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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-05-21 Council Mtg MINASHLAND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES May 21, 2024 I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Graham called the meeting to order at 6:05 pm. 1. Land Acknowledgement" Councilor DuQuenne read the land acknowledgement. II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Councilor Dahle led the Pledge of Allegiance. III. ROLL CALL Mayor Graham and Councilors Bloom. Dahle, Kaplan. DuQuenne, Hansen were present. Councilor Hyatt was absent. IV. MAYOR'S / CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT Mayor Graham reminded those present that they still had two hours left to submit their ballots at the drop box behind the City Library. 1. Building Safety Month Proclamation Mayor Graham read the proclamation into the record. V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Dahle/Kaplan m/s to approve the minutes. Roll Call Vote: Bloom, Dahle, Kaplan, DuQuenne, Hansen, YES. Motion passed. 1. Minutes of the May 6. 2024 — Study Session Meeting 2. Minutes of the May 7. 2024 - Business Meeting VI. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 1. Guanajuato Sister City Ashland High School Introduction Senora Ochella, a member of the Amigo Club spoke about her planned visit to Ashland's sister city Guanajuato on the 19th of June. Ochella introduced Nancy Lynch, a member of the Lions Club, who will be going to Guanajuato with her to assist in giving eye exams. Ochella read a letter from Ashland High School Dean of Students Sarah Weston about student Mckenzie Locklan, who had been selected to accompany the delegation to Guanajuato. Locklan spoke about her enthusiasm towards the forthcoming trip. 2. Ashland Parks Foundation Update Ashland Parks Foundation President, Mike Gardiner,. provided an update regarding ongoing projects involving the Ashland Parks Foundation (SEE PRESENTATION). Gardiner noted that funding for the restoration of the Butler-Perozzi Fountain was almost complete. He thanked Interim City Manager Sabrina Cotta and Planning Commissioner Brandon Goldman for helping Parks receive a series of grants to assist with the restoration, as well as members of APRC for their efforts with both the fountain and the Japanese Garden. DuQuenne asked if the Parks Foundation had an estimate on how long until the fountain restoration is complete. Gardiner said that he would like to see the project start in Spring of 2025 once full funding had been reached. Hansen asked if the Foundation had plans to arrange a party in the Japanese gardens to mark the Fountain project being fully funded. Gardiner responded that it had been discussed, adding that 450 local donors had contributed to the funding. Dahle thanked Parks Foundation members for all their hard work and asked if the RFP would be published immediately. Gardiner responded that he hopes it will go out within the next few months. Mayor Graham thanked Ashland Parks Foundation for their efforts. VII. CITY MANAGER REPORT Interim City Manager Sabrina Cotta spoke about an initiative to bring a track chair to APRC. It would allow a person with mobility issues to be able to explore Lithia Park. She noted that Utility Billing would be available at the Senior Center on Monday and Wednesday from 9 AM to 1 PM to answer questions. She thanked the Ashland Chronicle for retracting a story because of a factual error on the topic of miscellaneous fees. Cotta mentioned that the new City website would be going live on Wednesday, May 22nd, noted that the City had a new parking vendor, and thanked everyone who participated in the recent "Coffee and Conversation" meeting. Vill. PUBLIC FORUM 15 minutes — Public input or comment on City business not included on the agenda Debbie Neisewander/Ashland - Spoke about concerns over Court proceedings regarding the unhoused. Wanted the Court to have a better understanding of the struggles of the unhoused regarding communication. She also provided an update regarding the fire at the Night Lawn. David McAlaster/Ashland — Spoke about the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Urged the Council to speak on the issue and act. Urged Council to take act on the proposed Ashland Electrification Clean Air concept ordinance. IX. