11 13 17 City Council Proccedings Official_Special CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
SPECIAL SESSION
OFFICIAL
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November
13, 2017 in the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th Street.
Present: Mayor Buol; Council Members Connors, Del Toro, Lynch, Resnick, Rios; City
Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Brumwell
Absent: Council Member Jones
Mayor Buol read the call and stated this is a special session of the City Council called
for the purpose of conducting the Sustainable Dubuque Quarterly Work Session.
WORK SESSION
Sustainable Dubuque Quarterly Work Session
Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach, and Sustainable Dubuque partners Craig Clefish
of Alliant Energy, David Lyons of Greater Dubuque Development Corp., and Chandra
Ravada of East Central Intergovernmental Agency conducted a work session that
focused a community-wide energy strategy, energy efficiency, renewable energy
(buildings) and transportation. Topics included:
• Alliant Energy Community assessment overview of partnership with Dubuque
and agency programs,
• Support from City Economic Development and the Chamber of Commerce.
o Rebate programs
o Infrastructure investment
o Property taxes received from Alliant Energy
o Employment statistics
• Alignment with existing City plans
o Sustainable Dubuque, Imagine Dubuque Comprehensive Plan, 50% by
2030 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, Star Community rating related to
climate and energy
• Operation New View / Alliant Energy weatherization program
o Smart energy use
o 50% by 2030 GHC Reduction plan
o Imagine Dubuque 2037 a Call to Action Chapters 4, 6 & 7
o Star Community Rating: Climate & Energy
• Where we stand now in terms of GHG emissions for facilities and transportation
Transitioning energy resources
o Review of Alliant energy statistics for 2007, 2016 & 2024
- Coal, natural gas, nuclear, oil, renewables
o Solar installations statistics 2014 — 2017
- More transparency about the City's installation process
• What currently exists?
o Partnerships with Black Hills, Alliant Energy, IEDA
o Residential requirements & incentives
o Commercial, industrial & non-profit organizations
o Municipal facilities
- Piloting CNG vehicles
- Innovation: methane capture & use
• Opportunities to build on success
o Economic: financial feasibility, opportunities for job creation
o Environmental: opportunities for CHG reduction
o Equity: benefits/burdens from recommended action
o Increased access to information/transparency
o Residential opportunities
o Commercial incentives & requirements
o Solarize campaign
o Dubuque County Energy District
- Invest in our own facilities and engage best practices
o Electronic vehicle charging infrastructure
o Municipal fleet improvements and recommendations
• Innovation: Water & Resource Recovery Center (WRRC) and Dubuque
Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA)
o Biogas conversion
o Electric vehicles and charging stations, IDOT connection to interstates
o Hydropower: Dubuque opportunity, research, challenges, funding sources,
collaboration with state/federal Corps of Engineers
• Next Steps
o Stakeholder engagement
o Development of implementation timeline
o FY 2019 budget requests
o Opportunities for innovation
o Evaluation
Ms. Burbach and Mr. Lyons responded to questions from the City Council about a
possible partnership with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative and continued
viability of geothermal opportunities in Dubuque with proximity to the river.
PM (Particulate Matter) Advance Update
• Dubuque's Path Forward to improve air quality 2017
• Potosi Monitor
o Emission baseline inventory and contributors
o Emission reduction programs and projects implemented
o Comparison of pollutants; emission contributors/sources/reduction for
Dubuque & Scott Counties
• Potosi Monitor Raw Data from 2008-2016
o Analyzed by season
o Future initiatives
o Long-term projects
Responding to questions from the City Council, Mr. Ravada stated that since Dubuque
is a "non-containment" area, monitoring responsibilities fall to the DNR and/or EPA.
Otherwise monitoring costs, annual maintenance responsibilities, strategic monitor
location and staff training would become the City's responsibility. He added that the
Dubuque metro area is not affecting the Potosi Monitor, monitoring standards are
reviewed about every 10 years and that Dubuque air-quality is good.
There being no further business, upon motion the City Council adjourned at 7:23 p.m.
/s/Kevin S. Firnstahl,City Clerk