September 4, 2024 — Environmental Advisory Board Regular Meeting

Transcript

Captions from City of Boulder YouTube recording.

[0:06] Used to working the public account hopefully. That was an interesting paper. It's not like you're going to give people options. You should, I should should not. But you're like like when travels big. The menu, for example. people are gonna like me are gonna be beat right. But if you don't even tell me. and it's made. That's great. Yeah. Enjoy it. Pretty simple. So yeah, those is what I do for my. the benefits that I'm able to do? Should we give? Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Alex. Another minute to join. or should we do call 1, 2? 0, there she is. Thank you.

[1:05] Hello! Hello, good morning. Morning. No. It's just that. This is my day. Schedules. Weird. Thank you. I'm I'm usually starting to work sometimes. Different point. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Hello. Welcome. We have a quorum in person as well as Alex joining us virtually welcome. I would like to call this meeting to order to begin and then heather. Would you like to read our meeting procedures? Sorry. The screen is too big? Go ahead and switch over to this one. And for just a moment, if you guys don't mind

[2:08] different documents. Hello, everyone. I'm Heather Sandin. I'll be serving as your technical host for tonight's meeting. Just a few things to go over before we start. The city has engaged with community members to co-create a vision for productive, meaningful, and inclusive civic conversations. This vision supports physical and emotional safety for community members, staff and board and commission members as well as democracy. For people of all ages, identities lived experiences and political perspectives. For more information about this vision and community engagement process. Please visit that website. Https forward slash boulder, Colorado, Gov, forward slash services forward slash productive hyphen atmospheres. The following are examples of rules of decorum bound on the holder revised code and other guidelines that support this vision. These will be upheld. During this meeting

[3:06] all remarks and testimony shall be limited to matters related to city business. No participant shall make threats or use other forms of intimidation against any person. obscenity, racial evidence, and other speech and behavior that disrupts or otherwise defeats the ability to conduct meeting or prohibitive participants are required to sign up to speak, using the name of your common and individuals must display their full name before being allowed to speak online. Currently, only audio testimony is submitted online because we do not have registration for open and public comment. Tonight, you can indicate you would like to participate by using the raise hand function. the raise hand button is in the participant box which can be found in the menu by hovering over the top or the bottom of your screen, and then clicking on the participant icon. When the box opens you will see the raise hand button at the bottom.

[4:01] By clicking that button you can indicate. You would like to participate in open or public comment. You have joined us by phone. You can press Star 9 to raise your hand. Thank you. Heather. that we shall go to. I would like to make a motion to approve the minutes of our last meeting. That's okay. Got a second. Just get a quick vote to approve all in favor. Raise your hand. Yeah, yeah. Cool. Great and now we have one person joining. If you would like to participate in a public comment, public comment, feel free to raise your hand. Oh, right? In that case I think we can move on to our agenda items. Seeing no hand. And we can start off with. we are continued discussion around this site based challenge to

[5:03] the boards and cities. So yeah, yeah. sorry you're gonna start. So everyone should have a different email, the docs. I think we're ready to move forward with it unless yeah, to to review what it is there is the script. We're going to public comment at council. There is an email letter to all the boards that includes links to an FAQ. Or fact sheet. You can choose one or the other. and there's a slide deck that maybe we'll link to in the follow up email to counsel. Otherwise I don't know if you need it. And then there's that follow up email to cancel and and they also have a list going of all the boards to send it to. And we can just grab their emails online.

[6:02] I'm happy to send it. And then Susan board email so that everyone gets replies. works with that game here? And then I can track responses and spreadsheet and answer any questions. So yeah, open to any extra comments from anyone who has an answer. Yeah. more, I've glitched through briefly. don't fix it, and it seems like mostly on the right track. And when I was going to talk with Jonathan about our agenda for this meeting. Oh, just more about like the sort of like to tone that we're trying to go for with this challenge, is it like?

[7:00] Certainly with the public comment. and definitely also with with the emails, is it like like a friendly challenge, or like a campaign or like, yeah, what's what's what's the tone that we're going for making sure that we're reflecting that in in this outgoing. my, so my worry with the word challenge is, people would think it's like a 1 off like this is a challenge. It starts, and then it's over. So I was trying to avoid that vibe. But like this is the thing you do for 6 months, and then forget about it 1st like. And this is saying we want to adopt as an ongoing against the word is not policy. But I don't know if it's an ongoing thing, resolution or part of our city values. So that's what I was thinking, and then I don't know. I I guess my assumption is, people will also. But like if it's too late. I think people have questions like people. I don't think anyone spent any time thinking about this before, so I might have gone a little fact heavy, because that also is

[8:06] so. I I guess I was taking them more of a serious tone, but not like I. What I don't want is, and it comes off at all. This. We should change it. I don't want it to feel like this city's bad, and you have to be better. It's more like, here's an opportunity that we see. we think this is cool. We can be even more cut, like we're already the most aggressive city policy with us. Yeah. let's add a little something else. So that's that's what I was thinking, but totally not attached to the sounds. Good. And yeah, thank you. Evening board for the record. Jonathan Coleman. Climate initiatives. I I thought it might be helpful. Since we do have a member of the public joining tonight, and for the record, it might be helpful just to maybe state a bit of what this item is, and just talk a bit about what the Board is considering as a little bit of a background that way. It's in the public record and the number of the public that's here this evening. Listening has an understanding of

[9:14] discussion. Absolutely. Add to that. I do have all those materials pulled up and ready to share full on the screen. Yeah. So so for for quick summary as we and our wonderful board member Hannah has brought over a few months ago brought to our attention something that the city of Denver did around only providing plant-based meals for city sponsored events, or specifically for board meetings. which is something that we, as the Environmental Advisory Board, have been doing sort of informally for several months. To. I don't exactly know how long. but it's not just play-based. It's play based by default. Yes, so rather than defaulting to providing

[10:11] meat-based meals. And so we've been discussing over the past few meetings how best to go about doing something similar here in the city of Boulder and so, if challenging, or however, we're going about phrasing it, inviting, that is a great friendly word. Other boards to do the same thing, sending the same invitation to city council and hopefully extending that across all city sponsored events. Is is our sort of goal here. and I think unless I'm missing something, you're the expert here. That's great. And the reason being where it's a big way to reduce impacts on climate. So yeah. reaction of greenhouse gases and water usage over data there. But I guess

[11:02] as well as other co-editors. Yes. experts. Yeah. So so that's sort of the the overall executive summary. And so, yeah, if do we want to heather, pull up any of the specific things to to like? Look at them as a group? I guess my question is just the tone question, is there feedback on the tone? 3, 4, 8. I have a comment on it. It's maybe a bit tone, but also a way to kind of bridge the gap between the importance of this, but not like you said, insulting the city or anything like that, but also providing a driving mechanism. For why people should care. I think one of the things that you touch on in your statements is about how our data as a city show that food based systems contribute, in in second place, to our greenhouse gas emissions behind Tran behind transportation. And I don't know that that's something people would necessarily be aware of, and I think that that could be kind of a touchstone point.

