12 2 13 Work Session Materials_Sustainable Dubuque ProjectMasterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
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AI- America City
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2007 • 2012 • 2013
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: December 2 Work Session Agenda and October Sustainable Dubuque
Report
DATE: November 26, 2013
Sustainability Coordinator Cori Burbach is transmitting the agenda for the December 2
Sustainable Dubuque Quarterly Work Session, the October Sustainable Dubuque
Report and the 50% by 2030 Community Climate Action and Resiliency Plan Report.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Cori Burbach, Sustainability Coordinator
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
Dubuque
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All-America City
1
2007
TO: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Cori Burbach, Sustainability Coordinator
SUBJECT: Dec 2 Work Session Agenda & October Sustainable Dubuque Report
DATE: November 26, 2013
The agenda for the December 2 Sustainable Dubuque quarterly work session will be as
follows:
1. 50% by 2030 Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan Report (Cori Burbach &
Green Dubuque)
2. Catfish Creek Watershed Management Authority Update (Eric Schmechel, Dubuque
Soil & Water Conservation District, & Dean Mattoon, City Engineering Dept)
3. Sustainable Dubuque Collaboration Update (Cori Burbach & Casey Muhm, Greater
Dubuque Development Corporation
Attached you will find the final copy of the 50% by 2030 plan as well as the October
Sustainable Dubuque report.
Thank you.
City of Dubuque
Sustainable Dubuque
Project Status Report — October 2013
*Please note: in order to manage the length of this report, some historical, non - timely
information has been removed from the current report.
COMPREHENSIVE PROJECTS
University of Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities: City Council approved a
partnership with the University of Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC). During the
2011 -12 and 2012 -13 academic years, graduate students from the University's Masters in
Urban Planning program assisted Dubuque leaders in completing ten projects related to
sustainability planning and analysis for the community.
The University has received funding to expand the IISC to include colleges and programs
beyond the Masters in Urban Planning program. The 2013 students provided their end of year
reports, including recommendations, to the City Council, County Board of Supervisors, and
Dubuque Community School Board on May 6. While the two -year partnership with the Ul staff
has concluded, we continue to look for opportunities to work with their IISC in the future.
Sustainable Dubuque Indicators Report City staff are in the process of reviewing the STAR
Community Index, a set of national indicators that has been in the development stage since
2007, to determine if it would be wise to participate in this system in order to benchmark
ourselves against other communities. An application to join the Leadership STAR Communities
program was submitted. The City has been selected as a STAR Leadership Community and
will begin data collection in January with the intention of submitting a final report to STAR in late
2014 /early 2015. Many of the existing Sustainable Dubuque indicators developed through the
Ul IISC will be used for this process.
Municipal Climate Action Plan: In July 2010, the Municipal Greenhouse Gas Inventory was
presented to City Council. A baseline for all municipal operations was established for 2003 and
2007 as part of the ICLEI Five Milestone Process. The Milestone Process is as follows:
1. Conduct baseline emissions inventories and forecasts.
2. Adopt an emissions reduction target.
3. Develop a local climate action plan.
4. Implement policies and measures.
5. Monitor and verify results.
A 2011 update to the 2003 and 2007 baseline will be completed at the same time the
Community Climate Action Planning process is completed, and will be completed by the fall of
2013. Staff is currently working with Green Dubuque and other partners in the data collection
phase of the Municipal Operations Inventory. Data from Black Hills Energy and Alliant Energy
has been received for municipal accounts. All data has been collected and will be coordinated
in the upcoming community GHG update.
Green Team: The Green Team comprised of close to 30 representatives from a cross section
of City departments met for the first time in August 2010 and meets regularly. The (draft)
Mission Statement developed by the team is:
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"The mission of the City of Dubuque Green Team is to lead in educating, communicating and
implementing practices and technologies to achieve the Sustainable Dubuque vision, to work in
each of the 11 areas of sustainability identified in that vision, to promote these practices among
staff and departments; and to serve as an example for other organizations, groups, businesses
and the broader community."
The Sustainable Purchasing Policy, Employee Education, and Buildings & Energy Management
subcommittees met to identify priorities for 2012. The Education subcommittee has developed
a plan to provide all employees with regular sustainability information via Spirit Times and other
media.
The Green Team conducted a waste and recycling assessment for those buildings that had the
highest concentrations of City employees. Of the buildings assessed, 11% of the materials
considered "trash" could have been recycled in yellow bins. Cross - contamination of recyclables
with non - recyclables was extremely small and non - hazardous. The Library had the best
diversion rate of 78.5% of materials being recycled. The overall results exceeded expectations,
with a recycling rate of 48 %. Larger items which are often diverted by departments for
beneficial use (e.g. recycling carpet) were not included in this analysis. The Green Team will
now work on tips based on these results to improve smart Resource Management.
Staff in the Municipal Services Center and City Hall have begun working towards Petal Project
certification. Each building will have its own committee to work towards the criteria and track
progress. The two buildings going through the process together will allow for team learning and
be an example for other city facilities. Staff at the Carnegie -Stout Public Library have also
begun working towards Petal certification.
Employees are given the option to receive paperless checks and Spirit Times newsletters. It is
estimated that this reduction in paper and printing costs will save the City approximately $2,500
per year. Paperless check and Spirit Times newsletters have been implemented for those
employees choosing to opt in. Over 425 employees chose to participate.
Recycling boxes placed in City Hall, the Municipal Services Center, and at DMASWA now
ensure that ink cartridges and small electronics are properly disposed of. DMASWA receives
financial rebates for qualifying items.
Green Team members met and have identified the following areas for work in 2014: energy use
in City facilities, purchasing, cleaning supplies, printing workflows, and Bike To Work Week.
Smarter Sustainable Dubuque Partnership w/ IBM:
Smarter Water:
The City of Dubuque completed its community -wide water meter replacement and unmeasured -
flow reducer (UFR) installation project at an estimated $1,352,415 or 15.6 percent below the
projected budgeted amount.
The Dubuque City Council accepted completion of the project at their June 4, 2012, meeting
and authorized payment of the final contract amount of $7,324,285 to the project contractor,
Northern Water Works Supply. The original total projected project cost estimate was
$8,676,700. Including the unanticipated $1 million forgivable loan the City received for the
project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the project was $2,352,415 or
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27.1 percent under expected City funded costs. Additional funding was provided by a State
Revolving Fund (SRF) loan.
In conjunction with the water meter replacement project, the City successfully completed a 12-
month Smarter Water Pilot Study through which more than 300 Dubuque households had
access to a portal /website developed by IBM Research which provided detailed, customer
specific information on their water usage. Among participants in the study, water utilization was
reduced by 6.6 percent and leak detection and response increased eight -fold. The Smarter
Water Portal is now available to Dubuque residents and many small businesses to help them
make more informed decisions about how they use water and track the associated costs. The
portal provides a customer - specific, integrated view of water usage with data displayed in
gallons, cost, or by carbon footprint. The portal also provides leak detection and notification,
historical usage data, and comparative data. The City's NepturelQ portal was made available
in early September, and was demonstrated at the City Expo on September 10, 2013. This new
portal incorporates many of the principles contained in the current IBM portal. A discussion on
the future of the IBM - hosted portal was held between IBM and City staff on September 6, 2013
and continued through October 7, 2013, from which recommendations were made regarding
the portal's discontinuation. With the successful rollout of NeptunelQ and the conclusion of the
Smarter Water pilot, the IBM- hosted portal has been discontinued and stopped receiving data
from the City on October 15, 2013.
The Sustainable Community Coordinator met with staff from the Alternative Learning Center to
plan a cross - curriculum unit developed around the theme of water management. Teachers in
English, Social Studies, Science and Math will use the DBQIQ portal, field trips, and local water
experts including City staff to teach high school students about the impact of their use of water
on their local environment and the world.
This new system is an example of the City's ongoing sustainability initiative and allows water
customers to identify waste and consider corrective measures which will translate into "Smarter"
water use and increased energy savings. More efficient water use will also reduce the use of
both energy and chemicals in the treating and delivering water.
• Leak Detection Feature A leak detection feature was provided as part of Neptune's
software package. This feature provides information on individual account consumption
use. The following information provides the number of users with potential Teaks.
Type Usage Number of Accounts
Continuous 2,048
Intermittent 1,552
Total Potential Leaks 3,600
Approximately 15.5% of our system users could potentially have leaks. According to
national research, an estimated 30% of households have water leaks. As you can see, we
are about half of the national average.
• Grant Leak Program As part of this project, a Grant Leak Program was created as an
incentive to our users who qualify, to repair their leaks. To date, there have been 836 users
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who have applied and 599 have been reimbursed. A total of $33,813.77 in refunds have
been paid to date.
• Water Loss:
FY' 11
FY'12
FY'13
Water Loss Reduction:
29.02%
21.83%
17.61%
11.41%
The reduction in water loss can be attributed to:
• the new meters being more accurate
• repairs done on the distribution system due to a leak survey being performed
• the new meters detecting minor leaks causing users to have repairs performed
• users becoming more aware of their water use and choosing to use less water
• Water Plant Pumpage The city has experienced a downward trend in pumpage at the
water treatment plant. The annual pumpages are as follows:
• FY'1O 2.80 billion gallons
• FY'11 2.79 billion gallons
• FY'12 2.64 billion gallons
• FY'13 2.54 billion gallons
In contrast, the Annual Metered Consumption has increased. This is the amount of water that
is metered in the distribution system.
FY' 1 O
FY /11
FY'12
FY'13
1.89 billion gallons
1.98 billion gallons
2.06 billion gallons
2.10 billion gallons
This is an indication that the new meters are more effective at capturing water usage and
citizens are more aware of their water usage and are conserving.
Smarter Electricity
• The Smarter Electricity pilot was concluded in the first quarter 2012 and the final research
report has been provided. A discussion on the future of the portal was held between IBM
and City staff on September 6 and continued through October 7, 2013, from which
recommendations will be made regarding the portal's continuation or discontinuation.
Due to the completion of the Smarter Electricity pilot, the small number of regular users,
and the cost of providing data to populate the portal, access to the IBM - hosted portal
was discontinued on October 15, 2013. The few individuals still using the portal will be
notified by messaging at the portal URL.
• Results include an average monthly reduction in energy utilization from 4% to 11%. IBM
and Alliant researchers are jointly analyzing these early results.
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Smarter Travel (High Priority)
• Update on Pilot Households /Dashboard: Originally we had hoped that there would be, like
that available to participants in the Smarter Water and Electricity programs, a dashboard
for Smarter Travel participants so they could see how their choices impact their
environment and their lives. However, Smarter Travel has proven itself to be a "moving
target" in that there are many more challenges in bringing this information into the smart
phone application that was anticipated. Marketing of recruitment of volunteer participation
in the Smarter Travel was targeted towards the altruistic nature of the project volunteers,
reminding them that their participation will help improve transportation for all Dubuquers
(not just those riding public transit). The dashboard -like feature will become available to
participants with the deployment of the CAD /AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) system
which will be installed on the fixed route buses and connected to Mentor Engineering's
MyRide software by November 2013. Once connected, passengers will have the ability to
set up a dashboard experience on their home computers and /or smartphones through a
link with Mentor's My Ride software. This connectivity will help make the fixed route
system more "user- friendly" by allowing waiting passengers to know when they can
expect their bus to arrive to a particular stop. Another benefit of the Smarter Travel
project is Transit will be better able to gather information that can be used to help guide
significant changes in the transit system. What we anticipate seeing, especially with
passengers using the MyRide dashboard, is increased awareness of how much they rely
on the use of their personal vehicle when an alternative form of transportation, e.g. bus,
bicycle or walking, might be used instead. The MyRide portion of The Jule's Intelligent
Transportation System (ITS) deployment should be up and fully functional by November
2013.
• In late 2011 the City received notice that an Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP)
grant was awarded to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Vehicle Miles
Traveled project (aka Smarter Travel). The ICAAP grant is being used to help pay for the
operating costs of two new pilot routes, the Nightrider and the MidTown Loop /Feeder.
The year -2 grant application was submitted in March 2013 and awarded in June, 2013,
and will help fund another year of both pilot routes and the re- design of the fixed route
public transit system. The Nightrider route began providing service on Friday and
Saturday nights from 6pm until 2:40AM on September 28, 2012. This year, starting May
31, 2013 will continue to provide service on an abbreviated schedule throughout the
summer (returns to "regular" service August 23rd). The DOT has separated the research
and route components of the MidTown Loop & Feeder project. The MidTown Loop &
Feeder route will start January 2014 ECIA, city staff, DOT and FTA staff and IBM
continue to work with IBM to resolve the research component contract and deliverables.
The first year ICAAP grant has been extended and when the Midtown Loop and feeder
are implemented in January 2014, they will impact the existing routes, reducing cross-
town travel times. Data generated with the two pilot routes added and adjustments made
to the system, the Smartphone application and the RFID data, will be gathered and
processed by IBM and then used in year -2 /year -3 of the grant to help to guide the
changes made to the fixed route system in order to improve its overall function and
increase its route service, efficiency and effectiveness. These additional changes will be
implemented across the structure of the fixed route system as IBM provides route
restructuring information.
• State of Good Repair Grant: All of the new buses have been purchased and are in use. A
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contract for the purchase, installation and deployment of Intelligent Transportation System
(ITS) technology /electronic equipment (e.g. Automatic Vehicle Location or "AVL ", a
Security Camera System, Electronic Fare Collection, etc.) was signed in mid -2012. The
first phase of the ITS project was completed in early December with the installation of
Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs or Mentor -brand "Rangers ") in the mini -bus fleet and the
training of the Bus Operators and Dispatchers on their proper use. The MDTs that are
connected to the scheduling software used for mini -bus services are all fully operational.
The purchase, installation and deployment of the ITS equipment for fixed route service
began in February 2013, and includes: CAD Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system,
Automatic Voice Announcement (AVA) system, Automatic Passenger Counter (APC)
system, Electronic Fare Collection equipment, etc. The pilot roll out of the fixed route
system is scheduled to begin mid -May, and is anticipated to be fully operational by
October 2013.
• ECIA and IBM continue to discuss with IA DOT management the potential expansion of
the Iowa opportunity to include a major IA DOT "cloud" service for transportation data in
Iowa.
• The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) in collaboration with IBM and The Jule
submitted a report to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) about the Smarter Travel
project. The research paper highlights the use of smartphone applications, anonymous
cell tower (and RFID) data in the re- design of fixed route public transit system routes.
The paper has been accepted by the TRB and was presented by the MPO during the
Board's national meeting in January 2013.
Smarter Discards (High Priority):
A Smarter Sustainable Dubuque - Smarter Discards Pilot project has been approved in a Joint
Development agreement with IBM Research. The goals are:
1. Over a period of 12 months measure and improve trend lines in landfill diversion and
curbside recycling of residential discards to help achieve Dubuque's sustainability commitments
2. Establish the long term cost effectiveness of pilot diversion strategies due to city and
customer access to diversion data, using carts, Radio Frequency Identification, customer
communications, incentive utilization and campaigns, and changes in collection frequencies
3. Inform City Government and Citizens of Dubuque's needs related to current as well as
future policy, staffing and equipment issues related to discard management and curbside
collection.
4. Support the City's Greenhouse Gas Emissions reduction targets.
It is designed to focus research and foster sustainable behavior change related to wasting with
three target groups:
Two route area discard generators (landfill and recycle) on two separate collection days of the
City each totaling approximately 400 anonymized households "Aggregated Areas" starting in
May 2013.
• First in the Washington Neighborhood (on Monday routes) with heavy concentration of
City tipper carts and collection in alleys
• Second in a census tract (on Tuesday routes) with few tipper carts, some hills, few
alleys, less on- street parking, many yards, average recycling rates, few apartments, and
no commercial areas.
"Volunteer Subscribers ": City will enroll a third group of 250 to 400 among the city's collection
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customers (landfill, recycle and compost) on any route on any day starting in September 2013.
A Chlapaty Fellowship has been awarded to a UD student to assist with the project.
Data collection for the aggregate areas began in May of 2013, and has continued successfully
with only minor interruptions that have not compromised the integrity of the data. From January
to April, City staff worked closely with IBM to ensure that the proof of concept started on time,
and the City selected vendors to provide the necessary technology through an RFP process.
For the households along these two aggregate data collection routes, recycling and refuse bins
were fitted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, enabling the weight of the bin
contents to be measured by City collection crews. The aggregate weights of refuse and
recycling materials collected along these routes are automatically measured at both the landfill
and recycling center, and those data are updated in IBM's Intelligent Waste Management
Solution (IWS) portal.
Data collection for approximately 15 beta testers began on August 5; these beta testers are
helping identify issues with the portal, as well as provide a means for testing the technology that
will be utilized when the full pilot begins. The full data collection portion of the pilot program is
began on September 9, 2013, with a kick -off event being held at the City Expo on September
10, 2013. Volunteers were accepted through August 30, 2013, with a final count of 304
volunteers participating.
During the first month of data collection, 92 users logged into the portal at least once. In the
coming weeks, staff efforts will focus on volunteer outreach and engagement to encourage
more users to log into the portal and view their data. One of the main challenges discovered
thus far is that there is a high opportunity for human data -entry error using the current discard
weighing method. Collection crews are using hand -held digital scales to weight setout
containers, and are manually entering the weights into a computer terminal located inside their
vehicle. These weights are then transmitted wirelessly to a server, and then used to populate
the IBM portal. Staff have engaged Camelot Business Management Software in Galena, IL to
explore solutions that will minimize the risk of data entry errors; they are expected to offer
quotes for several options on October 8, 2013, which will be considered by staff immediately
afterwards.
A key member of the Smarter Discards team, Paul Schultz, retired from the City effective
October 18, 2013.
Smarter Health & Wellness (High Priority):
Council approved a JDA with IBM to expand SSD to include a Smarter Health & Wellness silo,
in partnership with the University of Iowa College of Public Health. The objective of the project
is to design, enable and conduct a wellness pre- pilot, in which IBM will provide access to an
aggregate "CityView" Community Engagement Platform (CEP) and make available mobility and
individual engagement /data collection mobile applications for Android smartphones. The City
recruited 75 community volunteers to download the new app and engage in the pilot. Through
the platform, the volunteers will be able to track their activities and compare them with their
goals and with the results of the aggregate group of volunteers. Key Performance Indicators
have been developed and are being monitored. Two Community Cafe sessions were held on
June 26 for volunteers to receive assistance. Additional e-mails and phone calls have been
made for outreach to volunteers, in order to increase their use of the app. Other engagement
activities will be planned. Casey Muhm of GDDC is now the Project Manager. He replaces
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David Lyons, who completed his contract in June 2013.
Since the Fourth of July holiday, three "engagement messages" have been sent to program
volunteers through the CEP application, encouraging their participation and physical activity.
Usage and activity have increased substantially as a result of this. Data collection for the
Smarter Health & Wellness pilot concluded on August 11, 2013. Seven volunteers completed a
final survey to measure how their health and wellness activities have changed since beginning
the pilot program. The survey results, along with the complete data set from the entire pilot
period, were analyzed by IBM and used to prepare a final report. This report was completed on
August 31, 2013, and a copy was provided to the City Manager.
On September 19, 2013, Rick Dickinson and Casey Muhm traveled to Iowa City to meet with
Dr. Martin Sepulveda, Vice President for Health Industries Research at IBM. Also participating
were Mary Rose Corrigan (who was a panelist with Dr. Sepulveda following the latter's receipt
of the Hansen Leadership Award), Sue Curry (dean of the University of Iowa's College of Public
Health), and Charles Connerly (director of the University of Iowa's School of Urban and
Regional Planning). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss results from the Health and
Wellness pilot and consider possible next steps for a larger pilot program. Dr. Sepulveda was a
critical resource in developing and facilitating the Health and Wellness pilot, and maintaining his
continued engagement will remain a top priority.
On October 21, Martin Sepulveda visited Dubuque en route to Iowa City and met City and
GDDC staff to discuss the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant program and next steps for the
Health and Wellness pilot. At his suggestion, a team will be assembled in the coming weeks to
develop a pilot program that could be implemented if funding is identified.
Community Climate Action Plan:
The GHG Reduction Plan was written to provide a realistic path to achieving 50% GHG
reduction by 2030 in Dubuque. The recommendations discussed in the plan are tailored to
Dubuque's specific needs and capabilities. The costs, benefits, and GHG reductions are then
calculated for each action, which allows us to prioritize recommendations based on GHG
reductions achieved, effort required, and the side benefits each action brings to Dubuque
(notably, those "side benefits" often far outweigh the GHG impact). Every recommendation in
this plan is designed to benefit Dubuque's health, transportation, and economic prosperity,
reaching well beyond GHG reduction. For more information visit: www.dubuqueGHGplan.org
Green Dubuque, City of Dubuque, and Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, along with
Petal Project support staff, have begun a business outreach initiative and intend to work
through September to collect input about existing programs, opportunities, and barriers to their
implementation of sustainable practices.
The plan is completed and will be reported on during the August and November Sustainable
Dubuque quarterly work sessions.
Sustainable Dubuque Collaboration: In fall 2011, Community Foundation of Greater
Dubuque staff informed the City and other Dubuque 2.0 steering committee members that they
would refocus their community engagement efforts around issues other than sustainability.
Since that time, we have met with Foundation staff, 2.0 steering committee members, and other
key stakeholders to determine a path forward to accomplish community engagement and
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education around sustainability. The ultimate goals are that these activities continue, and that
the entire community feels that Sustainable Dubuque is an initiative that was created by, and
continues to be led by, the community.
The Sustainable Dubuque Collaboration (SDC) concept has evolved after discussion with
partners as a way to continue community awareness and education efforts, foster collaboration
from all sectors to meet the Sustainable Dubuque goals, and measure our progress towards our
goals. SDC, modeled after DubuqueWorks, is structured in a way that requires commitments to
action from its core members and invites all Dubuque residents, businesses and organizations
to participate.
All members of the Sustainable Dubuque Core and Investor Networks will be asked to actively
support the goals of community engagement and education. They will continue to operate their
own programs (e.g. Petal Project, Green Vision Schools) and will collaborate as necessary to
achieve these goals. The group will work to assist each other, identify gaps, avoid duplication,
and attract additional funding and resources.
The Core Network has conducted two strategic planning sessions. Overall, the group is
focused on creating an independent, collaborative, community - supported organization with
broad demographic participation in order to gain acceptance of the Sustainable Dubuque vision,
increase community education and partnerships around sustainability, and engage citizens and
organizations so that they change individual, collective and institutional behaviors and culture
resulting in successful outcomes. The group continues to work on planning and is focused on
two areas in the near -term future: organizational development and engaging the community in
setting actionable priorities based on the Sustainable Dubuque indicators.
The Sustainable Dubuque Collaboration Investors met for the first time in October. This new
addition, illustrated below, builds on a Core group that will continue to meet and drive strategic
direction of the Collaboration. The Investors are asked to invest time, talent and /or treasure in
the Collaboration. Currently, eight organizations are represented on the Core Network, with an
additional 16 organizations in the Investors Network. We will continue to recruit additional
members.
Core Network
Investors Network
Sustainable Dubuque Community Grants: Twenty -seven applications were received in the first
round of funding, requesting over $54,000 in funds. Twelve grants were awarded to various
community groups, with an additional couple of projects being implemented through other
avenues or connections made. Twenty -six applications were received during the second round,
totaling $54,743 in requests. Recommendations for funding ten projects was made to the City
Council at their August 19 meeting. Twelve applications were received in the third round; five
were funded for a total of $8,023.
REGIONAL ECONOMY
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Government:
Petal Project: The Petal Project is a regional green business certification program designed to
encourage organizations in the Dubuque area to adopt more environmentally friendly business
practices. Businesses receive Petal Project staff assistance and a simple framework for saving
money and resources. The program also establishes a community -wide definition of a green
business for consumers wishing to shop based on their values.
The Petal Project is divided into five categories. Within each category a business must
complete all of the mandatory and a specified number of option criteria to earn that petal. Once
a business has earned all five petals, it is "Petal Certified ".
There are currently 25 businesses participating in the program. Ten businesses are now
certified including Finley Hospital (2010), Loras College (2011), DB &T (2012), Premier Bank
(2012), Premier Tooling & Manufacturing (2012), River Lights Bookstore (2012), Dubuque Data
Services (2012), Unison Solutions (2013), Unified Therapy Services (2013), and EIMCo. A
green ribbon cutting for EIMCo will be held in conjunction with National Manufacturing Day
activities on October 4th
Buyer Supplier Network: Buyer - Supplier is a web based program for businesses that
connects both buyers and sellers in Eastern Iowa to promote and facilitate regional purchasing.
Over $6.3 billion are being spent on goods and services from vendors located outside of
eastern Iowa that could be spent in the region. The goal of Buyer Supplier is to encourage
businesses to purchase from regional providers, shifting dollars back into the regional economy.
Businesses of all types and sizes are encouraged to take part in the program; from small
organic produce farmers, to large corporations. There are currently nearly 1,200 businesses
with profiles on the system.
Kelsey McElroy (ECIA) and Dan McDonald (GDDC) met with Cindy Steinhauser in April to
discuss expanding the partnership between Buyer Supplier and the City of Dubuque. In the
past, City staff has been encouraged to upload RFPs to Buyer Supplier. Recently the number of
postings by City staff has declined. Additionally, a new feature on Buyer Supplier called Quick
Quote offers an opportunity to utilize Buyer Supplier for small projects. As a result of this
meeting, Kelsey presented during the City of Dubuque leadership team meeting. A follow up
email was sent to all City staff explaining the program and how to utilize it. The long -term goal is
for Buyer Supplier to become an aggregate site for government bids in Eastern Iowa.
The import- substitution economic impact assessment that laid the foundation for the
development of Buyer Supplier was updated in July. Contact Kelsey McElroy at
kmcelroy @ecia.org fora copy of the report.
Workforce Development:
Recruitment and retention: The Training and Workforce Development Coordinator works with
hiring managers to review job descriptions for open positions to the description reflects the
reality of the job expectations and assists in recruiting more broadly for open positions.
Interview processes with the PD and other positions involving high levels of public contact
include a diverse group of community members in the process. An internship program has
been implemented in the police department as a feeder program to full time positions. In terms
of police retention, two police officers trained in intercultural competence have created a
communications course for field training officers and new recruits that we anticipate will assist
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with retention by building the necessary communication and intercultural skills. The Fire
Department is in the process of developing a Firefighter internship program.
Applicant Statistics
Race /Ethnicity
2010
Census
2010
Applicants
2011
Applicants
2012
Applicants
2013
Applicants
White
91 %
82.2%
88.2%
91.4%
85%
Black /African-
American
5%
6.8%
7%
5%
8.2%
Hispanic /Latino
2%
2.5%
2%
1.5%
3.5%
Asian
1%
1.4%
1.1%
.7%
1.8%
American
Indian
.7%
1.7%
.3%
.4%
.4%
New Hires (1 Year)
Race /Ethnicity
2010 Census
2012 -2013 FT
Hires
2012 -2013 PT
Hires
2012 -2013
Seasonal
White
91 %
87%
(34 people)
94%
(32 people)
92%
(188 people)
Black /African-
American
5%
10.25%
(4 people)
6%
(2 people)
2%
(4 people)
Hispanic /Latino
2%
0%
0%
4%
(5 people)
Asian
1%
2.5% (1 person)
0%
2%
(4 people)
American Indian
.7%
0%
0%
0%
New Hires
Gender
2012 -2013 FT Hires
2012 -2013 PT Hires
2012 -2013 Seasonal
Male
61.6% (24 people)
44.1 % (15 people)
48.8% (98 people)
Female
38.4% (15 people)
55.9% (19 people)
51.2% (103 people)
New Hires (2 Years)
Race /Ethnicity
2010 Census
2011 -2013 FT Hires
2011 -2013 PT Hires
2011 -2013
Seasonal
White
91%
92% (68 people)
87% (53 people)
92% (277
people)
Black /African-
American
5%
5.4% (4 people)
6.5% (4 people)
3%
(9 people)
Hispanic /Latino
2%
1.4% (1 person)
6.5% (4 people)
3%
(9 people)
Asian
1%
1.4% (1 person)
0%
2%
11
Training & Career Development: This year we have reached over 1200 people with
foundational skills in intercultural communication - intercultural communication simply means
developing the ability to communicate more effectively across cultural differences so we can
understand each other's needs and adapt to one another. We offered 10.5 hours of
foundational training for city staff hired in the past year. In addition, we offered two sessions of
a 32 hour intercultural leadership workshop, and we worked with four organizations monthly for
a year to develop intercultural teams within their organizations. Leaders who attended the ILW
or year long team development are part of ICC Ambassador group that meets quarterly -
Institutions represented on the ambassador group in addition to the City are: UD, Loras, Senior
and Hempstead H.S., Goodwill, Hillcrest, Riverview, Hills and Dales, Body and Soul Wellness
Center, CFGD, GDDC, and Progressive Processing.
Impact: The objectives of this work are having a workforce prepared for 21st century jobs and
embracing a diverse population that supports a multicultural workforce. The outcomes will be a
city workforce reflecting the diversity of the community; city services that are available for all
and delivered in an equitable and fair manner; and a community where everyone is welcome.
2011 IDNRIDMASWA LANDFILL WASTE STREAM STUDY: The Dubuque Metropolitan Area
Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA), its support staff from the Public Works Department, the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources, and the expert firm of Foth Infrastructure and Environment
conducted a waste composition analysis of materials brought to the DMASWA Landfill and
eleven other Iowa landfills in June of 2011. The purpose of the study was to identify the various
solid waste streams currently being landfilled in Iowa by type, volume and weight. In turn, when
the Agency receives proposals in the future for diverting and reusing currently - landfilled
materials, it will be able to provide proposers and advisors up -to -date and accurate information
from the noted study regarding Iowa's currently - landfilled waste stream. Current market values
for those materials can then be compared with anticipated recovery and reuse program costs to
help interested developers determine whether their proposed programs are economically
viable. As of November 4, 2013, no proposals have been received by the Agency for the
possible diversion /reclamation and reuse of the materials the Agency is currently landfilling.
Business:
Dubuque Works:
AccessDubuqueJobs.com
• 10 Additional AccessDubuqueJobs.com investors added in 2013 YTD.
• 255 average new resumes posted per month in 2013, currently exceeding goal of 100
per month.
• Site currently averaging 94,765 visitors per month
• 1,452 facebook likes
• A total of 126 internships were posted FY 2012 -2013
• 4, 002 additional visitors to the internship home page for a total of 10,274 FYTD
Newcomer Services
12
(6 people)
American Indian
.7%
0%
0%
0%
Training & Career Development: This year we have reached over 1200 people with
foundational skills in intercultural communication - intercultural communication simply means
developing the ability to communicate more effectively across cultural differences so we can
understand each other's needs and adapt to one another. We offered 10.5 hours of
foundational training for city staff hired in the past year. In addition, we offered two sessions of
a 32 hour intercultural leadership workshop, and we worked with four organizations monthly for
a year to develop intercultural teams within their organizations. Leaders who attended the ILW
or year long team development are part of ICC Ambassador group that meets quarterly -
Institutions represented on the ambassador group in addition to the City are: UD, Loras, Senior
and Hempstead H.S., Goodwill, Hillcrest, Riverview, Hills and Dales, Body and Soul Wellness
Center, CFGD, GDDC, and Progressive Processing.
Impact: The objectives of this work are having a workforce prepared for 21st century jobs and
embracing a diverse population that supports a multicultural workforce. The outcomes will be a
city workforce reflecting the diversity of the community; city services that are available for all
and delivered in an equitable and fair manner; and a community where everyone is welcome.
2011 IDNRIDMASWA LANDFILL WASTE STREAM STUDY: The Dubuque Metropolitan Area
Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA), its support staff from the Public Works Department, the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources, and the expert firm of Foth Infrastructure and Environment
conducted a waste composition analysis of materials brought to the DMASWA Landfill and
eleven other Iowa landfills in June of 2011. The purpose of the study was to identify the various
solid waste streams currently being landfilled in Iowa by type, volume and weight. In turn, when
the Agency receives proposals in the future for diverting and reusing currently - landfilled
materials, it will be able to provide proposers and advisors up -to -date and accurate information
from the noted study regarding Iowa's currently - landfilled waste stream. Current market values
for those materials can then be compared with anticipated recovery and reuse program costs to
help interested developers determine whether their proposed programs are economically
viable. As of November 4, 2013, no proposals have been received by the Agency for the
possible diversion /reclamation and reuse of the materials the Agency is currently landfilling.
Business:
Dubuque Works:
AccessDubuqueJobs.com
• 10 Additional AccessDubuqueJobs.com investors added in 2013 YTD.
• 255 average new resumes posted per month in 2013, currently exceeding goal of 100
per month.
• Site currently averaging 94,765 visitors per month
• 1,452 facebook likes
• A total of 126 internships were posted FY 2012 -2013
• 4, 002 additional visitors to the internship home page for a total of 10,274 FYTD
Newcomer Services
12
• 223 Individuals assisted from January 1 — June 30, 2013
o 461 Individuals assisted from July 1, 2012 — June 30, 2013
• 95 Community tours from January 1 — June 30, 2013
o 213 Community tours YTD from July 1, 2013 — June 30, 2013
• Continue to offer accompanying partner services by encouraging career search and
resume posting on AccessDubuqueJobs.com
Opportunity Dubuque
• 38 Trained and completed Intro to Modern Manufacturing. 3 were employed after the
class. 19 are currently enrolled in the CNC certificate and 16 are in Welding. This is the
4th Cohort.
• Group 1- Graduated 19 in CNC, currently employed 16, 2 continuing their education and
1 unable to contact
• Group 2- Graduated 20 in CNC currently employed 18, 2 are unable to contact
• Group 3- Graduated 18 in CNC currently employed 15, 2 looking for work and 1 unable
to contact
• Group 4 19 are currently in training, graduation is set for Sept 11, 2013
• 100% of these students have completed their NCRC test with a minimum of a Bronze
Certificate.
• Group 2 — Graduated 9 in welding. Currently 9 employed
• Group 3 - 15 started the welding program. 11 completed, 8 are currently employed, 2 are
looking for work and 1 is in the welding credit program
• Group 4 - 14 starting the welding program and are scheduled to graduate July 31, 2013.
• Employers participating in Opportunity Dubuque increased from 12 to 17.
• Currently 127 students on the contact list for the next Orientation.
