November 4, 2020 — Environmental Advisory Board Regular Meeting

Transcript

Captions from City of Boulder YouTube recording.

[0:01] And The meeting is being recorded. Okay, great. Thank you. Alright, Justin, take it away. Guess, welcome everyone to the November meeting of the environmental advisory board. The pace to Approval of the minutes from our last meeting is the first agenda. The agenda. To approve. Second that. So, Hearing no objections. Can move on. So I think The motion. Mike, my second day by Justin. Thank you.

[1:00] Um, I guess. Our first agenda is a brief discussion of the election results. I assume this is related to Boulder, the city of Boulder. Yeah, I, I just anticipated that we might have some sense of the The important to C to D ballot initiatives which I think we do. I haven't seen the update Yeah, I was just gonna pull up the most updated. I haven't looked at the results, since this morning. I assume that they're still on track that pass or at least the franchise agreement is Hanging on last time I looked, which wasn't that long ago. Did the margins close significantly Let's see here. I don't think Changed up On official election results. That's what I want. To make it easy to find. Its way down.

[2:01] Let's see. I guess as a 54 Looks like they just updated it Looks like yeah so to see is currently up 53 to 46 and Judy is also by about the same amount You know, like a point more Yeah, it's about what it's been trending. So I what I wanted to say. Given this, is that what we anticipate happening is that over the next six weeks or so. The city will be going through kind of rapid planning process for how we're going to implement this. Coordination of a settlement agreement there will almost certainly be a new unit staff unit created to coordinate the relatively significant amount of energy related work that was anticipated. If the settlement agreement passed, and that includes a lot of very interesting things from

[3:16] Starting to move the underground thing which has been installed, since we had not signed our franchise agreement to a lot of other Related efforts both distributed generation and resilience work and so on. So, there will be some significant staffing decisions that will be made by the city over the next two months. This will probably result in Distinct units like the climate initiatives department will now be we anticipate it will be a distinct entity from the municipal ization effort which has been kind of blended together for the last Gosh, quite a while. So, so I think this is all potentially kind of exciting news in the sense that it will finally give us a kind of clear sense of how we're going to proceed and what our leadership structure is going to be in so on so

[4:09] I guess anticipate hearing a lot more about that early in the coming year. So I guess that's mostly what I wanted to say is some things will happen. Because of this, we don't know exactly what they are the timeframe for your knowing that it's going to be early January, February, think We are why the way already trying to get on Council's agenda for a discussion of our climate action plan our internal effort is to come up with a kind of interim New climate action strategy, if you will, we had you know that you know we've been trying to launch a much more robust community engagement process called the climate mobilization action plan. And because we have not been able to do as much community engagement, for all the reasons you know we've decided what we want to do is come up with kind of an interim

[5:02] Plan sort of almost like a one to two year guiding document to kind of give the community, a sense of how we're going to Be acting during this period of time that we're in the kind of covert situation. So that so I'm sure that you'll be quite engaged by the discussions of how we're going to frame that Document and that discussion for Council, I think we're not likely to get in front of them until May, so I know we'll have plenty of time for discussion of that. So anyway, that was the reason I wanted to put that particular topic on the agenda, Justin. Yeah, thanks. I really appreciate the update and I guess I know folks have any questions for Brett, Susan. I have a question. Does that mean we're going to change the communities Climate Action goals because right now we say 100% renewable energy by 2030 and now we're only going to have 80% Well, Yes, it does mean that we're going to be changing our goals in part because our

[6:03] Goal is actually now outdated to the state's own goal. And so there will be some updating of the goals. I think one of the questions that we haven't really resolved internally is how How far can we go in that kind of a goal revision process without sort of robust community engagement. And so I think it may be that we start framing up what we think those goals should be without proposing that they are those sort of final goals. But yes, I think. I mean, there are there are other ways to get there, Susan, besides the Muni. And I think that's part of what will be laying out Yeah, there are other ways to get there besides the Muni, but if we're changing where there is. That's pretty significant and I said that to me if we're in a climate emergency, but the next time we're going to talk to camp counselor about it is may that doesn't really sound like an emergency to me.

[7:05] Well, there are a lot of emergencies. And so we're trying to balance those. I mean, it's not as though we've stopped doing our work inside the department. And I think part of what we're trying to do also is Survey what the best available options are. Because again, And I think this is something if If you I actually have now several times gone back to the memo that we wrote last July, because I think it is so formative to the discussions that we're having Because one of the things that we said is, it's no longer sufficient for us to simply set a goal for the community because are achieving a goal within our community that doesn't translate And isn't scalable and replicable and other communities isn't necessarily that useful if our real objective is climate stabilization. So I think that what we're looking for is what is the city's role. That contributes to changing systems globally. And I think that's a much bigger question than just how do we hit a certain emissions target within our own boundaries.

[8:09] Brett just Comments here on that all renewable has the same beneficial consequence for the environment and I know our board hasn't talked about it. It does require a little bit of getting into the weeds. There are certain renewables that have a better long term effect on the environment, if you will, or less of an impact than others solar is problematic. We swap out one environmental crisis for another in the long term, we went full sorter we would be having an earth crisis in terms of rare earth elements and the Degradation done on the landscape to find those elements dig them out of the ground is almost as bad as digging out Gold for mines. It really is an ugly process and then they don't recycle very well. And when does a superior source course hydro is the best probably so you know in some of course there's I I see

[9:06] Your Own issues. As own issues. And of course, there's always nuclear war has its own issues. But we haven't talked about this is probably something that the board should have on the agenda so homework assignment, to be sure, but it's something we shouldn't just say Bringing emissions down from all manners of sources are all equal, they really aren't. And we need to be a little bit more aware of this. Yeah, I think that would be a an interesting and fruitful conversation to have, I think, Council is going to certainly I think be interested in hearing the perspectives from a variety of different sources on that as it starts to consider what our next approach should be That's something that a board. I think should provide a

[10:00] Opinion upon, if you will, a statement upon. I mean, it's only this board. I think it would provide that kind of dial have that kind of dialogue. And conversation. Yeah, I think that's right. I don't think there is another board in the city that would be looking at the sort of life cycle analysis of carbon benefits from the different pathways that we might choose Yeah, interesting conversation. I think I'd rather than the city. Move and maybe Heidi for our notes, that's a topic that we could build into the next conversation about our climate action plan to have with the EB. And I'll have a better sense of when I think we want to try to schedule that By late this year. Again, this is all sort of wrapped up in all these different shifts that are going to happen because of the vote today.

[11:08] Today, yeah yesterday. Okay. Is there anything else to talk about. Just, it seems like it's mostly. Stay tuned. Which makes sense, given that the Sure the city's still trying to figure out their path forward here. All right. Um, what is I guess next would be falling up Because Miriam impressed discussions with Boulder County and some other folks you talking to you. So you said something around Miriam is that we look at that. Or is this more of just a discussion. That thing I said was

[12:02] Our last meeting that memory. I did you see And You're like cutting in and out. Hello. So hold on. That's much better. You can hear me now. Okay. Um, The, the document I sent was in was the document that I said that I would provide that was a statement we were going to provide to the city. About basically the presentation that was presented last time we met and some thoughts that we had moving forward with that and it actually isn't related to the conversation that Brett and I had with the county, but it's sort of related, I guess, I don't know. Right. Yeah, just misinterpreting the agenda item.

[13:00] To myself feels like a lifetime. Right. Now, Takeaways so thank you for taking the lead on that. Yeah, I just wanted to make sure we had a chance to follow up on What I think was a very productive process that Miriam has essentially initiated. Around all this, so I thought maybe Miriam, we could just give folks a little bit of an update about the meeting that you and I sat in on Maybe if you want to start. I could I could do a little follow up from that. Okay, sure. And so we ended up having a couple of meetings with County and first to kind of introduce the same presentation that you guys were given about our thoughts are my thoughts. I guess on You know the severity of the impacts associated with smoke and and how we are, how we believe that this needs to be dealt with for the city and the county and

[14:09] After that initial meeting we had a second meeting and it was sort of around, you know, funding mechanisms and that kind of thing, but The conversation actually turned toward this is a great idea. Let's talk about dealing with this on a regional Basis and talking to other local cities and talking to Fort Collins about what they are doing and how we can, you know, work with them and as Some of the other disabilities as well. So yeah, it sounded like a good start of a conversation for the county and to kind of get something going with everybody. Yeah, just to provide a little context to this. I remember us Starting to have a conversation with the county about air quality monitoring this is five or six years ago and

[15:09] And I think it'd be fair to say that they were pretty clearly protective of that being their space and they're monitoring systems being the kind of gold standard that we shouldn't be confusing. By potentially bringing in any of these kind of private sector third party monitoring pieces which could potentially mislead people because they weren't necessarily well calibrated and So it really kind of squashed. In a sense, any, any real move to bring forward alternative data. So that's kind of what that was. A number of years ago. And so I thought it was really productive. First of all, there's been a leadership change in that department, the county. Secondly, the technology systems have changed. Like this purple air piece. It's just out there. It's not like you could stop it from being out there.

