March 3, 2021 — Environmental Advisory Board Regular Meeting

Transcript

Captions from City of Boulder YouTube recording.

[0:00] meeting after was it for years justin. I served a partial term, so I think it's three. Something like that. Normally we do a pie in the face, or something, but we couldn't do that for him, this time, so we sent him a cake to his house. cake, in the face. I daughter was very excited. And then we've accomplished our mission no but seriously justin Thank you. it's always a. it's always a little harder than it might look, especially justin's done a really great job to be the Chair you kind of have to manage a lot of different. Unexpected things there's been all of course a whole raft of those in this year of coven. So just want to really appreciate all the years of showing up every month and then this last year, especially of working through this kind of unusual context and. You know, just as a city employee i'm want to express our gratitude for your service, and I know that our Community also really appreciates that you've taken that time to serve in that way, so thank you very much.

[1:03] Thanks appreciate it's been a. it's been a great opportunity and yeah gonna miss you guys. yeah it's been great to get today just. Hopefully, our paths will cross again in real life sometime. On the bus. On the bus exactly Marty at least Marty and. How, those of us who live in table Mesa get to run into them in the streets Marty and Miriam. Okay, thanks everyone um, but I still have one more meaning to run. we're passing on to Marty. um so I guess the Air Quality piece is next in so I don't I think I don't know if you want to start Brett with what you and Miriam and I believe carolyn have been working on with the regional partners or if we should just jump into the. mean and the CEO group. I think it'd be actually good this up with the with the piece of the follow up to the county air quality piece because that's that's a good context of what we're trying to think through work through here so just later this afternoon I set out to everyone.

[2:14] Something that that Miriam was generous enough to put together for us, which was a kind of report out of the session and then some suggestions for. To the city about sort of talking points or follow up points that we might consider in terms of continuing to work with the county on some of these issues. But Miriam do you would you be willing to kind of walk through this a little bit maybe just emphasize a few things you want to highlight. And sure, and just. A colon and I guess we'll we'll talk about having a conversation with you guys after this. There, there is some some discussion of meeting with the county after on this topic and I so so basically what.

[3:01] It was a really great meeting with the regional partners and really interesting to hear. about what the districts are doing with their monitoring plans and different types of monitoring exercises and there was a surprising amount of variety it with what was being done and. As i've expressed before I believe the work that Fort Collins and Denver doing stand out as examples of of really exceptional things that can be done to to in the monitoring world to protect the citizenry. It was also here interesting to hear what some of the smaller communities are dealing with, as far as reaching constrict constituents and and. How they're getting the word out to the people that they need to get the word to um. You know, as we've had the presentation as well about what boulder county is is doing.

[4:04] very interesting information about collection of ozone pollution and toxics and but limited information with regard to particularly for for boulder in boulder county right now and it. was also helpful to understand more about what the state CDP he is doing as far as their network and what. Potential resources might be available to the greater Community they talked about on loan or monitors that could be given to the different areas. Particularly with respect to the fire management and smoke management around the wildflower fires and messaging was a big topic in the meeting their results, a lot of discussion about. How to reach the public most effectively and Denver talked about a phone APP that they're developing Fort Collins has the benefit of visibility, monitoring and data that they use in in their sort of messaging which is really interesting and there was a presentation about the.

[5:28] HQ is the Air Quality index, and that is used as sort of a. um it's used to describe you know whether the air quality is good or not and but there's discussion about you know, making sure that. it's understandable and relatable for the people that are reading this message and and that it's that it's a good representation of what's being measured as well and talked about messaging targeting the messaging regarding what kind of community is being.

[6:08] addressed and talks a lot of discussion about whether and public indifference was a problem or whether you know how are we meeting reaching the people that we need to reach that kind of discussion and there was a general consensus. That clear and consistent messaging across the state would be beneficial, and so the following work from the workshop, at least from my understanding is that there was a goal to have a shared data and creation of a technical group to. come up with a way to present data and in a in a way that's good for the whole Community, and then also shared messaging and targeting different art audiences and.

[7:05] different modes of communication, so that was mainly the the report out from the workshop I don't know if we want to talk about and what I thought we might bring up with the county at this point. You know, actually looking at the agenda, I think it might make sense now. This is sort of like will do the information gathering essentially or information presentation, so why don't we have the me and V students go through their pieces and then we can kind of wrap that up by thinking about next steps to that makes sense. I just, can I just ask a follow up question first. um who is at the meeting Mary mental I guess I didn't see an email. Oh, and it was representatives from almost every small city county. In the State there were you know representatives from all over we had people from Aspen from eagle from Fort Collins, and it was it was everywhere, and it was really interesting to see what the different different areas we're doing as far as managing the air quality for their citizens.

[8:16] equation me if I could just real quick was the weather service present my understanding is the weather is puts out in the air quality statement of some sort can you. So it wasn't the weather surface. Who was there with CDP he was a State air quality and department basically and and CDP he also puts. A based on their monitoring data and for the whole state which is statewide they have monitors all around the state and they post air quality. Information associated with that I don't know if there's a link to the noaa website, specifically, but I would not be surprised if they worked with them in some way I don't know.

[9:10] All right, yeah okay. Miriam pollen um yeah so I was the organizer of the. One with the organizer yes, yes, so I am. i'm just gonna ask anyone who would like to be in the loop and receive more information and to drop something in the chat or drop me a line. And, and they can certainly go through Miriam concert in touch and i'd be happy to supply more information, this is that this is definitely more the merrier networks. So i'm great summary though Miriam, thank you for doing that. Thanks thanks for the offer con and sounds like a great group you put together it's nice to hear that all the is local governments and regional groups are talking.

[10:04] yeah with that justin maybe we should just go in at to the mem V presentations. Great so con Are you the one coordinating that or. Is there somebody else I should know that. Turning things over to. It can didn't start self organized. Okay i'm just in an advisory role. I will go ahead and share my screen. Great it. Is you're doing that, that this is Jonathan i'm going to TEE this up just very briefly at the at the risk of being too long winded I. board members Jonathan Cohen, acting director of the climate and ships department really appreciate you all taking the time to hear from these amazing students. And I will also note that William check in his just popped into the meeting, who is kind of the lead. In our key kind of conspirator in this issue, I the reason that I wanted to TEE this up is. I think the conversations that you all have been having on this topic going back several months now, I think, really prompted us as the city to really dig deep in terms of how we can.

[11:07] build some stronger collaborations and relationships, not just with like Colin who has an absolute rock Star and working with the aq CC and air pollution control the vision. And really thinking about the regulatory approach, but how do we think kind of the research arm and and our partners at CU and then, how do we as kind of public agency start to think about the things that we can do with the local level and it's been. Really, stimulating I think to to look at this from different angles. And the only other piece, I wanted to say, and then maybe ask you to add any brief remarks. The students that. you're going to hear from tonight are really. Incredible i've had the the honor to work with many of them. Over close to about a year now and i've just been really impressed with their level of insight in what they're bringing forward, and so I really.

[12:01] When I heard that this was a topic of continuing conversation I thought it was really important for the two pieces to link up a little bit in terms of the research that's going on and how that could be applied in any decisions that we're making at the local level. So I will stop there, otherwise i'll keep going William is, would you like to introduce yourself briefly and and a little bit about the urban resilience and sustainability clinic. And if not that's okay. I of course john Thank you so much, can you hear me okay. yeah great well Jonathan koa thanks for the opportunity to to for our students to be before the board, I think I know some of you like Brett Brett great to see you again it's been it's been a while. But very quickly i've been teaching in the new masters of the Environment program for two years. i'm a part time faculty Member but i'm also the lead of what we've called as of last year, the urban resilience and sustainability track.

[13:06] Within this relatively new master's program and one of the first things I did when I came on board as a faculty Member was to reach out to susie stripe and Jonathan Cohen, to join me as a faculty Member, we also have harmon. zuckerman and gene sansom. Who are two other terrific folks who i'm sure some of you know when the wildfires and co VID came together last summer. Last spring and summer in boulder Jonathan susie and I got together and said, you know gosh how, in an age of sort of diminishing public sector resources. But increasing public sector stressors and Community stressors can we serve our Community, the city and county boulder with our talented. graduate students this Jonathan noted, and so we came up with this clinic course concept, where with a team of 10 students who you'll hear from him in a minute. And Jonathan and Colin and susie's guidance and leadership we would deliver come April or early May some value to the city and county in terms of helping.

[14:12] guide proposed policy change around a key area which is air quality, and in particular indoor air quality, as it affects at risk communities that is low income communities and communities of color in the city of boulder and boulder county. Who between Code and the wildfires are perhaps the most vulnerable and most exposed and so that's what's informed the students work that's the why. That they bring to tonight's presentation and I know they've had just about a week to prepare and they're still a very early stages of their research and their work with the city county. But we really appreciate the opportunity for them to be able to come before you tonight so with that and then another thing so Jonathan here our students.

