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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3-7-2022 Climate Action Commission AgendaIowa City Climate Action Commission Agenda Monday, March 7, 2022, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Emma J. Harvat Hall Iowa City City Hall 410 E Washington Street Meeting Agenda: 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Approval of Feb. 7, 2022 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. Announcements – informational updates a. Action items from last meeting (Staff) b. Upcoming events (Staff) i. Speaking of… Electric Vehicles (March 14) ii. Cold Climate Heat Pump webinar for contractors (March 17) iii. Neighborhood Energy Blitz (April 23) iv. Electric Bus Celebration (April 27) 6. Unfinished Business: a. Project-Based Working Group Formation – discussion b. Multi-Family EVSE Rebate Program – informational update 7. New Business: a. Teen Resilience Corps Program – informational update & discussion 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 319-887-6162 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 FEBRUARY 7 – 3:30 PM – FORMAL MEETING EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: John Fraser, Ben Grimm, Clarity Guerra, Megan Hill, Matt Krieger, Becky Soglin, Clarity Guerra, Kasey Hutchinson, Michal Eynon- Lynch, Gabriel Sturdevant MEMBERS ABSENT: Stratis Giannakouros, Jesse Leckband STAFF PRESENT: Daniel Bissell, Sarah Gardner, Rachel Kilburg OTHERS PRESENT: None CALL TO ORDER: Soglin called the meeting to order. APPROVAL OF JANUARY 10, 2022 MINUTES: Krieger moved to approve the minutes from January 10, 2022. Guerra seconded the motion; a vote was taken and the motion passes 8-0. PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Administrative Reminders: • Reviewed Commission Bylaws Action Items from last meeting: • Continued discussion of the marketing plan and solar study. Action Work Plan Update: • Kilburg reviewed the updates on the Action Work Plan: o The energy efficient city rehab projects and the residential electrification and energy efficiency rehab grant program are grant funds for rehabbing rental and homeowner properties. Funding priorities are window replacements, insulation and electrical panel upgrades. o The commercial and industrial energy efficiency incentive program for downtown and northside businesses haven’t had much interest so the deadline has been Climate Action Commission February 7, 2022 Page 2 of 5 2 extended. o The City is continuing to upgrade HDD to LED lights in all parking deck ramps. o Public Works is proceeding with solar installation for the new Public Works facility on the south end. o Staff is continuing to work on holding a lunch and learn targeted for HVAC contractors to provide information on cold climate heat pump technology. o Staff is also working on reviewing the final solar study and recommend next steps. o The new electric busses are out on the streets. o Staff was approached by Table to Table about partnering or maybe piloting a small-scale commercial food waste processing system. The City’s waste resource management staff helped Table to Table and Community conducted food waste audits and based on the results they found that there was a potential to save about 15 tons of food waste each year. o Discussions continue on resilience hubs and how this Commission can partner with them. o Over 100 acres of prairie have been planted over the past couple of years and is now in the maintenance stage. Recently, the Parks Commission also approved an additional 50 acres to be established in 2022, which will occur at Kicker Soccer Park, Terry Trueblood along that south edge and Willow Creek Park. o Also there is an update on the extreme weather preparedness event that was held by the Multicultural Development Center, which was a climate action grant. o Staff has been holding a “Speaking of” education engagement series on various topics and sustainability and resource management which have been well attended. • Krieger asked about the construction waste management program and staff noted that is just getting started with some initial discussions along with doing research on other communities, hopefully next month they will have an update. Staff did note the City’s resource management staff was approached by another agency about the possibility of collaborating on a construction waste diversion program. UNFINISHED BUSINESS: Iowa City Climate Action Mascot Discussion: • At the onset of the process to develop a Climate Action marketing plan, staff reviewed guidance on best practices for such plans from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network and identified developing a mascot as a way to have an easily identifiable visual for a marketing campaign • As guidance, staff discussed Albert the Squirrel, the sustainability mascot in Flagstaff, Arizona, as an example of a successfully deployed mascot being used in similar ways as to what was envisioned for Iowa City. Both Cause Impacts and City staff identified yellow and gold as potentially good colors