Skilled Trades
• Worked with the Regional STEM Hub to coordinate an iExplore STEM Festival at the
Grand River Center. The festival featured over forty booths with hands -on activities for
students (4th -7th grade was the target market) to explore science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. Approximately 4,000 people attended the fair which was
funded by the Governor's STEM initiative. Parent's attended with their children and it
was a great opportunity for the parents to learn more about STEM careers.
Dubuque Sustainability Innovation Consortium (support of GDDC: High Priority): Formed
in late 2009, the Dubuque Sustainability Innovation Consortium is an informal group comprised
of manufacturing, technology, service, wholesale and other industry sectors. The consortium is
staff - supported by Greater Dubuque Development in partnership with the City of Dubuque.
The Consortium has hosted quarterly meetings to engage the private sector about
sustainability- related opportunities, including the topics of energy efficiency /lighting, the Petal
Project, and solar.
Greater Dubuque Development assisted with the promotion of events that were held in
Dubuque (May 29/30) to promote CNG fleets /vehicles. The events were co- sponsored by Black
Hills Energy and Rainbo Oil Corp. Going forward, Greater Dubuque Development / Innovation
Consortium will host an additional event in mid /late 2013 to promote companies /fleets switching
to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
13
During the month of June 2013, Greater Dubuque Development formally hired a new staff
person. Casey Muhm will serve as Greater Dubuque's Director of Sustainable Innovation. In his
role, Casey will pick -up the duties and assignments previously held by Dave Lyons (as they
pertain to IBM, Smarter City, pilot programs, etc.). Additionally, Casey will oversee all of Greater
Dubuque's collaboration, partnering, and programming related to sustainability, including
Greater Dubuque's Innovation Consortium. Casey will also be responsible for Greater
Dubuque's use of data and analytics. Preliminary discussions for an Innovation Consortium
event in late 2013 have focused on compressed natural gas (CNG) as a viable fuel alternative
for vehicle fleets.
Non - Profit:
University Extension Community Development Collaborative (f /k /a Dubuque Institute for
Sustainable Communities and Economic Development): The Dubuque Institute for
Sustainable Communities and Economic Development is a first of its kind collaboration between
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, University of Wisconsin- Extension and the City
of Dubuque. The institute will focus on issues important to the greater Dubuque regional
economy and successful strategies that can be replicated in other communities across both
states. The institute staff will work with regional universities, colleges and other academic
institutions in both states, as well as extension and colleges within the two universities. Faculty
and staff will look for other regional, national or international institutions to conduct research
within Dubuque and support collaboration with private sector businesses and organizations in
the community.
The Institute's offices have been completed on the second floor of the Roshek Building and are
ready for operations. The Universities have hired the jointly tenured professor to lead the
Institute. She is Professor Deborah Tootle, who was most recently with the University of
Arkansas teaching and working in Community and Economic Development. Her doctorate was
from the University of Georgia and she has spent time working with the United States
Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service and Louisiana State University (as
Program Leader for Community Rural Development). She has specialized in several areas that
will be of interest in her work at the Institute, including Community Stakeholder Engagement
and Community Disaster Recovery.
The Universities have also narrowed the candidates down to three for final interviews for the
next position at the Institute (Economic Development Specialist). They hope to hold the final
interviews in Dubuque the second week of January.
Tim Borich (lead from ISU) reports that they feel the Institute will be fully operational by
February 1st, and would hope to hold the first Community Advisory Group meeting (local
leaders that will advise and help direct the efforts of the Institute) in early February.
The Collaborative hosted a community advisory meeting on April 5 to introduce local leaders to
new staff Deborah Tootle and Brian Perry.
Project HOPE:
• History
14
o In 2008, the City identified the need to address economic security of under - resourced
community members. To address this issue, the City of Dubuque partnered with the
Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque to activate Project HOPE (Help Our
People Excel).
o Project HOPE is an economic development initiative designed to convene community
organizations and stakeholders around issues that relate to disengaged people
(those in poverty, unemployed and disengaged youth), researching and developing
best practices to share among local providers and ensuring action steps are being
taken to address identified strategies for improvement and hosting meetings to
encourage communication, data sharing, and improved outcomes.
• Project HOPE Objectives for 2012 -13
o Project HOPE works to improve inter - agency collaboration and reduce
policy /program barriers to service- or simply, makes systems easier to access and
navigate- in order to connect disengaged youth and adults to education and
employment opportunities.
• Program /activity goals are;
o Objective 1: Improve coordination among providers — implement a collective
impact model- common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing
activities, continuous coordination, and a support organization to better
understand the needs of disengaged community members and coordinate system
improvements to serve them. Action: convene a stakeholders group which will
meet regularly to share best practices, ideas for improvement and to coordinate
resources.
• The Community Foundation continues to convene a core committee on a
monthly basis to move the work of the Project HOPE programs forward.
• The CFGD produces a quarterly e- newsletter, that is shared with partners,
providers and citizens, that highlights Project HOPE programs. The
upcoming issue will be sent out in July.
o Objective 2: Connect unemployed people to education /skills training — coordinate
clear paths to education /skills training that connect to employment and education
achievement. Action: support the development of a re- engagement center to
reconnect people to education opportunities.
• Connecting People to Education /Training In Aug 2012 Project HOPE
announced the opening of Dubuque's Re- engagement Center. The Center
is funded by a partnership between the Dubuque Community Schools and
NICC. The re- engagement center is a physical, staffed location and
program that connects high school drop -outs back into education and
training opportunities.
• The Reengagement Center partners are also actively participating in
a Community of Practice to share and learn best practices from
programs across the country.
o Objective 3: Improve the pipeline to employment —match available lobs to
education and skill levels of the workforce to improve success rate of placement.
Action: development of scholarships and certificate training opportunities for
15
underserved individuals including possible development of an employment
support specialist position to support people transitioning into working lifestyles.
• Improve pipeline to employment:
Opportunity Dubuque is an initiative that meets the needs of local
employers and unemployed /underemployed workers through an innovative
collaboration of local partners and employers who developed a clear
pathway to employment. Opportunity Dubuque has added a career
pathway to Information Technology.
• This pathway will give participants the skills to receive entry-level
jobs with the employer sponsors such as IBM,
Dubuque Data Services and Platinum Supplemental Insurance.
o Objective 4: Support needs of working families — improve access to child care
opportunities within the community to ensure this is not a road block to
employment. Action; develop a childcare service mapping project and website for
working families to connect to child care.
• Childcare Resources- To improve access to childcare within the
community, Project HOPE partnered with Resources Unite to develop a
child care service mapping project and website that helps working families
and employers connect to child care. This information is now available
through the Resources Unite directory.
o Objective 5: Help families build financial assets —Help families Earn it, Keep it,
Grow it by connecting them to Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), BankOn, and
other financial supportAiteracy programs.
• Earned Income Tax Credit- Project HOPE supported the Earned Income
Tax Credit program facilitated by Operation New View. The project helped
low- income people in Dubuque receive $223,961 in federal income tax
refunds.
• The local task force has been meeting monthly, and is currently
preparing to start the annual outreach to the community about this
program and to recruit volunteers to staff the VITA sites this coming
tax season.
• Bank On- The program offers low- and moderate - income residents free or
low -cost checking accounts and access to financial education. Access to a
bank or credit union account can help residents avoid costly alternative
financial services (check cashers, payday lenders, pawn shops and rent -to-
own stores) and enable families to build and protect their assets. For
calendar year 2012, Bank On has:
• established new accounts for families bringing the total of active
accounts to 51
• 22 individuals completed financial literacy classes
16
• hosted 2 Lunch 'n' Learns about the program for local non - profits
serving the low- and moderate - income population
On February 13, 2013 the Bank On committee met with Kevin Shields from
FDIC. Many ideas surfaced for broadening our outreach to youth and other
segments of the community that the committee will take forward. Bank On
is currently pulling Quarter 2 reports for 2013.
• Opportunity Passport: provides matched Individual Development
Accounts and financial literacy training to youth aging out of foster care,
through a partnership with Dupaco Community Credit Union and Four
Oaks. Since the program began in 2008, it has served nearly 40 youth, with
classes usually held twice a year. The goals for OP participants are to:
become financially literate; gain experience with the banking system;
amass assets for education, housing and other approved assets; and gain
streamlined entry to educational, training and vocational opportunities.
• Nearly $3,000.00 in matches have been made for the following
approved assets:
o 2 vehicles
o 2 laptops
o 2 tests needed for college entrance
o Deposit for an apartment
• Since its beginning On 2008) the program has served a total of 39
youth and has made 22 matches for a total of $13,022.89, meaning
the youth have saved that much in order to make the match.
o Objective 6: Support the Circles Initiative — support strong data collection and
connections to community resources for Getting Ahead /Circles program and
participants.
• We are building the capacity of the Guiding Coalition, strengthening its
committees, especially the Recruitment and Resources Committees.
• The Project HOPE Core Committee will be spending significant time in
2013 focusing on this program and will be instrumental in helping create
strategic connections with the Dubuque community.
• The Resource Committee is providing oversight in developing strong data
collection
• Overall connections to the broader community and its services and
providers are being made:
• The Recruitment Committee has increased its efforts to reach out to
the community in actively engaging volunteers in the Circles
programs and activities
• One Circle Leader was among the graduates of the latest
Opportunity Dubuque CNC class. Others are showing some interest,
and this may increase as Opportunity Dubuque expands to include
other business sectors, such as the health care field.
Schools:
NICC Green Jobs Program: The Northeast Iowa Community College Green Jobs program is
17
funded through an ARRA grant administered in partnership by ECIA and NICC. The program is
providing unemployed and incumbent workers with skills training in energy auditing,
deconstruction, wind turbine maintenance, and green residential and commercial construction.
New courses recently added are: Solar PV, Worm Composting and Biodiesel. The Wind
Turbine Repair Technician Program has purchased a Wind Turbine Climb Tower and students
will all be trained by December 2011.
Total students to train: 392
Training Programs /Industry Enrollment:
• Green Industry Sector: Energy Efficient Building , Construction
o Sustainable Deconstruction, COSC, HEARTYouthbuild, HVAC NCI
• Green Industry Sector: Energy Efficient Assessment, Professional, Scientific, and
Technical Services
o RESNET HERS, BPI Building Analyst, Envelope — Shell, Heating, AC, Heat Pump
• Green Industry Sector: Renewable Electric Power, Utilities
o Wind Turbine Repair Technician
o Solar, Wind, Hydro, Geothermal
o Intro to Wind Technology
o Solar Thermal Installation
o Intro to Solar Thermal
Sustainability of Programs: NICC will continue to offer Green Industry training courses after the
grant period is up, specifically in the solar and wind alternative energy fields. A couple courses
are being submitted for credit approval so students have transferrable credits upon completion
of the course.
The ARRA- funded Green Jobs training program has been completed. NICC continues to
partner with businesses and other in Dubuque to identify upcoming workforce training needs
and develop programs to meet those needs.
People & Neighborhoods:
SMART ENERGY USE
Government:
EECBG: The City of Dubuque was the recipient of $574,700 in ARRA funding through the
Energy Efficiency Conservation & Block Grant program. The following funds have been spent
or obligated to date:
$75,000.00 Sustainability Coordinator Salary. Grant administration and community
engagement.
$100,000.00 First of a Kind (FOAK) agreement with IBM Watson Research Center to
fund part of the Smarter Travel pilot in the Smarter Sustainable Dubuque project.
$50,347.00 Residential certified energy audits and energy efficient retrofits. To date,
this program has funded 54 certified energy audits and assisted 123 Dubuque
residents in installing high - efficiency furnaces, insulation, new windows, and
completing basic retrofits including caulking around windows, weather - stripping, etc.
The program has been closed.
18
$100,214.00 Replacement of City Hall HVAC system. Tricon Construction has been
selected as the general contractor for the HVAC system upgrade. The project is
complete. Water savings of 90 +% have been documented.
$200,000.00 Commercial /Non - profit Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund
(Management Agenda) The first RLF was issued to Miracle Car Wash in November to
finance a lighting retrofit project. In an effort to comply with DOE regulations and
spend the funds by September 20, which is the end of grant period, the maximum loan
has been increased from $10,000 to $50,000 and the loan has been made 20%
forgivable. Targeted outreach is being completed in hopes of spending the funds in the
required time frame. Two additional loans were processed in August, one for Gronen
Restoration and one for the Dubuque Food Co -op, each for $50,000. Any funds
remaining in this category at the end of August will be transferred to pre- approved
projects in City Hall (HVAC system) and Five Flags Center (updated lighting). Because
of delay in anticipated opening date, the Dubuque Food Co -op has decided not to use
these funds. Two commercial loan applications were received in November. Pending
certification of energy savings, these loans will be issued in December. Two loans
were approved in December: a loan for approximately $6,000 to Courtside to replace
lighting fixtures and a second for $50,000 to Cartegraph for the installation of a solar
array on their facility. Cartegraph's solar project is a qualifying project because they
meet DOE qualifications that say that all feasible energy efficiency improvements have
already been completed in the facility.
$5,600.00 Weatherization & outreach supplies purchased primarily for Green Iowa
Americorps members.
Additional funds remain in the categories of community education and commercial building
retrofits. In order to address to ongoing ARRA reporting requirements, the DOE has required
the City to file an additional six -month extension request, making the new closing date for this
grant September 2013. With this new opportunity, the City continues to work with ECIA to
attempt to disperse funds through the RLF and use any remaining dollars for City facility
updates with quick ROls. A $150,000 loan was issued to the Dubuque Food Co -op for the
purchase of refrigerator equipment. This loan depletes the EECBG grant. Additional
commercial energy efficiency loans will be available at a future, to be determined date, as the
existing loans are paid back.
City Facilities Lighting Retrofits: Building Services staff have conducted a lighting audit of
City Hall and are now in the process of removing lamps and retrofitting fixtures to more
appropriately meet the lighting demands of the employees and customers that use the building.
Approximately 300 of the 1100 lamps have been eliminated from use in City Hall. All of the
fixtures (except storage room and restrooms) have been reballasted with energy efficient and
longer lasting ballasts. 32 Watt lamps have been replaced with 28 Watt lamps. It is estimated
that energy use for lighting at City Hall has decreased 50 %. The project has been completed.
Additional energy for pumping water for the new HVAC does not allow for a simple review of the
utility bills to determine the savings created by the lighting retrofit.
Approximately 20 City facilities, including City Hall, City Hall Annex, the Municipal Services
Center, Historic Federal Building, fire stations, and several parks and recreation facilities will
19
have lighting audits completed by Crescent Electric. Crescent will make energy- saving
recommendations that will be included in existing operating budgets and future CIP requests.
Parking Ramp Lighting Project: The 5th Street, Iowa Street and Locust Street Parking
Ramps have recently been updated with new fluorescent lighting. In addition, the recently
constructed Central Avenue Ramp has the same lighting system. The system has been
provided by a firm from Holland, MI, TwistHDM. The system is fully programmable, providing
the maximum in daylight harvesting, occupancy sensing and provides a safety factor in that e-
mails are sent to maintenance staff any time a light is burned out or not functioning for any
reason. Each fixture has its own IP address allowing for state of the industry programming to
reduce energy usage. In the first months of operation, this system has led to a 68% reduction
in lighting costs, or 35% reduction in total electricity consumption in the ramp. The Division is in
the early stages of evaluating the lighting in the Port of Dubuque Parking Facility to determine if
alternate styles of lighting are more beneficial.
Public Works Department:
• Hybrid- Powered Vehicle: One of the very first DMASWA Smart Energy Use initiatives
was its purchase of a hybrid - powered vehicle in the summer of 2005. This purchase was
made not only to reduce the amount of fuel used by Agency - employed staff and reduce
the DMASWA's vehicle - related carbon footprint, but also as an education tool by the
Agency's Education and Communication Coordinator. Now well over eight years old and
with over 92,000 miles on its odometer, the vehicle has performed faultlessly and has
averaged 28 miles per gallon in the city. The DMASWA intends to retain it until calendar
2015, when it should have well over 115,000 miles on its odometer.
• CNG- Powered Vehicle: Just as the DMASWA was the first local governmental entity to
purchase and use a hybrid - powered vehicle, it was also the first local governmental
entity to purchase and use a vehicle using compressed natural gas (CNG) as its primary
fuel. This Smart Energy Use initiative not only further reduces the Agency's vehicle -
related carbon footprint, but is also an indicator of the Agency's commitment to using
domestically - produced /sourced fuels in all of its equipment in future years.
• Landfill Methane Reuse: A third DMASWA Smart Energy Use initiative is its commitment
to beneficially reuse the methane it collects and flares from its closed landfill cells. To
that end, it retained the services of an expert and highly- regarded environmental
engineering firm in September of 2011 to evaluate proposals from local industries and
utilities. After intense negotiations with a local employer and electrical power provider
through the end of 2011, a final agreement could not be reached after the power provider
withdrew from the tentative partnership. The DMASWA's engineering firm was then
authorized by the DMASWA's Board of Directors to begin negotiations with the other
electrical power provider in Dubuque county. At this time those negotiations for a
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) facility at the DMASWA Landfill are nearing
completion. At the present time, plans call for an Agency owned and operated "green
electricity" generating facility that would sell electricity to the power provider and use the
heat emanating from the Agency's generators to heat its three buildings. The DMASWA
Board of Directors now anticipates making a decision regarding this tentative project in
calendar 2013.
Biomass Energy Development: The Resource Management program has been an internal
20
partner in researching sustainable new energy sources from discarded materials processed or
which could be processed at the WWTP and the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste
Agency landfill. The methane produced at both facilities could be developed as a renewable
energy source and net revenue producer with Combined Heat and Power (CHP) applications.
Recovered clean untreated wood is also a local energy fuel option.
Library Kill -A -Watt Meter Checkout Program: In partnership with ISU Extension and the
City's Office of Sustainability, Kill -A -Watt Meters are available for resident check out. These
meters allow residents to measure the energy demand of appliances in their homes, and is
particularly helpful in identifying "phantom energy loads" that occur when appliances and
chargers are plugged in but not in use.
Leisure Services Department:
• LED lights installed as a part of North End Neighborhood trail lighting project.
• Signed up with Crescent Electric for lighting study to review all facilities throughout
Leisure Services Department.
• Received an Alliant Energy sponsored energy audit for Grand River Center.
• Ongoing participation in the Alliant Energy Interrupt Program during peak energy usage
times
• Received an Alliant Energy Level II Energy Audit for Five Flags and used it in the budget
request process.
• Working with the Building Services Department on Smart Metering project for Grand
River Center.
• Received a rebate from Alliant Energy of $252.00 from the lighting project at Sutton pool
Business:
Non - Profit:
Schools:
People & Neighborhoods:
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Government:
Public Works Department: The Green Vision Building Materials Management and Waste
Minimization Program is a high priority of the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste
Agency. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has designated construction and
demolition materials (C &D) as targeted materials for diverting from Iowa landfills, noting that
they accounted for 13.5% of all materials landfilled in Iowa, as determined by the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources' 2011 Landfilled Materials Analysis Study. Building and
demolition professionals can play an important role in assisting the Agency and IDNR in
meeting their goals of diverting reusable and recyclable materials from land filling. Rethinking,
reducing, reusing and recycling - the "Four R's" - focus on resource efficiency. Typically, these
practices can save money and control costs by decreasing the amount of new materials needed
for building and reducing waste disposal costs. Equally important, the program helps reduce
the amount of materials being buried at the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency
(DMASWA) Landfill.
Retail Plastic Bag Reduction Strategy: The City Council approved a strategy to reduce the
use of plastic bags in retail stores 90% by 2017. The approved plan begins by targeting retailers
21
over 40,000 square feet and focuses on tracking reduction and recycling of checkout plastic
bags, incentives and education, not enforcement or a "ban." Staff will be working with retailers
and other partners to implement the plan, including creating reporting system and time table, an
implementation toolkit for local retailers as well as a City consumer education campaign. City
staff proposed an ordinance requiring reporting of plastic bag consumption at the March 19,
2012, meeting. The ordinance passed the first reading. After gathering additional public input,
an updated memo from City staff recommended a voluntary reporting of plastic bag use and
cross - sector task force led by private sector businesses to address barriers and opportunities to
reducing plastic bag use at the May 7, 2012, Council meeting.
The DMASWA Education Office continues to sponsor showings of the "Bag It" movie:
More showings are being scheduled. This film reviews the effects of plastics on human and
environmental health and supports the City of Dubuque's plastic bag reduction strategy.
"BYOBag" window clings in multiple sizes have been developed for personal and business use
as a reminder to bring your own bags and will be distributed through various events as part of
the community education campaign.
A BYOB episode of the Sustainability Today cable tv series has been completed. City and
DMASWA staff continue to support private sector reduction efforts, most notably led by Hy -Vee,
Theisen's, and Dittmer Recycling staff who lead the plastic bag working group.
Landfill Scale House Ticket Printing Initiative: The DMASWA Landfill Scale House
implemented a project earlier this year to eliminate ticket printing for all city departments that
use the facility. Instead of printed tickets, the departments get their tickets emailed to them as a
PDF each day for the days they use the landfill. This will save at least 3900 sheets of special
stock paper. In addition, with printing costs, it will save over $120. The next phase of the
initiative was also recently implemented, with the Agency signing up its other major charge
customers for e- tickets, leading to additional savings in paper usage and printing costs.
Airport:
• The Dubuque Jet Center is a drop -off for recycling used cell phones, batteries, etc.
• Dubuque Jet has begun to use a 5% blend of Bio- Diesel fuel and we recently purchased
new aircraft wheel chocks made from recycled rubber.
• The new terminal facility currently under construction has the following sustainability
principles incorporated in its design and construction:
1. Developed and maintained a SWPPP during construction activities.
2. Temporary erosion control measures included:
A. Temporary Seeding
B. RECP
C. TRM
D. Ditch Checks
E. Inlet Protection
F. Rock Outlet Protection
G. Sediment Basins
H. Sediment Traps
I. Stabilized Construction Entrances
3. Temporary & permanent soil stabilization techniques include:
A. Temporary Seeding
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B. Permanent Seeding
C. Mulching
D. RECP
E. TRM
F. Sodding along pavement edges
4. Allowed use of lime and flyash for embankment subgrade improvement.
5. Monitored & limited disturbed areas to the extent possible during earthwork
operations.
6. Stripped and re -used topsoil to support turf growth.
7. Stormwater systems are being designed to minimize the increase in rate and
quantity of stormwater runoff through the use of detention and infiltration.
8. Pervious pavement is being proposed for use in the parking lot.
9. Infiltration basins are being proposed in and around the parking areas.
10. Use of "flow through" ditch checks are being proposed in the outfall ditch for the
Apron.
11. Various methods are being considered to collect aircraft deicing fluid runoff from
the Apron for disposal to the City treatment plant.
12. Inlet valves are proposed to capture potential fuel spills on the Aircraft Parking
Apron.
13. Replacement of Portland cement with suitable supplementary materials has been
allowed by specification.
14. Specifications allow for use of by- product materials in the PCC paving such as
flyash and blast furnace slag.
15. Use of PCC pavement provides for a high solar reflectance and uses locally
procured materials.
16. Life cycle cost analysis was performed as part of the pavement design process.
17. Use of aggregate shoulders will reduce impervious pavement area.
18. Used aggregate with minimal processing to serve as the construction access and
base for the Entrance Road.
19. Landscaping is planned to be inclusive of native, low- maintenance and drought
tolerant plant materials.
20. Measures will be taken to control light pollution which is a significant issue on
airports.
21. LED fixtures have been specified for applicable taxiway edge lighting.
22. LED fixtures are being considered for overhead landside safety and security
lighting.
23. Landscape waste from site clearing was chipped for re -use by the contractor.
24. Used borrow material from on -site to construct embankments.
25. Use of borrow materials had a secondary benefit for FAA safety grading
requirements.
26. Crushed and re -used waste concrete from a previous project as embankment.
27. Embedded Lytle Creek culverts to allow for redevelopment of a more natural
streambed.
28. Mitigation of relocated Ditch N included:
A. Natural channel meanders
B. Rock riffle structures
C. Native grass buffer
D. Annual monitoring for 5 years after completion
E. Protection by easement
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29. Specifications incorporate Buy American provisions and requirements.
30. Allowed for electronic bidding document distribution.
31. Construction protected existing wetland and natural spring from damage.
City Clerk's Office
• The City Clerk's Office has a Zero Waste Event Planner brochure on its special events
web page to aid organizers of special events in planning a safe and sustainable event at
the same time they complete the event application.
• The City Clerk is a volunteer for the Smarter Discards pilot program.
• One year of using Novus Agenda Manager has resulted in the retention of one half of the
non - essential agenda documents that the office once retained. Two years' worth of non-
essential agenda records can now be stored in one file drawer originally reserved for a
whole year of documents. This has resulted in an annual paper cost savings of $1200.
• The City Clerk's Office is working with Utility Billing during their office remodeling to
reuse and adapt custom -made cabinetry that matches the cabinetry in the City Clerk's
Office as part of the City Clerk's Office records retention plan.
Leisure Services Department:
• Removed city trees are recycled into rough cut lumber that is processed by park
employees for the use in repairing and constructing new picnic tables for all city parks
Public Works Department:
• Tire Recycling Program Initiated by the DMASWA in the 1990's as a result of
regulations prohibiting the burial of whole tires in landfills, the DMASWA took the extra
step of banning the burial of tires in any shape or form in its landfill. Current federal and
State regulations still allow the burial of shredded, chopped or halved tires. Tires
brought to the DMASWA Landfill are set aside for subsequent collection and processing
by a tire recycling firm. The cost of the tire recycling service is passed along to the
DMASWA's customers. The tires are currently being processed into fuel pellets,
playground equipment fall protection pads, pads protecting concrete floors from heavy
equipment tracks, and sundry items such as park benches and parking lot tire stops.
Community impacts of the DMASWA's Tire Recycling Program have included saved
landfill space /life and reuse of a valuable fossil fuel- derived product.
• Appliance and Metals Recycling Program Similar to the DMASWA's Tire Recycling
Program, and also initiated in the 1990's, the Agency's Appliance and Metals Recycling
Program also exceeds federal and State standards. While the USEPA and Iowa
regulations allow the landfill burial of metal household appliances that do not contain
freon or mercury, the DMASWA bans the landfilling of any appliances at its facility.
Appliances are accepted, however, for a fee to cover the cost of subsequent recycling by
a local firm. Also, the DMASWA provides a free drop -off container just inside its gate
where clean metal items may be dropped off without charge for subsequent recycling.
Finally, DMASWA- employed workers recover any metal items encountered in the landfill
cells and take them to the metals drop -off container. A main community impact derived
from this program is saved landfill space /life. A secondary community impact is the
recovery and reuse of recyclable metal. A third community impact is the reduction of
"upstream" pollution and GHG emissions.
• Recycling Drop -off Stations Program Beginning with a sole recyclables drop -off facility
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on Dubuque's west side in the 1990's, the program has expanded to nine (9) such
facilities at the current time. In addition to the noted original facility on Radford Road,
there now are facilities in Cascade, unincorporated Key West, at the Heritage Trail
parking lot in Durango, Farley, Epworth, in the Flexsteel Industries parking lot at East
32nd Street and Peru Road in Dubuque, along U.S. Highway 52 just north of
unincorporated St. Catherine, and at the DMASWA Landfill. At these facilities, residents
are allowed to drop off unlimited quantities of clean metal, aluminum beverage
containers, tin cans, paper, cardboard, and #1 - #5 plastics. Glass containers are
accepted only at the Radford Road and DMASWA Landfill drop -off facilities. The
materials are collected by Agency workers and transported to the Dittmer Recycling
facility in Dubuque for processing and subsequent shipment to regional manufacturers or
exporters. The most relevant measurable outcomes for this program would be pounds of
materials received and recycled annually through the noted drop -off facilities.
• Asphalt Shingle Recycling Program Soon after a major hail storm struck the central
portion of the city of Dubuque in April of 2011, the DMASWA's Board of Directors
authorized the establishment of an asphalt shingle recycling program. Initially staffed by
temporary workers, the program was revamped in early 2012 and is now contracted to a
regional Iowa firm. Since the initiation of the program, over 1,000 tons of asphalt
shingles have been diverted from landfill burial and recycled /incorporated into asphalt
road pavement. At the DMASWA Board of Directors' April 24, 2013, meeting, it
authorized the immediate implementation of a $10 per ton posted tipping fee discount for
all clean loads of asphalt roofing shingles. This change was made to encourage more
source separation by roofing contractors in order to increase the Agency's diversion of
shingles for recycling. As of September 30, 2013, over 3,100 tons of shingles have been
kept out of the DMASWA Landfill and recycled to pave area roadways.
• Pay As You Throw (PAYT) is a sustainable model for the City's Refuse Collection and
Large Item Collection programs. It places an added cost to extra trash generation which
encourages source reduction, reuse through donations, recycling and composting. The
average customer only sends 20 pounds per week to the landfill which is among the
lowest of the ten largest cities in Iowa. Appropriately -sized City -owned tipper carts have
been supplied to many alley - collection customers to improve sanitation and aesthetics in
areas of high rental density.
• Curbside Food Scrap Collection and Composting The City initiated a pilot program
for the curbside co- collection (with yard waste) of food scraps in April of 2006. The City
program has reached its maximum allowed diversion under the two ton per week cap
placed upon the DMASWA composting facility by IDNR regulations. This project is in
partnership with the DMASWA and involves 230 residential subscribers, fourteen
schools, institutions and commercial subscribers, who for a very small fee, diverted
approximately 100 tons of food scraps last year from regular refuse collection and
processed them into 50 tons of compost. This also reduced potential fugitive
greenhouse gas emissions from the DMASWA Landfill by approximately 600,000 pounds
per year.
In November of 2012, with the intent of facilitating the expansion of food scrap
composting in Dubuque county without further delay due to the State of Iowa's reticence,
the Agency's Board of Directors authorized the reduced -cost sale of half - processed yard
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and food scrap grindings to Full Circle Organics (FCO). FCO built and operates a large
scale composting facility along U.S. Highway 20 between Farley and Epworth and
needed the grindings as a starter base material for its operations. FCO's facility is
designed to compost all of the food scraps generated in the DMASWA's service area.
Community impacts of the DMASWA's Composting Program to date include saving an
estimated half year of landfill life /capacity over the last twenty years, plus the generation
and reuse of a valued byproduct — high quality compost.
The City of Dubuque signed a contract with FCO in April of 2013 to deliver most of the
comingled yard debris and food scraps it collects to FCO's facility. This change in
facilities from DMASWA to FCO had reduced net system costs for the City's combined
"organics" collection. It also allows City collection customers to divert their food scraps
by adding these materials along with yard debris in containers for City collection. The
City's existing GreenCart program option supplies specialized collection containers
through user fee subscriptions.
• Curbside Recycling The Recycling Collection Activity has maintained over the last five
years the lowest average curbside collection fees in the state while having some of the
highest diverted tonnage to recycling at 3,670 tons per year (approximately 40 %).
Recycling tonnage has declined in Dubuque due to discontinuing the collection glass and
nationally due partially to the shift from print media and advertising (newspaper /
magazine pages and junk mail) to electronic media. The participation rate of customers
setting out recycling bins at least once a month is estimated to be over 90 %. The
partnership of the DMASWA in a processing contract with Dittmer Recycling has brought
shared revenue to the City even during the current economic recession. Additional
curbside acceptable materials have been approved: empty aerosol cans, new, clean
empty latex paint cans, obsolete hardback books, and crosscut shredded paper. The
Resource Management Coordinator facilitated the Sustainable 2010 Glass Management
Options Study and researched local costs and impacts. This research indicated that the
curbside collection of glass for recycling was no longer a sustainable activity and should
be terminated; thereby cutting significant costs and generating increased revenue. The
City Council on April 18, 2011 supported the recommendation to end the curbside
collection of glass food and beverage containers on July 2, 2011. More energy had been
expended recycling glass from curbside collection through bottle manufacturing than was
conserved by using recycled cutlet. The small net environmental benefits were not worth
the $325.00 per ton it cost to collect glass curbside for recycling, which had yielded a —
minus $16.00 per ton value after it had been delivered to the nearest and best market.
No longer separating 300 tons per year of glass at curbside by hand sorting will reduce
future repetitive motion workers compensation claims. This decision was perceived by
the community as a re- education challenge to change an obsolete recycling habit.
Beneficial -use options for glass still collected at the DMASWA /Dittmer Recycling drop -off
in the city are being developed and promoted. Approximately 99% of the glass
previously set out for recycling has been seamlessly diverted through other programs.
The City Council approved a $0.37 reduction in the FY12 solid waste collection monthly
fee due to the savings resulting from eliminating glass from curbside recycling collection.
• Electronics Recycling The Agency's Electronics Recycling Program provides an
environmentally -sound and economically - feasible disposal option for old, unwanted
electronics. Electronics are defined as anything containing a circuit board and /or cathode
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ray tube (CRT or "picture tube "). All recycled electronics are broken down into
salvageable components at a secure electronics recycling facility in Davenport, which is
the only R2- certified facility in the state of Iowa.
• Dubuque Area Task Force Addressing Illegal Dumping & Illegal Littering The
Resource Management program has provided staff support to the Dubuque Area Task
Force On Illegal Dumping and Illegal Littering (DATFOIDIL) which was initiated in 2010
by the DMASWA. The City Resource Management office has hosted an Illegal Dumping
Hotline (589 -4345) since 2000, averaging approximately ten illegal dumping report
investigations per month - cleaning up as appropriate and sending warning letters to
identified households. The DMASWA has worked closely with the Dubuque County
Conservation Board by helping fund ($12,000 per year) an Illegal Dumping Enforcement
Officer who monitors problem areas in urban and rural Dubuque County. Citations have
been issued and monitoring continues, with some investigations having led to
information and arrests related to burglaries and drug arrests.
• Dubuque Area Event Recycling and Zero Waste Programs The Resource
Management program first initiated and since 2006 has provided staff and logistic
support to the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency's (DMASWA) Event
Recycling and Zero Waste Programs. Since 2006, 257 civic and social events have
utilized the DMASWA's Clear Stream event recycling units with 4,363 unit usages.
Recycling is required by the City at stationary events requiring a City permit. Recyclable
cups numbered 1 through 5 are required to increase recycling. Events now typically
divert over 50% by volume to recycling and also significantly reduce litter. There have
been a growing number of zero waste events where event food discards and
compostable paper products get processed for beneficial use. This program provides
appropriate containers, signage and removes the captured materials to be composted.