[12:14] That people feel like this is an opportunity as an individual to start to make a difference in our city. And something that's maybe not easy, but a little bit low stakes entry point into that arena. And so I think that might be. Not that we have to build the whole thing on on that data piece. But it could be a nice bridging point, that kind of sets that tone that is both serious, while not. you know, so on your face that it's overwhelming, and people don't even want to consider doing it. Yeah. So I guess I'm not gonna be part of the discussion. But like. where are we at now? In terms of ordering food, like, I think, you know, with Feather we've tried different things over the last year, like with the Doordash with it, like, I think, a Pdf form.

[13:08] We did like different things. So is there a standard way? The board and the Council order food like, like, you know, like feather use. I think you speak the place today, I'm guessing. So is that how other ports do it? Because, depending on the system. I think we can make recommendations based on the studies. It's up to each individual board secretary to to do the ordering. The city does have a list of catering options. It's not a preferred list or anything like that. It's just, you know, a list of contacts for ideas that people can reference. But really, any of the board secretaries can choose whichever places they prefer. How do you think? Lower, child, for example? And and we we discussed briefly at our last meeting, that

[14:01] some way to provide some like this list of places has been working well for us, and you know, because, as as Jonathan mentioned it, we. it is very touchy as a board to be like. These are good businesses to order from in an official capacity, right like. But but like this is, these are the tools that we have been using this work well for us. You know that that kind of thing, and and trying to remove as much of the like like work from other boards as possible, because that's 1 of the like. The easiest way to get someone to not do something is to be like. Hey, we think this is great. have fun right? And and so trying to to make make it an easier path as possible to follow. so yep. and Alex real quick back to your point. I said you had put a comment to move that up in the public comment, and I accepted that. So I did move that sentence up a little bit.

[15:09] Yeah, I saw that. I I think to me that stuck out as a point that could be. Yeah. Earlier. Okay, we could even move it higher, too, if you want. It's a good idea. Yeah, and so I guess I mean, I just took out the line. There was a lining there that said, and yet we're not doing anything about it. I deleted that for the tone. Yeah, got it. I think we've we've been discussing this for several. That's at this point. Yeah, I do. We feel comfortable sort of starting to take next steps. Do we feel well researched enough and well prepared enough. Do like.

[16:02] I think the only outstanding question, or maybe the appropriate place, for it is in the FAQ sheet, but I think Jonathan brought it up in one of his comments is potentially fielding the question of cost. And does this increase our cost? Is it going to be the same, you know. if there can be a it doesn't necessarily need to be a statement made to council or in the email. But maybe in the FAQ sheet, something mentioning what that landscape looks like. I think that was the only thing potentially missing to me, otherwise it seemed fairly complete for me. I saw your comment on that, and I I added that on that. Thank you. Oh, awesome. Okay. So thank you for that. I just didn't. So are we giving? Are we giving recommendations? Yeah, our recommendation? Oh, for food you eat, or what for? What for? Like, I'll implement it

[17:00] not specifically. I think it just says. by the plant based the default deal people can request otherwise. And if for bigger events, there's some suggestions like meat and dairy in the middle of the same line. There's like some like weird tactics to get even like, but for the more I mean I felt that these meetings are so small. That's probably over. I'm happy. I'm happy to answer questions, but I don't want to get too prescriptive. Right? Yeah, we yeah. I think that probably the best bit would just be like. But in I I think it's in the emails. But just like, if you have questions about how best to do it. ask us questions. And yeah, that's that that is in here. So

[18:00] and I could like, email it to 5 boards. Wait a little bit. See if we get a lot of questions or anything before you. Yeah, bye. okay, I don't suspect it would be too much. Okay? So yeah, yeah, I can just offer a little staff perspective is if it's helpful. so really appreciate the work of the board and putting together this invitation. Is that what you're though? I I would say I wouldn't be concerned about the strength of your ask, because an invitation is like like, if you want to, if you don't, that's fine, too. The the ultimate aim, as I listen to the board talk is that ultimately this will become more of a policy. And so this is a way to kind of pilot and work into some type of formal policy, and from a process standpoint it would be helpful to get a sense from the board. How you'd like to structure. Do you want to go to council 1st and say, Hey, we are an advisory group to you. There is a change condition. The change condition. Is the city put out, a consumption based inventory last year

[19:11] that inventory signal to us that food is a really substantial and significant portion of our greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore we need to walk the walk, and one of the ways we can do that as boards. That represent a pretty significant amount of spend and resource in our meetings every single month is to shift our to a to to a plant based diet. By default. And so one of the ways you do that. And we talked about this last month, too, is whether you want to take that to council 1st and say we are requesting you counsel and what we'd like to do is reach out to the rest of your advisory boards, and issue this challenge or invitation to join us. In this kind of informal policy.

[20:00] and what we bring to that is, we want to just connect with board liaisons. Be a resource in terms of how do you do it. What are some of the pain points along the way? But ultimately this is my my guess. My my advice here is that the tone does matter. So you want council to feel like you are giving them direction as an advisory board versus. Hey? We're going to go. Do this. Don't worry about it. We? You want them to make some statement which is really great idea. We really want to encourage all of our boards to do that. That gives you a little bit of support and momentum to go out to the rest of the boards and say, Hey, we talked to council, we're we're issuing this challenge, and we'd like to support you in that term. So it sounds like you recommend to counsel first, st that would be my recommendation. But again, you all are certainly open to do it. However, you want to do it. How does it work in a public comment like, can they respond?