[15:01] A William Thank you so much for tns up explain our first actually our first slide very well you know kind of go over our mission statement, and you know what we're trying to do with our two groups so carolyn he might go to the next slide. Also, about the project, so we split into two teams one looking at you know policy programs and codes within the city and county of boulder. and also a team that's focused on education and outreach and what we're trying to do is create deliverables that can be then actionable for the city in the county to implement that would improve indoor air quality in an equitable way so looking at then. The policy and programs team, you know so we're trying to address IQ from several different avenues, you know, so the first one we kind of thought of was with building codes, you know. With new buildings they're already built so well that indoor air quality is not as much of an issue, but with existing buildings, the retrofits you know where you have a lot of vulnerable populations existing and dwelling in.

[16:04] You know you have pretty poor indoor air quality and this exacerbates existing conditions, you know you have vulnerable populations have a higher rate of. You know, asthma and different medical respiratory diseases and poor indoor air quality just does nothing more than exacerbate those issues. So we're looking at building codes in like it started off with something simple could we add PP to a building and times wildfire to sort of help. people that are within that building protect themselves, like adding like a mask dispenser. You know that was like the first idea, but then it's built from there, you know, like what can we do within the existing codes like there's buckets when you have to retrofit a home, you know you have to. Do a retrofit measure in a lot of cases, and is there a measure that we can implement that would focus on indoor air quality, something like you know, removing your gas stove. Or you know implementing range hoods over your stoves you know things along those that nature where's where we're looking with codes, but then also we're looking at existing programs, which are like energy smart smart regs pace, so, for instance with energy smart.

[17:11] there's it's focusing focusing mostly on energy efficiency, but you know there, there is some wiggle room that we might be able to implement something with an IQ lens into the energy smart Program. And further you know we're looking at other areas in which we can approach indoor air quality, you know there's the sustainability tax. Which is, I know a sticky subject but is there a additional. funding source, we can add within the state ability tax that would help land owners and landlords improve their buildings in terms of indoor air quality, to help the public health within boulder in boulder county. And finally, we had a one of our part one of our teammates come with a great idea to potentially forge urban and rural partnerships. To address fuel loads within the boulder area, you know the public lands are taken care of pretty well as the fuel loads when it comes to wildfires but.

[18:03] private land isn't as dress as much you know so sort of trying to mitigate or mitigate the effects of wildfires within the area which also further exasperate indoor air quality issues so that's what the actual policy and programs teams okay. And then we have the education team and our team really has to deliverables That is our goal, and the first one is a lit review, which are, which is going to look at two things specifically. So the first one is going to look at what other cities and communities are doing within the Air Quality space, and this can include really unique effective things that other communities are doing. That have been proven to be really successful and then we're also going to look at best practices for public engagement communication and education around the air quality. And this really has delved into doing interviews with people throughout boulder county who are professionals with kind of engagement with vulnerable communities and then, as well as diving deeper into the research that's available online for us to tap into.

[19:14] And our second deliverable is going to be a GIs interactive story map for those who don't know who story what story mapping is is essentially a resource that we can use to be able to pinpoint at granular levels. ways for us to identify these areas that have high risks of poor air quality, so we are wanting to make something that where residents can have access and. find information on what actions they should do if they have these challenges in their home, we will also be adding resources and we will be how using are. addressing the issues on if there were a challenge, how can they approach the situation and getting accurate and where they can find accurate.

[20:08] Air quality measures. So we also have a project timeline we will we're going to start our we're going to finish our projects and our research and things like that march 28th. And then, our draft deliverables were we were advised by April 4 to have those complete and then our final presentation will be April 28 from four to six, so we will have those done and finalized them. So thank you so much we appreciate all the time that you guys have given us today, and we are also looking for constructive feedback ideas questions concerns, we are here to help.

[21:01] Rachel and Caroline so if anybody's got questions for the team, I know you're on a tight schedule up but they're here to to respond and to take notes. I do have a question, this is Marty, the name is my wife's name on on there so i'm using her computer. very, very articulate class, by the way, i'm duly impressed, thank you. My question is helped me a little bit i'm kind of familiar with story maps and story lines so to help communicate a narrative about. What information means and where it can be accessed I guess this question will go to Caroline but to all of you who who can chime in please do what is the difference between a GIs. story map and a dashboard where dashboard might be sort of like a portal that a person can go to. One star help me help me understand a little bit.

[22:03] Sure, so um for a story map, you will be able to scroll through and read different different information that we put on the story map, we can also put on to our story maps specific locations where you can click. And access the information the accurate measures and the resources that you may need. This can be a little bit this can be also a way that's an easier access for people just to read this could be something that it just flows very well and it aligns with the. city's plans to create a GIs map that also relates to were at a granular level the neighborhoods that have environmental challenges, for example, like heat index wildfires. frozen frozen temperatures and things like that, so we think that this may be an easier resource for people to really engage and learn more about their surrounding areas and how they can improve their quality in their health for their families.

[23:18] So it's a story map a little bit more helping them understand what they're seeing rather than just a loading dock where they can go oh here's all these indices and monitoring and time series, and that that that that that it's overwhelming. But you're going to provide a little bit of narration to guide them through. and help them absorb what it is they're seeing. Yes. This is crowded very nice, thank you very much. yeah thanks for the presentation, I guess, I have a couple questions or maybe their comments. On the the discussion on you know of building on some of the existing programs like smart regs. that you mentioned, you know I think that's a great thing to be looking at as a lot of the ventilation and other health and safety measures, I think, are already.

[24:05] Parts of existing energy efficiency programs, especially those serving vulnerable communities, I guess i'm wondering if you guys have considered looking at. Some of the voluntary offering as well, so rather than the you know cities specific policies, but things like partnering with energy average Colorado. and other organizations that are sort of already in people's homes, providing some of these resources to think about ways to piggyback some of the Air Quality things you're thinking about on top of you know, energy efficiency or their health and safety measures. that's an excellent question because you know we we had. We hadn't looked into those voluntary measures as of yet we'd been mostly focusing on you know, like you said energy smart smart REG programs as an avenue to address indoor air quality. But um you know for these voluntary measures that could be another great avenue for us to look at and see what they have going on at the moment and see what they can what can be put into their programs that could address indoor air quality, so that that's actually really.

[25:06] suggest looking at it, I mean it's stuff they're they're already working on, I know, maybe less related to a wildfire been more just out there in your health issues. And then I guess justin and Duncan just before you go on just if you would be willing the teams are still in somewhat of a discovery phase, so if say Duncan might be able to follow up with you just justin for a half hour to. Get know you know somebody. programs, that would be to chat about it or to engage with. folks at our injuries Colorado who could answer in more depth. Very awesome Thank you. And then I guess you know just another question is wondering if you're thinking about sort of broadly if there's a role, you know we I guess. have presented to Council and I think there was some interest on their part and just thinking through you know, is there a role for sort of community.

[26:03] centers to help folks during times of challenging air quality, you know, a role for the city in terms of providing refuge, so I guess wondering if you guys have been thinking about those types of things as well if that's within the scope and if not, I might suggest adding it. that's another item that I think we have missing from our scope, and again I think you know that's something that can be really, really valuable. In terms of wildfire so that's me again, we can look at appreciate you justin for actually highlighting these two items is there definitely missing from our last. trip. I had a brief question as well, for you guys um are you planning on any sort of monitoring of the levels of air quality in the indoors and and how are you measuring the success of accomplishing reductions in in impacts indoors. So haughtiness put. Oh. I didn't take that one with that airflow.

[27:02] So we I had just heard from a capstone team member that she had been working on a project with io airflow and enroll. So she was going to try and set us up with contact with the CEO and see how that relationship could build otherwise for any additional sensors I think we have been looking at like different public networks, I think purple is discussed. Otherwise you don't have any concrete plans for sensors currently and. The bill of what he was saying, you know we're we're developing a list of recommendations, mostly for the city to implement we're using a lot of data as well from shelley. Miller think that a has. A Red Sea. Yes, yeah has done a bunch of indoor air quality, you know testing within vulnerable populations in boulder and has discovered, you know where a lot of the pollutants come from. So, like you know outdoor air infiltration and you know allow your equipment, but also VOC admitting paints and carpets.

[28:01] You know so there's a lot of data out there, so I don't know if we're going to do as much data collection, as we are going to take the existing data and try to synthesize that and create recommendations for the county pursue as it pertains indoor air quality. gotcha okay. yeah this is calling it that the actual monitoring may be out of scope for for this clinic. But there are a lot of parallel efforts that that could be synthesize then a couple of a couple of grant applications are in for indoor air quality monitoring and so Should that happen that there's some some dovetailing that could take place with what the students are doing. Susan I think you were trying to get in a question. you're muted Susan. The perennial you're still muted. First of all, thank you so much for joining us it's great to have new faces and new energy here to evening this evening.

[29:03] And I was really interested in your title the intersection of air quality issues and vulnerable populations, because one aspect of vulnerability is our low income populations. Who can least afford some of the measures that we're talking about, particularly in their own spaces and a large percentage of that community generally are renters so I wondered if you thought through programs. To make both monitoring and air cleaning systems more available to low income people and particularly programs with landlords. To create safer indoor spaces. With we've actually started looking into that. An area of or an avenue, which were like looking at it right now is this sustainability tax within boulder you know there there's multiple buckets within the tax. That you know allocate money to different sustainability measures and we're wondering if there's another bucket that could be created that would.

