WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.280 All right, welcome to the October 25th, 2024 meeting of the Sustainability Framework Advisory 00:00:11.280 --> 00:00:12.280 Committee. 00:00:12.280 --> 00:00:19.920 The first thing that we'd like to do is welcome our new member, Dave Helm. 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:27.040 And the second thing we'd like to do is consider adoption of -- is that the right date? 00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:29.040 August 23rd, 2024 minutes. 00:00:29.040 --> 00:00:30.040 Oh, yeah. 00:00:30.040 --> 00:00:31.040 Yeah. 00:00:31.040 --> 00:00:32.040 [ Inaudible ] 00:00:32.040 --> 00:00:33.040 Do I have it? 00:00:33.040 --> 00:00:34.040 Today's the -- 00:00:34.040 --> 00:00:35.040 Is that right? 00:00:35.040 --> 00:00:36.040 Is that the correct date? 00:00:36.040 --> 00:00:37.040 Today's the 24th. 00:00:37.040 --> 00:00:38.040 For the previous meeting. 00:00:38.040 --> 00:00:39.040 For the previous meeting, yes. 00:00:39.040 --> 00:00:40.040 Yeah. 00:00:40.040 --> 00:00:41.040 Yeah, that's right. 00:00:41.040 --> 00:00:42.040 Yeah. 00:00:42.040 --> 00:00:43.040 It's in August. 00:00:43.040 --> 00:00:44.040 Yeah. 00:00:44.040 --> 00:00:45.040 Oh, August. 00:00:45.040 --> 00:00:46.040 Yeah. 00:00:46.040 --> 00:00:47.040 Oh, that's right. 00:00:47.040 --> 00:00:48.040 Yeah. 00:00:48.040 --> 00:00:49.040 We never met. 00:00:49.040 --> 00:00:50.040 So, do I have any motions? 00:00:50.040 --> 00:00:51.040 So moved. 00:00:51.040 --> 00:00:59.600 Any second? 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:01.640 Second. 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:06.400 All right, the minutes are adopted. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:18.920 Our next agenda item is nominations to elect a chair and vice-chair. 00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:22.320 And what is the proper step for this? 00:01:22.320 --> 00:01:24.280 Do we draw straws again? 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:25.280 No. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:26.280 We accept nominations. 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:28.480 Has anyone had any nominations today? 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:29.480 Yes. 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:30.480 I nominate Ed Sofe as chair. 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:31.480 Does that -- do I have any seconds? 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:32.480 Do we need a second on the nomination? 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:33.480 I'll second the nomination for Ed as chair. 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:34.480 Thank you. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:35.480 I accept. 00:01:35.480 --> 00:01:36.480 Anybody else want to get in? 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:37.480 No. 00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:38.480 All right, okay. 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:49.480 Sorry, I assumed something. 00:01:49.480 --> 00:01:54.600 Oh, yes, sorry. 00:01:54.600 --> 00:01:58.880 So, may we have a vote? 00:01:58.880 --> 00:01:59.880 All in favor? 00:01:59.880 --> 00:02:00.880 Aye. 00:02:00.880 --> 00:02:01.880 Aye. 00:02:01.880 --> 00:02:02.880 All opposed? 00:02:02.880 --> 00:02:03.880 Thank you. 00:02:03.880 --> 00:02:04.880 Thank you. 00:02:04.880 --> 00:02:05.880 Vice-chair. 00:02:05.880 --> 00:02:06.880 Vice-chair. 00:02:06.880 --> 00:02:07.880 All right. 00:02:07.880 --> 00:02:08.880 Any nominations for the vice-chair now? 00:02:08.880 --> 00:02:09.880 A nomination for the vice-chair. 00:02:09.880 --> 00:02:10.880 I nominate Brad for the vice-chair, please. 00:02:10.880 --> 00:02:11.880 I'll second the nomination. 00:02:11.880 --> 00:02:12.880 Any discussion? 00:02:12.880 --> 00:02:13.880 All in favor? 00:02:13.880 --> 00:02:14.880 Aye. 00:02:14.880 --> 00:02:15.880 Passes anonymously. 00:02:15.880 --> 00:02:16.880 I missed that. 00:02:16.880 --> 00:02:17.880 We were talking about something else. 00:02:17.880 --> 00:02:18.880 So, nomination was for? 00:02:18.880 --> 00:02:19.880 For Brad. 00:02:19.880 --> 00:02:20.880 By? 00:02:20.880 --> 00:02:21.880 Me. 00:02:21.880 --> 00:02:22.880 Adam. 00:02:22.880 --> 00:02:23.880 Okay. 00:02:23.880 --> 00:02:38.440 Seconded by Dr. Meier. 00:02:38.440 --> 00:02:47.600 Okay, and then I think we need to go back and vote on the minutes. 00:02:47.600 --> 00:02:52.100 I think we had a nomination, I mean a motion and a second, but we didn't do the vote. 00:02:52.100 --> 00:02:54.720 So, if you don't mind voting on the minutes. 00:02:54.720 --> 00:02:58.240 I move to approve Item A. 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:02.360 We have a motion to approve Item A, the adoption of the minutes. 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:03.360 All in favor? 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:04.360 Pardon me. 00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:05.360 You need a second. 00:03:05.360 --> 00:03:06.360 Sorry. 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:07.360 Do we have a second? 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:08.360 Thank you. 00:03:08.360 --> 00:03:09.360 I'll second. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:10.360 All in favor? 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:11.360 Aye. 00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:12.360 Passes unanimously. 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:13.360 Okay. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:24.840 Item C is to receive a report, hold a discussion, and provide staff direction regarding fiscal 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:26.200 year 2024-25 Green Center Program. 00:03:26.200 --> 00:03:27.200 Good afternoon. 00:03:27.200 --> 00:03:50.560 This is Catherine Barnett, Sustainability Manager, and I'm just going to, so I want 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:54.640 to wrap up some of the things that we talked about for the Green Center Center Program 00:03:54.640 --> 00:04:00.760 moving forward, where we ended with the expenditures, which has been refined a little bit from our 00:04:00.760 --> 00:04:06.480 previously scheduled meeting, and then talk to you about the next steps. 00:04:06.480 --> 00:04:14.680 So, just some background, the Green Center Program began in 2009, and prior to fiscal 00:04:14.680 --> 00:04:22.280 year '24, the program incentive levels have been static for about six years, since fiscal 00:04:22.280 --> 00:04:23.280 year '18. 00:04:23.280 --> 00:04:29.320 The program is administered by the Environmental Services and Sustainability Department, and 00:04:29.320 --> 00:04:36.280 funded through DME, so only DME customers are eligible for the incentives. 00:04:36.280 --> 00:04:41.320 It's energy efficiency-focused, building a whole other building systems being the primary 00:04:41.320 --> 00:04:49.000 energy efficiency programs for fiscal year '24, and for the upcoming fiscal year, the 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:56.000 current fiscal year, we have funding of $1 million from the DME program. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:02.320 Just a little highlight on the number of remates that were processed, we had 936 submitted, 00:05:02.320 --> 00:05:10.360 720 accepted, 53 were still pending or in progress, and then we had 163 that were rejected. 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:14.080 We've talked about this a little bit in the past, the primary reasons for rejection are 00:05:14.080 --> 00:05:20.960 usually that the equipment does not qualify, they aren't a dentin-useful electric customer, 00:05:20.960 --> 00:05:26.960 we get remates from Frisco sometimes, so those are the primary reasons, it's just non-qualifying 00:05:26.960 --> 00:05:35.480 equipment, or not a DME customer. 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:42.520 So we had a calculation that we should have been over the million dollar funding we thought 00:05:42.520 --> 00:05:43.520 we were. 00:05:43.520 --> 00:05:49.440 As we audited, we found out that we were about $14,000 short of the million mark, and we 00:05:49.440 --> 00:05:53.760 had more than enough remates to cover that, but it was just some refinements that needed 00:05:53.760 --> 00:05:58.160 to be made with our tracking, so we have done that going forward. 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:04.640 66% of the remates were focused on building systems, so the HVAC smart thermostat type 00:06:04.640 --> 00:06:11.040 of remate, the building envelope was another 16%, insulation, weatherization, windows, 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:17.680 radiant barrier, transportation, the E5 and EV took 13% of the funding, and the fan giveaway 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:24.400 efficiency kits and audits were another 5%. 00:06:24.400 --> 00:06:29.040 As we talked about previously, reducing the number of days to submit the application to 00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:34.240 90 days instead of the 180 days that we had previously, just to make it easier to track 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:38.720 down the information, the further out the applications come in, the harder it is to 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:44.640 go back and get documentation from your installer and things like that, which tends to be a 00:06:44.640 --> 00:06:46.640 little bit more difficult. 00:06:46.640 --> 00:06:56.480 We had MiniSplits submitted this year, this previous year, for an HVAC remate, and they 00:06:56.480 --> 00:07:02.640 were getting a substantial rebate for a one and a half ton MiniSplit unit, so we did go 00:07:02.640 --> 00:07:08.640 in and add a MiniSplits rebate of $750, 30% of the employees up to $750, because this 00:07:08.640 --> 00:07:14.000 year they were getting 90% of the cost paid, so it was a little flinch that we weren't 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:17.040 expecting. 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:23.840 We're going to add an option for landlords or folks that may get multiple rebates within 00:07:23.840 --> 00:07:29.280 a year to have an EMT, so an electronic bus transfer, instead of having to kind of check 00:07:29.280 --> 00:07:33.280 out to those people for the rebate. 00:07:33.280 --> 00:07:37.280 We added a heat pump water heater for this year, and we have the solar hot water heater, 00:07:37.280 --> 00:07:42.080 because we just added the same rebate but for a heat pump, the same dollar amount. 00:07:42.080 --> 00:07:46.080 Then we're working with our installers, we're probably going to do a larger outreach effort 00:07:46.080 --> 00:07:51.040 once we get the manual finalized, and can email that out and then try to bring them 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:56.800 in and get all of them filling out paperwork, completing invoices, in a way that makes it 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:04.000 easier for the customers and for us to verify the eligibility for the rebate. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:10.960 And then, we talked about this, moving the e-bag and EV over to the sustainability fund 00:08:10.960 --> 00:08:16.080 and where you get that for the energy efficiency programs. 00:08:16.080 --> 00:08:16.880 Any questions? 00:08:16.880 --> 00:08:18.560 Any questions? 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:21.920 Does this program only open to residential customers? 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:28.240 Residential and small commercial. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:33.120 Something I've always wondered, can you talk a bit about the process, like for example 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:39.120 with the mini splits, you said you had to adjust the percentage with a cap up to $750. 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:44.240 Can you talk a bit about the process of how that's done for each thing? 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:47.680 Is it just a matter of judgment, or is there some formula that you're using where it's 00:08:47.680 --> 00:08:52.560 like this percentage and this cap makes the most sense, or is it just you kind of learn 00:08:52.560 --> 00:08:53.760 as you go? 00:08:53.760 --> 00:08:55.520 It's a little bit learn as you go. 00:08:55.520 --> 00:09:03.360 With PV, whenever we talked about, for instance, for fiscal '23, '24, we were looking at the 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:07.760 values and the question and the comment from the public utilities board was that's not 00:09:07.760 --> 00:09:13.280 even going to cover the tax on an install, and so we kind of thought about that, we look 00:09:13.280 --> 00:09:21.680 at average cost, and then the way costs are climbing, it's starting to level out, I think, 00:09:21.680 --> 00:09:28.480 a little bit, and we're getting some better trends on the overall cost, but right now 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:36.160 it's kind of, it's all over the place a little bit, depending on the installer, so it's hard 00:09:36.160 --> 00:09:38.640 to pin an exact percentage to it. 00:09:38.640 --> 00:09:42.880 Right, but I imagine the guiding ideal, because it's an incentive program, the guiding ideal 00:09:42.880 --> 00:09:49.600 is to try to set the figures at a place where it gets more people to buy or install these 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:50.800 things, right? 