[16:06] It's Out there, generating information. But I think that there's also frankly what I feel like I've seen an eye. If you didn't see this, I'd be really welcoming of your views, but I think that there was a real openness on the part of the county of saying, you know, you're right. So our systems are sort of arcane, the way we're leveraging this stuff isn't accessible on it isn't the best we've been really preoccupied with other things we see that there's some deficiencies here. We do feel like there's there's a need to improve this and sort of like, well, how do we go about doing this. And I think that that's in part where There was also this recognition that this is there's a whole bunch of new issues that have emerged, like the wildfire stuff that's Now obviously going to be much more dramatic than people probably anticipated the mean we've got to take kind of a bigger approach to this so So the next step is this, I think, going to be some kind of a gathering of regional air quality folks to talk through all the kinds of issues that Miriam essentially raised

[17:05] So I think that it is productive. My question to you, Miriam is where whether you It's sort of like it's now it a little bit kind of went back into the public sectors court, like, okay, you guys and all of your public jurisdictions get together and talk this through and hopefully you'll get it better this time. That's how it felt at the end of it. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. Like there's That there's anything that we should be trying to do, or any sort of framing or formatting for these next conversations that would enhance the likelihood that you know the kinds of issues that you raised will get addressed. I mean that's that's a hard question. And I felt like COUNTY, IN PARTICULAR IS VERY still very Um, focused in one direction and how they want to approach monitoring and

[18:02] The best use of their resources is obviously in their opinion going to universities and I think that there's a much larger world of information out there than they are currently accessing and they could be brought to What my hope is, is that in there talking to some of the other cities and what they're doing. They will understand that there is a lot more out there that they could be doing and and more resources available to them. Well, yes, so thank you think that makes a lot of sense that we do keep track of that. One one follow up that I wanted to share with you is that I got an email late Monday from Cindy Copeland from the county And she said that they had met with the fort collins folks so Miriam. It also brought forward this EPA air quality and wildfires grant opportunity and Fort Collins is we know like they're moving on all this stuff.

[19:14] And so they were already well down the road of putting together. A consortium to pursue that EPA grant, but apparently in this conversation that was had they're quite interested in having the county and possibly the city participate in that. State. So I think that looks positive and maybe Miriam. One of the ways you've been a real champion, to be honest, on this topic and I hope you don't Step back from your continuing to push us in that way. I think it's been very productive. I think that this wildfire and air quality and climate change nexus is a really Fruitful place for us to continue to

[20:04] assert the value of our participating Okay. And so What that looks like I don't quite know but maybe what I'll do is I'll respond to Cindy and I'll copy you and so that you can keep track of that and maybe look for the ways that You, we can continue to be involved in that discussion of how that emerges. Because clearly, we know that the wildfire air quality climate change problem that we're going to face is going to not only continue to be there, but get worse. Absolutely. So, So, Yeah, I'm happy to participate. I just, I don't I don't know how much I can't you know i don't i don't it's, there's definitely a Public Sector line that I feel like I'm crossing Well, Accepted. Now we're into this context of people pursuing grants. And so, and this will not be shouldn't be the only

[21:06] Opportunity for us to pursue resources to explore ways to respond to this issue right so I think that there's there, whether it's this opportunity or others, I think. There's just so much work that needs to be done in this sector so I guess mostly what I'm saying. And I really want to essentially for this board is this is a really good example of an EB member flagging an issue that they have an expertise in a concern about bring it forward. And I think really moving a broader conversation forward as a consequence. So first, thank you and I. If you're interested, I'll keep making sure that you're looped into these discussion. Sure. No, I'm super excited that county is is receptive and that something's happening. Yeah. I wanted to

[22:00] jump in for a sec, guys. Yeah. Yeah, there was, I meant to send me the last week, but there is recently a National Academy of Sciences symposiums workshop on wildland fires and air quality, and with a lot of experts speakers in Colorado. And they've recorded all the talks and workshops sessions. They're available. So I bookmarked it and the agenda is really cool. I think you guys would like it's all just email that to everyone, but I think I checked out some of the sessions and they're really good. So Thank you. That's great. And the other thing I was thinking about a lot during this fire thing too is, you know, like the availability of the Information for like citizens, you know, I'm thinking about, like, looking for a website. We looked at some of them and like it's kind of hard to dive into our website, but Like since I don't know if anyone else has noticed that, like, since the last version of iOS, like the air AQ eyes right there under the weather on your phone app for boulder. And so it's like It. I didn't know some other NASA like throughout that whole season. I was like, I don't even know if there was a website anymore if I'd ever go to it because it's like, right on my phone and the apple weather app. Now if you just scroll down below. Right. It's like right there. Right.

[23:11] Yeah right at the bottom of the. Yeah. Yeah. So I wonder, I was thinking about that, like, how much time would we want to as a city invest into like a fancy, fancy website if everyone's gonna have it under Five. Sure, I'd ever go to it. We should encourage everyone in Boulder to get an apple and i and i phone iPhone. The iPhone or any it's on any for any any Android, it's just like in the weather apps you can download now. So, You know, you know, my one thing that struck me in in our experience. Personally, I mean, and I'm sure this was true for many other people certain friends of mine, the way they kept on on top of the fires that were occurring was visuals. This would be cameras that were often people taking photos or on your iPhones taking videos, we had some photos from people were flying in that we're taking

[24:04] Their a helicopter. I mean, the visual aspect, not a quantification of PM 2.5 or anything like that, or any but just being able to see And I can. I have been working a little bit here. Well, we've been talking. I'm very document I call an eye in the sky. And that is having a simple camera system that is sitting on the highest buildings in Boulder looking west to the foothills North and South. So that they a resident can see the visibility and appreciate the layer of from their own subjective view, you know, oh yeah, it's pretty hazy. And they can maybe see a plume or they can see even the night. You can see red flares, if there's a fire. So it's sort of like the old school thing of, you know, why did we used to have forts in the forest as observation sites, you know, the Forest Service to be able to warn observe and Warren have a fire in the distance. A single camera monitoring system that sits in Boulder looking west it westward view i in the sky would actually be a pretty reasonable thing to have up that's easily accessible and

[25:02] easily understood by any person that doesn't involve science in any particular way. It's that visibility monitoring system. Yeah, there's actually a group in California, its associated with Argonne National Lab and so many universities in California. That's establishing that work like that they've also Implemented edge computing on the cameras that will actually seek out and like machine learning and find fires without human interaction and look for plumes and just like Wow, and automated alerts. Pretty cool. Yeah. I think that this is a really interesting discussion and maybe one that we should think about returning to because my my invitation to all of you is to think about Where are the gaps that we're not either recognizing or addressing in either information or knowledge and so

[26:01] Maybe this is where we could leave it for now. But I do want to come back to this because each of you has You are selected for the AB because you bring real expertise from various different advantages and that several of you are either in professional societies or academic and research societies. So, because I think that's one of the services that you could provide to the city is to say, okay, we've now like Miriam you've essentially initiated an engagement with this part of the public infrastructure that's supposed to be responsible for this piece. And in that engagement. We're going to see both how it responds and were both it sees or we see issues or gaps in that system. That need to be addressed, especially if we think not just about today, but we think about based, of course, a lot on what you guys know about what's coming, where it's going to be so.

[27:00] Maybe we'll plan to put this topic back on the agenda in January and and have a conversation about like where next in this And so, and I think you might think it's all good. Don't remember it for later conversation on our letter to counsel. I mean, I think some of This is a issue that Yes, is worth highlighting and that Yeah, thank you. Justin and maybe this will be my last statement about this because of what you just said that Marty, you, you actually on the other side of this were among the first to really say, look, we have to be thinking about air quality in the context of climate change and how that's going to be changing. And I think that you and several others in this board might have unique access to some of the climate modeling that would give us some insights about that. Because it's one thing to just say, yeah, it's probably going to get worse. And it's another thing to say, well, actually, the climate science models are saying this about what's likely to happen like I remember vividly when we did the

[28:04] Climate Action Planning process in 20 1415 that the National Academy of Sciences study came out and it had a map of this region, and it showed that the likelihood of wildfire was supposed to increase by 600% in the zone that we were in We were like, oh, that that must be an area that couldn't possibly be, well, you know, here we are, you know, that science was probably pretty dead on. Okay, so I'll let I'll let that one go, but thank you and Miriam again thanks for your leadership on this issue. Now just toss those links. I'm in the link to the Academy, the symposium, and the HP ran into the chat for everyone. I can email them around later, too. That's great. Like Heidi, can we make sure we capture those links into the notes. Okay. Thanks so much. exciting and very timely. Yeah.

