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Minutes 10-16-10 Special MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2010 AT 8:00 A.M. AT THE INTRACOASTAL PARK CLUBHOUSE, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA Present: Jose Rodriguez, Mayor Marlene Ross, Vice Mayor Bill Orlove, Commissioner Woodrow Hay, Commissioner Steven Holzman, Commissioner Kurt Bressner, City Manager James Cherof, City Attorney Janet M. Prainito, City Clerk I. Call to Order Mayor Rodriguez thanked staff for putting the workshop together and explained it was important for the City to go through the process to understand where the City would be in the future. He called the meeting to order at 8:09 a.m. Ms. Lejeune led the Pledge to the Flag. II. Welcome and Introductions . Carisse LeJeune, Assistant to the City Manager Ms. Lejeune thanked all for attending. She introduced the members of Sustainability Team who were: . Debbie Majors, Grants Coordinator . Jody Rivers, Parks Superintendent . Nancy Byrne, Assistant Director of Development . Chris Roschek, Utilities Engineering Division Manager . Alan Karjalainen, Webmaster, ITS Department . Wayne Segal, Director of Public Affairs . Kevin Hallahan, Urban Forester . Eric Johnson, Planner, Planning and Zoning . Andrew Mack, Building Official Development Department . Indra Sweeney, Assistant to the Director, Fire Department . Chris Roberts, Assistant Director Public Works, . Jeff Livergood, Director of Public Works . Mike Simon, Development Director, Community Redevelopment Agency . Mike Rumpf, Director, Planning and Zoning . Hanna Matras, Senior Planner 1 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 She commented those were not all of the members; however, they were the members in attendance to go over document and answer any questions. III. Presentation of Project Timeline to Date · Nancy Byrne, Assistant Director of Development Ms. Byrne explained the effort started over two years ago. A staff-based, Green Task Force was appointed. They added a Community Alliance team and gathered input on projects. With funding from the Energy Efficiency Block Grant, staff contracted with CDM to put together the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan. The information was the result of several years of work on multiple levels. Ms. Byrne explained the charts reflected the progress made. The City approved moving forward with an 18% reduction by the year 2035 over the 2006 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Emission levels. Staff would concentrate on City facilities first and would review how the City handles its energy improvements and transportation reductions within City operations. They will set the benchmark to go out to community for their efforts. In the community, the biggest section regarding the emissions was transportation and it was partially due to 1-95. That sector was an item that staff would not be able to control and it was important as they moved forward to try to reduce that transportation section of the emissions. The importance of the inventory was the measurement standard staff would use to determine if the City was meeting the 18% reduction each year. Within the City, water is one of the highest energy considerations. Water conservation is a resource and there can be an effort to reduce the energy it takes to make clean water, so there are two levels to be reviewed. There are techniques and policies that need to be reviewed. IV. Implementation Strategies Ms. LeJeune explained the Climate Action Plan has implementation strategies. The strategies were in Section IV of the Plan document. Staff put together what they felt were priorities from the different action items, and in the comment section noted some items were quick wins, some were achieved and some have challenges. Staff tried to attach a timeline to each strategy. 4.1.1 - Jeff Livergood, PE, Director of Public Works and Engineering & Alan Karjalainen, WebMaster, ITS Department Mr. Livergood commented there are a number of trends, physical infrastructure and behavioral changes that can be made to effectuate change. He reviewed the energy systems within buildings and noted air conditioning and lighting are the biggest components. Staff already made behavioral changes with the four-day workweek and nearly a 22% energy reduction was achieved, resulting in about a $90,000 a year 2 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 reduction in the electric bill. Physical infrastructure changes implemented were replacing light fixtures from T12 to T8 bulbs that have a different brightness. Those were the types of changes staff continued to review. Little changes, such as motion sensors in restrooms and conference rooms, achieve incremental reductions. The Capital Plan contemplates in the next five years, there is $270,000 the City can use to fund more changes, i.e. changing out of air conditioning or lighting systems. Every time they make a change, energy savings and cost reductions are a critical consideration. Alan Karjalainen explained one project ITS developed was the Easy Agenda, which Commissioner Hay and the City Clerk's Office launched. It saved a tremendous amount of paper and improved the workflow. ITS also installed power-saving features on printers and computers. Server virtualization is a process where instead of having a number of physical boxes plugged in and used, they use a virtual role, where one server can house eight or nine servers in one box so they can unplug, or decommission the other servers, which resulted in other energy savings as well. Staff also recycles equipment that is not compatible with the different generations of computers and salvages what they can for parts. Through a program with the County, the remainder is recycled in an environmentally friendly way. ITS also switched to duplex printing as the default. It was noted in reference to Commissioner mail, correspondence is copied to all the Commission members. It was suggested the mail be scanned and distributed electronically. 