[30:02] Create like a grant style funding source for land owners and landlords where they could put together, you know they could help matching grant style you know. make improvements to their dwellings of their households that would improve indoor air quality, and you know there's a lot of things you can do that are pretty simple that. You know, could quickly improve indoor air quality, you know a lot of these affordable dwelling units are located really close to roadways you know. You know, high traffic roadways and you see a lot of air infiltration becoming a huge issue for indoor air quality So could you somehow you know, like air sealing is one of those topics that's talked a lot about for energy. Conservation or energy efficiency, but that could be another measure that could be looked at, for indoor air quality improvements. there's also things like adding the proper sweeps or improving your existing ceiling around your openings that could improve those the air filtration Those are just some of the ideas we're looking at, but we have sort of looking at you know.

[31:03] Creating funding for landlords to draw from to improve their house or their renters housing. Susan it's such a great question this is William second and it's it's a constant theme for this clinic course and for much of our work and my and my work. affordability and inclusion, as well as environmental quality, how do we make it work, so a couple of add on to what Duncan said, and in fact I think Duncan was your idea, initially, what if. Every fissile or boulder housing partners Community had on hand and emergency supply of P for acute air quality events like a I think Duncan use the analogy of a fire extinguisher. But if there were a similar compartment in buildings, perhaps required by code or non that were available simple mitigation measures. We came across the idea through shelley Miller of fan backs, these are banks that loan for free fans during acute air quality events to improve ventilation and cooling.

[32:10] For folks who otherwise couldn't afford a fan and it's essentially a revolving bank and imagine the story map that Caroline so well described pointing out in one of its resource. pages, you know where these these fan banks were located and how to make use of them, so these are the sorts of tangible practical hopefully low cost, no cost measures. That the students are researching into in a very rapid fashion, to be able to advise the city and county decision makers on ways to learn from code and wildfire season and then take action that's perhaps of a prototypical nature, but something that could be implemented. just want to throw in that last fall, one of our colleagues in the department Elizabeth saka contracted with a group out of oakland called the mycelium use network.

[33:13] who have been working with youth to put on workshops for communities of color around how to build. sort of do it yourself air filtration system, so you can take these 20 inch fans, for example. And just strap an air filter on the front of them and it's significantly improved so for 30 or $35 you can create a system that can help. Those households, be able to filter they're not just keep themselves cool, which is, of course. When we start to get into these convergences of extreme heat plus fire we're going to have really, really toxic conditions because people need to stay in their homes, but they can't stay cool. So I think that's one thing that to kind of watch for and also especially this how we empower communities to empower themselves.

[34:03] And I think this this youth of color providing workshops in their own communities, has been a very effective model. Oh Another thing I would point to is especially as you start thinking about codes and certainly the the in this carolyn is going to talk about this that the. One of the significant benefits of electrification with heat pumps, is that you can enable households to have cooling, without it being outside air that's brought in which typical refrigerant coolers are bringing outside Erin. So it's a very important benefit, and I think in the fights that are now underway, largely because of the natural gas industry trying to stop communities who are trying to go all electric. The health benefits, maybe one of the most important selling points there and then the last thing I just note this is kind of a shocking and disruptive statement but. In the in a conversation we had with some building designers a couple of years ago about this, one of the inclinations in the codes is to start putting in requirements for sort of.

[35:05] fancy heat exchange air systems which are great when they work but experienced that it's been had in things like habitat for humanity houses. Where they require these fancy air exchange systems to be put in. They forget that there's maintenance that's required in these units are often put in some place where they are not very visible and so fairly quickly the the filters get caked up and then pretty soon they're not actually very functional at all. And from a colleague who's a very interesting character out in North in northern California, they did some analysis that showed that. Relatively leaky houses that had really strong hood vents and bathroom vents they were pulling air from the outside, with all the the the doors and windows closed. we're actually creating a particular filtration system through essentially the leaks in their houses that was as good or, better, as many of the filtration systems, so we just have to be thoughtful about.

[36:02] When we use technology solutions, especially that that we're actually factoring in all the factors that are going to be necessary to make sure that they work. Breton I wonder if I can ask one more question to follow up on last week's conversation on electrification. which was the question I was kind of posing or to come back to which has to have mobility electrification of our mobility, so, if you will, electric vehicles, rather than than gasoline or diesel vehicles. And so here i'm i'm thinking in the spirit of the other clinic which is this class and defining the problem related to electrification mobility as concerns. Air quality and and my question has to do with this, so if i'm living along the foothills highway. or and there's plenty communities long and and well to do communities these aren't impoverished people living. Long for those highway or long the long mantegna so there was an I shot. The constant stream of gasoline engine cars, do we have an idea about what the air quality is in that core door of neighborhoods as opposed to.

[37:07] communities that are set back from these main thoroughfares so do we know a baseline now how much worse is the Air Quality just from the. Current mobility based on the gasoline engine and how much improvement, might we expect, as we can consistently move to electrification for the air quality alone these thoroughfare core doors. That that will be a sort of a measure of you know, the solution to the problem that the clinic would be interested to survey. Not in your class time, obviously, but as a long term project. that's great well Jerry that's such a. Marty Marty. Marty sorry. not sure. that's good. that's that's a wonderful example for all of us it's systems thinking right connecting up these different systems and processes. under one you know sort of common problem set.

[38:02] So yeah I mean we've been talking in this clinic class about electrification a lot on. connecting it up to TV not not yet, but to the extent that is I think Duncan mentioned. Experts like shelly Miller from see you suggest that, indeed, the biggest air quality problem for low income communities are the air emissions from vehicles on. heavily trafficked arteries so i've no doubt that a really good hypothesis would be as soon as we you know electrify our vehicle fleets, we will no doubt see you know dramatic improvements in air quality now they'll still be right. grid that's not necessarily fully clean, at least in the near term but hopefully by 2030 when we see this new fleet really turning over. will see dramatic effects, you know it might be something teams that that we know sort of this connection between the transportation technologies and the Air Quality problem i'm not sure.

[39:08] Marty it's something we're going to be able to necessarily address in this particular assignment there great really good thought and something to be addressed going forward. Thanks for you. I, I guess, this is a question justin do Would you mind if I made a comment. Just following rules of protocol. Go for Jonathan. Thank you, I appreciate it just a couple comments and maybe a bit of a segue into the next part of your conversation related to the codes and first of all, I just want to appreciate and. All of the students and William you in particular for your willingness to partner with us on on this kind of new and unique way of thinking it's been really extraordinary and it and I think you can all see just the. The brain trust that we have that sometimes we don't utilize like we should in the students.

[40:01] And so just a couple comments here that I wanted to make, I think it was Duncan who made reference to some mapping that we are embarking on and and I just wanted to whet the board's appetite a little bit that will be coming back to you in the in somewhat near future. Working with colleen in the county and Paul chanel ski at the university to start to dive deeper into this vulnerability mapping and this is prompted I think Susan by your question. In really understanding the level of granularity or resolution in terms of the vulnerabilities that exist within a Community I think we kind of think of them as homogenized right we think a boulder oh yeah your risks are. Flooding wildfire and this and that but really diving deep into neighborhood level data and understanding, then how that informs the policy decisions that we make the programs that we might be able to service and offer. And I think that that is something we are really excited to be doing with the county and also the city of longmont so stay tuned for how we start to lay that out the other piece that I wanted to reference.

[41:03] I think Brett had TEE this up in my mind just utilizing the networks that are already out there, as we think about some of these solutions so Brett mentioned the work of Elizabeth masako who is our equity. manager within our climate initiatives department. connecting with our overall racial equity framework at the city. And then you're utilizing those partnerships like flows at CU boulder housing partners in the county to start to really infiltrate and be able to test and model, some of these solutions in ways that the city, perhaps can't always do. And so that's something really exciting to look forward to. And then I had one other piece that I think I am just losing at the moment. And I apologize. yeah i'll just i'll just stop there and say Oh, I know what it was the other piece Susan that you made me think of is. it's not just looking forward, and what we can offer but also looking at what we're currently doing and so part of our overall strategy, particularly on the equity and air quality framework is doing a bit of an equity scan.

[42:07] So, looking at our current programs and services, looking at what we're doing right now and being able to identify the inequity. and looking at the things where we can improve upon what we're already doing. So I know that that's just a little bit of a nuance, but I think it's a really critical one instead of just saying let's just keep adding more and more. it's wow we could really refine and tinker with the things that we're doing it right now to kind of pick up some of these other issues that are are, I think, growing importance. So i'll stop there, I know you have a lot left on your agenda, we want to make that pivot and I want to make sure that the students can get on to the rest of their evening to. Great thanks to Jonathan and thanks again to everyone, from the Masters environment programme was really helpful and I guess, I hope you guys will come back and talk to EB again once your work is finalized, though, I will not be here to listen to it.

[43:06] Where will you be are you turning off. For them yeah, I guess, he must that this is my last meeting i'm. Oh, my. Life. gap is coming to an end. Thank thanks for doing that for all of us so we'll invite all the VIP board members, including you justin to the April 28 presentation, which Jonathan and I and Colin and susie will be organizing with the students so we'll look forward to seeing you then. Thanks everybody in great great job students, thank you. So much. Thank you. Thanks. Great well I guess that sort of segues into the next piece of our agenda, which is thinking about communications with counsel or sort of where I think the board goes next on this. On the issue of air quality is that right brandon I don't know Is there something you want to say to introduce the topic or.