[29:00] All right, let's move on to the biggest cities or counties or not. So these are proposals from the city of Boulder County for funding correct Brett. Yes. And I know these we've had similar things before us before. So maybe I'll pass it to you. Tell us what you're looking for and might be helpful if you could briefly walk through the two proposals. Yes, so for quite a long time, at least as long as I've been at the city. The county has had a small city essentially been a small grants program. To the various jurisdictions in the county on an annual basis. Essentially sustainability funding. Which I think in years past the total giving that the total amount that a city could access was in the neighborhood of 25 to $35,000 total but then with the passage of the county sustainability tax.

[30:05] The level of resources that the city now that the county now has to disperse are significantly larger And so So too are the expectations of documentation and so on that come along with applying for those dollars. So we are in a in that cycle of applying for those resources. Last year was the first year that we could apply for a larger amount. I can't remember last year's tool. I think it was in the neighborhood of 120 $230,000 And so we're applying for a comparable amount. This year it's a little less because of the economic kits that people have been taking. But in any event, and one of the new criteria that are in the county's Specifications for these grants are that if the jurisdiction has some kind of environmental or sustainability committee that the staff should have gotten some

[31:07] Essentially approval or endorsement from that entity for the ideas that are being proposed. So just to give you a sense of the internal process that the city, the department went through. We went through essentially almost like an internal competitive grants process internally. In which people presented ideas. So this is essentially how funding that's available above and beyond what our budgets normally are. And so two Projects that were proposed were selected internally to be submitted for this Boulder County sustainability grant. So the first one is a project that the zero waste team has been thinking about for some time and working on That is one aspect of this was the

[32:02] Support for a kind of reusable. Essentially coffee cup mug. This is the vessel unit that you might have seen if you've been to the the cafe at the library, but the ideas that That system of reducing the amount. Well, essentially what happens for a coffee house that takes on this, this system is that they Ought they make a surcharge on anybody who buys a drink and is getting a disposable cup. And so there is an incentive to use this kind of reusable cup. But it requires the kind of whole collection and cleaning and distribution system and getting the kind of economies of scale to start making that self sufficient usually requires some kind of an initial Often grant funded investment. So our zero waste team has proposed that part of this money being is would be used to work with that company vessel to essentially catalyze the significant scale up of that offering here locally. And then the second part of that proposal is about

[33:16] Supporting The restaurant industry here locally to use compostable Where's in their takeout since, of course, so much more of the restaurant industry is now. Using takeout as their means of distributing food. And so that's the first project that's being proposed. So before I mentioned the other one. Any questions about that one, Susan. I have a question. And first of all, the coffee shop. I go to and I think all coffee shops right now in a coven world. You can't even bring your own cut, you can only get disposable cut. So does this program even work in a coven world.

[34:00] Yeah, I think it's really intended to be, how do we lay the groundwork for this kind of moving out once we start to get past that timeframe, so it's Is it already had up probably six to 12 months development lead time anyway, which is hopefully about the period of time that we're going to still be in this kind of physical distancing context so Okay. And then my second question is also based on personal experience. And that is my coffee shop uses compostable cups. As do the right other restaurants in the plaza. But there's, there are no compost bins outside. So you have to go Back in the shop you nobody's going to wait in line and go back in the shop and use their compost bin inside. So it seems from a year of zero waste perspective in this current state where and Having some kind of program where we increase the availability of recycling and compost bins in public places is super important.

[35:03] Those are both really useful feedback, Susan. As my note taking skills are a little limited tonight. Heidi. I hope you're capturing those because I really do want to forward those into our zero waste team so very helpful comments. Thank you, Susan. Down here, if it missed it. Oh, good. Thank you. I just realized I haven't bought a coffee at a coffee shop it since February. Yeah, this is just like Sri No, I mean, I think the second point you make Susan is one that I always think of as the city moves to zero waste where, you know, Yeah, you can take out a few times on Pearl Street in the compost is like overflowing and filled with garbage. Yeah, with With these compostable containers, because

[36:02] You bring them home. If you live in Boulder. But if you don't have that luxury. So for you to know we rely a lot on on self reporting from our residents about these issues of where we don't have sufficient collection points so In addition to our forwarding this to the team directly, Susan. I just would say please send us information about those kinds of places where you you see this as an issue because that's Where do I send that Um, Well, that's a very good question. You can send it directly to me, but I will find out who we have a zero Heidi. I think it probably is Ellen. Don't you think To we all find out that Point that I'm looking at others. I'm sure there's, I think there's an actual email address. I'm looking that up online, and I'll find it. I have, I have a similar view I my particular place, but it seems pretty endemic like

[37:05] Route To take The shirt Nina shares that there's a few now with his favorite moment. But I had a related question in that I got an email from a just a citizen today with a complaint. Um, and I tried to get onto the city's website to find where he could submit a complaint. And It was not clear to me. If you could help me figure that out. That would be great. Yeah, be heard boulder is typically the place that we Okay, direct that kind of direct feedback and it was designed to be a place that we would see that sort of stuff. Be Heard boulder. Yeah, like HDR crafty with the buffs or something.

[38:02] Okay, I did. I did. I mean, it was an admission source that he was concerned about it and I did directly. I said, Well, you could talk to CDP he about permitting but I you know I don't know who else you would tell This is named Scott Sorry. I'm wondering, because we we just feel that, uh, So, yeah. It was Steve borstein Oh no that's I think it had to do with Jack's fish house. I think DOWN ON PEARL And, you know, he wouldn't tell he didn't say where But you might forward that to me. I think we dealt with, I think he actually contacted us directly. And we connected him. Okay. So Susan zero waste at Boulder colorado.gov Okay, thanks. But again, really good questions. Others or other comments from anyone on this particular aspect.

[39:07] Okay. So, I mean, I guess we so you, it seems like the city just so I'm clear, the city is envisioning recruiting some number of stores and like a pilot. The pilot stage for the vessel pieces already essentially rolled out. And this is really about taking it to scale. It's how to make it that you got the economics attractive. So a whole bunch more places sign on. And can I put forth just one other idea. Or at least suggestion related to that. And when you know there are big festivals down in Lyons at the planet bluegrass They always have like student volunteers that are there helping direct people to where to put their garbage and where to put their compost and It's very. I mean, they keep it very clean and separated. That way I don't. I mean, I'm sure city boulder doesn't have the resources to to have students at their trash cans, all the time, but

[40:07] I don't know. There may be a lower level of potentially you know having student interns or something, you know, go to places to help people identify where they need to be putting stuff. I don't know. We actually do deploy volunteers like that at major events in at the farmers market. Okay, yeah. The challenges the type of situations. You guys are describing, which is the sort of day in day out usage. Where You can't have people stationed there. Yeah, okay. And so, just a reminder of the kind of endgame to this piece of the discussion. So what staff hopes from the Eb tonight is that at the end of this and Hopefully if we've sufficiently answered your questions that you will Draft or speaking endorsement that you can vote on so there'll be some record in your minutes that we can attach to the grant. So just so you know where we're trying to go with this. So the second project is one that I'm leading through the ecosystem side of the work and it's it's got

[41:12] Essentially three parts. The first is that we're we're participating in an effort that is involving a variety of cities in the urban sustainability directors network to develop what is essentially a carbon management. Approach. So this is a bit of a shift in the paradigm from carbons, a problem. We just need to get it out of the atmosphere and then who kind of cares where it goes, or stop putting it there. To carbons, a resource. And if we can capture it and direct it, especially into living systems in a strategic way. It can deliver a whole bunch of important services that we need. So we can capture carbon and direct it.