4.1.2 - Christopher Roschek, PE, Utilities Engineering Division Manager & Kevin Hallahan, Urban Forester & Jody Rivers, Parks Superintendent Mr. Roschek explained Utilities is a large user of power, accounting for 53% of green house gas emissions for the City. The City uses a lot of electric with its two water treatment plants. Staff maximized the East Plant Treatment Plant and minimized the West Plant and pumps water utilizing lime softening which is much less energy intensive. Pipes are being installed down Military Trail and there are now some open cut sections to bring water from the West Plant to the East. The project was anticipated to be complete by March 2011. Staff was looking to maximize efficiency while minimizing CQst and would replace high service pumps with more efficient pumps, replace storage tanks and have an air conditioner on each. Staff was looking for funding not just for Utilities but City-wide. The City has ASR wells. which allows the City to store water underground and bring it up when needed for summer months. The City implemented neighborhood improvement projects on 4th Street and Rolling Green and looks for areas staff knows has a deficiency or old water mains and continues to upgrade them. Another area to be addressed was Lake Boynton Estates. Water conservation is being promoted and staff was trying to educate the customer not to use potable water for irrigation purposes, whenever possible. The Seacrest Roadway Improvement Project was part of that initiative and Utilities was able to partner with the project and was reinstalling reclaimed water mains from the Library down to the 3 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 Boynton canal. The customers east of Federal Highway cannot use a well for irrigation because of salty groundwater, and the City was now asking them to use low flow or drip irrigation system. The City has a Water Conservation Officer who promotes the Water Wise Program to Fifth grade students so the next generation can make a difference. Two windmills used to irrigate ponds were installed. The windmills use zero electricity and so far, they have worked very well. Staff worked with Planning and Zoning to modify the Code to allow for the use. Mr. Roschek confirmed staff was using efficiencies along Seacrest Boulevard. The reclaimed wastewater will be used for irrigation purposes. The actual savings was not available. Currently, the reclaimed water was anticipated to be installed for homeowner associations on the east side. The concern was if installing for house-to-house use, some one might tap into the wrong pipe. Staff was only planning to pick up the larger or common areas. Commissioner Orlove inquired, as it related to the source of emissions, if there was any way the City could use alternative sources of energy to decrease use to provide the water to all residents. Mr. Roschek explained in some cases, staff was in the beginning stages of looking into alternative energy, such as solar or wind, especially for remote pumping power or a portion of it. Commissioner Orlove inquired if solar panels at each facility for energy or backup energy could be used. Mr. Roschek responded staff could look into it. Currently, diesel fuel is used. As it pertained to a three-day watering schedule, some municipalities implemented a two-day watering schedule. Prior to 2006, in comparing the amount of water used, staff saw a reduction of 4 million gallons per day (MPG), which has not bounced back. It appeared users were getting the message about the conservation, although the City could increase the restriction from three days to two days. Commissioner Hay noted it appeared the best thing was to drill a well if the individual could afford it. Mr. Roschek responded that for new or large developments west of Federal Highway, the City requires that they install a salt well. They can retrofit a single family home but the ultimate goal was to get people off potable water and the best bet would be to connect to a reclaimed water main. Mr. Hallahan commented they analyzed what potable water was being used for, aside from drinking water, as staff sought to redirect its use with new projects. For watering systems, staff believes if water is placed on the roots of plants and stays there partially throughout the year, the plants are activated and seasonal watering could be used for seeds only. Their goal is to turn the system off and allow the plants to thrive on its own. Currently, the Code exempts any landscape requirements for single-family homes and single-family subdivisions are still exempt from those regulations. Staff ascertained they are a large water user for landscaping and was trying to regulate plant use and water so the City could meet its goals. Mr. Hallahan referenced Appendix C and indicated he 4 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 spoke with Scott Blasie, Code Compliance Administrator about specific sections of the Code and the goal. Staff would attempt to regulate water use for single-family homes, infill areas and the appearance of properties using minimal amounts of water for landscaping and a Florida friendly landscape. Properties having a mandated type of landscaping and appearance would have a designation by a certified yard sign on the property to avoid Code Compliance issues and that the property owner is doing all the right things. He was also working with Planning and Zoning to change the Code of Ordinances to speak to sustainability. There were no questions on the information supplied by Ms. Rivers, who did not make a presentation. 