Environmental Sustainability Council

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL (ESC) Thursday, October 15, 2020, Virtual Meeting via Microsoft Teams, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. MINUTES 1. Attendees: ESC Members: Andy Young (Chair), Mike Trauberman, Jon Ward, Andy Sakallaris, Stacey Evers, Jennifer Tabola, Andy Crawford, Sarah Bayldon. Student reps: Alec Autor, Charlie Adams, Max Caboti-Jones, Meike van der Steen. City Staff: Kate Walker (ESC Liaison), Planning Commission Liaison: Tim Stevens. Public: Maia Davis (MWCOG), Amy Crumpton, Jason Douglas This meeting was held via electronic communications using ‘Microsoft Teams.’ This meeting was held pursuant to and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Section 2.2- 3708.2 and state and local legislation adopted to allow for continued government operation during the COVID-19 declared emergency. 2. MWCOG 2030 Climate & Energy Action Plan: Maia Davis introduced MWCOG (includes 24 local governments) and its Climate, Energy & Environment Policy Committee (CEEPC). The 2030 Action Plan follows the best-practice guidelines of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM), developing interim goals, inventories, projections, and scenarios, as well as plans to support both mitigation and resilience. Versus a 2005 baseline, the Plan calls for regional greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050. The region is down 13% as of 2018, short of the 20%- by-2020 goal. Over 50% is from the built environment, and much of the rest is from on-road transportation. As of 2018, Falls Church is down 2% from 2005, as GHGs from population and commercial growth have been largely offset by a cleaner electricity grid. Ms Davis presented business-as-usual 2030 projections for the region and Falls Church and discussed the extensive mitigation actions that may be needed to meet the 2030 goal. The Plan relies heavily on renewable energy, much more efficient buildings, and zero-emissions vehicles. 3. Broad & Washington Insight Project Update : Kate reviewed the Special Exception (SE) and Voluntary Concessions (VC) processes for “mixed use” projects that want to exceed code size limits. City Council referred the Insight project to Boards & Commission for review, so the developers will present to ESC on Nov. 19, with ESC input to Council due by Monday Nov. 23. Discussion addressed electric-vehicle charging, composting food waste, rooftop plans, and LEED certification. o ACTION ITEM #1: (All) Review SE and VC materials (filings, staff report, recordings) online and send comments and questions to Kate as soon as possible, so that developers can preview them before the meeting. 4. Subcommittee Reports: o Energy Transition Subcommittee (ETS): Previous meeting was Oct. 1: o ETS is developing advice to City Council on strategies for meeting the 2030 COG goals if the City were to adopt them. o Tim, Kate and others toured the Dominion LED streetlight demonstration facility on Oct. 14. Looking to Kate for guidance on how to continue participating in selection process.  o ETS members Stacey Noblet and Erika Myers are working with Kate on content for a new City webpage on electric vehicles. o Education Task Group (ETG): Operation EarthWatch T-shirt distribution is done. An online OEW recognition event with City Council is being planned for November. o Habitat Restoration Team (HRT): Fall 2020 planting and invasive-plant-removal events are going well, with all 25 volunteer positions filled for each event so far. A group from Latter Day Saints church has been doing 3-hr shifts each Wednesday since September removing invasive species from Howard Herman Park. 5. Staff Reports (Kate W.): o The ESC’s input to the City for its Legislative Agenda advice to state legislators is due by late November; ESC often adapts environmental elements from the Virginia Municipal League (VML). Members concurred with Kate’s recommendation to include (1) reenactment of HB533 to phase-in a ban of polystyrene containers from food vendors and (2) VML’s support for state funding for local infrastructure for stormwater management. o ACTION ITEM #2: (Stacey) Compile into a draft letter the inputs to be provided by Tim, Kate, and others as assigned by Andy Y. o ACTION ITEM #3: (All) Reply to Kate with any comments on the document she distributed summarizing the September ESC stormwater meeting with Zak Bradley, and she will update and provide to Zak by October 19. 6. New Business: Joy Page has stepped down as vice-chair of the ESC. Any member interested in being vice-chair should contact Andy Y. and Kate. Duties are to stand-in when Chair is absent and potentially become Chair at the next term change. 7. September 2020 ESC Meeting Minutes: Motion to approve by Andy S., seconded by Mike. Approved by voice vote without objection. 8. Next Meeting  Thursday, November 19, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., likely virtual via Microsoft Teams. Abbreviations / Terminology:  MWCOG: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments  LED: light-emitting diode (energy-efficient) lighting  LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design US Green Building Council green building certification