[44:05] yeah. well. Maybe one one thing i'd maybe like to see see if you'd be willing to do a jump of agenda items just briefly I happen to know personally how. Many meetings, Jonathan has to go to it, how many of them are late, and I would rather not have him to have to be here. The whole rest of the evening, and so I think the only other reason why we wanted you here, Jonathan was just I think you had a little bit of insight for the board about the process of. Both the ABS evolution and the process of how boards are being encouraged sort of to be a little bit more proactive and then also this issue about working with other boards, so if you're willing, could you give us that update in the new we could let you go home. yeah thanks Brett. yeah it's like he's already home. I am so no thanks I appreciate that that's that's super helpful and let me just start by saying I so appreciate this is.

[45:03] a really great topic and justin you did such a fantastic job representing the board at the City Council retreat, which really prompted I think. In invoked a great conversation amongst directors and departments in terms of how can we improve on the current process. To to create that space for inter-departmental work and inter board work, so I think this interesting topic that Marty brings up around vehicle emissions it's a perfect topic to. find that intersection between the transportation department and climate initiatives tab in the EB, and not to centering on. The empty, but the thing that kind of binds us together, which is this health implications and the Air Quality implications and those cross cutting topics become very. relevant and interesting when we create a space to discuss them amongst kind of the different work groups and of course the boards and commissions, so what I wanted to share with you.

[46:03] is again, I think that the conversation that was prompted the City Council retreat and then, of course, by this boards letter to the. house was to create more collaboration amongst the boards, how do we make that happen, how do we be very intentional about that. Is it something that looks like all of the boards coming together one representative from each board coming together in some type of grants summit. We have 22 boards and commissions it's a lot, and so what is the best way to. try to find that intersection ality and find the space to for this work to occur, so I don't have the solution for you tonight i'm not able to report on that, but what I am able to share with you is. That directors are very actively discussing this and I think the hope is within the next month or two to be able to roll out. A bit of a framework for the boards to kind of move into a space in a very intentional way that I don't I, at least in my tenure, with the city which is 15 years.

[47:06] That I have ever seen or witnessed so it's a very, very positive conversation that's taking place right now really starting to do a deep dive into the types of activities that the boards are really interested in. flagging some of these these topics like air quality health equity resilience that that don't necessarily reside with one board north, nor should they but being able to explore. How it might show up in terms of the recommendations each of the boards are making. And, and I, the last thing I will say here is that it gave me an opportunity to kind of talk about where we believe we are heading I think in terms of our department. And starting to look at some of the systems work that's so critical to the success and in our ability to kind of address climate issues and kind of link those two Community based values.

[48:00] And so, starting to think about some of the tough choices and issues that we're going to have to be dealing with like land use policies. Like some of the issues related to broad based ecosystems work that bread is championing, how do we think about equity in this space. From a climate perspective, how do we think about some of the very difficult conversations that that we've just kind of lightly touched over the years and really starting to focus in and utilizing that climate lens. And it's been very positive and I think it's been incredible to see the receptiveness of the other departments of the directors and of the city manager. And it was something that we discussed with both of the city manager candidates in terms of how they see the role of their citizen boards and commissions and how we better utilize them moving forward. So i'll stop and take any questions or comments that you have, I appreciate the opportunity didn't have to being prepared on this so Brett kind of caught me off guard but.

[49:01] But i'd love to hear any comments or thoughts that you have in any feedback on that and anything you want me to make sure is included in the conversations over the next couple of months. So Jonathan I would just add that in the past we've had the opportunity to have the joint sessions, with the different boards on topics that are of great importance to us. and getting the perspectives of the different boards, I felt was really helpful to sort of guide our our conversation and where we wanted to go with it, and so, if we can continue to be able to do that, it would be important, I think. Can I ask you a question back Miriam I, I completely agree with that i'm wondering, one of the things that I think I have been. Trying to think through is you know coming together with multiple boards what's the topic that you really want to dig into sometimes, at least in my experience, the board there's been something that's really I think.

[50:08] been under the purview and ownership of, say, the EA be and you're trying to get a perspective from some of the other boards versus. It would it be beneficial to kind of create a master list of these broader topics like air quality, like equity and resilience. That we could bring the boards and commissions together and they each kind of bring their perspective roles and expertise to that conversation, or maybe it's both and maybe there's a nuance there that that is unnecessary, but i'm just kind of curious what your thoughts are there. I think you hit it on the head I that's exactly a great way to approach it, I think, and the way you know the experience that I had was with ecosystems as a topic and that brought in. a bunch of different perspectives from a bunch of different boards. You know, managing in the ecosystem system space, I mean we could do that with climate, we could do it with equity and resilience, we could do it with any number of topics really that goes under our purview but lands in a lot of different laps I think.

[51:13] This is this is Marty real quick as a as a. What topic to dig into us jonathan's great question. I wonder if they were prepared in Texas for the cascading vulnerabilities that were exposed by a cold wave. I wonder if there had been conversations among Councils in San Antonio, for instance, or Austin. about what would happen if something like this, even conceivably could occur to cascade on losing electricity and losing water losing mobility losing it all. were in boulder do we have that that we haven't yet conversed about that maybe we're a little bit too comfortable about our vulnerability that actually is lurking and just waiting to be triggered by something what have we forgotten.

[52:01] It happened with the. Floods didn't it. Not as much as it could have, but it could rewrite it could have gotten their. party it's such an excellent question and I think just just Miriam to your your. response about the floods, I think there were these acute shocks that caused us to look at Oh, my goodness, what happens if we experience this again. And this is where I am just going to be very, very i'm going to make a strong statement here that I think resilience is a topic that we have not yet. Truly dug into as an organization, as a community and really looked at it from all different angles, I think our resilience strategy is is a great start. But we've not applied this lens of really what are these types of of impacts, the shocks and stressors in the cascading effect that may come from them. I know internally our department has had a number of conversations on the energy side of things, but.

[53:01] You know, you can piece this apart and say my gosh they were failures all over the place, in terms of public health and. emergency operations centers and protecting their own populations, and you know that there are financial impacts and so looking at it from all of those dimensions, I think begins to see. A different story emerges, so I think that Community resilience and really understanding what that looks like is such a critical piece and it's often prompted by some of these disasters that we see take place either in our region or in others yeah. You know one thing that just real quick on the Texas story in terms of inequity by. Like poverty, the folks that couldn't get out of harm's way they couldn't get into a car, they couldn't get out of their homes, they couldn't find family that could shelter them. They didn't have a network of friends that had enough space to accommodate them in a warm environment, I can see the same happening a boulder in a situation of some catastrophe were suddenly that we recognize that there are people who are isolated.

[54:04] who have no place to go and that's where the city resources need to be directed not to those of us that have. A nice big home and family that live in another home elsewhere and another Community we can go to we can get a hotel room for six months and pay for it, you know no that's not the problem we're trying to protect those that don't have any of that yeah. And wrapping where those folks are. And then figuring out what costs can we cover whatever if there's financial, whatever it may be, as support to. buy provided backstop an insurance policy for them that we are their family that they can be assured and don't have to be fretting about a consequence that they saw unfold in Texas should never be something that a person is asleep over. i'm going to go back in and pull out that recording I love that the way you just said that it was so beautiful Thank you. Susan I see your hand. yeah I just. wanted to comment, I think, part of the issue is just the way our organizational structure is set up, you know, like right now, if i'm not mistaken, our responsibility as a board is to.

[55:14] Give information and insight to City Council when they asked us. So it's like each board has a responsibility to City Council but there's nothing in our organizational structure that creates any kind of matrix or intersection ality between the boards and so. You know I think you know i've just been my own volition attending the planning board meetings and reading a little bit about land use code and from my environment with my Environmental Advisory Board hat on i'm like oh wow. Urban heat islands is one of the things we want to work on and this project looks like one giant urban heat island to me, but I don't really have any kind of formalized way. To speak up about that at planning board because i'm just as far as they're concerned another member of the public.

[56:07] And i'm sure there's lots of other great a great examples of that you know, is our intersection with the transportation Advisory Board and the water resources board etc, but there's no really. organization or communication structure set up to facilitate that you know so i'd like to see that address. This is one bit of feedback Jonathan just about you asked a question earlier about the sort of breath versus depth as the steps, one of the ways to interpret what you asked and I think in my experience of these joined advisory board meetings to. That both we have had it from the EBS perspective or that we've gone to if say transportation did advisory board did one. That the ones that are that try to cover too much end up feeling like they're sort of really nice conversations that don't really get much traction. As opposed to the ones that choose a an issue or a few issues that are really salient as intersections and then can go deep.

[57:08] So that would be the first bit of feedback and the second is, I just want to again commend this board that it has taken on several issues, and I think has really advanced them in terms of the city's being aware of and working on them like air quality, and I think air quality urban heat. sort of resilience, these are our issues that don't really have a strong home yet, and that I think this board is kind of helping raise that set of issues for the for the organization. that the last comment sorry. Can I add to that. Yes. Okay, I think it's great to have certain point in time, meetings when the Boards get together, but I also think it would be great if we had an organizational structure where it became more common for any board to say wow I wonder.