4.1.3 - Jeff Livergood City Vehicle Fleet and Employee Commuting Mr. Livergood explained this section was divided as fleet vehicles and employee commuting. If the City changed its fleet vehicles to energy-efficient vehicles, it would be an easy thing to do. If the vehicles are available, the City would have to make a change in its paradigms and review how the employees do their jobs. Staff was required to look at smaller vehicles that get better fuel efficiency. The Police Department was moving to vehicles that get better gas mileage. The next step is to explain why they need certain types of vehicles and if they can be changed or used as administrative vehicles with higher energy efficiency. Staff has made strides in making changes to the vehicle types the City is purchasing and will continue to monitor national standards. As to the employees and use of the vehicles, many things can be done internally. Everybody driving separately to meetings has to stop and staff has to ask if there is more efficient vehicle, or if the meetings are held in strategic locations. The common sense changes made everyday add up to significant changes over time. Employees should be encouraged to find alternate ways to drive to work. Human Resources did a great job with the South Florida Commuter Associate Systems, which has web pages offering alternative ways to get to work. Another option is to telecommute which allows employees to work at home. Employees are not always able to do so because of an increased demand to have staff present in the office. There are a number of policies that can be implemented, such as vehicle idling and others. Commissioner Holzman inquired if any incentives would be offered such as giving some sort of longer break, a front parking space, or free lunch to those who carpool. One of the biggest drawbacks to carpooling was how to get an employee home if they have a problem with their child and staff was considering a program that guaranteed a ride home. It was pointed out that the effort was about getting individuals to carpool and one could always take a cab if they needed to get home. One of the biggesf advantages to carpooling was savings on gas. Commissioner Orlove commented he was surprised alternative vehicles, such as smart cars. were not being used in the car fleet started. Mr. Livergood responded they have to look at what 5 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 would work well for transportation. If the City were a State agency, where employees drive 50 to 200 miles a day, the cars would be an asset. Staff did make some changes and some vehicles were getting 25 miles to the gallon, which was exceptional. Commissioner Hay inquired if staff was considering hybrids as a possible solution. Mr. Livergood responded they were, and they must evaluate gas mileage over the life of the vehicle based on consumption, offset by the initial capital expense. Those were the types of issues they were looking to address. 4.1.4 - Jeff Livergood & Indra Sweeney, Assistant to the Director, Fire Department & Janet Prainito, City Clerk Mr. Livergood explained one item to address by 2020 that was approved by the City Commission, was to truck 75% of its solid waste, bulk trash and vegetation to a private vendor and receive documentation of the tonnage being recycled. Individuals and homeowners can also increase their personal recycling rate from 35% to 38%. The participation rate the City has up to 50%, which meant homeowners were recycling 50% of time. Staff needed to find other ways to encourage residents to recycle. Mayor Rodriguez suggested carts with wheels and two recycling bins used. Sometimes it is hard to organize and carry the recyclables out. Vice Mayor Ross shared her community had also complained about it and expressed it has to change or they would do away with it. Mr. Livergood agreed it was cumbersome for multi-family homes. Ms. LeJeune noted staff could look at public education and outreach and do a better job getting information out to public or institute some sort of program to allow points for citizens for being good recyclers. Commissioner Holzman asked if staff had spoken with the processing center in terms of streamlining and making things easier to the public such as, having a single container recycling bin so the residents do not have to separate it out. Mr. Livergood commented the agencies and Solid Waste Division are reviewing everything that can be done at curbside to reduce the expense. Everything has a trade off. It was something larger agencies do. Commissioner Hay inquired if staff identified what areas do not recycle as much or if they would have some kind of marketing. Mr. Livergood responded they know of one area that has a lower recycling rate. Staff did follow up with the individual homeowners and more follow-up was anticipated to occur. Commissioner Hay noted the most common complaint he received is the newspapers get heavy when