for the mascot to highlight the ways the university and the city work in parallel on sustainability efforts, and to address requests from residents for more “town and gown” initiatives. Cause Impacts suggested exploring a bee for the mascot. City staff suggested exploring a goldfinch. • The Goldfinch was ultimately selected because its the state bird, and the City’s Climate Action & Outreach Plan calls for the city to be a leader in the state. It was also an animal with many existing positive associations, as many environmentally engaged residents in Climate Action Commission February 7, 2022 Page 3 of 5 3 Iowa City are also birders, and it follows best practices of being a non-threatening and non-threatened animal. • Cause Impacts offered to take the research staff had done and generate what ended up being Goldie, which is more three dimensional and has more human like features, to meet another objective of the plan to better “humanize” climate messaging. They also performed a comprehensive image audit of Herky to ensure that the Goldie design was distinctive and not easily confused with the university’s mascot. • Staff noted they are working through a process to figure out how best to use the mascot and keep it central to the brand identity. • Based on some feedback from Giannakouros, they City did reach out to the University Athletic Department to make sure that they had a chance to review the image as well but haven't gotten a formal response. Informally, they've been told by the athletic department that they don't see any cause for alarm in the mascot design. • Next steps will be a soft launch of the mascot, perhaps is in the April newsletter. NEW BUSINESS: Working Groups Update: • Staff revisited the idea of working groups and how to structure them to make best use of the Commission’s time and talents. Staff has come to the idea of rather than having standing working groups, making them more project focused, which is how many other boards and commissions at the city work. • For example, with resilience hubs they could form a working group focused on that particular target. It would have very clear objectives and a timeline to have some discussions in a working group format to answer these three specific questions. When those questions are answered, then the working group would stand down and move on to other projects. • Krieger noted one of the goals in creating the working groups was the Commission is just 11 people and while they’re supposed to represent the public, they don’t want to lose the opportunity for the public to be engaged and involved. • Krieger also noted if a member of the public brings up a topic, the Commission can't discuss it at that same meeting they have to put on the agenda for a future meeting. They need an open process of multiple voices involved so there's collaboration to help avoid the conflict that happens later. • Soglin noted that Commission meetings are posted publicly and any member of the public may attend a Commission meeting, whereas working group meetings do not have publicly posted meeting times or agendas, so moving some of the working groups discussions back to the Commission may actually help make those discussions more accessible to the public. • Eynon-Lynch noted there's no point in having these standing working group meetings if there isn't something for the groups to discuss. However, the working groups are a valuable way to engage and contribute and get that chance to equitably engage different members of the community. She suggested maybe a little bit of a hybrid approach where the working group meets four times a year, but also move forward with the project-based groups. • Gardner suggested staff bring forward the initiatives that they anticipate this year that they could use the help of a project based working group on and go over it together as a commission to determine which ones make sense to take on and then map out the rest of the calendar year. Climate Action Commission February 7, 2022 Page 4 of 5 4 {Grimm left the meeting} Multi-Family EVSE Rebate Program: • Bissell noted in the Eastern Iowa EV Readiness Plan and the City's Accelerated Action Work Plan it calls for expanding opportunities for EV charging and incentivizing electric vehicles. • MidAmerican Energy does have a current rebate on the equipment. They offer $1,500 for a commercial entity to purchase the equipment. The City of Iowa City is proposing to supplement that by offering a 50/50 match on the installation costs of such equipment -- up to $1,000 of installation costs if no electrical service panel upgrade is required, or up to $2,500 if service panel upgrade is required. • The installation must be completed by a licensed electrician. • Usage data will be required for two years following the project completion. • The City is offering educational materials not only for the landlords, but tenants as well on the use of such equipment. • The City has interest already from a couple of landlords and a couple of homeowners associations that govern few condos in town. • The Commission discussed