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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5-2-22 Climate Action Commission AgendaIowa City Climate Action Commission Agenda Monday, May 2, 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 April 4, 2022 minutes 4. Public Comment on 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. Finalized working group assignments (Staff) c. June meeting location, July meeting date - discussion d. Upcoming events (Staff) i. Electric Bus Celebration (new date: May 6, 2-4 p.m., Riverfront Crossings) ii. Public Works Open House (May 21, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 3810 Napoleon Lane) 6. Unfinished Business: a. Print material for Community Based Organization (CBO) outreach – discussion b. Revised income-qualified energy efficiency grant program – informational update 7. New Business: a. 24/7 Initiative (Kerri Johannsen and Steve Guyer, Iowa Environmental Council) – informational presentation; no decision required 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 Coordinator, 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 APRIL 4 – 3:30 PM – FORMAL MEETING EMMA J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Stratis Giannakouros, Clarity Guerra, Megan Hill, Matt Krieger, Becky Soglin, Kasey Hutchinson, Jesse Leckband, Michal Eynon- Lynch, Gabriel Sturdevant MEMBERS ABSENT: Ben Grimm, John Fraser STAFF PRESENT: Sarah Gardner, Daniel Bissell, Jane Wilch OTHERS PRESENT: CALL TO ORDER: Soglin called the meeting to order. APPROVAL OF MARCH 7, 2022 MINUTES: Guerra moved to approve the minutes from March 7, 2022. Eynon-Lynch seconded the motion, a vote was taken and the motion passed 9-0 (Giannakouros not present for vote). PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Action Items from last meeting: • Commissioners were to let staff know their working group preferences; those assignments will be discussed under unfinished business later in the meeting. Climate Action Plan Updates: • Item 5b in the agenda packet is a summary of new updates to the climate action work plan. • New items are: o Staff have been discussing a possible collaboration with a student design competition as a possible way forward for the net zero house design competition. o All the building code inspectors have begun the initial training for the certification process in energy code inspections. o There have been great recent discussions on EVs and a noticeable shift in questions/comments from residents suggesting decreased skepticism and Climate Action Commission April 4, 2022 Page 2 of 5 2 increased interest in vehicle adoption. o City Council recently passed an ordinance to address the increased complaints of cars parked in bike lanes downtown that will allow parking attendants to issue warnings in addition to the police force doing so. o Bissell has been working with MPO and transit staff to produce a zero emissions fleet transition plan, which is now a requirement in order to apply for future low emissions grants for additional electric buses. o Resource management staff are getting ready to launch a food waste reduction campaign in collaboration with Table to Table. o The fourth cohort of climate ambassadors completed their training two weeks ago and some have already signed up to participate in the Energy Blitz. o The City has entered into a contract to have 750 trees planted during spring and summer of this year and most of those trees are going to be in the South District Neighborhood. o The AmeriCorps team just hosted an Earth Expo that featured a number of local sustainability-focused organizations with over 100 attendees. o Chadek Green Park improvements include paving the parking lot, putting in a restroom, and adding raised beds to increase accessible gardening opportunities. o The City had pursued a grant for an urban heat island mapping project in collaboration with Lincoln Nebraska, Columbia, Missouri, and Boulder, Colorado, which was not awarded, though staff hope some of the conversations resulting from that project will lead to future collaborations with Johnson County Public Health. {Giannakouros joined the meeting} Upcoming events (Staff): i. Speaking of... Electric Vehicles (April 11, noon – 1p.m.) ii. Electric Bus Celebration (April 22, 2-4 p.m., Riverfront Crossings) iii. Neighborhood Energy Blitz (April 23, 9 a.m. – noon & 3-5 p.m.) UNFINISHED BUSINESS: • Project-Based Working Group Formation: Gardner distributed the draft working group assignments and noted the finalized version will be in the May agenda packet. o Discussed the various groups and timelines. o Staff asked for ways they can support Commission members in reaching out to Community Based Organizations; Commission members requested contact information for the organization and a summary of conversations had to date. o Discussed possible print materials that could be provided to Commission members, including a flyer about recent and upcoming programs and resources o Gardner suggested the annual report from the December packet details a number of programs as well as the most recent greenhouse gas inventory and could be one such tool Commission members could use to talk about ongoing Climate Action work. She offered to include it in the May agenda packet and suggested the conversation could be continued in the May meeting as to whether additional print material