Sustainable BC Committee

City of Battle Creek Sustainable BC Committee Leila Arboretum Horticulture Training Center 103 Limit St. Battle Creek, MI Wednesday, August 2, 2017 9:00 a.m. Members Present: Comm. Flores, Comm. Faris (arrived at 9:12 a.m.), Tiffany Welsh, Susan Anderson, Michael Myszka, Kathy Antaya, Erin Augustine, Kurt Tribbett, Lindsey Johnson, and Olivia Jayakar. Members Absent: Michael Myszka, Comm. Helmboldt, Sarah Kelly; Jacob Schacht, Asst. to the City Manager Others: Michelle Coats, Clerk’s Office; Eric Feldt, Planning. Guests: There were none. Call to Order: Comm. Flores called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m., noting a quorum was present. Additions or Deletions to the Agenda: Susan Anderson requested two items be added to the regular meeting 1) endorse the Shutdown Line 5 Movement and 2) join the Climate Mayors in affirming the Paris Climate Agreement. Retreat Discussion: Ms. Welsh provided the Green Community Challenge checklist and reviewed items completed last year under this framework. The Challenge Action Items checklist contains three levels (bronze, silver, and gold) with correlated projects at each level; we accomplish project items successively to qualify for the higher-category. Q1: Employee/Officials Incentives and Financing Tools.  Bronze – accomplished. We encourage government staff and elected/appointed officials to reduce the workplace environmental footprint.  Silver – the current grant project for local government energy projects concludes this year. We will be unable to use it next year. Susan Anderson indicated that a County loan project fund may be available under PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy).  Gold – The City has not implemented PACE. Erin Augustine stated that it would be interesting to get community business perspectives on this program. Ms. Welsh will investigate this program with the County. Q2: Energy Audits and Tracking  Bronze – accomplished. We have conducted some audits on city facilities.  Silver – we are researching options to track energy and water use per building. Some information is currently available but not effectively tracked yet. Comm. Faris suggested one individual tracking this information, such as a Facilities Manager. Consumers Energy offers programs to review and lower energy consumption. The City should check into potential programs available for the 170 accounts we have. Lindsey Johnson will arrange a presentation from Consumer’s Sustainability Department.  Gold – we have not tracked information before completing upgrading/retrofitting projects. Mr. Tribbett stated we could load energy/water use information for 2016/2017 as a tracking baseline and track consumption moving forward for gold status reporting. Q3: Sustainability Team, Plan, and Incorporation into Capital Improvements Plan  Bronze – accomplished with our sustainability community team.  Silver – we have not adopted a sustainability plan or community action plan. Comm. Flores provided an overview the steps taken to date on plan development. Committee briefly discussed challenges and impediments to plan formation. Ms. Welsch noted that the general framework of the Green Communities Challenge grant can serve as a basis for a Sustainability Plan. Eric Feldt stated if adopted, an overarching sustainability plan can be tied into the Master Plan.  Gold – we do not incorporate sustainability into capital improvements planning. 1 Q4: Natural Features Protection Programs and Plans  Bronze – accomplished with watershed management plan  Silver – accomplished with watershed management plan  Gold – we do not have an official, adopted community forestry plan or urban tree canopy goal; however, we are a Tree City with canopy metrics for existing trees. This provides a baseline measurement and the Committee could set a canopy goal under a plan. Mr. Felt inquired if the County has a watershed plan or tree plan that the City could tie into. Ms. Welsh stated that it counts if we are involved in or operating off that plan. Q5: Communitywide Recycling, Waste Reduction, Composting Programs  Bronze – accomplished with the Waste Management contract  Silver – accomplished with curbside recycling with the Waste Management contract  Gold – accomplished with curbside yard waste under the Waste Management contract. Ms. Welsh stated they are working toward food composting; however, there are different and more complex State regulations to meet and will take some time to determine how and if we can move into it. She would like to incorporate a residential component, not simply businesses. o Discussion on composting opportunity presented by the urban agriculture ordinance and potential ways to educate residents: advertise, post best practices on website. o Discussed A highly visible composting/recycling area downtown. The ‘big belly’ container located at Festival Market Square is not very visible in its current location. Brief discussion on requiring special events to provide recycling containers. Ms. Welsh noted that Waste Management does provide some sponsorship for recycling at special events and maybe we could provide pop-up bins or something similar. o Bottle/can recycling is the parks is a real need. Ms. Welsh received a cost estimate of $6,000 for simple blue recycling containers in the parks. The containers would need servicing by City crews at additional cost. Q6: Low-Impact Design/Green Infrastructure Project, Decrease Impervious Surface, and Policy/Ordinance to Support  Bronze – accomplished with the green roof and rain gardens  Silver –a storm water utility fee would meet this requirement by encouraging residents to decrease impervious surfaces. A fee is in early stages of discussion. o Mr. Feldt indicated that there are requirements (maximums) in the land use codes/ordinance that establishes green space and the reduction impervious surface (such as parking) but there are no incentives. The Planned Unit Development provides a density bonus when open space is preserved and housing clustered together. This may apply for the gold level. o Discussed doing something similar to the Beautiful Battle Creek award for reducing impervious surfaces, such as installing a rain garden. We could recognize people for their project(s) and award a plaque or a certificate.  