects and thus a greater potential impact if that waste could be diverted from the landfill. There is a unique opportunity to partner with developers of these projects to approach waste diversion in a more comprehensive way. A waste management plan could be required as part of the permitting process. Or alternatively, the City could provide the service to these construction projects as an incentive to divert waste from the landfill. 6 Adaptation Action 4.5 – Assess Citywide and Neighborhood Stormwater Management Developments of any size should be carefully reviewed for their stormwater management plans. While not always the case, taller, denser buildings tend to have zero lot lines based on their location, so most stormwater is collected on the roof. This stormwater could be managed in such a way as to slow outflow to the city’s stormwater system through collection and holding for a period of time in at-grade or below-grade storage and water quality tanks or through use of green roofs to absorb the water. Smaller, less dense developments might have more surface parking and thus more hardscape and stormwater to manage, but potentially could have more site/landscape to infiltrate the stormwater on- site. Adaptation Action 4.6 – Expand Iowa City’s Tree Canopy Similar to Adaptation Action 4.5, larger developments tend to have zero lot lines with little or no open space, resulting in fewer opportunities for trees on the property as compared to smaller developments. We recommend city staff work with developers to identify opportunities for tree planting as part of the site plan review within the property boundaries and/or within the right-of-way. Trees can help capture carbon as outlined in the CAAP. Sustainable Lifestyle Action 5.1 – Encourage a Plant-Rich Diet Compared to single-family residences, multi-family properties of any size could take the opportunity to educate residents of the beneficial impacts of a plant-rich diet. More people in one location has the potential for larger impact. Building-wide programs and events could reinforce this education through targeted outreach. Sustainable Lifestyle Action 5.2 – Expand Community Gardens and Access to Healthy, Local Food Trends Multi-family developments of all sizes generally have less access to on-site or nearby community gardens as they tend to have less on-site open space and/or are located in denser, more developed neighborhoods. Potential opportunities to expand community gardens for residents of these properties would be to incorporate urban agriculture practices including roof gardens and/or indoor vertical gardens, which could be discussed during the development review process and other educational means. There could also be educational opportunities about access to existing community gardens; however, this could have a negative impact on GHG emissions related to residents traveling to the community garden locations. Another approach could be to encourage access to local CSA’s (community supported agriculture) by designating the multi-family property as a hub for weekly distribution. This could have the added benefit of contributing to equity, wellness and the local food economy. Sustainable Lifestyle Action 5.3 – Encourage the Purchase of Local Products and Responsible Purchasing The construction of larger developments requires more materials and resources than smaller projects. There is an opportunity to partner with, encourage, or mandate through new policies the use of responsible purchasing standards. These types of standards are included in green building rating systems, and the strategies could be required as part of incentives for developers. This type of purchasing may at first glance appear to do more to reduce embodied and offsite emissions than operational emissions. However, if durability, energy efficiency (as appropriate) and other procurement factors are considered, there is more chance to reduce operational GHGs as well. FLEET POLICY 7 General Fleet Policy • THE CITY’S FLEET/EQUIPMENT (ALL CITY RESOURCES) IS SOLELY DEDICATED TO SERVING THE PUBLIC. NEITHER THE FLEET NOR ANY OTHER CITY ASSET SHALL BE USED FOR A PURPOSE OTHER THAN OFFICIAL CITY BUSINESS. • Seat Belt use is mandatory for all occupants in the vehicle (State Law). • No Smoking in City vehicles/equipment. (State Law) • Operation of City vehicles/equipment while impaired by alcohol or non-prescription drugs is prohibited. • Texting while operating City vehicles/equipment is prohibited. • All City employees may NOT use cellular telephones (including hands free devices) while operating a CDL required vehicle unless the vehicle is parked and not in gear. • Cell phone use is discouraged while operating non CDL required City vehicles/equipment. • An incident/accident report, vehicle registration and current certificate of insurance card are to be in the glove box. • The Personnel Division checks City Staff motor vehicle records on a semi-annual basis. • Any and all additions to the City fleet (new or otherwise) must be approved by the City Manager and budgeted by the user division. NO EXCEPTIONS. • Any and all requests for vehicle/equipment modifications must be approved in writing by the user Division’s