City of Lawrence                                         

Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB)

December 12, 2007 (5:30 PM) Meeting Minutes

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Chris Cobb, Dickie Heckler, Sarah Hill-Nelson, Matt Lehrman, Daniel Poull, Laura Routh, Cindy Strecker

 

MEMBERS ABSENT:

 

STAFF PRESENT:

Tammy Bennett, Kathy Richardson

 

CITY COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:

 

PUBLIC PRESENT:

Paul Dietz, Simran Sethi

 

 

ANNOUCEMENTS and INTRODUCTIONS

 

Paul Dietz and Simran Sethi will be appointed as members of the Sustainability Advisory Board by Mayor Sue Hack at the next City Commission meeting.

 

Approval of meeting Minutes

 

Motion and second to approve the October 10th, 2007 and November 14th, 2007 minutes (Routh/Heckler). Vote: Motion was passed unanimously.

 

Discussion on Lawrence Sustainability II, Sarah Hill-Nelson

 

Sarah Hill-Nelson proposed to organize a Lawrence Sustainability II event in 2008. Hill-Nelson has begun talking to potential sponsors and participants. In the spring of 2007 a group of sponsors and Hill-Nelson organized the Lawrence Sustainability Town Hall meeting which served to facilitate conversation between the city and the community. The proposed event for 2008 would be an expanded version – hosting several days of workshops, speakers, and informational booths focused on several sustainability topics and would end with another Sustainability Town Hall Meeting. Hill-Nelson asked if SAB would like to sponsor this community wide event by contributing their time and energy to help make this event happen. 

 

Motion: SAB endorses the concept of having a community wide sustainability week with various days sponsored by different community groups (one day would be sponsored by the City’s Waste Reduction & Recycling Division). SAB also agrees to have a member other than Sarah Hill-Nelson to sit in on a sustainability awareness week committee (Poull/Routh). Vote: Motion was passed unanimously.

 

Sarah Hill-Nelson informed SAB that the Bonneville Environmental Foundation would form the sustainability awareness week committee and she would be the chair of the committee. The Board discussed potential groups to involve in this event: the City, KU, the Chamber, Haskell University, Monarch Butterflies (Chip Taylor), etc.

 

Discussion on Proposed Climate Protection Taskforce, Laura Routh

 

Laura Routh presented a draft proposal for the formation of a Climate Protection Taskforce. Within the proposal SAB requests that the City of Lawrence appoint a Mayor’s Taskforce which will draft a Climate Protection Plan for the City of Lawrence. Routh recommends editing the draft proposal and then asking Dennis Murphey, Chief Environmental Officer for Kansas City, to review it before SAB presents the proposal to the City Commissioners.

 

Action: Laura Routh will edit the draft proposal tonight and send to Sarah Hill-Nelson.

 

Action: Sarah Hill-Nelson will call Dennis Murphey within the next week and have him comment on the draft proposal. Hill-Nelson will report back to SAB via e-mail.

 

SAB will approve the proposal at the January’s Board meeting. Once it is approved as a final draft, the document can be sent to the City Manager and City Commissioners for review.

 

Action: Tammy Bennett will ask for a tentative time frame for SAB’s presentation at a January City Commissioner’s meeting.

 

Motion: SAB will share the task force proposal with Chamber of Commerce prior to City Commission meeting presentation (Hill-Nelson/Heckler). Vote: Motion was passed unanimously.

 

Discussion on Greening Our Tax Abatement, Laura Routh

 

During last month’s Board meeting Laura recommended that SAB solicit an invitation or extend an invitation to the Public Incentives Review Committee to discuss greening our tax abatements. SAB decided to wait and pitch this idea to Commissioner Mike Dever at this month’s meeting. Unfortunately, Dever could not attend tonight’s meeting.

 

Sarah Hill-Nelson reported that she talked to Beth Johnson from the Chamber of Commerce about Laura Routh’s paper. Johnson was interested in reading Routh’s paper and discussing it with her. Hill-Nelson suggested sharing Routh’s paper with the Chamber of Commerce. Routh cautions sending out her paper out via e-mail attachments. She stated that her paper is not the proposal, her paper is an idea.

 

Tammy Bennett suggested that SAB members meet with City Commissioner Rob Chestnut who is interested in reviewing tax abatement.

 

Action: Sarah Hill-Nelson, Chris Cobb, Paul Dietz and Laura Routh will meet with Commissioner Rob Chestnut and Beth Johnson to discuss greening our tax abatements. They will report back to the rest of the Board at the next Board meeting.

 

Action: Laura Routh will send SAB links via e-mail of:

-      Articles regarding tax abatement policies passed in Cleveland & Pittsburg and

-      A list of the 50 states and their legislation as it relates to tax abatements.

 

Discussion on Revisiting FCIP

 

Daniel Poull met with former SAB member, Brent Swain regarding revisiting FCIP as a tool to help achieve our Cool Cities objectives and help with the City’s overall energy policy (proposal attached). Tammy Bennett reminded SAB why FCIP is not an option that the City of Lawrence is interested in. It’s a funding source which the City doesn’t need. Also FCIP looks at energy savings in bigger buildings and most city buildings are not big enough for this program to be worthwhile.

 

Motion: SAB does not accept FCIP proposal (Routh/Cobb). Vote: Motion was passed unanimously.

