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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes CITY OF OSHKOSH SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY BOARD Minutes October 7,2019 PRESENT: Margy Davey, Michelle Bogden Muetzel, Pat Dwyer Hallquist, Lurton Blassingame, Adam Maslowski, Eric DeGroot,Jake Krause,Vic Oliver EXCUSED: Robert Turner, Bradley Spanbauer ABSENT: None STAFF AND OTHERS: Steven Wiley, Scott Williams (Oshkosh Media),Jane McCurry (RENEW Wisconsin) I. Call to Order Chair Margy Davey called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm and a quorum was declared present. II. Public Comment No public comments occurred. III. Approval of Minutes,August 51h,2019 No board members had any revisions for the minutes so the board approved the August 511, minutes 8-0 (Blassingame/Maslowski). IV. Electric Vehicles in Oshkosh—RENEW Wisconsin Guest Speaker Jane McCurry-Presentation Ms. McCurry introduced herself to the board and explained that she was there to discuss electric vehicles and local governments. She stated that she was with RENEW Wisconsin and that the group was formed in 1991 and provided support for renewable energy sources. She provided some personal background and explained her transition from conventionally-powered vehicles to an electric car. She provided a number of reasons why local governments should consider electric vehicles. She stated that 25% of Wisconsin's energy consumption was used for transportation and that$8.4 billion was spent on oil and gasoline from out of state every year. Since 2009,wind and solar costs had decreased significantly. Ms. McCurry showed a map of significant solar and wind projects in Wisconsin. She then defined electric vehicles (EVs) as plug in hybrids or battery electric vehicles. There were eight battery electric and 18 plug in hybrids available in Wisconsin. She provided a number of reasons for driving electric vehicles such as low cost and emissions, commuting,road trips, speed, and quiet operation. She stated that more vehicles would be coming soon. Electric pick-up trucks were being created and Amazon had ordered 100,000 electric box trucks. Ms. McCurry compared the 5 year cost of ownership for an electric vehicle with various versions of a conventional vehicle. She explained that there were three different types of chargers;each capable of charging at a different rate. The number of fast chargers in Wisconsin and in the Midwest were increasing. She displayed a map of the US showing the emissions produced by using electric power compared to conventional gasoline vehicles. Local governments could electrify their fleets and some Wisconsin communities had purchased electric vehicles. Ms. McCurry stated that three keys to implementing electric buses were technology (range, capabilities, charging, routes), financial (capital vs. operating budget, grants, creative partnerships), and institutional (elected officials, transit authorities, sustainability boards, local utilities). The City of Racine was an example of a Wisconsin community that had purchased six electric buses with Volkswagen settlement money. Dane County had budgeted funds for level 2 charging stations at parks. City ordinances were used to require charging infrastructure in new parking areas and protect EV parking. Ms. McCurry then offered to answer questions. Mr. Krause asked what the depreciation of Tesla vehicles was. Ms. McCurry stated that she was not sure. Mr. DeGroot answered that Teslas held their value two to three times better than the rest of the fleet. Chair Davey asked Ms. McCurry to tell the board about RENEW Wisconsin. Ms. McCurry explained that RENEW was involved with education, advocacy and policy work, and campaign work for renewable energy. Ms. Dwyer Hallquist asked what the lifespan of wind turbines was. Ms. McCurry replied that she was not sure but estimated 30-50 years. Chair Davey asked how the SAB could do an electric car event in Oshkosh. Ms. McCurry stated that the City could sponsor an event like how Evergreen Credit Union did in Neenah in September of 2019. She explained that organizers would need a parking lot and that there was more time involved than funding when sponsoring events like this. V. Oshkosh Sustainability Plan Update -Update The board decided to switch this and Item VI due to the guest presentation and because Item VI was inter-related with the presentation. Mr. Wiley stated that he had updated the plan draft based on input from the SAB and Winnebago County Health Department. The board had approved the draft and it was now on his supervisor's desk for supervisor review. Once his supervisor approved it, the updated plan draft would go to the Common Council for Council review and approval. VI. Proposal—Electric Vehicle Project—Eric DeGroot—Discussion/Action Mr. DeGroot explained that he was interested in doing an audit of fleet vehicles in the City and that there were three or four fleets in the City that the board could look at. He wanted to recommend proposals for fleet managers to buy electric vehicles when gasoline vehicles reached the ends of their lifespans. Mr. Wiley explained that for administrative requests like these, the board would have to take action and make a formal request of staff to consider devoting staff time to the proposal. Mr. Wiley would request approval from his superiors to approach the City Manager who would then consider the proposal. Mr. DeGroot stated that where possible and cost effective he would like to propose replacement of gasoline vehicles with electric vehicles. This