HomeMy WebLinkAbout5-6-24 Climate Action Agenda Packet
Iowa City Climate Action Commission Agenda
Monday, May 6, 2024, 3:30 p.m.
Emma J. Harvat Hall, City Hall
410 E. Washington St., Iowa City
Meeting Agenda:
1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of April 1, 2024 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
i. Staff to share Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of green jobs for continuation
of discussion
ii. Staff to coordinate with Tyler Baird to present of urban forestry efforts at next
meeting
b. Upcoming events
i. Iowa Public Procurement Association Conference (May 8)
ii. Bike to Work Week breakfast (May 16)
iii. Other events in the community (Commissioners)
6. Unfinished/Ongoing Business
a. Climate Pollution Reduction Grant – discussion
i. Suggestions on “green jobs” definition and workforce development goals
7. New Business
a. Discussion of Urban Forestry and the Iowa City Natural Areas Master Plan – Tyler Baird
b. Climate action impact game - activity
8. Recap
a. Confirmation of next meeting time and location
i. Monday, June 3, 3:30-5 p.m., Emma J. Harvat Hall
b. 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 1 , 2024 – 3:30 PM – FORMAL MEETING
EMMA J. HARVAT HALL
MEMBERS PRESENT: Michal Eynon-Lynch, John Fraser, Jamie Gade, Ben Grimm, Zach
Haralson, Wim Murray, Brinda Shetty, Michelle Sillman, Angie
Smith, Gabriel Sturdevant
MEMBERS ABSENT: Michael Anderson
STAFF PRESENT: Sarah Walz, Daniel Bissell, Sarah Gardner, Diane Platte
OTHERS PRESENT: Quin Kitterman, Alex Viner, Abdullah Elbuytari
CALL TO ORDER:
Sturdevant called the meeting to order.
APPROVAL OF MARCH 4, 2024 MINUTES:
Fraser moved to approve the minutes from March 4, 2024. Shetty seconded the motion, a vote
was taken, and the motion passed 9-0.
PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA:
None.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Action Items from last meeting (Staff):
• Staff contacted Sarah Walz, transportation planner, who agreed to attend the April
meeting as a follow up to her presentation in March
Air Quality Council Work Session:
• Staff have requested clarification as to how City Council would like the Commission to
engage with the Proctor & Gamble rezoning request, whether by participation in a future
work session or other means, and will update the Commission as more is learned
Upcoming Events:
• Earth Expo (AmeriCorps, April 6) - will showcase a secondhand fashion show
• Neighborhood Energy Blitz (April 20) - volunteers are needed
Angie Smith joined the meeting at 3:36.
• Commissioners’ Other Events in the Community:
o Climate Solutions Surround Us with UI Office of Sustainability (April 22) - Dr.
Heidi Roop is presenting at 3pm and 7pm
o Repair Cafe at Environmental Education Center (April 21) - bring items in need of
repair
Climate Action Commission
April 1 2024
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UNFINISHED/ONGOING BUSINESS:
Discussion of Bicycle Master Plan
• Sarah Walz from Johnson County MPO continued the discussion on the Bicycle Master
Plan and addressed commissioners’ questions. Walz described projects to be completed
this year and noted completion of the Highway 6 Trail is expected in a couple years.
• Reconstruction of Burlington St. bridge will include major improvements to bicycle, bus,
pedestrian, and vehicular traffic.
• Projects are planned 5 years out through the Capital Improvements Program. Upcoming
projects include improvement of Highway 6 bridge and improvement of the Riverside
Dr/Highway 6 intersection
• Nearly all the projects from the 2017 Bicycle Master Plan are complete. Complete
Streets federal funds will enable new projects and public input will be sought for those.
• Budgets: $150k each year is allocated for bicycle projects. It is used for bike lane striping
and signage as well as other construction or reconstruction projects.