[21:00] Yes, I like yes. So if if the board and if that is the way you'd like to go, what we would do is condavidate. That. You'd like to give this presentation. I would let the clerk's office know that we have a board representative or representatives attending during public comment. They would put you right up front in public comment. And yes, whether counsel chooses to respond immediately or wait until public comment is over. To respond, they absolutely can respond and interact. And then, if they don't. But we have like a request like. can we reach out to the other boards before we want your costs and they don't respond, live. Do we email that I guess I'm just don't want to get lost? No, it's a great. It's a great question in my experience what I have seen with these types of things is rather than a request or an ask a statement, which is, we are going to be reaching out and if if you

[22:01] would like to. Not advised. But basically, that's the invitation to them to say, No, don't do that. Okay, got it. So it's more like, now's your chance. Our intention is to reach out to the rest of the board. Do you have any objections? Yeah. And and yeah, public comment didn't get very long. And so if we can go first, st yeah, and it is capped at the number of participants. So it will be an hour. So worst case scenario would be that you go first, st and then you have to hang out an hour until there's an opportunity for council to get to dialogue. Yeah, definitely starting with counsel, being like a Hey, we're going to be doing this if you also want to add your voice. welcome you. To do so is, I think going to be super helpful. Yeah. But I I think that you know.

[23:01] with some, potentially, unless Alex disagrees with some potentially like last minute edits to anything. I I think we're we're pretty pretty, I think, solid to move forward into going to council and going to other boards at this point. So if you want to take a vote on making this an official position. That's did we? Great. So but I think that is something to share that this put council on the boards that we made an official policy decision by proclamation, by boat. But that is our official policy. As for and that is an opportunity for other boards to do it informally. You could also adopt something formal. We're happy to give you that language if you'd like to to do that as well. So I think there are ways that that is more like the board. Yeah. okay, well, it's just some notes. I can update this.

[24:03] So yeah, I think. do we want to nail down when we're going to cancel tonight in in this as part of this conversation? Or is that a wants to go apple. you should definitely go as the the background behind this. I'm happy to be joining on that as well register and I believe, like board representatives saying, for government is a slightly different process than for public. So in this, yeah, okay. okay, to get involved. do we still do not mind or just I I can verify the best way to do that cool. There's a salesforce.

[25:00] Well, we do. We link in our email, follow California. So I linked to those to say, Here's some language they could call I didn't want to like talk about. but it's like here's some examples. or recommended that you do something formal, so that when which is over 6, but there's nothing formal for things. So if it's helpful, I can give you all the dates of the regular meetings for you to think through. So this week, obviously, tomorrow night. Maybe a little quick to you, but it is an option. Probably a little quick for us, just to make sure that the parts office knows that they can be coming. The next is, I believe the 19th September 19th is another regular meeting, and then after that

[26:21] there is a community and Council forum coming up on the 26, th so that would not be an opportunity. The next meeting after the 19th would be October 3.rd So I it sounds like you're probably working with September 19 correct. I mean, I guess I host an event that night, I suppose. but I could do the 3, rd which is still push China. I don't think they're changing her

[27:01] meetings are not yet. Okay. 7. Yes. So I think I don't know exactly processes. But we'll advise. Thank you. Okay. Anything else on on this, or are we. One clarification question for me. So are we. Jonathan made what I thought was a nice suggestion of of what the tone could take on. Are we going to kind of tweak? You know the the 2 min statement towards city council, with that sort of bent on the tone rather than the one that we currently have drafted. Yeah, I'm gonna tweak it. I probably won't like rewrite the whole thing. But. Yeah. Think both of your feedback, of putting the consumption based inventory higher up and kind of basing it on that like.

[28:05] Here's some new information we saw that. And here's what we think and kind of get into some of the why and the facts is that something. And if and if we have more than just one person going. We do get more than 2 min. Okay, so your your time constraint is not great. quite so limited. So the action item. Sorry to interrupt the action. Item that we will take is under check with Mark's office. Understand? Process. The sign up the time available for the Board to present whether or not you go first.st Whether or not Council will be able to interact with you immediately. Conversation let you know, and we'll try to get back to you quickly that way. You can tailor the presentation, knowing how much time you actually thank you so much. both of you are going. I'm trying to think it's the only other thought as well. Your numbers

[29:02] I'm happy to do either depending on what is well. we can just speak slower, save the whole intergovernmental pain on climate change. Now that we have more time, I think we could slow it up easily. I'm happy to to talk and take part that's happening through sweet. Okay? And any other thoughts, comments, questions on this feeling, feeling good. Thanks. So feeling all right with that we can move on to our next item. Oh, wait! Oh, one! Once since this will be before our next part meeting. It's after I speak at Council. Our investment sending emails to.

[30:00] Of course, assuming council doesn't stop us. Check. Okay, great. I'll CC, thank you. Yeah. Okay. great. Well, we're good. We're good. Great. Moving on to our next item, the front range regional sustainability board update. And next steps. Jonathan, yeah, I'd like to kick this one off. That's okay. And then I will phone a friend to my left and Hernan can jump in and share any of his thoughts. The last time we talked about this was a couple of months ago, and just as a refresher really want to appreciate Hernan and his leadership and helping bring together this group of advisory boards from the front range you might remember just his background we both participated in the 1st meeting that was hosted by the city, Westminster. I think there was a good participation by, I'm gonna guess. Maybe about 10 to 15 jurisdictions. In that meeting there was a second meeting hosted by the city of Broomfield. Broomfield. I did not attend that. Everyone did and since that time

[31:17] there most of the effort has been living. Kind of in an email thread amongst the participants, those that have attended previous meetings there was a really nice survey that was put together, I think, supported the the design of that survey really to identify? What do we want to do together? Is it really around? Best practice sharing? Because in my. in my experience, what? Well, what I observed is in the 1st meeting is that I think people had different expectations and desires of of how that body, that coalition, could be used. Many are around just kind of sharing out. Here's what we're working on. Here's what you're working on.