Further information and instructional flyers are available on managing zero waste events.
There is normally no charge for specialized container usage, signage and collection of
the event recyclables and clean source - separated compostables when scheduled. As
part of the updated special events permit process, an informational meeting was held
with all special event organizers in which barriers to zero waste and correct resource
management were discussed.
• DMASWA Environmental Management System The DMASWA was selected as one
of the six solid waste management planning areas in Iowa to participate as a pilot in the
Environmental Management System (EMS) program to expand the scope of their waste
management systems. The EMS was established by the 2008 Iowa Legislature and the
pilot planning areas concentrate on services they provide to improve their overall
performance, including yard waste management, hazardous household waste collection,
water quality improvement, greenhouse gas reduction, recycling services, and
environmental education. Under the EMS Designation Program, the DMASWA is
evaluated by the continuous improvement of its services, and focuses expanded
opportunities for environmental resource management.
The foundation of the DMASWA's EMS is its Environmental Policy that expresses the
Agency's commitment to improving environmental performance, and sets out goals for
pollution prevention, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement. Objectives
and targets guide continuous improvement toward Agency goals.
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Green Iowa AmeriCorps (GIAC): The City is again hosting a team of GreenCorps members
who began their term in September 2013. Last year, the GIAC team provided more than
$13,000 dollars in labor to houses in Dubuque, performing Weatherizations and Energy audits
for those in need. In their 2012 -13 term, the team completed 78 BPI - certified audits and 40
weatherizations, resulting in an average 19% reduction in airflow in homes and at least
$200,000 in energy savings for the homeowners and renters served. Additionally, they
generated 2,900 hours of community services and completed 200 hours of public education
related to sustainability, primarily in the areas of energy efficiency and resource management.
With three new members and two returning members, the GIAC team was proud to have lent a
hand in the Andrew Connolly Make A Difference Day process which was a rousing success!
They are now looking forward to the John Deere Heath Fair, education events with the
Multicultural Family Center and Girl Scouts, as well as helping folks keep warm in the
upcoming, colder winter months!
Library: Self -check machines in the library are now set to offer a printed receipt on request, or
provides the option to decline a receipt. Patrons are now asked if they want a receipt when
checking out at the Circulation desk; receipts are no longer printed automatically.
Ongoing efforts to reduce paper continue and have resulted in the revising of internal
instructions, which allows for two copies for each piece of paper. Incoming newspapers and
magazines, previously recorded on paper, are now managed through a database.
During Architecture Days, April 21 -27, 2013 children created cities using recycled boxes for the
city landscape.
The library hosted a program on June 4, 2013 using all leftover 2012 income tax booklets and
forms to make homemade paper embedded with seeds.
The Youth Services Department had a "Touch a Truck" event where children could see vehicles
from the Fire, Police, Parks, and Public Works departments. This was followed by the children
making a dashboard of their favorite vehicle. Dashboards were made from cardboard, recycled
for this purpose.
Finance:
1. The Utility Billing area serves as a collection for CFL Tight bulbs for employees and citizens.
This process began approximately one year ago. The City provides multiple collection sites.
Public Works employees pick up the recycled CFL light bulbs.
2. Laserfiche was implemented for storing supporting documentation for accounts payable and
accounts receivable activities such as purchase orders /direct pays, purchase order
adjustments, journal entries and receipts. This procedure eliminates the need for departments
to make a copy of documents for their files as documents are viewed through Laserfiche.
3. Accepting electronic payments for Utility Billing, parking tickets, (Leisure Services).
Customer initiates EFT via website and City ACH initiated. Utility Billing saves paper by not
including a return payment envelope for customers who have their payment automatically
deducted from their bank account (currently 22 + %). Citizens save postage and post office
saves Tabor /energy.
4. Implemented electronic billing for utility bills in August 2012, with approximately 960
customers signed up to date.
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5. Accounts payable direct deposit of employee expense reimbursement and vendor payments.
Full implementation will be available. Saves City cost of printing and mailing checks. Saves
paper and energy.
Business:
Full Circle Organics: Full Circle Organics, a private- sector composting facility, has received
state and county approvals and has opened its facility between Epworth and Farley in Dubuque
County. This operation may open up new opportunities for both residential and commercial
composting within the City. The DMASWA has indicated its willingness to equally explore
partnership opportunities with Full Circle Organics, GreenRU, T &W Grinding Inc, and other
interested regional composting service providers.
Non - Profit:
Keep Dubuque County Clean & Green — serves as the local affiliate for Keep Iowa Beautiful.
Members include representatives from Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency, the
Dubuque County Conservation Board, the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, and
interested individuals. The group works with the Illegal Dumping and Littering task force and
other community groups to educate the public on the effects of littering and illegal dumping.
Four Mounds /HEART Program - Four Mounds has hurdled multiple challenges to start the
redevelopment of a threatened, historic property 400 E. 22nd Street (Weis Grocery) along the
Bee Branch, Heritage Trail and in the Washington Neighborhood and its historic district. Without
this concentrated effort, the property would have remained vacant until it was declared
hazardous and torn down, due to lack of strategy, vision or plan. Four Mounds has removed the
property from a 2 year ownership limbo and is foreclosing. HEART students are in the process
of removing the hazardous interior furnishings /building material. Doing so, it is now ready for a
structural plan, programmatic plan, and Four Mounds with the City has removed debilitating
federal funding hurdles by getting the state to declare it exempt from flood plain funding
restrictions. Four Mounds is working with the City and multiple community partners to develop a
plan that includes a full exterior and interior first floor restoration /recreation, promoting positive
traffic through this iconic, historic storefront. DMASWA and the Community Foundation are
financially supporting the predevelopment stage, with a goal to keep this structure out of the
landfill and bring it back to good use for the neighborhood.
Schools:
The Hempstead Green Team has chosen the sale of reusable bags as their annual fundraiser,
and distributes the BYOB reminders with every bag sold in addition to completing other public
education about the use of plastic bags.
People & Neighborhoods:
COMMUNITY DESIGN
Government:
Unified Development Code: In 2009, the City of Dubuque's new Unified Development Code
went into effect. The UDC updates and consolidates zoning, subdivision, site development,
historic preservation, and sign regulations into a single city code. The UDC incorporates text,
photographs, drawings, charts and diagrams for ease of use in an online illustrated version.
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The four -year process for developing the Dubuque UDC incorporated three citizen advisory
committees and an interdisciplinary task force of City staff working with JEO Consulting. The
last 12 months of the process were devoted to seeking and responding to input on the draft
UDC from developers, engineers, architects, neighborhood and business associations, sign
contractors, City Boards and Commissions, and the general public prior to City Council work
sessions and public hearings.
The UDC incorporates sustainable design while meeting smart growth objectives. Sustainable
design is the expectation. While traditional development is still allowed, it is now the exception.
The UDC received strong support from City officials and citizens alike. This acceptance of
sustainable design has continued through implementation.
Subdivision and site development regulations were extensively revised to promote sustainable
design, such as conservation design, solar access, and low- impact development measures.
Access for pedestrians, bicycles, and public transit as well as design guidelines for historic
districts, the downtown, and older neighborhoods also are now part of the UDC.
The intent of the UDC is to guide the physical, economic and social development,
redevelopment and conservation of the community. The UDC protects and enhances the
historic, cultural and aesthetic resources that make Dubuque a unique, identifiable and vital
community.
Complete Streets Policy: Adopted in 2011, the City of Dubuque's Complete Streets Policy
was created with input from a variety of community stakeholders. The Complete Streets Policy
provides an integrated multimodal approach to roadway planning and design. The Policy
establishes that development of as many street projects as possible will be done in an
affordable, balanced, responsible, and equitable way that accommodates and encourages
travel by motorists, bicyclists, public transit vehicles and their passengers, and pedestrians of
all ages and abilities. The Complete Streets Policy also ensures that future demand and context
sensitivity is integrated into new facilities, recognizing that topography, cost, and right -of -way
constraints are among the limiting factors and that not every project is a candidate for this
desired outcome. The Policy also includes language regarding the review of street projects for
consistency with the Tri -State Trail Plan, posting annual street projects for public input, and
documentation of project - specific exemptions. The Complete Streets policy allows for project -
specific exemptions to be approved by the City Council, or the City Manager where a project
does not come before the City Council.
Green Alley Pilot Project: This project involved the reconstruction of existing asphalt alleys
from 11th Street to 13th Street between White Street and Jackson Street and the alley from 15th
and 16th between Elm and Washington Streets. The project reconstructed the alleys with
pervious pavement surfaces to assist in evaluating suitable pavement types for future alley
reconstruction projects. The pavement surfaces allow rainfall from low- intensity storms to pass
through the pavement structure. This, in turn, will recharge the water table and minimize storm
water runoff. Completed in summer 2010
McDermott Excavating, Inc completed the reconstruction of the alley between Jackson and
Washington from 17th to 18th Street. This was completed in December of 2012. The alley
between Jackson and White from 9th to 10th was constructed by Portzen Construction in the fall
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of 2011.
Drew Cook & Sons Excavating constructed the alley between Jackson and Washington from
16th to 17th and the alley between White and Jackson from 17th to 18th. These alleys were
completed in July of 2013. An additional alley between Arlington & Loras from Dell to Prairie
was constructed by Portzen Construction. This alley was completed in July 2013.
The alleys above are part of the SEP (Supplemental Engineering Project) required by EPA as
part of the consent decree issued to the City. Originally the Alley between Washington and Elm
from 25th to 26th was part of the SEP list proposed. Due to the size of that alley, it was
determined a better approach is to use City Green AIIey funds in the next couple of years to
address that alley.
Engineering is also working with EPA and IDNR on a project to use SRF funds for
reconstructing approximately $9.4 million dollars in alleys over the next three years. The
project includes the reconstruction of 73 alleys into Green Alleys. These alleys would be
reconstructed with permeable pavers, similar to other recently constructed alleys. Engineering
plans to put the first group of alleys of this project out for bid in late November 2013.
Washington Neighborhood Initiative (Top Priority): Comprehensive effort designed to
address many housing and social challenges in this 55 square block neighborhood. An
ambitious "visioning" project for the Washington Neighborhood was concluded in 2008 and the
Washington Neighborhood Strategic Plan was presented to the City Council in April 2009.
Homes have now been purchased and rehabbed by 50 first -time owner families throughout the
neighborhood. Previous rental dwellings and vacant structures have been historically restored
for owner occupancy. Since late 2005, the Housing Department has loaned $5.5 million and a
total of $9.8 million has been reinvested in housing in the Washington Neighborhood.
With receipt of a $240 000 I -JOBS grant from IFA, the Historic Washington Row Houses project
commenced construction in November 2010. New individual sanitary sewer and water services
have been installed, lead paint removed from the interior of the buildings, asbestos removed
from the roofing structure and all new membrane roofs installed, and installation of all new
wooden windows and doors completed. Finalization is being completed on all units to prepare
for sale. An Open House was held on Saturday, April 14, 2012. All units will be sold as owner -
occupied town homes to low- moderate income households. Four units have been sold to date.
An offer has been accepted on one of the remaining units waiting City Council approval to sell
in November. The City reconstructed the alley behind the row houses as a "Green AIIey" in the
summer of 2012.
Nine properties have been acquired by the Housing Department, using our Neighborhood
Stabilization Program (NSP) grant. These funds are to be used to buy foreclosed or vacated
properties. To date, seven properties have been sold to 1st Time Homebuyers. An offer to
purchase has been accepted and is waiting City Council approval. The sale will be by the end
of November. 1318 Jackson is currently listed with a local realtor for sale.
An exterior inspection program providing 'advisory inspections' for all Washington
Neighborhood homeowners commenced in November. All of the 200 homes have been
inspected with70 having exterior violations. Housing staff coordinated with church volunteer
groups and WNDC during the April Community Days of Caring event to provide 11 homes with
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needed repairs. 7 interior healthy home assessments requested by homeowners were
completed to check for safety, energy and code violations.
Planning continues for a major rehab project in the 2200 -2400 block of Washington Street.
Houses acquired for the Bee Branch Project and no longer needed for the right -of -way will be
rehabbed and re -sold to owner occupant families. Two city - acquired homes were moved to this
block in June 2011 and have been sold to Habitat for Humanity. One of the Habitat homes
have been sold to a first -time homebuyer and rehab is being completed on the other. The
HEART crews have completed all rehab on 2234 Washington Street and is now sold. The City
acquired a tenth home in August 2010. All are currently being rehabbed. Lead has been
abated from all the City -owned properties and rehabilitation continues. 2302, 2312, 2320,
2234, 2268 and 2290 Washington have been sold. 2318 Washington will be sold pending clear
title. A local realtor has listed 2250 Washington for sale and sale pending for 317 -319 E. 22nd
Street.
Washington Neighborhood Development Corporation (WNDC): a new non - profit
corporation was formed to promote revitalization efforts in the Washington Neighborhood. The
WNDC board of directors was recruited to represent the interests of stakeholders, including
residents, landlords, businesses and lenders, and city government. The corporation promotes
activities to improve the neighborhood in a variety of ways. Key objectives include increasing
homeowner occupancies, refurbishing older buildings, improving the appearance of the area
and greater resident involvement.
Partnering with the following neighborhood initiatives: Harkin Wellness Grant, Community
Garden, Energy Center staff, Small Business Works, Iowa 21st Century Community Learning
Center Grant, Crime Study Report, Dubuque Board of Realtors, Gateway to Homes.
Additional activities of WNDC:
o The Washington Neighborhood Directory was updated as of July 30, 2012. There are
150 businesses. Since April, 2011, 27 businesses have left or closed and 22 new
businesses have started. New businesses include; Hot Diggity Dog on Elm Street (pet
care services), D's Pretty Things on Jackson Street (purses, jewelry and accessories)
and Momma Moya's Tortilla's on Central Avenue.
o We continue to collaborate and assist with the Small Business Works initiative to assist
new and existing business owners.
o Building relationships with Dubuque Board of Realtors to promote Washington
Neighborhood and educate realtors about the assets and resources within the
neighborhood.
o WNDC is partnering with Community Housing Initiatives with a grant received by
NeighborWorks America to help market the Washington Neighborhood. That partnership
has led to the creation of a residential subcommittee and a business subcommittee that
have focused their attention on neighborhood issues. The business subcommittee has
focused on addressing litter, aesthetics, and vacancy in the commercial areas.
o A Washington Neighborhood Grant Facade Application and Program Guideline
document was created with collaboration from the City of Dubuque's Planning and
Economic Development Departments, Dubuque Main Street and the WNDC Board of
Directors and Executive Director. Four commercial property owners have agreed to
participate in the program, as $150,000 of the $225,000 available has been committed.
The City and the Washington Neighborhood continue to explore more leads for the
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program, specifically in the Central corridor.
o Continued collaboration with Dubuque Downtown Christian Outreach, Multicultural
Family Center, Four Mounds, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Crescent
Community Health Center, Project Concern and Orange Park Residents (neighborhood
association).
o A City Council workshop presentation on the status of the Washington Neighborhood
took place on August 5, 2013. The Council was given an update on revised
demographic data, housing, economic development and neighborhood progress.
Historic Millwork District (High Priority):
The Historic Millwork District Complete Streets Project provided for the reconstruction and
streetscaping of streets into complete streets. These streets included the following:
Street
10th Street
Washington Street
Jackson Street
Jackson Street Trail
10th Street
11th Street
Limits
Jackson to Elm Street
9th to 10th Street
7th to 11th Street
5th to 7th Street
Main to Jackson Street
Jackson to Elm Street
Additionally, 3 alternates were selected and they include:
Alternate Street Limits
1 Washington Street 10th to 11th Street
2 9th Street Washington to White Street
3 9th Street Main to White Street
Construction Type
Reconstruction
Reconstruction
Reconstruction
Hike /Bike Trail
Streetscaping
Water Reconstruction
Construction Type
Reconstruction
Streetscaping
Streetscaping
The project is 100% complete. A ribbon cutting was held May 18, 2012 and was attended by
regional transportation leaders. Special guest Ray LaHood, Secretary of U.S. Department of
Transportation provided the keynote address. Mayor Roy Buol also shared his remarks on this
important project.
A future Intermodal Transportation Center will be located in the Historic Millwork District along
Elm Street between 9th and 11th Streets. In October 2011 the city received a State of Good
Repairs (SOGR) grant award of $8 million dollars, to be used for the final design and
construction of the Intermodal Center. The Intermodal Transportation Center, which will consist
of a passenger terminal and a parking structure, will accommodate transit passengers (both
public transit and Intercity bus), bicyclists, pedestrians, Park -N -Ride, etc. A feasibility study
was approved by the Federal Transit Administration in June 2013, with the parking garage
component containing 200 general public parking spaces and 92 transit oriented parking
spaces. Final design is being performed by Neumann Monson Architects out of Iowa City, IA.
Construction cannot commence until all property has been acquired from the IDOT.
Groundbreaking is scheduled to begin early 2014 with completed construction by 2015.
On February 4, 2013, the City Council approved amendment number 3 to the CDBG contract
asking for increased funding of $1,299,000 to cover extra compliance issues related to the
Davis Bacon prevailing wage requirements. The Council approved a $4.5 million loan
agreement with the Iowa Finance Authority to provide low- interest financing for Millwork District
projects. As of December 14, 2011, the City has drawn down the $4.5 million of the $4.5 million
33
loan.
On February 18, 2013 the City Council approved an application for State CDBG funds from the
New Production Round 5 allocation to assist in the adaptive reuse of Linseed Oil Paintworks
Building at 151 East 9th. On June 19, 2013, the mayor was notified that the project received
$2,248,890 in CDBG funds for the creation of 16 new residential units in the Millwork District. A
development agreement was executed on the project on March 7, 2013. The project is
currently in the design phase and will begin construction in Fall 2013.
In March, City Staff co- presented information on the Millwork District to Iowa Business Growth
Board of Directors in an effort to secure new market tax credits for the Novelty Iron Works
building located at 1079 Elm Street. Following the presentation the IBG Board authorized their
staff to negotiate a contract for $18 million of NMTC's to assist in this project. City Staff is
preparing a Development Agreement to provide local incentives for this project. Unlike the
Caradco project, it is anticipated that the local incentives will come into the project upon
completion. On June 17, 2013, the City Council approved a development agreement with Bob
Johnson and Warehouse Trust, LLC for the development of the Novelty Iron Works Building.
The Council approved an amendment to the Development Agreement and an assignment of the
agreement to Novelty Iron Landlord, LLC on August 5, 2013, in advance of their closing later in
the month. The first project on the property will contain 76 apartments as well as commercial
space on the lower level. The City Council has also sponsored a Brownfield Tax Credit
Application for the building.
Recently, the IRS produced a memo regarding the structuring of Federal Historic Tax Credits.
Pending clarification of this memo, the purchase of tax credits throughout the country has come
to a standstill. This obviously impacts all local projects that are or anticipate using Federal
Historic Tax Credits.
Smart Planning Grant: In late 2010, Dubuque County and the cities of Dubuque, Asbury,
Cascade, Dyersville, Epworth, Farley, and Peosta came together to form the Dubuque Smart
Planning Consortium. The consortium's goals were to develop a regional sustainability plan
that included the State of Iowa's Smart Planning principles, the City of Dubuque's sustainability
principles, and watershed planning, and then incorporate the smart planning elements of the
regional plan into local comprehensive plans. This consortium conducted a two -year process,
meeting monthly. The Consortium developed a public participation plan. Consortium members
and local elected and appointed officials attended public participation workshops sponsored by
the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) on April 6, 2011 in Dubuque. The annual
report was sent to the Dubuque City Council in February, 2012.
The Dubuque County Smart Planning Consortium held a series of public meetings in November
and December 2011 to gather input on the first four draft chapters of the Dubuque County
Smart Plan -- Community Facilities, Land Use, Transportation, and Watershed Planning -- as
well as on the Future Land Use Map.
Dubuque County, on behalf of the Consortium, received a CDBG ARRA grant from IEDA to
create a model rural smart code in 2012. The kick -off meeting was held on June 6, 2012.
Technical committee meetings were held on July 12 and August 2, 8 and 16, 2012. A public
input session was held on August 9, 2012.
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Dubuque County, on behalf of the Consortium, was awarded a Community Planning Assistance
Team (CPAT) by the American Planning Association (APA) to help prepare a plan to upgrade
the 26 -mile Heritage Trail to increase connectivity and accessibility of the trail, promote its
sustainability, and extend the recreational and economic development opportunities to each city
in the Consortium. A conference call with the CPAT leaders was held on June 7, 2012. CPAT
leaders toured Heritage Trail and met with stakeholders on June 21 -22, 2012. The full team
was here from October 17 — 20, 2012. One hundred people attended the initial public input
session on October 17 in Dyersville. The Final CPAT Report on Heritage Trail was presented
on October 20 in Dubuque.
The Dubuque County Board of Supervisors reviewed the final draft of the Dubuque County
Smart Plan at a work session on December 17, 2012 and then adopted the plan at a public
hearing on January 14, 2013. The Dubuque City Council reviewed the final draft of the
Dubuque County Smart Plan at a work session on January 7, 2013, and then adopted the plan
at a public hearing on January 22, 2013. Other cities in the Smart Planning Consortium
reviewed and adopted the plan in January 2013 as well. The Dyersville City Council voted May
6, 2013 to not adopt the Dubuque County Regional Smart Plan as part of the city's
comprehensive plan. This vote concludes the Smart Planning Grant process. A public input
meeting was held at the Emergency Responder Training Center in July, with approximately 70
attendees present. The County has reopened the opportunity for written comments regarding
the plan and asks that all be submitted by the end of October 2013.
Public Works Department: The Public Works Department provides administrative and
operating staff support to the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA or
"Agency "). Since 1995, the Agency has employed a Loras College employee as its Education
and Communication Coordinator. This person is charged with educating the general public in
Dubuque and Delaware counties regarding best solid waste management practices. The
Coordinator develops public education programs, publicizes Agency services, manages its
website, presents programs to school and community groups, hosts facility tours, provides
education curriculum resources and assistance, coordinates the efforts and initiatives of the
Dubuque chapter of Keep Iowa Beautiful - Keep Dubuque County Clean and Green, manages
the Agency's Green Vision Education Program, and provides staff support to the Dubuque
County Illegal Dumping Task Force. The Coordinator also prepares and updates the Agency's
biannual Recycling and Reuse Guide, which is inserted in all Dubuque and Delaware county
daily and weekly newspapers.
Leisure Services Department: In accepting two new parks, Westbrook and Creek Wood, the
proposed park layouts included native open spaces, wetlands and woodland areas. Highly
maintained areas were limited in size. This limits the acreage of mowed, manicured spaces
with allowing preservation of open space — a much more sustainable practice.
Planning is in process for Creek Wood, Westbrook and Eagle Valley Parks. Concept plans
were shared at meetings in each neighborhood. Neighbors have been very interested and
involved. Sustainable practices are being considered as a part of development of each mini
park area.
Implementing an edible landscape at the City hall Annex building for staff and neighborhood
residents to harvest and enjoy while promoting healthy eating. All plants were grown from seed
in the city greenhouse and seed will be harvested to continue the planting for following
seasons.
35
Business:
Non - Profit:
Architecture Days: Dubuque Main Street, in partnership with the City Planning Department
and others, hosted the annual Dubuque Architecture Days in April, consisting of walking and
building tours, children's activities, and other free public events.
Schools:
People & Neighborhoods:
HEART: Four Mounds has substantially completed the redevelopment of 2234 Washington
Street in partnership with the City of Dubuque. The property is marks the 30th unit of housing
that HEART has converted or helped rehabilitate and will result in the 21st home made available
for ownership to a first -time homeowner.
GREEN BUILDINGS
Government:
Environmental & Sustainability Management System (ESMS):
The City successfully submitted an application for to participate in ICMA's ESMS institute to be
held in Roanoke, Virginia over the next two years. Sustainable Community Coordinator Cori
Burbach, Assistant Finance Director Jean Nachtmann, Purchasing Coordinator Tony Breitbach,
Street Maintenance Supervisor John Klostermann, Assistant City Attorney Maureen Quann,
Assistant City Manager Cindy Steinhauser, and Secretary Stephanie Valentine will lead City
staff in a process to develop an Environmental Management System for the Municipal Services
Center with the intention of becoming ISO 14001 certified at the end of the process. The 17-
element process will create policies; identify practices, responsibilities and implementation
schedules; and create a self- auditing system to address the activities, products and services
housed in the MSC, and identify those items' impacts on the environment.
Building Services Department:
• Solar Thermal The Solar Thermal Licensing and Solar Thermal Permits and Inspections
ordinances were created in 2011 after a local solar thermal contractor met with City staff to
determine what licenses and permits they would need to install solar thermal systems
within the corporate limits of Dubuque. The current regulations would require multiple
licenses and permits.
The adoption of the ordinances will allow for streamlined licensing and permitting
processes and support the development of green jobs in Dubuque. Information Services
has updated the Permits Plus system to have solar thermal licensing and permits
capability. Two solar thermal licenses have been issued.
• City Building Efficiency Improvements The 18th St project will significantly upgrade the
energy efficiency of that building with new HVAC, lighting, etc. This project, now owned by
Dubuque Bank & Trust, is complete.
On March 21, 2010, the City Council approved an upgrade to the HVAC system at City
Hall. Water cooled units will have their piping adjusted so that they are no longer dumping
the water into the sanitary sewer system, but into a cooling tower /tank, Water savings of
90 +% have been documented.
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• Grand River Center Smart Electric Meters: An RFP has been issued for design of a
smart electric metering of the Grand River Center. Responses were due June 4, 2011.
The City of Dubuque, Iowa is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified
professional consulting firms to complete a design of smart electric meter improvements to
the Grand River Center to incorporate smart electric meters in the Grand River Center. The
smart metering of some circuits and equipment at the Grand River Center will allow for the
management and staff to track electrical usage. The cost of electrical usage of special
events can also be tracked. The efficiency of HVAC equipment can be analyzed as well.
Responses to the design RFP were due June 24, 2011, with design completed in June,
2012. Installation would be complete by the end of 2012. One response was received from
KJWW of Rock Island. KJWW was hired and completed a design. Giese Electric has
installed the equipment. Training was completed in January, 2013. Plans and specs are
being developed for another phase of monitoring. This phase will dial in on circuits in the
exhibit hall. Bids are due for this phase on March 28, 2013. One bid was received and
negotiations are underway.
The DOE recently issued a challenge to manufacturer's to create a $100 smart meter.
Consideration is being given to waiting until a manufacturer meets the challenge.
• 2009 International Energy Conservation Code We have adopted the 2012 Int'I Energy
Conservation Code and will continue to adopt the most - recent version.
Renewable Energy Systems on Municipal Buildings: The City of Dubuque signed a contract
with a Dubuque firm, Eagle Point Solar, in August of 2011 providing for the installation of 425
solar panels on the roof of the Municipal Services Center. The panels were installed over the
ensuing months, connected to the local grid on November 22, 2011, and are now generating
200 kW of electrical power during optimum conditions — which equals approximately 1/3 of the
facility's electrical power needs. Examination of opportunities to install solar on other municipal
properties continues.
Workforce Housing /Housing Incentives: City staff has been working diligently with local
developers to find new revenue sources to fund the financial gaps in the rehabilitation of older
buildings in the downtown /millwork districts. In 2009, the Iowa Finance Authority conducted a
study and based on current market conditions and projected employment growth in Dubuque,
their study indicated a significant demand exists for additional rental housing in the local area.
Given the relatively low HUD Median Income and the estimated salary range of jobs, market
rate rental housing appears to have the most demand. Income restricted rental units, such as
those with Low Income Housing Tax Credits, would not alleviate future demands from
household growth. While some workers would prefer homeownership, affordable single family
detached homes are readily available in the market area with several new subdivisions under
construction. The lack of significant vacancies coupled with the lack of modern multi - family
rental communities indicates pent up demand for high quality market rate rental units. Based on
the IFA demand estimates, the Dubuque market area is in need of 300 to 400 additional rental
units over the next two to three years. Over 190 new residential units have been put into the
downtown market in the past 3 years. All are filled and there are waiting lists at each project
site. The City Council approved a Loan Agreement with the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) for
$4,500,000 with 3% interest. The funding is available for creation of workforce housing unit
37
creation in the Historic Millwork District. Income guidelines exist for the units totaling 120% of
Area Median Income. At the same time, staff is pursuing changes to various tax credit
programs on the national level, to assist in rehabilitation of historic structures.
The City Council approved a Loan Agreement with the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) for
$4,500,000 with 3% interest. The funding is available for creation of workforce housing unit
creation in the Historic Millwork District. Income guidelines exist for the units totaling 120% of
Area Median Income. At the same time, staff is pursuing changes to various tax credit
programs on the national level, to assist in rehabilitation of historic structures.
The loan with Caradco Landlord, LLC was closed on August 26, and the total loan of $4.5
million has been drawn down. Caradco has also drawn down $8,900,000 of CDBG funds for
this project. On February 4, 2013 the City Council approved amendment number 3 to the
CDBG contract asking for increased funding of $1,299,000 to cover extra compliance issues
related to David Bacon prevailing wage requirements. On May 6, 2013, City Council approved
amendment number 4 to the CDBG contract asking for increased funding of $38,200 to cover
extra compliance issues related to David Bacon prevailing wage requirements. City staff has
been working diligently with local developers to find new revenue sources to fund the financial
gaps in the rehabilitation of older buildings in the downtown /millwork districts.
At the same time, staff is pursuing changes to various tax credit programs on the national level,
to assist in rehabilitation of historic structures. The Greater Downtown Urban Renewal District
was expanded by the City Council on June 3, 2013 which provides additional tools to
encourage reinvestment and redevelopment activities throughout the expanded District to
support the revitalization of the area.
On September 6, 2012, the City's Economic Development Director was part of a panel
presentation at the Housing Conference sponsored by IFA. The presentation focused on the
Caradco project.
The City Council created a $2.5 million pool of funds to encourage downtown market -rate
apartments. The City provides a CIP for the Downtown Rehabilitation Loan, Planning and
Design Grant, Facade Grant, and Financial Consultant Grant Programs which are designed to
further the goals and objectives of the Greater Downtown Urban Renewal Plan by creating the
financial incentives needed to eliminate conditions of blight, encourage revitalization efforts and
to retain or create employment opportunities and /or new housing units within the district.
To date, the Council has approved 300 units for the Downtown Housing Program. Of those,
292 units will be developed. 187 units have been completed and 101 are currently under
construction. As of August 2013, the City has paid $1,803,000 in downtown housing incentives.
To meet the demand of this program, a recommendation was made to the City Council to
recapitalize this pool of funds. This program has done a tremendous job of helping promote
and redevelop the downtown housing options. In FY 2013, the City has approved an additional
$327,540 in grant funds for the Greater Downtown Urban Renewal District, an additional
$670,000 restricted to the Historic Millwork District and $1,500,000 restricted to the Washington
Neighborhood Subarea (includes Bluff/West Locust). Staff has updated the guidelines for the
Downtown Housing Incentive Program on May 6, 2013.
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On February 4, 2013, the City Council approved a Development agreement with Weaver
Castle, the Stelpflug family, for the rehabilitation of the vacant duplex located at 407 -409 Loras
Blvd. This historic rehabilitation will create 4 new residential units. On April 1, 2013, the City
Council approved a Development Agreement with the Stelpflugs for an additional 5 units at 324-
326 W. Locust.
On September 28, 2012, City Staff along with ECIA staff are holding a New Production 5 Grant
application training meeting for developers who may be interested in submitting a NP5 Grant
application.
The guidelines for NP5 were released in mid - October 2012. Applications were due on March 1,
2013. Only 2 applications will be allowed per community. To date nine local developers have
expressed interest in this project. The City will seek short project descriptions from each
developer in an effort to narrow the field down to two applications.
On February 18, 2013 the City Council approved an application for State CDBG funds from the
New Production Round 5 allocation to assist in the adaptive reuse of Linseed Oil Paintworks
Building at 151 East 9th. On June 19, 2013, the mayor was notified that the project received
$2,248,890 in CDBG funds for the creation of16 new residential units in the Millwork District.
The Council held a public hearing on a Development Agreement for this project on March 18,
2013.
The Council approved a 2nd application for the NP5 program located at 2811 Jackson (former
site of River Valley Nursery). The project would remove a dilapidated greenhouse and
construct 12 town house units. City staff learned in June that this project was denied funding.
On April 4th, 2011 the City Council approved a Development Agreement with Franklin
Investments, LLC for a Downtown Rehabilitation Loan of $300,000, Design Grant for $10,000,
Facade Grant of $10,000, Financial Consultant Grant of $5,000. On May 6, 2013 the City
Council approved a 1st amendment to the Development Agreement which includes $20,000 of
additional downtown housing incentives and an additional $10,000 for financial consultant
assistance.
Green & Healthy Homes Initiative: Working collaboratively across jurisdictions and silos of
funding to identify and remove barriers to holistic, household centric approaches to improving
health, safety, livability and affordability of housing in Dubuque. The Initiative will identify the
hazards in the participating client residences, identify funding sources to maximize services to
the clients to remediate these hazards, and follow up with the clients to assist them in
maintaining and sustaining the improvements." Key partners are the Housing and Community
Development Department, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Health Department,
Operation New View, Visiting Nurse Association, Northeast Iowa Community College, Lead
Hazard Control Grant, Healthy Homes Production Grant Smarter City Project Manager
The Dubuque GHH Collaborative continues forward positively. In June 2011 all partners
received LEAN - principled training. It was supported by two professional LEAN trainers
provided through NICC. Process mapping of the first phase of coordinated activity
(identification, qualification, intake, assessment, funding, planning) occurred and an approach
to testing the new process with volunteer Pilot GHH Homes will be developed. The Home
Advocate concept being pioneered in Dubuque was introduced and six Pilot Homes have now
39
been identified. Meetings are held weekly to consolidate activities and reduce duplication.
Dubuque has been contacted by several state and federal agencies /entities expressing interest
in the innovative effort, and seeking to discuss additional potential partnerships. City and
Community Foundation staff represented Dubuque at the National Healthy Homes Conference
in Denver in June. They gave a presentation to Congressional staff during their visit to Dubuque
in August and presented at the local Sustainability Conference in October. City Staff also
represented Dubuque at the Department of Energy Regional Weatherization Plus Health
Initiative in October.