[58:05] What they're doing about this in the transportation Advisory Board. here's the mechanism between inner board meetings here's a mechanism where we get on their agenda to talk about this, and maybe have two or three TEAM members form, you know a little working group or something, but we just don't really have those mechanisms in place that are more. matter malleable you know not just like waiting for oh we're gonna have some big board meeting, where we all come together, but rather facilitate communications in between. Like a regular communication channel I think could be pretty good. I do think that this is the point, though, where we have to be watchful of a line that that sort of delineate between an advisory board and an action group or a sort of task force.

[59:00] The advisory boards are not task forces that were formed to do specific things. They they were advisory bodies set up to advise both counsel and staff on the things that the city organization is trying to do. And so I think we have been blurring that line, a little bit intentionally by encouraging especially this board to to be somewhat proactive, but I do think we have to be watchful and Jonathan I guess I would look to you for a little bit more feedback on this particular issue. yeah well, let me just let me just say this isn't I appreciate the way you kind of described it earlier in terms of the. The historic in some like traditional approach that we have utilized for boards to provide feedback and guidance to city council versus kind of the peripheral do of being able to inform one another mean when I say one another, that the the citizen boards and commissions, so I just. I guess I come down in a place that perhaps is is a little bit less traditional I agree with you Brett though I think that some identifying some of these cross cutting issues.

[60:09] are critically important and allowing the boards to bring their expertise and kind of color in their particular part of some of these big Community based issues. What I am sensing and feeling, and this is why I perhaps and strain a little bit further, and what you just said Brett is, I think we have a number of new directors in in the city. Who are eager to try to do things a little less traditionally to say, well, maybe just because that's the way we've done it maybe that doesn't need to be how we move forward and can we. Maybe test and model, a different approach, and in some sense now we need to get it right and we need to. try hard to make sure that we're addressing some of the unintended consequences, but what I am sensing in the conversations i've been part of our. I think ones where we can come together in in a little bit different way and I would really love to see away, and I think Brian is better very good champion here to.

[61:07] To say you know how do we stretch a little bit there are certain lanes that boards and commissions need to stay in, but when can we perhaps maybe. ride the line, a little bit and when can we kind of support one another in a different way i'm using the we and probably in effective way we meaning like this board and that board and. So I think it's just some literacy building it's the ability to kind of model some different behaviors then at least i've experienced and I think there's a willingness to do that. So I don't have a great answer for you tonight, though I don't know what the exact question was except to say. I would, I would look to perhaps some new opportunities in the coming months. And that would be something that is maybe coming from city leadership coming from the city manager's office and maybe moving throughout the various boards and commissions looking for some new opportunities.

[62:01] And that's why that I think that's what prompted my response to all of you last are a couple of weeks ago. Just to say, I want to make sure that that is sanction kind of across the organization and it doesn't look like one board is trying to kind of push a new narrative and a new process and way of doing things but I don't know if that answered your question necessarily i'm sorry. Well, I do I do want to say one thing for the board, which is, I think you would understand and probably already expect this but. As an organization, we are extremely stretched right now I mean we had downsizing we have. We actually heard about a little bit more layoffs today from a certain department, we have a hiring freeze so there's a huge amount of fatigue and. Just you know people are really at their edge, and so what will not go over well is if people.

[63:04] Keep identifying new issues that they're interested in seeing us do something about and we're having a really hard time staying on top of what we're doing. So I would just be wanting to encourage the board that's why these the letter to the Council to to really say here's the things that we're going to be especially looking at. That Those are the kinds of things that I would say yes let's watch for the interconnectedness and the crossover with other boards. But if we start adding a whole bunch of new issues and something I think we should be working on this it's going to not go well just because of the stress within the organization to try to respond to what we're doing. that's a great addition bread i'm sorry I kind of missed missed the point of your your question, I appreciate you, adding that and I couldn't agree more. Can I make another comment or are actually it a specific suggestions so Brett as you described it, the role of the Advisory Board is to advise counsel and advice staff.

[64:04] But again, it seems to me just in listening to other board meetings that there are times when it would be appropriate for a board. To ask another board for advice or for a board to advise you know as i'm listening to planning board i'm thinking. gosh why don't they ask the Environmental Advisory Board or the transportation advisory board about the impacts of this instead of. The the hierarchy right now is that that request would go through counsel or through staff. So to me that's the missing leg and the three legged stool is that advisory boards can advise city council and advisory boards can advise staff but there's no mechanism for advisory boards to advise one another yeah. Thank you, I appreciate that I would just want to do, I want to try to make a little bit of a differentiation. In this maybe we could use the urban heat is a really good example I think for three Environmental Advisory Board to signal to the planning board that.

[65:05] Urban heat is an issue that you believe is very significant and going to be more and more significant and that you think we need to be really looking at our mechanisms and capabilities as an organization to. Consider and and incorporate That is one thing, and a very useful sort of signal so Oh, then they the the planning board might say, well that's interesting, what do you have that you're doing around that, as opposed to. Saying well, we think that project that you're currently reviewing has an urban heat problem and you need to talk to us about that project we've been there a few times before, and that that will not go well. yeah I totally agree with you yeah. So i'm sorry to belabor this or I don't think we're blaming it is a really important point and there's no absolutely Chris blinds on this, and so I think we'll continue to have these kind of conversations, but I. I most of all, I just want to say again, I I so appreciate it and i'm grateful for the passion and commitment that you as board members bring that you want to bring your best to this work into our Community, so thank you.

[66:07] ditto. So if we have, I think any other probings and comments we want to give to Jonathan before we let this poor man go. I love being here it's it's I really enjoy spending time with all of you. Some of you may know, I inherited the Environmental Advisory Board from Jonathan. And you're looking on who you can pass it off to. somewhat reluctantly, but. Brett is a definite champion of this board, so you have a good advocate there. I heard you say Jonathan if you want to be with us so can we put him on the board. sounds like a conflict. You don't want. Imagine in his retirement Jonathan like really angling for his opportunity to be on the environment advice oh. yeah. yeah. What happens when Jonathan retires.

[67:01] yeah right yeah. All right, well, we we are, we are getting on in our evening so let's let Jonathan go and move on okay. Thank you all. Thanks Jonathan have a good night, thank you. Okay um So do you want to circle back to our quality or should we move on to beneficial electrification so we could also like carolyn. have some of her evening back. I think that would be a great idea to I do, I do think if we were going to do that, which is totally support I do want to come back around because and. i'll give give give carolyn the choice here carolyn and I had been kind of tag teaming as staff around the south quality issue because we don't have a clear mandate. or work plan item around this, we do believe that it's important I also support carolyn getting a chance because she goes to a lot of late meetings too so but I do want to come back to like next steps around the Air Quality piece so carolyn what's your preference.

[68:00] I don't feel like i'm escaping so. out that he's um you know I bring a different context around the air quality issue when we talk about beneficial electrification so I don't know if that's. An input that you might want to want to take into your consideration in our discussions, like I could do the quick presentation and then we could focus both on you know the topics, I think. Marion and Collin have been very focused on around our out, you know wildfire and other climate related events, as well as. You know I think this is the role buildings play, both as in terms of their contributing role to air quality issues as well as their opportunity to present say partnering during some of these climate related events so. I think I heard her say that you'd like to go ahead and give her. Presentation if you felt. And then stick around.

[69:02] Around yeah. As long as you promise adventure on a. i'm curious about your background. My background. No, not not work wise just zoom zoom back. I mean. I have a story, there is a story. breaston like would be. Right, you still have yours. I do, maybe i'll go get mine, while you're talking about yours. um so sadly on Friday of last week, bread and Jonathan and I. I mean, it was a celebratory opportunity to thank one of our long term colleagues, for her many years of contribution to the city, but it was her retirement party. And it was care mertz I think many of you know CARA Maria having lead our zero waste programs, as well as many other significant progress for the city. And so, because of code, you know we can't necessarily be together for our celebrations, and so one of our colleagues, managed to get pictures from throughout kara's home.

[70:09] And when we launched our zoom party for her we all had on our respective backgrounds from her home, so I am in kerry's office. And bred in cara's airstream. And boy did it freak her out before she understood that we weren't actually there. yeah funny. It is my my your faith background somehow likes me better at night. and cara's homes. that's good well that yeah that's really clever and impressed and I figured there was some sorry I was just confused, I was like, how is it dealing where she. Is that one of those cans and backgrounds, you and my colleagues have things like beaches and such but. Mine is Paris, this is our Home Office.

[71:05] Well that's great I don't want to derail the conversation. With that you know, we need to think about you know, healthy and. clean and healthy homes. And so I do have a few slides on Heidi which is better for me to try and project or for you to do it. Okay at outstanding I like the solution. And so, Heidi next slide i'll just go ahead and quickly go through this so yeah so thank you um. yeah i'm killing me the mind the energy manager in our climate initiatives department and I wanted to talk a little bit about some of our strategies around our buildings on both in. And in the context of electrification but why electrification, and so we frequently have talked about the role buildings play in emissions, both in terms of our electricity consumption. And gas consumption, and so I just wanted to show you have kind of the changing landscape of admissions and where electrification really.

