HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFE minutes 060815
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Orange County
Commission for the Environment
Meeting Summary
June 8, 2015
Orange County Solid Waste Administration, Chapel Hill
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PRESENT: Jan Sassaman (Chair), May Becker, Tom Eisenhart, Loren Hintz, Rebecca Ray,
Gary Saunders, Lydia Wegman, David Welch
ABSENT: Peter Cada, Lynne Gronback, David Neal, Bill Newby, Jeanette O’Connor, Sheila
Thomas-Ambat
STAFF: Brennan Bouma, Tom Davis, Rich Shaw
GUESTS: Terri Buckner, Ed Kerwin (Orange Water and Sewer Authority)
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I. Call to Order – Sassaman called the meeting to order at 7:37 pm.
II. Ad ditions or Changes to Agenda – Shaw asked to present information about
Blackwood Farm Park. Sassaman said he could add that to the updates.
III. Minutes – Hintz asked for a correction on page 2; noting that he withdrew his motion
pertaining to the proposed rule change for impervious surfaces. Wegman motioned to
approve the May 11 minutes as amended; seconded by Welch. Approved unanimously.
IV. OWASA’s Energy Management Plan – Terri Buckner, a member of the Orange Water
and Sewer Authority (OWASA) board of directors, reported that OWASA is developing
an energy management plan for its water, wastewater, and reclaimed water utility
operations. She was accompanied by Ed Kerwin, OWASA Executive Director.
Buckner asked if the CFE might be interested in collaborating with OWASA, the schools,
and the towns in a forum discussion of energy management.
CFE members asked questions and responded to the proposal. The following issues
were among those discussed:
Greenhouse gas emissions inventory and methane production
An inventory of energy use by OWASA, County government, and other entities
Town of Carrboro recently completed an update of its greenhouse gas emissions
The CFE’s previous collaboration with the Chapel Hill Sustainability Committee
on a community forum about solid waste in Orange County
EPA’s BENmap database contains air quality data for Orange County
Local sources of energy include electric (Duke), natural gas (PSNC), and solar
Hintz said a community forum on energy management would be opportunity to share
information, to evaluate our collective approach toward managing and conserving
energy consumption, and to chart a course for the future.
CFE members asked Buckner how such a forum might be structured. Buckner said each
entity would be asked to discuss its approach for managing energy use and present its
outcomes and future objectives. She would like the CFE and other entities to decide
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whether they are interested in pursuing this idea, and if so, she would assemble
representatives who would develop the scope, the goals and objectives, and the format
of a potential community forum. Buckner said she also plans to meet with the Town of
Carrboro, the University of North Carolina, and others to ask for their participation.
The consensus of CFE members was that the CFE is interested in collaborating with
OWASA and other entities in a proposed forum discussion of energy management.
Wegman pointed out the CFE’s Air and Energy Resources Committee may be
particularly interested in this initiative. Saunders offered to serve as a representative
from the CFE to work with Buckner and others to develop a potential plan for this forum.
CFE members agreed to have Saunders represent the CFE in developing a plan.
The CFE thanked Buckner for bringing this matter to its attention. Sassaman asked that
this matter be placed on the August CFE agenda for an update and further discussion.
V. 2016 Orange County Bond Package – Wegman presented a draft memo to the BOCC
for CFE consideration. She reminded CFE members the BOCC has proposed a $125
million bond referendum in fall 2016, and all funds would be allocated for the schools.
The draft memo asks the BOCC to reconsider including other kinds of projects in the
bond package, including funding for parks and open space.
Hintz noted some members of the BOCC would like to revisit this decision and it would
be helpful if advisory boards requested further consideration of the bond package. He
suggested funding for affordable housing is another issue that ought to be considered for
inclusion. Hintz asked if funding for parks and open space could be used to acquire
conservation easements. Shaw said that it could if worded as such in the bond
language. Hintz suggested adding language in support of conservation easement
funding in the draft memorandum.
Hintz motioned to approve sending the proposed memorandum asking the BOCC to
reopen the process for determining the contents of the proposed 2016 bond referendum
with the inclusion of language in support of funding for conservation easements. Ray
seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Sassaman asked Shaw to revise the
memo and send to him and Wegman for final review and approval.
VI. Green Building Incentives – Sassaman noted that Neal had asked that this item be
placed to the agenda for the CFE to continue its discussion of potential incentives for
energy-efficient construction, but Neal could not attend this evening’s meeting.
Shaw reminded CFE members this item follows the April presentation of Chapel Hill’s
pilot program of providing incentives for “green building” in the Ephesus-Fordham
district. He said town staff researched incentive programs in other jurisdictions and will
re-assess the benefits and costs of this pilot program after the first couple of years.
Hintz suggested this effort has social justice implications, noting that installing energy-
saving features in more affordable homes and residential buildings could reduce utility
costs for lower-income homeowners and residents. Wegman said she looks forward to
hearing the results of this Chapel Hill pilot program; however she believes a similar
program could be a “hard sell” for the county’s unincorporated areas.
Hintz motioned to table further discussion until Neal and others could participate at the
next meeting. Saunders seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.
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VII. Updates and Information Items – Information on the following subjects was provided in
the meeting package; selected items were discussed: a) CFE comments on draft
changes to impervious surface rules, b) herbicide used to control hydrilla in the Eno
River, c) electric vehicle fast charger station installed in Hillsborough, d) electric vehicle
workshop (June 18), e) a CFE news article (Why Plant Natives?), f) What we can do to
protect bees, g) fracking having a difficult start in NC, h) a second solar array planned for
White Cross community, i) NC Forest Service in Orange County – 2014 Annual Report,
j) Court denies challenges to EPA's ozone designations, and k) Duke Forest stewardship
and sustainability tour (June 27).
Shaw reported that he sent the CFE comments on the proposed impervious surface rule
change to Michael Harvey in the Planning and Inspections Department. Eleven CFE
members had voted in favor of the comments via email; there were no objections.
Bouma reported that the Chapel Hill Environmental Stewardship Advisory Board is
developing a proposed Green Restaurant Challenge and may want to collaborate with
the CFE. He said he could contact a member of the board to see whether they would
like to present the idea to the CFE. CFE members agreed with that.
Bouma suggested that in addition to sending memoranda to the BOCC it might be
helpful if a CFE representative addressed the BOCC during the public comment portion
of its meeting agenda. Wegman offered to attend the June 16 meeting to call BOCC
members attention to the CFE memorandum pertaining to the 2016 bond package. CFE
members agreed and thanked Wegman for doing that.
VIII. Adjournment – Sassaman adjourned at approximately 9:02 pm.
Summary by Rich Shaw, DEAPR Staff