The State of Iowa held an Advisory Meeting in Des Moines on November 15, 2011 with
participants coming from various agencies and programs statewide to discuss a common
collaborative similar to the GHHI model happening on the state level. This pioneer meeting was
the first step to common ground being formed at a level higher than our City initiative. Staff
from the Lead Hazard Control Program and the Healthy Homes Production Program
represented the City of Dubuque in the statewide initiative.
The City's Healthy Homes Program has completed 85 units with 15 currently in progress. The
Lead Hazard Control Program has completed 129 units with 28 in progress. GHHI, which
works with one or both of these programs and with Operation New View's Weatherization
Program, has completed 100 projects, which include some Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard
Control Projects. In addition the Home Advocate has helped the families of these homes access
GHHI Services and other resources such as counseling, mental health support, health care,
food stamps and a variety of other services- the Home Advocate is funded by the Community
Foundation and the City of Dubuque. A shared data platform called ETO has been
implemented among the partners in order to better understand the outcomes from the initiative.
Follow up visits to homes completed in 2012 are taking place in 2013 to ensure the
interventions are sustainable and to measure the impact of the initiative. In addition, families
will receive a cleaning kit, a $25 gift card and follow up support from the Home Advocate.
The Community Foundation received a grant from the Funders Network to help GHHI families
engage in sustainable practices. GHHI will partner with the Sustainability Coordinator at the
City of Dubuque, Cori Burbach for the next year to implement the grant.
Multicultural Family Center: Completed in FY 2010 to empower diverse neighbors, families
and individuals through personal growth and participation in community activities in the $ 1.2
million rehabilitation of a City building to expand the Center. The Center's programs include
cross - cultural educational and family activities. The City hired a full -time director, half time
assistant director and twenty hours of site coordinators per week to staff the Center.
Washington Row Houses - City and DB &T Community Corp purchased 'row houses' on 1700
block of Washington Street from six private owners. The units are now completed and four
have been sold. An offer to purchase has been made on one of the remaining properties and
waiting City Council approval to sell. The remaining property will continue to be marketed for
sale to income qualifying homebuyers. Recycled city street pavers were used to create a
courtyard in the back.
Urban Revitalization Program: The purpose of the program is to attract development to
specific areas, which might otherwise continue to deteriorate, thereby stabilizing and eventually
40
increasing the tax base within those areas. The abatements are intended to stimulate private
investment by reducing the tax increases that would normally result from making improvements
to residential property.
The program focuses on revitalization of properties in the community's older neighborhoods
and offers a property tax exemption for new improvements made to qualified residential
properties and limited commercial properties. Owners who upgrade their residential properties
located within a designated urban revitalization area are eligible to apply for a ten -year property
tax exemption. Owners of commercial property in the Washington Neighborhood UR district are
eligible for a three -year exemption. To qualify, improvements must increase the assessed value
of the building by at least ten percent or greater depending on the specific district, and applies
to those neighborhoods which have been designated as urban revitalization areas by the City
Council. $727,170 is the current value of properties in tax abatement as of the 2012.
Lead Hazard Control grant: To reduce lead poisoning in Dubuque's young children, begun in
1997 and refunded in 2011 with a $3.1 million grant awarded in January 2011. This is used to
fund several lead control initiatives including inspection and lead -based paint hazard reduction
in 185 Dubuque housing units. One hundred of those units will receive $740 in additional
funding for a more comprehensive Healthy Homes approach. It will provide a comprehensive
public education campaign aimed at teaching property owners, tenants, and maintenance and
remodeling contractors how to provide and maintain lead -safe dwellings. Additionally, area
contractors will be certified, trained and provided economic incentives to grow their businesses
and improve skills in lead hazard reduction. Through September 2013, 375 applicants enrolled,
230 units received a lead hazard evaluation, and 141 units were completed. Fifteen projects are
currently signed and in progress for the quarter ending December 31, 2013. The Program
achieved a 100% rating from the quarterly report review from the Housing and Urban
Development Department (HUD).
Healthy Homes Production Program: To eliminate or reduce health and safety issues in the
homes of children under 18, elderly, and disabled, a $1 million grant was awarded in January
2011. These funds are utilized to identify and remediate housing - related health and safety
hazards in 100 housing units throughout Dubuque. The 7 Healthy Homes Principles focused
on are Keep It: Dry, Clean, Pest Free, Ventilated, Safe, Contaminant Free, and Maintained.
The Program is designed to develop low -cost methods for hazard assessment and intervention,
evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, building local capacity to educate residents and
mitigate hazards, developing and delivering public- education programs, and partnering with
other programs and agencies to maximize services.
This program will be used in conjunction with the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative to
address the conditions in the physical environment in the home as well as issues in the lives of
the dwelling's occupants. Through September 2013, 200 applicants enrolled, 132 units
received a comprehensive healthy home assessment, and 101 units have been completed. Six
projects are signed and in progress for the quarter ending December 31, 2013. The Program
achieved a 100% rating from the quarterly report review from HUD.
Previously members of the Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Program staff attended
and became certified as Healthy Homes Specialists through a Healthy Homes Practitioner
Course held in the City Housing Department. Also included in the training were the City's
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general housing supervisor and inspectors, Section 8 inspectors, and members of the City's
Health Department, and the local Operation: New View Community Action Agency
Weatherization inspectors. This is continuing the goal of having City departments and related
outside partner's cross - trained and sharing job duties whenever possible, as well as
contributing to the GHHI goal to streamline and reduce duplication in the assessment process.
Neighborhood Stabilization Program: $444,328 from the Iowa Department of Economic
Development received in April 2009. The grant provides funding to purchase foreclosed or
abandoned homes and to rehabilitate, resell or redevelop these homes in order to stabilize
neighborhoods and deter decline in valuation of neighboring homes. To date, the City has
funded nine projects for acquisition and/or rehabilitation with NSP funds. Seven projects have
been sold to 1st time homebuyers. One of the remaining properties has received an offer to
purchase and is awaiting City Council approval to sell. The remaining property is currently
listed with a local realtor.
Rental Assistance Program: The City's primary means of directly providing affordable
assisted housing is through the federal HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program. This program
offers rental assistance to lower- income families for approximately $3.5 million annually with
HUD funds paid to area landlords. This program has been operational in Dubuque since 1976.
Carnegie -Stout Public Library Renovation: We set a goal of diverting deconstruction
materials from the landfill; though final numbers are not available, we have reached 63 %. Our
carpeting was sent to be recycled and the carpet we installed was made from recycled
carpeting. Our insulation is blue jeans - reduced to the kind of fluff you see in a dryer basket.
We have several counter tops made of sunflowers. Our lights are designed so that they do not
contribute to "light pollution;" the fixtures inside the building are not directed so that they can
shine out. Materials used, including paint, varnish, and adhesives were LEED certified. The
plantings around the library will require very little maintenance. The greatest impact of LEED,
however, will come in the many policies we will be adopting that will regulate the percentage of
"Green" cleaning products we use, measure our trash to reduce it and increase recycling, etc.
Studies show improved air quality will result in increased work productivity, fewer sick days, and
fewer health bills as compared to prior to the renovation.
The Library was awarded LEED -EB certification at the Silver level in October, 2012. The library
is the first city -owned building to earn LEED certification and is the first public library in this
category to earn certification while also maintaining a listing on the National Register of Historic
Places.
August, 2013 — the Library will apply for certification as a Petal Project building.
Leisure Services Department:
• More insulation and insulated doors were added to mower repair building
• LED lighting was added to five pole sheds.
• Lighting fixture upgrades were completed at Sutton pool saving an estimated cost of
$373.00 in electrical costs annually. Two LED canopy lights were also installed on the
exterior of the building
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• A high efficiency toilet was installed at the Slattery center to replace the outdated fixture.
The fixture meets the EPA's watersense guidelines by using 20% less water.
• Lighting fixture upgrades to T8 two bulb fixtures in the Tree division garage building
• LED external security lighting was added to the Bee Branch Stormwater Maintenance
Building
Business:
The following are private and public LEED - certified buildings in Dubuque. Several additional
buildings have been built to LEED standards, but have chosen not to complete the certification
work.
Certification
Date
Development
LEED Status
2007
Durrant Architects
Platinum
2007
Medline Industries
Silver
2008
Hormel Foods
Gold
2009
IBMIRoshek Bldg
Platinum
2009
Kohl's
Certified
2009
McGraw Hill Regional HQ
Gold
2010
Kwik Star 495 (2685 Dodge St)
Silver
2011
EB Lyons Interpretive Center Expansion
Silver
2009
Carnegie Stout Public Library
Silver
2012
Finley Hospital Private Patient Room Addition
Certified
Non - Profit:
Schools:
People & Neighborhoods:
HEALTHY LOCAL FOOD
Government:
Dubuque Eats Well: Dubuque Eats Well (DEW) is a strategic partnership within the Dubuque
tri -state community that values sustainable Healthy Local Food (HLF) systems for the benefit of
all. DEW is a participant in our regional food system network as it relates to the comprehensive
social policy, economics and legislative issues. DEW values systematic resilience within the six
local food chain interlinks: production, distribution /marketing, processing,
purchasing /consumption, preparation and waste minimization. DEW works to influence the
Dubuque community's evolving food culture and food shed to support "well- being" related to:
healthy eaters, access to HLF, food safety and security, thriving local economies, rejuvenated
neighborhoods, local and ethnic cuisine, profitable producers, farmer laborers receiving a living
wage, "fair trade" support, vibrant biodiversity, lighter carbon and water footprints, eco- literate
food tourism and zero waste composting.
A Regional Foods Coordinator was hired in August 2012 to implement the Ul recommendations
as well as the deliverables included a grant received through Limestone Bluffs RC &D. Brittany
Bethel began work in early September 2012. ISU Extension is the lead organization planning
the Driftless Farm Crawl, one of the Sustainable Dubuque Community Grant recipients, held on
September 21. The event included five farms which held tours throughout the day, educational
activities, public transportation for those without access to their own, and a meal highlighting
local chefs and foods. We had over 250 attendees for this event, with over 86 people in
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attendance for the Farm to Table Dinner. The dinner highlighted local farmers and local chefs
that are utilizing locally - produced ingredients. We were able to raise over $1,500 for the
Dubuque Rescue Mission Greenhouse Project.
The Dubuque County ISU Extension held our first Level One GAP Training this October 3rd
helping to raise awareness about on -farm food safety practices for local growers. We will be
holding our Level Two workshop on Thursday, September 24th
The Dubuque County ISU Extension has submitted two applications to receive a Vista to work
on Anti - hunger issues and Farm to School efforts in the Dubuque area. These Vistas would
work in partnership with Project Hope, DHS, the Food Bank, and SWWRPC. We will be notified
in October if we receive the Anti - Hunger Vista.
Community Garden Collaboration: Community gardens include the Dubuque Jaycees
Community Gardens at Veterans Memorial Park, 2700 Northview Dr, St. Luke's United
Methodist Wading Pool gardens, Dubuque Rescue Mission garden, the Four Mounds
community garden located at 4392 Peru Road, the Dr. John Viner garden at 21 st Street
between Elm and Kniest Streets, the Garden Organic program which is filmed at Barrington
Lakes garden (private property) and Steve's Ace Hardware and the new Washington
Neighborhood garden at 18th & Central. More information about these gardens can be found at
www. cityofdubuque .org /communitygardens.
The City of Dubuque has partnered with the Dubuque Jaycees to create a community garden at
Veterans Memorial Park. These plots will be available to all area residents for a fee of $30 for
an in- ground bend and $40 for a raised bed, plus a $25 deposit which will be returned after
harvest if the plot is cleared. Income -based fee waivers are also available to those who qualify.
Under this agreement, the City will provide the land for the garden plots and the Jaycees will
maintain responsibility for all aspects of managing the garden.
For the second year, the St. Luke's Wading Pool Garden project will provided gardens to
individuals who do not have the ability to plant a garden in their own yard or have access to a
larger community garden.
For the third year, Four Mounds is partnering with Hillcrest Family Services to provide free
gardens at the 4392 Peru Road for use by the youth of their residential facilities. Led by staff,
the gardens and beekeeping operations provide produce for use at the Hillcrest Residential
facilities. All 80 youth are engaged in the process throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Additional produce is made available to Hillcrest Staff through a CSA process. This year Four
Mounds is working with Green Iowa AmeriCorps to utilize hoophouses and composting to
improve this operation.
A group of community garden leader meeting was held with the intention of finding ways to
collaborate on gardening efforts, identify gaps in community gardening need, and share
volunteers and resources. Additional meetings are planned for the non - growing season. A
community garden planning meeting was held in December, with approximately 25 community
garden organizers, gardeners, and volunteers attending or providing input via email. Their input
will be collected and used to plan for the upcoming growing season. The group was particularly
interested in forming a Community Garden Coalition, in which gardeners and garden organizers
could meet to collaborate, share resources, and identify gaps in community service and /or
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opportunities for new gardens. The group would be supported by the ISU Extension Regional
Foods Coordinator and City Sustainable Community Coordinator for the short -term future.
The City of Dubuque, in partnership with the Dubuque Rescue Mission, Dubuque County
Conservation Board, and Multicultural Family Center, submitted a US Conference of Mayors
grant application which, if awarded, would fund the construction of a greenhouse on the DRM
garden site to expand growing opportunities to year- round. City staff from the Sustainability
Office and Water, Legal and Planning Departments met with DRM and DCCB staff to review
proposed plans for a greenhouse on the garden site and identify information and actions
needed should the greenhouse plans move forward in 2013. Plans for this greenhouse are
moving forward.
The Washington Neighborhood planted a new community garden in the 1800 block of
Washington St as part of a larger community beautification effort. The groundbreaking
occurred on June 6.
A meeting was held at Loras College at the beginning of October 2013 to discuss the logistics
for starting a campus garden to provide education and fresh produce for the staff and students.
Further details yet to be determined.
Leisure Services Department:
• Organic Garden 101 class 2011
• Fall Landscaping Workshop 2011
• Frontier Living 2012
• Dirt, Worms and Food 2012
• Snack Attack 2012
• Edible garden installed at City Hall Annex
• Nature camp kids 2013
• Getting Domestic 2013
• Snack Attack 2013
• Superhero in Me 2013
Business:
Dubuque Food Co -op: The Dubuque Food Co -op has announced its Board of Directors and is
currently completing a nation -wide search for a store manager and a marketing campaign to
secure 1,000 members. The Co -op is slated to open in fall 2013 in the Historic Millwork District.
The Co -op received a $200,000 challenge grant commitment from Dubuque Initiatives and has
raised the required match. They have hired a General Manager, who comes with Iowa City
New Pioneer Co -op management experience.
Non - Profit:
Dubuque Farmers' Market: In this 167th year of market, there are 109 seasonal and 1
occasional vendors that rent a total of 125 stalls (as of 7/30/13). This represents 22 first -year
vendors. Vendors offer a huge variety of home -grown and made -made products and services
that fall into one or more of these broad categories: Produce (45), Baked goods (34), Eggs (9),
Meats (7), Plants (28), Wines (4), Crafts (48), Food prepared on -site (10), and Others (22). The
Dubuque Farmers' Market is administered by Dubuque Main Street on behalf of the City of
Dubuque.
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Dubuque Farmers' Market has been involved with the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program for
Seniors and for Women, Infants, & Children for numerous years. Vendors (22) who meet the
criteria for selling produce apply through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land
Stewardship to be a certified vendor. Customers redeem their benefits in the form of a check or
voucher. Vendors deposit the checks and /or vouchers at area financial institutions for
reimbursement. There are no fees involved for vendors.
In addition, vendors are encouraged to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) (formerly known as food stamps), which is administered through USDA's
Food and Nutrition Services. Dubuque Farmers' Market vendors are challenged to participate in
SNAP due to limited access to electricity for land -line based technology. The vendors (7) who
do accept SNAP's electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards have to purchase or lease wireless
equipment to accept the cards, as well as pay transaction fees on each purchase.
New 'smart' phone technology allows vendors (crafts and food) to accept debit and credit cards
at market without the use of separate equipment, but there is a transaction fee on each
purchase.
On May 5, 2012, a customer count was conducted at market. On May 5, more than 3,100
stickers were distributed, which equals more than 3,100 customers. On July 2, 2011, there
were 3,682 customers (this date was selected because it fell before the availability of sweet
corn). On October 1, 2011, there were 2,813 customers. Dubuque Main Street conducted their
first customer count in July 2010, which was 3,800 customers and was the first day sweet corn
was available at the market.
2012 -13 Winter Farmers' Markets: From November to April, the market opens every Saturday
morning from 9 am — 12 noon at the downtown Colts building. This volunteer run market
extends Dubuque's focus on local healthy foods sold year- round. Approximately 40 regular
vendors participate. Over 400 customers per week visit the market, which is run under the
umbrella of Four Mounds Foundation. Many new vendors this year have provided value -added
products for sale including fruit, potted plants, eggs, fresh & cured meat, honey, vegetables,
casseroles, baked goods, Belgian Waffles, and many other items.
Schools:
Farm to School Initiatives: The Sustainable Community Coordinator and ISU Extension
Regional Foods Coordinator met with the Food Services Directors for both the Dubuque
Community School District and Holy Family Schools. The group is exploring opportunities to
directly purchase local produce from tri -state area farms in the near future.
Meetings have also been held with Clarke University, University of Dubuque, Hillcrest School,
Sisters of Charity BVM, Sisters of the Presentation, and Mount St. Francis, all of whom are
interested in sourcing locally produced foods in their institution.
In October 2013 four classes have been taught to K -5th graders at Audubon and Marshall
through the St. Marks Youth Enrichment Program by ISU Extension around gardening and farm
to table principles. A highlight included a local apple tasting by the students.
People & Neighborhoods:
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Community garden organizers and participants continue to meet as spring approaches to share
resources and coordinate marketing and volunteer recruitment efforts. The St. Luke's Wading
Pool Garden is currently accepting applications for gardens as well as seeking garden guides.
Library:
The library hosted a program in July, 2013 on healthy- eating that promoted seasonal produce
and also presented tips on how to include protein in a vegetarian diet.
COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE
Government:
• Mayor & Council Sustainability Pledge: The original Mayor's sustainability pledge was
launched in 2007, and thousands of copies have been distributed to schools, businesses,
and residents in Dubuque, giving them concrete ways they can implement each of the 11
Sustainable Dubuque principles. In October 2012, a new Mayor & City Council pledge was
created to challenge residents to consider new actions. For each principle three actions are
suggested -a "beginner, intermediate, and advanced" approach to implementing each
principle in daily life.
• CityChannel Dubuque programming
o EPA Programs that deal with stormwater infiltration and stormwater pollution
o City Journal & Sustainability Today interview programs: 30+ programs
o IBM /Dubuque Smarter Cities project
o EPA educational videos focusing on stormwater and infiltration
• Reduce Runoff: Slow it Down, Spread it Out, Soak it In!
• After the Storm
o Sustainable Communities Tour
o Catfish Creek Watershed Management Authority Board
o Keyline Rack & Ride promotional spot
o Plastic bags educational spot
o Winter Yard Waste /Food Scrap Pickup
o City Expo live telecasts
o City Council work sessions on Sustainable Dubuque
o Reinforcement of Sustainable Dubuque initiative by station identification spots,
placing appropriate Green Pledge icons on programming, CityChannel 8 graphics
Growing Sustainable Communities Conference: In early 2008, Dubuque hosted its first
Growing Sustainable Communities Conference entitled "Leading the Way to Global Climate
Solutions" at the Grand River Center in the Port of Dubuque. It was a regional event that was
attended by over 600 elected officials, business and community leaders, and college students
from the tri -state area. This inaugural event was designed to provide community leaders with
the knowledge of experts about the science of climate and how to incorporate sustainability into
their own communities.
The City has established a partnership with Sustainable City Network Inc. to host this year's
conference in an effort to market to a larger audience and establish the Growing Sustainable
Communities Conference as a premiere sustainability conference in the Midwest. The theme of
this year's conference will be "Economy, Engagement, Eco- Efficiencies," and the workshop
tracks will focus on the Sustainable Dubuque principles of Resource Management, Smart
Energy Use, Reasonable Mobility and Community Knowledge. A sustainable foods luncheon is
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planned with food items produced by local agriculturalists.
The 4th Annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference hosted 350 attendees from
across the country. The event included a networking reception at the National Mississippi River
Museum and Aquarium, three pre- conference half -day workshops, 21 workshops, and three
nationally- recognized keynote speakers. The audience demographics expanded to reach a
larger geographic area and included a more diverse mix of municipal representatives, business
leaders, and local students.
The 5th Annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference was held on October 2 -3, 2012.
Approximately 460 individuals attended, up 32% from last year's attendance numbers. Of that
number, 59% were from government, with 19% representing businesses, 10% non - profits, and
4% the education sector. Attendees came from 92 different cities across 21 states; the majority
were from Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
The record - breaking 6th Annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference was held on
September 24 -25, 2013. Approximately 495 attendees, up 8% from last year. Of that number,
39% represented governments, 25% were from businesses, 29% represented educational
institutions (including approximately 100 local college students), and 7% were from non - profits.
91% of the post- conference respondents replied that they were "extremely or moderately
satisfied" with the event. The 7th annual conference will be held on Oct 7 -8, 2014.
Leisure Services: Volunteer Development
• AmeriCorps VISTA position hired as Volunteer Coordinator.
• Networking completed with city departments and non - profit organizations about volunteer
needs and issues.
• High Impact Service Plan developed.
• Engaged in Make A Difference Day, MLK Jr. Service Day, Multicultural Family Center Taste
of the World, Earth Week, Green Iowa AmeriCorps Individual Projects, Days of Caring, Big
Day of Service — all volunteer engagement efforts.
• Love Your Block Initiative was developed and implemented for projects in neighborhoods
across the City. $5,000 from an AARP
Human Rights: Volunteer Development
• $48,000 grant obtained for collaborative effort with community partners to create a
volunteer center
• 15 model centers researched
• Vision, mission, service categories created
• Three potential implementation plans being created and reviewed
• Next steps involve planning and engaging with stakeholders around funding, location,
staffing
• VISTA volunteer coordinator continues her efforts
• 11 agencies trained on Volunteer Solutions
• 9 agencies offered capacity building services and have implemented three or more
effective volunteer management practices
• 9/11 Day of Service involved 300 letters written to troops
• $1500 grant obtained for Make a Difference Day with volunteers engaging in yard clean
up, painting, insulation, caulking, weatherization
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• Since September 2012, 1089 volunteers recruited, 74 disadvantaged youth, 196 college
students, 75 baby boomers, 729 worked on Days of Service, 3,286 hours logged.
• City Life: the pilot version of our citizen academy was completed, with fourteen residents
volunteering to continue as ambassadors linking residents to residents and residents to
government on an ongoing basis; nine residents volunteered to lead community projects
including a free little library to encourage reading and connections between
neighborhood residents on the north end, a diversity cookbook to encourage the sharing
of culture and history amongst Dubuque residents, a project to serve meals for the
Circles Initiative, and a newcomer's speakers' project to better connect new residents to
government services.
Impact: At a rate of $17.22 per hour based on Independent Sector, the dollar value of volunteer
hours over past six months totals $56,585. Using volunteering strategically to meet human
services needs and the needs of underserved; increasing resident interaction; continuing to
become inclusive community where all people contribute. The outcomes will be more
ownership in community solutions as people see selves as part of solution; a sense of inclusion
will increase as people are welcomed to contribute their skills and develop a sense of
belonging.
Multicultural Family Center
• The MFC hosted Native Spirit Dancer to a capacity crowd (700 +) at the Five Flags Theater.
• The MFC hosted Dia De Las Americas on Saturday, October 8th from 4:30- 11:OOpm. Over
400 people attended this cultural celebration for Hispanic Heritage month. Event included
cultural displays representing 12 countries, dance performances, two live bands and an
authentic meal with foods from throughout the Americas.
• The MFC also offered a one -man show about the life of Satchel Paige on Tuesday, October
25th at Five Flags. Around 175 community members attended this 90 minute performance.
• Taste of the World was held at the Five Flags Arena on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The
event featured display booths and food samples from over 20 cultures represented in the
Dubuque community. Booths were hosted by community volunteers. Additionally, there were
7 performances representing 5 different cultures. Over 1,000 people attended the event to
enjoy the food samples, entertainment, and children's activities. This event is a great
opportunity for all community members to come together to celebrate our diversity, and work
together to create understanding and build bridges across cultures.
• Cinco de Mayo was held in Washington Park on May 4, 2012. Over 400 community
members came together to celebrate with kids activities, music, dancing, and food donated
from local Mexican restaurants. This event was planned by a core group of Hispanic
community members with the support of the Multicultural Family Center and Human Rights
Department.
• Juneteenth was held in Comiskey Park on Saturday, June 16, 2012 to celebrate the day the
last slaves were freed. Attracting over 300 community members, Juneteenth featured
children's activities, music, food, an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, free haircuts from Body
& Soul, and information booths from local community organizations.
Library: During Earth Week, 2013, the Library featured a special exhibit to raise awareness of
Earth Week and distributed handmade bookmarks created from used greeting cards.
During Money Smart Week, April 21 -27, the Library partnered with the Boy Scouts and banks to
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sponsor a workshop for merit badges to be earned in understanding finances. 106 Boy Scouts
participated.
The library hosted a Volunteer recognition dinner and the theme was sustainability. Extra
coffee mugs that people donated from their cupboards were donated to the library. They were
filled with potting soil and either flowers or herbs as a gift for attendees with a stick sign in them
reading, "Volunteers: Our Greatest Natural Resource."
Safe Community Initiative (Top Priority):
The Task Force has achieved the following since its inception. First, this diverse group with
very different opinions and perspectives had open and difficult conversations so that they could
begin to reach some common understanding of the breadth of issues that needed to be
addressed and the difficulty of the task. Second, they agreed on two primary goals:
1. Identifying and acting upon things that most effectively reduce crime and that most effectively
reduce the perception of crime.
2. Recognizing that people want to feel safe and identifying ways to provide that feeling of
safety for people.
Third, they gathered ideas from subcommittee members, brought those ideas to a series of
Task Force meetings, discussed them and ultimately forwarded 9 recommendations to Council
on 2/1/10 and 33 additional recommendations to Council on 7/19/10.
Impact: This type of resident engagement, while challenging and less than perfect, is a
fundamental necessity in order for a democratic community to be sustainable.
On October 4, 2010, the City Council approved, upon recommendation from the Task Force,
the creation of a Safe Community Advisory Committee whose role is to oversee the
implementation progress of the Task Force recommendations for a one year period. The
members were appointed in December and they held their first meeting on March 2, 2011 and
their second meeting on April 13, 2011. Throughout 2011, they met on the second Wednesday
of every month at alternate meeting locations throughout the community to encourage broader
community participation. The Council extended the committee through 2012, during which they
met quarterly, and the Council has extended the committee through 2013 as well.
Impact: Having residents engaged in implementation oversight educates, empowers, and
engages residents by building resident awareness of the scope of the issues, by supporting
government accountability, and by building public trust.
Based on a Task Force recommendation, the City Council approved a contract with Northern
Illinois University Center for Governmental Studies to conduct a detailed study on crime and
poverty in Dubuque. NIU delivered the final study results to the Task Force in January 2011,
the Task Force met on February 5 and February 8 and formulated 18 recommendations in
response to the study, which were presented to the City Council at a worksession on February
28, 2011 and later accepted by the Council.
Impact: The study provides detailed factual information, as well as information on what
scientific studies indicate are more or less effective in the areas of reducing crime and the
perception of crime and creating safety. The study results will assist with educating and
empowering both City staff and the general public in making wise decisions.
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The Task Force recommended that its members be allowed to act as a conduit for accurate
information to the public. Task Force members were provided a broad range of information as
a result of participating on the Task Force and they have since participated in a variety of
speaking engagements. Most recently, City staff and the past chair of the Safe Community
Advisory Committee participated in a panel discussion at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Impact: Having community members hold discussions with the general public takes advantage
of their experiences as a member of the public reviewing information and participating on a
resident advisory group, and also allows for more effective distribution of information so staff
can focus on handling those aspects of daily governmental operations that require staff
expertise.
The Task Force recommended that property owners not be provided government funding
unless their properties are in compliance or they are working towards compliance. In August,
the Economic Development Department began using a certification form and cross - checking
compliance with code enforcement departments. The Housing Department also began
requiring code compliance for all rental property owners seeking Rehab funds. Inspections and
code compliance already are required for property owners seeking to rent to those receiving
Section 8 rental assistance.
Impact: These steps will result in safe buildings and will improve livability and equity for
residents in rental units.
The Task Force recommended encouraging people to improve lighting around their properties.
The City has expanded the Washington Neighborhood Yard Lighting initiative to include
neighborhoods east of the Bluffs and all low- moderate income neighborhoods. Property
owners are eligible for a rebate of up to $250 for front yard lighting that meets certain
requirements, and up to $100 for back yard lighting. 10 households have utilized the incentive
programs. The City also installed new street lights at all 38 possible alley locations from 12th to
20th streets in the Washington Neighborhood.
Impact: Extra lighting will enhance neighborhood safety.
The Task Force recommended reducing the time allotted for correcting property violations from
the current two years. In April 2010, the City Council amended the Housing Code to reduce
inspections and the appeals board process to be completed in no more than 9 months.
Impact: This change will result in property violations being corrected more quickly.
The Task Force recommended that the Police Department enforce noise and traffic ordinances
more aggressively.
• This has been a police department priority since recommended
• 2010 saw a 50% increase in noise enforcement
• 2011's 638 noise enforcements were double 2010
• Through August 2012, noise enforcement was running 30% less than 2011's record year
but still far above 2010 and previous years
• Media release issued in March 2012 advising public of all noise ordinances
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• 2012 ordinance on vehicle noise amended to include additional language to better alert
motorists of what constitutes a violation
• In CY 2012 officers have took enforcement on 12,416 traffic violations
• 22 special enforcement traffic programs in addition to regularly scheduled traffic projects
funded under Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau.
The Task Force also recommended that the City require landlords to conduct mandatory
background checks.
• Background checks mandated as of July 2, 2011
• FY 2012 6,360 checks run at cost to City of $50,370
• Auditing for compliance being investigated
• Attendance at Crime Free Multihousing Training Program mandated for landlords
• 2010 -2012 six sessions offered with 376 landlords attending.
• Training manual updated and available on City website
• Curriculum expanded to include DVD on rental code enforcement
• Resources for landlords added including Landlord Association, Four Mounds Energy
Center, Multicultural Family Center, Utility Billing, Solid Waste, Housing, yard light
initiatives, historic preservation, neighborhood associations, Dubuque Dispute Resolution
Center, Green and Healthy Homes, and Greater Dubuque Development Corporation
newcomers program
Impact: Landlords will be aware of the criminal histories of their tenants when making rental
decisions, and also will be aware of the legal standards surrounding the operation of rental
housing and human resources available in the community.
The Task Force recommended that the City establish a threshold number of police complaints
that will result in the property being designated for City assistance to resolve problems at the
property.
• In January 2011, the Council adopted an ordinance change describing the types and
numbers of calls that will place the property in a priority category.
• As of September 8, 2013, 10,403 letters have been mailed notifying landlords of police
calls to their properties since the inception of the notification program in December 2009.
• Notifications are sent to registered landlords or property managers for police calls to
licensed rental properties that involve one or more of 72 different types of police call
natures.
• The Police Department averaged 53.08 notification letters per week in since beginning
the program.
• The Police Department also has hired two interns who are working to insure accuracy of
addresses in the database being used to send notification letters and to assist with
community policing efforts.
The Task Force recommended that the City intensify exterior code enforcement efforts.
• In August 2010, the Housing Department implemented a homeowner exterior inspection
process in the Washington Neighborhood, which involves a compliance checklist and
information on financial assistance available. By June 2011, all 200 owner - occupied
housing had been inspected.
• 800 rental properties inspected in Washington Neighborhood with 760 brought into
compliance.
• Rental inspection cycle reduced from 7 to 5 years
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• 29 vacant and abandoned buildings addressed; 25 remain on the list
• Regular meetings continue to examine problem property enforcement
• Cab screen interface devices have been installed in all solid waste trucks to report code
violations
• The Department also performed exterior -only code enforcement inspections of all 2,130
rental buildings in all downtown neighborhoods.
Impact: These efforts should significantly affect appearance of downtown properties.
The Task Force recommended efforts to increase public understanding of the Section 8
program.
Crime Free Multi Housing Training - 150+ people
3/12/2011 Assisted Housing Booth
10/13/2011 Assisted Housing Booth
11/19/2011 Assisted Housing Presentation & Booth
3/24/2012 Assisted Housing Presentation & Booth
4/12/2012 Assisted Housing Presentation & Booth
02/23/2013 Assisted Housing Presentation & Booth
10/10/2013 Assisted Housing Presentation & Booth
10/12/2013 Assisted Housing Presentation & Booth
Iowa Senate Human Resource Committee — 30 + people in attendance, presentation was
broadcast by HR committee on You Tube
1/19/2012 Assisted Housing, Family Self- Sufficiency & Bridges Initiative
City Expo
4/11/2011 Assisted Housing Booth
4/10/2012 Assisted Housing Booth
9/10/2013 Assisted Housing, Family Self- Sufficiency & Circles Initiative Booth
Dubuque Community School District Counselors — 15 people
1/18/2012 Assisted Housing & FSS
Dubuque Works Board — 15 people
5/17/2011 Circles® and FSS
Loras College Advanced Marketing Class — 18 people
9/9/2011 Assisted Housing
Dubuque City Council
11/21/2011 FSS and Circles® Presentation
Juneteenth — 20 + people to our booth
6/16/2012 Assisted Housing Booth
North End Neighborhood Resource Fair - 20+ people to our booth
9/20/2012 Assisted Housing Booth
United Methodists Women's Group — 17 people
10/4/2012 Assisted Housing and Poverty in Dubuque Presentation
Impact: The public will be educated about the facts surrounding Section 8 rental assistance.
The Task Force recommended that the City address community concerns about the real or
perceived impact of the Section 8 program on the community by decreasing the number of
Section 8 vouchers in the program to 900, and increasing the staff capacity of the Family Self -
Sufficiency (FSS) Program.