00:09:50.800 --> 00:09:55.520 And with the data that we've gathered this year, as we start delving into that, I think 00:09:55.520 --> 00:10:01.040 we can get to a better, more than this looks about right, you know? 00:10:01.040 --> 00:10:06.000 I think we can get to actually the cost and what the average rebate is, it's percentage 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:13.760 of the invoice, what the average costs were with the program previously, we were at about 00:10:13.760 --> 00:10:20.320 five percent, four percent total cost, so this is a big change for this year, and we 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:23.920 will be bringing the data back to do some labor jobs on that, we started that with the 00:10:23.920 --> 00:10:32.160 audit, but we're also still processing rebates, we have new rebates coming in, so we'll get 00:10:32.160 --> 00:10:35.680 that back, we'll come back with more data and talk about that for next year. 00:10:35.680 --> 00:10:39.520 Okay, I was curious, because I was wondering if you could moneyball this whole thing, you 00:10:39.520 --> 00:10:41.760 know, where there's like an algorithm to… 00:10:41.760 --> 00:10:44.640 That would be fun, Brian loves that. 00:10:44.640 --> 00:10:46.640 Take a lot of resources, I would imagine. 00:10:46.640 --> 00:10:47.140 Yes. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.200 Any other questions? 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:58.160 So I do, again, really like that we're pulling EV and e-bikes out of here, because I think 00:10:58.160 --> 00:11:02.480 programmatically that makes a lot more sense to focus just energy stuff in the green sense 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:03.680 program. 00:11:03.680 --> 00:11:06.960 Question on the mini-split though, and I like that we're starting to think about kind of 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:13.520 smaller scale air treatment units, is a mini-split compatible with say like a mobile home in that 00:11:13.520 --> 00:11:14.480 size of project? 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:17.200 Generally, yes. 00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:23.440 Okay, and then I'm curious too, I know that we are only eligible for DME customers, and 00:11:23.440 --> 00:11:29.440 for these larger installs that are more structural, obviously that has to be owner-initiated, 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:33.760 that if say it's a rental and the landlord wants to do those programs, it would be landlord 00:11:33.760 --> 00:11:39.120 initiated, but I am curious if there's an appetite to perhaps also add some sort of 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:44.080 like window heat pump for an air treatment unit that might be a little more renter-friendly, 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:49.200 that doesn't modify the structure in a way where we can allow a little bit bigger of 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:54.640 a pathway for people who might not be the owner-occupied homes to participate in these 00:11:54.640 --> 00:11:59.520 programs, given they are the residential DME customers paying that utility bill in some 00:11:59.520 --> 00:12:04.400 way to kind of broaden that equity factor a little bit more, just as a suggestion. 00:12:04.400 --> 00:12:07.360 I think that's something that we can look at. 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:13.440 I know that there are some programs in some northern states where air conditioning may 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:18.720 not be standard where they can take it with them whenever they move, so I'd be somewhat 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:22.560 similar to that, and we can look into best practices and see what that might look like, 00:12:22.560 --> 00:12:26.960 possibly even try pilot for next summer if we can get that sorted. 00:12:26.960 --> 00:12:31.200 I know with those smaller scale units, I think I was just looking at the price points earlier, 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:38.640 a couple local bigger distributors, and it's like $200 to $350 for these smaller treatment space 00:12:38.640 --> 00:12:43.360 units, but I just feel like that makes the approachability of this program a little bit easier 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:47.600 for people who might not be that owner-occupied situation that I'm sure most of our structural 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:48.720 stuff goes to. 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:53.440 Right, and the mini-slit is a heat pump is what I'm seeing most often, so they are getting 00:12:53.440 --> 00:12:59.520 the heat as well as the AC, so I like those and we're seeing more of those installed. 00:12:59.520 --> 00:13:06.880 I think that the room air conditioner is a great option for some folks too, where maybe 00:13:06.880 --> 00:13:10.000 it's just that little piece that goes, if you have a little plastic piece that goes 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:13.520 on the window and a vent there, so it's really just sitting in the room, so I think I'm going 00:13:13.520 --> 00:13:17.360 to have something outside of the window for the most part. 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:20.080 I think that's definitely something we can look into. 00:13:20.080 --> 00:13:24.800 Second question, on the audit, is this purely a financial audit, or are we kind of looking 00:13:24.800 --> 00:13:28.800 at the demographics of who's benefiting from this program at all? 00:13:28.800 --> 00:13:33.680 We do have some of that, and we'll be presenting that in a few weeks, maybe. 00:13:33.680 --> 00:13:37.280 Yes, we started that. 00:13:37.280 --> 00:13:39.040 Anyone else? 00:13:39.040 --> 00:13:46.800 I'd just say that it's encouraging to see such a robust program, and expanding as it 00:13:46.800 --> 00:13:50.000 is and covering so many different aspects. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:58.000 I would hope that when discussions come up for the next fiscal year that we can talk 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:04.800 about adding battery storage, as I've talked to some people who have existing solar units 00:14:04.800 --> 00:14:11.920 who would like to be able to make it easier to get batteries, because of their obvious 00:14:11.920 --> 00:14:18.080 benefits, so I hope that would be something that we could deal with in the future. 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:19.040 Thank you. 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:30.880 Okay, our next agenda item is to receive a report, hold a discussion, and give staff 00:14:30.880 --> 00:14:40.880 direction regarding the Sustainability Framework Fund, 2024-25 Work Plan Priorities. 00:14:40.880 --> 00:14:43.040 Me again. 00:14:43.040 --> 00:14:46.800 Kevin Barnett, Sustainability Manager. 00:14:46.800 --> 00:14:51.760 Just a recap of the Sustainability Framework Fund, and we had done some brainstorming on 00:14:51.760 --> 00:14:57.760 the options for this at the August meeting, I believe, and we put together a program for 00:14:57.760 --> 00:15:03.280 the current fiscal year, sorry, we'll just walk through that. 00:15:03.280 --> 00:15:08.480 So just a little bit on the background, the funding, we are providing estimates in the 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:13.680 actual that we received over the previous years, the Framework Fund projects, and then 00:15:13.680 --> 00:15:19.200 the primary organization adjustments and some next steps. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:24.880 The first year of the fund, we had the adopted budget of 500, and they did a transfer, because 00:15:24.880 --> 00:15:30.800 that was before the revenue was realized, there was a transfer there, you know, we did 00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:36.240 the big planning process for '22, '23 for the 4 million dollar estimate in the budget, 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:46.080 and we ended up with 1.2 being transferred in at the end of September of '23, so that 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:49.600 was the final number for that year. 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:57.840 750 was adopted budget for '23, '24, and the actual was 41, about 800,000 in the budget 00:15:57.840 --> 00:15:59.840 this year. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:05.600 And I think you all remember this, for a new member, we made a commitment to spend the 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:11.360 funds as they accrue, so as it's realized revenue, then we will program that. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.360 Okay. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:21.680 Just to recap on the projects that were completed, or some of them are still in progress, the 00:16:21.680 --> 00:16:27.040 climate plan, the credit removal and restoration, air quality monitors, which we'll have a 00:16:27.040 --> 00:16:34.880 update on that in the next meeting, the city fleet support, so we assisted some departments 00:16:34.880 --> 00:16:42.160 with covering the additional cost that they may have for replacement of an ice engine 00:16:42.160 --> 00:16:47.840 within the V. It could be as little as $2,000 to help them bridge that gap, or it could 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:53.280 be a larger ask, so we're just helping with those as they come through. 00:16:53.280 --> 00:16:58.160 The electric fire engine and then the charging infrastructure for that engine, and I believe 00:16:58.160 --> 00:17:01.600 that should still be here by the end of this calendar year. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:03.600 Yes. 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:07.680 And then we'll also help the PD with some additional E-bikes. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:12.960 I'd like to bring one of our officers in to talk to you all about how much they enjoy 00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:14.960 using the E-bikes. 00:17:14.960 --> 00:17:20.000 It's a different type of patrol, whatever their level, out of the car. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.440 Can I ask a question? 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:23.440 Sure. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:33.440 Is any of this money coming from outside grants, or is it strictly coming from city revenue? 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.440 These are just the framework fund projects. 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:46.560 Okay, but none of these are financed by outside grants, either from NETCOG, or from the IRA, 00:17:46.560 --> 00:17:48.560 or any of that? 00:17:48.560 --> 00:17:54.560 No, these were just the projects that were identified to use framework fund dollars for. 00:17:54.560 --> 00:17:56.560 I see. 00:17:56.560 --> 00:18:00.560 Now, if grants come through COG or other departments, they may be contributing to a part of this 00:18:00.560 --> 00:18:04.560 through a grant, but this was what we had committed to helping with. 00:18:04.560 --> 00:18:08.560 There are additional funding opportunities coming from COG and from the state. 00:18:08.560 --> 00:18:14.560 Over the next year, January 25, we should see some more of those start coming through. 00:18:14.560 --> 00:18:20.560 So, there is opportunity for splitting that between your grants. 00:18:20.560 --> 00:18:22.560 Thank you. 00:18:22.560 --> 00:18:28.560 Barbara, I need to confirm, just to add on to that, we are using IRA funding as rebates 00:18:28.560 --> 00:18:30.560 on the back end of some of our electric vehicle purchases. 00:18:30.560 --> 00:18:34.560 So, we are applying for those funds to get those to come in as well. 00:18:34.560 --> 00:18:38.560 This just reflects what we've committed out of the framework fund towards these projects. 00:18:38.560 --> 00:18:42.560 But there are other funds coming in to help offset the demand on the city. 00:18:42.560 --> 00:18:44.560 Great, thank you. 00:18:44.560 --> 00:18:46.560 Sorry, can I follow up on that? 00:18:46.560 --> 00:18:52.560 The IRA funding, does that both sometimes come directly to the city through an application 00:18:52.560 --> 00:18:56.560 you're putting in, but also through NETCOG? 