[72:01] comes into play from the emissions perspective so on the left, I have our current distribution of emissions from our inventories which show you know, the largest portion is electricity that's still largely from buildings. But you know, we know that you know recent announcements from excel our own Community objectives around 100% renewable electricity is really tackle that electricity part. And so i'm showing the chart on the right and more you'll appreciate the both the transportation component here, as well as the natural gas. like this is where the balance of our missions are going to come and where we really need to be focusing our programs and so. Natural gas use and buildings is you know close not quite 50% but it's a significant portion of our residual emissions that we need to tackle just to hit our targets next slide hiding. But as we come to appreciate and I think brett's alluded to, and it's come up in our conversations with Miriam buildings play Another contributing role to our. environmental challenges that we face and I thought this study from California, it was really fascinating to think about because we don't typically think of our buildings as mentors.

[73:11] And so California did this study and the support some of the things you've heard from them around their natural gas fans of really looking at the role of buildings and homes. as compared to power plants right we think of power plants as significant mentors we have. regulation in place to manage that, and this study just shows you know how many more times the the buildings contributed their unregulated the appliances operating in those buildings are not regulated from an. era mission standpoint perspective and so they're really contributing significantly to a lot of our ozone issues we're seeing today so even as we electrify our transportation sector, we still have to concern ourselves with what we're doing in terms of our buildings it next slide. So we wanted to just touch a little bit and I don't have a ton of slides, I just wanted to TEE this up, so we could have conversation. But we're really tackling this from the city perspective from a number of different avenues.

[74:04] i'll talk a little bit more about our building codes that our communities committed to net zero building codes by 2031 for all new construction and major renovations where. You know, major renovation is like a home guide or a building complete renovation, we have policy and regulatory for action in terms of. Building performance goals other considerations that we can talk about. We also doing voluntary incentives to help our early adopters is they want to achieve our climate goals themselves and contribute to that. And then I very clearly say to be determined, because I think there's a lot of opportunity for us to mutually talk about you know what those strategies and tactics to be going forward I the next slide. So i'm going to talk about building codes and a little bit of background context for this and how do you can go to the next slide is, I know there's a. lot been a lot of conversation in our Community recently and in the past around the natural gas bands and what's been evolving in California Massachusetts and some other locations around.

[75:05] outright banning natural gas infrastructure and new development and we haven't gone there as a community yet and there's a few reasons for that one is. You know if you really think about the material impacts that those types of bands are having they're fairly limited. Because what's your definition of new construction and new development in the terms of a Community like boulder where there's very little new development space. And so we're really talking about you know a few areas of redevelopment. That can be impacted by such a band and then i'm thinking about also where some of our other tactics are already getting us, and so I wanted to just feature our residential building codes right now. And I apologize, I have not updated this chart to show where we're at today, but it is that orange line. Our current building codes energy energy folders energy conservation code is at that orange line where we are requiring net zero.

[76:00] For anything over 3000 square feet and for perspective, this is almost every new single family well it actually is pretty much every single. New found a single family home in boulder that's been constructed has to be net zero so one of the nuances and we point to this line around the. 20 and the left side is showing you the what's called the her scores are the. energy use per square footage kind of metric when you get crossing over that line at 22nd piece comes into play, which is our interconnection rolls around solar, so the way you get to net zero as you put enough solar on your home to offset the energy use within your home right. As soon as you kind of cross that 20 threshold, you have to essentially to electrify your appliances, because you can't put in a large enough. solar system under our current limitations to offset that natural gas us, and so what we've seen as we've been evolving this code. In the prior one i'm still showing the 2017 which was when the code was introduced about 50% of our new construction single family homes were going in with all electric heating and cooling, so we were already making that transition and driving it simply through this.

[77:10] Performance based metric around how much energy that home, could you, so I think that's really important, so our code is really already affecting kind of the change we want and we're still allowing people. And I think this is an important thing we talked about the air quality issue the indoor air quality should be still been allowing people to choose gas as a. As a feature in their homes, not for their heating and cooling right so from a mission standpoint we're really tackling that big greenhouse gas meter which is your furnace and your water here. But we've been allowing people to retain the stove within their home, which is the biggest source of indoor air quality. Concerns so i'm really thinking about how we're going to evolve, the coach and merge those two goals about addressing the indoor outdoor air quality issues with our greenhouse emissions goals it's related to that so just wanted to lay some background there Heidi next slide.

[78:03] carolyn before you go to the next slide may I ask a question. please refrain that please interrupt me at any point in time, this is meant to be a dialogue. And I should know this better you know I play enough in fringes of this problem. But I often stumble over what net zero really means what is being measured what was actually accomplished. Like some folks might say, well you know you have an electric car, so if electric cars energize through a grid that's all renewable that's you know zero energy zero emissions, if you will. However, the life cycle, so the car is built so before you begin plugging in in the construction of them, the construction of the home, the implementation of solar panels that involves use of energy So where do we start measuring the net zero bonus of this. yeah Marty that's a great that's a really great training question, so the way our code is currently structured is around the annualized usage piece of the operational energy only.

[79:07] So it's the modeled consumption for that building as it's being used for its construction what it's showed us in terms of what it's modeled envelope is and it's appliance usage. Compared to how much itself generates that's that's how we define it zero in our building codes within our roadmap, though we're really recognizing the lifestyle more of the life cycle impact so really thinking about how we're going to. In the next code styles sale cycle start to introduce some of these broader concerns around what we call them body carbon. So thinking about the materials of construction thinking about the technology choices we haven't introduced that into the current Code. But it is work and you're starting to see those types of codes emerging and places like Vancouver Seattle, where they're really talking more about the lifecycle carbon at the building, which includes both the the materials of construction, as well as the operational energy.

[80:07] very helpful, thank you. Aaron and I have a question. Oh yes, absolutely so. it's it's probably a stupid question, but I think I heard you say the limitations on the amount of solar that we can put on a house limit kind of how much electrification we can do is that the hundred and 20% limit. That is correct, so when we refer to the hundred and 20% limit, but the nuance that comes into play, is that. You can only oversize your undercurrent regulation and I know we have some conversations in the Community about changing that and will backstop our code just to rest assured, on that one um but. The current limitations that you can over only oversized your system by about 20% that's enough to cover your gas fireplace your. Gas cooktop but it's not enough to cover your water heater and your furnace and so that's really the piece that has driven.

[81:01] The kind of transition that we've seen in our Community, so the much higher heat pump adoption electrification and and I will say of the homes that have gone in with all electric heating. um it's about 50% of those who still put in like put in place the gas line for the purposes of the stove you know the the thing we value is the elite thermidor cooktop and the gas fireplace so people are still choosing to put those in. So it's certainly address like I said, our. Major greenhouse gas emissions in happen not necessarily some of the things we're talking about in terms of air quality all right. So part of part of my ignorance, but I thought that 120% was related to your previous years use, you know when I put solar on my house, it was related to how much electricity I using the previous year, so how does that work in new construction. that's what the model usage is going to be so you submit a load calculation to the utility based, so the same thing you have to do under our code to to show what's your.

[82:07] energy usage is going to be used, submit to the utility So if you do not have a prior year or your materially changing so. You know, we have this with many folks who were electrifying their existing homes, they can get a modeled estimate of what their usage would be in the utility will accept that, as representative of their annualized usage. Okay, so I guess what I don't understand is, if you included an electric furnace and electric hot water heater in your modeling. Then, that would be your 100% so, how does the hundred and 20% limit you. um so. 120% is based on your model, the electricity so let's take the counter to what you asked so if you are planning to put in gas furnace and a cast water heater, which is the typical baseline of what people construct today outside of boulder yeah so just if you think about our our.

[83:09] National building codes and where they drive you today it's a high efficiency gas furnace and water here. When the utility determines how much solar, you can put on it's on the balance of your electrical loads. And from a net zero perspective we're converting your gas usage, to a total energy consumption, and so you can't put a big enough solar system to offset that gas usage, specifically in. Your. modeling basically doesn't the button the modeling basically doesn't allow you to model. And electric harness and. yeah so if you're putting in an electric furnace in a an electric water heater and you model that you can size your solar system exactly right to meet that and that when. 120% gives you enough cushion to still have some gas appliances in your own was really because those appliances your furnace and your water heater consumes so much energy if they aren't electric you just can't put enough solar on based on the regulation.

[84:10] Thank you, you bet. So how do you next slide so i'm going to just talk briefly about what we're doing on the commercial side. So largely our commercial code has been very prescriptive in nature, and what we did this year is train on this past year was. transition to a similar structure as the residential code, which is a performance based code. And so, as we ratchet that performance requirement down you're going to see the same thing happening on the commercial side that we just discussed on the residential side, where. Your performance requirement is so stringent it favors and all electric construction. And moves away from gas and so that's That was our first step towards a similar model for commercial construction, as we see on residential. The other thing i'll comment is we've now introduced the requirement, a minimum requirement of solar installed with the idea being that you know if you have to get 5%.

[85:06] Solar on to cover at least 5% of your load you're going to take the incremental steps to add more panels and then we have. Already electric and electric ready requirements on the transportation side so requirements in our Commercial Code about building out infrastructure for charging. And our intent is through the next code cycle to provide similar requirements, both in residential commercial for heating and cooling and so, even if it's not an all electric construction, ensuring the infrastructure is there for the conversion at a later date. carolyn a quick question how, what are the incentives that you're considering in convincing a property owner to go all electric in your building, as opposed to gas, which is running very cheap at this time, but of course defeats the purpose of the environmental concerns. yeah So the first step with this code is um there's certain types of buildings and certain types of construction projects where we don't have.