Superintendent and Department Head. Safety related requests also require the approval of the Safety Specialist. • No unauthorized bumper stickers, decals, etc. are to be displayed on or in any City owned vehicles/equipment. FLEET POLICY 8 • Decisions regarding when and with what type or model of vehicle/equipment is replaced is the sole responsibility of the Equipment Superintendent. General guidelines are: Automobiles – 7 years/70,000 miles Pickup Trucks – 8 years/70,000 miles Dump Trucks – 10 years/75,000 miles Refuse/Recycle Trucks – 8 years/70,000 miles End Loaders/Backhoes – 8 years Other Equipment – Case by case basis With priority given to electric and alternative fuel vehicles when feasible, a variety of factors will be considered for all new and replacement vehicles. The Equipment Superintendent will collaborate with the Department Director and Division Superintendent to explore such vehicles available in the marketplace at that time that would satisfy all the Division’s service needs. Vehicle cost, budget or replacement reserves available, overall life cycle costs, local parts and service availability, and infrastructure will all be factored in during the decision-making process. • All vehicle/equipment repairs must be approved and scheduled by Equipment Assistant Superintendent only. Mercer Park Ball Field Tournament Contract Tournament Sponsor_________________________________Date:____________ PARK SECURITY# 319-331-3567 PARKS 1ST ON CALL – Eli Elliott, 319-359-0238 PARKS 2ND ON CALL - Colin Stuhr, 319-321-2099 CITY’S RESPONSIBILITY All tournament field accommodations below are managed through the Parks Division, hereafter referred to as “City” or “the City”. Office # is 319-356-5100 • City personnel will accept request to change or alter or modify this agreement ONLY from the designated Tournament Directors. • The City will designate an area to place tents. • Prior to the commencement of the tournament the City will empty all the garbage cans and will install one clean bag in each can with one backup bag under the clean bag. Garbage pickup is to be handled throughout the tournament by the Tournament Director(s) and/or their staff as noted under the Tournament Sponsor Responsibilities. • The City will have on site recycling receptacles that will have a yellow lid and “recycling” written on top. The City will take care of the recycling at the end of each day of the tournament. The City of Iowa City prioritizes waste reduction as part of its climate action goals and requests disposal of paper, cardboard, and recyclable plastics in the provided containers. • The City will prep the fields one time prior to the first game of each designated tournament day. CITY WILL PROVIDE • 1 case of toilet paper • ½ case of paper towels • Recycle bags- for plastic bottle, cans, paper and cardboard recycling • Box of garbage bags • Chalk (at price noted) • Turface (at price noted) CITY EQUIPMENT PROVIDED FOR TOURNAMENT USE • 1 chalker • 1 rake • 1 batters box template • 1 dig-out tool • Recycling receptacles TOURNAMENT SPONSOR RESPONSIBILITY • Prohibit motorized vehicles from driving on the walkways. This includes umpires, vendors and tournament staff. • Gators, golf carts or similar vehicles may be used in the immediate vicinity of the fields by adult tournament staff only. • Place tents ONLY in locations designated by the City. • Clean up ground litter. • Check, clean and restock restrooms throughout the length of the tournament. • Recycle plastic bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard in designated recycling receptacles. The City of Iowa City prioritizes waste reduction as part of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan goals. For more information, please view attached recycling poster. • Remove garbage bags from cans and put them in the dumpster near the tennis courts. Replace bags in the cans when the full bags are removed. • Return all unused City provided products and the City provided equipment in an acceptable condition. CHARGES and DAMAGE REIMBURSED TO THE CITY Turface $19.25 per bag Chalk $5.50 per bag A $200 clean up fee will be assessed if in the opinion of the Parks Superintendent that the ball park or the concession building has not been appropriately cleaned after the tournament. Any damage to water line, utilities or buildings will be charged at the cost to repair them. If the Tournament Director(s) insist on playing in wet conditions against the advice of the City representative, the Tournament Sponsor will pay all costs associated with returning the fields to the appropriate condition • Laser grading-----$200 per hour • Ag lime---- $30 per ton delivered • Sports turf grass seed----$93.50 per 50lb bag (cost may vary) THIS AGREEMENT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE USE OF THE SCOREBOARDS TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR #1_____________________________________________DATE:____________ PHONE #_________________ TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR #2_____________________________________________DATE:____________ PHONE #_________________ CITY REPRESENTATIVE__________________________________________________DATE:____________