[42:02] Rapidly into urban for us, it can provide shade that we're going to need for cooling, we can direct it into soils in certain ways we can increase the water holding capacity and stormwater management capacities. We can use it to de nature certain urban toxics we can use it to increase the nutrient density of food, we can increase it to use it to increase agricultural productivity. So the, this is kind of a new field of carbon management and we're really now in on the cusp of a whole new planning system for how we manage carbon And that means both. How do we literally design these kinds of plans. What are you literally planning around and then tools that enable you to project how much carbon, you can take from this and put to that. And then the values you get. So the first part of this project is Building on some work that we've been doing with the urban sustainability directors network and building out a carbon management tool for boulder for a number of our sort of natural assets, namely urban for us.

[43:08] Parks and and sort of turf lands in our agricultural side. So this is work we've been doing with the trust Republic land. They've built a prototype of these tools for three Midwestern cities Lincoln Columbia, Missouri. And I will say, Iowa. And then we're going to be a sec apartment next cohort that includes San Francisco, San Luis Obispo Fayetteville, Arkansas and Cleveland. And so this will be funding that helps build that sort of carbon management tool. So the second aspect of that which is actually a brand new piece that we're really leading nationally Is to develop the ecosystem services valuations that can help us really quantify. What that carbon that we've captured and directed into those systems can produce and how to literally both measure it and quantify it.

[44:00] Both as carbon, but also the economic and other social benefits that come from that and that's work that we're going to be doing with a really cool lab at CU run by Laura de and a doctoral student that she's got there may Megan. Haley. And we're going to be abusing tools that were developed in Stanford, it's out of their natural capital program. And it's a tool called invest, which is an ecosystem services evaluation tool. Designed for urban context. So Mike and others, you might be familiar with this ecosystem services valuation often more in the sort of larger landscapes context. This is an effort to try to bring that into the urban context, partly because what we're trying to really quantify is that Sort of on a ton for time basis. Yes, we can't capture as much carbon in an urban landscape as we might, you know, large sort of agricultural arrange land or force context. But we might be able to deliver, not only in terms of that carbon, but all the things that it can do for us.

[45:05] A net amount of value that might be greater than a lot of other contexts of carbon sequestration so so that's the second piece is building out that carbon that ecosystem services modeling tool. And then the third piece sort of related to this implementation of this is that in Boulder right now. The Urban forests are the management of urban forest is basically a liability every amount of money that we spend for that and all of the byproducts in terms of the wood that's produced from doing the things and maintenance and stuff is a liability. And in fact we spend somewhere between 70 to $100,000 a year shipping wood chips out of the community because they're essentially have no value. So we're actually exploring how we could start capturing that biomass. Use it in a context of bio energy and bio char that bio char then becomes a resource for a whole bunch of other really interesting things, including more carbon sequestration.

[46:05] And that what we're really looking towards is the future in which we might actually be able to manage our urban forests in part for that resource. So that we can reduce the cost of maintenance for urban forest because that's one of the things that we've been forced, there's always lament is that Maybe you can get money to plant a tree, but you can't get any money to maintain that force. And that's one of the reasons why urban forests are in such terrible shape. So anyway, those are the three elements that are in this sort of second aspect that we're asking for counting money for questions or comments in that Area. I was gonna say bread I i can toss another link in here to a paper a nature a commentary in nature that I contributed to Like a year ago on lighting. It's largely about agriculture, but it's short. And it but it's high level and it talks about very much. These things about thinking about carbon as sort of a resource and in a carbon economy in that from that context. So I think it might be useful to you guys.

[47:03] Fantastic. Yeah. Well, it touches on a lot of the things you just touched on. That I'd Like to see them. Read it when I was reading this, I really was thinking of a recent snowstorm, and what it did to the urban forest and wondering because we still have in our neighborhood and you probably all see this to in your area. A lot of with piles waiting to be Taken care. Maybe it's a Teddy country company. I don't know who's going to come through and with a serious commission to actually take this without of our streets and so forth. I imagine we lost a sizable fraction an unusual large fraction of our canopy. In September. And I just wonder how this proposal if it all relates to the dilemma that we have about getting rid of this witness come off of our trees in the snow storms. Yeah, absolutely. So I'm actually talking to tatton about the possibility of there being interested in hosting this bio energy bio char technology that could start converting this material into useful by co-products

[48:15] As. Yeah. In fact, I was just talking to urban Forrester last week. And it was really funny because we were having a zoom call and I suddenly realized that one of the parks employees. Was up on the scissor lift at the parks yard where they were receiving all that material like so they have to be up so high, to be able to see the trucks coming in because that pile is just so enormous now. Yeah. So yes, absolutely. I mean, it's terrifying we, you know, we're working with. Like I said, Iowa City, Iowa and this other project and in Sioux City, when that ratio event went through it took out 50% of their urban forest. Wow. Yeah. Do you know what roughly the

[49:00] The You know, we live in an area that has these snowstorms from time to time and they do traumatic canopy and we also have wind storms. They also do some of that. What is the, what is the cycle rate of loss and then regrowth of our urban forest canopy. Do you know what that those numbers are the time scale for Now let's just throw it a number. Let's say that we lost 5% of the urban forest here in the snow storm. How long will it if that were right number. I'm not saying it is or isn't. But how long would it take to re turn 5% into the urban forest itself. Well, this is exactly the kind of questions that we're trying to lay the groundwork to be able to answer. Marty with that baseline assessment. So, not exactly. You're right on the track of what we're trying to think about and we haven't had that information. And by the way, so there's going to be a really interesting intersection between EA be in the Parks and Recreation Board.

[50:00] sometime in the near future, when we start to then talk about. Okay, now how do we manage, not just for the city's urban forests. Which is the right of ways in the parks, but all the private lands. Because ultimately, of course, we have to try to encourage a sort of new management approach across all those lands. And what are the techniques and tools that we're going to have available to do that. Is it codes and ordinances, is it unique kinds of easements around trees in certain parts of people's yards. You know, there's going to have to be a whole bunch of creative thinking that goes on there. One other thought to add just real quick. We had talked in the meeting know maybe it's three meetings ago about the importance of the urban canopy as a cooling effect. A shading effect to help mitigate some of the effects of warming temperatures Of course, a great example of that has been under Pearl Street ball. It took down some of their nice shady trees. About three years ago and they planted the small little fellas. That I hope in my lifetime. I get to sit underneath and get shade. Again, but we felt the immediate temperature effect of the last canopy. So is this. Do you have a place in here where you tie in a little bit with the urban heat island concerning urban forest.

[51:10] Well, I'm glad you asked that because I meant to say this before, Miriam around your topic area. It's, it's when I was saying about Asking you to start thinking about where the gaps are It's taken me about five years, but I feel like I'm now finally starting to get some relationships at the University where I can get researchers to start really digging in on some of these questions that we need to answer. This urban heat island pieces the piece that I have not yet found the right hooks yet, but I think we're getting close. And I think that If the A B could help us identify those kind of critical research questions that we need to really address and get that, you know, this is where you know my folks like you and others. Who's Who are researchers in this kind of system like

[52:03] Effectively framing that in the in the sort of format and science language of science. So that's really clear. So that we can then work with those researchers to go find that funding so that we can get these questions answered. So that's a long way of saying, Marty. No, not yet, but I think we're getting close to be able to find those folks who'd be interested in helping us with that. Susan And yeah, I just wanted to mention. I'm not sure this is the right time and when we're talking about urban heat island. But I think one of the Connectors, I would like to see is a connection between us and our planning department, in particular, I've been doing some research on a style of planning and building called bio Phillip design. Are you all familiar with biofilm design. Though biofilm like basically in concert with biology and using principles that sequester carbon

[53:00] A good example would be the green walls that they're building as bus stops in London, where you know one. I think they're 10 foot square green wall is something like the same as planting 750 trees. And when I see that giant heat island on 13th Street apartment buildings, I think, oh my god you know if those were bile filet Organisms, in addition to apartment buildings we would be solving the heat island issue would be creating carbon sequestration and that could be really measurable. So I'll send you a couple of links on it, but I think it's something for the future. Again Ii Ii be partnering with our planning department to say, hey, we got to change the way we do designed to be more symbiotic with nature and biology and not in conflict. Interesting, Susan. Reminds me of a Wrigley Field outfield wall which is covered with these beautiful vines. Would that be an example of that type of

[54:05] It. That would be an example of very traditional, right, like we did that for a long time. Maybe if you think even like every underpass in Boulder could have moss walls, instead of Crete covered walls and woodsy generative, yeah. Cool. I actually know a couple of landscape designers that specialize in that kind of work. And yeah, there's, there's, they're out there, certainly, and they're doing a lot of really interesting things. One thing to keep in mind is that are We have a new planning director that starts middle of this month so This is kind of an interesting time and i think you know as Susan and others, you would probably agree that boulder has a long legacy of trying to think about sort of environmentally oriented. Ways of living. And so this that sort of its, its alignment with the legacy that we have in a certain sense and evolution in that, if you will.