[86:08] energy use per per square foot target and in which they have to go through the prescriptive path meaning they have to meet a certain performance requirement for like the envelope or other components. And what we did is, if you have an all electric construction under this current Code on your requirements that you have to hit or less stringent, so you only have to be a lower percentage about code minimum. If it's all electric and much higher one if it's it's gas so that's the first incentive is that if you choose all electric you have more flexibility and can go slightly less. Efficient is still I mean I don't want to represent that, as you know, energy hogs right there still above code minimum but it's it's easier and there's also some other components around there around. You know, we envision. Considerations be made for buildings that are going to strive for net zero ahead of schedule for certain allowances, so I think your Castle talked last night about.

[87:12] Oh, and blanking on the term but. You know what are the trade offs that builders are willing to do for certain. alleviation zip codes, we talked about it a lot in the height limitations, but there's other requirements, where we may allow different choices to be made as an alternative to meet our code if they're taking a tactic that aligns with our roadmap. Thanks early early impressions are the incentives working. um so it's interesting. Cohen, has kind of mess with our ability to really track how much traction we're getting that I think what we're seeing on the commercial side is a lot of multi families about 50% of our multi families are going in all electric. And that's not because the code is easier, but rather well it's not because of the incentives, we put into the code, but rather the cost effectiveness of building all electric.

[88:07] within the constraints of our code is better for multifamily buildings at this point, you know so we're strange enough on multifamily and when you think about happy to provide in unit heating and cooling we're seeing a lot of. builders and developers shoes and all our construction in fargo that gas infrastructure so they're saving that cost of the gaps build out in favor of kind of the diversity, they get in that the better in unit service delivery they get from an all electric selection. Great next slide hiding. This is just our roadmap you'll see it and we talked to it, so we do have this plan to prepare updated codes every few years, so our next cycle. we're a little this is when we start working on it, the code gets introduced slightly after but with the idea that by 2031 the building should.

[89:08] produce as much energy as it's consuming so that's the roadmap and again what we're seeing is once you get below a certain threshold and we haven't modeled it yet, but we know it's there it's going to drive and all electric selection. But at least for heating and cooling and in commercial buildings there's little reason to put gas in if it's not for heating and cooling unless it's. read something like a restaurant type application right. Is a PD means photovoltaic on the slide. Right yes. yeah no that's fine so does the PV source, have to be related to the building in proximity, or can they be buying. molecules from afar. So under our code first us maximize the use of your available space as your first means so on site rooftop system if you are limited.

[90:06] So let's say you just don't have enough roof area or you're in a shaded area or an orientation that's not favorable or. You know, we know if some of our taller buildings are limited. Your next choices to procure from off site, whether it's a solar garden renewable connect to me we allow that. If you can't achieve that so meaning there's not a subscription available or capacity within that you can pay into the fund. which we then reinvest largely in low income programs so to some of the earlier conversations we have this energy impact offset fund where. in lieu of code compliance, both in our smart regs that are building codes, as well as our marijuana. Industry, they can pay in, and we do use that for low low income solar garden subscriptions efficiency for low income housing so trying to achieve a similar impact, but through a different segment of our Community.

[91:04] To get that larger offset by 2031 is that going to be occurring through these alternate means because, after all, the building footprints are not going to change dramatically in terms of their construct and how many panels can supply a offsetting of the usage. So in principle and we've modeling eat for a typical commercial soliciting a commercial office space building and looking at some of the ones we have out at boulder junction which are net zero at this point. Where the technology is going on, efficiency, you should be able to do it on site, I think, if you get up to four stories or really high density that's that's where we might see some procurement off site, or if you're an industrial building. Well i'm impressed I did not know that, like, I mean, I have a house, yet not quite 2000 square feet and i've got a 4.6 kilowatt system i've had it on the roof for 15 years it's probably only 75% as effective as it used to be i'm all electric.

[92:06] But I don't offset all of my usage, I might have hog I don't have the thermostat high I don't have a seat, I have a swamp cooler and I. Most of my room spaces use I couldn't meet that goal, so i'm surprised that these new buildings with the systems that exist, can do it i'm i'm very happy to hear that. yeah so it's all about on globe and. You know, thinking about where we lose a lot is is truly in the envelope, and so, as we tighten up that envelope and we make. Better choices in our appliances and efficiency, we can maximize your space now I I don't want to portray that every home in boulder. is going to work because more because of shading and orientation like we know as we get into some smaller lots if we think about future redevelopment. there's more lots that are oriented in ways that this isn't going to work quite as well for and we'll see some also purchase, but with the grid emissions also declining if we're driving towards electric or similarly accomplishing the same thing.

[93:13] Thank you, but yeah like the the older comments on buildings, those are net zero by design and we're seeing more and more of that being constructed as proactive by the builders. Great next slide hi. um but which brings us to the challenge right, so I alluded to the fact that. there's not a lot of new development space we, I mean we see some redevelopment and other opportunities, but to hit our goals in terms of both emissions and. Air quality concerns we have to tackle our existing building stock and there's a lot of challenges to that so just a few highlights Heidi next slide. And if you can work through the animation on this one Heidi I think there's a.

[94:01] Few. Thank you, there is that's perfect so though back my friend and colleague brad can Karen did an analysis based on so his experience, and so I attribute these numbers to him, but I think is really representative and this. took a typical home and boulder that's gone through a electrification so retrofit. You know, making sure that we're tightening the envelope of the home through Better insulation air sealing. With our contractor markets today it doesn't matter if you're putting in a conventional air air conditioner furnace or a heat pump it's very expensive. So you know happened to replace your heating appliance and can be on the order of $20,000 or more, depending on the complexity of your home. If you want to get the economics to really work, so it favors you you're saving money with your electrification choice, putting your seller on you know the ideal is.

[95:05] solution is the self contained home of a proud $38,000 and, as we know, even for our fluent members of our Community that's a big price tag. to undertake and make a choice, do you put your kids through college for a year, or do you electrify your home. And if we think about the 18,000 single family homes in in boulder you know that's a price tag of 680 $4 million right so it's not like the government's going to be able to pay for that either, and so. Really, tackling That is our number one priority and how do we remove that up front barrier to capital for for people who. Regardless of where they are in their choice so they're at the end of equipment like on their existing equipment or there a climate leader and want to make that change now. How do we get rid of that upfront barrier in terms of the 30,000 or more dollars, that they have to invest.

[96:00] Because that's that's a challenge, like I said, for even are fluent numbers now think about equity. And people who don't necessarily even have that capital of begin with they don't have the credit to take out a loan or their renters or other Community members, and so what we've been very focused on last year and will continue this year is this idea of removing. The financing of these types of projects from the individual and applying it to the home, so I think many folks have been around and heard of earlier programs called pace finding financing, which is property assessed clean energy, where they were you could get the loan, but it was. allocated through property taxes to the premises or the the home itself so if you sell the home, the idea was that that the people who were continuing to get the benefit of your investment we continue paying for it. And there's a different form of financing that's been emerging that actually ties it to your utility meter and so tariff based on bill financing as a term that you may hear and the idea is that, as a utility or a private investor.

[97:11] The cost of that conversion would be covered and then the repayment of that financing would occur through your utility bills there's models, where you know your repayment is less than what you're actually saving and so your net benefit is there and so. We, in partnership with some of our neighboring communities did a study last year there's been some initial conversation around. regulatory or legislative pathways to introduce this, but this is, I think, really, the game changer that we as a Community need is to get this alternative financing mechanism in place similarly if we think about. Most homes aren't designed for all electric right now so there's a utility component to this of upgrading that infrastructure same kind of model and we've seen early progress from our utilities on the vehicle electrification side so.

[98:07] Some recent adoption there, so we think we have traction in the coming years, to introduce this, so this is, you know in my bucket list, this is, this is the thing I most hope to accomplish is a city of boulder employee before I. hit my retirement, but hopefully sooner, because I think it's really a really important thing for us. carolyn can I throw out a example of a cross cutting concerned for an ab. Here we've got this great. panels on rooftops great system and we're putting them on all the rules, all right super climate change, the climate is becoming more volatile. there's studies that speak to increasing summertime thunderstorm intensity that produces larger hailstorms. So we haven't had one in boulder lately it's been a while we have had some outlying communities Colorado springs, and so forth in Denver. If a major hailstorm were to sweep through boulder with an installed PV on rooftops what might be the damage and what might be due to our energy infrastructure, it was wiped out by hailstorm.

[99:13] yeah, so I will liken you to the hell storm that came through, and I want to say it was two or three years ago um so lightly lightly hip older, but in more significantly, hit our neighboring communities. lewisville longmont to louisville Lafayette did some significant damage in that area i'm. An interesting thing is is the PV largely when unscathed there were some damage to one or two panels, but not total loss, the system which is you know I think speaks to the resilience of. The work that the developers have had to do in in firming up those systems and really submitting them to this climate impacts, I think the more notable thing we saw that I would like into is less like that physical damage.

