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2017-01-17 Committee on the Environment Minutes MINUTES CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT January 17, 2017 After determining that a quorum of the Committee on the Environment of the Denton City Council was present, the Committee on the Environment thereafter convened into an Open Meeting on Monday, January 17, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. in the City Council Work Session Room 215 E. McKinney, Denton, Texas. Present: Council Member Dalton Gregory, Council Member Joey Hawkins and Council Member Keely Briggs Also Present: Kenneth Banks, Director Environmental Services and Sustainability; Katherine Barnett, Sustainability and Special Projects; Deborah Viera, Environmental Compliance Coordinator; Kathy Jack, Conservation Program Coordinator; Jonathan Gregory, Intern and Kim Mankin, Administrative Supervisor 1. REGULAR MEETING: A. COE17-002 - Consider approval of the Committee on the Environment meeting minutes of December 5, 2016. Approved as circulated B. COE17-003 - Receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide direction regarding Denton Development Code Subchapter 17 Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs). Deborah Viera gave the presentation that continues the changes to the DDC Subchapter 17 that covers the final portion of additions and the policy changes. With these final changes to the additions and policy changes, there will be some changed required outside Subchapter 17. city, excepting changes caused by amendments to FEMA 100-year floodplain maps. Viera went through her presentation line by line discussing the changes and the current processes. Briggs asked if everything falls under substantial amendment, and has to go through the process. Viera stated currently there is two processes, one that is based on field assessment that is case by case basis. As they come along and the assessment has determined that there is an ESA or the ESA is incorrect staff will make the changes as they happen. Viera stated that the code also talks about essential amendments. The City has not done an essential amendment up until now. It is a good time to define what substantial is with the changes to Subchapter 17. Viera talked about roadways that encroach or cross into any type of ESA, currently Subchapter 17 is silent on this subject. This is also a good time to determine if the application should go through an alternative ESA plan every time they need to. There are Pros and Cons, (pro) it does expedite the applicant and not have to go through another public hearing. Through an alternative ESA plan staff has time to look at each case and determine a good crossing (con). The development community and member of the Planning and Zoning Commission have pushed for the change and have asked staff to revise the language. There was much discussion regarding the Subchapter 35.17.7 regarding the construction of roadways, culverts and bridges in the ESA. Briggs asked Viera to look for options regarding the ESA. Viera answered she would plus it would give time to see what is in the scope of the Committee on the Environment and check on legalities. Banks offered as an observation that is seems that almost all of the concerns that have been expressed by the Planning and Zoning Commission were related to the idea that a roadway was required by a thoroughfare plan and staff was making the applicant go through two public hearing because it was not clear. One at Planning and Zoning for a recommendation and one at Council for approval and having the burden of the consultants work through the process. One concept is that if it is on a thoroughfare plan there is the ability to approve at a staff level. Anything else could remain with the same process by going through P&Z and Council. That way both bodies would be making the decision. There was discussion regarding the final portion of the presentation. Viera lastly talked about the Denton Development Code update. The changes will be made by Clarion Associates. There will be changes in the layout and organization of the code. The content should be the same. There will be a draft of the code at the end of 2017 or beginning of 2018. Viera will bring back changes that this committee has requested at the next meeting. C. COE17-004 - Receive a report, hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding Fire Station 3 Feasibility Study and review of Municipal Green Building policy for upcoming projects. Katherine Barnett talked about this item beginning with a little history of the Green Building Policy. There was a couple of building that were either well under designed or had been bid out for construction and there was a shift to make them LEED Certified. The focus of the municipal policy was to have a procedure in place for the Council to review what was upcoming as a building project and make the decision before starting design if LEED was to be achieved. Fire Station 3 was not far enough in the process to implement the municipal policy and have a feasibility study completed by a third party. The Feasibility Study was completed by DSGN. The idea was to go for the no cost and easier design changes first. The Feasibility Study that was passed out shows that Fire Station 3 could be LEED certified with little to no cost. Briggs added that there has been discussion with the Mayor of the LEED certification and if it makes the projects more expensive. If so, maybe LEED should not be achieved. What is the difference and certified and registered. Barnett answered to begin the project it has to be registered. Fire