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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-08-26 Approved CAC MinutesJefferson County/City of Port Townsend Climate Action Committee Meeting Minutes August 26, 2015 Marine Science Center Port Townsend, WA Members Present: Kathleen Kler, Laura Tucker, Cindy Jayne, Deborah Stinson, Barney Burke, Scott Walker. Absent: Tammi Rubert, Brian Goldstein, Eric Toews, Kevin Scott Staff: Judy Surber, City of Port Townsend Guests: Matt Stewart, Nina Burokas, Bob Bindschadler, David Wilkinson, Chrissy McLean, Jean Walat, Ashley Rosser, Matt Ready Scribe: Barney Burke Topic Recommendation/Action Call to order 3:30 p.m. Approval of Agenda & Minutes Motion to approve the agenda by Kathleen Kler, second by Deborah Stinson; approved unanimously. Motion to approve May 27, 2015 minutes by Deborah Stinson, second by Scott Walker, approved unanimously. Action item: Video of the July 14 drought forum to be posted online. (Note: video not available, but presentations can be found at http://l2020.org/climate-action/drought/) Climate Change communication Chrissy McLean and Jean Walat presented the display on climate change at the Marine Science Center (MSC). They gave an overview of training MSC staff had received from the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) for presenting climate change information in a way that helps the public understand the issues and find more information. The MSC is planning to use that approach with upcoming programs at Port Townsend and Chimacum High Schools. Judy Surber noted that community engagement is the core of the Climate Action Committee's current work plan. Jefferson County compliance with state County Fleet Manager Matt Stewart explained that the state adopted these requirements in 2007. However, not all of the rules pertaining to compliance by the 2018 deadline have been finalized. The Washington EV and biofuels requirements Department of Commerce oversees the program and can allow the substitution of natural gas and propane in instances where EVs and biofuels are "not reasonably available," and there are exemptions for emergency vehicles. Most of the county's fleet of about 100 vehicles are light trucks, he said. The county has set aside the idea of acquiring EVs for now due to inconsistent usage and the lack of charging stations, but it does have some hybrids. The county also uses biofuel blends of 2 percent to 4 percent in some vehicles. Natural gas is not a reasonable option for the county, but propane looks promising, even if the county had to build infrastructure, he said. This will be considered in the next truck purchase. Also, patrol cars can be converted to propane. The county has some "flex" vehicles that can run on ethanol but it does not have fueling infrastructure for that. Matt said the county has a draft policy on vehicle idling in its safety policy, and each department is charged for the cost of its own vehicle mileage. Parking Proposal (and motion) – Scott Walker Motion by Scott Walker, second by Cindy Jayne, as stated in the agenda: "Move that CAC recommend to City Council and County Commissioners that in order to effect a significant reduction in GHG emissions they concurrently: A. Secure funds needed to create a transportation system wherein walking, bicycling, and transit are the natural choice for travel. B. Institute policy changes to discontinue the current subsidy given to motor vehicle drivers through existing parking policies, wherein: Off- street parking requirements result in excessive, underutilized, and "free" parking thus creating an incentive to drive as well as result in increased distances between destination thus discouraging the use of other transport modes. We support the institution of managed paid parking where the monies earned are used to support other modes of transport for access." Scott Walker explained that transportation accounts for more than 38 percent of local carbon, but a study has shown this can be reduced by about 20 percent in commercial areas. Revenues from paid parking could help fund transit and other active transportation (bicycling, pedestrian, etc.) infrastructure. There was discussion about the Transportation Lab, comprehensive plans, the amount of money that might be generated and the degree to which it could fund transit. Motion by Scott Walker, second by Cindy Jayne, to withdraw the motion on the floor, passed 6-0. Motion by Cindy Jayne, second by Laura Tucker, to authorize the chair to work with staff to submit comment on the 2016 Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan proposing a stronger link between parking policy and active transportation funding, with a cc to the City Council, County Commissioners and Jefferson Transit Board; passed 6-0. Membership update Chair Cindy Jayne thanked Stanley Willard, whose term expires this month, for his service to the CAC. Cindy Jayne said that leaves the CAC with 10 filled positions, making six a quorum. Some slots are designated, e.g. faith-based, student, et al, and there was discussion about whether the format should be updated. A few people have expressed interest and are in the process of applying. Adaptation Planning Update – Cindy Jayne Cindy Jayne gave an update on the Climate Adaptation Plan, which is nearly complete. She said the CAC could make a recommendation to the City Council and County Commissioners to adopt it at a later date. She gave a summary of ideas for monitoring the plan's implementation. One option would be that Local 20/20 could monitor it and give input to the city and county, plus an annual report to the CAC and a quarterly report to the partners that participated. Carbon Challenge – Ben Bindschadler Bob Bindschadler gave an overview of the "Taming Bigfoot" concept developed by the climate outreach group. Reducing carbon by 80 percent by 2050 is an ambitious goal, he said, but the degree to which people are motivated to get involved in solutions will determine the feasibility of achieving it. Conventional "doom and gloom" approaches are not as effective, he said, as encouraging people to get directly involved in possible solutions. The proposal is to have six or eight teams, each comprised of a diverse group of six to 10 county residents. Each team would estimate their current carbon footprint, and then try to reduce between January 1 and Earth Day (April 22). The goal is for all kinds of people to try out various ideas and share what they learn. The event could be endorsed by various groups such as local governments, and could be sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Discussion of the idea was positive. It was noted that this is the type of idea we want to see, that the competition idea was nice, and the diversity of the group composition. Motion for the CAC to endorse Taming Bigfoot by Kathleen Kler, second by Barney Burke, passed 6-0. Public comment None. Next Steps & Agenda Planning Next meeting would be Nov. 25, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so perhaps it should be moved up to Nov. 18 or a different date. Cindy noted that the CAC has not provided an update to the city or county councils for a few years, so at a future meeting we can prepare for that. Action Items: • Chair to send out a doodle poll to determine November meeting date. • Watch the video made by Port Townsend High School students, which will be posted online. • Watch for invitations to various presentations of the Climate Adaptation Plan, including City, County, and Transit Board. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.