[32:00] And I think that was one end of the spectrum. The other was, that's great. But won't it be more effective if we're kind of consolidating our power and doing work together, picking one or 2 things? 3 things where we can really have a collective impact. And so I think the survey was intended to kind of get at the where the majority of folks that are participating or want to participate, really are landing like, what are the types of things that you want to discuss? And so I put this on the agenda for you all. Because I it feels to me, and I'd love to just get a little bit of intel, too, from here on. At 1 point we agreed to host an upcoming coming meeting. It might be the next one and so I I think it would be helpful to maybe hear the Board talk about how you'd like to be involved in this. This is something that would like to continue to be affiliated with, how much do we want to guide it? And then. if we are indeed going to host the next meeting? I don't have a good sense of when that is scheduled. I don't think we have a date for it. Yeah. And so yeah, thinking about the timing of that meeting and how we might want to take some of the survey results and really develop a bit of a an agenda or structure for that meeting.

[33:22] And I don't know that it's necessary that we have to do all of that. But right now there is a little bit of chartering that's taking place like who's actually in charge of the bank? Who's setting agendas? Who gets to decide the stuff like, are we making decisions on things? And the last comment that I will make is that it's it's gonna be a little bit messy and the reason for that is that you have boards that are are different across jurisdictions. Some are appointed by council. Some of the boards that were showing up were just volunteer groups, and I think they are looking for opportunities to get a little bit of a lift from those other jurisdictions that are, you know, a little more advanced and mature in this work.

[34:04] So I think all all of the jurisdictions that I saw participating are coming at it from a little bit different perspective. And that's fine. That's not an issue. I just want to make sure that before we're making any commitments. Because this is really a board driven activity that you all have an opportunity to think about it. Talk about it and publish it. So you're not. I'd love to just kind of get any thoughts you have in your experience, because you can. I think a little closer to this. Yeah. So the last meeting we had was in May. It kinda came about, came about really a little quick, a little abruptly, so I think, like it was as much participation as in the 1st meeting, like a little force putting a pen. But it was kind of like the 1st meeting. It was a little bit like a lot of idea. People who wanted to like you know, take a lot of action. And people who wanted to fix it slowly. So then I propose putting up a survey. So at least we can gather some data, find some points.

[35:05] and users an agenda, you know, like a million people get out of the agenda, point to that and say, this is what the group wanted. And there's a like the position of the different boards as well. As I said. You know we did the survey That took a little longer than I expected. mainly because it was really hard to get that feedback loop between the boards. I sometimes have an email city staff and they wouldn't forward emails to the boards. So then, I had to like, you know, Google, the actual members one by one. And sometimes the website don't show the emails. So I had to like do some stalking. And then email. And so I was like, that was a lot more difficult than I expected to like. Get a lot of participation. You know a lot of boards like little things. I didn't heard of it from us. Lawful didn't forward the emails to the board members. So anyway, out there like everybody I go to like about 30

[36:00] participants, which I thought was a good number and The 3 the 3 committee met, and we kind of did a very rough analysis of the survey. and one of the members wanted to like, try this experimental tool called polis. which is a way to aggregate data. How long you heard of it? You do the okay? We still need to discuss those results. We haven't gotten a chance to do it. And there were some mixed feelings about it, I think, from the Committee on what you know, how effective it was. at least from my other members that I heard from. So we need to do that. And, you know, review those results. But basically like from the survey, which is kind of like what I was pushing for, and what I did. The analysis on is the, you know the boards have a very each board has a very different composition. like many boards for example, a council is on so like a council member goes to the meetings regularly

[37:01] some boards kind of like us, you know, provide formal responses to council questions through memos. kind of like us as well. So submit annual or semi-annual reports to council, which is like, and all of those no reports again, but those memos that we sent for the council retreats and and just like us, you know, also with the feedback, like I know when we say to us, and then by the time they get the name of feedback, it's already incorporated. So like, I think, a common theme was that a few boards express a need for a more defined and regular feedback process. That's something that they would like to starvation, you know, and I think we will be a good example. How you know feedback loop has improved, how we can show like what we have done. Then another thing was to find clear responsibilities for liaisons

[38:00] to facilitate effective two-way communication. Somebody suggested. Maybe doing joint sessions. like with council. And yeah, mandate, you know, these memos of Central Council Monday, them to be like quarterly or by annual. So anyway, like, I think, like the boards in general, are very different. and I think that could be a good opportunity there, for like knowledge, sharing what has worked for some what doesn't work for some. And I think some of these suggestions. I think I I think that I think, would work. but in terms of like what the boards were interested, like in terms of priorities. A very common theme was actually water conservation that came up a lot alongside electrification in having a climate action plan. So a little boards either felt like sustainability plan, which I don't think is the same. At least they didn't think it was the same. Or just some very brief statement about climate initiatives. So a lot of what we're interested in doing some climate action like an actual climate action plan. Yeah, water conservation

[39:10] electrification and energy user energy usage and efficiency and carbon footprint. So with that. I think what the survey showed us like. I think the groups do want to share best practices, lessons, learned programs, the different municipalities like that exchange information discussion that initiatives and approaches learn from communities with more resources. Those are the big pictures with more resources should I try to help the smaller ones? Historical accomplishments. and some of them were like, and this I don't know, because it overlaps with other groups, but collaborate on regional goals advocate for state level legislation. ensure resources will have a broader reach and bigger impact.

[40:06] So as I'm hearing about this, I'm I'm wondering if and it's something that's been explicitly stated. But I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to sort of turn this into some kind of like Dr. Cog style, like environmental, like reasonable environmental thing. Oh, dar! Dr. Cock is a the Denver Regional Council of Governments. It's a trip like across this State area. like Transportation transportation work that needs like once a month, or something that has representatives from all of the different cities. And so it's a lot of elected officials. I think it's primarily husband or entirely budget. It's like this. And so having some kind of similar, like cross-regional Environmental board.

[41:02] But I think extent of the actions it performs. I think there's still a so they need to decide, because the Rollover Board is advisory. All these boards that are coming together are also advisory. Yes. So I think by by that the role that a regional government will still be advisory. which I think there's some power strengthen numbers, because now you have multiple municipalities, saying they want something But I think, based on the survey. The initial goal which was networking and knowledge sharing is still very valid, something towards really one. Now, photos and look. I don't know, because that's like depending on staff. Right? It's like, you guys have a lot of knowledge so like, how how do staff, for example, like what I say in bigger municipalities, have had historical programs and successes. How can they help other older staff? Like, if we organize a meeting.