[55:04] Yeah. So I think to conclude that around this topic. If you all are amenable then it would be helpful if you might consider you know voicing a resolution saying that you you as as the A, B or support of the staff submitting these proposals to the Boko county sustainability grant program. Okay, yeah, I guess I was just gonna say I'm an Idea. I mean, I think that the first two elements you lay out a really interesting and I'm always a little skepticism of skeptical of ecosystem services and trying to quantify them, it's just Like It's hard to, it's hard to quantify and then it's hard to figure out how you then monetize any of those things and nothing feels like an academic exercise to me so You know, I think it's raising a lot of other interesting questions and, especially, you could use the biomass to sort by HR and seeing increasing carbon so seems like a great idea.

[56:11] What what In a capitalistic society, unless you try to put $1 value on things. It doesn't happen. Yeah. No one's not though people have been trying to do this for so long and I don't feel like anyone's doing it well in the country or, you know, we're actually at least it's not something I following along as followed in a long time, but Well, I guess like nobody's been able to crack that nut, which means it's probably not trackable I mean I guess I think of it. That's a good point. Nice to give it from the point of like If you're trying to quantify them to say an absolute value like here's what this plan is worth that's really difficult, but it might be if you're thinking about using them internally to the city to Quantify some baseline plan and then see which direction you shift in relative to that plan as you tweak things and maybe it's more useful. I don't know. That was one of the thoughts I have so curious with the vision for sort of have those would be used. You know, I'm getting at, Justin.

[57:08] Yeah, I see your point. More of a planning tool than as a trend. Yeah, if you're like, Those benefits and someone acts, you know, we can assign some value add the values, way off, but at least we'll know if We make this plan if that values going up or down at least love it. Maybe, I don't know if that's just something that came into my mind. But I don't know what the intent is. So I'm I guess I'm asking a question to Kind of both, both and One way of thinking about it is it's sort of decision support tool like if I had a choice of doing things that capture carbon And I could differentiate between and that one does a whole bunch of other things too. I would probably choose that one as opposed to if they were sort of relatively comparable so it helps me make that Choice, but there are actually some emerging monetizing elements that are coming forward. So we're going to be probably working with this new entity called city force credits that has created a market.

[58:07] Recognized offset product for urban for us. That is a bundle of not only the carbon value, but three ecosystem services energy use reduction air quality improvement and water infiltration. And they get more money for those offsets because of those additional ecosystem services values than just the carbon along Okay. Interesting. Yeah, I mean, it's part of the some of the gold standard and some of the other Yeah, Carnegie protocols. So I guess it's worth Good luck. So does anyone else have any questions, or should we seems like thing to do. If we don't use to sort of voting, and if we can Support this Week one and this is kind of to your question to Justin and that is I come back to all of all of the carbon laying on the ground right now.

[59:04] We're gonna figure out what to do with here shortly. Get it out, get it off the streets. Now we could turn it into what chips and put it back into mulch and so forth. We probably had more than what we could use. I don't know. And so there's probably some benefit. There's some If you will, ecosystem service that could be quantified from that. Another one is take it all and throw it into a big Furnace, and you did for energy production right meal was a big firm on casting stove, if you will. And there's a there's a ecosystem service costs related to that, that you're creating electricity by so doing, I know this is an academic question of sorts, but I'm just wondering, given this exercise that we have naturally happening in front of us, what would be the two options. If we use those two one Make it into mulch and put it onto our parks and neighborhoods and let people use that. What's the ecosystem value of that versus what if we turn into an energy source, but will be the cost and benefit of that.

[60:02] I think just so to avoid us going. Too far into the weeds. I don't Know, but that is that is exactly the kind of questions that we're trying to set ourselves up to be able to answer in the future. Okay, great. You got it all the time. Cuz she wants to leave all the leaves in in our yard to decompose over the winter and I rather break them up so they don't belong in the face and kill all what little grass, we have left. Exactly. By the way, Heidi I clarified that we don't have resolution but but emotion, a simple motion would be sufficient. Okay, are we as anyone have any other questions for rent. Then I guess I would make a motion to support these two grant proposals from the city. I second that motion. I Right. I don't know if you need more than a second or

[61:07] So it seems like with that we'll go 15 minutes left. And two more big things on the agenda one Is sort of trying to wrap up the Retreat sort of prioritizing areas and then annual letter to city council. I want to make sure we have enough time for the letter because that's their actual takeaway, um, But I think the Prioritization exercise can sort of lead into that a little. Just because so i mean i look briefly on on the instructions for the letter to council and it's basically You want to know what we like to hear you know what was good from the Council's perspective, this year. What was bad. And what are we looking forward to next year.

[62:02] And then they're looking for one of us to present sort of for a couple of minutes on this. Council meeting in January. If I figure we could get more into that encounter December meeting, but seems like we need to at least figure out Be great if we can come up with like a high level outline today so that we can work on it and finalize it at the October meeting because it's do not long and just hammer, meaning Yeah, Brett, I think I remember from last year, you know, what we did was we identified which topics or our priorities and then each of us took a section to write up something on that topic. And one of the topics. That's right. So, um, and we we will create a Google Doc. We've determined that this is a way that the board can work between meetings in a publicly transparent way. So we'll create a Google Doc that you can all have access to. But yes, as Miriam said we found in the past, the most efficient ways for somebody to take a lead on drafting a section.

[63:13] Where there are Five sections or three and several of the sections have two people working on our Yeah. So it seems like it's due. By the 18th of october so to like will be nice to have a draft for us to talk about an hour. I mean, December so December meaning so that we could then you know finalize it in those weeks after if we need more time. Question, just this letter we have from last year submission What, what was our feedback. Whether, when do we hear from council, what was their response was her response if we submitted the exactly the same. Would we have any different outcome. Yeah, I'm all for You know, three thinking and adding new, new ideas. That's great. But I also would like to know that actually gets read and get get some rise out of Council.

[64:06] Yeah, I mean my memory of the feedback we got from council was Okay, great. Go for it. Yeah, I think we got more than that we I think we got some specific content. At least I remember there being some specific comments on the air quality portion and that may have been from Lisa Marcel And then I think Bobby actually submitted a comment specifically on a couple of the things that we mentioned and but it wasn't, it wasn't an overall I'll be there was an overall sense of Yes go ahead with whatever you think is, is good that that we did get some some input from Remember, We have a record nice have a record of those comments if they are written I think it, they are in our notes and from Yeah. Yeah. But you know i mean i think

[65:02] That's always the question with the letters, it's, I mean, it's our opportunity to talk to counsel and I think, you know, it's a big responsibility of our overdone. But at the same time I you know I agree with you. I mean, I think the extent we can make it. As I said, I think we, I think we keep trying to make them shorter and shorter. And that's something I support. I mean, to the extent that we can get it on a couple of pages. It is likely to be read by cancelling. Consider it done. I mean, we've had some quite lengthy ones. In the years I've been on the board. Yeah, I would just know that Council, I think specifically recognized the importance of the air quality issue. And It sort of Illustrates the extent to which gap was prescient about one of the key issues that was going to emerge and certainly did this year. And then I think

[66:02] I think it's actually been quite influential to the Council that the Eb has been vocal about soil. That that came up quite significantly during the prairie dog discussions and that quite a number of city council members. Were much more attuned to that issue. I think in part because he had been raising that issue. So I don't think you should only extent to which you're actually having some influence You know, just a quick comment. I don't think why they're not just and if you're opening up for discussion in terms of any thoughts on what might be line items for this new letter I would only just just just real quick here. We had improve air quality is the fifth item of if we did nothing else moving out to the first item. I'll be very happy to see it elevated. So to be read. right up front. I think we've been talking a lot about it. A Miriam has, you know, the Google Doc that has some interesting ideas for smoking air quality management issues. That can receipt into, you know, we've got momentum. And I'd like to see that elevated from number five. It's a number one.

[67:03] It might be nice to I mean I feel like We kind of it weakens us a bit to sort of just trying to introduce do things just for the sake of introduce it might just be nice to you know reinforce our position and even a little bit and concisely, say like We view these as pressing issues and maybe reorder the way we talked about them and say, like where we've made some progress are very excited about this progress and really concisely, say, but these are still our issues and we yeah we see them as still the thing to do. I agree 100% I think the air quality is a place we've talked for a man there's momentum and there's experience what we just experienced in the city. So, you know, ride that tiger. Yeah, my I guess my suggestion would be Get rid of the rest of them, or maybe keep I mean, we haven't talked at all of them. Number one. Number three.

