JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE HYBRID MEETING FORMAT April 30th, 2024 at 6pm Boards and Commissions Room, Austin City Hall 301 W 2nd St, Austin TX 78702 Some members of the Committee may be participating by videoconference Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Rohan Lilauwala at (rohan.lilauwala@austintexas.gov or 512-974-9394). CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS: Kaiba White, Chair (Electric Utility Commission) Diana Wheeler, Vice Chair (Urban Transportation Commission) Charlotte Davis (Resource Mgmt. Commission) Haris Qureshi (Environmental Commission) Melissa Rothrock (Zero Waste Advisory Commission) Bertha Delgado (Community Development Commission) Larry Franklin (Austin Travis County Food Policy Board) Chris Maxwell-Gaines (Water & Wastewater Commission) Amy Noel (Economic Prosperity Commission) Stephanie Bazan (Parks & Recreation Board) Jon Salinas (Design Commission) Vacant (City Council) Alice Woods (Planning Commission) Rodrigo Leal (Mayor’s Representative) Anna Scott (Mayor’s Representative) Heather Houser (Mayor’s Representative) Yureisly Suarez (Mayor’s Representative) Christopher Campbell (Mayor’s Representative) For more information, please visit: www.austintexas.gov/jsc AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first 10 speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approval of minutes from the April 24th, 2024 meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Joint Sustainability Committee discussion and approval of recommendations for the Environmental Investment Plan, in the areas of Buildings and Energy, Transportation, Natural Systems, and Consumption. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please contact Rohan Lilauwala at rohan.lilauwala@austintexas.gov or 512-974-9394 for additional information; TTY users’ route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Joint Sustainability Committee, please call or email Rohan Lilauwala at rohan.lilauwala@austintexas.gov or 512-974-9394.
DRAFT Joint Sustainability Commission Transportation, Land Use, and Electrification Environmental Investment Plan Recommendations Recommendation Description: Expand All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network, Urban Trails, Sidewalks, and Shared Mobility The JSC recommends the City of Austin (COA) invest a total of $211.39 million to expand the number of Metro Bike stations and to build out the All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Bicycle Priority Network, the Tier One Urban Trails network, and sidewalks and shared streets as recommended in the Urban Transportation Commission's "Climate Equity Investment" Recommendation 20240305-006. We recommend the following specific investments: 1. $48,960,000 to build out an additional 148 miles of the AAA Bicycle Priority Network and meet the 2023 Bicycle Plan Goal of 380 miles built out by 2026. Projects should be selected using the project prioritization model in the 2023 Bicycle Plan, which scores projects based on equity, destinations & travel demand, connectivity & safety, and cost. Relevant plan sections: Austin Strategic Mobility (ASMP) Bicycle Policy 2, Austin Climate Equity Plan (ACEP) Transportation and Land Use (TLU) Goal 3, and 2023 Bicycle Plan Item 4.7.la. 2. $22,600,000 to build out an additional 200 Metro Bike Stations to reach the 2023 Bicycle Plan goal of 300 stations by 2025. The investment should prioritize new stations in low-income areas with high mobility needs and connections to CapMetro's existing high-frequency bus and Metro Rail network. Relevant plan sections: ASMP Shared Mobility Policy 1, ACEP TLU Goal 3, and 2023 Bicycle Plan Item 4.7.2. 3. $75,826,000 to build out 15.6 miles of Tier One Urban Trails by 2028 and put COA on track to reach the 2023 Urban Trails goal of building all 94 miles of Tier 1 trails by 2043. City Manager should also consider investments to ensure "the Urban Trails Plan is deliver[ing] projects on an accelerated timeline" as the Urban Trails Plan notes doing so is "dependent on increasing internal City of Austin capacity across supporting departments concerning staffing, systems, and the processes for permitting" Urban Trails Plan Section 3.5). Relevant plan sections: See ASMP Urban Trails Policy 2 & 3, ACEP TLU Goal 3, and 2023 Urban Trails Plan Section 3.5. 4. $64,000,000 to build out 136 miles of new sidewalks and 80 miles of shared streets per year through 2028, putting Austin on track to address all "Very High" and "High" priority sidewalks and shared streets within 10 years. Projects in the highest Equity Analysis Zones …
Joint Sustainability Committee RECOMMENDATION 20240XXX-XXX Motioned By: Date: XXX, 2024 Description of Recommendation to Council Subject: Joint Sustainability Committee Environmental Investment Plan Recommendations (Natural Systems) 1. Preservation of existing agricultural land: The Joint Sustainability Committee Seconded By: D R A F T recommends that $25,250,000 annually be allocated to preserve existing agricultural land and increase the amount of farmland using practices that improve soil health through land trusts, land banks, conservation easements and/or other legal or financing mechanisms. a. Details: Develop an inventory of available farmland in Austin/Travis County, conduct appraisals, fund conservation easements for farmers adopting regenerative agricultural practices (TBD but may include cover cropping, crop rotation, no/low-till, mulching, compost application, elimination/ reduction of synthetic pesticide and fertilizer use, etc.) a. Plan alignment: Food Plan Goal 1 and the Climate Equity Plan Natural Systems b. Benefits: Slows the loss of local farmland; improves the quality of locally produced food and protects soil carbon pools. Soils with healthy levels of organic material increase water retention, improve water quality, protect biodiversity, sequester carbon and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. c. Cost estimate: $200,000 for inventory and appraisals (one-time); $25,000,000 per year to fund easements (assuming 5,000 acres protected per year at $5,000 per acre); $250,000 for operating expenses (annual). Leverage federal funding where available such as the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program of the USDA. Goal 2. Goal 2. 