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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-12-04 CorrespondenceItem Number: 6.a. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok 10WA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Carol deProsse: Landfill Questions [Staff response included] Kellie Fruehling From: Jennifer Jordan Sent: Friday, November 16, 2018 12:34 PM To: 'lonetreefox@mac.com' Cc: Ron Knoche; Geoff Fruin; Council Subject: RE: Landfill Questions Hi Ms. deProsse, Thanks for your email. We've had several staffing changes over the past 18 months and I was promoted to the Resource Management Superintendent; I oversee curbside collections and the landfill so I'd be happy to answer your questions. Jane Wilch is our new Recycling Coordinator. 1. The materials coming from industry and commercial entities in town encompass a large range. Hospital waste can include mattresses, bedding, tubing (minus liquids), kitchen waste, packaging and general office waste. We cannot accept medical waste such as biological waste, pharmaceuticals, or needles. From other industry, we see everything from processing lines scrap materials to thickened industrial sludge (we cannot accept free-flowing liquids). We can accept hazardous materials for proper disposal (through a contracted vendor, not in the landfill) but only from qualifying small businesses that produce and store under a set quantity, per Environmental Protection Agency rules. Staff monitors each incoming load both at the scale and as the materials are dumped to ensure that we're not taking anything we should not or cannot legally accept. 2. Incoming garbage is dumped on the working face of the lined landfill, compacted and covered each day with either dirt or an alternative cover approved by DNR. Management of the waste, and more importantly, of the potential environmental impacts, include separate landfill gas and liquid/leachate collection systems. Currently, landfill gas is collected and flared on-site; we have funding in the current fiscal year budget to start a study to utilize the gas and I'm looking forward to digging into that project early in the new year. Leachate is collected and piped to the City's wastewater treatment facility. Longer term management at each area/cell's close-out includes additional gas collection lines and a cap system to both contain gas to redirect to collection lines and shed precipitation rather than allowing it to infiltrate and potentially cause issues. 3. Groundwater and air quality monitoring are extensive as required by the EPA and DNR. From a groundwater perspective, we have almost 100 monitoring wells around the perimeter of the landfill that we test against background levels twice per year. Any "hits" or exceedances have to be documented, reported to DNR and explored to see if there is an issue in the vicinity of that monitoring well that needs to be addressed. For air quality, we do monthly gas emissions monitoring (GEM) and quarterly surface emission monitoring (SEM) with hand-held machines that "sniff" the air at the groundwater monitoring wells and other penetration points around the landfill surface (which are easy conduits for gas to escape) and we do SEMs quarterly to sniff on a set grid across the entire landfill. If we have hits on any of those monthly or quarterly tests, we have set time limits to correct the deficiencies. Corrections can include adjusting gas well suction levels to draw harder or adding dirt or compost in the area to prevent fugitive emissions and redirect the gas back into the system. We are also actively including additional gas collection lines in areas with new waste so we have more control over the gas collection system. 4. Most landfill staff members are trained and certified to accept hazardous materials; we have five staff members who regularly work in the household hazardous materials facility at the landfill. They categorize and package the various materials that come in and separate out usable materials for reuse in our Swap Shop. Most of what goes in the Swap Shop is paint, cleaners and automotive fluids. Items that are banned or out of date are not placed in the Swap Shop. 5. Companies have several options for recycling cardboard. If they have a lot on a regular basis, we encourage them to work with their hauler to set up a cardboard -only dumpster or compactor. They can also take it directly to the recycler if they have set up that relationship. Finally, they can use any of the City's three free public recycling drop-off sites. Bans are not 100% effective but the cardboard ban has significantly reduced the amount of corrugated cardboard coming into the landfill. We do still see some; if we see more than a piece or two in a load of waste, the hauler is charged double the trash fee for that load. 6. The Resource Management Division has proposed funding in the budget for a new south -side site. We don't have an exact location spelled out but there are several City -owned properties that could work. If the request makes it through the budget process and is funded, we'd probably be looking out 18 months to a couple of years for a new site. Please let me know if you have further questions. Thanks Jen Jennifer Jordan Resource Management Superintendent City of Iowa City 319-887-6160 iennifer-iordan@iowa-city.org Kellie Fruehling From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 3:06 PM To: 'Carol deProsse'; Council Subject: RE: Landfill Questions Hi Carol, Yes, Jen Jordan does manage the operations at the landfill. She has a team of landfill staff including a Recycling Coordinator. I will as Jen to respond to your questions. Thanks, Geoff Fruin City Manager -----Original Message ----- From: Carol deProsse [mailto:lonetreefox@mac.com] Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2018 2:55 PM To: Geoff Fruin <Geoff-Fruin@iowa-city.org>; Council <Council@iowa-city.org> Subject: Landfill Questions Geoff, Please forward these questions to the appropriate person(s) if you do not know the answers. Do we have a Landfill Manager in addition to Jen, who is the Recycling Coordinator. Jen's great, but unless she manages the City's Landfill operations she may not know the answers to my inquiries. Thanks, Carol 1. What is the content of the industrial waste that is being landfilled, i.e., that coming from the UIHC, Mercy or companies like P&G? 2. How is it monitored and managed once it gets to the landfill? 3. What is done to monitor for "waste plumes" when (if) toxic content escapes from the landfill, possibly because of incorrect use of earth moving equipment to bury it? 4. Who monitors the various paints, lacquers, etc. as well as toxic household material that are taken to the landfill to make sure that substances, especially any banned pesticides that are no longer for sale in stores and not being offered to citizens "to be used up"? 