• E-bike programs would not fall under the responsibility of MPO; those would come
through City Council. Gardner added that e-bikes rebates were previously considered by
the Climate Action and Outreach Division as a potential use of ARPA funding but
deemed them a lower priority due to unresolved equity questions. She also noted e-
bikes are to be included in the regional climate action plan.
• Eynon-Lynch asked for clarification between a bikeway and a side path. Walz explained
that bikeways are low-volume streets with no designated bike lanes; these are marked
with signage and monitored for needed improvements. Side paths are wide sidewalks
where driveways and curb cuts are limited.
• Eynon-Lynch asked how e-bikes fit on trails with pedestrians and kids. Walz noted that it
is an ongoing process to work out how everyone shares those spaces.
• Fraser asked what’s the best message commissioners can convey. Walz reported that
people think it is not safe to walk in Iowa City, whereas really our city is rich with
sidewalks. Highway 1 and Highway 6 are examples of areas where pedestrian facilities
could be improved. Walz noted that getting cyclists comfortable at intersections
especially is key.
• Smith asked about plans for protected bike lanes. Walz noted that such lanes work best
in locations with long blocks and few curb cuts, such as protected bike lanes in Madison
Wisconsin. Driveways pose a challenge. Keeping the bike lanes clean is another
challenge.
• Smith asked about the adoption of a Complete Streets policy. Walz noted that the
reconstruction of American Legion Road reflected the City’s adoption of Complete
Streets policy.
• Sturdevant asked for clarification on buffered bike lanes. Bike lanes have a single line.
Buffered bike lanes have double lines. Protected bike lanes have a barrier within the
buffer.
• Murry asked if residents are responsible for clearing side paths. Walz said the City
removes snow in some but not all areas.
• Fraser noted that “Bike Lane Ends” signs pose a challenge to less-confident cyclists.
• Gardner shared that a bus bike rack will be affixed to Chauncy ramp as part of the City’s
Bike to Work Week activities.
• Walz noted that the Bike Library and Bike Iowa City are great ways to get people out and
comfortable on bikes.
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April 1 2024
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• Sturdevant asked about snow removal from bike trails and side paths. Walz explained
that the commuter parts of bike trails are plowed by Iowa City. Different communities in
Johnson County may have different policies. Sturdevant asked if there is a way to find
out which trails are cleared. Walz said MPO publishes a map of trails that are cleared.
• Gade added that she used the ICGovExpress app to report glass in the bike lane and it
was fixed promptly.
• Fraser asked if there are helmet requirements for cyclists. Walz noted there are not.
Fraser suggested that giving out free helmets may be a good way to encourage cycling
and less expensive than giving out free bikes.
Climate Pollution Reduction Grant
• Gardner summarized the ongoing work:
o The Priority Climate Action Plan was submitted to the EPA March 1. Iowa City
and Cedar Rapids submitted a coalition grant for methane capture systems.
ECICOG was charged with submitting a grant application to further energy
efficiency projects, including EV charging at multi-family housing. Stage 1 of a 4-
year process is done.
o Stage 2 involves developing a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan. An Equitable
Engagement Toolkit is in development in collaboration with University of Iowa
researchers to make sure rural and small communities and Environmental
Justice communities have their priorities included.
• Gardner asked commissioners for suggestions on defining good green jobs and
workforce development related to the green economy.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics defines green jobs as those that help contribute to the green
economy (producing wind turbines, solar panels, bicycles, etc.) or those that make
processes for existing businesses more environmentally friendly (waste reduction,
conservation, etc.). Gardner asked commissioners to consider whether that definition is
adequate and whether those two halves should be weighted equally.
• Gade asked if this would include an assessment of the current workforce makeup.
• Fraser noted that there is a danger of defining green jobs too narrowly: ideally there are
many jobs that would include a green component.
• Sillman proposed she would like to have time to look at definitions and then discuss it.
• Gardner offered to email out the Bureau of Labor Statistics definition and plan a
discussion for the next meeting.