2. Revolving loan fund for Working Farms Fund pilot: The Joint Sustainability Committee recommends that $5,500,000 be allocated to establish a revolving loan fund to preserve agricultural land in Austin/Travis County through a pilot program that provides a path to ownership for a new generation of farmers and increases the amount of farmland acting as carbon pools. a. Details: A collaboration with the Conservation Funds Working Farms Fund and local agricultural nonprofits will acquire and permanently protect small to mid-sized farms, and provide a pathway for underrepresented farmers to own their own farms b. Plan alignment: Food Plan Goal 1 and the Climate Equity Plan Natural Systems c. Benefits: Slows the loss of local farmland, improves the quality of locally produced food, protects carbon pools, and serves as a template for program replication. d. Cost estimate: $5.25M to establish a revolving loan fund; $250K annually for operational expenses 3. Energy and water dashboard for City facilities: The Joint Sustainability Committee recommends that $350,000 be allocated to create a consolidated energy and water dashboard to …
Consumption Working Group Environmental Plan Proposals Austin JSC April 22, 2024 Proposal ARR Fleet Electrification: Replace all 300 heavy duty Austin Resource Recovery vehicles (flatbed trucks and refuse trucks) with electric vehicles. Install appropriate heavy-duty charging infrastructure to charge these vehicles. Plan: Austin Climate Equity Plan. Benefit Cost Nearly 1 million (968,400) tons CO2 emissions avoided. air pollution reduction (health benefits), reduced maintenance, lower heat exposure for ARR workers (better AC during hot weather) GHG reduction, plastic pollution reduction, reduce need for new landfill, local economic development, save on ARR tipping fees Circular economy & waste reduction programs A recent greenhouse gas inventory conducted by the Office of Sustainability indicates that Scope 3 emissions (emissions that result from the production and transportation of the products and services we use) are larger than the Scope 1 and 2 emissions that have traditionally been part of the GHG inventory. The Austin Resource Recovery has several programs to address this issue by encouraging reducing and reuse and use of more sustainable materials, but these programs are funded at such a low level they are essentially pilot projects. Considerable additional investment is needed to address this outsized source of emissions from the Austin community. $204.5M for trucks and $60 million for chargers to be phased in over 8 years. Funding is available from TCEQ now, and prices are likely to decrease over time, but we need to apply for grant funding now to cover getting started. May be biannual (every other year) opportunity in the future. $10.4-$15.4 million one time and $5.35 million per year • Zero Waste Business Incentives and Rebates: This program provides incentives to businesses to reduce waste, including switching from plastic or styrofoam containers to reusable or compostable. Current program provides a one-time incentive up to $3,000 and is only providing about $5,000/year. The incentive should be restructured to help businesses address ongoing costs (multi-year incentive) and funding should be allocated for additional staff to do outreach to businesses (including all restaurants) ($1 million/year). • ARR zero waste education: Expand to reach the full Austin community, not just ARR customers, including with a paid canvassing team. (increase from $410,000/yr to $4 million/year) • Furniture collection for Reuse Warehouse: Current plan is for drop-off only. Funds are needed to enable pick-up to increase diversion from landfill. ($400,000) • Deconstruction Warehouse: To divert salvaged construction materials from the landfill. ($10-15 million) • …
Sustainable Buildings, Electric Supply and Water Use Recommendations for Environmental Investment Plan Additional investments in energy efficiency, demand response, local solar, batteries and coal retirement are needed to meet the carbon-free by 2035 goal in the Austin Energy Resource Generation and Climate Protection Plan and the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals in the Austin Climate Equity Plan. These are the resources that are locally available and cost effective for decarbonizing the energy sector. Decarbonizing the energy sector is doubly important because it is the lynchpin for decarbonizing transportation, buildings and other activities. Decarbonizing city buildings and improving water conservation will also yield greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and other co-benefits. 