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Home My WebLink About6-23-16 Bozeman Climate Partners MinutesBOZEMAN CLIMATE PARTNERS MEETING MINUTES JUNE 23, 2016 1) CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Bozeman Climate Partners Working Group was called to order at 2:00 PM on June 23, 2016 in the Madison Room, City Hall by Natalie Meyer. PRESENT Natalie Meyer, Heather Higinbotham, Kathy Powell, Anders Lewendal, Jay Sinnott, Wendy Weaver, Dan Perata, Evette Allison, Susan Bilo, Marcia Rundle, Kristin Blackler, Carson Taylor, Joan Montagne 2) CHANGES TO THE AGENDA Agenda approved as distributed. 3) PUBLIC COMMENT N. Meyer opened public comment. There was no public comment. N. Meyer closed public comment. 4) MINUTES K. Powell motioned to approve the 4-28-16 and 5-26-16 minutes as submitted. J. Sinnott seconded the motion. 5) NON-ACTION ITEMS A) NET ZERO ENERGY HIGH SCHOOL (BILO) S. Bilo provided background information on Net Zero Energy (NZE), noting that new construction presents an important opportunity to minimize energy use over the life of a building. She has learned that it is important to speak up early and often that we need to build better than code buildings. The benefits are many: savings to tax payers, preparing the next generation for the jobs of tomorrow, improved learning environment, and addressing climate change. S. Bilo referenced a case study from Kenton County School District in Kentucky where they have built 14 Net Zero Energy-ready schools. One of these schools, Turkey Foot Elementary School uses half the energy of the previous elementary school, despite being two times larger. The Energy Use Intensity (EUI) is 22 KBTUs/SF/YR versus the original school’s EUI of 99 KBTUs/SF/YR. To date, the school district has saved $2M in energy costs (Case Study Attached). A Chronicle article noted that Rob Watson would be forming a committee to select the architects and general contractors for the new high school. S. Bilo called Bozeman School District Administration to find out how they would be selecting committee members and they placed her name on a list. Susan would like direction on how best to approach the School District with the idea of Net Zero Energy and sustainable design. W. Weaver thought it would be critical to work with the Facilities Superintendent Todd Swineheart. She would like to approach the school about a more holistic approach to sustainability, not just energy. However, she does not believe that the LEED program would be well received by the Bozeman School District. K. Blackler mentioned that is took a long time for MSU to seriously consider NZE ready design because people tend to think it is a wild idea at first. C. Taylor explained that the $50M estimated price tag is not likely based on an actual design, but a $/SF extrapolation from their experience of building schools in Bozeman and the types of amenities they expect to include. The bond measure would be on the May 2017 ballot, while the City-County Law & Justice bond would be on the November 2016 ballot. He expressed concern about lobbying school board members, particularly those that are frequently targeted with requests. Others concurred that this is a problem. J. Sinnott expressed that we risk losing bond measures by advocating for something that is too far out there and need to be prepared with counter arguments. S. Bilo stated that there are over 100 Net Zero Energy buildings outer there. K. Blackler noted that engaging the High School Sustainability Club in MSU’s peer-to-peer student advising group might be beneficial. They could tour the new MSU residence hall, Jabs Hall, and talk about the goals for the Norm Asbjornson Innovation Center. In the case of Jabs Hall, the Dean of the College of Business expressed that he wishes they had pushed the green envelope a bit harder. Based on their experience at MSU, the energy modeling is the only piece that costs extra on these projects, but the cost is recouped through up front design savings identified through energy modeling. A. Lewendal described a recent passive home he constructed and explained that this project would never recoup the extra costs involved with net zero energy design. It is, however, a more comfortable home. He suggested framing the argument from the standpoint of comfort and student performance and reduced O&M. S.Bilo reiterated that Lee Colton from the Kentucky school district is available for a webinar on Net Zero Energy. A variety of suggestions on messaging followed, which led to the conclusion that we need a consistent message in our communication with the schools. C. Taylor said he was loathe to get the city involved. W. Weaver, S. Bilo, and K. Blackler agreed to meet separately to discuss messaging and approach. B) SOLARIZE MONTANA UPDATE S. Bilo explained that Solarize Montana is a Department of Energy program designed to break down barriers to solar installations. Since the program is #7 on the BCP priority list, she thought we would like to hear an update from Missoula where the program was first launched in Montana. In Missoula, the program is a partnership between the City of Missoula, Climate Smart Communities, MREA, and local credit unions. It started with a RFP from solar installers, which resulted in a contract with installers for all those who could meet a certain set of criteria. Installers agreed to $3.10/watt (pre-tax credits) and agreed to specific terms. They started with two informational workshops with 80-100 people attending each. They have completed over 65 site assessments and 20 solar PV systems have been installed through the program. Helena is the next community planning to launch the program. If we are interested for 2017, N. Meyer should contact Diana Maneta from MREA. B) ENERGY SMACKDOWN RESULTS H. Higinbotham described challenges confirming utility data was complete and correctly linked in all cases and that participants had joined the City of Bozeman user group to be eligible for a prize. She has identified two likely winners, but the data will be reviewed by a committee made up of reps from Montana DEQ and NorthWestern Energy, and the MT Weatherization Center. She is also preparing a participant survey to learn how we might better engage participants moving forward. We also plan to create neighborhood competitions by coordinating with the Neighborhoods Program. C) BOZEMAN STRATEGIC PLAN C. Taylor explained that the plan is currently in the visioning stage and it’s important for everyone to go to the website, answer questions, and enter comments. N. Meyer will send out link. The next phase of the project will outline how we implement the strategic vision outlined by the community. For instance, how do we overcome funding challenges? How do we better work with the County and School District? They expect to have drafts in October. He noted that the plan will largely dictate what types of projects are funded in the future. J. Montagne cautioned that we may need to use a different word than “sustainable” city because it turns off a lot of people. K. Blackler suggested a Podcast called Strong Towns for good discussion on walkable, livable communities that are fiscally responsible. NEXT MEETING A. JOINT CSAC-CLIMATE PARTNERS TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN MEETING The meeting is July 29th at 1PM in the City Commission Room; there will be no regular BCP meeting on Thursday, July 28th. Meyer said she would send out some recommended reading on the topic of Level of Service. ADJOURNMENT Meeting was adjourned at 3:40 PM by Natalie Meyer. The next regular meeting will be at 2:00 PM on August 25 2016, in the Madison Room of City Hall. Minutes submitted by: Natalie Meyer