[68:02] Number four, maybe Maybe thanks for is related to weight. Better right it's been doing I guess I see that more is number six, but Maybe I didn't know. So, I mean, I think some of them are sort of pie in the sky and You know it'd be great things for the city to do, but it seems unlikely. And if we think there are things that are more important. I guess my suggestion to drop focus on To is kind of nice tie into one of the proposals that breast putting forward here. To, you know, to, is that something we have been pushing as a board earlier in the year, you know, Well, I would say I mean in, you know, maybe that ties back to if we want to look at the You know, there's this priorities map the last page of the packet which is sort of prioritizing these things where was an exercise that is on our agenda and our folks think would be valuable or towards more just

[69:02] Talking about it. But you know, I think, in general, the. A lot of these things as their grooves really fit into the buckets. We laid out last year. Yeah, except for, you know, I mean, I think I personally think store water is very important, but Probably not quite at the level of some of these other things to the other issues box. One other. So a couple of thoughts. One is I think that, again, it's especially Unique and significant this board has been talking about the intersection of air quality and climate change. I think urban heat is sort of in that bucket, too. So, but I would Like to suggest that you might want to bring the climate peace in connection to the air quality at least One number six number is the soil. Yeah, I think, again, soil conservation and sequestration or something that again makes that link to the role of of living systems in climate stabilization and resilience to

[70:13] And I think we can bring in. I mean, I'm looking at this priorities thing that we Put together, we in all of these things are things that we You know, we brought up before, but I think we can we can address again, even the climate emergency response can can go in with air quality and urban heat island and sales sequestration. The question. I mean, then I guess there's a big hanging question out there which is we sort of had stayed away from banner GPS as a board for last few years. Figuring that Didn't seem like we really had a role in the municipal ization process. And that was sort of going on as it went on gut because there may now be an opportunity for the board to seems like it's the city is rethinking it

[71:00] Or, you know, reorganizing its position and relationship with the municipal ization is a process is going away. And now it's thinking about the relationship with external, you know, maybe there is more of a role for the board in the next year, then there has been over the past few Yeah, I, I would say specifically if, in light of carbon management, since the way we produced and stars electricity generates What I think now 44% of our greenhouse gas overload and our transportation system. We want it to be more electrified. Well, that's just going to increase that load way so He being very active and vocal With the city and some of these partnership arrangements with Excel in terms of what kinds of projects that Excel might do with us because if you've read the partnership agreement, which I have. It's all very

[72:05] There's no Dates. There's no priorities. There's no amounts of money and I seems like the environmental advisory board ought to be part of the discussions with Excel and advising Along with staff city council on what projects could have the biggest impact. Yeah, I mean I think from the project piece said no. I mean, I didn't want to my memory is that there's another board set up within the franchise agreement that Is supposed to have been put on there. So I guess I you know I agree with you that I think there should there needs to be some role for the UB and it's To excel executives and a city council member and a staff person are supposed to get together on a quarterly basis that's Okay. I thought there was also a public board another public board created in there as well. I could be wrong. I haven't read the franchise agreement, a few months ago.

[73:05] Well, I think there's nothing wrong with them. Well, I think the comments about not having such a long list that they get drowns out the things you really want to emphasize I think Miriam made the point that we're sort of really close in terms of what the last letter said Maybe dropping out a few of those issues. And then what you came up within the retreat. Yeah, I mean, I mean, I think, except for the there's a couple things that didn't Seem to rise to the top. And yeah, I guess my suggestion would be to add something related to energy and climate, which sounds like Susan, at least, of course, because I do think You know, it seems like there's an opportunity now for potentially for the board to take a more active role than we have, you know, it's just something that and then we decided to show a few years ago. But, you know, I agree. I think that would be a good thing to include yeah

[74:03] Just, just to throw out a few numbers here. This is Ultimately, we're talking CO2 concentration and we want to improve on that trend. Interesting. You know, we've now almost been a year and coven and economies, you know, kind of cut back air transportation particular. So there's a lot less you're being used to move people in airplanes. Yet, when you look at the mana Lois site and you take the monthly mean monologues Observatory value for CO2 for September of 2020 it was 411.3 parts. Per million, which was an increase of three parts per million from the year before. And if you look at the year before that it was about the same. You cannot notice coven In the model, a time series. So I'm trying to say. And that's stunning to me. Yeah. barmy Why do you think that is I don't know, some of this is noisiness to the time series. So I don't want to just keep on one month, maybe we'll see a signal when we average over

[75:05] A whole year. And so I you know I don't want to push too hard, but I would have thought because it's quite an experiment that we've put into society we shut ourselves down to certain degree. More so than we could have done my policy consciously. Imagine what we're doing is to reduce our carbon emission, we were forced to this because of a virus, and yet the CO2, increasing the atmosphere is unabated from the years before. That is really interesting, especially because at least on some of the local impacts. There was such a big The certainly early on, you know, their body impacts of seeing interesting data and Arizona and Utah. Yes. Yes. Just how, you know, getting people off the road for a month main cities different Remember Beijing, you know, and basing was shut down and You know, we thought, this is a great new world is the world we're aiming for. This is already before. And so, yeah, it's sobering. I know.

[76:00] That I have a retired neighbor who I guess obsesses over first generation and she says that during the shutdown and code, she noticed her panels were generating more than usual because there was less particular to them, which I find Fascinating. She's really crazy Well, I do a similar thing well the first time also crazy. I've had my solar panels for 14 years and I noticed during the smoke. You know, I could see A reduction and of course book that was very noticeable. And then also, since I've had him for 14 years I can just see their efficiency is declined by a bit about 10 15% and that's sad. I've asked what what do I do about that so well at a guy commences now mistake or we can just rip them off and the new ones on there and you know 10,000 15,000 hours later, you're good to go as well. What do you do the old one says, Oh, we'll just throw them somewhere. Yeah yeah They don't cycle, the earth elements, they don't know what to do with them. Yeah. Yeah, I know there's been some type of

[77:01] Movie shipping them. Yeah. Good answer either No, that's getting off topic. I think because the, the carbon cycle like the amount of CO2 that moves through it on an annual basis is really big compared to the total human output right of one year so Lola is, you know, sort of averaging across all those it's such a high level that like, you know, the 30 year so human gigatons emissions isn't Really, you don't see it much in that like 700 800 that flows to the natural cycle just for one year. I'm saying it's a in one year. It's not a big portion of what's moving through the carbon cycle that's my guess. Yeah. Well, so back to the topic of which themes to emphasize with Council, it seems like there's no dispute around air quality being One and that energy systems.

[78:00] Seems like another I'm not sure I've heard whether or not, folks. One emphasize And then Yeah, I mean, I still like therapy. I mean, I still think there have been here piece personally is Important and I agree that that's I think that's an area that we've identified where, you know, the city hasn't really done anything More very little in that area. And that, to the extent we can keep reminding and trying to push that forward, but especially as it relates to, I mean, you know, this summer was brutally hot And I think it was you know it's it's timely that the city should be thinking about this issue. I think so. I think that's when we would want to keep Losing were you, did you have a hand up. Yeah, I'm just, I'm looking at the idea bank. And in thinking about my obsession with the fact that we're in a climate emergency

[79:04] And feel like, and I wondered as I look at these ideas, some of them are causes of climate change, and some of them are effects of climate change that we need to do something about. And some of them are things that we could do to make climate change better for instance energy system change is a cause. Soils and seek restoration is something we can do about it. Air Quality is in effect. And here's what we recommend. So it might be a way of Organizing I report to counsel around climate emergency and here are the key. Cause and what we think we should address and effects and what we think we should address and other things we can do, and how we would how would go about doing that and monitoring it.

[80:02] Susan to smart just real quick comment I don't disagree with us to work climate emergency But you know you if you want to take the example of the doomsday clock as to what the priorities for those to think about these things 24 seven while we're sleeping and they're matching the worst things happening in the world. They move you know that they that the set the set. The second hand on the doomsday clock a little bit forward closer to midnight. And what is it, it's been moving that clock it actually hasn't been the climate emergency. I mean, what's been moving that clock is the environmental concern about a nuclear disaster and And I, and I know the climate. I mean, I'm a climate scientist so I'm all on to this too, but I think we also have to be cognizant of there being many emergencies that are environmental and that are destructive, you know, for which, some of which ratified control entirely and I and maybe What am I trying to say here, obviously, we're not going to make any recommendations to counsel about the nuclear emergency, but that is a threat is larger than the threat from climate, at least in the near term, the next several decades.