[42:05] we can talk about some of the programs we have had in Boulder. I don't know. We can talk about water conservation, but we can talk about our buildings for energy conservation. We can talk about. There was. There was to a lesser extent, another priority was extreme heat. although they didn't came up as much but we can talk about that to generate awareness. but you know there's a way the networking, I think, falls on the on the boards themselves. To then I share practices in knowledge and what we do here. But I think the knowledge sharing, I think, falls one step, and that part of mature way. How? How that would look like But yeah, like, I mean, at the end of the other people want to do is like, form this regional board, so we can like share best practices. Success is fair news implementing this. Louis are doing it. They'll be able to get funds to

[43:17] yeah, and then also. so Johnson mentioned that it. So we are apparently hosting the next one. But, please. so how is that gonna look like? Is that going to be a like something that we as the Board are organizing. Is that something that you are organizing collaborations, Jonathan, like, what's what's the process looking like for that? All of us together. Yep, they'll make I mean great I'm a little wary of.

[44:02] I'm not saying I'm not for this. A bunch of volunteers that already volunteering for what they and kind of joining another thing like, do you feel like they'll be critical. ongoing, massive. I guess. Just people. I work with a lot of volunteers, I mean, let's just say if it's not a lot of call through my experience. And so I'm just wondering what your senses of people's commitment. I think the important thing is keeping momentum and keeping people interested. I think this is a very mobile thing, so I think the energy was pretty good in the 1st and second meeting that we were very excited about this. So, depending on how we, you know what we can offer these meetings in terms of like the network and knowledge sharing. Yeah, I think we can keep that going. Yeah. But if we kind of lose that, then yeah, I, you know the moment. But that's kind of factor because people get really excited.

[45:12] Our role is so. Advice would be in the remote session. Make everybody well, you know, I found a note as well. You know, we, through a synchronized opinion, letters available for communities, letters to the editor. meetings where staff members at work. That part like those action items we have decided, I mean, the survey was more to like. See what the composition of these boards is, what are some common goals the group has, and I'll make some recommendations. but that's something that we still need to kind of discuss a bit more. But in terms of like workshop, I mean, that came out of like municipality, getting some help. obtaining brand funding, for example. But I think this was a big deal.

[46:04] but in terms of like a workshop where we can share knowledge. For example, I guess that was the same thing you guys present to us extra key. but I don't know if that will be a lot of useful in. So that part is not huge. Yeah, please. Yeah, thanks. That was that was really helpful to people walk through kind of the survey results. And I had seen a little bit of that in in some of the email exchange and the 1st meeting few observations from my perspective. One is, I already mentioned that there's the constellation is quite different, that you have some advisory boards that are volunteer. They can, who they advise differs. Some are advising staff, some are advising policymakers that creates a an interesting dynamic right, because those are advising staff were more program focused. They were thinking about, what are the kind of programs that we could like start to bring forward staff to try to get them to work on versus those groups like yourselves. We are advising policy. We're advising our decision makers on policy that

[47:15] help establish kind of the landscape of what we can and can't do. Those those 2 things are fairly different, and they get really sticky when you mix those things together, because some people are thinking policy, and others are like. how do we develop some programming and some funds for those programs? Grants are a great example. Obviously, you're going after grants. What are the where are the pots of money to be able to implement programs? So the idea there is that an advisory group would talk to their staff and say, Hey, did you know about this pot of money to do a certain thing? We'd love to support you in that? I mean that. So that's 1 dynamic so that whole kind of balancing, of advising. And who's being advised is, I think, an important one, just to acknowledge

[48:01] the what was the other thing that I was going to mention? Bless you! The the other thing is, it was pretty clear to me that there wasn't a good understanding of really resources that are already out there. And so getting into this idea of creating a new Dr. Cogish kind of thing. Well, I mean, we have Front Range sustainability network, which is staff. We have Icli, we have Usdm there. There is CC, 4. Ca on the policy side. So there are a lot of organizations that exist to try to support this kind of work. So part of what I was trying to think about with the group I was sitting with is what what is unique about the desire of this group that isn't being satisfied by one of the organizations that's currently out there. If it's is it best practice sharing, is it? What does it look like where there's interest in water? Do we bring water experts and say, we're, it's more like a symposium style. So literacy building, where

[49:06] we say, what is the question that we're trying to ask and answer, what's the problem we're solving for, and we don't have to define it, whether it's a policy or a program. But we bring experts in to say, here is the. Here's the situation when it comes to water boom. Here are the tools and opportunities that exist at the local level. Policy levers program levers give a presentation. Everybody takes what they need from that presentation. and they can go back and figure out the best way to implement in their own jurisdiction. And you can apply that kind of thinking to electrification. What is it? Is it just like understanding what it is? Is it enabling policies? Is it thinking about financing, of electrification. So thinking. And same same way, extreme heat. What is the issue? Bringing experts to talk about? What is the issue? We know we have more extreme heat. We're not designing our land use policies and our buildings to address more extreme heat. It's incongruent with our landscape policies with respect to trees. So I'm just making crap up right now.

[50:11] that's 1 kind of structure. That I feel could work. and there might be some spin off from that where you have some groups like, well, we're actually work on regional policy, and they can kind of go do their thing. I just feel like it's 1 of those you have to kind of. Take a few steps back to make sure you're not leaving any money behind. Otherwise you're gonna have a few jurisdictions where they're like people like, yeah, I just like volunteer for this board. I don't really know what to work on. This is new to me versus those who have real expertise their climate scientists, or whatever else, and they were appointed by a city council member. big Fan of of Literacy. There, I just would hate to move something forward that leaves anybody behind. It's that group that we want to help. Kind of pull. I guess that makes sense.

[51:02] so the other thing. And I I thought this was maybe where you were going to. Reflect, there's also the reality that as Boards and I brought this up, and I don't think we really figured this out, that if if we're hosting these kind of bigger confabs they are in public meetings, and we need to notice those. And are we noticing those in every single jurisdiction? So members from each community show up? I think it was just kind of ignored. The 1st 2 meetings which didn't feel great to me. I think it was a bit of an oversight. And that's okay. We were okay, because I think the 2 of us went, and then you were at the second. So we we were covered. But moving forward. If I did ask Westminster. Did you publicly notice? Because you have multiple board members here and you have a few council members here. I'm assuming this is a public meeting like. I'm not throwing anybody in the bus publicly, but it was just something that I that I think had been thought through. And so for you all to be considering that which is, if you want to host something not a big deal, we can probably notice it. But there's what a couple of more steps to say, What is it? How do you want to talk about these things? What role can the public play or not? They can observe, but not participate. Or do you want them to? So just just some factors to to consider in the design.