00:18:56.560 --> 00:19:00.560 How does that trickle down to communities, basically, is what I'm wondering. 00:19:00.560 --> 00:19:02.560 Because you just mentioned that. 00:19:02.560 --> 00:19:04.560 The EV tax credit. 00:19:04.560 --> 00:19:06.560 Did you not say IRA? 00:19:06.560 --> 00:19:08.560 I did say IRA. 00:19:08.560 --> 00:19:12.560 We're getting a little off-posty on that one, so I don't want to go into that detail of the discussion. 00:19:12.560 --> 00:19:16.560 The IRA funding I'm discussing is a we-making purchase. 00:19:16.560 --> 00:19:22.560 There's things that we may be eligible for as a purchaser to apply for direct money to come to us 00:19:22.560 --> 00:19:24.560 under the IRA. 00:19:24.560 --> 00:19:28.560 Then there are funds through other mechanisms as well that are flowing out. 00:19:28.560 --> 00:19:30.560 But we'd have to bring that back to the discussion if you want to hear that. 00:19:30.560 --> 00:19:32.560 Thank you. 00:19:32.560 --> 00:19:34.560 You're welcome. 00:19:34.560 --> 00:19:36.560 Great. 00:19:36.560 --> 00:19:40.560 So we have the work plan discussion in August. 00:19:40.560 --> 00:19:44.560 It talks about moving the EV and EBI to the framework fund. 00:19:44.560 --> 00:19:50.560 It talks more about water conservation strategies and then the credit restoration projects. 00:19:50.560 --> 00:19:52.560 Excuse me? 00:19:52.560 --> 00:19:56.560 Any details about the water conservation strategies? 00:19:56.560 --> 00:19:58.560 Not included. 00:19:58.560 --> 00:20:02.560 Okay, just curious. 00:20:02.560 --> 00:20:14.560 So the EV and the EBI rebates, we have proposed to reduce the EV rebate from $1,500 to $1,000 00:20:14.560 --> 00:20:30.560 lease vehicles as an eligible category for EV, thinking that sometimes it's harder to get out of a lease than to sell a car. 00:20:30.560 --> 00:20:40.560 And then EBI, we were looking to reduce that to 50% of the invoice up to $750 instead of the 50% to $1,000. 00:20:40.560 --> 00:20:52.560 Lowliness does amount to purely to try to get more people to benefit from the dollars that we have. 00:20:52.560 --> 00:21:01.560 So proposed projects, the EV rebate, $150,000 proposed for that. 00:21:01.560 --> 00:21:05.560 The EBI rebates proposed $100,000. 00:21:05.560 --> 00:21:14.560 Just the ongoing operation and maintenance, the data access for the air quality monitors is roughly $25,000 annually. 00:21:14.560 --> 00:21:28.560 Please support the electric water equipment pilot that we would like to try to roll in in the spring and then continue to work on the credit restoration. 00:21:28.560 --> 00:21:37.560 On the previous slide with the previous projects, it said FY24 and FY25 for the PD bike program? 00:21:37.560 --> 00:21:38.560 Yes. 00:21:38.560 --> 00:21:42.560 Does that show on our budget for this proposal? 00:21:42.560 --> 00:21:43.560 Or is that coming out of the... 00:21:43.560 --> 00:21:45.560 That's coming out of prior to the year. 00:21:45.560 --> 00:21:46.560 Okay. 00:21:46.560 --> 00:21:47.560 So not planned. 00:21:47.560 --> 00:21:59.560 That was already committed funding for it. 00:21:59.560 --> 00:22:12.560 And then water conservation programs, that was one that we talked about what we can add and we, I do recall Ed, we spoke about what the water utility was going to be doing and how we would be partnering with them. 00:22:12.560 --> 00:22:18.560 But they did get approval for funding to do turf buyback and then some other incentives. 00:22:18.560 --> 00:22:20.560 So we are working with them on that. 00:22:20.560 --> 00:22:28.560 So it didn't have anything programmed in right now on water conservation for funding from this program this year. 00:22:28.560 --> 00:22:41.560 This may, this is sort of a reality, but has there been any discussion of developing the usage of gray water for golf courses or industrial lawns and that sort of thing? 00:22:41.560 --> 00:22:42.560 Is that too off? 00:22:42.560 --> 00:22:43.560 Am I off? 00:22:43.560 --> 00:22:44.560 I think that's off. 00:22:44.560 --> 00:22:45.560 Okay. 00:22:45.560 --> 00:22:49.560 I can say as a conservation measure, we do support the gray water. 00:22:49.560 --> 00:22:58.560 We have purple pipe that extends to at least half a dozen that I can think of off the top of my head, large water users. 00:22:58.560 --> 00:23:00.560 So that's how we can serve potable water. 00:23:00.560 --> 00:23:01.560 Right. 00:23:01.560 --> 00:23:02.560 Great. 00:23:02.560 --> 00:23:08.560 Thank you. 00:23:08.560 --> 00:23:09.560 Questions? 00:23:09.560 --> 00:23:10.560 Yes. 00:23:10.560 --> 00:23:20.560 Can you remind us or speak to how people apply to, what's the mechanism or process for obtaining these rebates? 00:23:20.560 --> 00:23:22.560 Is this on the city's website? 00:23:22.560 --> 00:23:27.560 People will know if you get an e-vite, you find a place to do it? 00:23:27.560 --> 00:23:28.560 Yes. 00:23:28.560 --> 00:23:39.560 So if we receive a direction to remove the rebates off of the green scents, then we will be creating a separate application for that so they don't go through the full green scents. 00:23:39.560 --> 00:23:47.560 The green scents application, it gets a little tricky whenever you're talking about a bike or a car when they want to ask, you know, what's this for, but it's your home. 00:23:47.560 --> 00:23:48.560 Right. 00:23:48.560 --> 00:23:53.560 So we would give it to a more streamlined application process, and it would also be available on the website. 00:23:53.560 --> 00:23:59.560 The green scents incentive program manual, the rebate application, the list of installers is all on our city website. 00:23:59.560 --> 00:24:01.560 So we can direct folks there. 00:24:01.560 --> 00:24:15.560 And for potential, you know, participants who might be listening in on this, is there a -- does this -- like the green scents fund kind of has an annual cycle where funds would kind of run out maybe. 00:24:15.560 --> 00:24:18.560 Is it the same dynamic happening with this? 00:24:18.560 --> 00:24:24.560 Would you anticipate that there's a time of year when there's more money and a time when there's less essentially? 00:24:24.560 --> 00:24:36.560 With the green scents, we have that fixed amount, so we do track that. We report monthly the percent of the allocated budget that's remaining. 00:24:36.560 --> 00:24:39.560 We could do something very similar on the e-bike EV. 00:24:39.560 --> 00:24:48.560 So as folks are making a decision, we could come back and ask for additional funding if we saw that we were going to completely deplete the bike. 00:24:48.560 --> 00:24:49.560 Okay. 00:24:49.560 --> 00:24:54.560 And that's what we did. We earmarked it and watched it pretty closely on the EV and the e-bike. 00:24:54.560 --> 00:25:04.560 And you'll probably remember last spring whenever we did curtail those and just focused on energy efficiency because they were double what we had earmarked. 00:25:04.560 --> 00:25:09.560 And we talked too well about that too at the time, increasing the amount of that. 00:25:09.560 --> 00:25:13.560 But four times as much as a little big of an ask. 00:25:13.560 --> 00:25:15.560 Yep. 00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:20.560 So again, I love that we're seeing that high dollar amount for the e-bike program. 00:25:20.560 --> 00:25:25.560 I know that we kept having to bump it, having to bump it, having to bump it because there was so much program participation there. 00:25:25.560 --> 00:25:30.560 And I do like that this has moved to here where there's a little bit more flexibility. 00:25:30.560 --> 00:25:36.560 One thing, and I wasn't attending for the August meeting, so I wasn't able to participate in that discussion, but I was curious. 00:25:36.560 --> 00:25:43.560 I like that we've shifted that base amount lower so that we can kind of widen that pool a little wider. 00:25:43.560 --> 00:25:53.560 I am curious though because there's a wide spectrum of products available for e-bikes that go from entry level 250 to 350 from Walmart or something, 00:25:53.560 --> 00:26:04.560 up to many thousands of dollars from some higher end luxury distributor that I almost wonder if there's a means to split those two. 00:26:04.560 --> 00:26:08.560 It's not to say that we would love to support you getting an e-bike if you're looking to get one. 00:26:08.560 --> 00:26:11.560 No matter where on that spectrum you're physically able to fall. 00:26:11.560 --> 00:26:23.560 But it seems as though we could hit that wider pool by prioritizing that entry level product, the 350s to $400 category. 00:26:23.560 --> 00:26:35.560 So I'm just curious if there's an interest in saying we'll cover 75% up to $400, 50% once we get past that cabinet, 750, is that a previously stated number? 00:26:35.560 --> 00:26:46.560 Just so that we're really emphasizing, if you're looking to mode shift from a vehicle to an e-bike, here's this really easy, approachable, 00:26:46.560 --> 00:26:53.560 and helps maximize your cost efficiency in the way that you're trying to calculate how you're going to go about that prioritizing those entry level products, 00:26:53.560 --> 00:26:58.560 as opposed to more luxury level products, just as a suggestion. 00:26:58.560 --> 00:27:05.560 But again, I wasn't here during that discussion, and from the August meeting, but I just think that that makes more sense for, again, looking at it from that 00:27:05.560 --> 00:27:08.560 wide approachability for people that enter into this program. 00:27:08.560 --> 00:27:16.560 It seems like that would be a larger market, and maybe you have more data from the applications you've received over the last year. 00:27:16.560 --> 00:27:24.560 But I would think leaning that direction might be more helpful to get additional folks participating in the project. 00:27:24.560 --> 00:27:25.560 That's a lot of math. 00:27:25.560 --> 00:27:27.560 I'm sure. 00:27:27.560 --> 00:27:31.560 I just threw a lot of math at me up here, Brandon. 00:27:31.560 --> 00:27:34.560 It's not impossible. 00:27:34.560 --> 00:27:44.560 I would need to do a deeper dive on, I can tell you that the average rebate was about $750 for all the bikes that were rebated last year. 00:27:44.560 --> 00:27:50.560 I have to do a deeper dive to see how many were under that $500 level, and how many were $13,000. 00:27:50.560 --> 00:27:59.560 What I guess I'm just curious, knowing that we kept hitting our ceiling, I know with programs like this, given it's a rebate, 00:27:59.560 --> 00:28:05.560 we're not sending money on the front end, so people trying to make financial calculations for, you know, 00:28:05.560 --> 00:28:10.560 am I going to have to sit on this for maybe two paychecks to pay it on the front end and wait for my rebate to hit, 00:28:10.560 --> 00:28:14.560 versus now if it's in the fund to make the timeline look a little bit differently. 00:28:14.560 --> 00:28:21.560 If we're looking more at entry-level products with a lower, call it risk volume, because it's a lower purchase point, 00:28:21.560 --> 00:28:28.560 if that might incentivize additional people to make that financial calculus in their own sense for participating in this program, 00:28:28.560 --> 00:28:34.560 as opposed to, oh gosh, I don't know what product I'm going to get, I don't know when I'm going to see this money back, 00:28:34.560 --> 00:28:40.560 if I am going to get it, I can afford, you know, $300, but I can't afford $750 out of pocket. 00:28:40.560 --> 00:28:46.560 You know, so I'm just wondering if we do really shift toward that lower, that entry-level side, 00:28:46.560 --> 00:28:50.560 if we can kind of widen the pool of the number of participants we can get, 00:28:50.560 --> 00:28:56.560 while not having to keep continually shifting money around into the program, if the average is a little bit more on that luxury. 00:28:56.560 --> 00:29:01.560 And again, $750 alone is double what an entry-level bike might be. 00:29:01.560 --> 00:29:07.560 I know that's a lot of math requests, but maybe that will help us over this next year kind of see how this project plays out 00:29:07.560 --> 00:29:11.560 in the sustainability fund, as compared to the Greensense program, 00:29:11.560 --> 00:29:16.560 from the application side and the typical participant that uses it. 00:29:16.560 --> 00:29:26.560 And having that request gives me a little bit more of an idea of how to parse the data that we're receiving along with the e-bike, 00:29:26.560 --> 00:29:32.560 and maybe refine a little bit of that on the application for next year, so that we can have a little bit more information, 00:29:32.560 --> 00:29:39.560 whenever we come back to talk about that. I'm just thinking also the number of, 00:29:39.560 --> 00:29:47.560 and this is just my memory, I can't, you know, this isn't hard data, this is the lower-end entry-level bikes, 00:29:47.560 --> 00:29:56.560 I would say we're typically tenant, so that, you know, maybe it's a Palomino question, I don't know, 00:29:56.560 --> 00:30:03.560 there's more data that we might want to ask if we have a tiered system. I don't know. 00:30:03.560 --> 00:30:10.560 Yeah, I get that a lot. Maybe it's something we look at how this transitions this fiscal year and under this program, 00:30:10.560 --> 00:30:20.560 and talk about modifying as we approach next fiscal. But I like that we're setting a really high ceiling for where we hit on there. 