if renters had been contacted and if the landlords really know if their renters want EV capabilities installed. • Also discussed was the success metrics, impacts on specific neighborhoods and certain populations. • Krieger asked if the incentive for the charging equipment is per installation or is it per project. If someone's putting in 10 of them, are they getting the same incentive as if someone's putting in one of them. Staff noted they are just trying to get as many installed as possible. • Soglin raised concern if landlords install these EV ports they pass the cost down to their renters. Staff replied they will be providing education to landlords and HOAs on cost sharing and how they can recover the cost of electricity from the residents who use it or not. Updates on working groups (see reports in agenda packet): i. Buildings (Krieger, Soglin, Grimm) ii. Outreach (Krieger, Fraser, Bradley) iii. Equity (Hutchinson, Hill) iv. Adaptation (Leckband, Giannakouros) RECAP OF ACTIONABLE ITEMS FOR COMMISSION, WORKING GROUPS, AND STAFF: • Staff will provide the Commission will the update on progress and bring forward the initiatives that they anticipate this year that they could use the help of a project based working group. • Staff will work with the working groups to discuss transition to more ad hoc project- based groups. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned. Climate Action Commission February 7, 2022 Page 5 of 5 5 CLIMATE ACTION COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2022 NAME TERM EXP. 1/10/2022 2/7/2022 3/7/2022 4/4/2022 5/2/2022 6/6/2022 7/11/2022 Michal Eynon-Lynch 12/31/2024 x X John Fraser 12/31/2021 x X Stratis Giannakouros UI Rep x O Clarity Guerra 12/31/2022 X X Ben Grimm 10/31/2022 O/E x Megan Hill 12/31/2022 x x Kasey Hutchinson 12/31/2022 x x Matt Krieger 12/31/2023 x x Jesse Leckband MidAmerican Rep x O Becky Soglin 12/31/2022 x x Gabe Sturdevant 12/31/2024 x x KEY: X = Present 0 = Absent 0/E = Absent/Excused NM= No Meeting Proposed Climate Action Commission 2022 Working Group/Outreach Plan Summary In addition to regular attendance at the standing Climate Action Commission (CAC) meetings on the first Monday of every month, each member of the Climate Action Commission is asked to: • Participate in one project-based working group AND • Connect with one Community Based Organization (CBO) OR Participate with staff on an administrative committee as a CAC representative Commission members may elect to do more than one activity in either category (for example, connect with more than one CBO, or serve on an administrative committee and connect with a CBO). Staff request that CAC members indicate their top two working group preferences and top three CBO/administrative committee preferences by March 15, 2022. Working Groups At least one staff liaison will be assigned to each working group and will be responsible for outlining the goals for the group, putting together meeting agendas, and taking minutes for the working group meetings. Working groups should aim to complete their projects within 3-4 months of convening. The first month would involve a project overview and identifying potential community stakeholders to recruit to the group, followed by 1-2 months of discussion, and a final month to compile recommendations in a short memo. Proposed timelines are outlined with each group description below. Solar Project Prioritization (April-June): Following the report prepared by the Johnson Clean Energy District, staff have identified six potential solar projects the City may choose to pursue. The projects need to be evaluated in the context of other ongoing Climate Action priorities, as some may require diverting staff time and/or resources from other projects. This working group will be charged with prioritizing the potential projects and making recommendations as to which should be amended into the Accelerating Climate Actions Plan. Some of the potential projects may result in the formation of additional working groups in late 2022/early 2023. Evaluation of Rent Lab App (June-August): Several working group discussions in 2021 focused on climate action requirements for existing and future rental permits (BR-5), with landlord opposition identified as a significant hurdle. One possible way forward that has been discussed by staff is investing in Rent Lab, a software app that allows renters to publicly self-disclose energy costs for their rental units. This working group will be charged with meeting with the app developer to better understand the technology, reaching out to other communities that have invested in the app, evaluating potential benefits and costs, and making a recommendation as to whether the app may be worth the investment (and best practices for deployment if so). This group will also follow the progress of bill SF2224 through the Iowa legislature, which would require landlords to disclose energy costs to potential renters and may impact the decision to invest in Rent Lab. Insulation Grant Program (July-September): Staff have been exploring the potential for