Sustainability Commission

SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAC) Meeting Minutes: December 2, 2021 Attending: Jason West (Energy Manager, non-voting), Gabriella Cebada Mora (Vice Chair, Water), Laura Gulfo (Office of Council), Andre Lake (Environmental Equity), Pete Sheehan (Energy), Bill Trudeau (Police Dept Traffic Engineering), Lauren Alpert (Planning Department), Hyde Clark (Outreach), Scott Kellogg (Urban Agriculture), Harriet Lewis (Transportation), Joe Coffey (Water Department), Tina Lieberman (Chair, Zero Waste), Jackie Gonzales (Environmental Equity, Outreach), Randy Milano (City Engineer). Non-members: Stacey Pettigrew Absent: Daniel Kirk-Davidoff (Secretary, Outreach), Frank Zeoli (DGS) 1. Regular Business ● Tina Lieberman called the event to order at 6:01 pm. ● Motion to accept the November 4, 2021 minutes is approved. ● Public comment period (meeting was open to the public via the Mayor’s Office of Energy & Sustainability Facebook page and the Sustainable Albany Facebook page and via emails to sac@albanyny.gov or Sustainability@albanyny.gov): No comments. 2. New business ● Presentation: Asthma and Enviro Justice at Ezra Prentice Homes o Stacey Pettigrew – Dir. Radix Ecological Sustainability Center, PhD in Env Health Science, MS in epidemiology, teaches at Albany School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and conducted South End community health study in collaboration w AVillage and grad students/faculty from SUNY Albany School of Public Health and different community leaders o Presented at international conference o Background on Albany South End - Median income $27-28k, 32% under poverty line, majority minority, historically redlined neighborhood resulting in historic disinvestment, food desert (USDA) and EJ (DEC)classifications - Ezra Prentice is Albany Housing Authority housing complex – located along South Pearl St and borders Port of Albany and intersection of 2 major hwys (787 and 90), 179 units, all occupied o 2015/2016 – attention on Port due to “bomb trains” crude oil, same time as PFAS happening in Hoosick, Judith Enck came to meet with community leaders at Ezra, DEC announces yearlong air quality study (1 yr prep, year of data collection, year of analysis) released results in Fall, DEC saw very high peaks (off the charts) but hourly is below national standards (recommendation to reassess national standards) o NYS Health Dept looked at 12202 vs West Hill and Arbor Hill vs Albany County as a whole hospital discharge data 1  - 12202 was worst compared to Albany County, Arbor Hill and West Hill a. Asthma, COPD, Hypertension all significantly higher o County Health Dept monitored Benzene levels, high at the port and located right next to Giffen Elementary, highest benzene level in state -only place higher is a toxic waste dump out in Tonawanda o CDTC did a truck analysis as well - Air pollution burden from truck traffic, 1700 trucks a day counted from survey o Residents request health study o Dr Pettigrew and AVillage launch South End Community Health Study – comprehensive health survey (first one) focused on residence, used Creighton Storey Homes as a comparison, doing statistical analysis between the two locations. Demographics are the same at the two sites but odds of having asthma 2x greater at Ezra Prentiss (question on asthma was self- described by participants, did not look at medical records) o Assessing results and working on writing up and publishing - Prelim results shared with community, DEC conducting new round of air pollutant analysis, Mayor ordered city vehicles to find alternative routes, Port will put in new road to redirect truck traffic - Ultrafines are new (particulate matter less than PM2.5), currently no standards to compare these to. Stacey is looking to find student to do the comparison. o Advocating w/ community groups that Ezra Prentiss should be relocated - Community has been there for 30 yrs, established, any move would need to be supported and not broken up - Some families opted to move in past, but there was no nearby housing. Families placed in Amsterdam and have no car, results in breaking bonds - Community feels ownership of these areas but not a place for a community. Trains are staged in the middle of the night, banged together, very loud, children wake-up in the middle of the night - Pay to move people to a new location that is equally as good if not better - Affordable Housing crisis in Albany, multi-year wait dependent on type of apt needed o South End Community Collaborative, Radix, others working with Port to turn into Green Energy Hub to also provide jobs and training - Laura Travison from South End Improvement Corp. met with wind turbine producers - For successful job training need wrap around services (good pay, day care, health care etc) o Ezra Prentiss was recently renovated – houses on track side where ultrafines supposed to have filters put in o Stacey will share slides for posting once study is academically reviewed. 