would be needed. Climate Action Commission April 4, 2022 Page 3 of 5 3 NEW BUSINESS: Beyond PlastIC initiative (Jane Wilch, recycling coordinator): Wilch gave a presentation about the group’s work, noting, “Plastics are major climate environmental waste issue and with the pandemic there has been a big shift to delivery and takeout and disposable products.” Some highlights are: • A big increase in the amount of clamshell takeout containers • Resource manage staff are looking for alternative materials to use; there are better alternatives and solutions available. • The committee worked with local restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops and anywhere that was interacting with food in a delivery, take-out, or grab-and-go manner to gather the research. • Community member preferences was for the paper cardboard clamshell, with hard plastic clamshell and Styrofoam being less desirable. • Looked at availability of composting for takeout containers. • Looking at a deposit program for reusable containers. • Looking at pricing guides and figuring out the calculations of compostable plastic or compostable paper versus hard plastic versus the Styrofoam. • Looking at whether the City can partner financially or economically to make some of these options more doable for local restaurants. • Commission members suggested the possibility of the City helping with storing the biodegradable containers so they can be bought in bulk rather than each individual restaurant finding room to store so many. Gardner discussed an alternative possibility of working with an entity like Chomp to make a bulk purchase that is distributed among participating restaurants, eliminating the need for storage space. Wilch noted another program they are working on is food waste and working with Table to Table on a reduction education campaign. • In a pilot program, they’re trying out a piece of technology that helps to reduce food waste in volume by removing water content to make it more efficient/simpler to transport for composting. • The City’s compost facility is currently at capacity. • Looking at improving downtown recycling. Wilch discussed the education and outreach needed in terms of compostable containers. • It’s frustrating for businesses that buy compostable plastics that get thrown in the trash anyway. • Compostable plastics are a very engineered manufactured product and have chemical additives to make them into the plastic-like material which is very problematic at a compost facility. Many compost facilities that no longer take those containers anymore because they're causing so many issues, which may be something Iowa City explores in the future. RECAP OF ACTIONABLE ITEMS FOR COMMISSION, WORKING GROUPS, AND STAFF: • Gardner will send the press release about the Energy Blitz volunteer sign up to the Climate Action Commission April 4, 2022 Page 4 of 5 4 Commissioners. • She will add the annual report to the May agenda packet. • She will meet with the solar project prioritization working group to set a date for that group to meet. ADJOURNMENT: Krieger moved to adjourn. Giannakouros seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned. Climate Action Commission April 4, 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 X X John Fraser 12/31/2021 X X X O/E Stratis Giannakouros UI Rep X O/E X X Clarity Guerra 12/31/2022 X X X X Ben Grimm 10/31/2022 O/E X X O/E Megan Hill 12/31/2022 X X X X Kasey Hutchinson 12/31/2022 X X X X Matt Krieger 12/31/2023 X X X X Jesse Leckband MidAmerican Rep X O/E X X Becky Soglin 12/31/2022 X X X X Gabe Sturdevant 12/31/2024 X X X X KEY: X = Present 0 = Absent 0/E = Absent/Excused NM= No Meeting 2022 Climate Action Commission 2022 Working Group/Outreach Assignments Summary 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 Draft Working Groups Solar Project Prioritization Members: Gabe Sturdevant, Becky Soglin, Matt Krieger, Stratis Giannakouros - Proposed meeting dates: April-June Insulation Grant Program: Clarity Guerra, John Fraser, Jesse Leckband - Proposed meeting dates: June-August Resilience Hubs Prioritization: Megan Hill, Kasey Hutchinson, Michal Eynon-Lynch, Ben Grimm - Proposed meeting dates: September – December 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. Draft CBO Outreach/Administrative Committee Assignments Administrative Committees: • Climate Action Grant Committee: Megan Hill, Clarity Guerra • Climate Fest Film Committee: Gabe Sturdevant, Kasey Hutchinson • Climate Action at Work Awards Committee: unassigned Community Based Organizations: • Home Builders Association (HBA): Matt Krieger • South District Neighborhood: Michal Eynon-Lynch • Habitat for Humanity: Becky Soglin • Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition: John Fraser • Lucas Farms Neighborhood: Stratis Giannakouros • Unassigned: Landlords Association, Iowa City Tenants Union, Center for Worker Justice, Corridor Community Action Network, LULAC, NAACP Iowa City Branch #4016, Refugee and Immigrant Association, Iowa City Chinese Association, Neighborhood Association (Eastside, Manville Heights, 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. Date: April 28, 2022 To: Climate Action Commission, From: Daniel Bissell, Climate Action Analyst Re: Updated Residential Energy Efficiency Grant program In the July, 2021 Climate Action Commission packet, City staff provided responses to