HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Energy Committee - 10/10/2019
South Burlington Energy Committee
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.SouthBurlingtonVT.gov
facebook.com/SouthBurlington
Draft Meeting Minutes & Notes
October 10, 2019
Committee members present: Andrew Chalnick, Don Cummings, Karen Mckenny, Keith Epstein, Marcy Murray, Patty Tashiro, Richard Shrake, Sam Swanson, Tim Perrin Committee members absent: Linda McGinnis Community members present: None City staff present: None
Members had a prolonged discussion about the City of South Burlington’s inadequate progress toward addressing the climate crisis and fulfilling its August 2017 Resolution on Climate Change (attached). Burlington was held up as a positive example of an enlightened, inspiring city whose overarching goal is addressing the climate crisis. Marcy volunteered to scribe. Motions
• Keith initiated and Sam seconded a motion to accept the 9/30/19 minutes. Passed unanimously.
• Sam initiated and Keith seconded a motion to accept the 8/8/19 minutes with changes. Passed unanimously.
• Sam initiated and Keith seconded a motion to forward the committee’s comments on the proposed FY2020-2029 Capital Improvement Program to Tom Hubbard with changes to items 9
and 2. Passed unanimously.
• Keith initiated and Karen seconded a motion to approve the committee’s progress report related to the 2016 Comprehensive Plan’s energy components after Tim revises and shares the first paragraph to better reflect both the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and South Burlington’s lack of adequate progress. Passed unanimously.
Select City Council 10/7/19 Meeting Outcomes Marcy shared three items related to the committee’s work.
• The study by city staff, the Chittenden Solid Waste District, and the City of Burlington of the consolidation of trash collection services is in the data collection and route/rate modeling phase. However, the project is currently on hold while Burlington pursues discussions internally and
with its City Council. Marcy will follow up with Burlington’s Jen Green.
• The Council passed (3-2) climate-friendly LDR-19-01 which eliminates minimum parking requirements for all uses citywide except multi-family housing and accessory dwelling units (for which parking requirements are to be reduced). Members appreciated this positive outcome.
• Charlie Baker shared the CCRPC’s annual report and said any City Council requests for the upcoming year should be forwarded to him by mid-January 2020. Following a conversation about the important need for a template to accurately track city and regional carbon emissions, Sam and Andrew agreed to meet to discuss relevant details and to draft a specific CCRPC request for Council approval to be addressed at our November meeting.
South Burlington Energy Committee
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.SouthBurlingtonVT.gov
facebook.com/SouthBurlington
Approval of 2016 Comprehensive Plan Progress Report Draft Related to the aforementioned motion, members agreed that although we’ve made progress on isolated initiatives, city energy-related efforts and the 2016 Comprehensive Plan don’t do enough to address the
climate crisis and the attached August 2017 Resolution on Climate Change. A much greater effort is needed.
Members decided that whenever the Energy Committee submits future comments (e.g., to staff, the City Council, the Planning Commission), the first sentences must communicate both the urgency of addressing the climate crisis and the extent to which the city is meeting that challenge. Updates on Ongoing Actions/Projects This agenda item was not covered because of time constraints, but members can view the latest version on the google drive. Develop SBEC’s Strategy Areas & Project Plan Members assessed what has and hasn’t been accomplished over the past nine months and discussed potential strategies related to staff, City Council and external partners. With the goal of identifying and clearly putting forth our “ask” for the big carbon-reducing ideas that the City Council could act on to tackle climate change, members considered that:
• We need to clearly communicate the (few) big local/regional carbon-reducing ideas to the City Council (Most big actionable ideas require state, multi-state, &/or federal action.)
• The city needs to commit to creating and implementing a Climate Crisis Action Plan by a
specified date (via a City Council resolution). The city needs a science-informed city councilor or high-level staff member to swiftly and effectively lead this effort. (True municipal sustainability has fiscal AND environmental components.)
• We need clarification from the city’s lawyer regarding what motivational actions (i.e., incentives or penalties) the city’s charter allows. Examples: requiring solar on all new buildings, capping
natural gas usage in the city, assessing city fees on (or encouraging carbon offsets for) inefficient vehicles (of higher-income residents), offering e-car and e-bicycle incentives.
• Carbon emissions must be driven out of transportation, businesses (including those that don’t own their buildings) and residences. Potential tools: high-level advocacy, relevant data, reminders of the important resulting benefits of increasing profits AND being responsible
citizens, publicizing the costs and benefits of effective action, making clear the expected toll of inadequate action on children’s futures, and clarifying action steps to take.
• In preparation for our November meeting, each member will:
> Review what a climate crisis action plan looks like by reviewing Burlington’s, Montpelier’s, and one or more from California.
> Explore the ICLEI and VLCT website resources for climate plan frameworks and big ideas. Adjournment After starting at approximately 6:35 p.m., the meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
Next Meeting Thursday, November 14, in the South Burlington Police Station’s 2nd floor conference room at 19 Gregory Drive (middle entrance).
South Burlington Energy Committee
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.SouthBurlingtonVT.gov
facebook.com/SouthBurlington