00:30:20.560 --> 00:30:23.560 I do have more on this in the next button. Other questions? 00:30:23.560 --> 00:30:27.560 We're posted to hold this discussion, so. 00:30:27.560 --> 00:30:36.560 I love the spirit of this remark, this is really interesting, and you know way more than I do about this product that we're talking about, 00:30:36.560 --> 00:30:44.560 but maybe also we have to then consider, and I'll defer again to your knowledge, are the lower-end ones perhaps, 00:30:44.560 --> 00:30:52.560 do they have a shorter life cycle, maybe? And is that a trade-off perhaps of, again I don't know, 00:30:52.560 --> 00:30:54.560 you've opened up a really interesting... 00:30:54.560 --> 00:30:56.560 You're the philosopher. 00:30:56.560 --> 00:31:05.560 Like could it be that if we throw a lot of money to a lower-end product, we end up putting a lot of things out there that have a shorter lifespan, maybe? 00:31:05.560 --> 00:31:12.560 And then that creates more waste? And if we would have incentivized something that has a longer lifespan? Or am I just making that up? 00:31:12.560 --> 00:31:21.560 My perspective on this, and the department might have a different perspective, I value this item on sustainability's funding 00:31:21.560 --> 00:31:26.560 because I see it as a mode-shifting initiative, right? 00:31:26.560 --> 00:31:32.560 We've had years of discussion about, you know, what are our climate risks, where are those emissions coming from, 00:31:32.560 --> 00:31:38.560 why do we look to prioritize programs to have the most bang for our buck for the funding that we do have, 00:31:38.560 --> 00:31:41.560 and we've learned time and time again it was emissions, emissions, emissions, emissions. 00:31:41.560 --> 00:31:48.560 EVICES, NEBs, I think, help incentivize that mode-shifting, so then we're just talking about numbers. 00:31:48.560 --> 00:31:52.560 I can drive my Honda, and you can drive whatever you drive. 00:31:52.560 --> 00:31:55.560 We're both polluting in that sense. 00:31:55.560 --> 00:32:00.560 It is easier for me to get over here, even to these meetings, on my little EVIC that I spent $300 on. 00:32:00.560 --> 00:32:05.560 I've shifted away from that emission into our renewable grid, right? 00:32:05.560 --> 00:32:10.560 So away from an internal combustion engine to whatever our grid portfolio looks like. 00:32:10.560 --> 00:32:18.560 So I think allowing higher numbers of people to participate in this program by spreading the prioritization of that funding 00:32:18.560 --> 00:32:22.560 on that lower end where it's the most approachable, the easiest to access, 00:32:22.560 --> 00:32:29.560 the easiest for someone to approach from a financial risk perspective because it is a rebate. 00:32:29.560 --> 00:32:34.560 You do have to put money down on the table first and then anticipate maybe getting that money back. 00:32:34.560 --> 00:32:41.560 I just think that widens the pool a little bit more to where people can have a higher confidence they would see dollars back 00:32:41.560 --> 00:32:48.560 because the money is looking at getting additional people funding for participating in this project. 00:32:48.560 --> 00:32:53.560 Versus I think last year I think we just kept hitting the ceiling and hitting the ceiling and hitting the ceiling. 00:32:53.560 --> 00:32:58.560 I heard anecdotally, of course, but a number of people that were really interested in participating in the EVIC program 00:32:58.560 --> 00:33:03.560 but incredibly hesitant because it's real money on the back end. 00:33:03.560 --> 00:33:11.560 I think if we do look at just that entry level stuff, increasing the percentage but lowering the max cap 00:33:11.560 --> 00:33:16.560 I think just shifts the math of that formula a little bit away from those more luxury end models 00:33:16.560 --> 00:33:22.560 which are better products but a higher threshold of adopting it, right? 00:33:22.560 --> 00:33:27.560 The goal is just mode shifting. I think the numbers are really the math that we're looking at. 00:33:27.560 --> 00:33:34.560 In that sense it's why I'm pushing this point hard is that I think that that gets us there better than having a high max rate 00:33:34.560 --> 00:33:38.560 with a lower total percentage of coverage. 00:33:38.560 --> 00:33:45.560 I also think that as you said previously that we probably need to look at the results of this program 00:33:45.560 --> 00:33:50.560 and maybe have more discussion and more decision suggestion. 00:33:50.560 --> 00:33:55.560 If you do some demographics that we can look at. 00:33:55.560 --> 00:34:03.560 Right. One thing that we have already redrafted at the invite NMVP application. 00:34:03.560 --> 00:34:10.560 We're going to start capturing what trips are you going to shift to a bike 00:34:10.560 --> 00:34:16.560 instead of a single occupancy vehicle by this engine. What does that look like? 00:34:16.560 --> 00:34:21.560 As we gather that data this year, we can look at the first six months whenever we come back and start planning 00:34:21.560 --> 00:34:26.560 for next year's program. That will give us time to research. 00:34:26.560 --> 00:34:32.560 There's a lot of new e-bike programs out there. Let's see if anybody else is doing a tiered system with that. 00:34:32.560 --> 00:34:40.560 I've seen income verification on some of them so that there's a lower income level that gets a higher rebate. 00:34:40.560 --> 00:34:47.560 But I haven't seen it yet with an entry level price bike. I wasn't looking for it. 00:34:47.560 --> 00:34:53.560 I can go out and search for that too and bring back any information that we can find on that to help us guide the program for the next year. 00:34:53.560 --> 00:34:55.560 I think that would be really helpful. 00:34:55.560 --> 00:35:01.560 There's so many different ways to go down for other trails with this. It's fun. 00:35:01.560 --> 00:35:05.560 Any more discussion on e-bikes? 00:35:05.560 --> 00:35:10.560 Sorry, we're still here. Discussion. I was also thinking, again, this is a new program. 00:35:10.560 --> 00:35:14.560 Shifting it over here programmatically makes a ton of sense. 00:35:14.560 --> 00:35:23.560 Also adding, say I'm going to a bike shop, say I'm ordering online or whatever, on my ticket, my receipt, this is my first new bike. 00:35:23.560 --> 00:35:30.560 I need a helmet. I need a u-lock. That helps me, again, on that confidence that I'm going to use this equipment and feel safe about using it. 00:35:30.560 --> 00:35:38.560 I just wonder if we can add those necessary safety elements as part of that program. 00:35:38.560 --> 00:35:46.560 It's not like we're separating seat belts from our EV program. I think it just makes sense to incorporate a lock and a helmet at minimum 00:35:46.560 --> 00:35:56.560 if it's requested under the rebate to help people feel confident that they can safely use the equipment we're helping centerize. 00:35:56.560 --> 00:36:04.560 From looking at invoices, that's not something I'm seeing on most of them. 00:36:04.560 --> 00:36:13.560 It could be they're making that as an Amazon purchase and they're purchasing a bike direct from a vendor. 00:36:13.560 --> 00:36:21.560 I wouldn't even know where to go about setting a rebate or a reimbursement for that. 00:36:21.560 --> 00:36:28.560 Perhaps that's something we also tack on later when we move to some critical markets. 00:36:28.560 --> 00:36:37.560 I haven't thought about that yet. It's like seventh grade math that makes me think there would be like $25 plus, 00:36:37.560 --> 00:36:46.560 and that's just for your safety equipment, plus X percent of the total cost of the bike. That's more math for it. 00:36:46.560 --> 00:36:52.560 It's another vendor. It's another receipt, probably. Potentially. It's a neat idea. 00:36:52.560 --> 00:37:02.560 Any more? Two more comments, so sorry. Again, I apologize for being here for the August discussion. 00:37:02.560 --> 00:37:10.560 Thoughts about the water conservation program, since it's mission appropriate for where the sustainability fund is focused. 00:37:10.560 --> 00:37:15.560 I see air quality and we're talking about land use stuff and things like that. 00:37:15.560 --> 00:37:26.560 I was thinking about rainfall sensors and automatic irrigation timing and system programs that we could help people cut back those upfront costs, 00:37:26.560 --> 00:37:38.560 especially if they're shifting from an existing manual system or just a time system that helps incorporate what's going on around environmentally that helps reduce that water usage. 00:37:38.560 --> 00:37:45.560 Just thinking of my neighbor across the street that likes to water every other day and it rained that morning and we're going to water that afternoon. 00:37:45.560 --> 00:37:56.560 Knowing that 75 percent of our water goes toward irrigating lawns, I think that would be a huge literal drop in the bucket to help reduce some of those residential usage. 00:37:56.560 --> 00:38:06.560 We have had water conservation strategies in the previous work plans, working with water to see what could be funded through their incentives. 00:38:06.560 --> 00:38:16.560 You just mentioned everything that we have been speaking about, smart controllers, moisture sensors, trying to move more to the moisture sensor instead of the rainfall sensor, 00:38:16.560 --> 00:38:20.560 the programmable one where they're pulling the weather data. 00:38:20.560 --> 00:38:35.560 We're also exploring the irrigation tune-up rebate that would be very similar to the AC tune-up so that they could choose their own company to come out and do it and then we could rebate that. 00:38:35.560 --> 00:38:44.560 If there is a concern about any of that coming out of the water fund, then we will bring it back to you to see about funding it in this work plan. 00:38:44.560 --> 00:38:50.560 I know that we're lowballing our proposed expenditure compared to our anticipated program revenue. 00:38:50.560 --> 00:38:56.560 So I'm just wondering if there is opportunities for, you know, we have a little bit more in the fund than we anticipated. 00:38:56.560 --> 00:39:01.560 Maybe that we could pull over to those new items if that is an opportunity to come up. 00:39:01.560 --> 00:39:05.560 Absolutely, and that's why we did go ahead and list them as additional considerations here. 00:39:05.560 --> 00:39:11.560 If we do have an increase or it looks like we're going to meet the budget this year or exceed it, then we will come back. 00:39:11.560 --> 00:39:20.560 But rather than program up to the budget and get underperform as we've seen in previous years, we kind of left some of that to have some flexibility moving forward. 00:39:20.560 --> 00:39:32.560 Final question, I promise. The private restoration project, are these new areas that parks have identified for this type of initiative or are we going back to Bowling Green and that strip along Colorado? 00:39:32.560 --> 00:39:40.560 We are still going back to that. We have a big project with Bowling Green with the Parks Department to go in and do that restoration work. 00:39:40.560 --> 00:39:50.560 So we will be back there and then seeing how that works and then moving forward from there. 00:39:50.560 --> 00:39:59.560 Tying in with the water conservation, has there been any discussion of promotion of zero escaping? 00:39:59.560 --> 00:40:13.560 Yes, we promote that every year. We have annual activities and classes. You'll hear about it in a current presentation today. I believe some of the more successful classes. 00:40:13.560 --> 00:40:20.560 And one other question about the air monitors. How many air monitors are there? 00:40:20.560 --> 00:40:22.560 There are a dozen. 00:40:22.560 --> 00:40:24.560 And are they owned by the city? 00:40:24.560 --> 00:40:26.560 Yes. 00:40:26.560 --> 00:40:34.560 And is there some place where the results of the monitoring is available on the internet? 00:40:34.560 --> 00:40:46.560 Not yet. The last four monitors were installed this week Tuesday and they are all up and reporting and we will be bringing that back. 00:40:46.560 --> 00:40:57.560 We saw the siting plan in a previous presentation for last year. So we will bring it back and let you know exactly where they landed and the information that we are seeing. 00:40:57.560 --> 00:41:02.560 So on the website then they could have a map showing where the monitors are? 00:41:02.560 --> 00:41:10.560 We will have data that will be uploaded. We are planning on doing it monthly. So we will pull that in. 00:41:10.560 --> 00:41:12.560 Thank you. Any other questions? 00:41:12.560 --> 00:41:15.560 Was that something that was regulatory or was it just voluntary? 00:41:15.560 --> 00:41:20.560 It was regulatory. Just neighborhood level monitors. Information only. 00:41:20.560 --> 00:41:25.560 That's great. And there will be indications of what we are monitoring for? 00:41:25.560 --> 00:41:27.560 Absolutely. 00:41:27.560 --> 00:41:32.560 Any other discussion? Thanks Catherine. 