• Number of utilized vouchers decreased to 900 in January 2010
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• Preference points for elderly, disabled, veterans, supported community living and
homeless population implemented
• Third FSS coordinators added in FYE 2013
• Circles Initiative expanded and Circles Coach hired
• Federal regulations do not allow limiting voucher eligibility to Dubuque residents and was
not implemented
• Housing Choice Voucher program must be administered in manner consistent with HUD
regulations
• In 2010, 28 households or 3% of the Housing Choice Voucher program were enrolled in
FSS program
• By July 2012, 100 households or 12% of program participants were enrolled
• As of October 2012, 92 households or 11% of households enrolled.
• In FYE 2012 143 Households were enrolled in FSS program.
Impact: There will be fewer families receiving Section 8 rental assistance, with those living in
Dubuque and /or elderly or disabled receiving highest priority. There will be a corresponding
reduction in federal funding received for the program.
The Task Force recommended increasing participation of Section 8 participants in self -
sufficiency programs. As of FY 2012, the Getting Ahead program has graduated its 184th
participant. In addition, the Circles initiative has begun and the Circles coach has been hired.
The Resident Advisory Board also has become more engaged with regular meetings with
Housing Department staff. The Task Force also recommended encouraging community wide
support for initiatives that support self- sufficiency. The City has obtained an Urban Youth Corps
grant that will provide three youth who face barriers to employment with paid employment and
job skills training for the summer.
Impact: Participants in self- sufficiency programs and their allies will be empowered to make
responsible choices and to address systemic problems that interfere with success.
The Task Force recommended increased human relations efforts as a priority in the community,
as well as mandatory intercultural training for City staff and City Board and Commission
members. The Task Force also recommended that community members who attend training
serve as ambassadors for intercultural work in the community.
• In August 2010, the Human Rights Department reorganized to permit additional staff
time focused on conflict management, mediation, facilitated dialogue, training on cultural
differences and intercultural communication, and systemic change initiatives.
• The Department has established annual Board and Commission training on intercultural
competence skills that is offered in the Spring and the Fall of each year and is also made
available to the general public free of charge.
• The Department worked with four agencies to establish and develop intercultural teams
in each organization.
• The Department has offered two, 32 hour Intercultural Leadership Workshops
• Staff also established an Intercultural Ambassadors group that meets quarterly to
strategize about personal intercultural skill development, addressing intercultural issues
existing in member organizations, and addressing intercultural issues in the community.
Impact of education and skill building initiatives:
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• Institutions represented on ambassador group in addition to the City are: UD, Loras,
Senior and Hempstead H.S., Goodwill, Hillcrest, Riverview, Hills and Dales, Body and
Soul Wellness Center, CFGD, GDDC, Hormel, John Deere.
• Senior has asked us to offer skill building with staff next year
• UD has implemented intercultural skill building as part of the curriculum in the Teacher
Education Department
• Hillcrest has trained trainers and an intercultural team operating in their organization
• Police Department has created their own intercultural communication course for Field
Training Officers and new recruits
• Hempstead offers a respect retreat for all incoming ninth graders
The Task Force also recommended initiatives to promote mutual understanding, community
solidarity, and respect and understanding among residents.
• In addition to building individual skills, we also work on developing group /community
relationships so we can work together toward common goals and have a stronger
impact.
• One part of our work is related to a recognition that for some communities of people,
their views and values have not been made part of "the way we always do things" and
they may be left with a feeling they do not belong here in the community.
• One way to address this feeling is to sponsor cultural and educational events where
people can come together across their differences and learn about each other in
comfortable, social environments
• This year, the Human Rights Commission, MFC, HRC, f &v, Riverview Center, Chamber
of Commerce, NAACP, CFGD collaborated on Cinco de Mayo, Marshallese
Constitutional Day, Dr. King Tribute Days, Juneteenth, Taste of the World, the
Community Barbecue, Chamber Diversity Summit, Speak Your Peace, and the Better
Together Dubuque conference and social.
• The MFC has seen a steady increase in users from 1,671 in 2010 to 2,568 in 2011 to
3,241 in 2012; demographics are mixed:
o Adult users: 47 -49% white; 23 -26% black; 11 -13% Hispanic; 1 -2% Asian; 5 -7%
Pacific Islander; 7 -9% other
o Youth users: 40 -49% black; 26 -28% white; 11 -13% Hispanic; 1 -2% Asian; 5 -7%
Pacific Islander; 7 -9% other
o Programs bring people together of various backgrounds for family reading night,
family cooking class, family art class, moving in Comiskey park, music in Jackson
park, and variety of field trips.
o Mixed race /ethnicity group of youth ages 13 -18 participating in Future Talk each
summer — meaningful work for a stipend plus educational and service
components
Impact of Cultural and educational events: Cultural events further the objective of embracing
diverse populations that support multicultural workforce and continuing to become more
inclusive. Outcome is opportunities to experience arts and culture; young professionals want to
live here and return to raise families.
The Task Force made several recommendations related to working with resident to build a
stronger sense of connection to each other and to the community across differences, increasing
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resident participation in community activities, and raising awareness and support for programs
to foster self- sufficiency:
• The City Council approved the creation of the position of Community Engagement
Coordinator and the transfer of the volunteer coordinator VISTA member to the
Department in the 2013 budget.
• We have convened three community resources groups - these are cultural minority
groups in the community who come together to contribute to the community. This past
year, Hispanic group hosted Cinco de Mayo in Washington Park, the LGBTQ Youth
Network participated in Art Gumbo, and the BMC mentored high school youth.
• Volunteers in the Human Rights Speakers' Bureau and the Presentation Lantern
Center's International Speakers' Bureau offered 31 presentations reaching over 800
people on topics of race, national origin, and sexual orientation.
• The Hispanic community group met with various organizations to discuss ways in which
services could be improved to better meet community member needs.
• The Community Engagement Coordinator has worked with staff and Washington
Neighborhood residents to assist with design, process, barriers, objections, and needs in
order to build capacity for neighborhood leadership. Outcomes to date include a
neighborhood resident agreeing to serve as point of contact, volunteers who are creating
a neighborhood newsletter and passing out fliers door to door to engage with other
residents; residents who have volunteered space and have offered to prepare food for a
social as part of the next resident meeting.
• The pilot session of City Life, the citizen academy, has been completed. Fourteen
residents have volunteered to continue as ambassadors, nine residents are leading
community projects designed to increase resident connections and participation in
projects. The second session will begin in September.
• The objective is to increase resident participation in governance process; outcome is
more ownership of end products — people involved and support outcomes; how to get
involved, where help is needed; be informed citizen; skills to handle conflicts that come
up with differences of opinion and belief so can be comfortable being active and
involved;
Impact: Community Resource Groups, speakers' bureau, neighborhood leadership
development, and the Citizen Academy all further the objectives of increasing resident
interaction and continuing to become inclusive community; and partnering to meet needs of
underserved; Long term outcomes will be a community where everyone welcome, people live
without fear or threat; there is better access and use of facilities; and services are available and
delivered in fair and equitable manner
To catalyze increased resident participation in volunteer and service activities, the Community
Engagement Coordinator and AmeriCorps VISTA member are working with partners to
establish a collaborative approach to volunteering and have accomplished the following:
• $48,000 grant obtained for collaborative effort with community partners to create a
volunteer center
• 15 model centers researched
• Vision, mission, service categories created
• Three potential implementation plans being created and reviewed
• Next steps involve planning and engaging with stakeholders around funding, location,
staffing
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• VISTA volunteer coordinator continues her efforts
• 11 agencies trained on Volunteer Solutions
• 9 agencies offered capacity building services and have implemented three or more
effective volunteer management practices
• 9/11 Day of Service involved 300 letters written to troops
• $1500 grant obtained for Make a Difference Day with volunteers engaging in yard clean
up, painting, insulation, caulking, weatherization
• Since September 2012, 1089 volunteers recruited, 74 disadvantaged youth, 196 college
students, 75 baby boomers, 729 worked on Days of Service, 3,286 hours logged.
Impact: At a rate of $17.22 per hour based on Independent Sector, the dollar value of volunteer
hours over past six months totals $56,585. Using volunteering strategically to meet human
services needs and the needs of underserved; increasing resident interaction; continuing to
become inclusive community where all people contribute. The outcomes will be more
ownership in community solutions as people see selves as part of solution; a sense of inclusion
will increase as people are welcomed to contribute their skills and develop a sense of
belonging.
The Task Force recommended a parental responsibility ordinance modeled after a successful
program that includes engaging parents and teens in prevention. On March 22, 2011, the City
Council passed an ordinance.
Impact: The ordinance will hold parents accountable for the criminal behavior of their children
and includes referrals for parenting classes.
The Task Force recommended engagement of volunteers across race and income levels as
part of a monthly Community Days of Caring and also recommended use of volunteers to
address exterior code violations. The annual city -wide Community Days of Caring occurred
April 29 and 30, 2011. The Human Rights Department, Neighborhood Development Specialist,
Housing Department, and Washington Neighborhood Development Corporation collaborated to
bring a mixed group of more than 50 volunteers together to work on improving the exterior
appearance of a few small businesses along the Central Avenue corridor and homes that were
identified as having exterior code violations through the City's inspection program. In addition,
the City's Department Managers and Management Team members are engaged in ongoing
discussions regarding how best to support and bring community resources to bear on projects
designed to build bridging social capital in the community. The AmeriCorps VISTA member has
been working over the past several months on the High Impact Service plan designed to
engage volunteers strategically in meeting pressing neighborhood and community needs. In
April and May 2012, more than 1,000 volunteers were engaged in two large community
volunteering events.
Impact: These initiatives will lead to an improved ability to create an inclusive environment, to
build bridging social capital, and to negotiate conflict across cultural differences as people work
toward common goals.
The Task Force recommended that parents and youth be encouraged and engaged in out -of-
school -time programs and parenting classes designed to matter to the participants. In
response to a discussion with the Safe Community Advisory Committee at its first meeting _the
City submitted a letter to the Dubuque Community School District expressing support for the
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District's Iowa 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Application. On April 7, 2011,
the District was notified that the community will receive $850,000 in state funding to increase
out of school time activities for junior high school students.
Impact: This collaborative effort will provide funding expanded after school program options,
including components to assist parents with literacy and adolescent development. Research
has indicated that engagement in after school programming improves motivation and student
achievement.
The Task Force recommended additional neighborhood clean -ups and educating the
community on City waste disposal policies in an effort to clarify the purpose of the clean -up
programs. The following clean -ups occurred in 2011, and each of them included a social /get to
know your neighbor component:
Downtown Neighborhood Clean -up April 30
Orange ParklWashington Clean up May 7
Historic Bluffs Neighborhood May 7
Hilltop -Ivy League Neighborhood May 13
Langworthy Neighborhood May ?
Valley View Neighborhood May 21
North End Neighborhood fall -- date to be determined
The City has also funded a number of neighborhood beautification efforts initiated by
neighborhood groups including landscaping improvements in the Washington Street traffic
diverters, flower planting /landscaping at Grant Park, Jackson Park, Avon Park, 11th Street
gateway and the 2'd Street Island across from the Cathedral.
Impact: These clean -ups both improve neighborhood appearance and provide an opportunity
to engage neighbors in meeting one another and working together to care for their
neighborhood.
The Task Force encouraged community -wide support of initiatives that support self- sufficiency,
with a particular focus on existing programs: Circles, Project HOPE, Intercultural Competency
Training, Every Child /Every Promise. In May 2011, the City Council approved a grant
agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation for the Urban Youth Corps Program
which allowed the City to create a three person work crew to use with maintenance projects
from May through September this year. The Iowa DOT Urban Youth Corps Program objective
is to provide transportation- related employment and training opportunities to youth between the
ages of 16 and 21 who face barriers to employment. The crew is assisting Leisure Services
Department in maintaining and improving the aesthetics of our community by working on two
major projects plus a number of high profile areas throughout the city. The Urban Youth Corps
Grant has been continued for the summer of 2012.
Impact: Although temporary in nature, these three summer positions are new hires that could
lead to newly created opportunities for each of the three crew members who face barriers to
employment.
The Task Force recommended that all departments in the City be challenged to develop and
maintain a model Housing Choice Voucher program for a city of this size, meeting the needs of
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the elderly and disabled and also developing self - sufficiency for families. In addition to tripling
the number of FSS Program enrollees, graduating more than 190 Getting Ahead Program
participants and implementing the Circles Program, the Housing Department has continued to
improve Housing Choice Voucher in other ways. The COP corporal assigned to the Program
has opened more than 1500 investigations, resulting in termination of benefits for 306
households. The National Association for Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO)
recognized the Bridges Initiative with an Award of Merit for the Bridges Initiative. The Bridges
out of Poverty Workshops have now been conducted for more than 2500 persons. Our most
recent Section Eight Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) score, a HUD assessment
conducted annually, was 104 %. A new tenant and financial management software system has
been approved and purchased from the national Emphasys firm. The Elite software has been
installed at Housing. This will allow enhanced communication between all activities at the
Department, including code enforcement and the Finance Department, as well as getting us
closer to the goal of a paperless Assisted Housing program. The Resident Advisory Board has
helped to revise and streamline the application process by developing new application materials
and continues to provide feedback on the administrative plan.
The Task Force recommended the creation of an ordinance prohibiting the boarding of windows
and doors facing streets. An ordinance is in place that applies to any windows or doors
boarded up after March 1, 2011.
The Task Force recommended implementation of an exception rent program to avoid
concentrated pockets of poverty. The exception rent program was implemented in October
2010. Currently, approximately 20% of voucher holders are residing in the west side census
tract exception areas.
Impact: Greater housing choice for voucher holders and deconcentration of poverty.
The Task Force recommended the installation of street lights in the middle of the block to
brighten up the streets at night and increase visibility for residents. New street lights at all
possible alley- street locations from 12th to 20th in the Washington Neighborhood have been
installed. Existing street lights in the Washington Neighborhood have been upgraded to use
brighter bulbs. The receptacles have been purchased and will be installed in April and May of
2013.
Impact: Improved nighttime visibility in the neighborhood.
The Task Force recommended an increase in the number of trash receptacles in the street. In
October 2010, the Public Works Department submitted a budget request for $30,000 for FYI 2
for the purchase and installation of litter and recyclables receptacles in the downtown area and
surrounding neighborhoods. The Council approved this budget request in March 2011. Forty -
eight (48) units were subsequently purchased and installed in FYI 3.
Impact: Residents can easily assist in keeping neighborhoods clean and clear of trash.
The Task Force recommended that the City develop and enforce policies that are consistent
with the "preservation briefs" to maintain historic properties. City staff has indicated to the City
Council that the City has used the preservation briefs as a matter of City policy in local Historic
Districts and federally- funded rehabilitation projects for many years. Staff recommended that
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the City should continue to utilize these technical publications as a reference and guide, with
the exception of preservation brief #31, which is contrary to another Task Force
recommendation regarding boarded doors and windows.
Family Self- Sufficiency (FSS) Program: The FSS Program prepares participants for financial
independence and possible home ownership. The FSS program provides access to child care,
transportation, education, job development, household skills training, affirmatively furthering
fair housing and financial literacy training. As of October 31, 2013, the FSS program is serving
116 households. Participation has increased from 2% of voucher holders participating in 2009
to over 13% of voucher holders currently enrolled in FSS. In FYE 2013 152 households were
involved in FSS with four FSS participants having successfully completed the FSS program.
There was an article featuring a FSS and a participant's family on the front page of the
Telegraph Herald on the Sunday paper of Labor Day weekend.
Circles® Initiative: Family and Assisted Housing staff is also instrumental in "Getting Ahead in
a Just Gettin'- By World (Getting AheadTM) ", a program for people in poverty to help them
understand the hidden rules of the middle class as well as communication skills, value systems,
and expectations used in order to bridge the gap from poverty. Participants are exposed to the
Bridges out of Poverty concept based on Philip DeVol and Dr. Ruby Payne's research on
poverty, which offers a framework for understanding the culture of poverty. As of July 1, 2013,
190 individuals have graduated from Getting Ahead. Eleven community members are currently
participating in Getting Ahead Round 10, which began on August 6, 2013. Recruitment for
Getting Ahead Round 11, which will begin in February 2014, is currently underway.
Getting Ahead graduates are eligible to become leaders in the Circles® Initiative. The Circles®
Coach matches graduates with community volunteers who can provide support and friendship
on their journey toward self - sufficiency. Circles® has been active since September 2010 and
has matched 21 Getting Ahead graduates in 19 circles (some couples choose to be matched in
the same circle). Six of these circles have completed their commitments and obtained the
goals they set for themselves. We are currently working with 11 matched circles and have 3
Leaders waiting to be matched with Allies. Our goal is to have 20 active matched circles by the
end of FY 2014.
Circles® meets weekly on Tuesday nights at Prescott School and averages 65 community
members in attendance. The Circles® Initiative received the Faces and Voices, CommUNITY
Award for Diversity Initiatives of 2013 and was recognized at the Community Foundation of
Greater Dubuque's Block Party event as favorite non - profit initiative through a community vote.
In May, the Circles® Initiative was awarded $1,110 from the Sustainable Dubuque Community
Grant program for "Circles® Initiative Family Fun Night ". The event will take place on October
29, 2013. Family Self- Sufficiency, Iowa State University Extension, Matter Creative Center, and
Life's a Feast will partner to provide pottery painting, nutrition education and information on
local food resources to Circles participants. Over 60 community members were in attendance.
Circles® also received a $415 grant from the Women's Giving Circle to partner with Iowa State
University Extension to provide babysitting classes and first -aid kits to ten youth who attend
Circles® meetings on Tuesday nights. The Circles® community will also partner with FSS and
Operation: New View to host a Poverty Simulation on Tuesday, November 5 during the
Circles® weekly meeting. Over 80 people are registered to participate and 20 Circles®
community members will volunteer for this event.
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The Circles® Coach and Jim Ott offered a Bridges Out of Poverty training in May 2013 attended
by about 70 people. The Circles® Coach and a Circle Leader traveled to Denver, Colorado in
June, 2013 to represent the City of Dubuque in the All- America City Awards. The Circles
Coach traveled to Oklahoma City to attend and present at the aha! Conference for Bridges Out
of Poverty in October, 2013. She presented at the Sustainable Communities Conference in
September 2013 and the Chamber of Commerce Diversity Summit in October, 2013. Two
assisted housing staff traveled to Carson City, Nevada in October 2013 to attend Hands On
Training for Circles.
Road to Success, a job readiness fair designed to prepare low- income individuals for
employment was held on June 25, 2013. Thirty five community volunteers came together to
provide participants an opportunity to experience a variety of learning tracks including:
"Navigating networking "; "Prepare for a Successful Interview "; "Mock Interviews "; "The Interview
is Over- Now What "; "Dress to Impress "; "Creating a Resume that Gets You Noticed ";
"Resume & Cover Letter Critiques "; and "Plan for a Job that's Right for You." The event was
sponsored by American Trust & Savings Bank. Each participant received a flash drive fully
loaded with resources designed to support job seekers in their continued search for
employment plus one -on -one attention from professionals who volunteered during the event.
Participants included members of the Family Self- Sufficiency Program, Getting Ahead and
Circles, residents of community shelters and individuals referred by our many community
agency partners.
Shelter Plus Care Program: The $536 000 grant commenced in FY 2008 for the five -year
program to provide rental assistance to homeless persons with disabilities. The five year grant
ended as of June 10, 2012. We have since received two additional one year grants allowing us
to continue providing permanent housing along with supportive services for 18 homeless
individuals /families. The Housing and Community Development Department administers the
funds and provides them to Project Concern, who contracts with private landlords to provide
needed housing.
Arts and Culture (Top Priority): The City of Dubuque participated in national studies of arts,
culture, heritage and preservation. Two highly acclaimed studies were completed that pertain to
the art, cultural, heritage and historical preservation aspects of the Dubuque area. The Arts and
Economic Prosperity IV, an economic impact study conducted with the non - profit sector in the
city of Dubuque, evaluates the impact spending by nonprofit arts organizations and their
audiences have on their local economies. During 2011, the City of Dubuque collected surveys
from over 800 Dubuque arts and culture event attendees and organization expenditure surveys
from 44 arts nonprofits. The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts
and culture industry ever conducted in the United States, Arts & Economic Prosperity IV was
conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing
the arts and arts education. The City of Dubuque was one of 182 study regions that participated
in the study.
National and local Arts and Economic Prosperity IV study results were released at an Arts
Mean Business launch event held on July 23, 2012. The nonprofit arts and culture industry in
Dubuque generates $47.2 million in annual economic activity, supporting 1,530 full -time
equivalent jobs and generates $5 million in local and state government revenues and $36.7
million in household income to local residents.
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According to the study, nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Dubuque spent $17.6 million
during fiscal year 2010. This spending is far - reaching: organizations pay employees, purchase
supplies, contract for services and acquire assets within their community. Those dollars, in turn,
supported 577 jobs, generated $15.6 million in household income for local residents and $1.3
million in local and state government revenues. In addition to spending by organizations, the
nonprofit arts and culture industry in Dubuque leverages $29.6 million in event - related spending
by its audiences. As a result of attending a cultural event, attendees often eat dinner in local
restaurants, pay for parking, buy gifts and souvenirs, and pay a babysitter. What's more,
attendees from out of town often stay overnight in a local hotel. In Dubuque, these dollars
support 953 full -time equivalent jobs, generated $21.1 million in household income for local
residents and $3.7 million in local and state government revenues.
A comprehensive marketing plan for the economic impact data was developed. Strategies have
already been implemented to raise awareness that the arts are an industry that has a large
impact on the local economy. In a 2013 report of the state of the arts in Dubuque, the
economic impact data were prominently featured. At every presentation on the arts done by
City staff, City Council and the Mayor, people are reminded of the additional economic
advantages to having vibrant arts and culture activities and organizations. In October 2012,
area non - profits were instructed on how, based on the Dubuque data, to figure their own
economic impact numbers to use in fundraising and grant making. In November 2012, a
publication was produced showing the results and the City's investment in the arts to be
distributed to members of the business, civic and governmental organizations to encourage
their investment in the arts. While a limited number of brochures were printed, the online
version will be widely promoted. Complete study results are available at
www. cityofdubuque .org /artsmeanbusiness.
Also in conjunction with Americans for the Arts, The Local Arts Index (LAI) was conducted with
both the non - profit and for - profit sectors throughout Dubuque County. The Local Arts Index is
the first county -level study ever designed to measure the health and vitality of the arts industries
throughout the United States. It will use a single methodology with information gathered from
research produced by the federal government and private research organizations and covering
multiple industries, including non - profit groups, for - profit arts businesses, employment figures,
and more. When these quantitative measures are taken together, the Local Arts Index will
provide a year -by -year and community -by- community comparison of the nation's arts sector.
The Index is being developed so that it can be replicated in communities across the country.
Through the Local Arts Index, the character of Dubuque County's art culture will be explored to
determine: what makes the county unique from other areas in the nation; the vitality of the arts
and how much exists, and; how we compare to other counties. The main areas of study are:
• Performing arts venues
• Local ownership of cultural resources
• The local literary scene
• Festivals
• K -12 arts education
• Performance and presentation opportunities for young artists
• Tourism draw of local arts and culture
• Nightlife and the arts
• Tourism marketing of the arts
• Ethnic groups in the cultural life of the community
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• Public Art
• Exhibition Spaces
In gathering information for these two studies, contact was made with new arts organizations,
artists and art advocates who had not previously been in the City's communication loop. Better
cooperation among groups and individuals was begun and grows each year. Awareness has
been built to establish a better network for art planning and advocacy.
In November 2010, this network was used to attract participation from the arts community in a
visit from National Endowment for the Arts chair Rocco Landesman for a site visit to Dubuque
for the Our Town grant received by the City of Dubuque and Dubuque Main Street. It was also
very successively used in master arts planning for the Historic Millwork District in February
2012. This network will be used to promote the Arts Means Business Campaign.
Arts Funding: The City of Dubuque has provided over $2.3 million dollars in funding for the
arts since the establishment of the City's Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory commission in 2004.
The City has invested $2,370,000 through three programs established by the Dubuque City
Council. In all, $1,820,000 has been awarded to area arts and cultural organizations through
the Operating Support Grant Program and $345,000 through the Special Projects Grant
Program, which has also leveraged another $814,192 in community support. An additional
$175,000 has funded Art on the River, a temporary sculpture exhibition along the Mississippi
RiverWalk in the Port of Dubuque.
The City has recognized the importance in sustaining long -term viability for existing arts and
culture organizations and identified increased arts funding as a high priority since 2005.
Operating support is provided to established 501(c)(3) arts and culture organizations located in
the City of Dubuque that primarily serve Dubuque residents with year -round arts and culture
events, programs and services, and that can demonstrate a record of programmatic and
administrative stability. Since the inception of the program in 2004, both the number of eligible
organizations and their cumulative operating budgets have increased from 7.3 million to 10.6
million. In FY 2014, a record 16 eligible arts and culture organizations, up from an original 12
organizations, received funding through this program. The Commission anticipates that at least
one additional new arts organization will apply for funding in the next fiscal year,Distribution of
funds is overseen by the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission that has refined the process to
hold organizations more responsible for the expenditure of City funds and to influence greater
organizational capacity.
The demand for these operating support funds have far exceeded the available funding of
$210,000. The maximum funding levels initially established for the program are 6% of
organization's previous year's operating expenses or $50,000, whichever is less. Awarded
funds historically have been well under these guidelines. Fiscal year 2015 Operating Support
funding applications are available after February 2014.
The Special Projects grant program was first funded in FY 2005 with an annual budget of
$35,000, the same amount that is now currently budgeted. The original purpose was to
"encourage the development of new or expanded arts and cultural programs in the Dubuque
community."
The Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission and staff worked through 2013 to better
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align the Special Project grant program with the City Council's goals and priorities, best
practices in community art funding and the art needs of the Dubuque community, examining
how to use arts and culture to engage all community members, make our residents more
participatory, and ensure that arts, culture, preservation and heritage programs and events are
welcoming and inclusive to those outside of a traditional audience. One of the Safe Community
Task Force's recommendations stated that "the city should devote resources to a human
relations initiative that could include programs in the arts, cultural programs and other strategies
that promote respect and understanding among residents." The changes to this grant program
support this strategy.
The program has funded 57 separate arts projects in our community leveraging $814,192 in
community arts investment. It has successfully encouraged the expansion of arts and cultural
activities in our community as well as utilizing the arts to promote community engagement. The
demand for these funds have far exceeded the amount budgeted in the program.
The City Council approved the creation of the Art on the River outdoor sculpture project in
November 2005, and approved a budget of $300,000 over the next 10 years for this innovative
initiative. Working in conjunction with the Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission, the
Dubuque Museum of Art and a volunteer committee made up of artists, educators and city staff,
the City has identified highly visible locations at the Port of Dubuque to display selected
artwork. The Port of Dubuque is a 90 -acre riverfront campus which features the National
Mississippi River Museum and Aquariums, Grand River Center conference center, Grand
Harbor Resort and WaterPark, Diamond Jo Casino, historic Dubuque Star Brewery, and
Dubuque Shot Tower. Admired and replicated by many communities, Art on the River is
recognized as one of the premier temporary art exhibits in the country, drawing applications
from artists from across the country and foreign countries. It is distinctive for using a panel of
expert professionals to select the work. Now in its ninth year, the exhibit has brought over 80
works to the City that have been viewed by thousands of citizens and visitors. The application
period for the 2014 exhibit will open December 2013.
In 2013, conversations have started between the City Council, Arts and Cultural Advisory
Commission, staff and community partners to develop a master arts and cultural plan, including
a public art plan in order to sustain and grow arts and cultural elements in the City of Dubuque.
Intercultural Competency Initiative:
FY2012
• 10.5 hours of Foundations of Intercultural Competence and Intercultural Conflict Styles
training to new City staff
• Mini -tip sessions related to religious pluralism and prevention of harassment and bullying
were offered to staff
• 5 hours of foundational intercultural competence training offered semi - annually to City
Board and Commission members and general public.
• Staff collected data for a five year progress report, including administering the
Intercultural Development Inventory to leadership and reporting out the results,
facilitating community and employee focus groups, and gathering feedback from
management team.
• IDI administrators provided one -on -one development feedback of IDI results to
employees.
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• New members were recruited, oriented and trained
• Regular intercultural tips provided at management team and in the employee newsletter
• New trainers from the Police Department created a communications course for new
recruits integrating intercultural skills.
• Front line staff was trained on use of the Language Line and a community member was
sponsored to attend the Interpretation and Translation Certificate Program in Des Moines
in order to have a local resident on the State roster for Spanish interpreters.
• 1200 people provided foundational skills in intercultural communication
• Three sessions of a 32 hour intercultural leadership workshop offered; a fourth is
planned in collaboration with NICC in October. We also will be offering a two hour basic
course at NICC in September.
• Four organizations met monthly for a year to develop intercultural teams within their
organizations.
• Leaders who attended the intercultural leadership workshop or year -long team
development are part of ICC Ambassador group that meets quarterly - Institutions
represented on the ambassador group in addition to the City are: UD, Loras, Senior and
Hempstead H.S., Goodwill, Hillcrest, Riverview, Hills and Dales, Body and Soul Wellness
Center, CFGD, GDDC, and Progressive Processing.
Impact: The objectives of this work are having a workforce prepared for 21 st century jobs and
embracing a diverse population that supports a multicultural workforce. The outcomes will be a
city workforce reflecting the diversity of the community; city services that are available for all
and delivered in an equitable and fair manner; and a community where everyone is welcome.
Sustainable Iowa Communities development: The Sustainability Coordinator is part of a
statewide working group, led by the Iowa League of Cities, Regents colleges, ISU Extension,
IEDA, and IDAS, developing a sustainable communities "certification and networking" program,
similar to the Petal Project but targeted at cities. The program would likely require community
member and municipality support to participate. Initial exploratory meetings have been held,
and focus groups are currently being developed to determine the tools that would be most
helpful for other communities.
Business:
Non - Profit:
Every Child, Every Promise: Current priorities include:
• Evaluating LEAP at Washington and Jefferson Middle schools. The goal is to adjust the
program in year 3 to be sustainable and achieve more best practice benchmarks.
• LEAP is funded through a collaboration of ECIEP, the Dubuque Community School
District and key OST providers the community has received an $850,000 grant in April
2011 to start a coordinated, collaborative OST program for Middle School Students at
Jefferson and Washington schools.
There has been an overwhelming response of 300 students per school who have signed
up for activities, a huge increase in involvement in after school programs. The program
is gearing up for the 2013 -2014 school year. LEAP plans to provide over 20 programs to
students in the upcoming school year.
• 3rd Grade Reading- an effort to build a coordinated approach between City, Schools,
CBO's, parents, students and others, to improve 3rd Grade Reading Achievement has
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been identified as an important strategy. ECEP will facilitate an initiative to increase
achievement by improving outcomes in school attendance, school readiness and
summer learning. A coalition has been formed made up of leaders from the City,
Schools (public /private), CBO's, parents, and the Community Foundation to write a
Community Solutions Action Plan which was submitted to the All- America City Awards
on March 12, 2012. In July of 2012, the City of Dubuque was recognized as an All -
America City for their collaboration on the 3rd grade reading initiative. Progress
continues in each of three focus areas:
o School Readiness- Dubuque Community Schools and Northeast Iowa Community
College are partnering to provide a pathway to Early Childhood careers for area
high school students.
o Attendance- The Early Bird Attendance program that was facilitated through
Fulton Elementary over the last school year is being evaluated for effectiveness
and scalability. Dubuque is celebrating Attendance Awareness Month with an
awareness campaign targeted at showing the importance of attending school
every day. An Americorps VISTA member is working in the school district to
facilitate the attendance objectives of the Third Grade Reading Initiative.
o Summer Learning- Summer Academy at Audubon Elementary wrapped up on
August 2nd. Summer Academy was a seven -week, full -day pilot summer learning
program developed using research -based best practice, and aimed at preventing
summer -slide and maintaining or increasing reading scores. Evaluation of the
effectiveness of Summer Academy is in process, and will be available in Fall of
2013.
• Data- A committee of business and provider leaders is developing a web -based Youth
Indicators Report to provide key indicator data to the community regarding our young
people age 0 -20. The Data committee has identified 36 key indicators with 5 years of
supporting data to identify our community's strengths and opportunities for providing the
five promises to our young people. The Youth Indicator report is updated on an ongoing
basis and available at www.everychild- everypromise.org.
o The 3rd grade reading coalition is currently working on adding an additional page
to the youth indicator website to track matrix for the reading initiative.
• Every Child /Every Promise and the Children's Trust have partnered to create a childcare
map and directory through Resources Unite! The goal is to be able to assist working
families in finding quality childcare in Dubuque, and more easily identify gaps in both
quality and quantity.
• The website is currently live, and provides listings for almost 40 providers.
This site is updated directly by the providers making accurate information
available to the community.
America's Promise Alliance uses the Five Promises framework to guide their efforts and
improve the odds for youth:
1) Caring Adults
2) Safe Places
3) Healthy Start
4) Effective Education
5) Opportunities to Help Others
Continuum of Care: A working network of homeless shelter and service providers created in
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2001 to respond to the needs of the City's homeless population. The successful development
of the Maria House, the four Davis Place SROs and Hillcrest's transitional housing facility has
provided significant new shelter opportunities. The Teresa Shelter for homeless women and
children was opened during FY 2006. Manasseh House, a 19 room single room occupancy
(SRO) facility for 19 single women was completed in FY 2007. The Salvia House SRO opened
in 2010.
The City partners with Project Concern, Maria House, Hillcrest Family Services, and Manasseh
House for the annual allocation of Continuum of Care funds. This grant, under the "Supported
Housing Program" category, provides funding for support services for homeless persons and
families. These activities include outreach services, counseling, a "homeless hotline," and
staffing for transitional housing and the Manasseh House SRO for women.
Green Dubuque: Green Dubuque is a registered 5O1(c) 3non - profit organization committed to
improving and beautifying Dubuque by reducing the city's greenhouse gas emissions,
promoting smart development and urban green space, and protecting the health and integrity of
local ecosystems.
Since 2006, Green Dubuque has led or been involved in numerous projects to support the
Sustainable Dubuque vision, including organizing grassroots events, research and reporting on
a variety of sustainability and climate change - related topics, lobbying for local and state
government activity, community education and supporting local foods initiatives in a variety of
ways. Specific projects of significance that they have been key partners in include CARE
Bombs, Green Drinks, Complete Streets, and the Dubuque Community GHG Reduction Task
Force. Green Dubuque members and other invested residents are working together to
reactivate the Dubuque Area Recycling Network (DARN) model and establish an energy district
in Dubuque.