5. How do companies that deal with lots of large boxes deal with recycling their cardboard? Do they sometimes wind up at the landfill even though they are not suppose to? 6. is the City considering finding more places for folks to bring their recyclables, i.e., those not picked up by City Crews along with garbage collection? + r , • yyrrmr�� CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Jeffery Ford: Engine Breaking Item Number: 6.b. Kellie Fruehling From: Jeffery Ford <jlford36@me.com> Sent: Monday, November 19, 2018 6:52 PM To: Council Subject: Engine Breaking Ladies and Gentlemen, As I have written before the level of "engine breaking" on I8o through Iowa city is unacceptable. Many small communities post sign say "No Engine Breaking Except in Emergencies." I would appreciate it if we could protect the communities we have built along the intestate - and continue to build, by posting and enforcing a noise reduction ordinance. Working trucks have no need to brag and boast through town at all hours of the day and night. Cheers, Jeffery + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Item Number: 6.c. Description Carol deProsse: U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy Kellie Fruehlin From: Carol deProsse <lonetreefox@mac.com> Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2018 8:01 AM To: Geoff Fruin; Council; jrettig@co johnson.ia.us; rsullivan@co johnson.ia.us; Igreendouglass @co johnson.ia.us Cc: royceannporter@msn.com; paheiden123@gmail.com Subject: U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy The New York Times I know that most, if not all, of you read about and understand the threat of climate change. What I ask is that as an elected body you will undertake intensive lobbying efforts at the state and national levels to take action to mitigate these threats, and also increase educational efforts across the city and county to inform citizens of the perils ahead. https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/mB84C68MJPtY34PipfdXP 11/27/2018 U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy - The New York Times Whe Nov fork gimes U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy By Coral Davenport and Kendra Pierre -Louis Nov. 23, 2018 Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. WASHINGTON — A major scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Friday presents the starkest warnings to date of the consequences of climate change for the United States, predicting that if significant steps are not taken to rein in global warming, the damage will knock as much as 10 percent off the size of the American economy by century's end. The report, which was mandated by Congress and made public by the White House, is notable not only for the precision of its calculations and bluntness of its conclusions, but also because its findings are directly at odds with President Trump's agenda of environmental deregulation, which he asserts will spur economic growth. Mr. Trump has taken aggressive steps to allow more planet -warming pollution from vehicle tailpipes and power plant smokestacks, and has vowed to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, under which nearly every country in the world pledged to cut carbon emissions. Just this week, he mocked the science of climate change because of a cold snap in the Northeast, tweeting, "Whatever happened to Global Warming?" But in direct language, the 1,656 -page assessment lays out the devastating effects of a changing climate on the economy, health and environment, including record wildfires in California, crop failures in the Midwest and crumbling infrastructure in the South. Going forward, American exports and supply chains could be disrupted, agricultural yields could fall to 1980s levels by midcentury and fire season could spread to the Southeast, the report finds. "There is a bizarre contrast between this report, which is being released by this administration, and this administration's own policies," said Philip B. Duffy, president of the Woods Hole Research Center. All told, the report says, climate change could slash up to a tenth of gross domestic product by 2100, more than double the losses of the Great Recession a decade ago. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/climate/us-climate-report.html 1/7 11/27/2018 U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy - The New York Times Scientists who worked on the report said it did not appear that administration officials had tried to alter or suppress its findings. However, several noted that the timing of its release, at 2 p.m. the day after Thanksgiving, appeared designed to minimize its public impact. Still, the report could become a powerful legal tool for opponents of Mr. Trump's efforts to dismantle climate change policy, experts said. "This report will weaken the Trump administration's legal case for undoing climate change regulations, and it strengthens the hands of those who go to court to fight them," said Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton. [Here's a summary of what's new in the report.] The report is the second volume of the National Climate Assessment, which the federal government is required by law to produce every four years. The first volume was issued by the White House last year. The previous report, issued in May 2014, concluded with nearly as much scientific certainty, but not as much precision on the economic costs, that the tangible impacts of climate change had already started to cause damage across the country. It cited increasing water scarcity in dry regions, torrential downpours in wet regions and more severe heat waves and wildfires. The results of the 2014 report helped inform the Obama administration as it wrote a set of landmark climate change regulations. The following year, the E.P.A. finalized President Barack Obama's signature climate change policy, known as the Clean Power Plan, which aimed to slash planet -warming emissions from coal-fired power plants. At the end of the 2015, Mr. Obama played a lead role in brokering the Paris Agreement. But in 2016, Republicans in general and Mr. Trump in particular campaigned against those regulations. In rallies before cheering coal miners, Mr. Trump vowed to end what he called Mr. Obama's "war on coal" and to withdraw from the Paris deal. Since winning the election, his administration has moved decisively to roll back environmental regulations. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11 /23/climate/us-climate-report.htmi 2/7 11/27/2018 U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy - The New York Times An oil refinery in Port Arthur, Tex. President Trump has pushed to roll back regulations on carbon emissions. Brandon Thibodeaux for The New York Times The report puts the most precise price tags to date on the cost to the United States economy of projected climate impacts: $141 billion from heat -related deaths, $118 billion from sea level rise and $32 billion from infrastructure damage by the end of the century, among others. The findings come a month after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of scientists convened by the United Nations, issued its most alarming and specific report to date about the severe economic and humanitarian crises expected to hit the world by 2040. But the new report also emphasizes that the outcomes depend on how swiftly and decisively the United States and other countries take action to mitigate global warming. The authors put forth three main solutions: putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions, which usually means imposing taxes or fees on companies that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; establishing government regulations on how much greenhouse pollution can be emitted; and spending public money on clean -energy research. A White House statement said the report, which was started under the Obama administration, was "largely based on the most extreme scenario' of global warming and that the next assessment would provide an opportunity for greater balance. The report covers every region of the United States and asserts that recent climate -related events are signs of things to come. No area of the country will be untouched, from the Southwest, where droughts will curb hydropower and tax already limited water supplies, to Alaska, where https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11 /23/climate/us-climate-report.htmi 317 11/27/2018 U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy - The New York Times the loss of sea ice will cause coastal flooding and erosion and force communities to relocate, to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, where saltwater will taint drinking water. More people will die as heat waves become more common, the scientists say, and a hotter climate will also lead to more outbreaks of disease. Two areas of impact particularly stand out: trade and agriculture. Trade disruptions Mr. Trump has put trade issues at the center of his economic agenda, placing new tariffs on imports and renegotiating trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement. But climate change is likely to be a disruptive force in trade and manufacturing, the report says. Extreme weather events driven by global warming are "virtually certain to increasingly affect U.S. trade and economy, including import and export prices and businesses with overseas operations and supply chains," the report concludes. Such disasters will temporarily shutter factories both in the United States and abroad, causing price spikes for products from apples to automotive parts, the scientists predicted. So much of the supply chain for American companies is overseas that almost no industry will be immune from the effects of climate change at home or abroad, the report says. It cites as an example the extreme flooding in Thailand in 2011. Western Digital, an American company that produces 60 percent of its hard drives there, sustained $199 million in losses and halved its hard drive shipments in the last quarter of 2011. The shortages temporarily doubled hard drive prices, affecting other American companies like Apple, HP and Dell. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/climate/us-climate-report.htmi 4/7 11/27/2018 U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy - The New York Times Workers cleaned up after floodwaters receded from a Western Digital factory in Thailand. Rungroj Yongrit/European Pressphoto Agency American companies should expect many more such disruptions, the report says. "Climate change is another risk to the strength of the U.S. trade position, and the U.S. ability to export," said Diana Liverman, a University of Arizona professor and co-author of the report. "It can affect U.S. products, and as it drives poverty abroad we can lose consumer markets" Agricultural risks The nation's farm belt is likely to be among the hardest-hit regions, and farmers in particular will see their bottom lines threatened. "Rising temperatures, extreme heat, drought, wildfire on rangelands and heavy downpours are expected to increasingly disrupt agricultural productivity in the U.S.," the report says. "Expect increases in challenges to livestock health, declines in crop yields and quality and changes in extreme events in the United States and abroad:' By 2050, the scientists forecast, changes in rainfall and hotter temperatures will reduce the agricultural productivity of the Midwest to levels last seen in the 1980s. The risks, the report noted, depend on the ability of producers to adapt to changes. During the 2012 Midwestern drought, farmers who incorporated conservation practices fared better, said Robert Bonnie, a Rubenstein Fellow at Duke University who worked in the Agriculture Department during the Obama administration. But federal programs designed to help farmers cope with climate change have stalled because the farm bill, the primary legislation for agricultural subsidies, expired this fall. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11 /23/climate/us-climate-report.htmi 5/7 11/27/2018 U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy - The New York Times Flooding in 2011 forced the Fort Calhoun nuclear power station near Omaha to shut down for years. Nati Harnik/Associated Press The report says the Midwest, as well as the Northeast, will also experience more flooding when it rains, like the 2011 Missouri River flood that inundated a nuclear power plant near Omaha, forcing it to shut down for years. Other parts of the country, including much of the Southwest, will endure worsening droughts, further taxing limited groundwater supplies. Those droughts can lead to fires, a phenomenon that played out this fall in California as the most destructive wildfire in state history killed dozens of people. The report predicts that frequent wildfires, long a plague of the Western United States, will also become more common in other regions, including the Southeast. The 2016 Great Smoky Mountains wildfires, which killed 14 people and burned more than 17,000 acres in Tennessee, may have been just the beginning. But unlike in the West, "in the Southeast, they have no experience with an annual dangerous fire season, or at least very little" said Andrew Light, a co-author of the report and a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute. Climate change is taking the United States into uncharted territory, the report concludes. "The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid," it says. There is always some uncertainty in climate projections, but scientists' estimates about the effects of global warming to date have largely been borne out. The variable going forward, the report says, is the amount of carbon emissions humans produce. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/climate/us-climate-report.html 6/7 11/27/2018 U.S. Climate Report Warns of Damaged Environment and Shrinking Economy - The New York Times For more news on climate and the environment, follow @NYTClimate on Twitter. Coral Davenport reported from Washington, and Kendra Pierre -Louis from New York. Coral Davenport covers energy and environmental policy, with a focus on climate change, from the Washington bureau. She joined The Times in 2013 and previously worked at Congressional Quarterly, Politico and National Journal. @Cora I M Davenport - Facebook Kendra Pierre -Louis is a reporter on the climate team. Before joining The Times in 2017, she covered science and the environment for Popular Science. @kendrawrites A version of this article appears in print on Nov. 23, 2018, on Page Al of the New York edition with the headline: U.S. Climate Study Has Grim Warning of Economic Risks COMMENT OF THE MOMENT K Kim Times Pick Copenhagen i Nov. 24 I predicted to my European friends and colleagues after Katrina that the US would not take climate change seriously until Americans began to feel the tangible effects themselves. Let's hope that we finally are at that critical mass / tipping point and that politicians and the country (i.e., republicans) will start to take this seriously and finally begin to act! So much time has been wasted. 2 Replies 135 Recommend Share READ 751 COMMENTS Flag https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/climate/us-climate-report.html 7/7 Item Number: 6-d- M .d. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Caroline Dieterle: Solid waste disposal and sustainability effort Kellie Fruehling From: Dieterle, Caroline M <caroline-dieterle@uiowa.edu> Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2018 4:34 PM To: Council Subject: Solid waste disposal and sustainability effort To The City Council: Please create a Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee as part of the sustainability efforts of the City. Citizens need a place to bring their questions, concerns and ideas regarding the City's efforts to manage solid and hazardous wastes. While a "Trash Commission" certainly hasn't the exciting ring to it that perhaps the "Airport Commission" or the "Planning & Zoning Commission" do, the necessity is there. Proper management of trash affects public health, and thus is at least as pressing as managing an airport or deciding on land use. A Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee could encourage citizen input and buy -in when changes are being considered for City services related to solid waste. Citizens should have a voice in such things as the type and size of residential receptacles for trash and recycling; convenient access to household hazardous waste disposal; recycling of shredded paper and other commonly generated materials; and siting of a much needed additional public drop-off site for recyclables to replace the now closed City Carton site. I believe that the current financing structure of tip fees at the landfill and the billing schedule for trash pickup should also be examined and considered by a citizen -driven committee. As the market for recycled materials — especially paper and plastics — shrinks due to lack of buyers, the landfill will be under increasing pressure to take more material. The City's recent ban of corrugated cardboard from the landfill, while laudable, is an example of a public policy that would been more effective in its implementation had there