00:41:32.560 --> 00:41:49.560 Next item is to receive a report and hold a discussion regarding an annual summary of sustainability education, outreach, and social media metrics for fiscal year 2023-24. 00:41:49.560 --> 00:41:57.560 So as we jump into this, you might notice we have a full contingent from the sustainability division over here today. 00:41:57.560 --> 00:42:06.560 So if we are talking about all of the education outreach that we have done, we will just have everybody wave and say who they are as we go through this. 00:42:06.560 --> 00:42:10.560 So you can put a name to the face. Go ahead. 00:42:10.560 --> 00:42:17.560 Hi everyone. My name is Julissa Amador. I am the senior program coordinator in the sustainability department. It's good to meet everybody. 00:42:17.560 --> 00:42:23.560 Hello, my name is Lily Garcia. I am one of the engagement coordinators. 00:42:23.560 --> 00:42:33.560 My name is Kim Jennings. I am also an engagement coordinator, but I focus on the dense, stable streets program under sustainability. Very nice to meet you all. 00:42:33.560 --> 00:42:42.560 Hi, I am Shelby Robertson. I am a conservation program coordinator. My focus is on water conservation and it's really nice to meet all of you. 00:42:42.560 --> 00:42:50.560 Hi everyone. Nice to meet you guys. My name is Caitlin Davis. I am also a conservation program coordinator in the sustainability department. 00:42:50.560 --> 00:42:54.560 I focus on energy conservation and air quality. 00:42:54.560 --> 00:42:55.560 Meredith? 00:42:55.560 --> 00:42:58.560 Meredith is in the new face as well, so go ahead. 00:42:58.560 --> 00:43:02.560 Meredith Ellens and I am the administrative assistant. 00:43:02.560 --> 00:43:07.560 So you will start seeing emails from Meredith coordinators. And Karen Berger. 00:43:07.560 --> 00:43:08.560 Hi, I am Karen Berger. 00:43:08.560 --> 00:43:10.560 Good to see you for the first time to you. 00:43:10.560 --> 00:43:13.560 And I am the sustainability engagement coordinator. I am happy to meet with you. 00:43:13.560 --> 00:43:15.560 I am a wrangler. 00:43:15.560 --> 00:43:19.560 Tell everyone to go teach classes and things. 00:43:19.560 --> 00:43:24.560 But yeah, this is just a recap of our education and outreach efforts for this past fiscal year. 00:43:24.560 --> 00:43:40.560 We are going to cover a little bit of the background of our sustainability education, which includes recycling education, the Dent and Sustainable Schools Program, and our sustainability education, along with outreach and events, an overcap of our social media, and then some of our upcoming stuff. 00:43:40.560 --> 00:43:50.560 So a very condensed background. Our recycling education really expanded in January of 2021, and it keeps expanding each year since then. 00:43:50.560 --> 00:44:02.560 The Dent and Sustainable Schools Program was established in 2004 with a full program relaunch in fall of 2022, and we've had a full program in these school years since. 00:44:02.560 --> 00:44:13.560 And then our sustainability education launched in 2007 with Dent and ISD field trips out at Clear Creek National Heritage Center and has evolved and expanded over the past 15 years. 00:44:13.560 --> 00:44:27.560 So specifically for our recycling education, the focus of this education is on reducing contamination that comes into our material recovery facility, which is Pratt Recycling. 00:44:27.560 --> 00:44:35.560 And to help with this education, we do tours. Tours are provided for residents, HOAs, businesses, schools, and community organizations. 00:44:35.560 --> 00:44:45.560 And they actually go out to Pratt, which is what this picture is, and you can actually see the sorting floor where they have their big pile of recycling and then all the machines that kind of sort it. 00:44:45.560 --> 00:44:58.560 They also do education and outreach, which we'll touch on a little more in the next slide, but these are like tabling events, going out to schools and holding discussions at HOAs about how to properly recycle, things like that. 00:44:58.560 --> 00:45:04.560 And then also their market strategy, which, again, I'll explain a little more in another slide. 00:45:04.560 --> 00:45:13.560 These are some pictures of our recycling education. This first one is Recycling Bingo, which is a new education tool that we've utilized a lot this past year. 00:45:13.560 --> 00:45:22.560 We go to multi-family complexes and do a little bingo game by holding up an item and say, "Is this recycled or not?" And they try to get a bingo, we give them a prize. 00:45:22.560 --> 00:45:28.560 And what's really cool about this specific picture is this is actually a leasing agent at this complex running it for us. 00:45:28.560 --> 00:45:36.560 So a lot of these agents are invested in their residents recycling, right, even if we aren't the ones coming out and providing that education. 00:45:36.560 --> 00:45:52.560 And then this other picture is from a Pratt tour with members from the UNT Zero Waste Textile Initiative, and we collaborated with them during UNT Move Out this last school year. 00:45:52.560 --> 00:45:58.560 We set up dumpsters for people to drop off their textiles that they don't want anymore, so clothing donations basically. 00:45:58.560 --> 00:46:11.560 And then we had a sort-a-thon at our office to sort out all the clothes so that they can be taken by this Zero Waste Textile Initiative out to be reused and repurposed and whatever else they did with those. 00:46:11.560 --> 00:46:32.560 So the market strategy for our recycling, some really big things they did this year was they filmed an advertisement in collaboration with Denton Television, Denton Police Department, Engar High School to create an ad that goes out when they broadcast the high school football games. 00:46:32.560 --> 00:46:38.560 So all the DISD football games will have this ad, and we'll see that in just a second. 00:46:38.560 --> 00:46:49.560 They also set up a Golden Triangle mall ad, and this can be changed out quarterly to meet any other sustainability or recycling education goals that you'd like to meet. 00:46:49.560 --> 00:46:58.560 They recorded an ad for the Spanish radio station, which is a demographic that we are looking to advertise to more. 00:46:58.560 --> 00:47:11.560 There is also a collaboration with UNT and Denton Television to film an ad for Halftime to Play on the big screen at all UNT football games about recycling correctly. 00:47:11.560 --> 00:47:22.560 And one future initiative that they were looking for is putting ads on shopping carts for things like not bagging recyclables and what to put in our recycling program. 00:47:22.560 --> 00:47:27.560 And this is that DISD ad. 00:47:27.560 --> 00:47:33.560 And here comes the kicker, ready to make the play. 00:47:33.560 --> 00:47:36.560 He just missed it, and it looks like there's a flag on the play. 00:47:36.560 --> 00:47:42.560 The kicker didn't properly prepare his recycling. Remember folks, bagged recyclables can't be processed correctly. 00:47:42.560 --> 00:47:48.560 The kicker will now reset for another attempt, showing the correct way to recycle in Denton. 00:47:48.560 --> 00:47:49.560 And it's good! 00:47:49.560 --> 00:47:51.560 Perfect execution. 00:47:51.560 --> 00:47:58.560 Great job team, let's keep you recycling empty, clean, dry, and unbagged. 00:47:58.560 --> 00:48:05.560 Yeah, so these ads are meant to be kind of fun and eye-catching, and it plays during football games, so it is a football themed ad. 00:48:05.560 --> 00:48:15.560 We do have one coming up for UNT's basketball season that we're filming a new one that is basketball themed, so it kind of relates. 00:48:15.560 --> 00:48:21.560 So our Denton Sustainable Schools program, this is where we go out to all the schools in Denton. 00:48:21.560 --> 00:48:29.560 It is focused a lot on Denton ISD, but we do also do other private schools, we do early education schools, things like that as well. 00:48:29.560 --> 00:48:41.560 They run a lot of tours, so these schools have the option to go to the Pratt Recycling Center, the water treatment plant, beneficial reuse, and home chemical collection, and the landfill for tours. 00:48:41.560 --> 00:48:53.560 So these are things that if a teacher has a certain teak's point that they want to get out that could be helped by a field trip, they can get in contact and we can provide that for free for them. 00:48:53.560 --> 00:49:08.560 They provide a ton of different educations, teachers can request a speaker on any sort of sustainability topic, so we do recycling, local food, air quality, climate, environmental stewardship, wildlife. 00:49:08.560 --> 00:49:16.560 And we even say, like, if you have another topic that is about sustainability, let us know and we'll come up with something for you. 00:49:16.560 --> 00:49:19.560 So again, it can work into their lessons plans. 00:49:19.560 --> 00:49:21.560 May I interrupt and ask a question? 00:49:21.560 --> 00:49:22.560 Yes. 00:49:22.560 --> 00:49:28.560 What sort of presentations do you give if somebody asks for something on climate? 00:49:28.560 --> 00:49:43.560 So we've actually only, last year we only had one request for a climate talk and it was actually from a Girl Scout troop, so it wasn't at any of our schools, but they specifically requested a climate change talk and how it's affecting our current world. 00:49:43.560 --> 00:49:56.560 I was the one who gave that and I developed it, so I basically explained what climate change is, explained, you know, the different levels of our atmosphere and what happens when the gas gets trapped in, and then how that affects our planet. 00:49:56.560 --> 00:49:59.560 And then did, like, a little activity with them about that. 00:49:59.560 --> 00:50:02.560 That's great. Thank you. 00:50:02.560 --> 00:50:08.560 So, like I said, they can request any sort of education and we will do our best to provide it. 00:50:08.560 --> 00:50:21.560 Most of our things are taught by speakers, us, everyone here who has their main focus matter, and then I kind of do everything, a little bit of everything with their input as well. 00:50:21.560 --> 00:50:32.560 This past year we had 17 schools participate in this program, and one way that we keep them participating and not just signed up and not doing anything is through school challenges. 00:50:32.560 --> 00:50:41.560 So we have the recycling audit challenge where students are trained to go out and look in their recycling bins and make sure that it's recyclable materials in there. 00:50:41.560 --> 00:50:54.560 They basically report the percentage of contamination they see, and they submit it as just like a form that gets them back to us, and then it's checked off that, you know, they have an audit, and whoever has the most audits that year wins that challenge. 00:50:54.560 --> 00:51:01.560 And then we also have the sustainability activity challenge, and this can be if they go on a tour, if they request a speaker, those count. 00:51:01.560 --> 00:51:12.560 If they borrow some of our STEM kits, we have STEM kits that teachers can rent out, and they can keep as long as they need to, and then they return it to us when they're done. 00:51:12.560 --> 00:51:19.560 That can count, or working in their school garden, or if they have a recycling event at the school, those can all count. 00:51:19.560 --> 00:51:28.560 And at the end of the year it's separated into elementary school, middle school, high school, and other, that's like early education or private schools and things like that. 00:51:28.560 --> 00:51:31.560 And the top three winners of each of those categories get prizes. 00:51:31.560 --> 00:51:53.560 These can include STEM kits that they own and keep at their school, it can be garden supplies, it can be other reasonable requests that revolve around sustainability, and we try to get them what they might need to keep teaching sustainable topics in the school. 00:51:53.560 --> 00:52:04.560 So the pictures on here are some of the winners from this past year, and they all got STEM kits for, they chose STEM kits for their reward, so that's what those pictures are. 00:52:04.560 --> 00:52:16.560 These are some pictures from sustainable schools, this one on your left is a career day, we go out to a bunch of career days at schools and provide recycling education. 00:52:16.560 --> 00:52:32.560 Most of the time we do sometimes do sustainable education too, and a lot of the times we have one of our truck driver and operators come out and teach the kids how their trash is actually picked up at the curb and then explain where it goes afterwards, and they also talk about safety around these cars and carts when they're out. 00:52:32.560 --> 00:52:39.560 Then on the far side that's an after school program, we have a big parachute because hands on games are the best way for kids to learn. 00:52:39.560 --> 00:52:52.560 So this is just one of the games we play, we'll throw a certain material on it, ask if it's recyclable, and if it's not we try to get them to bounce it off, so just a fun way for them to be engaged. 