Station 3 is already registered with the USGBC, LEED certification can be pursued if desired. Certifiable would be to achieve all the LEED points required but not go through the process with the USGBC. Hawkins asked if the LEED certification cost are more in the design stage. Barnett stated that the biggest challenge is to identify the cost associated with LEED. There is $86,000-$89,000 in design for Station 4, $15,000 to $20,000 is in commissioning, and $10,000 in paperwork and verification. There was discussion regarding if LEED is something that as a City we want to pursue. Gregory stated that a likes the idea of being certified. There has been a commitment made to the Community to operate in a sustainable way. It is also responsible to save the taxpayers money as well. Does the LEED certification make the building more difficult to use by staff. Chief Paulsgrove spoke about the LEED certification for Fire Station. Some of the items in the e have been added to lessons learned. From a user standpoint there is much respect that we are in a sustainable community and want to go our part. Gregory asked about Station 2 and Station 4 is staff thinking this is going to be a challenge to use on a day to day basis or is it good and can deal with effectively. Paulsgrove answered there are excellent communicators in the organization and has been sent to the design group, functional stations are being built. Committee recommendation to Council is to move ahead seeking LEED certification. Hawkins added that more data and explanation would be helpful to the new Council Members that will be in place this summer. Briggs asked how much the Feasibility Study costs, Barnett answered about $3,500. Banks asked if the COE would see benefit in an overview of how the process works with LEED Certifying. The Committee agreed it would be helpful. Staff will forward the Feasibility Study to Council as a reading file. D. COE17-005 - Receive a report, hold a discussion and give staff direction regarding updating municipal Green Fleet Policy. Terry Kader talked about this item stating that the City adopted the Green Fleet Ordinance in October 2015 which was from a previous rewritten ordinance. Fleet knew there would be some compliance issues one was the idle reduction policy. In April 2016 a draft of the Green Fleet Policy was brought to this committee for review. Staff would like to move forward with that draft policy which has had an idle reduction policy added. The current policy does not include City vehicles, this updated policy will include those vehicles. Staff inserted verbiage for this addition which included in terms of Greenhouse Gas emissions to be reduced by 25 percent by 2025. Briggs asked if the percentage went up. Kader answered it was not stated, it is a good base goal. Gregory asked if this policy is aligned with the DFW area. Kader answered many cities do not have a Green Fleet Policies, those that do this does align. There was discussions and examples given of idling vehicles. There are vehicles that have to run for the equipment to work. Much is done out of bad habit, education will be key. There are exemptions listed that include safety issues. Positive reinforcement is what staff is working toward. Kader stated that the City has in its fleet 264 alternative fuel vehicles. This Committee agreed to move forward to Council. E. COE17-006 - Receive a report; hold a discussion regarding the Draft 2015 Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Kathy Jack gave the presentation. The background included: - plan, Simply Sustainable. -In 2005, City of Denton signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. -Tracking greenhouse gas emissions supports policies and actions that can most effectively reduce emissions while also achieving other City goals. -In 2012, released 2002, 2006, & 2011 GHG Inventory Report. -Plan to update approximately every 4-5 years. The software that is used is called ICLEI, in 2011 it became web based, a much easier tool. Jack showed graphs with the assessment information. Landfill methane information will be brought back to this Committee with recommendations. City actions include: -2008 DME expanded audit program -2009 DME launched GreenSense Energy Efficiency Rebate Program -2009 DME 40% wind -2011-2015 DME 44% less coal -2014 Conservation Program Coordinator -2015 Bike & Pedestrian Coordinator F. COE17-007 - ACM Update: 1. Matrix CONCLUDING ITEMS A. Under Section 551.042 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, respond to inquiries from the Committee on the Environment or the public with specific factual information or recitation of policy, or accept a proposal to place the matter on the agenda for an upcoming meeting AND Under Section 551.0415 of the Texas Open Meetings Act, provide reports about items of community interest regarding which no action will be taken, to include: expressions of thanks, congratulations, or condolence; information regarding holiday schedules; an honorary or salutary recognition of a public official, public employee, or other citizen; a reminder about an upcoming event organized or sponsored by the governing body; information regarding a social, ceremonial, or community event organized or sponsored by an entity other than the governing body that was attended or is scheduled to be attended by a member of the governing body or an official or employee of the municipality; or an announcement involving an imminent threat to the public health and safety of people in the municipality that has arisen after the posting of the agenda. The meeting was adjourned by consensus at 12:11 p.m.