Visioning indicators of success in climate action
• Gardner asked if any additional metrics should be added to the list.
• Haralson offered that distributed generation and storage can be measured by total
capacity and cumulative ongoing total.
• Gardner noted that the City has recently selected the Fare Free pilot as an example for
reporting meaningful metrics, thinking about what the metrics can and can’t tell us and
what alternatives might be worth considering.
• Commissioners were asked to think about how frequently numbers should be reported,
and how would numbers be used.
NEW BUSINESS:
Iowa City/UI Pledge Project Recommendations
• University of Iowa students Quin Kitterman, Alex Viner, and Abdulla Elbuytari have been
Climate Action Commission
April 1 2024
Page 4 of 5
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creating a Climate Pledge activity for Welcome Week as part of a class project for their
Sustainable Systems course.
• The project strives to include both new students and current students living off campus.
• The students envisioned an implementation idea of infographics including QR code that
would appear on digital signs throughout campus and printed as paper copies. Figuring
out the measurable impact of someone taking the pledge is the next step for the class.
• Sturdevant asked if collaboration across university programs is already taking place.
Quin answered that the Office of Sustainability has been helpful for reaching out to
various departments.
• Sillman noted that the number fact related to water savings was impactful; similar facts
for other actions would be recommended.
• Fraser asked if they had considered where the greatest resistance might be.
• Smith asked if information would be collected from those who sign up to take the pledge,
and whether follow-up would occur.
• Gade asked if there were incentives for signing the pledge. Shetty noted “Buy Local”
could be part of it.
• Shetty also asked if a social media campaign was planned.
RECAP:
• Confirmation of next meeting time and location:
o Monday, May 6, 3:30-5 p.m., Emma J. Harvat Hall
• Actionable items for commission, working groups, and staff:
o Discuss green jobs in the next meeting
o Tyler Baird will present about City forestry efforts
ADJOURNMENT:
Grimm moved to adjourn, Sillman seconded the motion. A vote was taken, and the motion
passed 10-0. Meeting adjourned 4:52.
Climate Action Commission
April 1 2024
Page 5 of 5
5
CLIMATE ACTION
COMMISSION ATTENDANCE
RECORD
2023-2024
NAME
TERM EXP.
5/
1
/
2
3
6/
5
/
2
3
7/
1
0
/
2
3
8/
7
/
2
3
9/
1
1
/
2
3
10
/
2
/2
3
11
/
1
3
/
23
12
/
4
/
2
3
1/
8
/
2
4
2/
5
/
2
4
3/
4
/
2
4
4/1/24
Michael
Anderson
12/31/2025 NM O/
E
X O/
E
Michal Eynon-
Lynch
12/31/2024 X NM X X X X X X NM X X X
Elizabeth
Fitzsimmons
12/31/2025 X NM O/
E
X * * * * * * * *
John Fraser 12/31/2024 O/
E
NM X O/
E
X X X NM X X X
Jamie Gade 12/31/2025 O/
E
NM X X X O/
E
X X NM X X X
Ben Grimm 10/31/2023 X NM X O/
E
X X X X NM X O/
E
X
Zach Haralson 12/31/2025 NM X X X
Matt Krieger 12/31/2023 X NM X O/
E
X O/
E
X O/
E
* * * *
Jesse
Leckband
MidAmerican
Rep
X NM X * * * * * * * * *
Wim Murray MidAmerican
Rep
X X X X X NM X X X
Michelle
Sillman
12/31/2002
5
O/
E
NM X X X X X X NM O/
E
X X
Brinda Shetty UI Rep X NM X O/
E
X X X O/
E
NM X X X
Angie Smith 12/31/2025 X X NM X X X
Gabe
Sturdevant
12/31/2024 X NM X X X X O/
E
X NM X X X
Matt Walter 12/31/2023 X NM X X X X O/
E
X * * * *
KEY: X = Present
0 = Absent
0/E = Absent/Excused
NM= No Meeting
* No longer on Commission