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Liquor License Approval for Le Petit Cafe & Creperie 2. Liquor License Approval for O'Ryans Irish Pub 137 E Main St. 3. Liquor License Approval for Bestow 1606 Ashland St. 4. Oregon Department of Energy Grant Application Approval DuQuenne/Bloom m/s to approve the Consent Agenda as is. Roll Call Vote: Dahle, Bloom, Hansen, DuQuenne, Kaplan, YES. Motion Passed X. PUBLIC HEARING 1. First Reading - ordinance 3238 and 3239 updating Building Codes Community Development Manager Brandon Goldman and Building Official Steven Matiaco provided a summary of the two ordinances. Goldman added that the changes would allow for the City to be in line with changes at the state level. Bloom spoke about the potential financial burdens some of the changes could cause on low-income residents. He asked if there was anything within the ordinance that addressed this issue. Goldman responded that the "dangerous building" section was based mostly on damage after natural disasters. He also noted that the degree of repair for "dangerous buildings" could be quite substantial. Bloom asked what would happen if a homeowner could not make the repairs because of the cost. Goldman spoke about a building that was damaged by a fallen tree, with the homeowner working with a nonprofit to acquire a block grant to finance the needed repairs. Goldman also noted that the City could work with non -profits to help ease the financial burden. Matiaco added that safety citations would ultimately be at the discretion of the hearing officer/judge. Acting City Attorney Doug McGeary added that the ordinance would be creating a process to deal with potential building dangers, as opposed to not having anything in place. Bloom noted that owning property comes with an assumption of risk. DuQuenne wanted to make sure that there was protection for low-income households regarding dangerous buildings. She asked why the state's specialty codes were not adequate. Matiaco responded that the State had given the power to the local municipality to see how best to address dangerous buildings. Goldman added that the ordinance provided a framework for how to best address the issue. He noted that the City would not have a way to address these buildings without the ordinance. Hansen noted that specialty codes updates happen every two or three years. Dahle thanked Goldman and Matiaco for their work. He asked what design professionals would need to do regarding the changes. Goldman responded that design professionals would already assume that the changes were in place. Kaplan noted the three different blocks of changes within the ordinance. He asked if the changes in the dangerous buildings section came from the County. which Matiaco confirmed. Matiaco noted that there was not an updated unified code across counties, with McGeary adding that the current unified code had lots of holes within its language to allow for it to be modified to best suit the individual county. Kaplan asked about the state codes. He was surprised that the State had removed themselves from the process of updating building codes in certain places. Matiaco responded that it depends on the administration and legislation. Bloom wanted to make sure that there was a process in place regarding how to handle a homeowner who cannot pay for the needed building work, with Goldman noting that insurance would play a role in providing the money. Bloom wanted to make sure a policy would be put in place to ensure that the homeowner would have access and knowledge of resources to best help pay with home damage. Goldman agreed, adding that it was an issue that should be handled on a larger scale because of the sheer scale of the programs. DuQuenne asked if the process for providing homeowners information could be handled within the ordinance. Goldman noted that the ordinance would handle code modifications. Graham summed up the Councilors issues as a desire to have homeowners be aware of the resources available to them if they were unable to make the needed repairs. Goldman noted that it would depend on circumstances regarding how much the City could be involved. Graham asked about the definition of "historic structure." as defined in the ordinance. Goldman noted that the definition of historic structure was not only in the ordinance, but also within other areas of the building code. Mayor Graham opened the Public Hearing. No comments. Mayor Graham closed the Public Hearing. DuQuenne raised concerns regarding the wording of "dangerous buildings" regarding the time since construction. Goldman noted that the time since construction did not solely classify a building as dangerous or not. Hansen/Dahle m/s to approve First Reading of Ordinance 3238, AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTERS 15.04; 15.10; 15.16; 15.20; AND 15.36 OF TITLE 15; and schedule Second Reading for June 18, 2024. Discussion: Hansen thanked Goldman and Matiaco for their work. Bloom hoped that the discussion around providing