[81:07] So when we talk climate emergency. I guess we need to think about, you know, what is it that could be done immediately related to that, that is concrete meaningful. Yeah. And to me, all the things I see on this idea Bank are concrete and meaningful with regard to that. And part of that when you made the useful comment. Susan about differentiating causes and effects. I think one of the things that's clearly changing in climate action broadly is that, you know, up till maybe 1516 we had the luxury of only focusing on mitigation primarily and now we realize we have to focus on preparing for climate change and how we're going to deal with that the same time. And and what are the actions that we can take that optimize for the they sort of intersect both reducing emissions or stabilizing climate, but also preparing us for the inevitable climate change that's coming

[82:10] And I think we talked a lot about it in the past to not just the temporal aspect, but also the you know the local aspect, like we have you know the urban heat island like we can all feel that locally and we can address that in a very local matter like there are too many Wildfires yeah yeah so like It's like, how far can we, how far does our influences aboard go like we can really address we can really make a change that people in within could feel Regarding the urban heat island where it's harder for us, I think, to, you know, really, truly. Unlike the soil sequestration, one can be similar. If we start thinking about local agriculture and bringing it full circle. But if we're just talking about like You know, reducing CO2 emissions, like we can do it locally, but it also might not feel it right you know saying I guess there's like a nice to do something maybe for the people or something that's very field and city. I don't

[83:10] In a resource constrained context in which we're going to increasingly have to choose between sort of abstract save the world. Things that reduce carbon broadly versus how we're going to prepare ourselves for some really significant local impacts. Right. Like particular The You know, the, the use of the word climate emergency and didn't come back there for a second. Would we will we do better in terms of access if we call it environmental emergency. It gives it a bit of a broader umbrella. I mean, the word emergency would would imply that we're calling for fairly immediate action and there's various things that perhaps I mean I think the fire threat. Probably is an emergency that does require a really immediate action on the part of the city for planning and protecting the city from, you know, our proximity to the landscape just west of here.

[84:04] Some of it is related to climate, but other parts are like the fact that we've moved homes into that area. We have more triggers that start fires. And we may not have the resources. We're not going in and we don't have enough burn naturally because we keep managing the floors me. I was reading some pieces in the summer about Forests are saying what's really hurting us is that we're just not allowing enough natural burns to occur we stop all the fires, because this has been a habit for the last half century. And so, um, but no one is going to advocate let let it burn. When it burns. Because now we've moved too many homes into areas that used to be Bernal that now I have to be defended. Yeah, the modifier interfaces, a dangerous place. A day, it is a dangerous places me a boulder increasingly has more of its communities sitting in that interface. And we play in that zone, more than we ever used it as more of us playing and that's only trigger fires. As a result, inadvertently

[85:02] Sometimes it vertically. And so, um, it's an environmental emergency may not be a climate emergency as much as it is an emergency of our habits and and the way we tend to our space and the way we use our space. It's more complicated than just climate. Do I Think I agree with that. But our city council passed a climate emergency measure in July of 2019. So about a year ago. And he said, well, we're all in a climate emergency But then it doesn't feel like there's a plan to address the cause and effect and how we create a more regenerative system. To help them to do that. Right. And of all the boards in the city. I can think of that would address that. For them, it seems like that would be the environmental advisory board. Well environment. So was there a breaking point. Has something happened that the Eb could document say we have crossed the Rubicon

[86:01] Let's say the fires that occurred last this past summer, I don't know if they certainly if they swept into boulder, we would say, oh, we passed a breaking point and then there'd be no question about immediate actions. We have tons of smoky days in a row. Yeah. Okay, so Like Yeah, is do we want to make the claim that this is a breaking point that this is actually going to only get worse year over year as a result of x, y AMP z. And then these are the actions that the city should be contemplating That's fine. I can I just remind everyone that the city of Boulder. I mean, in Brett's group puts together a climate action plan regularly and that addresses the climate emergency. I mean, is that not right, Brett. Well, not what your, your plan does we We came to Council last summer. And we said, we have a plan, but it's no longer sufficient to the scale of the problem. And so that's where we initiated a process to work with the community to come up with a more ambitious plan and then that process was kind of obviously disrupted by the current crises.

[87:08] Say, that's in progress. It's still in progress and we're still going to have to figure out how to create a plan for going forward without the communities being as involved as we originally anticipated and being so. But back to that. So, and I think Martin. Sorry, but also, Susan. I mean, he is we're allowed to Participate to that extent, you know, we are we are part of Brett's group and helping advise his group and how they're moving forward with their action plan, right. Yeah, just one sort of parents medical comment. Which is that This realization has absorbed a significant portion of boulders Climate Action capabilities for the past 10 years And so part of the question. Now that's, to some extent, been

[88:05] addressed by what just happened yesterday is that, to some extent, now that that piece of work is going to continue to proceed with a more distinct and separate implementation. Process, and we're going to I think more clearly differentiate the rest of climate initiatives to say now what should it be focusing on. So back to this question in the Marty, I think you're raising a really interesting point. Is it an environmental emergency or a climate emergency, but we still come back to the same basic question that is To you right now to say to counsel. Here's what we think the most important things around environment, which includes climate are that US Council should be focusing on. Enhancing enhance our talk about moving to higher priority, the air quality concern. Yeah.

[89:01] So, I mean, can you make me a host. So I can share my screen. Or bread. Yeah. Oops, I can't. For some reason, Heidi. I think you're gonna have to Look at all these bones. I have now. I was gonna start Figure, we should try to start get something concrete. Can you see my screen. Yep. Very small. Bigger yeah I can blow it up. Maybe I can figure out how to use Google to A little hundred percent but number there. There we go. I'm here, I can put it on a smaller now this is fine. I'm okay. So I don't know if we want to stick to this will make your board happy, what made your board said

[90:02] I've never seen this type of question from cancer before, by the way. You know, I think we could combine them in You know, a paragraph that just talks about the big issues that came before he it'd be this year which was certainly You know, we didn't meet for a number of months. So we've sort of had a truncated year But I would say You know, Seems like prairie dogs in Air Quality are the things we spent Well, I guess there was some work on On heat island and resiliency like it. Early yeah there was a lot of stuff around Chautauqua and I mean what what made me happy is being part of the board aside for work and from you. Great, great people here was That the city kind of really engage with us around the prairie dog issue. We ended up writing you know they solicit they were interested in our opinion, they were awaiting a draft.

[91:12] Recommendation from us. It had an effective and that we got feedback. I mean, counselor that we really appreciated the two guys went ahead and And put your thoughts to this problem and got back to us. I really appreciated that. That made me happy to be part of this board and other reasons, the engagement and the feedback we got around prairie dog. Yeah. I think that's reasonable. So I don't know if we wanted to do this more as a summary. I don't know if there's anything that may this peaceful prairie. Justin. I'm sorry that this is Friday, I just pulled up the minutes from last year.

[92:04] And I'm kind of take a number of friends a lady, I haven't seen The specific instructions from Council. And in addition to the questions you have, Justin, the questions that were asked last year. Or what are the top three priorities and it's funny. The 2021 to 2020 work, man. Why don't I put this in the chat. So you can see the questions that were asked last year. Okay. And yeah, it seems like it might be Maybe it's a little different this one. Yeah, I'm not. Yeah, I'm not sure. But all the questions that were posed last year. I don't know if that's I think it is helpful. I mean, I almost wish I could say this sort of off the record, but I

[93:04] Feel like I don't quite understand these questions that They asked you to answer in terms of how that gives them feedback from you about what issues you think they should be. Paying most attention to and I would sort of encourage you to consider just telling them that one way or the other, because that's part of the role that you are chartered to have Yeah, so maybe it's worth. I mean I you know I think we could collapse these two bullets into one about just, you know, a paragraph summarizing Key issues over this past year.

