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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCFE agenda 111119AGENDA Orange County Commission for the Environment November 11, 2019 7:30 p.m. Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill Time Item Title 7:30 I. Call to Order 7:32 II. Additions or Changes to Agenda 7:34 III. Approval of Draft Minutes- August 12 & September 9, 2019 The CFE will consider approval of minutes from last two meetings. Action needed (Attachment 1&2) 7:35 IV. OWASA Forest Management ¾Hirni will introduce Ruth Rouse, who will present materials on OWASA’s incremental approach ¾Focus is on High Priority Areas and Seven Guiding Principles for Forest Management 7:50 V. Natural Heritage Areas Inventory- Update ¾Potential update to the 2004 Inventory is being discussed by interested parties. 8:00 VI. Project Scoring for ¼ cent Climate Mitigation Tax ¾Bouma will present the rubric for rating projects ¾Commission will rank projects at individual level before voting. Action Needed (Att. 3) 8:40 VII. State of Environment Report- Update 8:50 VIII. ¾SOE Progress Report from County staff and editorial committee ¾December 4th Coordinated Environmental Summit Annual Report and Work Plan- Update ¾The CFE will need to begin planning for the annual report, to be completed in December. (Att. 4) 8:55 IX. Other Updates and Information Items Staff and/or CFE members will provide updates on the following items: ¾Climate Council (Bouma will provide an update on formation of this group and its second meeting.) ¾Orange County Forest Management Policy Draft - Update ¾Any other new information from CFE members and staff 9:00 X. Adjournment -Next Meeting November 11 at West Campus Office Building, Room 302, 131 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough CFE Activities – 2019 Item Resp. Party Next Steps SOE approved draft Exec. Editors Executive editing group plans to circulate approved draft for review and comment by appropriate county staff and management. SOE website B. Saul Others Collect images SOE event C. Fletcher L. Gronback December 4th planned event date in partnership with Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Group. Fast Facts for a Greener Orange for County newsletter K. Piracci B. Bouma Continue to find source(s). Send any new ideas to Brennan via email. OWASA Forest Mgmt Incremental Approach C. Hirni J. EImers Approved by OWASA Board 10/2/2019 https://www.owasa.org/forest-management Forest Management Policy Land Resources Land Resources has prepared draft. Pending CFE review and comment. Rural Buffer Research Project B. Saul B. Bouma In Progress, focus is on comparative measurements of sprawl Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory B. Ward B. Bouma Moving forward on final calculations Fossil Fuel Divestment Resolution B. Ward Parry editing. CFE review. Carbon Fee and Dividend Resolution Ward/Parry Draft resolution attached for CFE review. Web site for bill: https://energyinnovationact.org/ Climate Action Plan Parry/Bouma To begin after GHG inventory complete Idling Campaign B. Bouma Received signs, need to deliver to schools. Sent a draft cover letter to schools for their use. Discuss expansion to drive-thru establishments. Landscape corridor planning Request Presentation from Collaborative Conservation Group for December Other x Recent Achievements Ɣ BOCC unanimously passed “Best Practices on Roadsides and Rights-of-Way” resolution CFE Meeting Ground Rules (Adopted 9/12/11) 1. Keep to agenda topic under discussion 2. Share relevant information 3. One person speaks at a time after recognition by the Chair 4. Everyone is invited to participate in discussions/no one person should dominate discussions 5. Strive to reach consensus first before voting Orange County Commission for the Environment Meeting Summary August 12, 2019; 7:30 pm West Campus Office Building, Room 302, 131 West Margaret Lane, Hillsborough Present: Bradley Saul (Chair), Carrie Fletcher, Bill Ward, Jim Eichel, Laura Doherty, Lynne Gronback, Kim Piracci, Jeremy Marzuola Absent: Jody Eimers, Alan Parry, Matt Crook, William Newby Staff: David Stancil, Brennan Bouma I. Call to Order – Saul called the meeting to order at 7:30. II. Additions or Changes to Agenda – No additions or changes to the agenda were requested. III. Approval of Draft Minutes from August 12 th, 2019 – IV. Coordinated Environmental Summit – Update The CFE will review planning for this joint event, which includes the State of the Environment 2019, for this fall. V. State of Environment (SOE) Report Edits x During the course of the meeting, the State of the Environment Edits section created a detailed and productive discussion that began to spill over into the planned update discussion on the County’s Planning and Development Process. At that point the Chair asked CFE member if they would like to continue with the edits discussion and postpone the remainder of the topics on the agenda for later discussion. The CFE members unanimously agreed and the remainder of the meeting was used to complete edits and comments on the State of the Environment report. x As a single group, the CFE discussed and completed final edits and comments to the draft pages of the Lands section of the 2019 State of the Environment Report. Two remaining sections on Air/Energy and Water remained to be edited at a later meeting. Plans were made to hold an additional meeting for the sole purpose of completing these edits and staff was tasked with identifying the date and location. VI. Adjournment- Saul adjourned the meeting at 9:10 following the unanimous approval of a motion to adjourn the meeting which was offered by Piracci and seconded by Gronback. $WWDFKPHQW Orange County Commission for the Environment Meeting Summary September 9, 2019; 7:30 pm Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill Present: Bradley Saul (Chair), Carrie Fletcher, Bill Ward, Jim Eichel, Laura Doherty, Lynne Gronback, Kim Piracci Absent: Jody Eimers, Alan Parry, Matt Crook, William Newby, Jeremy Marzuola Staff: David Stancil, Christian Hirni, Brennan Bouma I. Call to Order –Saul called the meeting to order at 7:35. II. Additions or Changes to Agenda –No additions or changes to the agenda were requested. III. Approval of Draft Minutes from August 12 th, 2019 –Stancil noted that due to lack of staff at the August meeting, minutes will be drafted for the August 12th and September 9th meetings concurrently and approved at October 14th meeting. IV. State of Environment (SOE) Approval of Content a. Bouma began the meeting with the caveat that the commission would not be conducting an additional detailed review of the entire SOE report, as prior meetings (including the special meeting on August 27) have done a thorough review. Instead he proposed to focus on and discuss the “Watershed” section as significant additions had been made and then move onto the approval of the SOE document pending editorial committee review. b. Bouma presented the current Watershed indicator pages with up to date edits and the further inclusion of an E.P.A. “Watershed Vulnerability Index” map and information. c. The discussion concluded with a recommendation for 1) more definitive language on Water Quality and Ecosystem Health comparisons, 2) watershed law and protective regulations, and 3) comparisons with neighboring Triangle counties, etc., . x Motion to approve the 2019 SOE report pending further review and communication by the editorial committee was made by Pirraci, seconded by Doherty; All in favor, none opposed, motion passed. d. CFE members agreed to include Jodi Eimers on editorial committee if she desires. V. State of the Environment Event a. Discussion of event conflict with a statewide SELC’s Transportation and Climate Change meeting on the same date as the Environmental Summit (November 22nd), which may limit the participation of County Commissioners and other $WWDFKPHQW Orange County Commission for the Environment Meeting Summary September 9, 2019; 7:30 pm Southern Human Services Center, 2501 Homestead Road, Chapel Hill stakeholders in our event. The event’s co-sponsors are actively discussing changing the date. Proposal to check on availability of other dates, particularly the first week of December (2nd-6th) for a rescheduled Environment Summit. No motion to reschedule as of yet, pending further discussion. VI. Planning and Development Process –Update a. Bouma presented information on the Planning Department conversations and efforts to coordinate with staff on environmental concerns. Bouma summarized the sustainability initiatives and environmental program elements that Planning provided previously. Discussion of the flood plain mapping program and which flood plain maps the planning department has adopted. Sol Smart program policy review and clarification. Bike share program planning. Stream buffer rules and other ordinances regarding mandatory vegetative buffers were also discussed. VII. State Climate Change Initiative and Electric Vehicles- Update a. Bouma and Ward discussed Executive Order 80, or State Climate Action Plan. Some good elements. Discussion of “hole” in plan for natural gas dependence reduction. VIII. Adjournment- Saul adjourned the meeting at 9:05 following the unanimous approval of a motion to adjourn the meeting which was offered by Piracci and seconded by Gronback. $WWDFKPHQW Asset Management Services P.O. Box 8181 * Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Telephone: 919 245-2625 Fax: 919-644-3001 Introduction: Even with a decades-long history of sustainability projects, the Board of Orange County Commissioners (BOCC) recognize the need for further investment in: 1.) Energy efficiency to reduce the County’s footprint; 2.) Renewable energy to power the necessary services we provide, and; 3.) Emissions offsets for any remaining impacts. Many current climate change mitigation projects will extend into the future, and entirely new opportunities will arise as well. With that in mind, on June 11th, 2019, the Board levied an additional ¼ cent property tax to provide an estimated $470,000 to dedicate to accelerating climate change mitigation through the new Climate Change Mitigation Project in the Capital Investment Plan. A climate action plan is currently under development which will engage the community in helping to prioritize climate change mitigation and resilience projects in future fiscal years. For FY 20, while the climate action plan is being developed, staff has prepared the following options for consideration by the BOCC. The BOCC has requested that the CFE provide their feedback on initial project ideas in advance of BOCC review. When considering investments in sustainability the BOCC has emphasized the need to consider racial equity first, so that those who benefit most directly from the proposed action are the people who most need assistance. A scoring formula has been created to assess project ideas and a scoring rubric reflecting that formula is below. Assessment Criteria: Projects are to be assessed based on 6 key criteria. Bullet points below each criterion help to describe how they should be applied but other relevant information and reasoning can be used as well. x Racial Equity (0 to 3pts): x The most recent census figures show that Orange County has an overall racial makeup of: Race and Hispanic Origin – Census Quick Facts 2018 White alone, percent 76.60% Black or African American alone, percent 11.80% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent 0.60% Asian alone, percent 8.30% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent 0.10% Hispanic or Latino, percent 8.60% x Who benefits most directly? If it is likely to be a racial minority, score high. $WWDFKPHQW