City of Lawrence

Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB)

January 11, 2012 minutes

MEMBERS PRESENT:	Sarah Hill-Nelson, Matt Lehrman, Chad Luce, Dale Nimz, Kathleen Nuckolls, Megan Poindexter, Andrea Repinsky, Ian Spomer
MEMBERS ABSENT:	Beth Johnson
STAFF PRESENT:	Tammy Bennett, Eileen Horn, Kathy Richardson, Steve Stewart
PUBLIC PRESENT:	Sam Houghteling, Daniel Poull, Kelly Unger

Call Meeting to Order (Chad Luce, Chair person)

Take roll call to determine quorum of members.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

Motion and second to approve the December 14, 2011 minutes (Poindexter/Nimz).

Vote: Motion was passed unanimously.

Guest speaker: Rex Buchanan with the Kansas Geological Survey to discuss Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil and Gas Wells in Kansas

Rex Buchanan, Director of the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), clarified that KGS’s mission is to conduct geological studies and research. KGS does not regulate activities like fracking. The Kansas Corporation Commission is the regulatory group for fracking.

Mr. Buchanan shared a KGS Public Information Circular, ‘Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil and Gas Wells in Kansas’. This document includes information on what fracking is, the history of fracking, why it is receiving attention now, and the possible safety issues. Mr. Buchanan stated that questions about fracking have increased over the last eight years and the attention is mainly on horizontal well fracking which has been around in Kansas since the early 1990s. He shared the following stats: Kansas has a lot of fracking activity on vertical wells but not much on horizontal wells, and there are vertical wells in Douglas County with fracking activity but there are no horizontal wells.

Mr. Buchanan stated that he talks to the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) regularly and although there are approximately 50,000 fracked wells in Kansas there have not been any water issues reported from the KCC.

When asked what the biggest possible issue with fracking is, Mr. Buchanan said it is water pollution. Another issue is that the process of fracking uses a lot of water which is a concern out west where they have to apply and pay for water rights. He also added that companies are exempt from the Water Act so they do not have to disclose which chemicals they are using in the process of fracking.

The SAB did not take action on this agenda item.

Review the Solid Waste Task Force Draft Report and discuss SAB presence at the Public Input Meeting on January 19^th

Daniel Poull, the SAB representative on the Solid Waste Task Force (SWTF), gave a brief overview of the task force recommendations listed on the draft report. The report is available online at http://www.lawrenceks.org/swtf. He summarized the three main recommendations: increased automation, use of uniform trash containers, and implementation of city-wide curbside recycling (via Request for Proposals process). A SWTF public input meeting is scheduled for January 19^th starting at 6:00 pm in the Commission Room at City Hall and Daniel Poull mentioned he would like SAB to speak in support of the SWTF report. Although the report is not as extensive as he would have liked it to be (i.e. does not include specific recommendations for commercial and multi-family customers), Daniel Poull said it is a good report and includes many items that the SAB has been in support of (i.e. implementing a variable rate pricing structure for residential trash customers and increasing recycling rate over time). He also noted that the SWTF goal is to reach a 50% recycling rate by 2020.

The SAB agreed to make a statement in support of the SWTF recommendations. Chad Luce encouraged all SAB members to attend the public input meeting.

Motion and second to allow Chad Luce to speak on behalf of the SAB at the SWTF public input meeting on January 19th (Poindexter/Hill-Nelson).

Vote: Motion was passed unanimously.

Staff Report: Waste Reduction and Recycling Division

Kathy Richardson discussed program updates included in the Waste Reduction and Recycling Division report.

Staff Report: Sustainability Coordinator

Eileen Horn addressed all items on the Sustainability Coordinator report.

Two City interns working with Eileen Horn attended the SAB meeting tonight. Kelly Ugner mentioned she is working on the City’s greenhouse gas inventory which is almost complete. Sam Houghteling stated he is working on a feasibility study of golf cart conversion to electric carts. He will have more information in a week or two.

The Efficiency Kansas $100 audit is now being done by Westar Energy and they will pay back the $100 if the customer chooses to invest $100 in improvements. Currently there is no other financing for improvements like Efficiency Kansas but Eileen Horn mentioned there is a Request for Proposals out for banks to propose this financing piece.

Miscellaneous Announcements and/or Public Comments

Andrea Repinsky mentioned ‘zipcar’ sharing is coming to Kansas City which may make it easier to travel to Lawrence.