[52:25] But from the staff perspective, full support. We obviously can find a location to host we can figure out how to best support you all in terms of getting invitations set out whether it be you know, food, all the stuff that goes into planning the meeting happiness. Oh, also, I'm personally not particularly excited or interested in this. I will show up and do stuff, and but I'll just voice that like in terms of

[53:00] trade offs of time and kind of it's been a good time. Let's just I'm a little. I I get a little jaded sometimes at the beginning of phase, is a little rough efficiency of group conversations sometimes. But I this issue that we're running into is that this is a potentially very useful, very helpful, and potentially very powerful group that is in the process of being made the problem with those things is that until they are made and established they will kind of just a bunch of people on a group chatting and so maybe a goal. With this, if you know we're we're hosting the next one and have some voice in that direction, and are, you know, needing to notice it as a meeting, and so, therefore, needing to give it some kind of outline.

[54:00] some kind of form. Yeah, then we can have a a hand and some control. and the sweet in the sort of long term direction of what this is going to turn into And so, being able to like, have a voice in that and sort of set. That precedent, I think, could be sort of our most helpful contribution to this next meeting. Yeah of, you know, set up like a guideline of like. We are hosting a group, you know, the same group that it has been. And this is what we are looking to get from this meeting. and sort of explicitly state that as as we're setting it up and and doing that planning process. I don't know exactly what we would want that to be, but I think that that could be sort of the

[55:00] the direction let me take with it is is less just to like we're continuing to host the same thing that's been happening in more or adding a a rough outline to it. Yeah, I think setting up an agenda without any support. Facilitator. Yes. Since this is like early stage, would part of you know that agenda setting. would it, at least for the 1st or the next few meetings, if you will constitute kind of a final discussion of if things are on the right track, a reflection of if people feel satisfied with the direction the contents, or what they're getting out of it, like in in the vein of what Jonathan said, trying not to leave people behind. With, a list. Serve of people on the email list. Pretty.

[56:02] I'm just thinking of, like efficient ways for people to share things without having to be in a meeting like if we have, like a Lister of all people. yeah. Well, it it was it was a big item that was discussed, at least in the 1st meeting, which is, what's the right format? If there are things that are happening that are just share outs. Is there a host site? And I don't know where that landed? There was a lot of discussion around who could actually host that. What would be the format to the Google, Doc, is it something that might hey? Here's a Grant opportunity, hey? Here's a program. Did you know that this hearing is going on at Ce. And we need people to testify on this thing. Just a place to kind of dump things, and those that have the time to kind of scroll and be like, Oh, that thing. Yeah, that's that's important to us and to me and to my board. And I don't know where that landed. It. There's nothing wrong with that. If it's a place where there's dialoguing that's when we kind of cross lines. But if it's a place to just kind of dump things and send things in one direction. That's okay.

[57:06] Yeah. We haven't decided what to do with that. I'll share it. Now. I mean, like again, somebody has to share their knowledge. Yeah. be aggregated to some of the. And that will be a challenge. 5. But yeah, I think I mean. What I would like to discuss is maybe some sort of a change. That's the next week. So I can present, for example, for 30 min. Perhaps I could talk about these results, and more or less what the state of the boards are, and what are some common things the boards want in terms of like what the priorities are and what they need help with. how we would like to achieve those goals! But when you said about like symposium. I think it's kind of like also what I was getting. I think I use the word workshop, but symposium is like, I think, more accurate.

[58:01] the only thing is that concerns me about that is just losing the enthusiasm of people, because hearing a symposium will be boring, and people could not attend like, I think it's really valuable. And I think that's what the group should do. Joseph Blake. I need to think of like further information items like, because I think, like, even if they call work information. how to pull this up. the feedback loop or the tools to share that with your staff or their decision makers to kind of make a difference like, how can we help them. you know, like, yeah, present all the information. I think that will be great. I think that will be useful, something we should definitely do. but then, maybe offer suggestions of how to learn. Take that back to their communities 1 1 way or not to think about that. And just offering this as a potential path forward, just because we know that there that the difference in the the makeup of the people attending there might be selected officials. There are some staff. There are some volunteers

[59:06] one way to maybe get around. That is, you do a deep dive on a particular topic. We have a list by vote, whatever to say. What do we want to talk about? Is it? Is it water? What is it about? Water? The host then, can invite, or we work together to identify who are the right voices to bring in, and maybe half of the meeting. It's a deep dive on the thing. and then we leave room for more of that dialogue, and it's like that, sharing and going around and doing like you know what's up for you? What are some of your biggest challenges? And yet, with the idea of being like in Westminster, here's 1 of the biggest challenges. And oh, well, they are working on that over there. You guys can connect to and kind of solution that somebody that. So it's more of like a not come with your like greatest things, but change the tone a bit, which is like. where are the pain points? But where are we struggling to make progress? And the idea, then, is like trying to find solutions. I

[60:00] I've spent decades and sorry this to your comment about being jaded. I spent literally decades sitting these types of meetings where it's just like people sharing out. Let me, oh, and we did a community garden on the corner of 19th and and 7th Street. It's amazing, really cool. We had 7 volunteers. And then we you know, we're working on getting recycling at our, you know, at our pool. I'm I'm being dramatic just to be silly, but you get the idea, and we all go around and we share, and each person is already thinking about what they want to share out, and we all applaud, and we go our separate ways. Well, we didn't really accomplish anything really, there might be like. Oh, that's interesting. I might follow up with you because I was trying that thing. But to me it's like, let's get into it and talk about where we're really challenged. And let's work together to find some solution. So maybe there could be some complimentary of like deep dive on the subject and do more of that sharing out and consolidation. Just just an idea.