Gold – we have not claimed this before, but we already meet this (reference Mr. Feldt’s comments above). If we can identify a project for silver, we can achieve gold. Q7: Renewable Energy: Implement Program to Encourage, City Project, and Community Project  Bronze – accomplished within zoning ordinance by including standards for projects such as a residential solar/wind project. The Master Plan chapter meets this requirement.  Silver – accomplished with the city hall biomass boiler. The sustainability plan can make a goal to implement another project.  Gold – accomplished with the city hall biomass boiler. Q8: Street Lighting Inventory, Energy Efficient Replacement Plan, and Implement Replacement Plan  Bronze –accomplished with a current inventory.  Silver – accomplished since we have a replacement plan, although unwritten.  Gold –we have not replaced the majority of traffic signals or street lighting. Consumer’s Energy owns the streetlights. Mr. Tribbett shared that Battle Creek Unlimited is working with Consumer’s to replace street lighting with LED in the Fort Custer are. While the Public Works department has met with 2  Consumer’s, no plan exists yet; cost is a significant issue and the return on investment is lengthy (approx. 20 years). Brief discussion of the potential to capture cost savings and use them to provide future funding source for further energy efficiency projects. Q9: City Vehicle Fleet Inventory/Efficiency Audit, Adoption of Fuel Efficiency Targets, and Anti-Idling Policy  Bronze – accomplished. The City has a natural gas refilling station. Nine vehicles are alternative fuel out of a total 470 in the fleet. Bike police should be included here too since they are alternative fuel transportation.  Silver – we do not have established targets or an adopted plan.  Gold – no anti-idling policy exists. A policy for City fleet is a potential opportunity that should not be too difficult to implement with some exceptions for emergency vehicles. Q10: Encourage Non-Motorized Transportation, Adopt a Plan, and Implement Plan With Measurable Results  Bronze – accomplished with the linear trail and bike stations.  Silver – we meet this requirement as the Parks Dept. has a plan in place to cover pedestrian, bicycle, and waterway infrastructure.  Gold –accomplished measureable results from a survey showing the number of people utilizing bikes and bus transit. Q11: Promote Energy Efficiency Program for Low-Income Residents, Renewable Energy/Efficiency in Affordable Housing, and Adopt Plan for Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy in Low-Income Housing  Bronze –accomplished since the Community Action Agency has a program.  Silver –the City does not own any of these buildings. The Calhoun County Land Bank and the Housing Commission do; we could collaborate with them.  Gold – we do not have a plan/policy/program for this. We could incorporate a statement into the sustainability plan pertaining to the development of energy efficiency in low-income housing areas. The City has housing rehab and painting programs for low-income residents that may qualify. Q12: Green Purchasing Policy, Green Building Policy, and Achieve Green Building Certification for Local Government Building  Bronze – we do not have a green purchasing policy. This is something we can develop.  Silver – we do not have a green building policy.  Gold – we have not achieved a green building certification. Reporting metrics.  Energy – we have not completed energy metrics before; however, we can start measuring some of these metrics.  Resource Management – accomplished all of these with the exception of annual municipal water consumption.  Transportation – accomplished all of these. Prioritization of items: Susan Anderson suggested potential ways to prioritize items: a) base it upon the gold category and what is easy to do, b) the impact that a program/project has/will have, or c) the urgency of the project completion. Committee discussed variety of ways to prioritize items. Erin Augustine captured a preliminary list of opportunities and will email to group. Homework for each member to think about is priority and timeframe (near term, mid-term, long term) for items. Comm. Flores anticipates approximately two hours completing this process and that the Committee plan for the September 6th meeting to be extended accordingly. Olivia Jayakar left at 11:49 a.m. Approval of Minutes: A motion was made by Kathy Antaya, supported by Susan Anderson to approve the minutes from July 5, 2017. All yes, none opposed. Minutes approved. 3  Member Updates/Reports: City Energy Efficiency Activities: No updates/reports due to time constraints. Environmental Program Update: No updates/reports due to time constraints City Commission Update: No updates/reports due to time constraints. Member Comment/Announcements: There were none. Public Comment: There were none. Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Sustainable BC Committee will be on September 6, 2017 4:30 pm at DPW. This will be an extended meeting (2 hours) to decide prioritization and timeframe of items in the sustainability plan. Adjournment: Comm. Flores adjourned the meeting at 12:06 pm. 4