a targeted attic insulation program that could serve as a “Phase 2” of the Neighborhood Energy Blitz. Several potential models have been identified: a voucher program similar to the “Root for Trees” program, a bulk buy program that would issue an RFP for a contractor to provide blown-in insulation for participating households, and/or a training or certification program for neighborhood volunteers to learn how to install insulation combined with a “buy a bale” program. The program would ideally build on interest generated in energy efficiency during the “Phase 1” Neighborhood Energy Blitz and follow in the months after the initial door-to-door kit delivery. Included in this group would be representatives from the two neighborhoods that have hosted a Neighborhood Energy Blitz and other key CBOs serving those neighborhoods. The group would evaluate the feasibility of the different models to recommend which best to pursue as a pilot project. Resilience Hubs Prioritization (October-December): Many potential resilience hub sites exist within Iowa City, and resilience hubs are themselves an evolving concept. This group will meet late in the year to review preliminary efforts related to resilience hub efforts from preceding months, including reports on the two Climate Action Grant funded projects, the Teen Resilience Corps pilot, and a potential solar/resilience hub grant program (following initial discussions in the Solar Project Prioritization Working Group). This group will be charged with identifying next steps in resilience hub efforts, which may include identifying potential sites/host organizations, how to support and grow the resilience work CBOs may already be doing, and how to build on initial efforts. Potential 2023 working groups may include a group to determine how best to grow the EV charging rebate pilot, projects flowing from the solar prioritization working group efforts, and a Root for Trees expansion project, among others identified as work progresses through 2022. CBO Outreach/Administrative Committees Community Based Organizations: Staff have identified the following CBOs as top priorities to connect with in 2022, based on previous outreach efforts: • Home Builders Association (HBA) • Landlords Association • Habitat for Humanity • Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition • Iowa City Tenants Union • Center for Worker Justice • Corridor Community Action Network • League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) • NAACP Iowa City Branch #4016 • Refugee and Immigrant Association • Iowa City Chinese Association • Any Neighborhood Association (Eastside, Luca Farm, South District, etc.) Commission members are asked to connect with at least one group (though welcome to connect with more than one), ideally by attending a meeting or alternately by reaching out to group leadership to set up a conversation. The goal for these meetings would be to speak briefly about the programs, grants, and services available through the City’s climate action efforts, provide contact information for further questions, and solicit any questions the group may have. If a Commission member is nearing the end of his or her term, it would also be helpful to speak about the opportunity to participate on the Commission with a goal of diversifying the Commission membership. Staff will assume responsibility for connecting with any group not assigned to a Commission member. Administrative Committees: Alternately, Commission members may elect to serve on an administrative committee to assist staff with upcoming Climate Action tasks. These committees generally meet 1-2 times, with some material review needed prior to meeting. Three opportunities currently exist. Other requests may be made in coming months as needs arise. • Climate Action Grant Committee: Two commission members are needed to assist staff in scoring Climate Action Grant applications and selecting projects for funding. • Climate Fest Film Committee: Two to three commission members are needed to assist staff in identifying potential environmental films to be shown during Climate Fest. • Climate Action at Work Awards Committee: Two commission members are needed to help solicit award applications and select businesses for recognition. Lead the charge! NEW EV Charging Incentive Maximum rebate $2,500 Electric vehicle (EV) purchases are accelerating in Iowa City. The City has rebates to help you meet the demand for charging. Wire a parking stall for shared EV charging among tenants and 50% of the costs for materials and labor can qualify for funding, including: • Up to $1,000 for conduit, wiring, and related materials • Up to $1,500 for panel upgrades • Can be paired at no penalty with MidAmerican rebate for Level 2 EV charger Attract EV owners. Modernize parking. Lower emissions. For program details and online application, visit icgov.org/ClimateBiz For more information, contact: Daniel Bissell | daniel-bissell@iowa-city.org | 319-887-6161 Sarah Gardner | sarah-gardner@iowa-city.org | 319-887-6162 Date: March 4, 2022 To: Climate Action Commission From: Sarah Gardner, Climate Action Coordinator Re: Teen Resilience Corps Background Transportation is a vital part of city life and necessary for full participation in society and the economy. Transportation also is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, driving human-caused climate change. Iowa City’s 2020 Community-Wide Greenhouse Gas Inventory indicates that in 2020, transportation contributed to 22% of community-wide greenhouse gas emissions. The latest American Community Survey indicates that in 2019, 70% of Iowa City residents commuted by car. Iowa City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan sets the goals of replacing 55% of vehicle trips with sustainable transportation options, including “clean vehicles.” The plan also expresses the goal of increasing community-wide adoption of electric and alternative fuel vehicles. To further these goals, the City of Iowa City partnered with the cities of Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque, and Waterloo to develop an Eastern Iowa Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan. Stakeholder engagement revealed a focus on equity in the distribution of the emerging technologies of electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure. The Eastern Iowa EV Readiness Plan expresses the need to expand access to charging, and identifies the unique challenges of bringing EV charging to multifamily housing. In the Accelerated Action Work Plan, section TI-2 calls for the incentives for EVs and EV charging. The habits of current EV owners reveals that over 80% of charging occurs at home. With more than half of Iowa City residents living in rental housing, and the fact that lower-income residents tend to rent rather than own their home, it is an imperative to expand EV charging options to rental properties. Multiple local landlords and property managers have expressed interest in providing EV charging to their tenants. The following proposed rebate offers to mitigate installation costs, as well as answering common questions regarding the usage of EV charging stations. Discussion Currently, MidAmerican Energy provides a rebate for the purchase of Level 2, two-port charging equipment. It is anticipated this rebate opportunity will remain available. However, installation costs continue to pose a cost barrier. Additionally, many residential properties in Iowa City are older and would require upgrades to the properties’ electrical panel(s) in order to support EVSE equipment. To address this gap, increase the impact of the MidAmerican Energy equipment rate, and foster the equitable adoption of transportation electrification and EV charging infrastructure, City staff recommend establishing an Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Installation Rebate Program for landlords and property owners to assist with the costs of installing EVSE equipment, including electrical panel upgrades if necessary. March 4, 2022 Page 2 Rebate Provider Rebate Purpose Rebate Amount Existing MidAmerican Energy Level 2, two-port charging equipment. $1,500 Proposed City of Iowa City 50% of EVSE installation costs, including electrical panel upgrades if needed. Up to $1,000 (no panel upgrade) Up to $2,500 (with panel upgrade) Staff propose the following criteria are incorporated into the final program: • Installation and labor must be completed by a licensed electrician • Can be used to make a property “EV-Ready” i.e. adding conduit and wiring for future EVSE • Usage data will be requested from rebate recipients for two years following project completion • Educational materials/resources on station usage will be available to tenants • Additional funds may be requested and considered on a case-by-case basis for boring and trenching in more complex installations. • This rebate program will be marketed to landlords via a presentation to the Iowa City Apartment Association, and other direct marketing to landlords and HOAs. The city also offers educational materials and guidance on rollout and usage. Topics include cost sharing, signage, access control, and maintenance. Staff completed an equity toolkit in developing the framework for the proposed rebate program, which is attached to this memo. 1 Iowa City: Climate Action Plan Equity Implementation Toolkit (June 2021) Step 1: Desired Outcomes and Goals 1a. Project Name: 1b. Project Description: 1c. Project Area: 1d. Project Type: 1e. What is the desired outcome for this proposal? *Should read "Education"; form error 2 Step 2: Data 2a. Who is the targeted audience for this action? (Select all that apply) City-wide OR Residential Single-Dwelling Residential Owner-Occupied Rental Multi-Dwelling Residential Owner-Occupied Rental Commercial Small Business Large Business Industrial Other: Public/Non-Profit Institutions Non-Profit Organizations University of Iowa Kirkwood Community College Other: 2b. Are there impacts on specific neighborhoods or geographic areas? Yes No If yes, which neighborhoods or regions will be impacted by this action? (Select all that apply) Regions North West East South Central Neighborhoods Bluffwood College Green Country Club Estates Creekside Eastside Galway Hills Goosetown Longfellow Lucas Farms South District Ty’n Cae Walnut Ridge Waterfront Washington Hills Windsor Ridge Other: Manville Heights Melrose Ave Miller Orchard Morningside/Glendale Parkview Ter./Normandy Northside Oak Grove Peninsula Area Penny Bryn 3 Please review the Climate Action Equity Map to consider other geographic factors that may be impacted by the proposed action(s). What are the observations? 