[61:01] I think that will work because I think that's something that people really want, and they want to learn what other communities are doing, what the people started with water conservation because of the one that came out the most in terms of priorities for the boards and the communities. and yeah, they do a deep dive like another word. What are people like actually doing about this in that space in that space, and I think that was one of the goals, you know. a little Cherry, and I think the business survey. Those are still pretty strong goals. so I think that would be a good idea for me to check with them. I think something like the survey mentioned. I think so. I think you can customize it. I'm assuming, and then we can get into the meat of it. I can see him hiding back here another helpful tool is like.

[62:03] Do networking at the beginning, just talking. having like sheets of people on the wall. I have some of the questions and see. Okay. sorry, Alex. for me. How do we get that matching solution? I I worry in meetings like this that people will talk to them when they're like influence of what we're working on. So just finding ways to help with a big. So it can be part of the year. Right? Yeah. especially like in the last meeting. It was just the one big table action items next steps. So it's doable.

[63:01] I really like your idea of something of like a symposium where we can get some information, especially about the resources that is already available. I think that's something that board members are not very aware of department working on this. People are like, I don't know. What was the question. What was the answer for that? I don't know. I couldn't answer any of this? Yeah, I I like that agenda. I think maybe should we just gonna continue the discussion offline to see whether, like how exactly. I think also, the shared Google Doc. the gender where people is which I had like. If you're making an agenda for the event, share it with us.

[64:08] Alright. you wish to continue our discussion on this topic or feeling dissatisfied, fulfilled. We're good for now we can follow up offline with like more of an issue. Great sounds good. Thank you so much for bringing that, both of you. Yeah, thanks for calling. Yeah. I think excited about this in concept. And I hope that it's in practice as well as the concept looks to be. That's then, before we jump into our next item, the Council Calendar Review. We, me and Jonathan had a brief discussion about this about the best way for us to use the Council Calendar Review of to try to make the meetings as Us. Board members directed as possible, and so calling out any items that Jonathan is is telling us about as something that we want to talk about, that we want to bring feedback on

[65:04] dead either following your role of expertise. Or you think it's something that is particularly environmentally related and just being able to lend our voice to that happen. And so I I know that I often fall into the trap of everything is environmentally related. I don't want to call forward everything. And so I call forward nothing. so just, you know, making sure that we point these out so that other departments are like, yes, actually, we should talk to the Environmental Advisory Board about this and so that not everything has to be us directed for forever, but adding some Us. Direction cool at the moment. So with that. yeah, thank you. I appreciate that. I it. It's a bit of mea culpa. That kind of got me thinking this because I feel like the last 2 meetings. We've been pretty light, and and I think our at least my commitment to the board was we were gonna really try to get your cadence of making sure that items that were really important in terms of policy, and and advice that you could give to departments and projects and and city councils is really important to me. So again, a little maniculpa that I feel like we kind of slipped away from that. And I just wanna

[66:23] wanted to just think with you all the best way to kind of manage that dynamic. And so my my recommendation is. I think, when I go through the the Council agenda items, one of the things that I have realized pretty quickly is that I start with items that are coming up like relatively soon. And then I'm realizing that, wow! It's a little bit late to to be thinking about trying to get someone scheduled to come to the board, and it's not that they can't come and speak to you, but I'm worried that it's too late in the process where your voice is not going to help shape the thing because we're now like already, prepared to go to council. So what I what I'd like to recommend is

[67:07] rather than just looking at. I think it's useful for you all to be looking at the Council calendar and seeing things that are upcoming. And when we're in this space and meetings for you to be able to say, Hey, tell me a little bit more about this thing. What do you know about it, and and I really believe we should have an opportunity to weigh in on this one. I feel like I'm trying to signal to you the things that I think would be good but there still seems to be a little bit of mismatch, at least in terms of like I I just want you to help. I want you all to control your agenda, I guess, is the point, and not feel like I'm building it on your behalf. One of the ways to do that is, rather than looking at the upcoming meetings on the back page, you have the anticipated upcoming council items that feels like the right space to be able to look at those items and say While they've not been calendar yet. Now is the time for me to reach out and say, hey! We need to talk about 80 use like to get an update on that that way. It gives me an opportunity to reach out to our friends and planning to say, Hey, I know you don't have the schedule yet, but the board would like to see this on their agenda before you take this to council.

[68:23] Yeah. So, looking at looking at that list, you know, I could see a number of things that would be very interesting to the board. Besides the adus, the family, friendly, vibrant neighborhoods. Input on policy, statement, on regional, state and Federal issues. So that's where we talk about our policy statement that guides our discussion both of regulatory agencies and the General Assembly. So I mean, Carl Castillo. Talk to the Board about, and climate and sustainability is a huge component of of that policy agenda. We work with him on updating that on an annual basis and to to just jump in on that. Briefly, yes, we had Carl statement correct a little bit ago, and that was more, for like

[69:04] this is what we have been doing. And this is a process. But so actually being able to get in on that like like set up meeting like in in that, and just happen to talk to us about the environmental policies that we're going to look at this morning. I think it's gonna be it would be great the landscaping updates wildfire hardening. This is I I think, a really important one where we start to align. How we think about our landscaping ordinance with respect to water. With respect to Wildfire, with respect to shade and cooling opportunities. a a big item to be opening and up and talking about, so that one I would really signal is an important one. We've already talked about the climate Action Plan update. I gave a short update at your last meeting on what that is tailing. And when that's going to be coming forward the East Polar sub community plan, a port based code updates another another one that could be really interesting for you all to weigh in on. So I guess what I'm suggesting here is that I I would like to.

[70:08] I guess, recommend that the meter in this kind of dialogue in this case on your agenda, for you all to give me some feedback on the types of things that you'd like for me to go get scheduled for you. Jonathan, can I ask you a to succinctly describe what the family friendly, vibrant neighborhoods entails in the scope of what they're looking at. I can't at this moment, but I certainly can send you some of the details that at least I have, and I don't. I don't wanna not do it justice by trying to live my way through it. Yeah. Okay. Sure. Yeah, I'm happy to send that to you. But if you want to put a little asterisk next next to that one dependent on the scope. Let's do that. Yeah, I think that is, it's, you know, a general enough description that I can't tell if that would be something of interest to us or not. Yeah, I I think that

[71:01] my my guess would be that it definitely is something that we're going to be interested in. If it's anything like, I would guess if it falls. It sounds like it's gonna fall pretty in line with walkable neighborhoods and like Co. Housing kind of neighborhoods. The the community that I have grown up in is like a housing impact. So it's a very like community oriented like. And so I I would guess that this is gonna fall in that same realm. And so that's definitely like making sure the transportation is available, and that, like you can get to your coffee shop and your grocery store on Flip if you want to, right. And so I think that that falls in the same sort of space. Look at that again, depending on explicit overview of what it is going to be. So I can. I I just pulled it up. It's on beaver border right now. So the project is really going to be focused on exploring code changes that would add housing options by reducing zoning barriers and allow a wide array of housing types.