2  Report out on implementation of SUNY Albany Weatherize Albany Volunteer Program (Tina) o Tina went to a training and joined on a volunteer day o Roll-out went very well – 40 students volunteered  Approx 12 households had light weatherization done  Positive experience, participants would refer to neighbors and friends  Students enjoyed the experience and looking forward to doing more o Looking at what can be done next  Households did want follow-up of energy audits  Funding question/need (if supplies can come from National Grid etc) $2000 cost for implementation if Albany can provide, determine funding to identify number of rotations  Can use installation information to show energy saved (door sweeps, plastic around windows, pipe insulation, light bulb change to LEDs)  Andre – are there photos of students doing installation activity? Yes, Tine will share  Laura – opportunity to partner with Albany Community Development Agency (ACDA) or Affordable Housing Partnership?  Tina did reach out to AHP and they have indicated willingness to present to Sheridan Hollow community, will reach out to Director at ACDA  Clean Energy Community Campaigns update o Edit Albany County flyer to an Albany City version  Email address to use sustainability@albanyny.gov and QR code to assess what people want to do for energy (assess eligibility then send them to correct resource) community solar  DPS Affordable Solar for all – Partnership with National Grid and NYSERDA  Participants in EAP program will automatically be signed up for community solar and can choose to opt out  Educate on benefits, save money on bill  Promoting Community Solar on sustainability website o Energy SC working on Community Solar, Outreach SC working on energy efficiency, Howard working on EVs o Bring flyer to tabling events at Lark Hall on Sundays, Spring at farmers mkts and Sustainability tent at Albany City events o Continue to work on testimonial campaign  Sustainability Tent at Events o Approval to have sustainability tent at events, need people to staff tent (looking into interns)  SAC members last meetings 3  o Hyde, joining Common Council; Pete stepping down but will stay on Energy SC, pickup and calculate energy usage from streetlights on SAC for 8 years, original appointee of SAC. o 3 seats open that need to be filled (2 positions for mayor and one for common council), Tina and Jason received resumes to review  New Chair o Looking for someone to take over chair position (admin tasks, update to by- laws)  Commissioner Reports o Planning (Lauren Alpert): Received America Walks grant for next year, Zach Powell will come to talk to us next meeting on bicycle pedestrian master plan (assist in identifying priority projects for potential funding sources – Federal infrastructure bill) o Traffic Engineering (Bill Trudeau): End of year wrap up, did receive bids for pedestrian safety action plan and reviewing (bids came in high); temporary solution for 9 intersections with bagged up new lighting not turned on yet / taking down old infrastructure o Water (Joe Coffey): Watershed manager looking at elevation data in Alcove Reservoir 1929-1983 to present, may be less water demand but noticing an increase in elevations in Alcove in last 40 yrs, could be connected to precipitation  Tina – Asked for a flyer on lead replacement program to hand out at Lark Hall  Joe – monthly updates on # of service lines replaced and amount of grants given for lead pipe replacement, have done replacements in all wards, goal of 1000 lead replacements in 2022 - #1 goal for 2022 o City Engineer (Randy Milano): accurate tree count for repaving projects, in 2020 planted 317 trees, 2021 planted 337 trees total 654 through contracted work, wrapping up for end of year  Subcommittee Reports o Transportation (Harriet): Next meeting Dec 27 at 6:30, reviewing federal infrastructure bill for funds applicable to CDTA. Build Back Better if approved would help meet electric vehicle goals.  Tina – Zach Powell would like committee to give feedback on pedestrian/bicycle Master Plan (ID priority projects, what should happen next)  Lauren will send plan to Harriet o Energy (Pete): Next meeting on Dec 21. Discussing affordable solar, review LED street light energy usage report  Tina will send Pete zoom link for meeting o Water (Gaby): Working on AWD priority lead pipe replacement initiative  Will ask Sara to post blurb on Sustainability page with link to lead pipe replacement info  Coordination with DGS to hit aspirational 1000 lead replacements in 2022 4  o Equity (Andre): No meeting this month. Working with High School intern on outreach (meeting in next week or so), continuing to film/going into interviews and then production o Urban Agriculture (Scott): had first of 3 planned tree plantings on Nov 13 as part of South End Biodiversity Program – had 50 people come and planted all trees, going out with city and DEC forester tomorrow to scout out potential sites for April o Zero-Waste (Tina): met with Director of Office of Cultural Affairs (Alay Medina) – Subcommittee is looking to organize food scrap collection at city sponsored events and have sustainability tent, going to Lark Hall with flyers to talk about composting program and Clean Energy Challenge campaign (Tina will send dates for Sundays, first is Dec 21), planning for upcoming year o City Energy Manager (Jason) - City has job posting up for Energy Manager (focus is on streetlights but can cover sustainability)  Will send out doodle poll for gathering for departure of Hyde and Pete from SAC o Outreach (Jackie for Dan) - SUNY Albany intern still assisting SAC, invited to come back in Spring to do a 2 credit internship w SAC (they’re deciding)  Tina – looking for one intern to help with Tulip Fest tent  Email Jackie for other interns o 3. Adjournment: Event adjourned at 7:20 pm. Next meeting is Thursday, January 2, 2021, by Zoom. Minutes prepared by Gabriella Cebada Mora December 2, 2021 5