HEART (Top Priority):
The Housing Education and Rehabilitation Training Program, or HEART, with its broad
partnership and deep community impact, is re- engaging disconnected youth and building strong
connections to community through education, service and job training. Transforming the
Washington and downtown neighborhoods, students in our program have participated in almost
40 community projects since 2004, including turning over 30 substandard rentals into 21 owner
occupied homes. Since 2003, the HEART program has met the needs of 63 individual young
people on a full -time basis, as they work to attain their high school diploma. Our students come
to us at -risk of dropping out, but they make a commitment to hard work until they graduate,
splitting their days on the worksite and classroom. Since 2003, HEART students are achieving
a 92°/0 high school graduation rate, with 100% of this year's senior students graduating.
Reuse on a large scale
Nil
Removal of
slum &blight
Quality,
affordable
housing
Thwarting sprawl through
re- development
Environmental /Ecological
Integrity
Restored historic
neighborhood
Economic Equitable Social /Cultural
Prosperity Vibrancy
Connection to
green collar jobs
Arming young
people with skills
& education
Meeting
community
needs
Youth connected to
history & community
Four Mounds mission of preservation, service and
education aligns with the three focus areas of the
Sustainable Dubuque model. We reclaim threatened,
historic structures and find new relevant uses for the
community, using the opportunity to train youth and prepare
them for healthy adulthood. The illustration below shows
how the HEART program is helping to meet the principles
set forth in the Sustainable Dubuque model.
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Eco -Movie Nights: Initiated by GreenCorps members with support from the Sustainability
Office and other partners, Eco- Movies is a new series which will host a free, educational movie
each month in Dubuque from April to August. Each movie concludes with a community
discussion led by subject matter experts. Initial movies have addressed healthy local foods
(host: Mindframe Movie Theater), biking and alternative transportation (host: outdoor movie at
Comisky Park), and childrens' relationship with the outdoors (hosts: Swiss Valley Nature Center
and Carnegie -Stout Public Library). "The Story of Stuff" will conclude this year's series, hosted
in August at Full Circle Organics.
Schools:
Green Vision Education Program: This program is sponsored by the Dubuque Metropolitan
Area Solid Waste Agency and began in 2005. Since that date, eleven schools are currently
Green Vision Schools and several more are working towards achieving the status during this
calendar year.
Current Green Vision Education schools are:
• Resurrection Catholic Elementary School
• Table Mound Elementary School
• Abraham Lincoln Elementary School
• St. Columbkille's Catholic Elementary School
• Dubuque Montessori School
• Mazzuchelli Catholic Middle School
• Holy Ghost Catholic Elementary School
• St. Anthony's /Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Elementary School
• Sageville Elementary School
• Wahlert Catholic High School
• Hempstead High School
Through these schools, over 600 staff members, 3800 students, and 2600 families are
participating in the Green Vision Education Program. The program recognizes student and staff
efforts to reduce waste in their schools, as well as the schools' recently implemented energy -
saving practices. Green Vision schools receive flags to hang outside their buildings and
banners to display in their hallways or gyms. Some of the practices that have been
implemented by the schools include food scrap composting, worm bin composting, increased
paper and container recycling, and reduction in the use of disposable products.
Green Vision evaluation and support partners include the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid
Waste Agency, the Dubuque Community School District, the Holy Family Catholic Schools,
FEH Inc., the Dubuque County Conservation Board, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
- Mines of Spain, the Catfish Creek Watershed Project - Dubuque County Soil and Water
District, the Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative, Keep Dubuque County Clean & Green, the
City of Dubuque, ISU Extension, and Green Dubuque.
Five schools earned additional patches during 2012 -2013 school year.
City staff has developed a Sustainable Dubuque program /patch that focuses on social /cultural
vibrancy and community knowledge concepts.
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People & Neighborhoods:
Andrew Connolly Make A Difference Day: The community's successful Make a Difference
Day has expanded this year to honor the "Pay It Forward" legacy of Iraqi war veteran Andrew
Connolly. The event was held on October 26, 2013, serving over 50 homes and eight
community projects and engaging approximately 500 volunteers.
Dubuque Community Days of Caring: The 5th annual Days of Caring was held April 27 -28,
2012, growing in partnership with the Dubuque Area Chamber's Young Professionals group this
year. A record approximately 780 volunteered in Dubuque over the weekend. The 6th annual
Days of Caring occurred on April 26 -27, 2013, engaging a new record of over 800 volunteers in
the two -day event.
REASONABLE MOBILITY
Government:
SW Arterial (High Priority):
The Southwest Arterial project is the No. 1 surface transportation priority in the Dubuque area
and will provide for a 6.1 -mile four -lane divided freeway with priority 1- access control between
Highway 61/151 and Highway 20.
Mobility Benefits: The Southwest Arterial project will connect two growing sections of the
community together and will support future anticipated expansion growth to the southwest of
the City toward the Dubuque Regional Airport. The Southwest Arterial will also provide an
efficient bypass around the City thereby reducing travel times and minimizing delay by reducing
traffic volumes and congestion on the local street system.
Environmental Benefits: The Southwest Arterial project will provide an alternate, direct and
efficient route for traffic through southwestern Dubuque, which will provide significant travel time
savings by avoiding the numerous signalized intersections on Highway 61/151, Highway 20 and
Central Avenue (Hwy 52/3) through Dubuque, thereby providing fuel energy savings, reducing
vehicle emissions and improving air quality. The Southwest Arterial project will be designed and
constructed with forward thinking sustainability initiative incorporated, which will include an
environmentally and resource sensitive highway corridor, an integrated bike / pedestrian trail
with amenities, and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology.
Passenger Rail: The proposed project, which was identified as an Envision 2010 goal, will
reestablish passenger rail transportation to the Chicago — Dubuque Corridor and improve
freight rail transportation by upgrading the railroad infrastructure. The overall project area lies
along the 300- kilometer (180 -mile) Chicago — Dubuque rail corridor, which extends in a
northwest direction across the state of Illinois between Chicago, Illinois, and Dubuque, Iowa.
The improvements proposed lie primarily within existing railroad rights -of -way with minimal work
adjacent to the track. The Chicago- Rockford - Dubuque corridor project will rehabilitate existing
rail infrastructure to current maximum operating speeds of up to 60 mph to restore previous
intercity passenger rail service. This project is the first step in achieving a more balanced modal
use of the transportation network by leveraging the existing railroad infrastructure to restore
intercity passenger train service that was discontinued in 1981. The need for the project stems
from the lack of modal options in the corridor. Highway -based modes, including automobiles
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and bus service, face growing traffic congestion that cause travel delays and unreliable
schedules, inherent safety risks, and air quality impacts. This project is the first step in
achieving modal balance in the transportation system between these two cities with an
environmentally friendly, reliable and convenient travel option.
Highway -based modes, including automobiles and bus service, face growing traffic congestion
that cause travel delays and unreliable schedules, inherent safety risks, and air quality impacts.
This project is the first step in achieving modal balance in the transportation system between
these two cities with an environmentally friendly, reliable and convenient travel option.
The State of Illinois has budgeted $60 million to rebuild the railroad tracks. To move ahead with
this project, the State of Iowa must commit to providing $550,000, a share of the annual
operating subsidy, beginning in Fiscal Year 2014. The State of Iowa has challenged local
governments to provide 50% of the annual subsidy. On March 9, 2011, the City Council
approved to commit 25% of the subsidy ($137,500) beginning in Fiscal Year 2014. Dubuque
County and other area cities are considering the other portion of the local match that is
required.
On August 23 and 24, 2011, T.Y. Lin was in Dubuque to meet with CN, CP, and Amtrak and
IDOT officials about passenger rail options.
On September 20, 2011, T.Y. Lin met with Amtrak representatives to discuss the platform
needs in Dubuque.
City staff along with ECIA staff are searching for funding opportunities. The IDOT is not willing
to pursue Federal funding for rail improvements along this corridor based on recent decisions
made by the State Legislature.
On May 17, 2012, ECIA and City staff met with representatives of the ILDOT, IADOT, Amtrak,
CN, CP and TY Lin to discuss the opportunity for a temporary platform site for passenger rail
service, which is expected to arrive in Dubuque late in 2014 or early 2015.
Based on the walking tour and input from the various groups, TY Lin will prepare cost estimates
for review and continued discussion with other City staff. A meeting has been scheduled with
City staff for June 18 to review the information.
The City will pursue a temporary platform site to accommodate future passenger rail service.
This site will be on the existing spur track area adjacent to the 3rd Street overpass in the Port of
Dubuque. Staff has been in contact with the Iowa DOT to discuss the use of state
enhancement funds to assist with this project.
Staff has also met with representatives of the National Mississippi River Museum, the Diamond
Jo, the major property owners in the Millwork District and Passenger Rail Committee to make
them aware of these recent developments.
City Staff is working with staff at ECIA to make applications for funding to assist with the capital
costs associated with the passenger rail platform. The IA DOT has encouraged the City to
submit an ICAAP application for the platform improvements. This application requires a 20%
local match and is due by March 1, 2013. ECIA has begun the application.
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The ICAAP application was submitted on February 26, 2013 requesting $2,618,071 of State
funding and provided assurance of $654,518 of local match for the passenger rail platform at 3rd
Street in the Port of Dubuque. Letters of support were provided by the Diamond Jo Casino and
the National Mississippi River Museum. Unfortunately, the application was denied in the
summer of 2013.
Intermodal Center: The City of Dubuque has been planning for the construction of an
Intermodal Transportation Center in Dubuque for several years. Components of the project will
include: construction of an elevated parking structure with a capacity for approximately 182
vehicles On Phase 1), a IP addressable video camera system, ticket booths at vehicle access
points supporting the operation of a paid parking structure with the potential inclusion an
automated traffic counter system, a terminal facility that will serve as a hub for local public
transit (The Jule and RTA), intercity bus and taxi services and that would provide indoor
passenger waiting area. The Intermodal Transportation Center would contain pedestrian and
bicycle - friendly elements, and public restrooms. The Intermodal Center will also contain
architectural aspects that enhance the overall esthetics of the site and further contribute to the
overall vitality of the area. A key measurement for the success of the project will be the
resulting smooth traffic flow in and out of the facility including convenient driveway connections
to roadways that access other adjacent areas.
The consultants identified 11 potential sites for consideration. The review committee narrowed
these options down to 2 sites through a ranking system established in conjunction with the
Federal Transportation Authority (FTA). One site is in the Port of Dubuque and one in the
Historic Millwork District. After weighing the pros and cons of each site, the review committee
unanimously recommended the Historic Millwork District for the Intermodal Transportation
Center. On March 7, 2011, the City Council concurred with the recommendation to pursue the
Historic Millwork District for a future Intermodal Transportation Center.
The Phase I feasibility study and site selection process of the Intermodal Center is complete.
The recommendation to pursue the Historic Millwork District site was approved by City Council
on March 7, 2011. A contract for the Phase I schematic design work was awarded to Neumann
Monson in mid -2011 and the work was completed December 31, 2011.
City staff worked with ECIA to submit applications for grants to fund construction of an
Intermodal facility. On October 12, 2011, an $8 million State of Good Repair (SOGR) grant was
awarded to the City which will be used to fund the final design and construction of the
intermodal Center.
On August 31, 2011, City staff along with Neumann Monson Architects held multiple input
sessions with special interest groups and a public session to get input on what the specific
needs of the facility should be for the City of Dubuque. A work session with the City Council
was held on November 21. The Council provided input which the consultants incorporated into
the design of the Center. Neumann Monson Architects has completed the schematic design
phase of the Intermodal Center. An RFQ was prepared to hire a consultant to do the Final
Design Development, Construction Documents, and Construction oversight for the first phase of
the Intermodal Center. On March 19, 2012, the City Council approved the release of the RFQ
for Design Development, Construction Documents and Construction oversight. Proposals were
due April 17, 2012. Staff received four Intermodal RFQ proposals. The Intermodal Interview
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Committee is currently interviewing three of the four firms. On June 4, 2012, City Council
authorized City staff to negotiate an agreement with Neumann Monson for Design
Development, Construction Documents and Construction oversight of the Intermodal Center,
and on September 4th, a contract for the work was awarded. City staff is currently working
through issues such as property acquisition from IDOT, and making sure that all documents
required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) are in place.
On June 4, 2012, City Council authorized the release of another Request For Qualifications
(RFQ), this one for a Bus Storage and Maintenance Facility (BSMF) Site Selection Study and
Environmental Analysis. The proposals were due July 6, 2012. Staff received six Bus Storage
and Maintenance Facility Site Selection RFQ proposals. The selection committee met on
August 15, 2012 to review the proposals. Interviews with three of the companies that
responded to the RFQ are scheduled for mid - September. The City Council approved the
selection committee recommendation to enter contract negotiations with IIW for the Site
Selection study and Environmental Analysis. A recommendation for contract award to IIW was
approved by City Council at the November 5, 2012, meeting and a contract was signed early
December 2012. IIW has begun the work for the project with the goal of having it completed by
early spring. A draft of the Site Selection Study has been submitted to the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) Region VII for comment. These will be incorporated into the final Site
Selection Study which, with the completed Environmental Analysis, will be submitted to the FTA
for review and approval as part of the application for the TIGER V grant (application is due June
3, 2013). Having those documents submitted and approved by the FTA will help ensure that
Dubuque is well- situated in its pursuit of federal funding for a new bus storage and maintenance
facility.
Staff continues to work with the FTA to finalize the grant contract and release of funds for the
State of Good Repair (SOGR) grant for the Intermodal Center. In early April 2012 we received
FTA approval on the NEPA, SHPO and documented Categorical Exclusion for the amended
Phase !site in the Historic Millwork District. The FTA has given the City the pre -award authority
to incur costs on the project, and preliminary work has begun.
The final design of the Intermodal Center will contain architectural aspects that enhance the
overall esthetics of the site and further contribute to the overall vitality of the area. A key
measurement for the success of the project will be the resulting smooth traffic flow in and out of
the facility including convenient driveway connections to roadways that access other adjacent
areas.
The vision for the Intermodal Transportation Center is that it will support transit connections,
vehicular parking, electric vehicle charging, bicycle parking, intercity bus, a passenger waiting
area, taxicab stands, public restrooms and ticketing offices for public transit and intercity bus.
In late October 2011 public meetings were held with Millwork property owners, City staff and
other stake holders for review of alternative site layout proposals and a work session with City
Council was held December 5th, during which the site plan and building proposals for the
center were presented for review and approval.
The City continues to work with ECIA in preparing grant applications for funding sources; it is
anticipated that new grants will be released before the end of this federal fiscal year (or by
February 2013), at which point the determination will be made whether or not to apply for Phase
II funding of the Intermodal Transportation Center.
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We anticipate that after this year's election cycle in November that a new round of competitive
grants will be released in late winter /early spring 2013 that could fund a new bus maintenance
and storage facility. This new facility would replace the 130 year -old transit facility currently in
use by The Jule. Funding will also be pursued for a passenger rail platform and the rail
improvements that will be needed in order to bring passenger rail service into Dubuque.
The contract for final design of the facility has been awarded to Neumann Monson Architects.
The City is currently working on access points for the facility and property acquisition with the
Iowa Department of Transportation. Following ongoing discussions with the railroads and the
City's consultants, the rail transfer will no longer be a part of the intermodal center and will be
located at an alternate location. It is the City's intent to have the project bid for construction in
early 2014 pending respond from IDOT on land acquisition issues. The City is expecting design
to be completed by late 2013 early 2014 and a potential opening date of early 2015. We are
experiencing some delays in property acquisition as the City is currently performing a survey to
provide to IDOT for review. In addition, the Federal Transit Administration has requested
additional information on the project and this submission and subsequent review and approval
is adding several months to the project before design can proceed.
The Jule:
• Medical Loop: The new Medical Loop, which was funded by a state grant and began in
December 2010, replaced the old Orange Line. The Medical Loop provides increased
service to the medical centers and clinics in Dubuque (e.g. Mercy and Finley Hospitals,
Dubuque Internal Medicine, Medical Associates East, etc.), the colleges and universities,
and regular service to S. Locust Hy -Vee and the S. Grandview area, this fixed route also
provides deviated route ( "upon demand ") service to the Key West area (e.g. Dept. of
Motor Vehicles and businesses in the immediate area), Mount Carmel, the YMCA,
Mystique Casino, etc. The Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) grant, which
was a two -year grant; this grant ended October 2012.
• JFK Transfer Center: A state grant was awarded for the Phase [building of a Transfer
Center (transit point) at Area Residential Care's (ARC) new facility on JFK Circle. Phase
I will be a canopy large enough for four fixed route buses (stacked two by two) to pull
underneath. Phase 11 if funded (application will be filed in May 2014) will allow for the
building of an enclosed waiting area with public bathroom facilities at the JFK Circle (the
old Econo Foods store). An Easement Agreement between ARC and the City was
approved by City Council at the May 7, 2012, meeting. A Request for Bid (RFB) was
released for public bid in July 2012, but because the responses came in over budget a
new RFB was released in mid - October. A second bid was released and contract
awarded by City Council to Murphy Construction Group at the December 3, 2012
meeting. The canopy is in place and final construction is scheduled to be completed on
or /before June 30, 2013. A "grand opening" celebration was held early September 2013.
• Shopping Circulator: The Shopping Circulator, which began November 21, 2011 is
funded with a (two -year) ICAAP grant that ends on /around September 30, 2013. The
Shopping Circulator route links the major shopping centers located on the west end of
Dubuque and operates on an hourly basis, with transfers between the Shopping
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Circulator and the Red, Green and /or Grey Lines occurring at the JFK Circle. This grant
is scheduled to end on /around October 2013. Because this route has turned out to be a
viable and vital piece of the VMT project a third year ICAAP grant application has been
submitted to IA DOT. The grant was approved in June 2013 to carry the route through
September 2014 and into the re- design of the fixed route system.
In mid -year 2011, members of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Iowa Department
of Transportation (IA DOT) met with City of Dubuque staff and other partners who have been
involved in the Smarter, Sustainable Dubuque initiative. The FTA and IA DOT staff recognized
the collaborative work that has occurred between the City of Dubuque and IBM on the
Sustainability projects which include the Smarter Travel VMT Study. The IA DOT and FTA are
particularly interested in the smartphone application developed by IBM for use on the Smarter
Travel (aka Vehicle Miles Traveled or "VMT") project that allows for the tracking of travel
patterns that include but are not limited to: public transit, personal vehicles, trucks, pedestrian
travel, and bicycles. Stu Anderson, the Assistant Director of the IA DOT, recognizing the
potential for broader use of the smartphone application outside of public transit and other State
planning organizations, and suggested that an ICAAP application be submitted.
The IBM Smarter Travel project development is designed for implementation over 2 -3 years. A
key element and critical factor in this project and the overall success of the ICAAP grant is a
working smartphone application, which will enable a successful recruitment of 1,000 volunteers
who will be using the smartphone application to track their travel patterns within the city. The
first year is the data - gathering period, the second is when the data is processed and changes to
the transit system are implemented, and the third year is when the "fine tuning" of the route
changes occurs. In late October 2011 an ICAAP grant application was submitted to the State by
the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). An ICAAP grant requires a 20% local match
and is normally awarded for a two -year period (e.g. October 1, 2012 through September 30,
2014). The grant requested $2,164,000 over a two -year period, $1,050,000 of which will be
used in the first year by IBM for implementation the VMT Study using the pilot routes. Because
of the large amount of funding requested, IA DOT staff has informed us that if the grant
application is approved it will only be for one (1) year of funding, and that the MPO (DMATS)
would need to apply for a second ICAAP grant for year -2 funding. IA DOT is aware of the
importance of the second year of the project as that is when the functionality of data gathered
during the first year is demonstrated, and as of June 20 -13, had approved a year -2 ICAAP grant
for the project ending on /around September 2014.
Route changes would be made while keeping three goals in mind: 1) the changes must make
the transit system more efficient and effective, 2) transit services would need to cover as much
area as is practical and affordable and should include areas not currently served, 3) increases
in operational costs would need to be kept as minimal as is feasible. During the first year of this
project the pilot routes will overlay and operate in conjunction with existing route, allowing for
minimal disruption of service to the transit - dependent passengers. The pilot routes will offer
alternative methods for passengers and help encourage new users of the transit system as it
will reduce travel time between the downtown and west end areas. It is in the second year when
the transition and re- structuring of the entire transit system begins.
• Nightrider: The Nightrider is the result of a partnership with Loras College, Clarke
University and University of Dubuque to develop a weekend evening service focused on
the needs of college students. The Nightrider was combined with the MidTown loop and
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Feeder (below) and is part of the ICAAP SmarterTravel project. Grant match for the
Nightrider portion of the grant application was paid by the three colleges and allows
college students to utilize the Nightrider and daytime routes free of charge.
The Nightrider route began providing service on September 28, 2012, operating on
Friday and Saturday nights from 6 pm until @ 2:40 am. As of October 31, 2013, the
Nightrider route has had a total of 16,113 passengers: 7,193 college students (Clarke,
UD and Loras) and 8,920 members of the general public.
A third year grant was submitted to the Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program (ICAAP) in
October 2013. If funded, this grant would fund the majority of the cost of service until
September 2015 and match funds would again be provided by the colleges.
• MidTown loop & Feeder: The MidTown Loop & Feeder, which was a route identified in
the 2009 LSC Study as having the potential of reducing travel time between downtown
and midtown location, was originally scheduled to begin service in February 2013. Once
it begins operation it will help improve connectivity between downtown and west end
locations. The MidTown Loop & Feeder will operate Monday through Saturday during
regular hours of operation. The MidTown Loop will operate in areas between JFK Drive,
Grandview and downtown with transfers to /from other routes at 6th & Iowa, Delhi and the
JFK Circle. Passengers would use the Feeder to travel non -stop between downtown and
JFK Circle. The start of the MidTown Loop & Feeder has been moved to January 2014
as the DOT has separated the route component of the project from the research
component. A contract has not yet been developed between IBM and the FTA for the
research component.
Annual Asphalt Overlay Paving Program: The Public Works Department's annual Asphalt
Overlay Program, which began in 1993, has paved 179.90 centerline miles of city streets
through calendar 2012. While asphalt is an oil -based paving material, since 2007 the program
has been reclaiming and reusing old asphalt milled from the streets to be paved. With up to
20% of the "new" asphalt actually containing old, reclaimed asphalt from the city's streets, this
program now has a significantly smaller resource, fossil fuel, and carbon footprint. Community
impacts include reduced program cost, along with the noted reduced resource, fossil fuel, and
carbon footprints.
Bicycle /Pedestrian Network:
Most recently, the City partnered with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to create bilingual
trail signs, map kiosks, and a bilingual trail map brochure that identifies trailheads, which
include map kiosks, parking and other amenities, and trail map kiosk locations. The major
ongoing new trail project in Dubuque is the continued extension of the Iowa 32 Bike /Hike Trail
along the Northwest Arterial. This trail provides an important and safe connection for bike and
pedestrian traffic between the Heritage Trail and the City's trail system, and the west side of
Dubuque -- the city's fastest growing shopping, employment and residential area.
Approximately 2 miles are built with another 2 -mile segment now complete to Holiday.
The City of Dubuque has recently been notified that it has been awarded a $200,000 REAP
(Resource Enhancement and Protection) grant for the extension of the NW Arterial Hike /Bike
trail from Holliday Drive to Pennsylvania Avenue. The Engineering Department will work on the
trail design over the winter of 2013/2014. The project is planned to be bid in the spring of 2014.
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In May the city partnered with the Tri -State Trail vision committee to submit a Bicycle Friendly
Community application to the League of American Bicyclists. The City of Dubuque received an
Honorable Mention ranking.
Engineering has completed a Safe Routes to School project that provides for enhanced cross-
walks at four school locations. These locations include Marshall School, Eisenhower School,
Resurrection School and Roosevelt Middle School. The enhancements include new painted
cross -walks and flashing beacons to warn drivers of the crossings. The project was awarded to
McDermott Excavating. The project was completed in July 2013.
The Engineering Department has current FY 2014 funding to provide for other enhanced cross-
walks. One location being studied is near Senior High School on Clarke Drive.
City staff, in partnership with Dubuque County, VNA, Dubuque Coop, and others, has
developed a list of needed bike rack locations throughout the downtown area. Phase I
installations, funded in part through a Community Transformation Grant, will occur in fall 2013.
Business:
Non - Profit:
Schools:
People & Neighborhoods:
Dubuque Bike Coop /Library: A group of interested citizens, including bike enthusiasts, bike
shop owners, City staff, and representatives from the Dubuque Rescue Mission began meeting
to develop a community bike library which would offer bikes for long -term rental to residents as
well as a variety of community education opportunities including classes on bike maintenance
and safety. The group has already received several bike, tool and part donations and is
seeking additional storage space. Additionally, mechanics' nights have started in order to
prepare the bikes for community rental. The Bike Coop is now renting out bikes at various
community events. The Dubuque Police Department donated approximately 30 abandoned
bikes to the Coop to assist in starting the project. The Bike Coop hosted an open house in
their new home at 2206 Central in October.
CLEAN WATER
Government:
Low Impact Development Conference: The 7th annual LID conference will be held this
winter, 2014. Conference themes this year may focus around the drift less region and it's
unique connection to water.
Construction Workshop: This year the City of Dubuque will hold its 7th annual Construction
site workshop. This year's theme may be centered around swppp design and contractor /
designer relationships.
Permeable Pavement /Green Alley: The City of Dubuque began in fiscal year 2011 an annual
program for reconstructing Dubuque alleys using permeable pavement. The City currently has
five green alleys that utilize either porous asphalt pavement or interlocking concrete pavers
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which allow storm water to pass through the pavement. These alleys help reduce storm water
runoff by infiltrating and cleaning the water before it reaches the City's aquifers. Currently two
additional alleys are being constructed in the fall of 2012. These alleys are located between
Jackson and White from 17th to 18th streets and between Jackson and Washington from 16th to
16th streets. These two alleys will be completed by May 30, 2013. In the spring of 2013 another
alley will be reconstructed using interlocking concrete pavers. Portzen Construction will
reconstruct the alley between Loras and Arlington Streets from Dell to Prairie Street. This alley
will be completed by the end of June 2013.
These three alleys are being reconstructed as part of the EPA consent decree. These
supplemental engineering project (SEP) alleys will be reconstructed using interlocking concrete
pavers. This is similar to what was used on recent green alleys and used in the Historic Millwork
District Complete Streets Project.
The City is also working with the Iowa DNR on a project to reconstruct 73 alleys over the next
three years. This $9.4 million project will be funded using SRF monies. The project is the first in
the state of Iowa to use SRF funds for water quality enhancements. The City is able to use the
SRF proceeds from the Water Resource and Recovery Center project. This project is currently
under design and is scheduled to start summer of 2013.
Bee Branch (High Priority): Project involves the day lighting of 4,500 feet of the buried Bee
Branch storm sewer. Episodic damage to public and private property due to flooding results in
recurring expenditures related to repairing damages. Moreover, it leads to a reluctance to
improve property or even maintain property.
• Update on Property Acquisitions
o The City has acquired 98 of the 103 properties required for the project. Of the five
remaining, the City has a signed purchase agreement with one and is in
negotiations with the other four. The City expects to acquire the necessary
property /easements in the next few months.
• Update on Design:
o Design of the first phase of the project, the Lower Bee Branch Creek Restoration
Project is complete.
o The conceptual design of the second phase of the project, the culvert system
through the railroad property was sent to Canadian Pacific for review in April and
a meeting was held on April 29, 2013 where the City and CP met and discussed
the proposed culvert system.
o The preliminary design was sent to Canadian Pacific for review in August.
o Final design is on schedule to be complete and ready for bidding in early 2014.
o The design of the Upper Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project, everything north
of Garfield Avenue, is 90% complete. Final design is on schedule to be complete
and ready for bidding in early 2014.
• Update on Construction:
o Construction of the Lower Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project started in the
fall of 2010 and was completed in November of 2011.
o Construction of the Bee Branch Creek Railroad Culvert System Project is
scheduled to start in early 2014 and be complete by the fall of 2015.
o Construction of the final phase(s) of the project will begin in the spring of 2014
and be completed by the fall of 2015.
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Water & Resource Recovery Center Upgrade: At the very outset of the project sustainability
has been in the forefront of the process, from the selection of the design professionals to the
selection of the anaerobic digestion process for bio- solids management. In addition to these the
following items have a significant sustainability component:
1. The use of low mow and native grasses for landscaping
2. Incorporation of rain gardens for storm -water management
3. Using plant effluent as a heating /cooling source for the Admin /Lab building
4. Pursue Energy Star Rating for the entire plant
5. Combined Heat and Power utilizing digester gas
6. Elimination of the use of Chlorine gas for disinfection
7. Reuse of existing structures for new purposes
8. Researching utilizing available digester space for high strength organics and food residuals
for addition energy production.
9. 99.8% Construction materials diversion rate from the landfill
The W &RRC construction project has caught up with the damage caused by the July 11, 2011
wind storm and the July 27/28, 2011 major rain event. Digesters #1 and #3 tall walls are
completed and work progresses on the short walls for all digesters and concrete work on all
aspects of the digester complex. Clarifier #1 (an existing clarifier) is 80% complete and should
be able to be returned to service within two months. The start up of clarifier #1 will allow the
contractor to move on to the reconstruction of #2. The base work for the additional primary
clarifier is ongoing with a pour scheduled for the week of September 26, 2011. After the base is
completed the walls of the clarifier will be constructed at which point the mechanisms will be
installed.
The City of Dubuque Builders Risk provider has agreed that the complete replacement of all of
the flooded modules in the UV Disinfection System is warranted. These modules have been
ordered and will be installed upon arrival in approximately six to eight weeks. The UV system is
however functioning as required to provide disinfection for the plant effluent.
Work continues on all aspects of the project and plant staff and contractor personnel are
beginning the preparation for operations and construction to continue as the winter approaches.
Negotiations took place with the W &RRC neighbor Inland Protein for the use of part of their
property to facilitate construction of the digester covers. The availability of this land provide for
much needed storage space and an area any from construction traffic for the assembly of the
covers. The City had estimated a project delay of approximately three to four months beyond
the final completion date given of October 1, 2013. The City has since granted a 120 working
day extension to the two major milestones of digester startup and sludge processing startup.
The City and its general contractor are working out details of a revised project completion
schedule required by the weather related delays. Factoring in the delays, the City will still meet
the startup deadline (April 26, 2014) as prescribed in the Consent Decree barring any further
major uncontrollable delays.
Through July 2, 2013, the project is in its 26th month of construction and work has been started
on all aspects of the project. At this point, City staff estimates the project is close to 95%
complete with an expenditure of approximately $50,000,000 to date. The ultraviolet disinfection
system was started in March 2011 and continues to be operational. Work continues on the
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digesters and sludge processing complex. The construction of the fourth primary clarifier
concrete work is completed with the mechanisms installed and the clarifier online. The
digesters were put online the third week of August and were in full production by the end of
October 2012. Digester #1 is up to the full Thermophilic temperature of 131 degrees F and #2
digester went thermophilic the week of December 17th. The Sludge Processing portion of the
plant is being completely renovated to meet the needs of the new process. The sludge handling
section was operational by February 2013. Work has begun on the renovation of the final
clarifiers, one clarifier at a time is taken down for construction leaving three online at all times.
The reconstruction of primary clarifier number 1 is complete and started up with #2 ready for
drive installation. When #2 is started we will move #3 and then #4. When this clarifier is on -line,
work will begin on the reconstruction of the remaining clarifiers. A minimum of three clarifiers
will remain in service during construction. In addition to the digester structures, work has been
completed on pumps and piping associated with the digester operation along with the
installation of the many pumps and motors required for the process. A bio- solids handling
contract was negotiated and signed with Nutri -Ject Systems of Hudson, Iowa on the March 19,
2012 council agenda. The anaerobic digesters are producing a Class I product which is the
best classification. Bio- Solids were successfully applied to land this spring. The project was
substantially complete as of September 3, 2013. The Ribbon Cutting for the W &RRC was held
October 3, 2013.
The laboratory addition of the Administration /Laboratory Building is now complete and has been
put into service as of June 13th, 2012. The former lab and the remaining portion of the
Administration building was gutted and remodeled to provide for a conference /training area,
men's and women's lockers, parts storage, SCADA room and Administration offices. The
Administration /Laboratory Building will be a highly energy efficient building using plant effluent
to meet heating and cooling needs. The entire structure is highly insulated and will use a
minimum of energy for lighting, heating and cooling.
Construction has begun to install the microturbines and associated equipment to more fully
utilize the biogas being generated by the anaerobic digestion process. The completion date for
the microturbine installation is February 2014. At that point the W &RRC should be able to
generate about two thirds of the W &RCC electrical needs.
The W &RRC was substantially completed on September 3, 2013 and the ribbon cutting event
was held on October 3, 2013. Work on the micro - turbine project continues and the contractor
estimates he will be able to start the turbines before the end of the 2013. We are still looking at
February 2014 as final completion of the project.
Please refer to the Water & Resource Recovery Center for detailed information on the
Sustainable ROI of this project.
Inflow and Infiltration Reduction Program:
The City of Dubuque is conducting an Inflow and Infiltration (I &I) Reduction Program to
significantly reduce storm water inflow and groundwater infiltration into Dubuque's sanitary
sewer collector system. Excessive I &I can cause sanitary sewer back -ups into basements,
overflows into creeks and wetlands, and increased operating costs to process the water at the
Dubuque Water Pollution Control Plant.
Five neighborhoods have been identified as sources of high sanitary sewer flows during rainfall
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events, which indicates excessive I &I. To address this issue, the City will conduct private
property inspections, smoke testing, and dye testing, and televise sanitary sewer pipes to
determine the major defects in the five areas with excessive I &I between 2011 and 2016.
> The City has notified 4,489 property owners that their neighborhood has been identified
as a source of high sanitary sewer flows during rainfall events, which indicates excessive
I &I. The property owners were asked to schedule an appointment for City inspectors to
enter the yard and basement of each home to observe and record the property's
drainage facilities.
• Of the 3,420 properties, City staff has inspected 3,577. This is a response rate of
approximately 80 %. Approximately 5% of the inspected properties have improper
connections to the sanitary sewer system (failed inspection).
• Engineering staff continues to work with property owners to correct improper connections
to the sanitary sewer identified by smoke testing or private property inspections.