[72:07] So the goal for the family friendly environment neighborhoods project is to focus on inclusion and help increase housing, affordability, enabling more people to stay or moved forward. Yes, sir. And so it's being led out of our planning department. Okay? Cool. Yeah. No. I think we definitely like to hear about that. Alex is that was that helpful. Yes, thank you. I just couldn't tell from the title quite what they were going to be focusing on. So yeah. Either. I kind of forgot. So yeah. And I definitely to reiterate, I we I'd love to have Carl come in and talk to us about upcoming environmental policy. and so that we can have a voice in in the direction that we're going with that landscaping. Yes, landscaping is is a good one we've had. I also wonder when I mean at some point, the area

[73:07] it's a This is relevant, too. Yeah. and the the these folders of Community Plan amendment for updates. I don't know how much of that falls under our sort of review there at the House. and but that could potentially be interesting. I mean, you mentioned as you were looking for the list. I don't know how much that would overlap with us, but depending on on how much that is able to talk about. So are are we requesting feedback, or we're requesting to have it at Palmerica? Oh, sorry on the sorry, friendly neighborhoods. Yeah, what we can look around based on inscription.

[74:02] It's like A, they're researching kind of like increase affordability. So what should the suggestions would be based on all the things work like. Well, what I was. What I would say is that it's looking at a package of codes to understand how we can really understand affordable housing in a different way. So there's how that connects to our energy code into our building codes, I think, is a really important issue. I don't know what those cover dates might entail. Whether it's just land use. I'm not quite sure, and how that might make also. But I mean, there's nothing like there's a number of jobs in the city of Boulder today are not jobs that pay a wage that allows you to live in the city of Boulder without affordable housing, and so increasing affordable housing is increasing the of the ability for people who work.

[75:01] You know jobs like I work to continue to live in the city boulder and not have to drive. Never my car workers driving from like firestone every day. I some of them are from Broomfield. And so there's a lot like low cost housing has a huge overlap with environmental in terms of nature. Yeah. I did just send a link to that project page out here. So you can explore that. There's actually a storyboard careful. And then. are we gonna get. Did we say that one here? But it it will come to you. That's not been scheduled, but still working on the dynamic of the internal engagement with departments, and then it's it'll be sure. And then, if if any other major changes happen around the climate action plan.

[76:09] the list price already sounds. No. I didn't even know we could request things that that was part of. Why, I think it was helpful. Anything else that we wanna talk about looking at the upcoming council items, or yes, anything else that someone wants to bring forward as well as required to the operational group. What? What they should be able about all we would have said. That's the second one. I'll try to start again something in October in November for the Us. I want to make sure that we have enough time to play it in and organize. So maybe 1st week of November.

[77:00] I think that November is the earliest that I think we should say this is what we're aiming for. But yeah, also think of the I don't know if there was a commitment in terms of the cadence of the meetings. The 1st 2 were pretty close together. I got an email from the Westminster Board that they were proposal. Yet the second week of November. Oh, okay, fine. But there's no. It will be kind of like a 1st meeting. So I think if we can do it and kind of like, get the wheel going with like an actual symposium. I have a working event. I think that would be more effective, almost. So I'll I'll suggest. Of course. we definitely want to strike the line there between, not like delaying too long. So that's lost, but also not over committing to doing something super soon, and then completely dropping the ball and the the topic will be more information again

[78:04] after election. That would be nice after election is is you don't want to be doing that also, like, Oh, God, Jesus, what is the next week gonna bring? Yeah. Are we going to be living in a dictatorship. Afterwards it will be resolved and be broken or be very excited. Okay, any any other. I'm not gonna be at the next meeting just or mostly for food, letting us know it's 2 brief updates very short one. If you saw the press release went out yesterday, we're launching the next round of our incentive program. Very excited. The major change this year is that it will be 100% income qualified. Last year it was a bit of a mix, but we saw, but we really

[79:13] tried to tailor it towards income qualified vouchers. We got a really really great response. In that sector. So we decided to make take all of the money that we have available this year, which is $300,000 from our client action tax increase the amount per voucher for cargo bikes, especially so people can actually get their kids to school and go grocery, shopping, and all of this stuff. So that voucher and the the lottery will open up on the 16.th So press release finance on our website. Happy to send that out. So you have that available love for you all to just let people know excited to get my mics out there, and the second, I cannot remember if if it was before or after our last meeting, where we announced our Dr. Cobb.

[80:03] grant award. Okay? So you mentioned Dr. Hogg earlier regional Council governments. This is our EPA climate pollution reduction act org grant program. We helped design a grant application for regional electrification job training. A lot of consultant work, a lot of like direct payments for low income electrification. And we were awarded. It's huge. It's a 200 million dollar grant. We've been working on that for about a year. You might not remember, Caroline, my team talked a little bit about that. So we've been working on that design. It's incredibly exciting to get that award. And the reason I mentioned Dr. Cog is they will be the they are fiscal agents. They are the entity that's administering the grant and kind of organizing. But over Boulder County and Denver are the 3 jurisdictions that are really driving

[81:05] a lot. They we designed the program design, the Grant application and are working with Dr. Cobb directly to design the program now. So we have a lot of information about what it includes, what it will look like. And we're really trying to get those dollars. Mark before. Yeah, very, very big deal. And it was mentioned at that regional meeting, too, because we have a few of the jurisdictions that are playing a support role. We're building a broad coalition around the Front range for the electrification. Just do 2 announcements tonight. Okay? Great. Okay. Anything else to bring paperboard? Feeling satisfied. Yeah, right? All right. With that. I will make a motion to adjourn tonight's meeting. It's like. alright quick vote by raise of hand, all in favor

[82:04] that appears to the best great. Thank you. Everyone. Thanks. Everyone. Yeah. See? Ya. See? Ya.