they accumulate in the bin and have to be put curbside. There could be an easier method. It was noted some municipalities use large bags for recycling which does make it easier. Mr. Livergood was aware that bags were used more for yard waste. Ms. Sweeney explained the Green Offices Program Initiative was to help City departments and offices use more sustainable methods by reducing waste and conserving resources, mainly through the use of existing technology. The program offers ideas, tools, guidelines, and resources to achieve certain goals. It is in the 6 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 beginning stages, and more recently has received input from different departments. The Development Department has been the guinea pig for the program so some of the initiatives presented were tried and true. One example was the paperless filing system. Anything staff needed to maintain a copy of was scanned and stored electronically. There are no file cabinets in the office. Development has used this method for five years and it has worked well. Another method used is the electronic fax system. Any fax received with the Building Department is sent via email, and Mr. Karjalainen helped develop guidelines to prevent the server from being bogged down. As to using strategic locations for meetings, staff was reviewing using existing technologies to reduce the amount of travel used by City Departments. The Planning Director suggested that for developers who fly in from out of town, a better technology could be used to avoid travel and gas usage. Mayor Rodriguez inquired if the e-fax system used by the Building Department was a resource available for the entire City. Once any kinks were worked out, staff wanted to implement it citywide. It was noted the e-fax was not a new technology. City copy machines have scanning capabilities and can convert fax numbers to electronic email. The savings would offset increased costs associated with purchasing software in paper or staff time. Commissioner Holzman would like the Commission to become a guinea pig. He commented the mail service was bothersome to him. He thought it created waste and at the end of the day, he winds up with a ton of paper. The Commission has email and Adobe, which makes life easier. He thought this should be implemented right away. Commissioner Orlove agreed, but pointed out he likes to have some items provided in a tangible form and for the items he does not need, he can recycle them. There are things he receives that he likes to refer to in hard copy. but thought it would be beneficial if the City Commission decided on items they would like to see more of electronically and which ones by hard copy. He agreed there are certain letters that are copied to each City Commission member that could be sent electronically. Ms. Sweeney advised the program was a flexible program and was at the beginning stage. If someone wants a paper copy, recycled paper could be used. The Warehouse has a reuse list of office supplies. Commissioner Orlove commented if he would print something out. he would use recycled paper. Mayor Rodriguez felt items can be printed but they can be printed at the point they are needed because the documents would be stored electronically. He felt, at some point, the City Commission should make a tough decision about what they are going to do and how to move forward. Commissioner Orlove agreed discussion was needed. He pointed out when the Mayor sends out a letter to new Advisory Board members, the City Commission does not need to see a paper version but for certain things like the workshop materials, he wanted to maintain a living breathing document. He did not want to be limited or forced to print all material. It would be a way of lessening the footprint and use of paper. 7 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 Ms. LeJeune clarified Ms. Sweeney was working with key personnel and receiving feedback and formulating the type of program that would be aggressive, but not too uncomfortable for all involved. Ms. LeJeune anticipated staff would be able to do that same process with the Commission and provide a surveyor individually discuss the direction they want the program to take and work from there. Commissioner Hay inquired if the City was still moving in the direction of WiFi. A major portion of WIFI was eliminated because of cost. He commented it would be good to have if it was not too cost prohibitive, especially if the City was utilizing a lot of technology because there are hot spots around the City that have access. He thought the City should move in this direction and WIFI would be a way to do so. Ms. LeJeune explained WIFI was a project the previous ITS Director had started to implement and she was unsure of the obstacles. She suggested Assistant City Manager LaVerriere discuss it with the ITS Department in the future. WIFI was not a free service, and in the future perhaps funds could be allocated for it. 4.1.5 - Carisse LeJeune, Assistant to the City Manager Ms. LeJeune spoke about procurement policies and commented although the City has a Green Procurement Contract for janitorial supplies, an overall purchasing policy for green products does not exist. Creating an environmentally preferred policy manual and central procurement system for the City would be beneficial. In order to implement the Climate Action Plan and go forward to the year 2035, the task cannot rest on one person's shoulder. It needs to be immortalized and an entity or group be