City of Fort Collins Air Quality Board 10/21/24

Public Comment

At the beginning of the meeting, citizens were offered time for comments. One person who spoke reiterated a request from some citizens that the AQ board join with the city’s Energy Advisory Board in advising that the city, as an owner of Platte River Power Authority (PRPA), have an independent review of PRPA’s plan to add gas turbines. The speaker said he represents many who say that the turbines would set back the city’s climate goals as well as air quality. 

Consultant’s Advice 

The AQ Board previously hired TD Enviro to offer advice on how best the city should navigate the future of its commitments to air quality. Cost of this consultant contract was $7,500.

Monitoring & Data

• Recommend strong emphasis on city developing their local AQ communication strategies and partnerships rather than investing in new and sometimes complex monitoring projects and operations.
• Question why the city wasn’t monitoring in certain areas/for specific pollutants.

Website

• The city website is not easily navigable and it’s hard to access and find information leading to frustration and a decrease in website usage. People often go elsewhere for their local AQ information.

Communication

• City staff are attentive and knowledgeable, BUT the city role in AQ is not clearly described/transparent, which leads to confusion around what the city can address.

Collaboration

• The city holds substantial AQ expertise that state and county agencies noted would support their work across the Front Range

Proposed Next Steps 

Monitoring and Data 

• Create a plan for air monitoring within the city.
• Create a resource that discusses how the city can support other organizations that want to conduct monitoring programs in the city.
• Leverage other existing monitoring programs.
• Review and revise the city’s 2019 Air Quality Plan.

Website

• Redesign the website.
• Describe local AQ data in context.
• Connect AQ to other important intersectional issues (e.g. climate change, heat) in website messaging.
• Other minor website changes related to data visuals.

Communication

• Create (or augment) a wildfire smoke communication plan.
• Create (or augment) a public information campaign to share the city’s previous and ongoing AQ efforts.
• Create a resource that describes the city’s role in AQ.

Collaboration

• Maintain alignment with the state on important AQ decisions and actions.
• Include the state in trust-building conversations.
• Explore ways the city can work with the county.

Committee Members Present: Dan Welsh (Chair), Mark Houdashelt (Vice Chair), Michael Cheeseman, Maria Moore, Matt Ayres, Adam Schmidt, and Jeremiah Gorske. Absent: Kaori Keyser, Michael Johnson.

Next meeting: Nov. 18, 5:30 p.m. Agenda 

From the website: The Air Quality Advisory Board advises the City Council regarding policies, plans, and programs to improve and maintain the City's air quality. The Board may, without limitation, biennially review air quality indicators and recommend adjustments to the Air Quality Action Plan, review and recommend revisions of the Air Quality Policy Plan, and advise the Governor-designated lead agency for air quality planning on matters pertaining to the Fort Collins element of the State Implementation Plan. The Board may also convene ad hoc citizen task groups to provide additional technical expertise to the Board. The Board coordinates its work with the Energy Board, Transportation Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, and the Planning and Zoning Board.

Report by Vicky McLane and Sonia Koetting

*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.