05.16.18 EAB Minutes CITY OF BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING SUMMARY
NAME OF BOARD/COMMISSION: Environmental Advisory Board
DATE OF MEETING: May 16, 2018
NAME/TELEPHONE OF PERSON PREPARING SUMMARY: Sandy Briggs,
303-441-1931.
NAMES OF MEMBERS, STAFF AND INVITED GUESTS PRESENT:
Environmental Advisory Board Members Present: Karen Crofton, Michael SanClements and
Miriam Hacker.
Environmental Advisory Board Members Absent: Christina Gosnell and Jason Vogel.
Community Member Present: Doug Dupler.
Staff Members Present: Kara Mertz, Brett KenCairn, Brooke McKinney and Sandy Briggs.
MEETING SUMMARY:
❖ 6400 Arapahoe
The board made the following comments and posed the following questions that should be
answered through the future analyses for the site:
• How does this site fit into the larger context of a"circular economy?"
■ Criteria should be developed to determine the best fit start-up businesses. e.g.,
quantity of material able to be processed, type of material, ability to integrate
with other uses on the site, market reach of end-product, etc.
■ Use Boulder Energy Challenge questions as a guide for making something
useful and scalable (milestones/goals)
• Pre-poll potential tenants in the space
■ Get advice from Rocky Mountain Innosphere
■ Material availability
■ Ideas for products
■ Market reach of end-products
■ Preference for non-traditional entrepreneurs?
• Is the idea scalable?
• Structure the tenancy as a competition: who has the best idea for this particular
material stream?
• Are there incentives needed other than subsidized space?
• Address material challenges at the Boulder County Recycling center(with China not
buying many plastics) or what materials CHaRM regularly turns away
• Look to solutions that also heat/cool/provide electricity to the site
• What business services are needed?
• Conduct case studies of other municipalities or other similar private endeavors
• How much time would be needed for a business start-up to determine its ability to
succeed?
• Is there a need for wet/lab space to test bigger ideas that can process large scale
materials and/or more complex business ideas in an innovative way(beyond artisan
furniture, consumer goods, etc.)?
o Might these sorts of businesses be better positioned to afford rent of the
innovation hub space?
• U-Fix-it Clinics should focus on sporting goods in addition to small appliances
• Tool library rental rates may not be market-driven
• Would everything need to be reused? If not:
o What percent?
o Minimum diversion potential?
• What is the proper lease rates?
o Market?
o Below market?
• What are the market drivers?
• What are the space/layout/processing capacity needs?
• Do we need access to "mobile assets" for a limited period of time (e.g. lab equipment,
kiln for drying lumber,plastic pelletizer, etc.)?
• Should the city outsource managing the space?
• Link to Arapahoe Ridge High School to create programming synergies
1. CALL TO ORDER
Environmental Advisory Board Chair, K. Crofton, declared a quorum and called the meeting to
order at 6:02 pm.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
On a motion by M. SanClements, seconded by M. Hacker, the Environmental Advisory Board
voted 3-0 (C. Gosnell and J. Vogel absent) to approve the March 7, 2018 meeting minutes and
April 4, 2018 retreat minutes.
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Doug Dupler, 3595 Arthur Ct., addressed the board regarding his concerns about traffic noise
and enforcement of the pesticide use ordinance.
Noise ordinances are not in the purview of the EAB, but B. KenCairn and S. Briggs will
research his pesticide use questions and report back to him and the board.
4. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS
None.
5. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. 6400 Arapahoe (Mertz)
Environmental Manager, K. Mertz,updated the board on the progress of ideation and
scoping stages of the 6400 Arapahoe site.
She provided context by explaining current uses at the site, reviewed strategies for
scoping potential future occupancies and asked for S.W.O.T. (strength, weakness,
opportunities, threats) analysis and business plan feedback as to how the site could fit
into the larger context of a circular economy.
The board's comments are captured in the meeting summary.
6. OLD BUSINESS/UPDATES
A. Debrief Retreat(KenCairn)
As the main takeaways from the retreat feed directly into the Matters topics below, there
were no additional points made here separately.
7. MATTERS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISORY BOARD,
CITY MANAGER AND CITY ATTORNEY
A. Preparing for a Joint Advisory Board Meeting on Ecosystem Related Issues
(KenCairn)
Senior Environmental and Climate Planner and EAB Staff Liaison, B. KenCairn,
informed the board that there will be three action streams across the organization relating
to 2018's Climate Commitment ecosystems focus: staff, advisory boards and the
community.
He provided a list of preliminary tasks to complete and a timeline through 2018 until the
joint EAB/City Council study session in January 2019.
The boards invited and involved will be EAB, PRAB, OSBT, TAB, Planning Board,
Landmarks Board and the Greenways Advisory Committee. The EAB will facilitate and
participate at the same time.
The board suggested creating discussion tracks, inviting speakers with expertise in the
various tracks and having discussion content prepared in advance.
So far, the major issues for discussion are:
• Forest disruptions
o Urban (EAB)
o Wildland (fire)
• Pollinators
• Soil degradation
• Soil sequestration
• Aquatic pollution & invertebrate dieback
The initial tasks, and their assigned board member, are:
1. K. Crofton will meet with board chairs and/or attend meetings of each invited
board to start the conversation;
2. M. Hacker will identify, connect to and make a list of environmental groups to
involve (S. Briggs and B. McKinney will establish transparent Google sharing
for this list upon receipt); and
3. M. SanClements will attend meeting(s) as EAB liaison for planning the
community ecosystems meeting.
Process for the joint meeting will be discussed at the June EAB meeting.
B. Update on the Joint Council/EAB Study Session (KenCairn)
The meeting is still scheduled for January 2019. The joint board meeting planning and
other involved work are in also preparation for this study session.
8. DEBRIEF MEETING/CALENDAR CHECK
A. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 6, 6-8 pm.
9. ADJOURNMENT
The Environmental Advisory Board adjourned at 7:32 pm.
Approved:
Chair Date