resources could be continued. DuQuenne felt that the changes were an overreach and would not be supporting the ordinance. Roll Call: Counselors Bloom, Dahle, Kaplan, Hansen, YES. DuQuenne, NO. Motion passed 4-1. Hanse/Bloom m/s to approve first reading of ordinance 3239, AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 2.22.101, "ESTABLISHED MEMBERSHIP' OF THE BUILDING BOARD OF APPEALS, CHAPTER 2.22; (or as amended); and schedule Second Reading for June 18, 2024. Discussion: Hansen thanked Goldman and Matiaco for their work. Roll Call: Councilors Kaplan, Dahle, Bloom, Hansen YES, DuQuenne, NO. Motion passed 4-1. Mayor Graham reminded those attending to make sure they had proper fire and flood insurance. XI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS XII. NEW BUSINESS Miscellaneous Fees Finance Director Marianne Berry and Community Development Manager Brandon Goldman presented the changes in miscellaneous fees for 2024. Bloom asked about the changes in fees for the Middle Housing Land Division. Goldman responded that the state had passed a new law regarding the middle land division process while noting that the fee process had to be changed to accommodate it. Bloom asked about the change in rental fees at the Butler Bandshell and how those changes were calculated. Interim Parks Director Leslie Eldridge explained that the change in cost was in the name of covering increased time for staff. Bloom asked about the change in alcohol fees, adding that there were economic and social benefits from having events. Eldridge responded that the old fees were set around events like weddings. The new change in alcohol usage in the parks had caused an increase in time and resources from the City. Dahle asked if anyone had applied for event grants. Cotta responded that those grants were not yet available. Dahle agreed with Bloom's point of wanting more events within the park. DuQuenne noted that the cost to rent the Japanese Garden was very competitive and that the changes would be beneficial. DuQuenne asked about the changes in cost for AFN. Berry responded that the changes were calculated from AFN and that Chad Sobotka would have a more thorough answer. Dahle thanked Berry and her team for their work and that most of the fees have not been changed. Dahle asked if there was going to be a place on the website where the changes in fees could be seen across multiple years. Berry answered that the miscellaneous fees documents were already on the website but were not easily accessible and that the change in trends over time will be accessible soon. Kaplan/Dahle m/s to approve the Resolution No. 2024- 14 titled, "A Resolution Adopting Miscellaneous Fees & Charges Document and Repealing Prior Fee Resolution 2023-1 Discussion: Kaplan and Dahle thanked Berry and her team. Bloom said that he would be voting no because of rate increases from Parks. Roll Call Councilors: Dahle, Kaplan, DuQuenne, Hansen, YES. Bloom NO. Motion Passed 4-1. Council took a seven -minute recess from 7:53PM to 8:OOPM 2. 3rd Quarter Financial Update Finance Director Marianne Berry provided a presentation on the updates (see attached) Topics Discussed Were • Revenue Summary • Revenues • Expenditures • City Net Position • Finance Department Updates Kaplan asked if Berry foresaw any needed adjustments in the second year of the biennium. Berry responded that the City was on track with their expenditures and will probably need to make adjustments when the Oregon Paid Leave program is rolled out. Mayor Graham thanked Berry and her team for presenting the budget information in an easy -to -understand method. 3. Climate: Natural Gas Ordinance Options/Discussion Climate and Environment Policy Advisory Committee Chair Bryan Sohl, Climate & Energy Analyst Chad Woodward, and CEPAC student members Piper Banks and Kiera Retiz provided a presentation and gave updates on how climate change has affected the Rogue Valley. Topics discussed: • Origins of CEAP • 2050 Vision • Some facts about "Natural" Gas • Health impacts of Burning "Natural" Gas • Ashland Electrification Ordinance Timetable • CEPAC Informational meeting and Stakeholder Engagement on Electrification Ordinance • Why Consider an Ordinance? • Cost Considerations of New Residential • Support for the Ordinance Chad Woodward provided another presentation, this one focused on the electrification project. Topics discussed: • Goals & Priorities • City of Ashland — Emissions Breakdown • Electric Heat Pumps • CEAP Reductions of 8% comparing all gas vs no new gas in new residential • Menu of Options • Considerations Mayor Graham clarified that staff was seeking guidance from Council on how best to