had been a citizen -driven process and a commitment to carefully monitor how the ban is enforced. Similarly, the recent roll-out of curbside recycling containers leaves much to be desired; a process that involved citizens might have made the City's investment more impactful. The City's sustainability goals clearly direct us to do as much as possible to prevent groundwater contamination and protect the lifespan of the landfill. As such, a citizen's advisory committee for solid waste would empower citizens to participate in the development of, and ownership over, the solutions. Respectfully suggested, Caroline Dieterle + r , • yyrrmr�� CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Laura Routh: Deer control Item Number: 6.e. Kellie Fruehling From: Laura Routh <lauridi@hotmail.com> Sent: Monday, November 26, 2018 11:52 AM To: Council Subject: Deer control Dear Councilors, I am writing to ask you to please support a rational, science -based solution to overpopulation of deer in Iowa City. The controlled, prescribed sharp -shooting and/or bow hunting of deer in the urban area is a necessity to protect our forest and wild land resources. The botanical diversity of Hickory Hill park is being decimated as overpopulation of deer is allowed to continue. I support the findings of White Buffalo, and believe that culling of the deer herd through a controlled hunt is both humane and the only reasonable solution to addressing a population of deer that is wildly out of control. Thank you for your consideration. Laura Routh 828 Dearborn Street Iowa City, Iowa + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Mary Gravitt: Clean Ally Crossovers Item Number: 6.f. Kellie Fruehling From: Mary Gravitt <gravittmary@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2018 4:12 PM To: Council Subject: CLEAN ALLY CROSSOVERS No one merchant or otherwise seems to be in charge of removing snow from the alley crossover where the sidewalks end. The Service Allies are left on their own covered most of the time with slush and snow and are dangerous to walk on. Is it the City's job to shevel he crossovers or is it the merchants' job. Either way the snow must be removed so that citizens can walk safely in the downtown areas. Mary Gravitt 2714 Wayne Ave #6 52240 319.341.6230 + r , • yyrrmr�� CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Tim Borchardt: Leaf Removal Item Number: 6.g. Kellie Fruehling From: Tim Borchardt <tjborc@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2018 7:12 PM To: Council; Toni Davis Cc: Tim Borchardt; opinion@press-citizen.com Subject: Leaf Removal To the City of Iowa City, There are piles and piles of leaves all around this city. The weather is supposed to be in the high 30's or low 40's for the next week. There is no forecast of snow. Are you really saying that its is to much trouble for our city workers to switch over 1 or 2 trucks and get these leaves picked up? The government of Iowa City never ceases to amaze me. Its all about the government and whats easy for you and not about the citizens of the city. Tim Borchardt 52 Regal Ln Iowa City Iowa 52240 319-930-6569 Item Number: 6.h. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok 10WA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Daniel LoTempio: Leaf pick up [Staff response included] Kellie Fruehling From: Daniel LoTempio <danlo_99@yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 11:13 AM To: Council Subject: Fw: leaf pick up On Wednesday, November 28, 2018 10:26 AM, Daniel LoTempio <danlo_99@yahoo.com> wrote: Your reply did not address my concerns as to how do I get rid of the leaves! It did not address any of my suggestions! Being blown off with your insincere reply is only more aggravating! So it is very labor intensive to switch over the equipment from unhooking the towed behind equipment to hooking up the plows, but what has that to do with the problem that your supervision of the leaf program is not working? On Wednesday, November 28, 2018 10:13 AM, Brock Holub <Brock-Holub@iowa-city.org> wrote: Hello Mr. Lo Tempio, I am sorry that you are having these issues. It was very unfortunate that winter came so early Our leaf collection program was scheduled to end the day before Thanksgiving, but we did extend the program a few more days and hoped to extend it further if winter had not come about. During collection season we do send out updates daily about our schedule you are always free to call our office for the most up to date information. You can sign up for those updates at our website. We do use our trucks both for leaf collection and winter services. We have 14 trucks in our fleet and 10 of them are used for leaf collection. Transitioning the equipment over is very labor intensive and takes a lot of time. We started to transition over some equipment early last week. The Streets division is funded by the road use tax. Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns. n 1OWiA aTY A UN[f[O C7rY OF t1rEtAruir Brock Holub Streets Superintendent office: 319-356-5482 Brock-Holub@Iowa-City.org 3800 Napoleon Lane, Iowa City, IA 52240 WWW.ICGOV. ORG 0000 From: Daniel LoTempio [mailto:danlo_99@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 9:56 AM To: Brock Holub <Brock-Holub@iowa-city.org> Subject: leaf pick up After reading your report about the "leaf vacuum program" I felt compelled to send you an Email. The leaf program is flawed, and the fix for me to put my leaves in bags is NOT a viable recourse. Nor is the suggestion that I bring them to the landfill, I do not own a truck!!! The newsletters updates as to area pick ups are too general in nature since they do not actually report what areas will get leaf pick up, it is only a vague maybe! Change would be to perhaps change the areas from those who are last not getting the leaf pick up late in the season to first. Dedicated areas should have a set number of days, so each area gets an equal time. Get more leaf collection equipment. Give me a doable action to remove the leaves I have collected that are now under 8 inches of snow keeping in mind that I am 77 and have COPD and have struggled to get those leaves with my wife's help to the front from my back yard. I was scheduled for pick up on Saturday, I saw a truck on court street heading in my direction towards Scott near 1 st and was relieved that I was only 4 leaf piles away from getting collected being in area 6. Never happened! Your report says that you use the same trucks for leaf collection and snow removal, which would imply that you have an equal number of trucks and leaf vacuum systems, is that true? Just like snow removal, leaf pickup is not optional, it has received funds for equipment, if you cannot do the job, sell the equipment and outsource to all the lawn services that could use the work. I would like to know what it costs the city to maintain the leaf program in total, which would show moneys spent for labor, gasoline, equipment upkeep, administrative cost. What recourse do I have in the spring when the leaves are still there and my grass has died? Thank you, Daniel R LoTempio 3029 E Court St. Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Item Number: 6.i. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Melissa Dunham: Pedestrian Mall Benches Kellie Fruehling From: Melissa Dunham <melissa.r.dunham@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2018 9:57 AM To: Council Subject: Pedestrian Mall Benches Dear Council, I was recently learned that the benches in the ped -mall were replaced with a style of bench that is known to be unfriendly to low-income residents. I'm not sure if this was an oversight, or if it was intentional. Often cities will install these benches to reduce homeless members of the community from sleeping on them. People don't choose to be homeless, most of the homeless population is made of up people who suffer from mental health diagnosis. Iowa is ranked 47th in access to mental health and 51st in accessibility to short term and long term beds. This makes it incredibly challenging for those who suffer from mental health to hold employment, resulting in homelessness. Instead of degrading their quality of life further, we should be investing our limited resources in fixing the primary issue. Not only does investing in the primary issue make the best economic sense, it's also the more compassionate thing to do. While I do not live in your beautiful city, I do visit frequently. I consider Iowa City one of the few safe havens for diversity in our state - whether that be race, religion or socioeconomic status. I hope you'll consider removing the benches and replacing them with something more in line with the spirit of the community. Best, Melissa R. Dunham, Grinnell � r 4 444 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-S000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Late Handouts: Information submitted between distribution of packet on Friday and close of business on Monday. Consent Calendar Item 5.d Stone Bridge Estates Part 10 Final Plat See additional correspondence requesting indefinite deferral Item 6 Correspondence Item 6.i Pedestrian Mall Benches: See Staff response and additional correspondence — Melissa Dunham, Eve Casserly Item 6.1 Dan Lechay, Tom Carsner: Pentacrest gardens Item 6.m Martha Norbeck, C -Wise Design & Consulting LLC: Public Works Facility Regular agenda Item 8c Zoning code amendment related to transfer of development rights for historic properties — See map 0 Kellie Fruehlina From: Melissa Dunham <melissa.r.dunham@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, November 30, 2018 9:25 AM Late Handouts Distributed To: Geoff Fruin Cc: Council Subject: Re: Pedestrian Mall Benches `3 A (Date) Geoff, Thank you for your prompt response. While I do applaud the council for supporting the homeless through other avenues, I still object to the bench style selection. If seating capacity was the end goal, then that could have been achieved through a more friendly means. This style has been used by cities all over the world to deter the homeless population and I simply cannot accept the argument that this style was preferred because of aesthetics or functionality. Best, Melissa Dunham On Thu, Nov 29, 2018 at 10:07 PM Geoff Fruin <Geoff-Fruin@iowa-city.org> wrote: Ms. Dunham, Thank you for your email. The benches that were selected for the Pedestrian Mall project and the previously completed adjacent Washington Street project were chosen for the sole purpose of increasing the effective seating area in these heavily trafficked parts of our community. More seating opportunities were called for in the public input and planning stages and these benches allowed us to work toward that objective without requiring significant more space. The Iowa City Council has been working extremely hard to improve our outreach efforts to the homeless population in Iowa City. While they continue to fund numerous social service agencies that support the homeless, they also have provided significant funding for winter shelters, supported the state's first housing first project for chronic homeless individuals and steered our police department to a community policing model that works to support those individuals that are homeless. The City Council is committed to furthering these efforts to provide meaningful support to our homeless population. Thank you again for expressing your concerns. If you have questions please feel free to contact me directly. Best, Geoff Fruin City Manager From: Melissa Dunham <melissa.r.dunham@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2018 9:57 AM To: Council <Council@iowa-city.org> Subject: Pedestrian Mall Benches Dear Council, I was recently learned that the benches in the ped -mall were replaced with a style of bench that is known to be unfriendly to low-income residents. I'm not sure if this was an oversight, or if it was intentional. Often cities will install these benches to reduce homeless members of the community from sleeping on them. People don't choose to be homeless, most of the homeless population is made of up people who suffer from mental health diagnosis. Iowa is ranked 47th in access to mental health and 51st in accessibility to short term and long term beds. This makes it incredibly challenging for those who suffer from mental health to hold employment, resulting in homelessness. Instead of degrading their quality of life further, we should be investing our limited resources in fixing the primary issue. Not only does investing in the primary issue make the best economic sense, it's also the more compassionate thing to do. While I do not live in your beautiful city, I do visit frequently. I consider Iowa City one of the few safe havens for diversity in our state - whether that be race, religion or socioeconomic status. I hope you'll consider removing the benches and replacing them with something more in line with the spirit of the community. Best, Melissa R. Dunham, Grinnell Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. o dr, 1 Kellie Fruehling From: eve casserly <casserly@mchsi.com> Late Handouts Distributed Sent: Monday, December 03, 2018 8:59 AM To: Council Subject: Uproar over downtown benches with arms / Good safety feature having arms on those new benches at the Ped Mall. 'Date) Anyone who is or has knowledge of an older person or one of any age who has knee or hip problems or balance issues should be well aware of the importance in having arms to help one safely ease into or get up from a sitting position - be it a chair or a bench. Such support can prevent falls and the serious injury falls can cause in the elderly or others with limitations or weakness. A number of elderly live in housing in the downtown area. It is appropriate to consider their safety needs in the Ped Mall, an area close to the small apartments of many older persons and used by many of them. Falls prevention, when possible, is the city's job too. Eve Casserly Item Number: 6.j. + r tui�1r.� • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Tim Weitzel: 12 West Court St, Height Bonuses Kellie Fruehling From: Tim Weitzel <tweitzel.email@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2018 10:03 AM To: Council Subject: 12 West Court St, Height bonuses I am writing about the pending height bonus request for the redevelopment of the large block of apartments at 12 W Court St, Iowa City, which is located in the University subdistrict of the Riverfront Crossing District Plan. As a reminder, I was on the Planning and Zoning Commission when we recommended the Riverfront Crossing District Plan to City Council for approval and this plan was subsequently approved. My primary concerns are for historic preservation in this instance, but also for unintended consequences of subverting the district plan in favor of aesthetics. I have additional concerns about undermining the legislative process of setting out planning goals in a district plan, implementing those goals in a zoning code, and then turning away from that guidance when controversy arises. The point of a comprehensive plan and zoning code is to guide decision making as well as provide a stable and predictable process for property owners and developers to rely on. The biggest threat to further development in the Riverfront Crossings zone is unpredictable, some might say arbitrary, judgements coming from City Council. Here is the wonkish side of the discussion on 12 S. Court height bonuses. Note, again, that a district or even comprehensive plan is not the same as the zoning code. That target heights appear at all in the district plan is mostly a suggestion. The real articulation on base height and bonus height comes through the zoning code. The district plan isn't a building specification! Iowa City has various height limits set by zone. In the Riverfront Crossings zones, heights are set somewhat differently. There is a maximum height by zone, but there are a number of provisions to allow height bonuses in return for fees or facilities that have a demonstrated public benefit. These include open space, development rights transfer, historic preservation height