Longmont City Council on Tuesday will hear more recommendations from a resident group aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable energy infrastructure.
The Climate Action Task last week presented to council recommendations that include calling for an 18-month effort to research and develop a phased electrification plan by November 1. Research for the feasibility study would be overseen by an eight-person committee.
On Tuesday, council members are expected to hear proposals on adaptation and resilience, education, outreach and land use and waste management. They also are scheduled to hear from the Just Transition Plan Committee, which was formed to get perspectives of Longmont communities often not heard but still impacted by climate change.
Ale Franchin, a member of the task force and a research scientist, on June 30 told councilmembers their work toward managing climate change is probably the most important task each will face.
“If you think COVID-19 is a challenge, then be prepared,” Franchin said. “Climate change will bring even more of a challenge. But no person can do this alone. We need a systemic shift on how we do things. We need to find a new normal.”
On June 30, the task force also asked for a more flexible bus service and lobbied for the city to produce at least 20 electric-vehicle only charging stations, especially for the downtown area.
Many of the recommendations will need more personnel and funding to be put into place, said Lisa Knoblauch, the city’s sustainability program manager.
A proposal to create a bikeway system that connects with all major nodes, neighborhoods and community service centers without crossing major roads and highways could cost up to $20 million upon its completion in 20 years, according to the task force.
“Although there are some efforts that we will be able to implement with existing resources, many of the recommendations will require additional resources to either implement new projects/programs or expand existing programs,” Knoblauch said. “The city already, and will continue to seek and secure grants and other funding sources to support implementation of sustainability and climate action efforts.”
City council members on June 30 had few comments about the recommendations from the task force, which was created after council in October voted unanimously to declare a climate emergency.
The task force met eight times to discuss ideas to reduce the effects of climate change and produced a 156-page report.
Task force member Peter Wood asked that council not be intimidated by the scope of the work.
“These are ambitious recommendations but they are also very practical,” Wood said. “This is not pie-in-the-sky stuff.”
Correction:
The summary of the electrification recommendation from the Climate Action Task Force recommended creating an eight-person Electrification Feasibility Committee to oversee an 18-month effort to research and develop a phased electrification plan by Nov. 1. The recommendation does not suggest that Longmont homes and businesses switch from natural gas to electricity over the next 18 months, and the city is not considering a policy that would require electrification of homes and businesses.