the Building Working Group’s review of a proposed residential energy efficiency grant program. The program included incentives for several energy efficiency interventions designed to complement existing energy efficiency programs from MidAmerican Energy and loan programs through the Community Development Office within the City of Iowa City. The purpose of this memo is to provide an update on the current program, which has been revised in scope. In order to ensure equity and for the ease of rollout of the program, the proposed program was and remains a targeted grant aimed at homeowners who have already pre-qualified with income verification through Neighborhood and Development Services (NDS). The energy efficiency upgrades qualifying for grant funding originally included heat pump HVAC systems, water heaters, duct sealing, and attic insulation, among other interventions. Through subsequent conversations with NDS staff, it was determined that a simpler, phased approach would likely increase participation among homeowners while also creating a roadmap for future expansion of the program. As a result, the scope of the program has been narrowed to focus on attic insulation, which will provide immediate benefits to homeowners in reduced heating and cooling costs, and an electrical service panel upgrade, which will position the homeowners to take advantage of future grant offerings related to energy efficiency appliances while also offering some increased household resilience in the form of moving existing overhead power connections underground. Under the revised program, attic insulation installed to a minimum of R-49 and, if technically feasible, up to R-60 will qualify for grant funding. Chapter 4 of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) requires R-60 value ceiling insulation in residential buildings in Iowa City’s climate zone. Staff recommends blown-in insulation be installed in all qualified buildings, while recognizing that in some older homes there may be inadequate attic space to install insulation to such a degree. In these cases, staff recommends following current Iowa building code, which specifies R-49 insulation in ceilings. The Department of Energy estimates that a properly insulated attic can save between 10 – 50% on heating and cooling costs. Participating homeowners may also elect to pursue an electrical service panel upgrade from 60 or 100 amps to 200 amps, which will enable further energy efficiency and electrification projects to be completed later. When upgrading their electrical service panel, homeowners may elect to switch from an overhead service drop into an electrical mast above the roofline of the house to an underground electrical service entrance. Doing so decreases vulnerability to wind, ice, and falling trees, making power outages less likely. Staff recommend piloting the program with a $50,000 budget, which we estimate could benefit about 7-25 homes this year. As a result of initial outreach by NDS staff, two homeowners have already begun working with staff to utilize this grant for insulation. A letter is being sent to prior participants in NDS rehab projects encouraging them to take advantage of this grant funding along with a list of qualified contractors. April 28, 2022 Page 2 Ongoing discussion with NDS staff also helped define the process staff will follow for the grant application and disbursement going forward. Following initial contact from NDS staff, the City will then enter into an agreement with the homeowner to grant the funds for attic insulation and/or service panel upgrade (a photo of the home’s electrical panel will be evaluated to determine if the home is eligible for a service panel upgrade). The homeowner will choose the contractor, who will then submit an estimate to both homeowner and city staff. The City will agree to cover the estimate and any incidentals related only to insulation or service panel upgrade. When work is complete, the contractor will submit an invoice to the City. The City will pay the contractor when staff confirm that a permit was issued for the work, and the homeowner confirms the work has been completed. As with the prior proposal, pre-qualified homeowners who have not had an energy audit completed by Green Iowa AmeriCorps will be required to obtain an energy audit as part of the grant program. If the energy audit was completed more than two years prior to entering an agreement with a homeowner, a new energy audit will be performed. Staff will evaluate the program effectiveness on an ongoing basis. Homeowners will be asked to sign a third-party release form with MidAmerican Energy so that staff will have access to utility bills. Staff will access and evaluate utility bills for a 24-month period, 12 months before project completion, and 12 months after project completion. Approved grants will be mapped on GIS overlaid with income and/or race and ethnic data to ensure equity in implementation. The program seeks to offer a roadmap to homeowners to increase efficiency, electrify, and decarbonize their homes using a series of grants to complete upgrades. In future years, the city will offer these same homeowners grants to cover the cost of a heat pump (hybrid) water heater, duct sealing, and an air-source heat pump HVAC. A related electric vehicle charging rebate could also be offered, enabled by the electrical panel upgrade.