transfer, public right of way transfer, Class A office space, public art, energy efficiency and sustainability standards, student housing in the University Sudistrict, Elder housing, and workforce and affordable housing [note, this was somewhat superseded by a requirement for affordable housing deed restricted to not less than 10 years or fees, facilities, or land in lieu of the housing. This applies to any development containing ten (10) or more dwelling units on land zoned a riverfront crossings zoning designation is required to provide affordable housing dwelling units in an amount equal to or greater than ten percent (10%) of the total number of dwelling units) Multiple height bonuses or transfers may be applied to one site, however, the resulting height may not exceed the following maximums: (1) Fifteen (15) stories maximum for properties within the South Downtown, University, and Park Subdistricts. (2) Twelve (12) stories maximum for properties within the West Riverfront Subdistrict that have frontage along the Iowa River. (3) Eight (8) stories maximum for properties within the Central Crossings and South Gilbert Subdistricts. (4) Five (5) stories maximum for properties within the Gilbert Subdistrict and properties within the West Riverfront Subdistrict that do not have frontage along the Iowa River. However, bonus height is not allowed on lots that abut a residential zone. (Ord. 16-4675, 9-20-2016) (5) Height bonuses are not allowed in the Eastside Mixed Use District and Orchard Subdistrict. (Ord. 16-4675, 9-20-2016; amd. Ord. 17-4705, 5-16-2017) To me the strong public benefits for allowing the full height bonus come from providing new student housing that may well open up converted single family houses to be returned to single family use and to allow the re -opening of the Capitol street corridor for pedestrians at a minimum, which the negotiating party says they will not open the street without the height bonus. Finally, the historic transfer rights are critical to preserve our historic properties under threat of demolition. Here are some additional comments I made on Jim Throgmorton's personal Facebook page for a post for only Facebook friends. I'm sharing here so everyone has an opportunity to see them. -------------------- The view shed for the courthouse is already restricted from the north to a great degree by University buildings. I think raising this issue isn't a genuine concern. Iowa City has a number of problems it faces, but tall buildings isn't one of them. We do face traffic issues and paying for ever expanding infrastructure in the form of roads, water, and sewer mains isn't helping ends meet. I have grave concerns that restricting development in the Riverfront Crossing district is an implicit encouragement to put that height downtown where there is no height limit by right. But ignoring all that, the lot in question was specifically called out in the district plan for student housing and the height bonus ordinance specifically called out a number of desirable goals that in return are expected to receive height bonuses. I think Danielle's talk was specific and clear on this. And by traffic issues, I mean increasing the length of roads places more cars on the road for longer periods of time, which increases congestion. Reopening Capitol street should help with vehicular circulation and opens up a clear route below the railway between two major arterials --Burlington and Benton. The remainder were replies to council member Thomas: John, there are several student oriented developments around the country that might serve as an example of successes in large facilities for large off -campus student populations. I would suggest we not be too beholden to what others have done, though, since this is highly unique situation for Iowa City and in general. Iowa City has uniqueness in our large areas of historic districts, a somewhat mangled grid street system due to historic development trends, an aging body of rental properties especially among those built in the'70s and '80s that were not likely have been built to last much beyond 30 years, and numerous competing interests for public dollars. A new homeless facility for instance competes with other initiatives like buses and streets, all of which are good, but funds are limited. I feel we can't continue to build outward and expect to reduce traffic while also preserving our downtown as a business and entertainment hub. We have somewhat restricted our development space by cordoning off our historic neighborhoods --which is a good thing, but it puts pressure to either remove historic protections, and yes, that has been considered in the planning office for at least Longfellow, or to build taller to maximize proximity to campus. Placing many students near campus will have some good deal of reduction in parking pressures in downtown ramps and overall traffic in town. Sending students to the edges of town to live in four-story apartment complexes does something more like the opposite. And overall I am not opposed to smaller buildings here, but for the fact we offered the opportunity already to anyone who wants to build up to 15 stories in this location in our district plan and height bonus ordinance. So for aesthetic design considerations --the rise is a very efficient building, but it could have had more articulation along elevations and variation in height across the building. I think, for example a taller block would have lightened the feel of the heavy block of the building that it has become by casting sight lines upward. These design elements do increase costs to build however and while the term Luxury is freely used on any sort of new development, increased building costs are more likely to drive up rents than not, which may or may not be a bad thing if the overall increase in units places pressure on others to stabilize rents for lesser desired properties. And as far as affordable housing goes, I think we need to not consider building units instead of fees. The term is fee in lieu, but if it is legal, requiring the fee to go into the housing fund offers more options for long term affordable housing. I think that park area is a key element and articulation of the street faces is helpful in breaking up the feeling of an impenetrable wall. Mini parks along the way down Capitol Street could maybe be traded for an equal amount of space shown on the district plan. Playing with the change in elevation across the lots could be useful as well. There should be a required set back or step back after 4 stories in any case. The Rise set back the entire wall to avoid constructing a step back, I'm guessing. Historic tall buildings and well designed new ones build with a plaza at the main entrance, public art, and a recessed entry in many cases and something far more interesting more going on with the walls than a simple set back --like curved planes and so on. But those tend to be much taller buildings and leverage a lot more capital to build. I was thinking design specification by Council would be out of the ordinary. FAA restrictions are somewhat of a fallacy. Some of the planning staff broadly interpreted FAA language to mean all of Iowa City is in an aircraft maneuvering zone.Unless you are in a direct flight path, my reading of the regulation is that FAA does not limit building heights per se. They do require registration at a certain height and above a certain height they require obstruction mitigation. The height of 15 stories was contemplated in the Riverfront Crossing district plan for several areas, including this one. Are you and Jim considering the fact that many buildings built in the '70s and '80s were built with 30 -year lifespans? Where do we house people while buildings are being gut rehabbed or otherwise rebuilt? Can we not try to improve on energy efficiency and design while this is taking place? Does this not meet several stated goals of the City, as well as transferring development rights already granted? Even without that, if apartment owners abandon the Northside and other historic