x Are there negative side effects of the project? If it is likely to impact a racial minority, score low. x Emissions reduced (0 to 2 pts): x Consider quantity and location. x Higher scores should go to emissions reduced within Orange County, instead of at a power plant, due to greater health co-benefits. x Efficient use of Funds (0 to 2 pts): x What is the return on investment? x Does this project build on successful existing programs or leverage other funding? x Will this project help to generate other funds or support future grant funding? x Time to complete (0 to 1 pt): x Projects that can be completed or show clear deliverables within one year should score higher. x Ease of understanding, visibility, and messaging (0 to 1 pt): x Projects that are easier to explain to Orange County taxpayers should score higher. x Likelihood of success (0 to 1 pt): x Projects that are within the direct control of the County and which have minimal complexity should score higher. Project Scoring Table: Project Cost Estimate Racial Equity (0 to 3 pts) Emissions Reduced (0 to 2 pts) Efficient use of Funds (0 to 2 pts) Time to Complete (0 to 1 pt): Ease of understand ing and messaging (0 to 1 pt): Likelihood of success (0 to 1 pt): Total Rank* Supplemental Weatherization for Low Income Households $150,000 Rooftop solar - OCS $160,000 Rooftop solar - CHCCS $160,000 Small hydropower feasibility study $30,000 Total (Max for 2019-20 is $470,000) $500,000 *All projects, including those that tie in their scoring and those that exceed the FY20 funding limit will be placed in rank order by CFE voting. Project descriptions: $WWDFKPHQW Supplemental Weatherization for Low Income Households: This funding was identified to help supplement energy efficiency upgrades already being completed each year by the Orange County Housing and Community Development department for low-income households by their comprehensive home repair program. This would provide resources to purchase energy star-rated replacement windows, and appliances when needed, and to increase the energy efficiency performance of any replacement HVAC system. These improvements lower the climate change impact of these houses while increasing their monthly affordability by lowering energy bills. Rooftop Solar: Adding solar to the rooftop of County school buildings would allow the County to leverage up to $75,000 in solar incentives per project from Duke Energy. Adding solar to the schools would provide the additional benefit of exposing hundreds of Orange County students and parents to the practical application of sustainable technologies. These funds may be leveraged to install larger solar arrays with better lifetime impacts through a newly available solar leasing option. Small hydropower feasibility study: According to County engineer, Chris Sandt, Lake Orange may be a good candidate for the installation of a small hydropower generator. The upcoming spillway repair project funded in the CIP may be a good opportunity to install this equipment. A 3rd party engineering study would help to confirm the feasibility of this project. Other projects that might be considered for future funding: x LED retrofits x Existing Building Commissioning/Energy Audits x Assisting OWASA in the development of a biodigester to make productive use of waste gases at their water treatment plant. x Investments in resiliency for vulnerable communities x Energy Efficiency Grant Program x Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund $WWDFKPHQW NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION_____________________________________ Report Period__________________________________ ORANGE COUNTY ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ANNUAL REPORT/ WORK PLAN FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS The Board of Commissioners appreciates the dedication of all the volunteers on their boards and commissions and welcomes input from various advisory boards and commissions throughout the year. Please complete the following information, limited to the front and back of this form. Other background materials may be provided as a supplement to, but not as a substitute for, this form. Board/Commission Name: Person to address the BOCC at work session- if applicable- and contact information: Primary County Staff Contact: How many times per month does this board/commission meet, including any special meetings and sub-committee meetings? Brief Statement of Board/Commission’s Assigned Charge and Responsibilities. What are your Board/Commission’s most important accomplishments? $WWDFKPHQW List of Specific Tasks, Events, or Functions Performed or Sponsored Annually. Describe this board/commission’s activities/accomplishments in carrying out BOCC goal(s)/priorities, if applicable. Describe the collaboration relationship(s) this particular board has with other advisory boards and commissions? If your board/commission played the role of an Element Lead Advisory Board involved in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan preparation process, please indicate your board’s activities/accomplishments as they may relate to the Comprehensive Plan’s goals or objectives. (The Element Lead Advisory Boards include: Planning Board, EDC, OUTBoard, Commission for the Environment, Historic Preservation Commission, Agriculture Preservation Board, Affordable Housing Board, Recreation and Parks Advisory Council) Identify any activities this board/commission expects to carry out in 2020 as they relate to established BOCC goals and priorities. If applicable, is there a fiscal impact (i.e., funding, staff time, other resources) associated with these proposed activities (please list). $WWDFKPHQW What are the concerns or emerging issues your board has identified for the upcoming year that it plans to address, or wishes to bring to the Commissioners’ attention? $WWDFKPHQW