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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Energy Committee - 10/01/2020 Approved Meeting Minutes October 1, 2020 Committee members present: ​Andrew Chalnick, Keith Epstein, Richard Shrake, Ken Pulido, Ethan Goldman, Tim Perrin, Marcy Murray, Karen Mckenny Committee members absent: ​ Linda McGinnis, Sam Swanson, MJ Reale Community members present: ​Jacob Flanigan City staff present:​ Ilona Blanchard Meeting conducted online via GoToMeeting. Andrew called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m. Rich agreed to scribe. Andrew recognized community member Jacob Flanigan of Burlington, who noted that Burlington does not have an equivalent Energy Committee and that he is interested in pursuing collaboration opportunities between Burlington and South Burlington concerning energy matters. Minutes Keith moved and Ken seconded approving the August minutes. Unanimously approved. Keith moved and Ken seconded approving the July minutes. Unanimously approved. Chair/Vice-Chair Andrew inquired if anyone was interested in filling the position of Chair of the Energy Committee. It was unclear if there is a current Vice-Chair.* The committee elected to push this election to the next regular meeting. *I consulted the January minutes and confirmed that the committee did not elect a Vice-Chair. Climate Action Plan presentation to City Council Andrew noted that Lou’s input regarding record keeping was somewhat counter to his understanding. Ken pointed out that Lou’s statistics are generally focused on high-level dollar savings rather than recording greenhouse gas reductions. Marcy mentioned both the need for weather-normalized energy usage data in year-to-year comparisons and the limitations of using only payback calculations (versus NPV, ROI, etc., as appropriate) for identifying which projects to pursue and for assessing project success. There was agreement on the need for more sophisticated analyses and tracking to maximize the likelihood that limited taxpayer dollars will be used for those projects that will likely yield the greatest long-term dollar and/or emissions benefits. Keith and Ken will continue to work with Lou to help generate more precise data. Keith and Tim expressed some concern that in touting the city’s efficiency projects, Kevin conflated those projects with the larger issue of establishing a Climate Action Plan. South Burlington Energy Committee 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 846-4106 www.SouthBurlingtonVT.gov facebook.com/SouthBurlington Keith recognized the importance of gathering more community involvement in developing a Climate Action Plan and noted that MJ is enthusiastic about such activity. City Council has requested that the Energy Committee attend their next meeting on October 5 for further discussion of developing the plan. City Manager Hiring Committee In addition to asking Ilona how the committee could give hiring criteria suggestions during any potential future hiring of a facilities manager, Marcy inquired if anyone was interested in serving on the committee to hire the new City Manager. After some discussion, the committee noted that based upon his broad experience and knowledge as well as his familiarity with members of state and local committees and faith-based groups, Sam is the best candidate to represent the interests of the Energy Committee in this position. City Center and Energy Fund Ilona presented an update on the installation of a solar array and batteries for the new City Center. She informed the committee that the city is considering using the current energy fund as a sinking fund to offset the costs of the project with future energy savings transferred back to the energy fund. Even though the energy fund would be allowed to operate in the red, this proposal would in all likelihood significantly restrict or prevent the Energy Committee from engaging in efficiency projects via the fund for the next four to five years. Ethan noted that such action would complicate the calculation of energy savings even further, making it imperative that the city implement planning and staffing for consistent and accurate recording of data. With Sam and Linda absent, the committee elected to hold a special meeting on October 6 to discuss whether or not to endorse this plan. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Next Meeting October 6 at 6:30 South Burlington Energy Committee 575 Dorset Street South Burlington, VT 05403 (802) 846-4106 www.SouthBurlingtonVT.gov facebook.com/SouthBurlington