[100:05] Our fires. That hit this past fall and took a significant impact on our on our solar production as a Community. You know, we it that kind of particulate matter really impacts our. Solar installation and so what's normally a good production time for our Community was definitely significantly down so we think hires we are certainly expecting to see lots of production, I think that's where diversity. in how we deploy these is important, storage, as well as just thinking about the interplay with the grid as a just. A mechanism for dispatching distributed assets from other parts of the state, and so I think you know, for example, excel file their clean energy. Announcement earlier this week i'm noting that a significant portion of that will be made up with distributed assets and I think that is the concept is that.

[101:05] We don't want to just rely on one single large centralized and we don't necessarily want to rely just solely on single distributed assets, because we are going to see these types of climate impacts interesting. But to fire, do you have a rough number what you estimate the shielding effective. We haven't gotten to see all the data, yet it was one of the things we became aware of it is the city just installed a bunch of systems and we were getting ready to in energized and we had to have like seven consecutive days of. Good solar installation to to basically qualify the system months. yeah yeah I mean I watched my system, I could I could see the shielding effect taking you know kilowatt hours out of my purse, if you will, and off the grid so yeah no you're right i'd be curious to know what the integrated effect was on a Community that's very good point. For how Marty, I think, need they're designed to withstand at least golf ball size, you know.

[102:00] yeah right if you get bigger than that may you might see some damage like carolyn says, usually it's not the whole system that's like a panel or two. But yeah I remember I install the system on my house like right after that major storm and the installer were showing me pictures of you know, a couple of some of their installs it's been damaged, that they were repairing. yeah surprisingly like there's a few, but like if you looked at it, compared to the cars with their windows on our inner. yeah exactly are like that every house need in Jeff Cohn needed a new roof in some neighborhoods that you know they're made out of glass but they're actually surprisingly strong and they're designed to withstand a lot of these. yeah they are, and I would also point out that their systems, who. survived the hurricanes as well. So, if you think about Florida. Georgia there's some very large systems deployed in that region, and they were not the thing that went on offline during some of those major hurricanes.

[103:02] bigger problem for them is probably been underwater rather than. Well we've got nine minutes left in our schedule, so this is great carolyn but. sounds like seems like we shouldn't try to hurry along. yeah absolutely and I think i'm Heidi next slide. um yeah so just some other priorities I just talked about workforce development, making sure we have the supply chain in place and then Heidi I think the next one is just. salary and equity so just to this point. We do know that a lot of our Community members currently don't have access to clean or adequate heating, we talked a little bit, a while ago about. The need for you know, the opportunity for good indoor air quality ventilation associated with heat pumps, but being very cognizant that many of these folks are already experiencing a significant energy burden so whatever we do, needs to take that into account and Center that fact that.

[104:00] You know 10% of Colorado residents currently are overly burdened by their energy costs, and I think that was my last slide. It was. Great Thank you does anyone have questions for carolyn though let's try to keep it brief. All right, alright um yeah I really appreciate you taking the time to talk about this, I know. You know there's some aspirin Council they get back to them kind of know have time today to really dig into that so that might be something you guys need to take up in the next meeting or meeting after that, as a board. of debt financing idea carolyn and can we get a copy of this presentation. yeah I sent it to I used to she can send it out as a PDF to everyone. Thank you, thanks so much. yeah i'd love to hear what you guys are doing on the workforce development side, but I think there's a maybe that maybe that's another conversation.

[105:05] Absolutely. um but yeah I agree on the financing, he said exciting unnecessary. um. Okay, well, it seems like there is, you know we only have seven minutes left in our schedule and i'd like to my last meeting is chair keep us on at least a German on time. So I don't know if we want to try to quickly deal with the Air Quality piece or put it off until next month folks have I guess I don't know Brett and Miriam how. How long you think that'll take it seems like a pretty big topic. So the, the idea is to continue the conversation with the county and and keep bringing our ideas forward to them and work as a partner with them on bringing results to the city and.

[106:13] I didn't have any idea that the M and the students were working on stuff for the city and it's really exciting to see that there's you know student thought going into hopefully interesting solutions. For for the city um but yeah I don't know what about timing Brett and I actually don't even know what the timing is for for Collins group to. keep moving forward as well, the goal in my eyes is to have some sort of action before the wildfire season starts, and so, if we need to wait till next month to address it that's fine but we're cutting it close.

[107:05] yeah. yeah I mean, I think it would be great if I think it's been great that you and staff and EB have been pushing this and it seems like it's actually moving forward and yeah, to the extent it'd be great to build on that momentum, then. Now let it drop. So I mean. Go ahead. Margaret Mary. I was just gonna say I can quickly go through the talking points that I sent to Brett and carolyn and that we were going to bring forward to the county. And, and whatever next meeting we had I definitely would like your guys's input or and or approval of those talking points, and so I could go through that quickly before we adjourn in the next five minutes. What I was going to suggest Miriam is our is there anything in the talking points that you think is especially time sensitive that we should have these raise tonight.

[108:04] And then I think carolyn, I think, maybe it would be good if you and Miriam and I could set up a call to to work through kind of some next steps, and then I think and also perhaps talk about what roles or actions, we might want. To engage with beyond this so but is there anything Miriam that you see that we want to especially highlight from those talking points. So what I found super interesting about the presentations that was that were given during in the regional meeting with that many of the cities are using these air sensors to supplement. Whatever data they're collecting with the more robust monitoring systems, and I believe that having a network of the sensors in boulder will help us have a more clear picture of impacts, to the Community on a relatively inexpensive basis.

[109:10] It seems like the city can have a role in trying to get people interested in buying those I don't know there's a lot of darks here in boulder. Absolutely bad, I think. If they knew that it would be helpful to the city and you know that they could see you know we're seeing their data being at least displayed on their site would be interested in shelling out there, I don't. Remember. A couple more like. You know another thought I had was you know just put them at every school, you know and get the kids involved with you know, looking at the data and learning from this, you know. yeah, so I think there's a bunch of really good stuff here, I think, part of the other thing I want to really dig into with this board is. it's one thing to have the data and it's another thing for the most vulnerable populations to have some way of accessing it that they're going to use.

[110:01] Right, so I think we need and it might be that we need to do some user testing or user engagement around How would this information once it's being gathered somehow is it alerts that go to people's. phones and that people in those neighborhoods then can get sign up so they don't have to go to a website to look, you know what i'm saying right. But I mean you guys have initiate a conversation with Denver people the love my air people and and I think we can learn from them and and gain I mean potentially resources from them as well. I think that's to be seen yeah yeah. Well let's let's do this I we have time next month next month, I should just note for everybody, we will and i'll just say this very quickly we we. need to sit through email we we will be coming back to you with a draft of the memo and the climate action framework next month you'll be the first and only board to see that ahead of a Council session.

[111:00] It is not intended to be the final point, I just want to make sure that we emphasize that point. Even when we take it to counsel so but I think we should be able to schedule some time in next month's meeting to continue this topic and so maybe carolyn you and Miriam and I can T up with how to really bring this forward and efficient way. check my messages, I think, to the Board is you know we typically think of this as the county role, and so I think, helping to. advise Council and us on where the city's nexus is within that I think is is really the critical. I think there's a lot of things we can do, I think, making sure that we're hearing from you as to how we differentiate those roles, I think, will be really important. yeah and I don't know that it's well, I think that this board has been saying this, I just encourage you to keep saying it that. Really emphasizing, how is it that we're going to figure out who is most vulnerable, and how are we going to make sure that we reach them with both the information and the support they need it in this next sequence of fire and smoke occurs.

[112:09] And that's The thing that keeps me up at night is, are we doing the things that are going to be necessary to really be. Enabling most of those folks to be ready for this, because it is going to happen and we know it. And this is back to jonathan's I guess focus on resilience and vulnerability, so we can all be equally vulnerable let's say to a fire sweeping across the city. But only a small fry almost certain fraction are resilient to bouncing back from that right, so the vulnerability may be equal, but the resilience is the one where the inequities begin to show, because the resources aren't there to recover. yeah. Community loses its its capacity to stay Community if there's a large hole a large gap in resilience part, I think, more so than in the vulnerability part. I agree with you Marty, but I do think we have to differentiate between our threats here.

[113:05] Air quality does not necessarily destroy structures when it moves through, but it does it does it erode health. yeah that what we know is especially in in frontline communities it's that gradual long term erosion of health that's really the most damage that that's that's the really damaging part of that factor. I agree yeah we're talking different hazards. yeah. yep very good. Well, I want to honor our Chair for taking us to the end and to the time and justin thanks again. we'll miss you this week at a farewell address like George Washington. If you want to warn us against entangled alliances with other boards. i'm going to stay out of that one notch say Keep up the good work, I think, in my. it's been great to see. I think the board become a more meaningful body and have more of an impact and even in the three years i've been on it, so I just encourage you guys to keep moving in that direction, I think it's it seems like there's a lot going on and going to be exciting few years.

[114:17] yeah. And also, I just wanted to let you know, to check your email um is there should be a gift card in your know. wow I didn't expect this. To have to record it. Thank you city of boulder. Fully installed solar system replaced. $18,000. For my home. And then we have a new a new member coming next month. We don't know who it is yet so you know we'll let you know. But yeah i'm sorry we don't get to do this in person, but hopefully i'll continue to run into everyone around town. definitely see you.

[115:00] alright. Have a great night.