[94:01] But you're you're talking about, um, you're writing down positive things and I don't know that anything made a set or do we have anything that made a son. A lot of crap in 2020 Yeah, I mean, you Don't get free anymore. That's kind of a bummer. That did make me What was that like You don't get free dinner. Dinner right Yeah, we can say that Certainly makes me sad to say that the global carbon concentration me. I was for one dot three parts per million. There you go. As ba ba that that should make us all said Made on sad that we couldn't meet for four or five months because of code. But, um, Yeah, I don't think we need to frame it like that, if we don't want to, and

[95:00] So, Is the is the work that we're doing towards air quality right now part of last year, or this year. I mean, is that, yeah. I mean, I think you have done, you have pushed the city in some really great areas in this year and Yeah, so I like that and Yeah, and talk about how we can build on it. And the next year. Sure. really positive. Positive cohesion between city of Boulder and Boulder County to Put together a smoke management plan to protect our target population against particular missions. Yeah. You know, I think we have a great call sounds like, you know, I mean, we had We had Denver in Fort Collins, I believe, four columns there. Maybe it's just Yeah, ma Ma ma Fort Collins couldn't make it. But I presented some of this stuff from Fort Collins. It's in my presentation.

[96:01] Yes. I mean, I think you Know, it'd be brought those folks together early in the year before, this became so timely and I guess that's right now. Working with them. It might be worth. Sorry to call out that and I think we've talked about this somewhat with the board that in the past. It was more customary for boards to simply be responsive than to be proactive and that The board has been encouraged to be Proactive and that you've really been able to have be more engaged to have more influence because of that. I think it might be useful for the Council to be aware of that. Yes, for the ties into Marty's point And it doesn't I think both of them, though. I mean, some of us have gotten more engaged and you know we're topics that interest us. And I mean, Mike has participated in the green whites project specifically and

[97:10] Um, Yeah, that's been great. I've enjoyed that. I guess if I were to sort of put a critique. Let's not call it said maybe maybe unhappy is closer to the mark but And this isn't meant to be critical of the climate action plan, but I'm a little bit unhappy about The climate action plan because I don't quite understand what actions are happening as aside from plans being discussed and little rally occurring. You know, when we went in October of last year. It was great. But I still don't get a sense as to what actions have actually followed from the Climate Action Plan. Maybe this is an open question for the board and for for Brett. I think that's totally fair. I think I hear Susan asking a variation on that question too. I don't you know I agree with them. And also, I'm a little bit unhappy is a strong word I would use. Of course, you know, but I'm a little bit puzzled as to knowing more especially being on the abs to what actions are actually transpiring as related to that plan.

[98:19] It is It is the I've said this before. It is one of the unfortunate consequences of the significant degree to which boulders climate action plan has been so enmeshed in the Muni process and to the extent the Muni process has been in limbo for so long. And particularly over this last year. It's put a lot of our work and especially at least available staff resources in limbo, so I think The question you're asking is one that you should press, frankly,

[99:00] So I think for for looking forward to 2021 that should be one of our items where we Spend more time and dealing with the Climate Action Plan. Yeah, I'm for that. Yeah, and sort of, I mean I guess there's Two people want to So I guess, I guess, you know, we talked about Two people want to frame this as Responding to climate change or is it more Broad than that, um, Well, I mean, is this a place where we can just say, we look forward to continuing to work on issues we began exact set. You know what I mean. And just listed out and say, like, we don't know. Yeah. Yeah. What else do we talk about

[100:06] Urban urban heat island. Yeah, and the soil. And seek restoration And yeah. I can't think of the word franchise, but I think you have fast food like every time I see it. Yep. We have nine minutes so Now, My goal is chairs all instead. Let's end on time. So, Say there are how many of us. There are five of us. Five of us. This is, I mean, this is still a real high

[101:02] Level. Yes, but you just take one of those topics and expand on Um, yeah. What continuing Or Justin I think you've done a brilliant job of framing up the questions as they were asked of you and then finding a way to include this Not doing whatever I wanted. Um, Yeah. So yeah, I guess it's worth maybe splitting up writing and looking at a calendar and thinking how we can. I'm Trying to set some timelines and Heidi. I tried to put this in all to Google Drive for A, B, and it said it was into ladies trash. So

[102:02] I'm just doing this in my personal account right now. And somebody might need to create a new Google Drive. Actually sent my Document from my personal drive to Heidi. I think we did do that. I think maybe Emily has already set that up. I just looked at last year's letter and click from that. Yeah, it's Um, okay. So does anyone have any preferences on whether they want to think look backwards or forwards. I would like to do the air quality right up I was interested in the excel franchise agreement. I'm happy to do anything with sales and urban heat island. Those are the two Mike

[103:04] Once you Have an action plan to Do you want that Marty is given that was gonna say, I cannot do that. Because that honor Side. Um, Yeah, right. I'll take I mean, I can take the if you want to take a first shot Climate Action Plan, that's fine. And I can I can try to write up the 2021 Mike just got to Get to My goal. But maybe look at last year's You know, I like have a forward looking stuff is like a paragraph. Personally Yeah. Yeah, they're pretty sure I don't You know, I guess I don't want to limit people if there's stuff to talk about, but

[104:03] My input would be Let's try to keep it. At three different topics Miriam good Air Quality thing has support. But I think it's also because you had the most to talk about and that's why we've made the most progress or related to air quality. So, you know, there's a balance there. Um, alright, so does this make sense and Miriam, I can take this whole, I think I can write up are Based on this conversation. We can take the first shot at this. Look at it. Yeah. For another piece. Um, so there's our next meeting on the second Second, Second, Two people think they could have this. So this is what the week of Thanksgiving.

[105:05] Mean if we could get things done by the 30th. That doable from everybody. True. Yeah. Cool. And then we can talk about the first draft. And our next meeting and figure out how to get it finally And Heidi. I hate to put this on you but Delaney was awesome about giving us reminders and here's what you need to do. I'm not sure if that's your role here or if we need to do it to ourselves now. Heidi is Carrying probably three people's People's loads. Yeah. Okay. Another reminder

[106:01] Also Laying The updated. Google Drive folder. Yeah, I can throw it in there and then email a link around the phone. And then I mean if you just give us dates in that email that would or, you know, when we have stuff do that would be awesome. Thank you for All right, well, we got a plan for word. Just, I just wanted to say, I can do this last type of topic on the agenda, really quickly. Okay. It just wanted to note that it sort of snuck up on me because we've had so much transition in this board that a couple of our board members terms are ending in March of this year and Marty that's that includes you and Justin. But it's important to note that Board members existing board members can apply again and I would sure like to invite you both to consider doing so.

[107:09] So, Yeah, just to make sure that you know that Council has already started discussing enact starting up that process again. And so for you to give some consideration to whether that's something you're interested in And I'm just going to give you a little input on that. I applied for a second round, and when I when Karen told me about you know how the process went. She was like, oh, you should be a shoo in no problem. But then I went I had to go in and do the full interview and everything. And I was totally unprepared. So they do ask you to do everything again. Was it a two year was a two year position. I guess I had forgotten the term. Yeah, so you're so both you and Justin's

[108:02] Years was Marta yours was night you were in May of 19 and you go to march of 21 I think you might have been stepping in for a person who I can't remember now who it was that left I say Jason good Jason Yeah. It was, yeah. So, Yeah, so please If you're interested, though, please, and Heidi. Have you heard anything about that process yet. I have not seen any emails. Okay. But I think What we've determined is The terms expire and the mark. Yeah. Yeah. So, Maybe Heidi. I'll put on my follow ups but that we get whatever information we can out to Marty and Justin about

[109:07] The process for the next rep. But I'd like to think I'm a free agent and that there'll be a bidding war. Three increase at the end of the golden Yeah yeah yeah I was just It's funny, I was just watching the I sort of avoid it, but because I'm a little bedridden. I was watching the Michael Jordan special and there's this whole segment about Scottie Pippen and how he was kind of underrated underserved in his initial contract. So are you have every right to get your age right away. I get my agent talking to you guys. Right. That's good. All right, how do I put this on. Alright, so I guess it's eight o'clock. See if I can figure out how to get this letter into the shared drive link that

[110:04] Heidi sent um but if there's nothing else maybe let's Jaron and the greater everybody could do there, write ups timely, so we can have something to talk about next time. That's good. Thank you. Great, thanks. Everyone see Thanks. Everybody Thanks, it Thanks, everyone. Do me a favor, for some reason.

[111:02] I can't even I'm such a bad holes. I can't even Get myself logged off. Me if you leave I become the hospital and the box and that is me with a little three dots are if you could make me the host I would greatly appreciate that. I don't even know where I do that. And I don't know, I can't possibly be the host. Well, let's see here. Sign new host It must just be because I'm the last person that I'll probably get access back that's What I'm thinking So I'm looking here. I don't understand why this isn't working. I hit end And meeting for all or leave me leave meeting. A sign There you go.