> The Engineering Department found approximately 500 improper connections during I &I
inspections during the mid- to late- 1990's. Current Engineering staff is revisiting these
properties to conduct "historic inspections." Staff has found that approximately 17% of
the historic inspections continue to have improper connections (compared to 5% as
stated above).
> The Engineering Department conducted smoke testing of Sewershed 7 and 5 during July
and August 2012. Smoke testing has been conducted within nearly 70 miles of the City's
sanitary sewer collection system since the beginning of 2011. This has identified over 450
defects beyond those identified in the private property inspections.
Engineering staff has inspected all brick manholes in Sewersheds 5, 7 and 12 during
2012. These inspections will provide information to determine which manholes are in
need of repair or replacement in the coming years.
Catfish Creek Watershed Management Authority
In December 2012, the City accepted phase II grant dollars to complete a watershed
management plan for Catfish Creek. Catfish Creek Watershed was one of 3 watersheds in the
state of Iowa to receive phase II grant dollars. The City and the Board of directors accepted
submit ions from several different consultants, and chose Applied Ecological Services to help
us create a functional watershed plan. Focusing around ecological practices, including invasive
species removal, the addition of native plants and trees, and retroffiting existing practices; the
plan will tie in with the City's MS4 permit and other sustainable programs. The watershed
management plan is scheduled for completion in December of 2014.
Rain Garden Program: The City of Dubuque continually offers a cost share program for the
construction of rain gardens for citizens. The City will pay for up to $1000 -1200 of materials
provided that an equal or greater amount be spent on equipment rental / labor by the citizen.
Streambank Stabilization Program: The City of Dubuque continually offers a cost share
program for the stabilization of ditches and creek on private property (residential only). The City
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will pay for up to $1000 -1200 of materials provided that an equal or greater amount be spent on
equipment rental / labor by the citizen.
Public Works Department:
• Household Hazardous Materials Regional Collection Center (HHMRCC) The Public
Works Department provides administrative and operating staff support to the Dubuque
Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA or "Agency "). An Agency program dating
back to the mid- 1990's is its Household Hazardous Materials Regional Collection Center
(HHMRCC). Initially a once - per -year special event staged at the Dubuque County
fairgrounds, the program is focused on keeping hazardous materials out of the DMASWA
Landfill. Based on the premise that landfills are not perfect and that they all eventually leak,
the intent of the program is to reduce hazardous chemicals in that leachate. By 1998, the
Agency funded and established a permanent collection and storage facility at its Landfill.
Citizens are encouraged to take their paint, solvents, automotive chemicals, cleaning fluids,
etc. to the Agency's RCC for reuse or incineration at no cost to them. A small fee is charged
small businesses and governmental entities to cover the cost of the service provider. The
HHMRCC Program also provides staff and equipment support for special, one day collection
events at locations throughout the Agency's two - county service area. The measureable
outcomes include pounds /tons of hazardous materials collected and managed annually.
• E -Scrap Recycling Program. Established in 2006, the Agency's E -Scrap Recycling
Program initially educated and encouraged its customers to recycle, versus landfill, their old
television sets, VCRs, cell phones, computers, and other electronic entertainment and
communication devices. While such household items are allowed to be Iandfilled by federal
and Iowa regulations, the Agency provided a recycling alternative for a fee. The fee, while
more than what was charged for landfilling, is needed to cover the cost charged by the
Agency's R2- certified recycling service provider. Given the declining quantity and weight of
the e-scrap brought to the Agency for recycling in recent years, and the generally -
acknowledged toxicity of some e-scrap components, the Agency adopted an e-scrap landfill
ban, which went into effect July 1, 2011. As a result, the DMASWA no longer buries
electronics in its landfill. The most significant measurable outcomes for this program are the
number and /or weight of e-scrap items recycled.
• Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Bulb Recycling Program - Begun in 2009 due to the
national perception regarding the mercury contained in CFLs and the increasing number of
old CFLs being sent to landfills for disposal, the DMASWA established a free drop -off
program for Dubuque and Delaware county residents. Through the Agency's website, its
biannual Recycling and Reuse Guide, its advertisements, and presentations by its
Education and Communication Coordinator, the Agency makes its customers aware of the
twenty -one (21) locations throughout Dubuque and Delaware counties where the CFLs can
be dropped off for recycling. The most significant measurable outcome is the number of
pounds of CFLs diverted and recycled by this program annually. The primary community
impact in future years is cleaner leachate and groundwater at the DMASWA Landfill.
Leisure Services Department:
• Rain gardens have been constructed in Flora park and Eagle Point park to reduce and clean
water runoff to the city storm water system
• New city hanging baskets in the Historic Millwork District and on the Bee Branch trail contain
a water reservoir for rain collection and better management of water use
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Information Services :
• The Information Services computer room air conditioning unit at the City Hall annex was out
of capacity. A new air conditioning unit was installed at the beginning of February 2013.
After the new unit was installed, the water usage went from over 4,000 gallons per day to
110 gallons per day.
Daily Usage for 110377572 (Gallons)
6.000 _■ ■..i •lul•.11iu i rni uuauii•.•ai I u. ■ ■. u..
5,000 -
4,000 -
3.000 -
2,000 -
1.000 -
0
!II!! !!!!
2013
Sustainable Dubuque Watershed Network The University of Iowa College of Engineering
and Environmental Science, in collaboration with the City, will provide funding and support for
the Sustainable Dubuque Watershed Network. The research would be intended to coordinate
with existing University watershed research, but take it a step further by incorporating advanced
measuring devices and analysis into an urban watershed, the North Fork — Catfish Creek. It is
intended that the outcome help inform and analyze future infrastructure design and renovation
and low- impact development options for the community and its stakeholders. Specific research
will be sought for analysis of infrastructure design and renovation and low- impact development
options for stakeholders such as rain gardens, bioswales, bioretention areas, green roofs and
other policy options within a watershed. Handling watershed issues before they become Water
and Resource Recovery Center issues will be an economic and environmental benefit to the
community.
Business:
Non - Profit:
Schools:
People & Neighborhoods:
HEALTHY AIR
Government:
Clean Air Attainment Strategy /Air Quality Task Force (High Priority): In November 2009,
the DMATS Board facilitated a meeting with the Iowa DNR to discuss air quality data in
Dubuque and the surrounding area. From this meeting, city and ECIA staff recommended
forming a public /private partnership to study the data and work on improving air quality. Greater
Dubuque Development Corporation was approached and agreed to facilitate an Air Quality
Task Force, which would consist of local government and business representatives. Greater
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Dubuque Development engaged businesses who had a stake in local air quality. After several
meetings, the Task Force agreed that further analysis of the current data showed prevailing
winds from south and peaks and valleys of particulates throughout the year, it is still not
conclusive as to the cause(s) of non - attainment.
Greater Dubuque Development commissioned and financed a study through the University of
Northern Iowa. The detailed information, although proprietary and confidential, was shared and
discussed with key officials from both the public and private sectors. Greater Dubuque
Development, along with staff support from ECIA, also initiated a series of proactive
meetings /discussions with the Iowa DNR. During the past 2 years, through ECIA and City of
Dubuque staff, possible policy /rule changes have been actively monitored.
Most recently (March 18, 2013) the teams from ECIA, City of Dubuque, and Greater Dubuque
Development initiated a conference call with industry regulators to begin formulating a forward -
thinking, proactive plan to position Dubuque with superior livability, quality of life, and air quality.
The discussion centered on the EPA's newly announced PM Advance program- -The program is
designed to recognize areas that are in attainment and desire to be proactive with implementing
voluntary emission reduction strategies. A meeting is being scheduled for August, 2013 to
begin working with EPA on the PM Advance Program.
Transit Fleet Replacement: In 2010 two large federal grants were awarded to The Jule
(formerly known as Keyline Transit): State of Good Repairs at $2.3 million dollars and Clean
Fuels at $1.5 million dollars. These two grants, coupled with vehicle replacement money from
the State, allowed for the replacement of the entire transit fleet (both fixed route and mini bus).
All new buses are equipped with Clean Diesel engines, a proven technology that allows for
increased fuel efficiency and lower engine emissions, and were placed into service by August
31, 2011. The State of Good Repairs grant is also allowing for the purchase of ITS equipment
for both fixed route and mini bus service. The ITS equipment purchased with the grant will help
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the transit service and includes, but is not limited to:
a CAD /Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system along with web -based software will allow
passengers to see when the next bus will arrive to a particular bus stop; LED display boards
that will be placed a key transfer points to display pending arrival time(s) of the next bus, as well
as (e.g.) public service announcements; an Automatic Voice Announcement (AVA) system that
will announce the approach of (e.g.) major intersections and points of interest for passengers
that have a visual impairment (or who are otherwise not familiar with the area); an electronic
fare collection system that will broaden the choice and type of bus passes, as well as allow for
better ridership data collection; Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) that will allow for real -time
dispatching in mini bus service; new scheduling software for mini bus service to work in
conjunction with the MDTs; camera (security) systems on both fixed route and mini bus; etc. A
contract for the purchase, installation and deployment of the ITS equipment and systems went
City Council for approval at the June 18, 2012, meeting, with an amended contract start date of
August 6, 2012. The start of the ITS project began mid November 2012, with the installation of
the Mobile Data Terminals (MDT) into the Light Duty buses used for Mini -bus service, and
connection of the MDTs to the RouteMatch scheduling software, which is the software system
used to schedule passengers and generate reports of the provision of mini -bus services. Work
on the fixed route service began December 17, 2012, installation of equipment on the buses
began late March 2013, and a project completion date is set for on /around November 2013.
Public Works Department:
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• Landfill Methane Collection System Project - The Public Works Department provides
administrative and operating staff support to the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste
Agency (DMASWA or "Agency "). One of the Agency's recent initiatives relevant to the
Healthy Air principle is its Landfill Methane Collection System Project. Initiated in FY10 and
completed in FY11, the first phase of the methane collection system was installed in the
Agency's oldest "closed" landfill cells ( #1 and #2). Since project completion in September of
2010, the methane is being measured for quality and quantity as it is flared off. By flaring
the methane, the Agency is significantly reducing a very potent greenhouse gas previously
emitted by its landfill facility. The Agency's Board of Directors is currently considering a
proposal from a regional electrical power producer for its methane and has retained an
industry expert to evaluate the proposed project. The Directors have indicated that they
anticipate making a decision regarding the proposal in calendar 2013. Anticipated future
measurable outcomes include amount of usable methane produced annually and revenue
garnered and/or costs avoided.
• Clean Diesel & Biofuels Technology - The Public Works Department is spearheading the
City's conversion of its diesel- engine truck and heavy equipment fleet to the use of "clean
diesel" technology. As of 11 -13, thirty -one (31) heavy trucks and eighteen (18) heavy
equipment machines have been replaced with units equipped with clean diesel engines.
Clean diesel engines produce fewer airborne particulates and harmful emissions. The most
measurable outcome for this conversion program is the number of "dirty diesel" versus
"clean diesel" units in the department's fleet at any given time.
The Public Works Department has also spearheaded the City's use of biofuels in its many
trucks and heavy equipment. Its diesel- engine trucks and heavy equipment use 20%
biodiesel during warm weather months and 5% biodiesel during the coldest months. The
department's light vehicles use 85% ethanol in their gasoline engines year- round. The most
likely measurable outcome is total departmental fuel usage by type annually.
• Climate Disruption, Mitigation and Adaptation - The Resource Management program
has provided staff support and intern supervision as part of the city's commitment to the
ICLEI Climate Change 5 Milestone Process related to assessment, draft targets and
potential action steps in government operations community practices for GHG reduction.
The RMC has also acted as the liaison with the community group drafting the "Dubuque
Community GHG "50 by 2030" Initiative ".
Business:
Non - Profit:
Schools:
People & Neighborhoods:
NATIVE PLANTS & ANIMALS
Government:
Planning Services Department:
• Sustainable Development Tools: The City's 2009 Unified Development Code (UDC)
requires that new major subdivisions achieve a minimum score of 40 points by utilizing
approved sustainable subdivision development tools. Subdivision and site development
regulations were extensively revised to promote sustainable design and low- impact
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development (LID) measures. These tools include Conservation Subdivision design, in
which development is clustered to optimize open space, preserve natural features, protect
environmentally sensitive areas, and minimize infrastructure demands. The UDC has a
residential density bonus for conservation subdivisions. These tools also include the
provision that native and regionally appropriate trees and vegetation are preserved or
planted, which limits turf grass, limits water demand, improves infiltration or filtration, and
enhances the natural environment. Such vegetation is to be phased so denuded areas are
quickly vegetated. Turf grass should not exceed 30% of the landscaped area.
As noted above, new major residential subdivisions currently must score a minimum of 40
points by utilizing sustainable subdivision tools approved by the City Council. A major
subdivision involves public improvements (street, water, sanitary sewer, etc.) In March 2011,
the City Council adopted a standard for sustainable development incentives for residential
subdivisions. The City Council established an 80 -point standard be used for a new
residential subdivision to qualify for sustainable development incentives from the City of
Dubuque.
• Mines of Spain /E.B. Lyons: The 1,387 -acre Mines of Spain State Recreation Area near
Dubuque has served as a focal point for environmental and cultural educational programs
and interpretive activities for the tri -state area of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin for many
years. Burgeoning interest in the rich history of the tri -state area and growing awareness of
the significance of the Mississippi River and its watershed created greater demands for
exhibits and educational programming. Demand for more programs and services increased
over time. Continued success and growth in visitation, interpretation and education were
inhibited by space limitations.
More space was needed at the E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center at the State Recreation Area.
In response, the Friends of the Mines of Spain (FOMOS) planned and coordinated an
expansion that updated and more than doubled the original space for educational purposes.
The FOMOS raised private, local, state and federal funds for the expansion and education
project. They raised $1,575,569 -- $98,575 over the cost estimate of $1,476,994 for the
expansion. Construction began in September 2009, and was completed a year later.
The Friends also raised an additional $325,000 for enhanced exhibits and educational
programming. Thanks to excellence in interpretive support by the FOMOS, the Interpretive
Center now welcomes visitors to one of the region's best - conserved natural and cultural
resources, where people can explore the history and natural riches of the park. The updated
exhibits at the Interpretive Center invite visitors to discover the history, geology, and ecology
of the park and region, and prepare the visitor for forays onto the many trails and interpretive
sites throughout the Mines of Spain. The Interpretive Center has displays on the park's
historic farm site, archeology, prairies, woodlands, wetlands, lead mining, Native Americans,
and wildlife of the park on both the upper and lower levels.
• Land Acquisition for Mines of Spain: The City of Dubuque, in conjunction with the Friends
of the Mines of Spain, has been working with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF)
on the acquisition of the Bottoms Farm, 9097 Bellevue Heights Road, Dubuque, Iowa to
expand the land area of the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and the E.B. Lyons
Interpretive Center. The 52.19 acre property abuts the Mines of Spain on the north, and the
30 -acre Interpretive Center site on the east. The INHF acquired the land at auction in
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August 2011. The City of Dubuque has a purchase agreement with the INHF for the
property. Cost estimates are being finalized for removal of the farmstead, barns and other
structures, and capping the well on site. There will be a future amendment to the original
agreement to add these costs and some carrying costs.
The Iowa DNR's Natural Resources Commission approved the City of Dubuque's 2011
Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Grant of $200,000 toward the acquisition of
the Bottoms Farm in October 2011. The City Council approved the REAP grant agreement
with the IDNR in November 2011. The City will apply for additional grants to cover the
acquisition costs, plus whatever the FOMOS and IDNR would contribute. A $500,000
National Scenic Byways grant application submitted in December, 2011 for additional land
acquisition was not funded. A $175,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant
application for acquisition and development submitted in March 2012 was awarded. A
$200,000 REAP grant application for development was approved in October 2012. A
$170,500 State Recreational Trails grant was approved in October 2012.
The acquisition of this land is extremely important to the Mines of Spain and the Interpretive
Center. The land acquisition would allow: the creation of a buffer for the State Park and the
Interpretive Center from encroaching development; protection of the historical,
archeological, cultural, and natural resources we anticipate are on the property; restoration
of native landscape to improve and expand wildlife habitat and storm water management;
and opportunities to expand parking, interpretive signage, and other park amenities that will
improve the visitor experience.
The plan for future management of the project area is to leave the archeological sites
undisturbed, unless the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) authorizes development
for the additional parking. The objectives of reestablishing vegetation on the farm's cropland
are to reduce erosion, create wildlife habitat and reconstruct examples of original native
vegetation. The current management plan for the Mines of Spain has been to replace most
of the current croplands and restore them to native prairie to create a landscape that dates
back to the 1700's.
The IDNR undertook the Mines of Spain master plan process for the 52 -acre Bottoms
property in February and March, 2012 with a multi - disciplinary planning task force of IDNR,
City, INHF, and FOMOS representatives and a public survey. The goal is to develop a plan
for the future management and appropriate development of this additional land, to preserve
its natural and cultural resources, as well as expand and enhance the programs and
recreational offerings of the E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center and the Mines of Spain. The
draft master plan and public survey results were provided to the City Council in March 2012.
The SHPO recommended an archaeological survey of the Bottoms property and an
intensive level survey /evaluation of the farmstead buildings in November 2012 prior to
development activities. The IDNR contracted for a Phase 1 archaeological survey in
December, 2012. The Office of the State Archeologist (OSA) survey identified one new site,
but it was not eligible for listing in the NRHP. The OSA recommended no additional
archaeological investigation were necessary prior to the proposed construction.
The City contracted with the OSA to conduct a historic evaluation of the farmstead buildings
in March 2013 as requested by the SHPO and NPS. Survey work began in April 2013.
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On May 6, 2013, the Park and Recreation Commission and the City Council voted in support
of disbursement of $471,000 from the Edwin B. Lyons Trust to match state and federal grant
funding for the acquisition and development of the EB Lyons Interpretive Area Addition. This
disbursement will allow the community driven master plan for the E.B. Lyons Interpretive
Area Addition to become reality. The FOMOS has been successful in raising private funds
as well.
Leisure Services Department:
• An expansion project for native plantings in Dubuque Industrial Center West is in the
works for an 18 to 20 acre addition.
• Organic Gardening 101 class 2011
• Fall Landscaping Workshop
• Dirt, Worms and Food 2012
• Frontier Living 2012
Multicultural Family Center: Future Talk program cleared invasive plant species and dead
trees from several acres of land at Mines of Spain, Swiss Valley, and Kaufmann Prairie in order
to sustain native species. Crew members also learn about the environment during the program.
GIS: Assisted Parks Division in GPSing and identifying locations of native plantings near
Bergfeld Recreation Area and new recreational trail, as well as Eagle Point Park.
Library: Hosted seven Nature Days and one Flower Power public event from 2006 - present.
Hosted a "Garden" story time in April, 2011 with 20 attendees.
Bee Branch: The City, in partnership with Black Hills Energy and other community partners,
has obtained a Trees Forever grant to plant 1,000 trees in Phase I of the Bee Branch project,
valued at over $6,000. Volunteers from the neighborhood will be engaged in the planting of the
trees.
Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency:
• Worked with Iowa Department of Natural Resources to stock a retention pond at the
landfill with native fish species.
• Partnered with Dubuque County Conservation Board to establish five bluebird houses at
the landfill.
Business:
Non - Profit:
See Land Acquisition for Mines of Spain above.
Stewards of the Beautiful In partnership with City staff, Dubuque County Soil & Water
Conservation District, Swiss Valley Nature Center, and others, Trees Forever hosted a series of
free classes focused on native plantings in urban and rural environments in summer 2012.
Classes focused on rain gardens and bioswales, plant identification prairies, etc.
Schools:
87
People & Neighborhoods:
COMMUNITY HEALTH & SAFETY
Community Health & Safety was added as the 12th Sustainable Dubuque principle in August
2013, with a vision statement as follows: "Sustainable Dubuque is a community that values
systems, policies, and engagement to ensure that all residents have access to healthy and safe
lifestyle choices." Look for future updates as the Collaboration and others define partnerships
and priorities to incorporate current work and future opportunities in this area into the holistic
Sustainable Dubuque framework.
The Dubuque County Wellness Coalition has begun a strategic planning process to determine
how they can be a community leader and facilitator around this new principle. Sustainable
Community Coordinator Cori Burbach and Public Health Specialist Mary Rose Corrigan are
facilitating this process.
88
SUSTAINABLE
DUBUQUE
viable • livable • equitable
Dubuque
All- America City
2012
Dubuque Community
Climate Action & Resiliency Plan
2013
Prepared by: Green Dubuque, Inc. 2013
Jason Schatz (jason @greendubuque.org)
Theothoros Giannakouros (raki @greendubuque.org)
Table of Contents
ACRONYMS 1
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 2
SUMMARY 3
Background 4
Benefits of GHG Reduction 5
Dubuque Community GHG Inventory 7
GHG Reduction Potential 9
POLICY SUMMARY TABLES 15
POLICY DESCRIPTIONS 25
Waste Reduction & Utilization 26
Local Energy & Renewables 35
Transportation 52
Built Environment 69
Miscellaneous 89
REFERENCES 98
APPENDIX A: Emission Factors & Assumptions 102
APPENDIX B: Emissions Reference Case 105
APPENDIX C: Glossary of Terms 106
APPENDIX D: Outreach & Public Input 108
Community Input 108
Business Input 118
APPENDIX E: Reduction Estimate Ranges and Uncertainty 130
Acronyms
CHP Combined Heat and Power (power generation facility- -see glossary)
CO2 Carbon dioxide
CO2e Carbon dioxide equivalent (see glossary)
DOE (United States) Department of Energy
DOT Department of Transportation
DMASWA Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (see glossary)
ECIA East Central Intergovernmental Agency (see glossary)
EPA (United States) Environmental Protection Agency
GHG Greenhouse gas
GWP Global warming potential (see glossary)
IECC International Energy Conservation Code
kW kilowatts ( =1000 Watts of power)
kWh kilowatt hours (see glossary)
LED Light Emitting Diode based lighting
LEED Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (see glossary)
mt Metric ton ( =1000 kg)
MW Megawatt ( =1000 kW; = 1,000,000 Watts)
VMT Vehicle miles traveled (see glossary)
WRRC Water & Resource Recovery Center (see glossary)
1
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the Dubuque Community Climate
Action and Resiliency Plan?
A: A non - binding, voluntary effort to identify
opportunities to reduce Dubuque's community
greenhouse gas emissions 50% below 2003
levels by 2030 while strengthening our economy
and the overall quality of life in the community.
Q: Are the options described in this plan
mandatory?
A: No, none of the options in this document are
mandated in any way. They are not regulations
or requirements; they are options. This
document is a collection of ongoing, planned,
and potential actions that directly or indirectly
affect greenhouse gas emissions in Dubuque.
This document details the impacts of those
strategies to greenhouse gas emissions, as well as
to the economic and social resiliency of the
Dubuque community. It is intended to help local
officials, businesses, and individuals better
understand and prioritize ongoing and future
initiatives.
Q: What happens if Dubuque is unable to
achieve the 50% by 2030 reduction goal?
A: This is a voluntary effort, so there are no
penalties for falling short. Also, the Dubuque
Community Climate Action and Resiliency Plan
focuses on options that maximize co- benefits to
the community at large; so even if Dubuque falls
short of expected greenhouse gas reductions, the
community will benefit economically and
socially from this effort.
2
Q: How will local businesses be affected by the
50% by 2030 goal?
A: Many local businesses will directly benefit
from the reductions options in the Dubuque
Community Climate Action and Resiliency Plan,
and outreach was conducted to local businesses
to identify priorities and barriers to greenhouse
gas reduction in the private sector (See Appendix
D). With those priorities in mind, this document
focuses specifically on business friendly actions
that strengthen the local economy and improve
its resilience. Reduction options that have
perceived negative economic impacts have been
taken off the table.
Q: How will this document be used?
A: There are many potential applications,
including (1) Informing local officials when they
make choices and set City priorities; (2)
Informing businesses and individuals in the
community about potential emission and cost
saving opportunities; (3) Showcasing success
stories in Dubuque; (4) Providing a template for
emerging reduction opportunities that can be
added to the document in the future; and (5)
Serving as an education piece about where
greenhouse gas emissions really come from and
what options local communities have to address
them.
Section I - Summary
Background
Sustainability in Dubuque
Since 2006, the Dubuque City Council
has considered sustainability to be one of their
primary goals. To aid this goal, Dubuque has
adopted a holistic, three part approach to
sustainability that focuses on Economic
Prosperity, Environmental & Ecological
Integrity, and Social/Cultural Vibrancy.
In 2010, Dubuque completed an inventory
of community greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
which tallied GHG emissions from the
transportation, waste, residential, commercial,
and industrial sectors in 2003 and 2007. This
was followed by an inventory of 2009, 2010, and
2011 emissions completed in 2012.
50% by 2030 - Phase I
The 50% by 2030 GHG reduction
initiative was a grassroots effort to unite
Dubuque, IA in support of 50% local GHG
emissions reduction by 2030 (from 2003 levels).
Phase I of the initiative was to complete
an initial feasibility study of local GHG
reduction actions that could reduce GHG
emissions 50% by the year 2030. This phase was
completed in 2011, during which the 50% by
2030 goal was unanimously endorsed by City
Council while also garnering supportive
signatures from over 700 citizens and local
businesses employing over 400 Dubuque area
residents. Based on initial estimates, GHG
reductions amounting to nearly 200,000 mt CO2e
per year are already planned or in progress in
Dubuque, putting the City over 1/3 of the way
toward its target.
50% by 2030 - Phase 77
Phase II of the initiative was to conduct a
formal, comprehensive study of the GHG
reduction options available to Dubuque. The
Phase II study will provide an extensive list of
potential strategies for local climate action. This
study will account for ongoing and prospective
actions and serve as a foundation for regular
4
future updates by City staff. Each recommended
strategy includes a description, anticipated
annual impact on GHG emissions, affected
sectors, timetable, anticipated costs and benefits,
and barriers to implementation.
The strategy also includes the results of
input from citizens, local businesses, City staff,
and other local experts regarding current barriers
to energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other
GHG reduction opportunities. The results of that
input help to identify potential pathways by
which those barriers can be overcome in
Dubuque and is described in detail in Appendix
D.
Phase II culminated with the creation of
the present document, which was presented to
the Dubuque City Council by Green Dubuque,
Inc. in December 2012.
Benefits of GHG reduction
GHG reduction may be the common thread tying all of the proceeding options together, but it is
not the only or even main benefit. The vast majority of options in this document are "no- regret
solutions" that are in the community's interest regardless of climate impact. In other words, the
primary benefits of most recommendations will be to local health, economic prosperity, and quality of
life -- they just happen to have an impact on GHG emissions too.
Health
A Improved air quality. Reducing driving miles and traffic congestion improves local air quality.
Also, lowering electricity use reduces the amount of energy demanded from coal burning power
plants, leading to fewer emissions of particulate matter and other health hazards.
A Physical fitness Improved pedestrian and bicycle travel options will facilitate active transport and
recreation, yielding improvements in physical fitness.
A Safety. Compact infrastructure means more compact coverage areas for police, fire fighters, and
emergency medical services. Also, more - complete, less -busy streets reduce collision rates.
A Local, healthy food. Increased reliance on local, healthy food through the Dubuque Farmer's
Market, Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), community gardens, and other programs
promotes health, improves food quality, supports local farmers, and decreases "food miles" and
other climate related impacts.
Economic Prosperity
A Local Investment. Since 2006, Dubuque has received over $10 million in grants and investment
because of its sustainability efforts. IBM, which brought 1300 jobs to Dubuque, cited Dubuque's
sustainability vision as a major factor setting it apart from other candidate cities.
A Local businesses. Blue Sky Solar, Solar Planet, Eagle Point Solar, Four Seasons Geothermal, 7th
Power Sustainable, Durrant, IBM, Dittmer Recycling, Gronen Restoration, and many other local
businesses are partially or exclusively focused on sustainability and GHG reduction. Such
businesses will continue to thrive locally if Dubuque remains dedicated to progress and innovation.
A Infrastructure and jobs. The proposed Intermodal Transportation Facility is anticipated to create
over 100 jobs and between $100 and $200 million in benefits over the next 30 years. This is only
one example, but any new infrastructure projects or local initiatives will create jobs.
A Downtown revitalization. The Port of Dubuque and Historic Millwork District are two recent
examples of re- developing existing city space and infrastructure and are responsible for attracting
tourists, residents, and investment dollars into the community.
A Local spending, local prosperity. When energy dollars are spent on locally generated energy, or
when energy efficiency allows consumers to keep more money in their pockets, that money is
retained in the local economy rather than being spent on fossil fuels from outside the city /country.
A Energy efficiency yields sustained savings on utility bills for local residents and business owners.
Basically, Dubuque residents do not have to pay for energy they do not use.
A Transportation. More efficient transportation networks and viable mobility alternatives save
Dubuque residents money by facilitating fewer driving miles, alleviating congestion, and
eliminating the need for as many vehicles as less- expensive travel options continue to develop.
A Reducing local government operating costs. Many of the options in this plan reduce the cost of
local government services, representing significant savings to taxpayers.
A Residential and commercial renewable energy projects give property owners control and
certainty over their energy costs and can yield significant returns on investment.
A Health Benefits. In general, health benefits also yield economic benefits by lowering health care
costs, increasing worker productivity, and reducing absenteeism at schools and workplaces.
5
Quality of Life
A Most of the benefits summarized above also represent improvements in quality of life. Although
health and other benefits can be depicted in economic terms, those dollars and cents represent real
people whose health and quality of life is difficult to put a price tag on.
A Improved mobility. Over 50% of Dubuque residents belong to at least one group that historically
has been poorly- served by conventional transportation systems (those aged 12 -15; senior citizens;
people with disabilities; households with no vehicle or difficulty affording one; and households with
only one vehicle per two or more adults). Transportation policies such as complete streets and
enhanced public transit will improve service to these and other groups.
A Outdoor aesthetics. Natural areas, green space, and city planning will improve the aesthetics of
the local landscape.
A Indoor aesthetics. Many strategies in this document facilitate indoor environmental improvements
in buildings, which can yield fresher air, more comfortable building temperatures, natural lighting,
and other traits that enhance work environments and improve the health, morale, and productivity of
employees.
6
Dubuque Community GHG Inventory (2003 -2011)
Introduction
In order to understand the sources and
trends over time of Dubuque's GHG emissions,
an inventory of GHG emissions in the Dubuque
community in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011
was conducted. The inventory divided emissions
into electricity and natural gas use in the
industrial, commercial, and residential sectors, as
well as emissions from transportation and waste,
which consists of fugitive methane emissions
from Dubuque's DMASWA landfill.
Methods
The inventory included Scope 1
emissions (direct GHG emissions, except for
biogenic CO2) and Scope 2 emissions (indirect
GHG emissions from consumption of purchased
electricity, steam, heating, or cooling). Scope
3 emissions (all other indirect emissions that do
not occur within the community,
emissions from purchased
manufactured elsewhere) are not
such as
products
included.
Emissions factors and other methods are
described in detail in Appendix A.
Results & Discussion
Dubuque generated an average of
1,220,000 mt CO2e of GHG emissions in the five
inventory years, generally varying from this by
no more than about 7% from year to year (Table
1). There is no strong upward or downward
trend overall, and waste is the only individual
sector with a clear trend (downward). This is
generally good news, with emissions holding
steady during a period of significant local
economic expansion and never exceeding the
high -water mark of 1,266,000 mt in 2003. This
suggests that Dubuque is well positioned to
reduce its emissions, and that the strategies it
employs will create a true downward trend rather
than simply counteracting year -to -year increases
in the community's GHG footprint.
1,220,000 mt equates to average per
capita emissions of 20.3 mt CO2e per year, which
is comparable to the 2006 U.S. national average
7
of 19.8 mt CO2e per person per year.
Dubuque's emissions were predominantly
in the form of CO2 (95 %), CH4 (4 %), and N2O
(1 %). This distribution was relatively constant
across the inventory years. The distribution of
emissions across economic sectors was also
similar across years, with most emissions
originating from the transportation (23 %)
residential (24 %), industrial (31 %), and
commercial (17 %) sectors, with 5% coming from
landfill CH4.
Figure 1 provides a comprehensive
overview of the sources, end uses, and flows of
energy and GHG emissions in Dubuque. Coal
for electricity, natural gas for building heat, and
petroleum for automobiles are the major sources
of GHG emissions, with emissions distributed
comparably among the transportation,
residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
This suggests that it will take a broad suite of
strategies to reduce energy use and costs in
Dubuque.
8
Table 1. Total GHG emissions from various sectors of the Dubuque, Iowa community in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 expressed in mt CO2e.
Facility
2003
2007
Total Emissions
(mt CQze)
2009 2010
2011
Avg
% (a Total
(ate)
Residential (electric)
216,239
214,422
167,641
182,000
174,935
191,047
16%
Residential (natural gas)
110,513
100,991
95,021
95,247
99,963
100,347
8%
Commercial (electric)
112,183
174,599
147,416
144,268
139,599
143,613
12%
Commercial (natural gas)
51,545
49,831
51,549
80,987
85,505
63,883
5%
Industrial (electric)
414,497
376,187
303,822
340,343
328,697
352,709
29%
Industrial (natural gas)
4,864
1,130
2,054
48,664
48,674
21,077
1.7%
Transportation
289,838
273,644
281,773
281,722
277,703
280,936
23%
Waste
66,555
73,438
77,039
68,657
48,076
66,753
5%
Total
1,266,234
1,264,242
1,126, 315
1,241,888
1,203,152
1,220,366
-
9
Carbon
Emissions
1,242 CO2e
(w000s mt)
Source
End Use
Residential
Electricity
Generation
Nuclear
Petroleum
3,578
BBtu
Transportation
69
CO,e
Carbon
Emissions
1,242 CO2e
(w000s mt)
Figure 1. 2.010 sources and uses of energy and GHG emissions in Dubuque, Iowa. "COZe" units represent 1000s of mt of CO2e. BBtu represents billions of
BTUs. Electric profile data for the state of Iowa is from the Iowa Utilities Board.
10
Results Summary - GHG Reduction Potential in Dubuque
Introduction
This study compiles ongoing and
potential strategies for reducing GHG emissions
in Dubuque, Iowa. It is based primarily on
policies and programs gathered from other U.S.
communities as well strategies already
implemented or under consideration in Dubuque.