established. Staff's request was for the Sustainability Team be the mechanism for implementation. It was important that as employees come and go, there be a representative from the department to carry the initiatives to 2035. Ms. Lejeune also indicated the Sustainability Team was asked to create a template for data management to monitor energy reductions. Staff would use free software from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Energy Star Portfolio Manager and Energy Management System, which would provide real time energy usage and allow staff to create annual reports to take a footprint to see if the City was achieving the milestones. It would also allow staff to present regular updates to the City Commission on the progress made. 4.2 - Wayne Segal, Director Public Affairs Mr. Segal prepared a PowerPoint presentation and commented if the target audiences do not know about the Climate Action Plan, staff cannot influence positive changes in behavior. At the moment, staff does not have a written communication plan and that will come out of the priorities set from the workshop. The key theme and message is the City of Boynton Beach is environmentally conscious. The key issues staff developed were to conserve resources, advance green building, encourage alternative transportation options and the City believes green space improves health and lengthens life. Information is needed in order to become environmentally responsible and community education and outreach is needed. The target audience is composed of 8 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 residents, the Commission, City employees, community partner organizations, County and State department organizations, and the news media. These audiences would expand and contract depending on what the priorities were and what the program publicized and promoted. The starting place for the effort was the City website. A web site is static and staff wanted to encourage two-way communication. In order to achieve that, Mr. Segal developed a Facebook page that will be added to the website. There would also be a City blog on the web page. In addition to the Take Pride in Boynton initiative, he set up Flicker groups, which included Go Green Boynton, encouraging the public to send in pictures. The Commission reviewed the first picture that was received. Mr. Segal was very happy with the way the effort was shaping up and the incentive to participate was to give the sender credit for their pictures. The Flicker site was growing. The communication plan would build in measurements based on the number of people engaged, the behaviors they changed, and any other factors relating to a specific or program project staff was promoting. Vice Mayor Ross was glad to see staff using social media. Mayor Rodriguez expressed he was overwhelmed with social media and so many web pages, Facebook pages and sites. Personally, they turned him off because he could not keep up with them. He did not have the time and resources to go in and post on them. Vice Mayor Ross embraced social media as much as possible. Mayor Rodriguez commented three quarters of the viewers "friend him" and he does not know who they are. The largest audience was women over 50 or 55. Commissioner Hay was a mix between the Mayor and Vice Mayor's stand. He wanted to participate. He thought the City had to control its own front yard. Mr. Segal suggested trying it and seeing how it shakes out. Some of it may not work, but it does not cost anything. Additionally, social media is not the end all for the City's public outreach and engagement. Staff would be preparing for many more public events and part of that was to obtain volunteers from the community who expressed interest in participating in future green programs and want to be put on list. Staff anticipated there would be more face-to-face, hands-on events in the future. Commissioner Orlove thought the efforts were great, but it would be nice if the City had one event or a series of events, perhaps tying in to the Commit 2B Fit effort where there was some component where individuals could understand the City was interested and dedicated to being green and encourage community involvement. Ms. Byrne mentioned there was a speaker's bureau representing the Green Sustainability efforts and she and Ms. LeJeune have spoken at elementary schools about the Green initiatives. They received positive feedback. Commissioner Orlove inquired if something, in terms of events or engaging the public, such as giving out rain barrels for Earth Week, would occur. He inquired if there was any kind of funding for projects such as lighting, to engage the community. He noted there was $270,000 for retrofitting some lights. 