Environmental Sustainability Council

Environmental Sustainability Council Meeting Thursday, November 17, 2016 7:30 - 9:30 pm Dogwood Room, City Hall Minutes 1. Call to Order Present: Cory Firestone Weiss (Chair), Peter Adriance (Vice-Chair), Tom Cash (Member), Hannah Trauberman (GMHS Student Representative), Dan Sze (City Council Member and Liaison to the ESC), John Ward (Public), Kate Walker (Staff Liaison), Loren Bruce (City Staff) 2. Public Comments No public comments were received. 3. Approval of Minutes (October 20, 2016) There were not sufficient members present to approve prior minutes. 4. Guest Presenter – Shelley Mastran, Planning Consultant & Professor in Practice, Virginia Tech Shelley described the process followed by her Planning Studio students in drafting their report which will make recommendations for improvement of the Natural Resources chapter of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The group will present their ideas to the Planning Commission on December 5th - Cory and Kate will attend. The ESC asked that the students also present to the ESC. Management of the Comprehensive Plan is under the control of the Planning Department. No resources or schedule have yet been established for updating the Natural Resources chapter. 5. Ongoing Business Tracking City Projects and Development Kate displayed the on-line Council meeting schedule and the City budget calendar. Given the complexity of tracking activities in the City, she suggested that although she can provide advance information on the City Council schedule, it would be helpful if individual ESC members would volunteer to track the Planning Commission and Economic Development Authority. It was noted that the Mason Row site plan review process has begun. Plans can be accessed in City Hall and discussed with Planners Gary Fuller and Carly Aubrey. Kate will ask to be included in the staff Development Review process. The ESC has not yet had a written response from staff to their comments on the City Hall project. Tom will attend the City Council Work Session on Monday November 21st to hear the project status. Andy will prepare comments for the City Council Regular Meeting on November 28th. This meeting may also present an opportunity to suggest that LEED requirements be included in the proposed property tax abatements. The ESC would like to better understand the development process. Kate will ask Paul Stoddard, Principal Planner and Rick Goff, EDA, to present to ESC on this topic early in 2017. The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5456, (TTY 711).  Building an action plan to achieve our vision Tom presented some suggestions as to how the ESC could work towards step 5 of our vision, “Achieve LEED Silver ratings for all new and 15% of existing large commercial and multi-family residential buildings by 2020, and achieve LEED or equivalent third party certification for all new development or major redevelopment of single family homes.” Our actions could include: - Targeted outreach to developers, the Planning Commission, the Chamber of Commerce, the EDA and other Boards and Commissions, addressing what they see as obstacles to sustainable construction - Community-wide education on the benefits of sustainable construction, including lifecycle costs and market appeal - Incentives for green construction – cost-benefit analysis would be required. Cory asked Tom to create a written plan that will allow us to identify specific steps to be taken and decide who will do them. 6. Information Items Kate provided updates from City staff: - The Arborist reports that the new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model allows credits for trees. - The Solid Waste Manager notes that he will now report to Operations in DPW; the combined Recycling and HHW Extravaganza had a significant decrease in cost and increase in participation over past separate events, but overall tonnage collected continues to drop; Community Cleanup participation increased significantly, but without a corresponding increase in the volume of trash collected; procurement options for the compost program are being explored with a view to future expansion to areas such as curbside, special event collections and commercial options. Dan provided the following updates: - First reading of an ordinance to allow “cottages” development will be at the City Council meeting on November 28th. - CEEPC has a new draft of its Climate and Energy Action Plan. Kate will circulate to ESC members. - Dan may be the next Chair of the MWCOG Chesapeake Bay and Water Resources Policy Committee. Among other things, he intends to pursue a ban on the use of sodium chloride for road deicing, and hopes the ESC and Tree Commission will propose an ordinance banning its use in the City. 7. Next Meeting Thursday, December 15, 2016 Minutes prepared by Staff Liaison: Kate Walker City of Falls Church 300 Park Avenue Suite 300 West Falls Church, VA 22046 Email: kwalker@fallschurchva.gov Phone: (703) 248-5297 The City of Falls Church is committed to the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability call (703) 248-5456, (TTY 711).