proceed. DuQuenne asked how well Ashland's current electrical grid would be able to handle the discussed changes. Director of Electric Utilities Tom McBartlett answered that the grid would easily be able to handle any new changes and new growth, with it currently running at 50% capacity. DuQuenne hoped that new builders would be able to build more affordable housing. Kaplan noted that the City's electric consumption/purchase from Bonneville Power Administration had gone down due to increase in efficiency across the board. Dahle asked how far off from the climate goals was the City and what the general trends for incentives would be. Sohl responded that the City lacked a clear picture regarding their efforts and a lack of general data on climate mitigation overall. Likewise, monitoring overall trends was a challenge because of lack of data and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bloom asked how low-income residents would not be disproportionately affected by the proposed carbon charge and what measures could be put in place for small business to deal with the increase in the price of natural gas. Woodward noted that the carbon charge would only affect new residential buildings and would be charged if a developer wanted to use natural gas, and that franchise fees accounted for 5% of the total budget. He also noted that the money raised from franchise fees could be used to help pay bills for low- income households as well as provide payment for environmental upgrades. Sohl added that the impact of new residential gas emissions was not big compared to gas emissions from current structures, noting that the current ordinance was focused on new buildings only. Bloom asked how enforcement would work on NOx emissions. Woodward responded that the first part of enforcement would come during the permit application process, followed by a home inspection down the line. He added that enforcement can only happen if information had been given. Sohl added that he did not foresee enforcement being an issue, since new residential homes would not have gas pipelines and the greenhouse gas standards would be increasing over the next ten to twenty years. Bloom asked what the legal issues would be if the City declares no new natural gas pipelines, citing the City's monopoly on the electrical grid. Woodward responded that third parties believed it would not be a monopoly but wanted the City to conduct a legal investigation. Graham reminded Council that they were not voting on the ordinance. Hansen praised CEPAC's work and asked what the general renewable energy options would be and if there would be any unforeseen consequences for renters. Woodward noted that there was already a robust federal solar incentive alongside the City's own net metering. Moving forward, he foresaw that future solar sites would be determined via the master electric plan, followed by grant applications to the state. Sohl added that the City of Bend was having a similar discussion regarding right of way issues, with other Oregon cities eyeing the City of Ashland's decision as a waypoint for their own progress. Public Comments Shekina McCullough/Ashland — Urged Council to take immediate action and approve the ordinance. Cynthia Taylor/Ashland- Voiced support of Rogue Climate Action and for the proposed ordinance. Urged Council to take immediate action and that every little action counts towards the larger goal. Susan Sullivan/Ashland —Spoke about her experience as a homeowner and the change she's made to her house to make it more climate friendly. Urged council to support the ordinance. Praised the youth leadership behind the ordinance. Shayne Hayes/Talent — Spoke to his dealing with the consequences of the Alameda Fire. Urged support for the proposed ordinance. Highlighted the benefits the ordinance would have for renters. Leah Same lson/Ashland — Voiced her support for the package and urged Council to take immediate action. Ingrid Edstrom/Ashland — Voiced her support for the package and praised Rogue Climate and local youth groups for their efforts. Urged Council to pass the ordinance as soon as possible. Paul Mozina/Ashland — Voiced his disapproval of the package. Felt that climate change was not caused by human activity. Bloom asked if there was any consideration on putting the climate package on the ballot. Sohl responded that CEPAC had not, citing the City of Eugene having issues with their ordinance because of fossil fuel company interventions. Kaplan/Dahle m/s to direct staff to bring Council an only applied to new residential construction ordinance for NOX emission standards for two appliances following the California Air Resource Board