neighborhoods, I'm sure rehabing the building and returning them to single family housing is a worthy goal. A bit of oversupply should make housing more affordable. The UI isn't going anywhere. We will not become Detroit. More to that point --the decrease in student admitted has been under 2% while there could be at least a 2% increase in retention, so more people could be staying around for more than just their first semester going forward. + r , • yyrrmr�� CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org December 4, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Competitive Quotation Memo Item Number: 6.k. I r i � MR -�...._ CITY OF IOWA CITY MEMORANDUM Date: November 26, 2018 To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Jason Havel, City Engineer n -i Re:. Competitive Quotation Results Curb Ramp 2018 Competitive quotations for the Curb Ramp 2018 Project were opened on November 7, 2018 and the following quotes were received: Feldman Concrete Dyersville, IA $ 81,037.30 All American Concrete West Liberty, IA $ 81,564.30 Calacci Construction Iowa City, IA $ 112,324.00 Engineer's Estimate $ 80,000.00 The project involves the reconstruction of curb ramps at 5 intersection locations in Iowa City: • Magowan Avenue and McLean Street • Westwinds Drive and Roberts Road • Woodside Place and Woodside Drive • Market Street and Van Buren Street • Jefferson Street and Linn Street Public Works and Engineering recommended and the City Manager awarded the contract to Feldman Concrete of Dyersville, Iowa. The project will be funded with Account #S3822. � r 4 444 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (319) 356-S000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Late Handouts: Information submitted between distribution of packet on Friday and close of business on Monday. Consent Calendar Item 5.d Stone Bridge Estates Part 10 Final Plat See additional correspondence requesting indefinite deferral Item 6 Correspondence Item 6.i Pedestrian Mall Benches: See Staff response and additional correspondence — Melissa Dunham, Eve Casserly Item 6.1 Dan Lechay, Tom Carsner: Pentacrest gardens Item 6.m Martha Norbeck, C -Wise Design & Consulting LLC: Public Works Facility Regular agenda Item 8c Zoning code amendment related to transfer of development rights for historic properties — See map Kellie Fruehling From: Sent: To: Subject: To the City Council: clan lechay <danlechay62@gmail.com> Friday, November 30, 201810:09 AM Council pentacrest gardens Late Handouts Distributed (Date) I have read Jim Throgmorton's recent posts concerning the proposed Pentacrest Gardens development with great interest. I believe Mayor Throgmorton's analysis (in his Nov 15 memo to the Council) is thorough, balanced, and wise. I have lived here since 1945 and, for all its growth and change, Iowa City is still comfortably the same city I've always known. So far, all the recent building in and around our downtown, while adding greatly to the city's dynamism, has not fundamentally changed its basic character. I am very worried that the Pentacrest Gardens, unless introduced in a very sensitive and incremental way, will be the tipping point, turning Iowa City into something new and unrecognizable. I support the concept of 11-12 story buildings - quite tall, but less overwhelming than the 15 -story alternative to be built with conditions that encourage their gentlest possible assimilation into our wonderful city. Dan Lechay 528 Clark Street 6A Kellie Fruehling From: Tom Carsner <carsner@mchsi.com> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2018 9:59 AM To: Council Subject: Pentacrest Apartments To The Council: The proposed Pentacrest garden apartments buildings should be allowed only a 10-12 floor award, not the full 15 floors. Sight lines will be significantly altered at 15 floors. This proposal is the greatest in number of units in Iowa City history. Let's move incrementally, not go to the maximum immediately. I believe that building up is better than building out, but the city should not give the maximum award for this project. Tom Carsner Iowa City,Iowa 52245 67. 1 Kellie Fruehling From: Wendy Robertson <wendelkate@gmail.com> Late Handouts Distributed Sent: Monday, December 03, 2018 7:01 PM To: Council Subject: proposed 15 story "Pentacrest Gardens" development at 12 Court Street /Q/ g (Date) 3 December 2018 Dear Iowa City City Council - I strongly support the proposed 15 story "Pentacrest Gardens" development at 12 Court Street. 1. Taller buildings are good to decrease sprawl and reduce overhead for city services, They will help keep our city well positioned to attract new residents. Tall buildings downtown allow more people to be pedestrians and use public transportation, which is essential to reduce our carbon footprint. This location in particularly is especially good since it is partway down a large hill so will not even seem as tall as 15 stories from most locations. 2. This will provide more student housing in an extremely desirable location as it is essentially inside the University's footprint. Ideally this will provide sufficient housing so that some of the rentals further from campus in the neighborhood could once again be available for families to rent or own. This could be a step toward providing more housing for people making median income or less in our community. 3. I am very happy that the Tate Arms is being preserved as it is a unique part of our history. It housed African-American students at a time when they were allowed to take classes at the University but could not live in dormitories. It is important to save the history of not only the leaders but of the average people. It is also an important reminder of our past so that we view it with appropriate context. The district plan identified this as well as Sabin School and the cottages, to be saved; I am also glad at least the Tate Arms will be saved. 4. As far as I understand the plan for that section of town, this proposed development meets all the requirements for the allowable height bonuses. The plan was established with much input from the community, which included allowing buildings up to 15 stories in some locations. Developers need to be able to trust that such published plans are to be followed so that they can plan accordingly, otherwise they will simply move their projects to our quickly growing adjacent communities. Decisions cannot be made on a developer by developer basis; they must be fairly implemented for all potential developers who meet the existing criteria. If City Council wishes no future buildings of this height then they should change the plan to state that, but this cannot be done until after this project has been approved. Laws need to be applied as the exist, not how some individuals may wish the laws were written. 5. I am thrilled that Capitol Street will be reopened. It was a tremendous boondoggle that the City ever allowed a public road to become a private lawn, thereby cutting off access. Many people use the passage as it is, but it can be difficult in rain and snow to cross mud and ice and step over the chains. It requires people with mobility issues to make a longer trip either up or down the hill to get avoid this. As development increases south of Burlington, this importance of this access becomes more apparent. I urge you to vote yes to approve the height bonuses to 15 stories for this development. Sincerely Wendy C Robertson 30 year Iowa City resident @WISE handling carbon with care LEED consulting & architecture November 29, 2018 Dear Members of the Iowa City Council, Late Handouts Distributed rn 12- 1? (Date) C -Wise Design & Consulting LLC 906 S 7th Ave, Iowa City, IA 52240 www.cwise.com — 319.621.4168 Council members have expressed an interest in providing enough renewable energy for the Iowa City Public Works Facility (ICPW) to be able to claim it will operate as a Net Zero Energy Building. This request is complicated. I will explain these complications and make an alternate suggestion. A net -zero energy building (NZEB), is a building with