9 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 4.3 - Nancy Byrne & Jeff Livergood Ms. Byrne explained one of the biggest challenges is how to fund energy improvements. Questions such as what could be done to motivate the public to make changes, what could be given, or what incentives could be given for the Green Building Program all needed answers. It was a major issue, especially with the budget. The Development Department would be making a presentation to the Financial Advisory Committee because a 15% budget reduction would preclude the City from moving towards a Green Building program. Without incentives, it might be taking a step backward. One way to accomplish the task is to discuss an energy performance contract. That would be a way management could fund energy improvements in the City. There is existing administrative money that has not been spent and the EPA and DOE came out with new guidelines that would allow the City to jump-start a revolving loan fund for the Green Building program. The grant would allow the City to underwrite loan losses. It can be used to retain a third party to fund the loans, or write down the energy audits, which was a requirement of the Green Building program. The PACE program was on hold pending Congress making a determination about the Fannie and Freddie Mae mortgages. The Chamber of Commerce is a partner on a grant that would allow them to start an educational and revolving loan program in the Town of Lantana and Lake Worth and attract business community. Those activities are a form of a broader PACE program, so there is some movement countywide. She noted when discussing either the revolving loan fund or the PACE program it was important to seriously consider an intergovernmental partnership because it takes approximately 100,000 people participating for the program to be economically feasible. Ms. Byrne expressed she was not aware of any local government that was capable of issuing that type of loan and an independent party was needed to handle the justification, administration and other legalities of the loan. Staff could administer from a regulatory aspect, whether the party was following the guidelines of the program. She expressed the greater the number of participants, the better the opportunity to start. On the marketing side, staff sought a few champions in the community, who were people that were visible in the community, and having them be the first people to go through the program to serve as a prototype. Those individuals, in turn, become spokespersons for the program. It was suggested the Commission consider that option. Ms. Bryne also suggested the Commission consider, in regard to the Green Building Program, implementing a small additional fee on permits to fund an incentive. While the action was not a popular action the County recently reduced road impact fees, so permit fees dropped. Some type of funding mechanism to start a pool of money to create a revolving loan, or energy survey was needed. Commissioner Orlove inquired if a program similar to the Art in Public Places could be used. Under that program, 1 % of the development cost is used to fund the program. Ms. Byrne responded a program could be structured that way. She recommended that if one was a Green Builder, incentives could be rebated back as soon as the builder 10 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 presents the certificate. Commissioner Orlove thought if there were certain things the developer was doing to make the building green or comply in some sense of what the Commission was trying to institute with the Climate Action Plan, that would be beneficial and perhaps it could generate revenue for the City to have programs and show the City was investing in the community. Ms. Byrne concurred and thought it was important that there is some type of incentive because the program was totally voluntarily. The Green Building Program was not a replacement for the Florida Building Code. One suggestion made in the Climate Action Plan was for the City to incentivize the next four iterations of energy conservation that are about to come out in the Florida Building Code. The next Code would become more and more stringent on energy performance. If a builder wants to comply with the next iteration today, the City should encourage them to do so because it is an immediate savings to the City and the citizens. The first baby steps the City can take is to ensure the buildings are as energy efficient as they can be. The building has to be sealed well, otherwise it was not cost effective to have solar, wind and thermal features on it that will result in the savings leaking out windows or having high-energy equipment inside. The focus must be to get people to use every energy upgrade they can and seal the building and then the next phase is to start community solar energy programs they can share in neighborhoods. These would all be policy decisions the Commission would have to make and staff would return to them with programs for approval. Com'missioner Orlove was in favor of having a green permitting fee if a developer would institute changes that was in-line with the plan. He was in favor of having money dedicated, whether a grant or some sort of refund or rebate, to interest and allow the community to move forward. He expressed he was surprised to see all the City services and buildings that use up energy, but the citizens contribute to the environment too. It was more of government taking the lead as well as offering incentives to the community to be partners and all parties, collectively, moving forward together. It was important to show the community the incentives of doing certain things such as a rain barrel. A rain barrel cost $90. It was suggested the City consider offering them for $40, or having something more hands-on. He offered to serve as the prototype, this way the community gets more involved. Ms. LeJeune noted any suggestions would be brought back. She thanked the Commission for their feedback and ideas. 