2c. What are the primary demographics of those that would be impacted by the proposal? Consider who is being affected or involved in the action and whether all are able to participate and/or benefit to the same degree. (Select all that apply) Communities/people of color Young people People with disabilities Older people LGBTQ+ community Communities of immigrants and/or limited English proficiency People without employment People who depend on public transit or other non-single-driver transportation Other individuals or communities that have been disenfranchised Will remove, or potentially remove, barrier(s) that caused inequity in the first place (justice) Other: 2d. What is the budget of the work of the action and will that impact the ability to successfully address equity? Why use mapping as a tool to analyze the distribution of city services? It can demonstrate how differently a city action can affect different populations or geographical areas. It can illustrate the community’s assets and weaknesses. 4 2e. Is the individual or household’s personal wealth a determining factor in the ability to benefit from this action? 2f. Is there any essential data missing or need further exploration? How do you plan to find out the information? 5 Step 3: Stakeholder Involvement / Community Engagement 3a. Who are the stakeholders involved in this action? 3b. Which groups have been part of the decision-making? 3c. Are there groups that have been missing in the conversation? Which ones? If yes, what are opportunities for outreach to engage these groups? Who are the “stakeholders”? Stakeholders are those impacted or interested in the action. Examples include residents, city staff, community organizations, businesses, etc. 6 IOWA CITY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & STAKEHOLDER MAP The Community Engagement & Stakeholder Map from the Addressing Climate Change, Health, and Equity in Iowa City Report is aimed to help the City understand how different stakeholders may be impacted by environmental policies differently due to client vulnerabilities and connectedness to the city. The purpose is to promote engagement between the City and community organizations. Depending on where the stakeholder is located on the map will impact how they will be engaged and reached by the City. Impacted by environmental policies and/or climate changes. Influence in environmental decision-making (time, resources, information, perceived ability to influence outcomes) A B C D 7 3d. Using the Iowa City Community Engagement & Stakeholder Map above, where do the involved stakeholders fall in the quadrant(s)? How have the stakeholders or community member/groups been involved in the development of this proposal? (Fill in as applicable) Stakeholder #1: Quadrant: Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making Stakeholder #2: Quadrant: Stakeholder #3: Quadrant: Stakeholder #4: Quadrant: Stakeholder #5: Quadrant: Stakeholder #6: Quadrant: Stakeholder #7: Quadrant: Stakeholder #8: Quadrant: Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making Info rmed Con sulted Collaborated Sha red Decision-Making 8 3e. How does the quadrant impact how the stakeholders are engaged? 3f. If applicable, where do the groups most impacted by the action fall in the quadrant(s) (identified in Step 2c)? 3g. What are the strategies to gather input and feedback from stakeholders? One-on-one interviews Focus groups Online survey Small group facilitated workshops Collaboration on activities or projects Other: 3h. Do the materials used to market this program need to be translated into other languages other than English? Yes No Maybe Not Applicable 9 Step 4 – Benefit / Burden Determination 4a. Are there other non-economic or non-direct-GHG-reduction benefits or advantages? (Select all that apply) Neighbors get to know each other Advances knowledge of some aspect of climate change or sustainability Provides for childhood learning or development in general Leads to access to other education or training for adults Improves air, land and/or water quality Improves healthier living in general Supports biodiversity Makes travel/transit easier/efficient, safer or reliable, especially people who are vulnerable Makes “greener” travel more possible for all by bus, walking, biking, etc. Otherwise supports part or all of action in one of the other action areas: Buildings, Transportation, Waste, Adaptation, Sustainable Living Easily replicable and scalable Engagement with community stakeholders or agencies Other: 4b. Are there other economic benefits? (Select all that apply) Increases home or building value Adds new or advances existing jobs/profession Supports local economy Other: 4c. Does it conflict with any other action in the 100-day plan? Buildings Transportation Waste Adaptation Sustainable Lifestyle If yes, how? 10 4d. Which group(s) will be more positively impacted by the outcome of this action? 