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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-28-16 BCP Meeting MinutesBOZEMAN CLIMATE PARTNERS MEETING MINUTES APRIL 28, 2016 1) CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Bozeman Climate Partners Working Group was called to order at 2:03 PM on April 28, 2016 in the Gallatin Room, City Hall by Natalie Meyer. PRESENT Natalie Meyer, Heather Higinbotham, Jay Sinnott, Kristen Walser, Joan Montagne, Susan Bilo, Jessica Johnson, Jess Therein (Full Circle Biofuels) 2) CHANGES TO THE AGENDA Bilo requested adding to the agenda, if time to discuss: • City/MSU transportation plans, cars vs. planning for multiple modes of transportation, and whether the Bozeman Climate Partners as a group is interested in providing a formal recommendation to the City and MSU • The new high school and planning for Net Zero. Bilo offered to provide case studies and referenced 14 net zero energy schools in Kentucky. She would like to encourage renewable energy especially if the new school has a pool 3) PUBLIC COMMENT Marcia gave a brief summary of initiative 180, for a ballot initiative to require utilities to move to 80% renewable energy on all new energy by 2050 in accordance with the goals set out in the Paris Accord. Bilo shared that she likes the initiative because it includes job training for people in fossil fuel industries. Marcia shared that on May 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at the Community Café, Russ Doty (the man who drafted the ballot initiative) will be in town presenting and answering questions. Senator Mike Phillips is supportive of the initiative. 4) MINUTES Minutes: Jay Sinnott moved to approve the minutes; Joan Montagne seconded. 5) FYI/DISCUSSION A) BOZEMAN SOLAR PROJECT Higinbotham and Meyer provided a summary of the workshop results from the April 14 solar workshop, part of the Spring Sustainability Workshop Series. There were 42 attendees. Orion Thornton with On Site Energy and the VP of the Montana Renewable Energy Association presented the technical and policy aspects of solar photovoltaics. Jon Shafer with NorthWestern Energy presented an overview of the Bozeman Solar Project at the Water Reclamation Facility in partnership with NorthWestern Energy and the City of Bozeman. Meyer shared that the contractor On Site Energy was selected for the project and that the panels would be made in the USA. The engineering work is mostly complete. They have submitted the Site Plan to the city and are beginning the review process. Part of the pilot is to understand issues like glare, addressing and signage. Bilo pointed out that solar PV panels are not reflective but rather absorbing. There is planning for advanced metering with volunteer citizens who want to participate. B) BOZEMAN CLEAN UP DAY Jessica Johnson provided an update of the 32nd annual Clean Up Bozeman Day on Saturday April 23rd. There were 550 people in the community who participated. Deputy Mayor Andrus kicked off the event with an address and thanked the participants. The City provided breakfast snacks and coffee. The City restructured Clean Up Day this year by not only offering a one-day clean up event, but an ongoing year round opportunity through the Cleanup Bozeman program. Residents now can clean up any day of the year and can pick up kits from the Solid Waste Division that include gloves, bags, and orange vests. Residents no longer need to put the bags in designated trash bins—they can be left on the side of the road/curb and the City will pick them up. Johnson will provide a summary on the total number of bags collected. She reported that a small section of Northwest Bozeman yielded 50 bags. C) COMMUNITY RENEWABLE ENERGY WORKING GROUP Meyer provided an update on the Community Renewable Energy Working Group and shared the final recommendations. The City of Bozeman has been participating in the group since November 2015. It is facilitated by SEPA, the Smart Electric Power Association. Other members include the Montana Renewable Energy Association (MREA), Renewable Northwest, Montana Environmental Information Council (MEIC), Northern Plains Resource Council (NRPC), Missoula, Lewis & Clark County, the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC) and the Montana Consumer Council. The role of the group is to provide NorthWestern Energy with insight into how to invest the remaining $2M committed into additional pilot projects in the state. Meyer shared her recommendation to NorthWestern Energy, which included engaging with regulators and educating the public. She also recommended rate decoupling, which separating utility profits from energy consumption (see attached slides). The two pilot projects that the Working Group developed and voted on include: • A utility-owned rooftop solar project in Helena with distribution automation with solar storage and Advanced Metering Infrastructure that is built upon the existing smart grid project. This will somehow be tied into low income housing and include a storage component. • A rooftop solar school project in Missoula (Hellgate, Lowell or Franklin?) SEE ATTACHED SLIDES D. PLASTICS RECYCLING WITH TREX (HIGINBOTHAM) Chris Berman with the Co-op and Dave Leverett with Four Corners Recycling met to further discuss the possibility of a community-scale effort with plastic film recycling. The group discussed the pros and cons of a commercial, pre-consumer program as well as a consumer program with drop sites. Consumer-facing drop sites are challenging with plastic film because it is extremely lightweight—any drop site would need to be located indoors to avoid unintended plastic film littering. Multiple drop sites would allow for more collection. The group was unsure if any grocery stores would be willing to house drop sites for plastic film. The Co-op’s concern about offering a drop-site inside (or outside) is that it would require additional staffing to maintain and manage, that there could be a large amount of contamination from consumer drop sites, including food residue and plastic wrap that isn’t accepted by Trex (the program would include any clean, stretchy plastic film. The non-stretchy plastic film like CD wrappers or sealants on lids is not accepted), and that consumers may bring other materials, including trash, to drop off at the plastic-film only bin. Rosauers does currently accept plastic film, and has a “drop a bag, take a bag” program for reusable bags. There are several other grocery stores that currently collect plastic bags; Dave Leverett will contact them to see where they are sending the plastic. The group decided the best first step is to get in contact with large retailers and grocery stores (locations that receive large shipments on pallets that are wrapped in plastic, or places like Mattress retailers, etc.) to invite them to participate in a pre-consumer collection program. Four Corners Recycling is willing to provide “super sacks” to grocers and large retailers for plastic film collection. This can easily be added to their current recycling programs and is easy to collect. Four Corners Recycling will buy the plastic film from those stores that collect it, and coordinate with Trex for shipping or pick up. Dave will contact these businesses to invite them to participate. Once the commercial program is running smoothly the group will revisit the possibility of a consumer drop-site program. Four Corners is open to the possibility of having a drop-site at the recycling plant in the future. E. MSU/DOWNTOWN CARSHARING PROGRAM (MEYER) Rob Ament from the Western Transportation Institute’s Road Ecology Program approached the Campus Sustainability Advisory Council (CSAC) about considering a car sharing program at MSU. Rob presented general information to CSAC about how car sharing worked and presented preliminary proposals from a few companies that were interested in providing their services in Montana. Shortly after this meeting, the City of Bozeman Economic Development Division and Parking Division approached Meyer about carsharing opportunities. Meyer then reached out to CSAC to discuss opportunities for a collaborative partnership. Meyer and Chris Naumann with the Downtown Bozeman Partnership met with MSU’s Parking, Purchasing, Resident’s Life, and WTI to discuss next steps. MSU is moving forward with a Request for Information that will be distributed to all the major car sharing companies. From the responses, we expect to identify the best solution for campus, then determine if there is a collaborative opportunity with the City of Bozeman and/or Downtown Bozeman. F. TRANSPORTATION PLAN COMMENTS Susan asked if CSAC had made any progress on the Transportation Working Group and whether there might be an opportunity to jointly submit comments. Meyer said that there had not been any word from CSAC; she encouraged the group to participate in the Transportation Master Plan Community event on May 12th. 9) ADJOURNMENT Meeting was adjourned at 3:45 PM by N. Meyer. Minutes submitted by: Heather Higinbotham/Natalie Meyer