4.4 - Eric Johnson, Planner, P&Z Division & Michael Simon, Development Director, Community Redevelopment Agency & Jody Rivers Mr. Johnson explained everything in this category requires coordination between staff in Planning and Zoning, Public Works, and outside agencies such as the Metropolitan Planning Organization, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, South Florida Transportation Authority, Palm Tran, Lake Worth Drainage District and the South Florida Water Management District. The City was fortunate to have staff members who are cycling enthusiasts and staff members were advocating for bicycle routes or coordinating with governmental agencies to put bike facilities/lanes within right-of- ways. 11 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 Currently, the City is working to complete the Greenway/Bikeway and Blueway plan next year. There were many other items that either were quick wins or were left blank. Because the City was dependent on outside agencies to fund and complete their side of it, the City was stymied in some respects. The City, as a practice, was coordinating with different agencies on the effort. One example was the South Florida East Coast Corridor approached the City to identify locations that would be appropriate to have a fail station along the Florida East Coast railroad tracks because there is a push to have a commuter fail along the FEC tracks. There was also an opportunity to have a transit village and it was identified the City could have two stations. Mr. Livergood explained the Metropolitan Planning Organization's recommendation was to look at construction in six to eight years. Commissioner Orlove inquired if the FEC was still looking to use the route for freight and asked if it was anticipated light transit would occur during peak hours. Mr. Livergood responded there would be double tracks coming led between passenger and freight trains. It was also mentioned the CSX and FEC tracks might be used. The City was also working with the County to obtain a water taxi as a means for economic development. Some things were out of the City's control but staff was coordinating with different agencies. Commissioner Holzman inquired about bike racks. Jody Rivers, Parks Superintendent, explained it was part of the Comprehensive Plan to install bike racks at every park facility. Mr. Johnson explained the Land Development Regulations were forthcoming in November, which will require pedestrian trashcans and bike racks. Discussion followed the effort appeared to be a difficult situation with many governmental agencies involved. Commissioner Orlove inquired if there was a lead governmental agency or if Mr. Johnson felt the effort was well coordinated. Mr. Johnson responded the coordination is there. The City has a representative going to different meetings. It depended on what outside agencies they were dealing with. Ms. Byrne also commented there was no one agency overseeing the effort, but the City was a partner with the Sustainable Communities Grant, and that is probably the biggest effort she has seen. It encompassed seven counties worth of planning agencies and municipalities working together on transit issues. Mr. Johnson commented one city employee wanted to commute to work from Broward County and took the Tri-Rail which was successful until the employee arrived at Boynton Beach. The employee then had to worry about Palm Tran and their scheduling or the trolley. Since there were multiple agencies involved, there were challenges to overcome. 4.5.1 - Hanna Matras, Senior Planner, P&Z Division Ms. Matras commented staff recommends in all Climate Action Plan recommendations that the Comprehensive Plan include decibel levels. Bill 697 was a State mandate and the ultimate deadline of 2014 coincides with the review of the Comprehensive Plan. Staff could make the changes faster; however, it was contingent on whether Amendment 4 12 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 passed. If it passed, there may be legal implications of whether the amendment pertained to actual land use amendments or to all comprehensive plan policies 4.5.2 - Andrew Mack, PE, Building Official, Development Department Mr. Mack spoke about sustainable construction and complimented staff. Sustainable construction was currently done on a voluntary basis utilizing LEED Certification. Most buildings are going to LEED certification and staff was looking to implement some type of Code and to codify it in order to have more control and input into construction. The International Code Council (ICC) which developed the International Green Construction Code, (ICGG) could be used to model, to implement the construction techniques. Part of the Code recommends a Green Building Fee that would help builders and offered incentives. It was hoped staff would complete the changes in the coming year and before the next housing boom. Commissioner Orlove inquired about the green roofs or part of the roofs having a material that emanated heat. Mr. Mack responded everything comes down to dollars. It was definitely doable, but it would boil down to if someone wanted to implement those techniques. There will be some cost to the City for training individuals to review the new Code. V. Appendix C (recommended revisions to Code of Ordinance) Carisse LeJeune Ms. LeJeune invited the members who had questions to contact her and staff would respond to them. Appendix C was reviewed. Some of the items were already addressed. She pointed out Appendix C was a part of the Climate Action Plan. By adopting the Climate Action Plan, they were adopting the Code of Ordinances to come back to them at a future time for adoption. Each individual Code that was being reviewed at the workshop would come back to the Commission individually, and staff was looking for approval