model on furnace and hot water heaters as well as a proposal for carbon charge along the lines outlined in the packet. Discussion: Kaplan felt that there was a precedent following the actions the state of California had taken and that the standards set within the packet were a good starting place. He also felt that the Carbon Charge required more research but was a promising idea. Dahle added that he was interested in finding the externalities and procedures that would affect all the people of Ashland. Hansen suggested more research into the increased franchise fee option. Kaplan/Dahle m/s to amend by directing staff to bring a proposal for adjustments to the franchise agreements or other means of regulating natural gas usage by the first quarter of 2025. Discussion: DuQuenne wanted to ensure that the original point of the package to be kept intact regarding staff's actions. Bloom wanted more information for the ordinance to be fully fleshed out. He also raised concerns over equity issues. Dahle also wanted to make sure that CEPAC had modeled fiscal impacts. Graham summed up her feelings on the ongoing climate crisis. She praised the actions of the Youth Committee and Rogue Climate. Roll Call Vote: Dahle, Bloom, Hansen, DuQuenne, Kaplan YES Motion Passed 4. Shelter Goals (MOVED TO NEXT MEETING) X111. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS XIV. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS/REPORTS FROM COUNCIL LIAISONS XV. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Graham adjourned the meeting at 9:33 pm Respectfully Submitted by: Attest: City ec rder Alissa Kolodzinski Mayor fonya Graham Butler-Perozzi Fountain RESTORATION Campaign Goal: $800,000 Committed to date: $704,000 (88%) as of May 14, 2024 ■ = Committed Gift ❑ = Gift Needed Gifts/Pledges Amount �ceived Raised Needed Total No $2001000 2 $400,000 $400,000 EENE❑❑ $25,000 4 $100,000 $501000 $150,000 NEENEEMEME11313 $101000 9 $901000 $301000 $120,000 MENOMMO❑ $5,000 7 $351000 $51000 $40,000 M O N ❑ ❑ $21000 3 $6,000 $4,000 $10,000 ENEENEEMON NNEENNNEME $1,000 26 $261000 $4,000 $30,000 Less than $1,000 384 $471000 $3,000 $50,000 Total 433 $704,000 $96,000 $800,000 Note: Includes 4 pledges of $10,000 each Expense Breakdown Electrical System Terrace/Stair $275,000 t-ampaign (-osts $25,000 ntenance Fund $200,000 Water System $50,000 Restoration $200,000 Interest Planning d Building fees SDCs Franchise Fees Arrbutance Transports Electnc User Tax Transient lodging Tax Food 6 Beverage Tax Property Tax REVENUE SUMMARY (in thousands) REVENUE SUMMARY (in thousands) Charges forSernces P roperty Tax F000 & Beverage lax Transient lodgirg Tax Electric User lax Ambulance Transports Franchise Fees SDC's Planing& Building Fees Interest MarFY24 MarFY23 MarFY22 MarFY21 $ 27.029 $ 2B,256 $ 27,501 S 26.304 $ 12.965 $ 12.489 $ 12,383 S 11,670 S 1.821 $ 1./17 $ 1.379 _ 1,296 1,845 $ 1.231 $ 1,463 : 1,079 2.731 $ 2.947 $ 2,894 2,737 4.513 $ 1779 $ 1.633 S 1,066 5 2.782 $ 2,949 $ 2.779 i 2,671 756 $ 399 $ 623 S 838 1,246 $ 927 $ 1.329 > 2.196 $ 3,120 $ 1,071 $ 200 > 279 Charges for Semces $- $5.000 S10.000 $15.000 $20,000 $25,000 S30,000 MarFY21 ■MarFY22 a Mar FY23 ■Mar FY24 OnFASEI Revenues ❖ Transient Lodging, Food & Beverage Taxes and Other ■ TLT is 50%higher than previous year ■ F&B is 6.4%higher than previous year • Planning/Building fees are up by 34% ❖ investment income to nearly triple this fiscal year ❖ Franchise Fees decreased by 5.7% ❖ Overall revenue up by about 3% ■ Net of Ambulance uncollectible - accounting change in FY24 ❖ Accounts receivable and collections update ■ No shut -offs to date due to active collection process ■ Currently working on $5K and over Expenditures $W.000.000 SK 000.000 Sw.000.000 SM.000.000 $20.000.000 110.000.000 S. ❖ In budgetary compliance ❖ Capital spending & debt service o Water Treatment Plant construction delayed due to referral Personnel Ma,S City Wide Expenditures Actuals vs Budget try M ki DtbtService Cann ,. at Actuals 0 Budget CITYWIDE EXPENDITURES YTD 3J31124 Actuals Personnel S 27,903.266 $ 42A16Al7 65.8% M&S 32.92G2% 511308,905 64.2% DebtSerttce 2,047,682 5,586,421 36.7% Capital Outlay 13,00E,409 50.299,594 25.9% Transfers Out 807,126 1.117.756 72.2% Contingencies 2,412,472 0.0% Taal Requirements $ 76,650,761 S 153,141,965 50.1% Transfers Out Contingencies �I City's Net Position* ❖ Fund Balance ■ City Wide = $87.11VI vs $81.3M ■ General Fund = $24.7M vs $23.3M •: Cash & Investments ■ City Wide = $80.5M vs $76.11M • General Fund = $23.5M vs $22.8M * Current Year vs Previous Year, same period Finance Department Updates Utility Billing Senior Services collaboration o Upcoming: UB Update and