City of Lawrence

Recycling and Resource Conservation Advisory Board

August 9, 2006 Meeting Minutes

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Jai Chang, Daniel Poull, Marie Stockett, Laura Routh, Dickie Heckler, Kevin Dobbs, Dickie Heckler

MEMBERS ABSENT:

Chris Cobb, Cindy Strecker, John Craft

STAFF PRESENT:

Mollie Mangerich

 

GUESTS PRESENT:

 

PUBLIC PRESENT:

 

 

1      Approval of meeting Minutes

 

A Motion was made (Routh) to approve the July minutes as written.  Motion was seconded (Poull) and passed unanimously.  Mollie Mangerich will send on minutes to Tammy Bennett for inclusion in City Managers report and post on website. 

 

2      Improving Residential Recycling Opportunities MEMO DRAFT (Poull, Routh)

Discussion was held by the Board regarding Cindy Streckers edits to the draft memo “Improving Residential Recycling Opportunities”.  A few more edits were made to the memo.

 

□ ACTION Daniel Poull will incorporate comments into a final draft memo and email back to the Board for approval.  Deadline: August 11, 2006.

 

Comment: Marie Stockett suggested city should explore idea of procuring glass crusher and using the cullet in city street applications.

 

3      Recycling Subcommittee Report – Laura Routh

No meeting was held by the Recycling Subcommittee.

 

4      Energy Conservation Subcommittee Report – Kevin Dobbs

A meeting of the Energy Conservation Subcommittee was held on July 19th, 2006.  No meeting minutes were taken.

 

Note: (Mangerich) Staff recommends that subcommittee meetings should submit minutes or summaries to the board.  Those minutes would then be available on line to the public.  They would not be submitted separately to the City Commission, but as an attachment to the normal board meeting minutes. 

 

Next scheduled meeting of Energy Conservation subcommittee has yet to be determined.

 

Q. (Chang):  What is purpose of the subcommittees?

A. (Routh): The recycling subcommittee was formed due to interest in increasing recycling and bringing recommendations forward to the greater Board for discussion and decision making.

A. (Dobbs): The energy conservation subcommittee was formed in response to a charge by the City Commissioners (2003) to develop recommendation to increase energy conservation.

 

□Action Item: Kevin Dobbs will contact Aimee Stewart and report back to Board about securing date on Public Library Advisory Board calendar in order Steve Clark (Gould-Evans) may speak to benefits of green construction practices.

 

□Action Item: Laura Routh will follow up with John Craft regarding his effort to draft a memo (per June 13, 2006 Minutes) to encourage city commissioners to push review and adoption of International Energy Conservation Code.

 

□Action Item: Staff will email Advisory Board members with documentation reflecting history of city commission’s interest in energy conservation and assigning research of such to the RRCAB.

 

 

5      Discussion of Follow Up TO “Energy Conservation Recommendations” MEMO OF DECEMBER 8, 2004 – Kevin Dobbs

 

Staff presented Board with Memo providing follow up status of implementation to recommendations set forth by RRCAB in Memo generated December 8, 2004.  (Memo attached to these minutes)

 

Comment: (Routh): The city should have the authority and the buying power to exercise the ability to “build green” outside any adoption of an International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), wouldn’t it?

 

Comment: (Poull) In regards to IECC, the City of Lawrence doesn’t have the continuing education program in place for general contractors that the City of Topeka and Johnson County have.

 

          Addendum 9/1/06 per email by John Craft:

The city does, as part of its relatively new contractors licensing policy, require contractors to participate in 8 hours of continuing education.  This is contracted with Johnson County, and the fees for this participation are part of the cost of securing a city of Lawrence contractor's license.  It is assumed this process will continue after/if the International codes are adopted.

 

Secondly, the building code board of appeals has been reviewing the International Energy Codes, first the 2003 and now the 2006.  We recommended the city adopt the IBC and the IRC, including the 2003 IEC.  We expect at the next meeting to amend that recommendation to be the 2006 set of International Codes, including the 2006 International Energy Code.