to bring the items back at subsequent meetings VI. Funding Options Debby Majors, Grants Coordinator & Jeff Livergood Ms. Majors spoke about funding. Much like finances, they would diversify a little. The Commission heard about performance contracting with an energy service company, the PACE program, which stands for a "Property Assessed Clean Energy." Grants will be one of the funding options. Ms. Majors contemplated Finance was working on options. The good news was there was funding available. There was $4.5 million coming to South Florida for planning that was awarded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, through the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant. The seven counties involved in it were Indian River, Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin. Broward, Miami Dade and Monroe Counties. Staff participated in several meetings dealing with all facets of sustainability for several months, and was working 13 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 towards being ready to receive funding opportunities as they arose. The plan will improve regional housing, land use, economic development, workforce development, and transportation. Staff feels that once the regional plan is in place, the City would be ready for the funding opportunities that will be available. Ms. Majors spoke of the block grant at the Ezell Hester Community Center and explained it was the beginning of what was to come. Once the City adopts the Climate Action Plan there will be future funding opportunities working with the grants team and members of the sustainability team, and she expressed she will be ready. There is funding. Staff just needs direction where to prioritize. Commissioner Orlove inquired if there were federal stimulus monies. Ms. Majors was not aware of anything immediately available but commented it changes all the time. Between local and state organizations, the City was connecting with organizations in the community and working with other municipalities. She felt it was just a matter of timing. Commissioner Hay inquired if the $4.5 million would be shared throughout the counties. Ms. Majors responded it was and it would be used for a regional plan. Discussion will be held regarding housing, transportation, etc. and a member of the City will be present for those discussions. VII. Green Building Program Nancy Byrne Ms. Byrne explained the program presented in the Climate Action Plan is based on the ICC program Mr. Mack spoke about earlier in the meeting. The ICC developed the IGCC, which was the Green Code, in coordination with the U.S.G.B.C, who is the lead certifying agency. It contains many LEED elements. Staff sought direction to move forward with the program to come back to the Commission with a follow up plan to contain all the elements in its present state. It was a very comprehensive plan. It is an enhancement to the Florida Building Code. It contained all the elements discussed and was more comprehensive than the Building Code and Land Development Regulations. It will affect several areas of the City's Code. There was consensus to move forward. Ms. Byrne commented there were three funding questions. She asked if the Commission was amendable to implementing additional fees on permits. Mayor Rodriguez was not supportive of the fee. He understood the green initiatives, but he thought increasing permitting fees was the wrong way to go and he encouraged staff to look at other options, including a plan similar to the Art in Public Places program. Ms. Byrne explained the Art in Public Places program was a viable option. It authorized eco art, which allows developers to take their art portion and incorporate into a green element in the building. That was already being done along with expedited permitting. Commissioner Orlove was interested in knowing if an incentive were offered if it fell in place with a refund. He requested seeing what other municipalities were doing in that regard and he thought staff should investigate the issue. Commissioner Hay agreed as did Commissioner Holzman. 14 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 Staff would come back with several scenarios and a formal ordinance. There was agreement staff should move forward with evaluating an energy-service performance contract. There was agreement City staff would look at the administrative money left from the current year economic block grant and come back with ways it can underwrite a revolving loan fund or other type of incentive program. Ms. Byrne commented one constraint was some of the grants are matching funding. She encouraged the Commission to look at fees because they have to have some mechanism for a source of revenue. VIII. Approve Resolution for Adoption of Climate Action Plan Attorney Cherof read Resolution R1 0-150 adopting the Climate Action Plan of July 2010 providing an effective date. Motion Vice Mayor Ross moved to approve. Commissioner Hay seconded the motion. The motion passed. There were no other comments by staff or the Commission. IX. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Commission, Mayor Rodriguez properly adjourned the meeting at 10:02 a.m. (Continued on next page) 15 Meeting Minutes Special City Commission Meeting Boynton Beach, FL October 16, 2010 CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH ATTEST: ~'tYl. p~ Ja t M. Prarnito, MMC . Y Clerk Steven Holzman, Commissioner G.cwtVLV)tt ~ Catherine Cherry Recording Secretary Transcribed from one (1) recording 03/03/11 16