Assistance Programs 111 -u �= Municipal Audit Committee Debt Administration WIFIA loan (on hold) and RESP loan finalized in June /r n AV04 M I ww"IR ',1 .1. -we It WIRE W� -4r, 41" Climate and Environment Policy Advisory Committee - CEPAC CityofAshland- Electrification Ordinance May 21,2024 Arp Vw Gettv Imaws f I A; 1-5 at Ashland - Siskiyou Chaiii Up Area Updeted, Atic_i 01 2013 6*29 PrO Looking South Elevation 2080 TriipCheck.com Milepost 13.00 How Did We Get Here? F1 Ashland CEAP - Climate Vision for 2050 Specific Emissions Goals Reduce Ashland Community GHG emissions by 8% PER YEAR on average every year to 2050 B-E 1-2: Promote Switching to Low and Non -Carbon Fuels Ashland Emissions: How Are We Doing since CEAP Was passed in 2017? Ashland Community NG use 10% 2015-2020. Community Gas Meters Increased 5% 2015-2020. FA Climate R. Fnprgy Climate & Energy Action Plan L, Some Facts about "Natural" Gas • "Natural" Gas is primarily methane. • Methane is the second most important GHG regarding heat trapping potential. • Methane is MUCH more potent than CO2 as a GHG • 84 times more potent over 20 years • 26 times more potent over 100 years Health Impacts of Burning "Natural" Gas • Burning "Natural" Gas leads to the formation of NO, • American Lung Association Concludes: • NOX Exposure is associated with deleterious affects on the lungs • NOX Exposure is detrimental to heart function • NOX Exposure negatively affects pregnancy and birth outcomes • NOX exposure is associated with a 32%42% increase in Childhood Asthma for kids living in homes where gas was used to cook. • Lin et al International Journal of Epidemiology, volume 42, Issue 6, December 2013, Pages1724-1737 Ashland Electrification Ordinance Timetable • March 21, 2023 -RCAT bringqs Electrification Ordinance to City Council. Council directs CEPAC to study fed"sibility of an ordinance. • April 17, 2023 - U.S. 9t" District Court rules in favor of California Restaurant Association vs. Berkeley • June 6, 2023 - City Council instructs City Manager to dedicate necessary City. Staff and City Legal Resources to research a potential ordinance and draft an ordinance if felt to be feasible. • CEPAC members and City Staff in consultation with many others, researched and worked on the issue. We anticipate that soon outside legal counsel will become involved. • October 2023 - Two Stakeholder Engagement public hearings. • January 17, 2024 CEPAC voted overwhelmingly to recommend that council pass 1) an electrification and clean air ordinance pertaining to new residential construction only and 2) a resolution to further study how to reduce emissions from existing residences and commercial properties. *P, Why Consider an Ordinance? • Buildings, along with the transportation sector, are areas where we, as a community, can make the most impact of our GHG footprint • We can reduce household GHG emissions withoutmatorlifest�e changes • W e can d o this without imposing an undue financial burden on our community. • For new houses it will be significantly cheaper to electrify now, as opposed to a retrofit to electrify a house years from now. /r Cost Considerations of New Residential • RMI study of nine markets (includin Eugene) found all - electric new home costs were lesslo build and maintain than mixed electric -gas new homes IN ALL NINE MARKETS • Less Up ront construction costs (Did not even include incentives and rebates • Less annual energy bills. (Even cheaper in Ashland) • Less 15 year total life -cycle costs ($5850 less over 15 years in Eugene) • In the past five years, since Jan. 01, 2019 • AVISTA NG rates have increased 42.8% • City of Ashland Electric Utility rates have increase 1.5 % 0 GHG Emissions very significantly lower in all -electric homes Support for the Ordinance • Ryan Haynes -Housing Authority of Jackson County: Director of Real Estate Development • Since 2019, HAJC has completed construction and development of affordable housing for 224 households within Jackson County, and we are currently under construction on an additional 370 homes here in the Rogue Valley. Affordable housing is what we do and who we are. HAJC utilizes all -electric construction. We have realized reduced construction costs associated with the need for fewer infrastructure installations such as pipelines and venting systems. Furthermore, the ongoing maintenance and potential repair costs associated with gas systems has also been avoided. We have also found that our residents who live in all -electric Support for the Ordinance • Michael Mehaffy, PhD - Lead Planner Townmakers LLC • Speaking personally, as one who did my doctoral research on climate change and impacts of urban development, I