 

Discussion on Having another Planning (Goal Setting) Session in January

 

SAB decided not to have a goal setting meeting in 2008 but may consider it for the following year. SAB agreed to review the 2007 goals at the next Board meeting.

   

Waste Reduction and Recycling (WRR) Report, Kathy Richardson

 

Kathy Richardson e-mailed the WRR report to SAB and provided printed copies of the monthly updates (attached).

 

Agenda items:

 

  • Next meeting:  January 9, 2007
  • January meeting: invite Mike Dever again
  • February meeting: WRR staff presentation

 

Meeting adjourned 7:30 p.m.

 

 

Attachments:

 

  • FCIP Proposal
  • Waste Reduction and Recycling Division report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATTACHMENT: FCIP Proposal

 

Proposed memo for the Board to consider presenting to Dave Corliss regarding the FCIP:

Note: This proposal was not accepted by the Sustainability Advisory Board.

 

 

MEMO

To: Dave Corliss, Lawrence City Manager

Post Office Box 708

Lawrence, Kansas 66044-2268

785/832-3400

 

The Sustainability Advisory Board has been very appreciative of the City’s interest in the Kansas Corporation Commission Facilities Conservation Improvement Program (FCIP).  We feel the program has a demonstrated potential to help the City achieve substantial ongoing cost savings through energy conservation by helping to identify the best opportunities for energy conservation at little or no cost to the City, by helping to identify holistic opportunities for conservation across all departments, and by helping to perform and fund those improvements through future energy savings.

 

The FCIP, as presented by Russ Rudy at the November 8, 2006 RRCAB meeting, would provide a comprehensive “Investment Grade Audit” of all City facilities to determine the most cost-effective and energy-efficient strategies for improvements, followed by a pre-negotiated “Energy Savings Performance Contract” with a qualified Energy Service Company to perform those improvements.  The FCIP would provide guaranteed funding for facility improvements – with no up-front capital – paid by the projected energy savings, and the KCC Energy Office would provide expert assistance throughout the process to ensure results.

 

In addition to the energy-savings potential the program offers, we believe the FCIP Investment Grade Audit would support the City’s Sierra Club “Cool Cities Campaign” efforts by assisting with the Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory. 

 

In light of all these potential benefits to the City of Lawrence, the Sustainability Advisory Board hereby formally recommends the City’s participation in the KCC Energy Office Facilities Conservation Improvement Program, and would be happy to work with the KCC Energy Office to provide further information upon request.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

SAB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ATTACHMENT: Waste Reduction and Recycling Division Report

 

Waste Reduction and Recycling Division Update

 

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Division celebrated America Recycles Day on November 15th. Staff provided information about recycling, waste reduction, composting and hazardous waste disposal to City employees at City Hall in the morning and then set up an informational table at Hy-Vee on 6th Street in the afternoon.

Compost Program

Fall is the peak season for yard trimmings collection.  Total tons of yard trimmings more then doubled in the month of November.  The final day for yard trimmings pick-up will be Monday, December 24th.  The Solid Waste crews will then use the following three Mondays (Dec. 31, Jan. 7, and Jan. 14) for the collection of Christmas trees. The trees will be used for wildlife habitat.        

Yard Trimmings collection: Year to date

 

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Total Tons collected curbside

21.45

NA

1114.98

1413.36

2545.08

617.60

823.88

 

566.96

378.43

2146.17

4098.25

Commercial YW received

2.00

1.80

29.00

132.10

50.61

36.5

 

11.3

19.6

 

37.0

63.8

58.0

Other YW received

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

      0.00

 

Total tons this month

23.45

1.80

1143.98

1545.46

2595.69

654.10

835.18

586.56

415.43

2209.97

4156.25

Average Preferred Container Compliance

100%

NA

98%

99%

99%

99%

99%

99%

99%

99%

99%

 

 

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program Report

 

 

 

 

 

Fibers Report

 

Old Corrugated Containers (OCC)

Cardboard                               Tons                Revenue

Current YTD                            984.20             $117,566.80

Prior YTD                                859.23             $ 69,366.60

Avg. Price/ton thru Nov. 2007: $119.45     Avg. Price/ton thru Nov. 2006:   $ 80.73

 

Old Newspapers (ONP)

Newspaper                              Tons                Revenue

Current YTD                            797.90             $78,806.62     

Prior YTD                                804.12             $63,293.08

Avg. Price/ton thru Nov. 2007:  $98.77    Avg. Price/ton thru Nov.  2006:   $78.71

 

 

Office  Waste Paper (SOP)

Sorted Office Paper                Tons                Revenue

Current YTD                            33.21               $5,532.94       

Prior YTD                                10.08               $609.84

Avg. Price/ton thru Nov.  2007: $166.60   Avg. Price/ton thru Nov 2006:   $60.50

 

Old Magazines (OMG)

Magazines                               Tons                Revenue

Current YTD                            .63                   $40.63

Prior YTD                                0                      $0

Avg. Price/ton thru Nov 2007: $65.00    Avg. Price/ton thru Nov 2006:   $ n/a

 

 

Mixed Waste Paper (MIX)

                                                Tons                Revenue

Current YTD                            43.08               $ 3,743.79

Prior YTD                                N/A                  $          N/A

Avg. Price/ton thru Nov 2007: $86.91     Avg. Price/ton thru Nov. 2006:   $ n/a

 

 

TOTAL       ytd                    tons                        Revenue

                                    1859.01                       $205,690.77   

Prior YTD                    1673.43                       $133,269.52