zero net energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. This is most easily accomplished with a building that is powered, heated and cooled with electricity. Net Zero Energy is not supported by our utility provider Mid -American Energy only permits net metering for electrical use. Net Metering with Solar Energy: when the sun is shining the photoelectric (PV) system sends power to the building and any excess goes back to the utility's electric grid. The utility credits the owner for this power against the power that is purchased when the sun is not shining. Iowa allows for Net Metering, which means that for each kilowatt produced by the PV system, the owner is credited at the same rate as the cost of purchased energy. This is a 1 to 1 rate up to zero. The utility will not buy back more energy than the on-site system can produce in a year. ICPW is designed to be powered with gas and electric energy. Net Metering can only be applied to the electric load. If a larger PV system were installed, the city would basically be giving the utility free energy with no compensation. (it's slightly more complicated than this, this is the abbreviated summary.) Net Zero Design was not practical Design of a NZEB was not part of the building program. The building design and budget would have been different had this been a design requirement. The Iowa City Public Works Facility was designed to be heated with natural gas. The lighting, fans, pumps and receptacle loads will be powered with electricity. Design of an all -electric building was discussed early in design. This would have required a geothermal well system and in -floor hydronic heating, These design features were determined to be impractical and cost prohibitive. An all -electric design was not practical: In -floor heating is a slow heat. It is ideal for spaces that are enclosed and controlled. It is not well suited to this space where large overhead doors will be open for extended periods of time. A hydronic system can't respond quickly to large influxes of cold air. In -floor heating is provided via a liquid that runs in tubes embedded in the slab. If these tubes were punctured in the future, it would compromise the entire system. This is an unacceptable risk in a vehicle storage bay where equipment may be bolted to the slab in different places over time. Mid -American Wind Power complicates the Net Zero conversation MidAmerican is on track to provide 90% of customer electric demand with renewable wind energy by the end of 2020. Because of this goal, solar power produced on-site may be offsetting wind power rather than fossil fuels. Natural gas for heating, however, is another issue. Natural gas provides one-fifth of the total energy consumed in Iowa.' Two-thirds of commercial and residential properties in Iowa are heated with natural gas. Natural gas emits CO2 when burned. Even with wind energy, some natural gas will still be required to operate peak power plants (see discussion of peak power below). Sizing Solar Power to offset peak loads will have the greatest long-term potential to reduce the utility's on-going need to operate natural gas to meet peak electrical demand. The greater danger of natural gas is its production. Methane (CH4) is emitted to the atmosphere during the production, processing, storage, transmission, and distribution of natural gas. Pound for pound, the comparative climate impact of CH4 is more than 25 times greater than CO2 over a 100 - year period.z In response to the increased greenhouse gas potential of methane, the Iowa City Climate Action and Adaptation (CRAP) plan recommends the reduction of demand for natural gas through the promotion of electrification. Brenda Nations and the CAAP Building Committee are discussing initiatives that would increase the conversion of heating systems from natural gas to electric. Substituting electric heat for gas is complicated. It is not always practical or cost effective. For the reasons described above, providing all electric heat for this building type is not practical with current technology. If the facility were located closer to the wastewater plant or landfill, gas heat sourced from waste methane might have been a practical option. Due to the state's Net Metering regulations, it is not appropriate to try to offset natural gas demand with solar energy. Recommendation: provide a solar array sized to offset the electric peak load demand. Peak Load Pricing: commercial energy users are charged several different utility rates. A low base rate is charged for all usage. A Peak Load price is added to this base rate. Peak load pricing kicks in when energy demand across the electric grid3 is high. For example, on a hot summer day when everyone is running their air conditioning. Peak Load fees can account for up to half of a commercial utility bill. For reference, Blue Stem Energy Solutions included a graph indicating peak ' US Energy Information Administration. https://www.eia.Rov/state/analysis.php?sid=1A Z US Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-lzreenhouse-Rases 3 Electric Grid: the electric grid is the entire network of energy production and delivery from producer to consumer within the territory of the energy provider. power costs for each facility in their study. (For examples, see pages 46 and 166 of the 11-29-18 Information Packet) Peak loads typically occur on hot summer days; however, this is not always the case. The addition of battery capacity can assist with peak shaving throughout the year. C E m LOAD WITH SOLAR 1000 900 ._ Solar kW Reduction Gross Building Load 800 - - - - - - - - - - -- ------ Net Building Load 700 with Solar 600 W� ✓ ' Solar Panel Production 500 400 1000 900 800 700 600 sao 400 0 0 0 o a o 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 N t.l O Uf N 1� C7 Gi G iV r iV i.1 Q JI � 1� eC � b AM sunpower.com LOAD WITH SOLAR & STORAGE 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N Ni v of Cd I- N O � N - N M 'R vi C6 i�z id e' 8 AM PM Gross Building Load eduction Net Building Load - - - - with Solar - Net Building Load with Solar and Storage Solar Panel Production Battery Charges ■ Battery Discharges www.sunpower.com4 Why do they charge extra for peak loads? The utility must always be able to meet our energy demand. Even when our collective energy demand surges. To accomplish this, the utility has "peaker plants." These are power sources that are only operated during periods of peak demand. The utility charges more for this energy because they must maintain these plants for guaranteed operation even if they are only called upon 1-10% of the hours of the year. These "peaker" plants are typically powered with fossil fuels (coal or gas) and are often less efficient. The outcome is that peak energy use is the dirtiest electricity. Solar is an ideal peak power offset. It sends energy to the grid exactly when demand is high. 4 "Everything you need to know about commercial solar battery storage in 1,000 words (and 3 pictures)" www.sunpower.com Peak Loads and Fossil Fuels: Mid -American does not currently have plans to decommission its coal and gas fired power plants. Their plan states they intend to produce enough kilowatts of electricity from wind to equal to total consumer demand, but when that demand is concurrent with low wind speeds and peak demand, coal and gas will be burned to make up the difference. Grid scale energy storage is not currently commercially viable. The time frame for this development is unknown. Small scale solar and battery systems, however, have a long track record. Conclusion Providing a PV system to offset peak loads avoids high peak power charges to the city and reduces the need for the grid to run these dirtier plants. This PV system is anticipated to account for 10-15% of the total annual electric demand. Installation of this system would provide the highest energy cost savings for the city and contribute to an additional 4 LEED points. Martha Norbeck, AIA, LEED AP BD+C C -Wise Design and Consulting, LLC 906 S. 7'h Ave., Iowa City, Iowa 52240 norbeck@cwise.com