00:52:52.560 --> 00:53:06.560 So sustainability education, we do, we cover a whole bunch of topics, these are kind of, some of our more popular ones are water and energy conservation, wildlife and wildfire, which includes native landscaping, zero scaping, things like that. 00:53:06.560 --> 00:53:14.560 Air quality, local food, we do climate as well, so pretty much anything sustainable we're going to try to talk about. 00:53:14.560 --> 00:53:23.560 And then our outreach, we do pop up events at popular places, this just includes setting up a table at a place and interacting with anyone that comes by. 00:53:23.560 --> 00:53:38.560 So in the past this has been a lot at city facilities like libraries and our rec centers, but we're trying to branch out more to non-city places so that we can reach kind of a wider audience to people who might not visit libraries and things like that. 00:53:38.560 --> 00:53:44.560 We have a table at universities, that's that picture here, we're at UNT talking to Scrappy. 00:53:44.560 --> 00:53:53.560 And then we do a lot of community events, so these are city led events as well as outside organizations, like we'll be at Day of the Dead tomorrow. 00:53:53.560 --> 00:54:08.560 Here's some of our tables from these, this first one shows our big prize wheel, which is a big hit for a lot of the kids, the middle one's at Redbud and then the last one over there is one of our tables at UNT. 00:54:08.560 --> 00:54:14.560 One of our highlights, we did get two awards this year from the Texas Environmental Leadership Award. 00:54:14.560 --> 00:54:25.560 So the SysMirror Sustainability Leadership Award was for our Recycling Education Program and the Environmental Awareness Education Award was for the Dentons Sustainable Schools Program. 00:54:25.560 --> 00:54:36.560 They also gave two presentations, one at STAR, which is the Texas State of Alliance for Recycling, which was a panel that Kim sat on to talk about Dentons Sustainable Schools. 00:54:36.560 --> 00:54:43.560 And then at Texelana, it was a presentation over our Recycling Market Strategy. 00:54:43.560 --> 00:54:51.560 This is a bit of a breakdown of our community outreach, we have just under 11,000 total attendance for all of our events and tabling. 00:54:51.560 --> 00:54:58.560 You can see a little over half of that attendance comes from tabling, because those are bigger events where people just come by and talk and can go. 00:54:58.560 --> 00:55:12.560 But our presentations, which is 34, those are our informational classes, so that's when we stand up and give a little PowerPoint to people to educate them about whatever topic it is, like wildlife or native planting or composting, whatever. 00:55:12.560 --> 00:55:21.560 Our tours make up about 3%, activity is basically any hands-on event that we do, so these include most of our kids' classes, because most of them are hands-on. 00:55:21.560 --> 00:55:34.560 As well as big events like World Migratory Bird Day, Christmas Bird Count, things like that, and then meetings tend to be the meetings we have with multi-family complexes about their recycling. 00:55:34.560 --> 00:55:45.560 This is a breakdown of the location and attendance, so we try to get as much of Denton as possible so that people have the opportunity to come learn about sustainability and recycling as much as possible. 00:55:45.560 --> 00:55:53.560 We did a pretty good job about hitting most of the city this past year, but we want to branch out even more this upcoming year. 00:55:53.560 --> 00:56:02.560 And now for our social media. This is a big part of our outreach, because even people who don't come to our events still see our social media. 00:56:02.560 --> 00:56:10.560 There's also people outside of Denton that follow our social media. There's people outside of the United States that follow our social media, for whatever reason. 00:56:10.560 --> 00:56:17.560 But we have two social medias that we run. We have Sustainable Denton, and then we have the Solid Waste and Recycling pages as well. 00:56:17.560 --> 00:56:27.560 So on Sustainable Denton, we do things that help us with our certification. So earlier this year, we applied for Bird City, Texas. We're still waiting to see if we are awarded that. 00:56:27.560 --> 00:56:39.560 But this was one point they like us to help with the Lights Out initiative for migratory birds, so that's what we use our social media to help with that, spread that message, what peak migration is, things like that. 00:56:39.560 --> 00:56:47.560 We also do general sustainability tips, so that's kind of on the end there. That sustainable tip of the week is about energy conservation. 00:56:47.560 --> 00:56:57.560 And in the middle is from our Solid Waste Recycling page. We don't only want to tell people where to throw things away. We want to reduce waste. 00:56:57.560 --> 00:57:09.560 So things like using, this is at the Forge at the North Branch Library, so using city resources to repair your shirt with the sewing machine they have there. We want people to have less waste in general. 00:57:09.560 --> 00:57:18.560 We also use it to advertise for our events. So this is an event brochure that we're now putting out quarterly with everything that we have scheduled. 00:57:18.560 --> 00:57:32.560 This was one of our first ones, so this is August/September, but they will be in three or four month increments as we go. The one down at the end there is the fan pickup, so big events we also advertise so that more people in the community know about them. 00:57:32.560 --> 00:57:44.560 And then of course our wildlife stewardship. It's something that we offer to help with our community wildlife habitat certification. So it's just some information on that. 00:57:44.560 --> 00:57:59.560 These are some of our upcoming outreach events. Like I said, we're at Day of the Dead tomorrow. We have a Landfill and Recycling Tour for the UNT. We have Gardening with Pitch and Scrafts and Denton's Wildlife Habitat Program, which are two informational classes. 00:57:59.560 --> 00:58:15.560 Texas Recycle Day is November 16th, which is a large-scale drop-up event for Denton residents. We have Stream Clean December 7th, which is an annual event that our department puts on every single year. And then starting in January with another class, Beginner Conference. 00:58:15.560 --> 00:58:19.560 That's it. Any questions? 00:58:19.560 --> 00:58:32.560 Thank you for the presentation. That's great. I really like the tours. I think it's important for people to see, you know, the kids especially to see where the trash goes. Don't give up perception that we live on. It disappears. 00:58:32.560 --> 00:58:40.560 And when you go do those tours and you see those piles, you know, it's really impactful. So it's great work that we do. 00:58:40.560 --> 00:58:56.560 Yeah, just congrats on the awards and also thank you. Your whole team is awesome. Everything you're doing. One quick question, but I don't know if it's allowable, but you mentioned a big part of education is on recycling and using contamination. 00:58:56.560 --> 00:59:17.560 And we've had discussions in the past about that. I just wondered if you had an update on how we're doing. Are you seeing, I thought we were seeing continued improvements through the education. Yes, yeah. I don't know the exact numbers off the top of my head. That's also not my exact area, but we have been seeing continual improvements with our target strategy. 00:59:17.560 --> 00:59:31.560 We can ask our subways director what the contamination percentage is right now. For the month of September, we're at 28% citywide. Remember four years ago, we were above 70%. 00:59:31.560 --> 00:59:47.560 Yeah, we're sort of, I don't want to say we're reaching dead pan, but we're reaching those asymptotic areas that significantly, you know, significantly more effort has to go into it. We started our commercial diversion article, so we're requiring all commercial multifamily to recycle. 00:59:47.560 --> 01:00:07.560 So we're seeing some improvements there also, but we're collecting less tonnage curbside, but the march is accepting more tonnage. So at the end of the day, we're net positive on the tons that are actually going back for beneficial reuse. Very little is coming out the back door right now. 01:00:07.560 --> 01:00:28.560 I'm slightly connected to Brian's statement. I saw all your metrics about your touch points in the engagement that you have just by total people. Is there any other metric that we use to gauge what is the impact of our education and outreach programs relating to these higher level citywide contamination rates? 01:00:28.560 --> 01:00:53.560 How else do you measure your program besides the touch points? Yeah, so we do touch points, we do attendance on classes, and then for our recycling education, we do have the luxury of having contamination rates for, we can pinpoint specific routes, we can pinpoint specific multifamily complexes, so we can target ads out to high, you know, contamination areas. 01:00:53.560 --> 01:01:07.560 We are looking at how to do that on a sustainable side. It's a little bit harder since we don't have the direct route to route that the recycling does have. 01:01:07.560 --> 01:01:35.560 Yes, so very nice presentation. Indeed, you're a wonderful group, and you do a good job in sustainability. What I've noticed is that most of your outreach and sustainability education is on recycling. You touched a little bit on reusing, but I would suggest to increase education on reuse and reduce. 01:01:35.560 --> 01:01:56.560 So let's cover all three R's. We do have outreach related to that. I will say recycling is a big one because we're trying to reduce the contamination of the recycling coming in, but especially with our sustainable schools program and with our other just sustainable education, we do reduce and reuse as well. 01:01:56.560 --> 01:02:19.560 We can make bingos for those. And I would like to invite you to TWU with a table for our Earth Day and also Texas Wildflower Day, which was initiated on TWU campus, and we revived it last year and we continue. So that will be in August, in April, sorry. 01:02:19.560 --> 01:02:47.560 Anybody else? Yeah, this is another robust program. It's really great. We have so much happening. I am curious about the fact that only one request was received for a discussion on climate change, and that's nothing on you folks, it's just how the system works. 01:02:47.560 --> 01:03:14.560 And I wondered, knowing that, well there was this recent study that the Yale Climate Science people did on how climate change affects young people and how concerned they are, and it was remarkable from grade school up to, especially high school, there's a great deal of anxiety amongst young people. 01:03:14.560 --> 01:03:35.560 And I think that an outreach that would help educate these people so that the kids, so that they won't be stressed, so that they know what's happening and what can be done to stop it, would be something of great value. 01:03:35.560 --> 01:03:54.560 And I wondered if, maybe you've already done it, I'm not aware of it, but any sort of outreach programs strictly for explaining climate change, like Climate Change 101, rather than waiting for someone to request it, if it could become more a part of your curriculum. 01:03:54.560 --> 01:04:22.560 So we, in the past, have had Air Quality 101, which is not exactly the same, but close. And it was, at the time, not a super popular class, so we've actually been having a total revamp of our class offerings, starting in this, the end of this year and the coming end of the new year has been our kind of total revamp, where we've offered some new classes and we're trying to get what people want out there. 01:04:22.560 --> 01:04:37.560 And air quality and climate is certainly a topic that we want to touch on again. Our recent ones have been focused on water conservation, we had a Terp alternatives class earlier this month that has been our most popular class by far in a long time. 01:04:37.560 --> 01:04:55.560 So we're kind of trying to make sure we build up appropriate programming that gives good education, so we can kind of, you know, ease that anxiety. But climate and air quality is one that we are going to revamp coming in this year. 01:04:55.560 --> 01:05:05.560 Great. At this point, do you have any, like when you go out to the park, do you have any handouts about climate change? 01:05:05.560 --> 01:05:14.560 Not climate change specifically, we do have air quality, we follow Air North Texas, we have a lot of their promotional material, but nothing specific on climate right now. 01:05:14.560 --> 01:05:20.560 Oh, I hope that maybe in the future something like that could be generated. It's the big thing on the horizon. 01:05:20.560 --> 01:05:21.560 Yes. 01:05:21.560 --> 01:05:23.560 Alright, this is great. Thank you. 01:05:23.560 --> 01:05:24.560 Thank you. 01:05:24.560 --> 01:05:27.560 Any other comments? Thank you very much. 01:05:27.560 --> 01:05:30.560 Thank you. 01:05:30.560 --> 01:05:41.560 Alright, next is receive a report and hold a discussion regarding the internal revenue service clean energy and vehicle credits. 