am strongly pportive of action to reduce emissions, particularly at the neighborhood scale. I also agree that there is a crucial need to better value the externality costs of energy use, particularly around fossil fuels. • Speaking now on behalf of Townmakers LLD, the company believes that going all -electric on residential is a smart move. Support for the Ordinance Mark Knox - KDA Homes I'm very excited to encourage the Ashland City Council to pass an emissions standard for new residential construction. As some of you know, the first part of my career was as on Ashland City Planner, later a land use consultant and up until my recent retirement in August, a developer with KDA Homes, LLC where KDA was responsible for building roughly 180 homes/apartments in the City. 1 strongly believe the City's participation in developing more restrictive emission standards would 100% help the building industry build more quality and sustainable housing. This is no different than building codes adopting new seismic, insulation or weatherproofing standards, which were cumbersome during their initial implementation, but eventually became second nature to subcontractors and less costly to builders over time Overall, the current City Council should know about the multiple times Ashland has been at the forefront leading the State of Oregon, always applauded by numerous municipalities around the State, in having the courage to adopt a new code that is now standard code (solar access, site design, sign code, max building size, parking standards, etc.). As such, I would encourage the City Council to adopt a Zero NOx emissions standard in new homes through the Climate & Clean Air Ordinance. City of Ashland Goals &Priorities Climate Impacts Reduce Ashland's contribution to global carbon pollution by reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with City, residential, commercial, and industrial activities. For the Ashland community: Reduce overall Ashland community greenhouse gas emissions by 8% on average every year to 2050. For City of Ashland operations: Attain carbon neutrality in City operations by 2030, and reduce fossil fuel consumption by 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. ill't" Climate & Energy Action Plan 4�N[n 701i City of Ashland -Emissions �p�l I ' •w��'JSy. �w ll� Heat Pump Heating/AC Cost effective and fewer emissions $16o0 2800 yi coat to —.1. S1.300- Coroon envuiona 2.100 v, 6-10 1,100/yr Tons yr 4-8 4-8 Tons yr Tons yr 15-3 Tons /yr oil Electric Gas Heat Furnace Baseboard Furnace Pump Heat Pump Heating/AC Lowest cost of operations Lowest carbon emissions $1.800- 2.800 Yr vnt m operou Co,bon anuvons S1,000- 1,800 'Yr 6-1L T�,t rr i700 1.SOO. r 4-8 Tons yr 5370- 150i yr ] Tons yr 0.1-0.13 Tom, Yr GI Electric Gas Heat Furnace Baseboard Furnace Pump 45MO -- 40,000 35,000 30,000 — .. 25,000 20,000 ... _ 15,000 . -�... .. 10,000 5,000------ ___._. 0 — 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 )0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 —Baselirle —8% Reduction from No New Gas ---8% Reduction from All Gas Menu of Options Non - Franchise or Ordinance Options Good Legal Support Legal Support or Precedent But Could Be Litigated New PrecedentNo Legal I Path A) B) 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 1 Berkeley Do Nothing Increase Increase Construction Right of Way NOx Carbon NOx NOx Style - New Incentives - Franchise Excise Tax Ban - future Emissions Charge Emissions Emissions for, Building we are Fees -future (this seems action - Like CA_ with Zero 5 appliances Code currently action after earmarked after emissions (variation of Related looking for franchise for other franchise building ways to agreement uses- agreement emissions increase housing) concept) incentives Menu of Options Good Legal Legal Support or Precedent But New Precedent - Los Support Could Be Litigated Gatos Hills 1) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Increase Right of Way NOx Carbon NOx NOx Ban - future Franchise Emissions for Charge Emissions Emissions for 2 apliances 5 appliances Fees - future action after with Zero action after franchise (Like CA = emissions (variation of franchise agreement Furnace & building agreement Hot Water) emissions concept) NAM Considerations y t 1. Climate Cost of inaction • losing ground on race to stabilize our climate. • Goal of reducing GHG emissions and obtain carbon neutrality per the CEAP. 2. Economic • Cost of legal Review. • Cost of litigation if necessary. 3. Legal • Would the city get sued? • How much would that cost? s • What other services could that impact? Questions? LPM Thank you! Chad Woodward Climate & Energy Analyst