4e. Are there any obstacles that are keeping particular groups from participating in the benefits of this action? (Select all that apply) Education Financial Time Physical accessibility Lack of cultural sensitivity Language barriers Other: 11 Step 5 – Strategies / Recommendations 5a. If applicable, what are the strategies for addressing the potential identified burdens/obstacles? 5b. How can partnerships with stakeholders be continued throughout the implementation process? 5c. What remains unresolved? What resources or internal/external partnerships do you still need to make changes? 12 Step 6 – Evaluation and Accountability 6a. In what ways would this action be considered “successful” for equity in the Iowa City community? 6b. How can the impacts and outcomes be documented and evaluated over time? 6c. Is there a clear way for stakeholders or community members to contact with questions or concerns over this action? Iowa City Climate Action Commission Buildings Working Group, February 2022 Meeting Report Attendees: Becky Soglin, Ben Grimm, Clarity Guerra, Daniel Bissell, Jeff Falk, Matt Krieger Summary of recent activities: 1. Working Group Format a. Discussed the results of the Commission’s meeting on the working group format going forward. Moving to a ‘project’ or ‘topic’-based approach. Working groups will be assigned when needed to review specific issues. b. The BWG felt there were enough frequent updates on the Buildings related topics to warrant at least a periodic meeting and update on the buildings actions. BWG will reduce to meeting three times a year: i. To generally check in and make sure building actions are on track and ii. To give Daniel (Energy Analyst) an opportunity to ask specific questions that aren’t going to merit forming a project-based group. Because the building- related actions are often complex – involving policy, ordinances and/or technical information, it’s useful to have some regular check-ins for in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing. 2. Accelerated Actions Updates: a. BE-2 - Assist with research on Green Building Performance Standards i. Daniel mentioned they are reviewing programs in other communities to evaluate the feasibility of implementing something in Iowa City. Still early in the process. Concepts will be shared with Commission at future date. If there are any suggestions or examples to include, please forward them to Daniel. b. BI-2 - South District Homeownership Program and Kirkwood CC opportunity i. Lots of interest in this project, has a waiting list. Women’s build rehab project and training construction trade skills. Would be good to know what costs were for the program and if there’s a barrier, etc. Should training programs be a project-based working group? ii. Working group could focus on different types of skills. Input on what skills are needed. iii. Public access and process is important to consider if it’s facilitated by a community partner. That’s one way the City administration could help with it beyond financing. c. BI-3 - Phase 2 Energy Blitz program proposal in South District Neighborhood i. Looking for storage space in each of the neighborhoods. Next one is the South District neighborhood. ii. Another concept is having an insulation focused energy blitz. There might be some input needed on how this one might happen. Take this to the broader commission to form a project-based working group around this concept. iii. Consider how programs interact with one another and make it easy for the public to just contact the city and the city to determine what path the person should take. d. BI-5 - Skills / job training program, recommendations requested for example programs and equity strategy? i. See notes on BI-2 above… e. BI-6 - Future item - Building Permit Rebate Program for Enhanced Energy Standards. i. NDS working on this item. (Neighborhood Development Services) Program will be presented to Commission at future date for feedback and further development. f. BI-7 - Future item - assist with development of Net-Zero House Design Competition? Discuss timing noted in packet. i. This item has steered a different direction recently with feedback from Martha Norbeck. Currently investigating if it should focus on a material system like SIPS (structural insulated panel system) with the local builders rather than designers. g. Deerfield Commons project - Daniel shared the outreach video highlighting the project. It was funded through a Climate Action matching grant program. Important on future programs to have data tracked before the project and post-project. That will help identify success or areas for improvement and where to prioritize use of funds. 3. Next meeting time/date: TBD. Meeting only 3 times per year now.