1. Expand Austin Energy’s energy efficiency programs a. Details: More investment is needed to improve building envelopes and air sealing and install efficient heat pumps for heating and cooling and hot water production, as well as LED lighting and other energy efficiency appliances. Additional community outreach is needed to inform the community about available local, state and federal incentives. Building performance should be measured and ranked to enable focused attention on buildings with the highest need. b. Benefits: GHG reduction, air pollution reduction (and health benefits), affordability/bills reduction (for program participants and non-participants), improved health and safety of buildings and their occupants, increased building life (reduced embedded GHG emissions), greater equity in energy bills and home comfort, improved grid resilience c. Cost: AE budget is $13.6 million/year for existing programs. This amount should be doubled to $27.2 million/year ($13.6 million/year increase). An additional 14- 20 FTEs should be allocated to run energy efficiency programs, costing $1.68- 2.4 million/year. These costs will be offset by reduced AE energy purchases, ancillary services purchases, and transmission costs. a. Details: Expanded price-based demand response programs, including to the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors is needed. “Demand response ready” should be well defined and enforced. Demand response should be automated as much as possible. Electric hot water tank programs, thermostats, home energy managements systems, commercial and residential battery storage, electric vehicle smart chargers, smart meters b. Benefits: GHG reduction, affordability/reduced bills (reduce peak demand costs for AE), improve grid resilience c. Cost: AE budget is $3.6 million/year for existing programs. This amount should be quadrupled to $14.4 million/year ($10.8/year increase). An additional 11-16 FTEs should be allocated to run demand response programs, costing $1.32-1.92 2. Expand Austin Energy’s demand response programs million/year. These costs will …
JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE REGULAR MEETING MEETING MINUTES Mar 27, 2024 The Joint Sustainability Committee convened in a hybrid meeting via videoconferencing and City Hall. Chair Kaiba White called the Board Meeting to order at 6:06 pm. Board Members in Attendance in Person: Chris Maxwell-Gaines, Lane Becker, Larry Franklin, Charlotte Davis, Kaiba White, Haris Qureshi, Jon Salinas Board Members in Attendance Remotely: Diana Wheeler, Anna Scott, Heather Houser, Chris Campbell, Yure Suarez Board Members Absent: Bertha Delgado, Alice Woods, Melissa Rothrock, Amy Noel, Rodrigo Leal City Staff in Attendance: Rohan Lilauwala, Zach Baumer CALL TO ORDER Chair Kaiba White called the meeting to order at 6:20 pm. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION 1. Melinda Chow- River Watch, speaking in favor of Austin Civilian Conservation Corps (ACCC) success stories 2. Parc Smith – American Youth Works, speaking in favor of ACCC 3. Chase Wright – Hungry Hill Foundation, speaking in favor of ACCC 4. Jaquan Jackson – Hungry Hill Foundation, speaking in favor of ACCC 5. Paul Robbins – Environmental activist, vice chair of RMC. Speaking on the need for stronger restrictions on water use and for reclaimed water. Green choice program is obsolete, needs to be repurposed for dispatchable renewable energy 6. Adam Greenfield – Safe Streets Austin, speaking in favor of Urban Transportation Commission’s transportation package, Farm and City’s recommendations. In support of dais). converting 1 lane on every arterial to protected bike or bus lanes. 110 miles - $40 million for quick build. Savings from crash cost reduction. Example of longhorn dam 7. Scott Johnson – speaking on the importance of low-emission asphalt 1. Approval of minutes from the March 27th meeting of the Joint Sustainability Committee. Davis motions to approve, Maxwell-Gaines seconds, passes on 11-0 vote (Suarez off 3. UT City Climate Colab – Dev Niyogi, UT-Austin Presentation on the new collaborative research framework between University of Texas at Austin and the City of Austin Commissioners agree of value of Colab Suggestions of project – citywide solar potential assessment Offer to come back regularly to update JSC 2. Joint Sustainability Committee Officer Elections for the 2024-2025 Term Qureshi nominates White as chair, Maxwell-Gaines seconds, passes 12-0. Wheeler nominates Davis as vice chair, Qureshi seconds, passes 12-0. 4. Presentation on the Staff Response to Resolution 20240215-025, the “Environmental Investment Plan” – Zach Baumer, Office of Sustainability Discussions on how to maximize community benefits …
Joint Sustainability Committee Environmental Investment Plan Recommendation Outreach and Engagement for Sustainability Incentives a. Details: The City of Austin has numerous sustainability incentive programs aligned with the goals of the Climate Equity Plan. However, many of these programs are underutilized, especially among low-income households. A part of the challenge is awareness. The city should host a user-friendly website that consolidates information on all sustainability incentives offered by the City of Austin (i.e., home weatherization and repair, water conservation, rainwater collection, landscape and green infrastructure programs), as well as state and federal incentives that align with the goals of the Austin Climate Equity Plan and other city sustainability plans. Additional community outreach by the city and trusted organizations can increase the effectiveness of these programs. A new Community Engagement Specialist FTE in the Office of Sustainability is needed to coordinate community outreach and partnership activities associated with promoting sustainability incentives, with a focus on building relationships with low-income communities, communities of color, and related organizations and service providers. This employee would manage grants, contracts and stipends for community leaders and community-based organizations to do direct outreach to promote sustainability incentive programs in targeted Austin communities, in partnership with the Office of Sustainability. b. Benefits: GHG reduction, water conservation, more equitable participation in programs c. Cost: $500,000/year to the Office of Sustainability for one additional Community Engagement Specialist FTE, website construction and maintenance, and outreach grants, contracts, and stipends ($200,000)
BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Joint Sustainability Committee Recommendation 20240430-002: Environmental Investment Plan Funding Needs 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. List of Funding Needs Cross-Sector Funding Needs ......................................................................................................................... 2 Outreach and Engagement for Sustainability Incentives ............................................................ 2 Austin Civilian Conservation Corps .............................................................................................. 3 Energy and Water Conservation Funding Needs .......................................................................................... 4 Expand Austin Energy’s energy efficiency programs ................................................................... 4 Expand Austin Energy’s demand response programs ................................................................. 5 Invest in battery energy storage.................................................................................................. 5 Utility-owned or contracted rooftop solar .................................................................................. 6 Shut down/retire AE’s portion of Fayette coal plant .................................................................. 7 Air sealing task force and training program ................................................................................ 8 Passive House incentive program ................................................................................................ 8 10. Decarbonizing municipal buildings .............................................................................................. 9 11. Water leak detection programs................................................................................................... 9 12. Improve rebates for residential and commercial landscape conversions ................................. 10 Consumption & Waste Reduction Funding Needs...................................................................................... 11 13. Circular economy & waste reduction programs ........................................................................ 11 14. Low-carbon concrete fund ........................................................................................................ 12 15. Pro-climate, pro-health foods ................................................................................................... 12 16. Sustainable purchasing and carbon accounting ........................................................................ 13 17. City-owned composting facility ................................................................................................. 13 1 Natural Systems Funding Needs ................................................................................................................. 14 18. Preservation of existing agricultural land .................................................................................. 14 19. Revolving loan fund for Working Farms Fund pilot ................................................................... 15 20. Energy and water dashboard for city facilities .......................................................................... 15 21. Comprehensive public tree inventory for the city of Austin ..................................................... 16 Transportation and Land Use Funding Needs ............................................................................................. 17 22. Austin Resource Recovery Fleet Electrification ......................................................................... 17 23. Austin Resource Recovery Transfer Station .............................................................................. 17 24. Expand All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network, Urban Trails, Sidewalks, and Shared Mobility 18 25. Extend Pickup Service Zones ..................................................................................................... 20 26. Downtown High-Frequency Circulator ...................................................................................... 21 27. Neighborhood E-Circulators ...................................................................................................... 22 28. Heat Resilience Infrastructure ................................................................................................... 23 29. CityLeap ATX Plan: convert travel lanes on arterial roads to protected bike or bus lanes ....... 24 30. Establish a city-owned all-electric carshare service .................................................................. 25 31. Low-cost, accessible charging stations at City of Austin owned facilities ................................. 26 32. Install charging stations at multi-family homes with priority in low and moderate income communities ....................................................................................................................................... 27 33. E-mobility solutions pilot program ............................................................................................ 28 Cross-Sector Funding Needs 1. Outreach and Engagement for Sustainability Incentives Details: The City of Austin has numerous sustainability incentive programs aligned with the goals of the Climate Equity Plan. However, many of these programs are underutilized, especially among low-income households. A part of the challenge is awareness. The city should host a user-friendly website …
