Sustainable BC Committee

City of Battle Creek Sustainable BC Committee 150 N. Kendall St . Room 214 Battle Creek, MI Wednesday, February 1, 2017 4:00 p.m. Members Present : Commissioners Flores, Faris and Helmboldt, Tiffany Welsh, Kurt Tribbett, Susan Anderson, Michael Myszka, Kathy Antaya, Sarah Kelly and Olivia Jayakar Members Absent : Christine Kosmowski Others : Vicki Houser, City Clerk; Jacob Schacht, Asst. to the City Manager; Chris Dopp, DPW Engineering Guests: Mike Harvey and Nathan Cassity of Donohue & Associates Call to Order : Comm. Flores called the meeting to order at 4:04 pm, noting a quorum was present. Public Comment : There were none. Approval of Minutes : A motion was made by Comm. Faris, supported by Kathy Antaya to approve the minutes from January 4, 2017. All yes, none opposed. Minutes approved. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda : There were none. Member Updates/Reports: City Energy Efficiency Activities & Presentation on the Secondary Improvement Project at WWTP : Mike Harvey and Nathan Cassity presented information to the committee on the proposed sustainable upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment (WWTP) facility’s secondary treatment process. Mr. Harvey expressed appreciation to city staff who assisted in the research, including Chris Dopp, Carl Fedders, Perry Hart, Kurt Tribbett, Rich Beardslee, Marvin Krause and Bryan Crawford. Mr. Harvey provided a background on the WWTP, noting it currently treats 9 million gallons per day, stating the most recent updates were done 30 years ago. Mr. Harvey stated current issues included energy conservation, aged facilities, specifically blowers that could not be repaired and outdated aeration control, nutrient deficiency issues and phosphorus control. Mr. Dopp noted the WWTP is the largest energy user, not only in the City, but in Calhoun County, stating 45% of the energy use is for aeration. Mr. Cassity stated they focused on the blowers to improve energy efficiencies, stating newer automated equipment would provide significant savings. Mr. Cassity stated changes to the east blowers were expected to provide a 25% reduction in blower energy use, with potential cost savings of $100,000. Mr. Cassity noted improved control strategies, if fully automated, could save an additional $100,000, creating cost savings of $200,000 annually. Mr. Harvey stated the city currently spends $667,000 per year to maintain the required nutrient balance. Mr. Harvey stated automation could significantly reduce chemical cost, with an overall goal of reducing phosphorus and ferric chloride feed by $178,000 annually. Mr. Harvey discussed possible low interest funding from Consumers Energy, stating his research expected $228,000 incentives. Mr. Harvey stated there might also be an opportunity for Energy Conservation Bonds, provided the project met the evaluation criteria, providing additional savings over the 20-year term of the bond. Mr. Dopp informed the committee that the city would be bidding the project in the spring, with an 18 month construction period expected, stating the project would be complete by the end of 2018. Responding to a question regarding the sludge by-product, Mr. Dopp stated it is trucked out to landfills in the winter, but used as fertilizer in the summer. Mr. Tribbett provided an update on the water side, stating they were able to close off the cross connections, stating this will conserve energy costs. 1 Environmental Prog ram Update – Tiffany Welsh  Styrofoam collection in January went well  Recycle Rama to be held Saturday, April 1, 2017 at Bailey Park  Writing a grant to County Solid Waste for covers for disposed mattresses and sofas  Working with WM on overweight container issues, educate residents  Working with Mr. Tribbett on a Brownfield grant, working with 616 Development  Tire grant, have not heard back from the State  River Clean Up grant must be spent by spring, but held in October, may need to change the date or request extension City Commission Update: Comm. Faris informed the Committee of the adoption of the Urban Agriculture Ordinance, regarding gardening, not animals. Comm. Faris also commented on grants from the DNR, stating funds may be used for small projects at the city’s parks. Old Business Environmental Sustainability Planning: Ms. Welsh discussed a potential collaboration with OHM consultants, stating they could apply for a grant through the Partners for Places or the Joyce Foundation, to help to complete the Star Rating System. Ms. Welsh noted this is similar to the Green Communities Challenge, but more comprehensive. Ms. Welsh stated it would take about a year for the entire process, noting the Joyce Foundation had three funding cycles during which they could apply, with the first in July 2017. Ms. Welsh stated OHM would be at the next Sustainable BC Committee meeting. Ms. Welsh also stated they would conduct a resident survey asking what is important to them related to sustainability. Comm. Flores noted OHM consultants would be able to assist the city with data analysis, outcomes and objectives, actions and measurements. Comm. Faris recommended the city create a short video with someone who could be the face of the initiative. Ms. Anderson stated Michigan State has worked with the Mid-Michigan Corridor counties, stating they have a website and videos related to sustainability. Ms. Anderson stated she would send the links to committee members for review. Ms. Antaya reminded the committee of an Introduction to Sustainability presentation made to the Commission a few years ago, stating she could send it to the committee to review. New Business: None. Member Comment/Announcements : Comm. Flores informed everyone of a conference in Detroit, Feb 23, 2017, related to nurturing sustainable communities, asking committee members to contact her if interested in attending, stating she will forward the information to everyone. Ms. Kelly provided an update from the Solid Waste Committee. Next Meeting : The next meeting of the Sustainable BC Committee will be on March 1, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. at the Department of Public Works in Room 204. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 5:31 PM by Comm. Flores. 2