01:05:41.560 --> 01:05:48.560 You'll like this because it's got lots of numbers in it. 01:05:48.560 --> 01:05:52.560 And Michael's going to give them this one. Thank you. 01:05:52.560 --> 01:06:01.560 Chair and members of the committee, Michael Gagne, Director of Environmental Services and Sustainability, glad to be here. I'm actually going to go to slide two, just have it up there just for clarity. 01:06:01.560 --> 01:06:06.560 The city is not a tax expert, we're not providing legal advice, we're not providing tax advice. 01:06:06.560 --> 01:06:16.560 The goal here is to raise awareness on what programs the IRS have and then the qualified individuals or entities could then claim. 01:06:16.560 --> 01:06:23.560 So this is just an awareness. I'm by no means an expert. I got volunteered into it, so I'm here. 01:06:23.560 --> 01:06:31.560 But it's very important to go over because I want to make sure the community and everyone knows what is or what may be available to them. 01:06:31.560 --> 01:06:36.560 So is that enough of a disclaimer? I believe so. 01:06:36.560 --> 01:06:52.560 So to get into it, I'm going to go over five main topics today. We're going to touch on clean vehicles, home energy, how builders can do energy efficient homes, energy efficiency in commercial buildings, as well as alternative fuel vehicle refueling property. 01:06:52.560 --> 01:06:55.560 So in other words, how you can fuel alternative fuel vehicles. 01:06:55.560 --> 01:07:10.560 First, on the clean vehicle credit, there's multiple categories here. Let's see things, there's different levels for different types of vehicles. It's both new, used, and commercial. So everything is covered. 01:07:10.560 --> 01:07:26.560 For new vehicles that were bought in 2023 or after, so if they were bought, say, this year, they potentially, depending on the taxpayer status, are eligible for a credit up to $7,500 off that purchase price. 01:07:26.560 --> 01:07:40.560 There's some details on here that talk back through some things in the past, breaking out if it was bought in early part of '23, if it was bought after that, different things. I want to make sure it's clear not everyone qualifies. 01:07:40.560 --> 01:07:54.560 So there's at least six primary criteria as shown on the side here. There's taxpayer income, there's vehicle type, purchase price, there's actually a cap on what the vehicle can be priced at to be eligible. 01:07:54.560 --> 01:08:06.560 But all that's in there, the reference, the links in the presentation should be working, I didn't confirm it, should be working out of the PDF on the website as well that will help the public jump straight over to that. 01:08:06.560 --> 01:08:13.560 And also throughout the presentation there are direct URLs as well. So that's for new vehicles. 01:08:13.560 --> 01:08:24.560 Then if they were bought in the past, it's similar up to the $7,500, but it was credited based on the kilowatt hours or the capacity of the vehicle. 01:08:24.560 --> 01:08:30.560 Just wanted to put that out there. Again, they have to meet that same qualification criteria as on the prior slide. 01:08:30.560 --> 01:08:45.560 Used vehicles, so this is things that are bought after January 1st of 2023, this is shown that they can qualify for a credit of 30% of the sale price, up to a maximum of $4,000. 01:08:45.560 --> 01:08:55.560 So it's similar, but different. And again, it has to be purchased from a licensed dealer, unfortunately, the way I read the law. 01:08:55.560 --> 01:09:03.560 If you buy from your neighbor, you may not qualify. You may not, I'm not going to say it away, but may not. 01:09:03.560 --> 01:09:12.560 Commercial clean vehicles, again, it can be a tax credit up to $40,000, depending on what they're buying and how they're buying that. 01:09:12.560 --> 01:09:17.560 So that's a large amount of money to help offset that purchase as well. 01:09:17.560 --> 01:09:29.560 Moving into home energy tax credits, which kind of tie into some of what you heard earlier on the Green Sense program. So these are things that are eligible for a lot of things we locally incentivize or rebate to help move along. 01:09:29.560 --> 01:09:37.560 This category covers that as well. They have to claim them, or they're claimed in the year they actually are made. 01:09:37.560 --> 01:09:44.560 So if you make it during a tax year, you claim it against the income for that tax year. 01:09:44.560 --> 01:09:55.560 It's available for primary residences. Renters may also be able to claim. There are some caveats in the code that if you are a renter and do certain improvements, there are ways to qualify. 01:09:55.560 --> 01:10:01.560 Second homes that are actually used as a residence also have limited qualifications as well. 01:10:01.560 --> 01:10:12.560 So for people who are lucky enough or scary enough to have dual properties, possibly can claim it on both properties. 01:10:12.560 --> 01:10:18.560 You can never do it on homes that you don't use as a residence. So let's say you own a home and you're using that home as a barbershop. 01:10:18.560 --> 01:10:26.560 That barbershop wouldn't qualify for this part of the tax credit. Does that make sense? 01:10:26.560 --> 01:10:31.560 Again, energy.gov is a great resource to redo all this. 01:10:31.560 --> 01:10:41.560 Under the energy efficiency home improvements, you can do things like doors, windows, insulation, air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces. 01:10:41.560 --> 01:10:51.560 All different things. Basically, back in the tax year 2022, it was 30% up to a lifetime max of $500. 01:10:51.560 --> 01:11:00.560 However, purchases made from 2023 through 2032, it's 30% up to a maximum of $1,200. 01:11:00.560 --> 01:11:06.560 And if you're doing heat pumps or some other qualified, the annual credit could be up to $2,000. 01:11:06.560 --> 01:11:16.560 So that's a little bit different, and there's no lifetime limit during the period from 2023 through 2032. 01:11:16.560 --> 01:11:22.560 And again, I'll answer as best I can. 01:11:22.560 --> 01:11:30.560 Can, if you apply for the green sense program, can you also take advantage of these? 01:11:30.560 --> 01:11:35.560 There is nothing that our rebus of the green sense program prohibits this or restricts this usage. 01:11:35.560 --> 01:11:44.560 There are ways that the rebate would lower the purchase price, which may then lower the eligibility claimed here. 01:11:44.560 --> 01:11:53.560 So in other words, if we rebated from $10,000 to $7,500, they may only be able to claim the $7,500 to calculate their tax credit. 01:11:53.560 --> 01:11:55.560 Does that make sense? Yeah. 01:11:55.560 --> 01:12:01.560 And again here, the whole URL is at the bottom for more details for anybody listening, watching, whatever. 01:12:01.560 --> 01:12:06.560 The whole URL is there, and thanks to Chair Sote saying it did actually work on the PDF as well. 01:12:06.560 --> 01:12:10.560 So we tried to make sure that worked, but every once in a while, technology breaks. 01:12:10.560 --> 01:12:13.560 Then there's the residential clean energy credit. 01:12:13.560 --> 01:12:23.560 The residential clean energy credit looks at things like solar, wind, geothermal, fuel cells, and they added battery storage beginning in 2023. 01:12:23.560 --> 01:12:26.560 So it covers all of those type of issues. 01:12:26.560 --> 01:12:32.560 There's different levels of possible credit. 01:12:32.560 --> 01:12:42.560 You'll notice that primarily it's the same all the way out through 2032, that it tears down, and right now it would fall off the books in 2034. 01:12:42.560 --> 01:12:52.560 That's the program as by the IRS at this point, but that's looking outwardly for basically 10 years from now to be able to claim expenses during the years those improvements are made. 01:12:52.560 --> 01:12:59.560 And again, the URL is at the bottom, which will give you much more details on how you can do that. 01:12:59.560 --> 01:13:01.560 Now we're moving over to builders. 01:13:01.560 --> 01:13:05.560 So we have a lot of building going on in debt, as we know, new construction, everything else. 01:13:05.560 --> 01:13:15.560 So builders actually have ways that they may qualify as well as they're doing construction to where they can reduce the cost being passed on to hopefully the consumer. 01:13:15.560 --> 01:13:24.560 Again, they have to meet some really strict requirements under the Internal Revenue Code, specifically Section 45L. 01:13:24.560 --> 01:13:30.560 Homes acquired or touched between 2023 and 2032. 01:13:30.560 --> 01:13:38.560 If they're meeting Energy Star or zero energy rated home, they could qualify up to $5,000 per home. 01:13:38.560 --> 01:13:46.560 Homes acquired after 2023, depending on requirements, they could rate between $1,000 and $2,000. 01:13:46.560 --> 01:13:56.560 So every little bit helps because if we're spending an extra $1,500 or $2,000 to have more insulation or a higher rating factor on the HVAC system, 01:13:56.560 --> 01:14:00.560 this credit could help those builders then reduce that burden to that buyer. 01:14:00.560 --> 01:14:08.560 Because the ultimate goal is to hopefully have as lowest energy demand on the new construction as we can. 01:14:08.560 --> 01:14:12.560 Now we get into actual commercial buildings. 01:14:12.560 --> 01:14:15.560 And so we have acronyms on here. 01:14:15.560 --> 01:14:18.560 My brain just went dead on the DRP. 01:14:18.560 --> 01:14:22.560 The Energy Efficiency Commercial Building Program is the EECB. 01:14:22.560 --> 01:14:28.560 The Energy Efficiency Building Rehab Program, Rehabilitation Program, came to me. 01:14:28.560 --> 01:14:33.560 It is the RBP that didn't fit on the slide, so I had to use acronyms, I apologize. 01:14:33.560 --> 01:14:40.560 So this is when you go into a commercial building and you're going to upgrade it, do some changes, 01:14:40.560 --> 01:14:44.560 whether you're rehabbing it or improving it, there's different things that can qualify. 01:14:44.560 --> 01:14:50.560 The primary focus is on lighting, of course heating and cooling, and the building envelope. 01:14:50.560 --> 01:14:54.560 So it's basically the three primary areas to look at for overall energy efficiency. 01:14:54.560 --> 01:14:59.560 A lot of commercial buildings lighting can be a very large demand, we're seeing some good savings in the city 01:14:59.560 --> 01:15:02.560 for going to LED, probably even from high-end fluorescent. 01:15:02.560 --> 01:15:07.560 Heating and cooling is probably their largest domain, depending on how the building is occupied. 01:15:07.560 --> 01:15:10.560 And then the building envelope is always tough to change once you construct it, 01:15:10.560 --> 01:15:15.560 so some people don't want to spend the money on it because it's not fancy to look at. 01:15:15.560 --> 01:15:21.560 So the deduction, and I'm not going to do the math here, so if you all want to do math, you can. 01:15:21.560 --> 01:15:30.560 So it's the cost of the actual install property or the savings calculated per square foot. 01:15:30.560 --> 01:15:32.560 So they want you to look at both of those things. 01:15:32.560 --> 01:15:36.560 So if your savings are exceeding the install cost, then you get the install cost. 01:15:36.560 --> 01:15:40.560 If your install cost is greater than what you're going to see on savings, 01:15:40.560 --> 01:15:43.560 you can write off the savings the way I understand this. 01:15:43.560 --> 01:15:47.560 So it's kind of a two-tiered look, but that's how they're balancing it. 01:15:47.560 --> 01:15:52.560 And that might tie back to some discussions earlier on other things within the GreenSense program. 01:15:52.560 --> 01:15:58.560 This may be another way for us to look at things on how we maybe want to change our readings. 01:15:58.560 --> 01:16:04.560 But I won't do that math, but that's where it is. 01:16:04.560 --> 01:16:07.560 Now we get into alternative fuel vehicle refueling. 01:16:07.560 --> 01:16:13.560 So if we're starting to think about either hydrogen, different things, even EV qualifies. 01:16:13.560 --> 01:16:18.560 So businesses or individuals, both that either dispense clean burning fuel 01:16:18.560 --> 01:16:25.560 or to recharge electric vehicles, have possible tax credits. 01:16:25.560 --> 01:16:31.560 Now there are specific census tracts that apply to certain properties on this. 01:16:31.560 --> 01:16:34.560 There are parts of debt that aren't covered in that on the map. 01:16:34.560 --> 01:16:37.560 Not all of debt is covered, if I remember correctly. 01:16:37.560 --> 01:16:40.560 But if you click the link under eligible census tracts, 01:16:40.560 --> 01:16:47.560 it jumps you right to that interactive map and you can see where your property is located and see how that fits. 01:16:47.560 --> 01:16:50.560 Everything else in there is similar to what we've already talked about. 01:16:50.560 --> 01:16:55.560 Basically it has to be in-server. You get to take the rebate during the tax year. 01:16:55.560 --> 01:17:00.560 They have to begin by the original use by the actual taxpayer. 01:17:00.560 --> 01:17:04.560 So they want that it's a business. The way I understand it, the business installs it. 01:17:04.560 --> 01:17:10.560 They want them to use it first before they transfer it to something else, kind of things like that. 01:17:10.560 --> 01:17:14.560 Kind of without said, it's supposed to be primarily used in the U.S. and U.S. territories. 