would not necessarily occur in all cases, especially where a gasoline vehicle was operating fine. Mr. DeGroot mentioned that beyond cost,he would want to examine the locations where vehicles were stored or kept. Ms. Oliver stated that she would imagine doing the audit first and then following with a recommendation. Chair Davey explained that the project would involve Mr. Wiley obtaining the data on fleet vehicles and costs and the board recommending an audit of the fleet. She asked the board if they would like to request that Mr. Wiley obtain information from fleet managers. Mr. Wiley asked the board to make a motion to have staff seek approval to pursue the audit. Mr. Krause asked that Mr.Wiley also ask for information on the replacement cycles/times for vehicles. The board voted 8-0 to pursue the proposal (Oliver/Bogden Muetzel). Ms. McCurry thanked the board and the board thanked her for visiting and presenting. She left at this point. VII. Lakeshore Master Planning Process-Update Chair Davey asked Mr.Wiley for an update on the Lakeshore Master Planning. Mr. Wiley explained that Stacy James in Parks had just sent out an update prior to the SAB meeting. Ms.James had informed the interested parties that the Advisory Park Board meeting scheduled for Monday, October 141h where the Preferred Concept Plan for Lakeshore Park was to be discussed was rescheduled to Monday, October 21s'at 6pm. Parks staff anticipated that the master plan would be scheduled for Plan Commission and Common Council approval in November/December. Mr. Blassingame asked if the meeting would be in Room 404. Mr. Wiley stated that the Advisory Parks Board usually met in Room 404. Chair Davey asked Mr.Wiley to notice the meeting for the SAB. VIII. Environmental Leadership Award Chair Davey agreed to update the board on this item. She explained that representatives of the SAB and Southwest Rotary Beautification Committee had just met prior to the SAB meeting and identified a potential awardee for 2020. She asked SAB members and members of the public watching to contact Mr. Wiley with any ideas for potential awardees. IX. Menominee Shoreland Restoration-Update Ms.Bogden Muetzel updated the board and stated that the Pathfinders came and many volunteer events had occurred at the site. Volunteers trimmed back tall plants and the Friends of Menominee Shoreland were working with the City on leaving plants over the winter. This contrasted to past years when the Parks Department would mow the site and the plants would come back the following spring. Ms. Bogden Muetzel stated that there were benefits such as bio-diversity to leaving the plants in place. She had talked with City Forester Bill Sturm and was informed by Mr. Sturm that leaving the plants in place should be fine. The group had worked to keep the trail open and the Wednesday just prior to the SAB meeting was the last volunteer day so far. Ms. Bogden Muetzel explained that the group was wrapping up and would hold a meeting coming up. Chair Davey asked what was happening on the Nicolet site. Ms. Bogden Muetzel stated that a new section was planted this fall and that the Housing Authority was working with the group. Ms. Bogden Muetzel stated that at the pumphouse site Queen Lace had posed a problem. The group did some plantings to combat this during spring 2019. Chair Davey clarified that the Nicolet site was behind the 700 block of Nicolet Avenue. Ms. Bogden Muetzel explained that the Friends of Menominee Park Shoreland focused on the restoration of native plants. X. 2019 Oshkosh Farmers Market-Update Chair Davey stated that Mr. Turner was at the September 1411~Farmers Market and that the board would probably want to host a booth again in 2020. She explained that the Department of Community Development had purchased a pop-up canopy for the board to use at the Farmers Market booth. Mr. Wiley stated that staff was considering coordination of dates or locations with the Rental Housing Advisory Board so that the boards could host booths on alternate dates or use the same canopy for the two booths side by side. Chair Davey stated that she would follow up with Mr. Wiley on the Farmers Market dates. XI. Social Media—Discussion/Action Ms. Oliver explained that she still wanted to be manager of the SAB Facebook page and was continuing to push for this. She informed the board that she was creating posts for October and that she was not finished yet. She would follow up with Mr. Wiley and the posts for October would focus on energy and efficiency. Chair Davey asked if posts could focus on electric vehicles. Ms. Oliver stated that November's theme would be No Waste November but that December's posts could focus on EVs. XII. Agenda Items for Future Meeting Chair Davey asked if board members had any items to propose for the next agenda. Mr. DeGroot's electric vehicle project would stay on the agenda. Mr. Wiley stated that he would provide an update on the UW-Oshkosh student projects since he did not have one on the October agenda. Social media discussions and updates on the Environmental Leadership Award and Sustainability Plan would also remain. In addition, a number of board members brought up that they had received a citizen email with concerns about the City's use of glyphosate and Mr. Wiley stated that he could include follow-up discussion on the City's use of weedkillers. XIV. Next Meeting,Monday, November 4th1 2019—City Hall Room 404 Chair Davey reminded the board of the next meeting. The board voted 8-0 to adjourn at 7:26 pm (Dwyer Hallquist/Maslowski). Recorded by: Steven Wiley,Assistant Planner