 

The adoption of the codes has been held up primarily by first the plumbers, and now by the mechanical board.  I do not see any reason our board should recommend the formation of yet another committee to further muddy the waters.  This process has already drug on for over three years.  In my opinion what our committee and every involved citizen should do is encourage the city commissioners to set a deadline by which the various trade and review committees make their recommendations, then the city commission should enact and ordinance that adopts these codes, and set a deadline by which these new codes become the rules of the building sites.  It is embarrassing that the "progressive" city of Lawrence is still building new buildings to the rules of the 1998 Uniform Building Code.”

 

 

Comment (Routh): In regards to Recommendation #2 …Include energy conservation statement in the City’s Environmental Procurement Policy...” Laura Routh will research for template language from other communities for board to consider including within EPP.

 

Q. (Poull):  Should the Board request LEED certification be incorporated into the EPP?

 

Comment (Chang): The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), provides a “check list” of standards for environmentally-sustainable construction.  The standard of “Certified” is the basic minimum standard for incorporating into a building.  (See: http://www.usgbc.org/ )

 

Comment (Dobbs): We should add new items to the Energy Conservation Strategies memo and also tie in implementation of the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement Act.

 

Suggestion was made (Routh) that individual board members choose an element / specific energy conservation recommendation on the memo and take it on as a study and report back to the Board with findings and recommendations.

 

Action Taken - Daniel Poull (Recommendation #4: City staff should identify cost effective opportunities for energy conservation within those City programs (e.g. Neighborhood Resources Division and the Housing Trust Fund Board) that provide funding for new construction, renovation and/or appliance purchases for low-income residential housing and housing improvement projects.  Should the International Energy Conservation Code be adopted by the City of Lawrence , these energy conservation elements will be incorporated into the above-mentioned activities.

Action Taken - Laura Routh (Recommendation #2: Ensure that new and existing City facilities are designed, maintained and upgraded, as required, to be at least as energy efficient as identified by the International Energy Conservation Code or comparable design standards and codes.  Amend current Environmental Procurement Policy (EPP) No. 80 to include these requirements.

Action Taken - Marie Stockett: (Recommendation # 3: Provide necessary funding and support such that the City of Lawrence Public Library expansion project be designated a “pilot” energy conservation project with a focus on educating the public while saving public dollars on lifetime energy and maintenance costs.  This could be achieved by designing the building to be a green or sustainable building that meets the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification criteria

Action Taken - Jae Chang, Kevin Dobbs (Recommendation #7: Research and implement strategies that will reduce adverse effects of man-made light including glare, light trespass, and energy use within the City of Lawrence.  This would include, but not be limited to, city and commercial parking lots, fueling stations, and interior lighting of city facilities.  Review and renegotiate current contract with Westar Energy, Inc. to incorporate reduced glare lighting and energy conservation light fixtures on public streets, both new and existing, and areas where practicable

Action Taken – John Craft, Kevin Dobbs (Recommendation #1: Upon review of the International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC) by the Neighborhood Resources Division and appropriate technical review boards, City Commissioners should direct staff to establish a separate committee composed of members of both the Recycling and Resource Conservation Advisory Board and appropriate technical advisory board members (Electrical, Plumber and Gas Fitters, Mechanical) to review the International Energy Conservation (IEC) Code for consideration of adoption.  Such a review could run concurrently with the IBC review.

 

6      Home Energy Conservation Fair and Sustainable Homes Tour

Homes have been secured for Tour; Mailings out to all potential exhibitors and vendors.  Speakers being secured.  Tickets to Homes Tour being sold in advance at Community Mercantile. 

 

7      Waste Reduction and Recycling Report

Printed copy of monthly updates provided to Board.

 

8     Miscellaneous

·      (Stockett)  Marie presented draft memo to Board asking their review and consideration to recommend support for the Pesticide Free Parks program and native landscapings.

□ Action Item:  Board will provide comments to Marie prior to the next RRCAB meeting.  Marie will submit to the City Commission and perhaps ask to get on the City Commission Agenda.

 

9 Action Item: Mollie should be e-copy from Marie.

 

Comment (Routh): The RRCAB could attend a City Commission mention and speak in support of Pesticide Free Parks.

         

          9 Action Item: Marie Stockett will invite the recent e-mailer to the Board (re: downtown recycling and business recycling) to the next Board meeting.

 

 

Meeting adjourns 7:00 p.m.