01:17:14.560 --> 01:17:20.560 That seems to be a little unnecessary, but it's there. 01:17:20.560 --> 01:17:26.560 The amount of credit, and again this is more math for people who love math and a very busy slide. 01:17:26.560 --> 01:17:29.560 I just threw out the summary statements off the IRS website. 01:17:29.560 --> 01:17:37.560 As you can read, as you go down through it, a lot of them are limited out at roughly $100,000 for each single piece. 01:17:37.560 --> 01:17:48.560 Other ones have a lower, select consumers who do an EV charging that were done back between 2022 01:17:48.560 --> 01:17:53.560 or basically during calendar year 2012, 2022 through 2030. 01:17:53.560 --> 01:17:58.560 They'll be eligible for 30% of the cost with a maximum of $1,000. 01:17:58.560 --> 01:18:07.560 So if they're spending $1,500 to do that, if it's 30%, that's $450. Does that make sense? 01:18:07.560 --> 01:18:13.560 With a max of $1,000. I don't want to mistake there, but I think when I was looking at that $1,000, 01:18:13.560 --> 01:18:20.560 you could do, if you have a two-bay garage, you charge in each bay, you can charge both, 01:18:20.560 --> 01:18:25.560 and that's where that max would come in. So in other words, how that works. 01:18:25.560 --> 01:18:37.560 And the last part's a little bit tricky, but there are credits for things that were done before 2023 01:18:37.560 --> 01:18:40.560 and how that can work back through the tax law as well. 01:18:40.560 --> 01:18:50.560 So, same caveat I started with, with the overall URL here, taking you back over to the IRS website. 01:18:50.560 --> 01:18:54.560 It's a lot of great information there. I've built slides just trying to simplify it a little bit. 01:18:54.560 --> 01:19:00.560 There are PDFs there, one, two, three, four-page flyers that help walk you through it. 01:19:00.560 --> 01:19:06.560 There's even a decision-maker, if you're looking at, say, solar, there's a way to work through it, 01:19:06.560 --> 01:19:10.560 look at the investment, what your cost return may be, and how you want to make those choices. 01:19:10.560 --> 01:19:15.560 There's a lot of different things out there through their website that also jumps you over to the Department of Energy. 01:19:15.560 --> 01:19:23.560 So with that, again, I'll stand for any questions. Questions? 01:19:23.560 --> 01:19:31.560 Go back to the commercial builders, because that's obviously happening a lot, 01:19:31.560 --> 01:19:38.560 and I feel like outside of the transportation sector, one of the big areas was buildings. 01:19:38.560 --> 01:19:43.560 Can you help us think about how does a commercial builder think? 01:19:43.560 --> 01:19:48.560 Are they looking for these kinds of incentives because it saves them money, or not, 01:19:48.560 --> 01:19:58.560 because they want to build cheaply, and then the energy cost for that existing home goes on to where it inhabits it. 01:19:58.560 --> 01:20:07.560 If they're not thinking about it, does a city have a plan to, I mean, we're doing it right now, getting this information out. 01:20:07.560 --> 01:20:11.560 Are there other ways where you try to connect with commercial builders to make sure... 01:20:11.560 --> 01:20:15.560 Let me make sure I'm hearing you. Are you saying commercial buildings or commercial builders? 01:20:15.560 --> 01:20:17.560 Builders. 01:20:17.560 --> 01:20:22.560 I want to go back to when they were doing it for builders of energy efficiency. 01:20:22.560 --> 01:20:23.560 Yes. 01:20:23.560 --> 01:20:27.560 Okay. I can't speak to how they're really doing that. 01:20:27.560 --> 01:20:34.560 I know anecdotally that there are things that go, that there are builders claiming it. 01:20:34.560 --> 01:20:40.560 I'm trying to find out, there's ways for us to find out who, where, when, how that's being done to get us to understand, 01:20:40.560 --> 01:20:43.560 is it out there a lot? Do people even know about it? Back to your point. 01:20:43.560 --> 01:20:49.560 This is, I won't say step one, but this is one of our steps to make sure we start raising awareness on that. 01:20:49.560 --> 01:20:52.560 We're also building an interactive website to do that, different things, 01:20:52.560 --> 01:20:57.560 because we want to make sure as much of the community can be aware of everything that can help them with those expenses. 01:20:57.560 --> 01:21:01.560 These are tax credits, not tax deductions. 01:21:01.560 --> 01:21:06.560 So the way the credit works, it comes off your actual tax burden, not your taxable income. 01:21:06.560 --> 01:21:13.560 So if you owed $20,000 and you're eligible for a $2,000 credit, you then would pay $18,000. 01:21:13.560 --> 01:21:14.560 Okay. 01:21:14.560 --> 01:21:17.560 So this is really a dollar for now. 01:21:17.560 --> 01:21:24.560 Good. I'm glad that you're doing this because it seems like we could get more energy efficient homes built if there's awareness of this sort of thing. 01:21:24.560 --> 01:21:25.560 Correct. 01:21:25.560 --> 01:21:33.560 And control that cost, because a lot of our focus is to ensure we also maintain affordability while also being resilient for the future. 01:21:33.560 --> 01:21:40.560 And I think that's the best way to do it, too, is to use the builders to encourage especially young home buyers, 01:21:40.560 --> 01:21:43.560 you know, to make them aware of what's available and why it's them, 01:21:43.560 --> 01:21:50.560 because they may not be thinking about that and they've got so many other decisions to make. 01:21:50.560 --> 01:21:54.560 Mr. Chair, it's Barak with the PBS, I'll take it right now. 01:21:54.560 --> 01:21:58.560 When you say "we" are pushing this, who within the city is that team? 01:21:58.560 --> 01:22:00.560 It's our department, environmental sustainability. 01:22:00.560 --> 01:22:05.560 And now we are going to tie back through development services, other aspects, economic development. 01:22:05.560 --> 01:22:10.560 We're working with the Economic Development Partnership Board on some things. 01:22:10.560 --> 01:22:13.560 I wasn't going wrong, EDP. 01:22:13.560 --> 01:22:16.560 There's different avenues, and we're going to try to touch on those in different aspects, 01:22:16.560 --> 01:22:21.560 make sure they're aware of it, because you don't know what you don't know, and that happens way too often. 01:22:21.560 --> 01:22:26.560 So in my world, the more people we can touch, the more people we get by word of mouth, the better off it is. 01:22:26.560 --> 01:22:31.560 It seems like ED is a great place to go, and then two, if it's the reconstruction and things like that, 01:22:31.560 --> 01:22:33.560 maybe building inspections as well. 01:22:33.560 --> 01:22:37.560 It might be nice to know, since they touch so much more of that community than we do. 01:22:37.560 --> 01:22:44.560 As an example, we have screenings running in the development services building and different things on there. 01:22:44.560 --> 01:22:47.560 We're going to look at doing different messaging to help that screen through as well, 01:22:47.560 --> 01:22:53.560 while we have customers sitting there, waiting to be seen to make sure we're capturing the investment. 01:22:53.560 --> 01:22:58.560 That's a free, no-cost solution. 01:22:58.560 --> 01:23:09.560 So especially the information related to residential, is this on the city website someplace? 01:23:09.560 --> 01:23:12.560 The link out through the IRS, yes, is there. 01:23:12.560 --> 01:23:16.560 We're being careful not to rephrase what was on there. 01:23:16.560 --> 01:23:25.560 These slides are almost direct excerpts on what's out there, because we're not a tax professional or anyone. 01:23:25.560 --> 01:23:26.560 So we have to be careful. 01:23:26.560 --> 01:23:32.560 But yes, we're doing that, and we're working to do a revamp on that to touch on all different things related to energy efficiency. 01:23:32.560 --> 01:23:34.560 Great. Thank you. 01:23:34.560 --> 01:23:38.560 And I can add, under the rebates and resources, on the city website, 01:23:38.560 --> 01:23:42.560 there is a link to the state energy conservation office, the castle of that information. 01:23:42.560 --> 01:23:48.560 That way, if there's a change, we're not trying to update a link, it'll link to theirs, which will be updated. 01:23:48.560 --> 01:23:54.560 Great. And I'll just add on to that, also the North Central Texas Council of Governments has their website with different things. 01:23:54.560 --> 01:23:56.560 We're getting better across the metroplex. 01:23:56.560 --> 01:24:01.560 We're trying to get some continuity to make sure we're driving things, whether it's state or federal, 01:24:01.560 --> 01:24:03.560 to make sure we're all sending the same message. 01:24:03.560 --> 01:24:10.560 Yeah, Netcar probably has more connection with folks like Builders, I believe. 01:24:10.560 --> 01:24:17.560 Possibly. Our development services department might differ, but yes. 01:24:17.560 --> 01:24:19.560 Thanks. 01:24:19.560 --> 01:24:21.560 Yes? 01:24:21.560 --> 01:24:26.560 My last question, the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property. 01:24:26.560 --> 01:24:29.560 Can you help us imagine what that looks like here in Dent? 01:24:29.560 --> 01:24:33.560 Because we are trying to incentivize EVs. 01:24:33.560 --> 01:24:36.560 One of the constraints we know is charging stations. 01:24:36.560 --> 01:24:42.560 Here it looks like some sort of way to get money to build or incentivize more building of them. 01:24:42.560 --> 01:24:48.560 What kind of person or property or business would take advantage of this? 01:24:48.560 --> 01:24:54.560 It could be anything. The way I understand it, it could be a grocery store. It could be a restaurant. 01:24:54.560 --> 01:24:58.560 Right. If you have space, you can put a truck in it. 01:24:58.560 --> 01:25:03.560 It could actually be an employer doing it for their workers as well, possibly. 01:25:03.560 --> 01:25:10.560 There's caveats within this, but basically the way I understand it, it could be done basically by everybody. 01:25:10.560 --> 01:25:16.560 So it's open to all. It's not limited. 01:25:16.560 --> 01:25:18.560 I don't want to mention names. 01:25:18.560 --> 01:25:23.560 The homeowner credit, as I mentioned, is limited, but they could do it. 01:25:23.560 --> 01:25:27.560 They have limited if it's only for their personal use. 01:25:27.560 --> 01:25:35.560 That's where it was 30% of the install value up to a maximum of $1,000, the way I read the code. 01:25:35.560 --> 01:25:38.560 That seems like another important reason to do this. 01:25:38.560 --> 01:25:39.560 The third point. 01:25:39.560 --> 01:25:45.560 Yeah, this awareness raising, because I imagine all of these places, you said it could almost be anybody. 01:25:45.560 --> 01:25:52.560 And to your point, if you radio lately different things on the EV side, I'm still on posted, 01:25:52.560 --> 01:26:05.560 but some of the dealers now as an incentive are tying in, providing a certain amount of money towards installing EV charging at value as part of the purchase of the vehicle. 01:26:05.560 --> 01:26:09.560 There's lots of different avenues trying to encourage that. 01:26:09.560 --> 01:26:14.560 And we're doing, if you look at nationwide numbers, we're doing pretty well in Denton. 01:26:14.560 --> 01:26:21.560 We might not think we see it all the time, but if you look at the number of chargers, we're doing very well. Public chargers. 01:26:21.560 --> 01:26:26.560 That'd be a difficult discussion. 01:26:26.560 --> 01:26:29.560 Any more discussion? 01:26:29.560 --> 01:26:30.560 Thanks very much. 01:26:30.560 --> 01:26:34.560 Thank you all. Sorry, I'm not a tax professional. I did the best I could. 01:26:34.560 --> 01:26:37.560 Did you do my taxes? 01:26:37.560 --> 01:26:42.560 I've done it for too many in my family. Thank you. 01:26:42.560 --> 01:26:49.560 Okay, final agenda item. Symmetrics. 01:26:49.560 --> 01:26:52.560 And you have a copy in your backup. 01:26:52.560 --> 01:26:59.560 And if we have anything to add to the matrix or any questions about anything on the matrix today. 01:26:59.560 --> 01:27:04.560 Any questions or additions? 01:27:04.560 --> 01:27:10.560 I'm really interested to know how you recycle plastic. 01:27:10.560 --> 01:27:19.560 Because you probably know the California lawsuit against Exxon Valdez and others. 01:27:19.560 --> 01:27:26.560 So I'm really interested to know that we recycle and we do not burn them or throw them away. 01:27:26.560 --> 01:27:28.560 Okay, so the end uses. 01:27:28.560 --> 01:27:32.560 Yes. 01:27:32.560 --> 01:27:35.560 Anybody else? 01:27:35.560 --> 01:27:44.560 I have an item. I would like to have a mutual meeting with the city council environmental committee. 01:27:44.560 --> 01:28:09.560 To discuss the possibility of the city at some point declaring a climate emergency. 01:28:09.560 --> 01:28:16.560 Any other questions or comments? 01:28:16.560 --> 01:28:42.560 Nothing. Okay, well then at approximately 2.30. Oh, concluding items. Are there any concluding items? No. Good to go? Okay, so we're closing the meeting at approximately 2.30. 01:28:42.560 --> 01:28:44.160 Wishing everybody a happy Halloween.