The individual strategies are listed in the
summary tables in Section II of this report and
are discussed in greater detail in Section III,
where calculations and assumptions are fully
described.
Each strategy includes an estimate of its
impact on annual GHG emissions by the year
2030. That estimate generally consists of a range
of probable values. The average of that range
is used to estimate the total potential GHG
reduction discussed in this section and displayed
in Table2a and Figures 2 and 3, below. For
instance, a 100 -1,000 strategy would have an
estimate of 550 (the average of 100 and 1,000).
Five sectors were considered:
A Local Energy & Renewables
A The Built Environment
A Waste Reduction & Resource Management
A Transportation
A Miscellaneous Strategies
The following sections summarize GHG
reductions in Dubuque in each of those five
sectors.
I. Waste Reduction & Resource Management
The waste sector accounted for 5% of
Dubuque's 2003 emissions and 11.1% of
estimated reductions by 2030 (57,500 mt CO2e
per year-- Table2a).
50,000 mt of these reductions are from
the capture and destruction of landfill methane,
which began in 2010. The remaining 7,500 mt of
estimated reduction would come from further
expansion of the ongoing food scrap diversion
from the landfill. In summary, 87% of estimated
Scope 1 GHG reductions in the waste sector are
already occurring, but there is significant
potential for expansion.
11
Waste minimization also reduces Scope 3
embodied GHG emissions, which are not
included in the GHG inventory but nonetheless
have a real impact on climate change. As such,
Scope 3 related reductions are estimated in
Section III of this report but do not count toward
the total reductions tallied here.
II. Local Energy & Renewables
Electric and heating/cooling related
emissions accounted for 72% of Dubuque's 2003
emissions and 41.8% of estimated reductions by
2030 (217,437 mt CO2e per year - -Table 2a).
Approximately half of this estimated
reduction (110,500 mt) is from a potential wood
waste CHP facility, which was studied in 2008
but is no longer being considered by Dubuque
due primarily to wood supply and air quality
concerns. As such, the wood waste CHP facility
also accounts for the bulk of the "unlikely"
category in Figure 3, and is not expected to
occur. However, several other renewable energy
opportunities either are already underway or are
strong possibilities.
A methane - gas-to- energy system at the
DMASWA landfill could yield approximately
12,000 mt of reductions, depending on the scale
of the facility. A similar methane -to- energy
facility planned for the WRRC could yield over
3,000 mt of reductions per year.
Based on current trends, solar and wind
installations in Dubuque are expected to yield
10,000- 30,000 mt of annual reductions by 2030.
However, the impact of renewables could be
much higher, and this sector probably has the
greatest potential to exceed expectations.
Various policies listed in the Local
Energy - Policy category could facilitate that
expansion. The impact of policy on behavior is
difficult to predict, so these estimates are given
wide ranges. Nonetheless, the impact of energy
related policies could be in the tens of thousands
of mt CO2e per year by 2030.
An overlooked but very large potential
source of renewable energy is Lock and Dam 11.
Several companies have estimated substantial
hydroelectric capacity at the dam. This report
selected the lowest of these estimates, which still
amounts to over 50,000 mt of annual emissions
reduction (assuming power was used locally).
In summary, the GHG impact of the
Local Energy sector is difficult to predict and
could vary significantly depending on local
policy and market conditions for renewables.
More than the other four sectors, a single action
(e.g. hydroelectricity) can substantially increase
GHG reductions, and there is really no practical
upper limit to how much renewable energy could
be produced locally. As such, this is almost
certainly the most important sector to focus on to
achieve 50% GHG reduction by 2030 and has the
added advantage of very strong co- benefits
(better air quality and health, lower utility costs
for businesses, etc.).
III Transportation
The transportation sector accounted for
23% of Dubuque's 2003 GHG emissions and
10.3% of estimated potential reductions by 2030
(53,444 mt CO2e per year-- Table2a).
These reductions can be divided into two
categories: travel efficiency and mode
availability.
In terms of travel efficiency, complete
streets, the SW Arterial, Smarter City ITS,
roundabouts, and signal optimization account for
approximately 68% of total estimated
transportation reductions (32,591 mt). Most of
these initiatives are already at some stage of
planning or implementation. Idling reduction
and efficient parking policies are not currently
under consideration but could add several
thousand metric tons of reductions by 2030.
In terms of mode availability, ongoing
improvements in the Jule transit system, the
proposed Intermodal Transportation Facility, and
various cycling/active travel initiatives could add
on the order of 2,000 -3,000 mt of reductions,
though aggressive promotion of alternative
modes could increase these reductions several
times over. Electric vehicle (EV) charging
stations could improve the local viability of EVs
and add thousands more mt of reductions.
The impact of infrastructure and policy
on behavior is always uncertain, so the GHG
12
reduction estimates of many transportation
related strategies have wide ranges. However,
the estimates are based on the best available
numbers and are in line with those of other
communities. In any case, most transportation-
related reductions are already underway or
planned, so they are quite likely to accrue by
2030.
IV. The Built Environment
This wide - ranging category covers
everything from lighting efficiency to the form
and function of neighborhoods. Electricity and
heating in the Built Environment sector
accounted for 72% of 2003 emissions and 30.4%
of estimated potential reductions by 2030
(157,946 mt CO2e per year-- Table2a).
Efficiency
Improving energy efficiency is widely
recognized as one of the largest and most cost
effective ways to reduce GHGs and lower energy
costs. In Dubuque, the bulk of likely reductions
will come from the continued timely adoption of
IECC building standards, which is estimated to
yield tens of thousands of mt of GHG reductions
per year by 2030. Dubuque has always adopted
new IECC standards quickly, so these reductions
are quite likely to occur by 2030.
Advanced building efficiency standards
(e.g. LEED) for municipal buildings and large
commercial facilities could have a similar
impact, with the potential for tens of thousands
of mt of additional reductions by 2030.
Voluntary commercial /industrial lighting
efficiency improvements are expected to yield
several thousand mt of additional reductions by
2030, though the actual figure could be higher if
lighting technology continues to improve in
efficiency and cost.
In summary, improvements in the
efficiency of new and (particularly) existing
buildings is expected to yield on the order of tens
of thousands to 100,000+ mt of reductions by
2030, with higher amounts possible if efficiency
is aggressively pursued. Various policies such as
PACE, building/development efficiency
standards, and rental property efficiency could
further enhance these reductions.
Community Planning
The other facet of the Built Environment
sector is the design and function of
neighborhoods, which affect GHG emissions in
many subtle ways. While the layout of streets,
buildings, and neighborhoods does not create
emissions directly, it does affect traffic patterns,
building energy demand, and the extent of city
infrastructure (e.g. sewer, water, emergency
services). Because the impact of urban form on
emissions is indirect, reduction estimates in this
category are highly uncertain. But given the
influence of urban form on such a wide range of
activities, instruments like the Dubuque Unified
Development Code, infill development, historic
building preservation, and other smart growth
policies are likely to have an impact ranging
from thousands to tens of thousands of mt CO2e.
V. Miscellaneous
This category includes activities that do
not fit neatly into other sectors. It accounts for
6.4% of estimated reductions by 2030 (33,444 mt
CO2e per year - -Table 2a).
The main source of reductions in this
category is "Community Based Initiatives,"
which represents a goal for community
organizations to achieve a 2% reduction in
Dubuque's emissions (2% additional to the other
strategies discussed in this plan). Given what
community organizations have already achieved
in Dubuque, 2% appears to be a readily
achievable target.
The switch to industrial refrigerants with
a lower climate impact is estimated to reduce
community emissions by over 10,000 mt by
2030. This switch will primarily be due to
international phase -outs and other factors
external to Dubuque. However, Dubuque could
speed the switch by, for instance, encouraging
local companies to participate in the
Refrigerants, Naturally.; campaign.
The other strategies in this sector are
mainly Scope 3 and land use related (e.g. local
food, urban forestry, and "white roofs ") and
therefore fall outside the scope of the GHG
inventories. Nonetheless, these strategies do
have real influences on GHG emissions and are
included as information items.
13
Total Impact
There is some overlap in these policies,
but except where noted, they are almost all
complementary in nature and would bolster
rather than displace one another.
The estimated total impact of the
reductions outlined in this report is 514,739 mt
CO2e per year by 2030, which is estimated to
bring Dubuque within 0.4% of its 50% reduction
goal (Table 2b). Most of those reductions are
from renewable energy installations and
improvements in building energy efficiency,
which can also yield strong returns -on-
investment for homeowners and businesses.
Not all of these reductions are equally
likely, however. Some have already been
implemented, some are planned, some are merely
possible, and others have been considered and
rejected. Figure 3 shows the breakdown of the
reduction strategies considered in this report.
An estimated 227,247 mt (by 2030) of
GHG reductions are already underway and an
additional 29,390 mt are planned for the near
future. This yields 256,637 mt of reductions
anticipated from current efforts in the community
as of 2012, which is nearly half of necessary
reductions. This leaves approximately 1260,000
mt of reductions yet to be achieved between
2013 and 2030 using other options described in
this plan or other emerging opportunities.
Where will these emerging opportunities
come from? The greatest potential by far lies in
renewables and energy efficiency, though many
other unforeseen opportunities will no doubt
arise between 2013 and 2030. Also, this report is
restricted to actions within the direct power of
the Dubuque community. It does not account for
future state /federal action, technological
innovations, or other outside factors that could
substantially influence GHG emissions by 2030.
It also does not include potential large scale local
actions such as conversion of Alliant Energy's
Dubuque coal plant to natural gas, or other
regional and state level reductions.
# 263,784 mt according to 2030 business -as -usual emission
estimate in Emissions Reference Case (Appendix B)
Table 2a. Potential Scope 1 and 2 GHG reduction emission reductions (by 2030) in Dubuque, Iowa
from select reduction strategies in each of five community sectors.
Sector
Reduction
(mt CO2e /year
by 2030)
% of total
reduction
Waste
Energy
Transportation
Buildings
Misc
Total reductions
57,500
217,437
48,412
157,946
33,444
11.2%
42.2%
9.4%
30.7%
6.5%
100.0%
514,739
Table 2b. Estimated progress toward 50% by 2030 (from 2003 levels) reduction goal using all
potential strategies outlined in this document.
Measure
mt CO2elyr
2030 emissions (pre- reduction BAU)
Total reductions (from Table 2a)
2030 emissions (post - reduction)
Emissions target (50% of 2003 emissions)
Difference (2030 post- reduction emissions vs target)
010 reduction from 2003 by 2030
14
1,153, 538
514,739
638,800
633,117
5,683
49.6%
Reductions by 2030
• Waste
• Energy
Transportation
Buildings
• Misc.
Remaining emissions
Figure 2. 2030 GHG reduction summary. Percent of 2003 emissions potentially eliminated by 2030
through the strategies described in this report.
■ Active /ongoing
• Planned/likely
Possible
• Unlikely
Figure 3. Status/likelihood of the GHG reductions described in this report occurring by 2030 in
Dubuque, Iowa (mt CO2e per year).
15
Section II - Policy Summary Tables
Policy Summary Tables - Waste Reduction & Resource Management (page 1 of 1)
See page 26 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt 002e)
Status
DMASWA —
methane capture
and flaring
Capturing and burning methane emitted by organics decomposition at the
DMASWA landfill
50,000
Active since
2010
p. 27
Waste diversion &
minimization
Minimizing waste via diversion strategies like those outlined in the 2009 HuIs
report, such as resource recovery and organics composting and management
*10, 000s
Planning and
early
implementation
p. 28
Waste diversion —
food scraps
Collecting and diverting organic food waste from landfilling for composting and/or
methane capture
5,000 —10,000
Active /ongoing
p. 29
Waste diversion —
recycling and pay-
as- you -throw
Dubuque's recycling program diverts approximately 40% of landfill waste, while
the Pay -As- You -Throw program is a volume based collection system providing
financial incentives for waste reduction
*100,000+
Active /ongoing
p. 31
Waste diversion —
deconstruction
Reducing unnecessary waste from deconstruction projects, maximizing the
amount of material salvaged and reused, and minimizing the amount
demolished and landfilled.
*10,000s
Active /ongoing
p. 32
Waste diversion —
plastic bag
phaseout
In July 2011, the Dubuque City Council approved an initiative to reduce plastic
shopping bag use by 90% by mid 2017 without a new city ordinance or a ban.
*3'400
Ongoing /early
implementation
p 33
Waste diversion —
zero waste event
guidance
DMASWA's zero waste event planning program provides "event recycling units,"
which provides events with separate containers for trash, compostable
materials, and recycling for easy separation and pickup.
*10s
Active /ongoing
p. 34
*All or part of reduction is Scope 3, and is not counted in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
17
Policy Summary Tables - Local Energy: Infrastructure (page 1 of 1)
See page 35 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
• (mt CO2e)
Status
Wood waste CHP
Using regional wood waste in a combined heat and power (CHP) facility
in downtown Dubuque, which could generate both electricity and waste
heat.
87,000 — 134,000
No longer
under
consideration
p. 36
Wood waste
pyrolysis and
energy recovery
Biochar can be produced from wood waste via pyrolysis, which yields
s n as and bio -oil energy products as well as biochar, which is a highly
stable form of carbon that can remove GHGs from the atmosphere
44 -4,400
Prospective/
not currently
under
consideration
p' 37
DMASWA —
methane gas to
energy
Methane from organics decomposition at the landfill can be captured
and burned for energy.
"61,7.99
(11 799)
Planning
stages
p 38
WRRC — methane
CHP
Methane from waste processing at anaerobic digestors can be captured
and burned for energy
3 077
Under
construction
p. 39
Local clean energy
—solar
Solar photovoltaic arrays could generate a significant amount of energy
in Dubuque, particularly at large commercial and industrial facilities
9,618 — 28,854
Active /ongoing
p. 40
Local clean energy
—small wind
Small wind turbines could potentially generate a moderate of energy in
Dubuque, particularly at large commercial and industrial facilities
100s
Active /ongoing
p. 41
Hydroelectricity at
Lock and Dam 11
A hydroelectric facility at Dubuque Lock & Dam 11 could produce a very
significant amount of energy
50,030+
Prospective
p. 42
Dubuque Generating
Station to natural
gas
Alliant Energy's Dubuque Generating Station coal plant is scheduled for
closure, but could potentially be converted to run on natural gas, which
produces fewer GHGs per unit energy output than coal
Significant
generating
capacity
Prospective)
not currently
under
consideration
p 43
District heating —
natural gas (Millwork
District)
A local energy generation facility could provide electricity and heating to
residents and businesses in downtown Dubuque
Significant
generating
capacity
No longer
under
consideration
p. 44
* *11,799 mt of energy related reductions; 50,000 mt of methane destruction reductions (see section: DMASWA - methane capture and flaring)
18
Policy Summary Tables- Local Energy: Policies & Programs (page 1 of 1)
See page 35 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt CO2e)
Status
Renewable energy
PPAs
PPAs allow businesses to install solar PV arrays without incurring risk or taking
responsibility for equipment maintenance. In PPAs, the installer owns the
equipment (financed by a 3rd party) and sells electricity at a contracted rate to a
business /buyer. Lease agreements can serve a similar function
1 OOOs
Prospective/
not currently
under
consideration
p 45
Distributed energy
policies (residential)
Dubuque can facilitate renewable energy to residential sectors via education,
technical expertise, and adopting best policies and practices such as those
from the DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge program
100s
Pending
p. 46
Distributed energy
policies
(commercial /public
buildings)
Dubuque can facilitate renewable energy to commercial /industrial sectors via
education, technical expertise, and adopting best policies and practices such
as those from the DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge program
1,000s
Pending
p. 47
DOE Rooftop Solar
Challenge
A federal program designed to develop and test local programs and policies that
lower the cost and streamline the process of installing solar PV in residential
and commercial settings.
1,000s
Pending
p. 48
Local green
financing
A reliable source of financing (e.g. banks and financial institutions) for renewable
projects would support/spur demand for energy efficiency and
renewables in Dubuque.
not estimated
Prospective/
not currently
under
consideration
p 49
EPA Green Power
Community
Dubuque utility customers can voluntarily participate in renewable energy
purchasing programs and purchase a percentage of their power from renewables
1 OOOs
Prospective/
not currently
under
consideration
p. 50
Renewable energy
property tax
exemption
Would provide exemptions from property taxes for certain renewable energy
installations such that assessors would not add the value of renewable energy
systems to the taxable value of a property.
100s
Prospective/
not currently
under
consideration
p 51
19
Policy Summary Tables - Transportation (page 1 of 2)
See page 52 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt 002e)
Status
Complete Streets
Complete streets is a planning and design process that ensures that
the health, safety, and mobility of all transportation users are
considered in road project planning
9,303 — 27,909
Adopted 2011
p. 53
The Jule — Dubuque
transit system
redesign
Local bus routes and schedules are being redesigned to match the
needs of existing and potential riders, which will improve route
efficiency, cut costs, increase ridership, and bring bus service to
more residents.
100s
Active since
2010
p. 54
The Jule — fuel
efficient buses
In 2011, Dubuque's bus fleet was replaced with newer, more fuel
efficient vehicles equipped with electronic route tracking and
scheduling technology, among other improvements.
1,008
Completed
2011-2012
p. 55
Dubuque Intermodal
Transportation
Facility
The Dubuque Intermodal Transportation Center is a proposed facility
that will connect air, rail, bus, automobile, and riser traffic at a single
integrated transportation hub.
2,255
Pending/
planned
p. 56
Southwest Arterial
The Southwest Arterial will be a 6.1 -mile four -lane divided freeway
providing an alternative route for traffic through southwestern
Dubuque.
7,762
Planned/
ongoing
p. 57
Smarter City ITS
The Smarter City Intelligent Transportation Solution partnership
between the City of Dubuque and IBM provides a sophisticated
system for analyzing real -time transportation data to facilitate
improvements in transportation efficiency
4,591
Active /ongoing
p. 58
Particle filters on
diesel City fleet
vehicles
Dubuque could retrofit older municipally owned diesel vehicles with
particle filters in order to decrease black carbon and particulate
matter emissions.
*861
Prospective
p. 59
EV charging
infrastructure
Facilitating the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
at parking structures, businesses, and other strategic locations.
1,000s
Prospective
p. 60
*Black carbon - not counted in inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
20
Policy Summary Tables - Transportation (page 2 of 2)
See page 52 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt CO2e)
Status
Car sharing
Car sharing provides an alternative to car ownership by making vehicles
(usually owned and maintained by a company) available for short term,
easy access rental.
10s
Prospective
p. 61
Parking
Various parking related strategies for improving efficiency, lowering
costs, and reducing GHG emissions
100s
Prospective
p. 62
Transit policies and
programs
Various strategies for reducing GHGs from Dubuque's transit system,
including bus rapid transit, an eco -pass program for local businesses
and institutions, telecommuting, and ridesharing resources
100 — 1,000
Prospective
p. 63
Bicycle policies and
programs
Various policies and programs to facilitate cycling and active
commuting, including bike sharing stations, bicycle boulevards, and
well placed bicycle parking
100 — 1,000
Prospective
p. 64
Safe Routes to
School /Safe Routes
to Play
Safe Routes to School seeks to make walking and bicycling to school
a safe and routine activity for students via safer street crossings,
sidewalks, and other features that create safe and continuous links
between homes and schools.
10 —100
Active/
ongoing
p. 65
Roundabouts
Roundabouts are circular intersections that promote safer and more
efficient traffic flow.
100 — 1,000
Active/
ongoing
p. 66
Signal timing
optimization
Software, sensors, and other technology to maximize green light times
and allow timing to adjust based on changing demands during peak
times, such as rush hour.
100 — 1,000
Prospective
p. 67
Idling reduction
Idling consumes costly fuel, lowers air quality, and increases GHG
emissions, and it can be reduced with simple best practice
recommendations and policies
100s
Prospective
p. 68
21
Policy Summary Tables - Built Environment (page 1 of 3)
See page 69 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt CO2e)
Status
mil
p. 70
WRRC — Anaerobic
digestion
Dubuque's wastewater treatment facility was upgraded from an
incinerator to an anaerobic digestion system, which will save
energy and fuel oil costs and is scheduled for completion in
2014
928
Ongoing.
Completed
2014
ECIA Petal Project
The Petal Project provides businesses with a clear
sustainability framework and technical assistance to improve
the environment and the bottom line.
1,000 — 10,000
Active/
ongoing
p. 71
Dubuque Schools
The Dubuque Community Schools continues to cut energy use
and utility costs through simple operational and energy
efficiency solutions.
1,311 —2,500
Active/
ongoing
p. 72
Smarter Sustainable
Dubuque — energy
and water
The Smarter City pilot is a partnership between the City of
Dubuque and IBM to develop smart metering and information
systems that will enable homeowners to identify inefficient or
unintended use of water and energy.
1 671 —19 053
Active/
ongoing
p. 73
22
Policy Summary Tables- Built Environment (page 2 of 3)
See page 69 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt CO2e)
Status
IECC building
standards
The IECC is a model building code standard that can be voluntarily adopted
by state and municipal governments to establish minimum design and
construction requirements for energy efficiency in new residential or
commercial buildings.
10 000s
Active/
ongoing
p 74
USGBC — LEED for
Existing Buildings
The LEED for Existing Buildings program addresses cleaning and
maintenance issues, recycling programs, exterior and grounds
maintenance, weatherization and energy savings, HVAC system upgrades,
and other savings opportunities.
1,000s
Prospective
p. 75
PACE (and similar
financing programs)
PACE is a tool for local governments to empower community members to
make renewable energy improvements to their homes and property without
the burden of upfront costs and delayed returns on investment by making
high ROI loans available to community members. Similar programs can be
administered by private financial institutions, governments, and non - profits.
100s
Not currently
under
consideration
p. 76
Public building
efficiency standards
(City gov buildings)
Dubuque's new /renovated municipal buildings could be constructed to meet
high efficiency building standards, such as LEED
100 —1 000
Prospective
p. 77
Advanced
commercial building
efficiency standards
Dubuque could adopt a policy facilitating or requiring new buildings to meet
high efficiency building standards, such as LEED
1,000 — 10,000
Prospective
p. 78
Rental housing
energy efficiency
Various programs and policies can be employed to improve rental property
efficiency and reduce costs for owners and tenants
1,000 —10 000
Prospective
p. 79
Ground source heat
pumps (residential)
Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems are central heating and
cooling systems that pump heat to or from the ground, taking advantage of
the relatively constant ground temperature for building heating and cooling
100 —1,000
Active/
ongoing
p. 80
23
Policy Summary Tables - Built Environment (page 3 of 3)
See page 69 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
sr
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt CO2e)
Status
Municipal lighting
and energy
efficiency
There are many opportunities for improved energy efficiency in
municipal operations in Dubuque, including LEDs and
appliance /equipment efficiency.
1,000 -5,000
Active/
ongoing
p. 81
Commercial lighting
and energy
efficiency
Local programs and policies could help local businesses and
institutions save a substantial amount of energy and money
through simple, low cost lighting improvements.
1,000 — 10,000
Prospective
p. 83
State and Federal
programs and
incentives
Many State and Federal incentives for efficiency improvements
in residential, commercial, and government buildings (e.g.
weatherization & renewables) are not discussed elsewhere in
this report and are included here primarily as an information
item.
100s +
Active/
ongoing
p. 84
Dubuque Unified
Development Code
The Dubuque Unified Development Code provides guidance for
planning and development in Dubuque, affecting everything from
transportation and building efficiency to land use and water
quality.
1 000s
Active as of
2009
p. 85
Infill development
Infill development shifts urban growth from outer - suburban and
undeveloped peripheral areas to existing city space with pre-
existing infrastructure
1,000s
Prospective/
part of UDC
p. 86
Historic building
presentation and
revitalization
Historic building preservation entails restoring, revitalization,
and re- purposing historic or neglected buildings in order to save
building materials and utilize existing city infrastructure
100s
Prospective/
part of UDC
p. 87
Smart growth —
miscellaneous
Miscellaneous policies and programs that could encourage
smart growth in Dubuque, including mixed use development,
density bonuses, and brownfield development
100s
Prospective/
part of UDC
p. 88
24
Policy Summary Tables - Miscellaneous (page 1 of 1)
See page 89 for full discussion. See Appendix E for discussion of estimated impact ranges.
Strategy
Description
Estimated
Impact
(mt CO2e)
Status
Urban forestry
Tree planting can reduce GHGs by sequestering carbon in soil and plant
biomass and also by shading buildings during the warm summer
months and acting as a windbreak during the winter.
*100s
Active/
ongoing
p. 90
Local food
Food and dietary choices can significantly impact GHG emissions,
which can be reduced through various policies such as CSAs, farmers
markets, community gardens, and local foods
*1,000s
Some active/
some
prospective
p. 91
Community based
initiatives
Many community organizations and collaboratives are creating an array
of programs designed to engage and educate the community regarding
sustainable lifestyles, including reducing GHG emissions
22,296
Some active/
some
prospective
p. 93
Refrigerants
HCFC refrigerants are synthetic chemicals used for refrigeration. Many
HCFCs hake extraordinarily high global warming potential and can be
reduced through voluntary adoption of alternative refrigerants as well as
scheduled national /global phaseouts that will reduce GHG emissions in
Dubuque
11,148
Active/
ongoing
p. 94
Cool roofs /cool
pavement
White roofs can mitigate climate warming by reducing the amount of
solar radiation absorbed by the earths surface; they can also save
energy by decreasing building temperatures and thus cooling and
refrigeration costs during the summer months.
*100s
Prospective
p. 95
Air quality measures
Air quality and GHG emissions go hand in hand, and several
opportunities exist to improve air quality that have not been discussed
elsewhere in this report.
*not estimated
Prospective
p. 96
*All or part of reduction is Scope 3, and is not counted in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
25
Section III - Policy Descriptions
Policy Descriptions:
I. Waste Reduction & Resource Management
Introduction:
The Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA) operates the Dubuque
Metropolitan Landfill, which manages solid waste for Dubuque and some surrounding areas. The
DMASWA landfill accounts for 5% of Dubuque's Scope 1 GHG emissions (Table 1). It also relates to
much of Dubuque's Scope 3 emissions, which are not included in the inventory but nonetheless
represent real emissions with a significant climate impact.
Scope 1 emissions at the landfill come from organic materials such as food and yard
waste. When organics are landfilled, they undergo anaerobic (i.e. oxygen free) decomposition, which
produces methane gas as a byproduct. Methane is a potent GHG with over 21 -times the global
warming potential of CO2. Landfill methane can be captured and burned for energy, which reduces its
direct climate impact and generates electricity that replaces fossil fuel sources. Alternatively, diverting
organic materials from the landfill for composting or other beneficial use can prevent these methane
emissions from occurring in the first place.
Scope 3 emissions at the landfill are related to consumption and discards. Every piece of
material entering the landfill represents some amount of embodied emissions, which are the GHG
emissions produced during the creation and transport of a product. By discarding less and
reusing /recycling more, these embodied emissions can be minimized. Embodied emissions comprise
the landfill's Scope 3 emissions, which are not accounted for in the GHG inventory or the GHG
reduction goal, but nonetheless represent real emissions and important reduction opportunities.
This section will describe strategies by which Dubuque can reduce the embodied and methane
emissions associated with solid waste (Table 3).
Table 3. Waste related GHG reduction strategies and their potential impact in Dubuque, IA.
Strategy Estimated GHG reduction
(mt CO2e per year by 2030)
DMASWA — methane capture and flaring
50,000
p. 27
Waste diversion & minimization
*10,000s
p. 28
Waste diversion —food scraps
5,000 — 10,000
p. 29
Waste diversion — recycling and pay -as- you -throw
*100,000+
p. 31
Waste diversion — deconstruction
*10,000s
p. 32
Waste diversion — plastic bag phaseout
*3,400
p. 33
Waste diversion —zero waste event guidance
*10s
p. 34
Total potential impact (scopes 1 and 2)
% total reduction goal (520,000 mt of reductions by 2030)
55,000 — 60,000+
11.1%
*All or part of reduction is Scope 3 and is not counted in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030
goal
27
DMASWA — Methane Capture and Flaring
1) Sector: Waste reduction and resource
management
2) Policy name: DMASWA methane capture
and flaring
3) Policy type: Municipal/County
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; City of
Dubuque; Dubuque County; rate payers
5) Current status: Active since 2010
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 50,000 mt CO2e
annually (currently closed cells)
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: In 2010 the
Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency
(DMASWA) completed installation of a landfill
gas collection system and began flaring the
captured methane. The landfill gas collection
system is estimated to capture about 75% of
emissions from the capped landfill cells. The
flaring process burns methane gas to convert it to
water and CO2, thus reducing its climate impact
by approximately 21- times.
9) Barriers to implementation: None (action
already implemented); future expansion to
currently active cells would entail administrative,
technical, and financial challenges similar to
those encountered in initial capping.
10) Co- benefits: Facilitates methane- gas-to-
energy (see section: DMASWA - Methane gas to
energy)
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
50,000 mt CO2e per year from methane flaring at
landfill. Data from Cornerstone (2008).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: High
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
28
estimate: Capture efficiency of collection
system; time at which cells are capped/flared;
amount of organic waste entering currently active
landfill cells.
Waste Diversion & Minimization
1) Sector: Waste reduction and resource
management
2) Policy name: Waste diversion and
minimization.
3) Policy type: Municipal/County; community
policy
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; City of
Dubuque; Dubuque County; landfill customers.
5) Current status: Planning and early
implementation. Feasibility study completed in
2009. Many actions already underway.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: **10,000s of mt
CO2e annually.
**All or part of reduction is Scope 3, which is not counted
in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Primarily
Scope 3 (embodied energy); some Scope 1
(landfill methane)
8) Specific description of policy: Recycling
more and wasting less is one of the fastest,
cheapest, and most effective strategies available
to local governments to reduce both embodied
and local GHG emissions. Large
commercial/industrial customers in particular
represent significant opportunities for diversion,
recycling, and other means of discard reduction.
In 2009, DMASWA contracted Huls
Environmental Management to develop a plan to
divert 50% of the approximately 100,000
tons /year buried at the landfill. Huls produced an
implementation strategy for reaching the 50%
goal within five years (Huls 2009).
The implementation strategy outlined the
potential for sustained revenue from
recovery /reuse of high value discards. For
instance, high value goods such as construction
debris can be collected and marketed in a
29
"resource recovery park." Organic waste can be
converted to high -grade compost and sold at a
premium rate to retail and commercial markets.
Progress to -date on such initiatives is further
discussed in later sections of this report.
9) Barriers to implementation. Infrastructure
and administration of new programs; up front
costs; permitting from State and Federal
agencies; design of programs (e.g. focus on
source diversion, sink diversion, or both);
establishing markets for diverted high value
products.
10) Co- benefits: The full set of
recommendations from the Huls (2009) study
could be fully implemented for an estimated $8.8
million and yield annual costs savings and
revenue of nearly $3 million. Additional benefits
include minimizing landfill expansion needs,
lowering costs of landfill operation, and lowering
the amount of hazardous material entering the
landfill.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
The annual waste stream entering DMASWA
landfill is approximately 100,000 tons (90,744
mt per year). If 2.87 mt CO2e is prevented per
mt of waste recycled or otherwise usefully
diverted from the landfill (EPA 2010a), then 50%
additional diversion could yield over 100,000 mt
CO2e in annual reductions. However, much of
this reduction is from embodied energy (Scope
3), which is not counted in Dubuque's GHG
inventory or toward the 50% by 2030 goal.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Degree of implementation by
DMASWA and partners; behavioral response by
customers and consumers; specific local
emissions factor for diverted waste (assumed
here to be 2.87 mt CO2e per mt waste - EPA
2010a).
Waste Diversion - Food Scraps
1) Sector: Waste reduction and resource
management
2) Policy name: Waste diversion - food scraps
3) Policy type: Municipal/county; community
policy
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; City of
Dubuque; Dubuque County; rate payers; area
businesses, particularly grocers and food service
5) Current status: Ongoing. Dubuque's "Green
Cart" curbside food scrap collection program is
available to all 20,000 DMASWA customers.
However, the landfill is currently limited to
processing 2 tons of compost per week by Iowa
regulations. Expansion of this capacity is
pending changes in Iowa regulations regarding
handling and processing of food waste.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 5,000- 10,000 mt
CO2e annually from two alternatives:
WRRC (50% food scrap diversion to WRRC
methane - gas-to- energy facility): 7,442 mt
CO2e annually
Composting (50% food waste diversion to
composting facility): 9,303 mt CO2e annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Food scrap
diversion will likely take one of two forms:
(a) Composting, where food scraps are
composted on site at the landfill. Composting
prevents methane emissions and yields high
quality compost for sale to horticultural and
commercial/retail landscaping markets.
(b) Concentration and methane capture, where
food scraps are concentrated in a single area and
allowed to undergo anaerobic decomposition.
The resulting methane emissions can be captured
and burned to create energy and eliminate the
methane's climate impact.
Regarding Option (a), the Huls (2009) report (see
30
section: Waste Diversion & Minimization)
discussed various strategies to phase -in an
organics recovery system that could collect up to
30,000 tons per year of organics. These could be
turned into valuable high -grade compost at an
on -site composting facility or off -site through a
contracted private hauler. Some of this compost
could be made available free of charge to
community or school gardens (see section: Local
Food).
Regarding Option (b), organic waste could be
integrated into the Water & Resource Recovery
Center's (WRRC) anaerobic digesters, thereby
boosting the methane and energy output of the
WRRC. Food scraps either could be hauled to
the digesters in trucks or transported through
sewage pipes after being pulverized with sink
disposals (see section: WRRC - methane gas to
energy).
Likely pathways to expand food scrap collection
include contracts with major food vendors (e.g.
restaurants, food processors, cafeterias), which
are likely to provide the biggest "bang for the
buck" in terms of food scrap collection. Also,
Dubuque's curbside Green Cart program could be
expanded, and citizens could be encouraged to
dispose of food waste through sink disposals (for
processing into methane at WRRC), if
applicable.
9) Barriers to implementation. Infrastructure
and administration; State of Iowa regulations on
hazardous materials status of food scraps
(landfill is currently limited to 2 tons per week to
process into compost); State and Federal
permitting for expansion of composting capacity;
establishing markets for compost; personal
participation in programs, use of sink disposals,
etc.
10) Co- benefits: Value of compost; value of
electricity (methane capture); reduced landfill
inputs and costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
(a) WRRCwith methane capture: Calculations
assume that 11,415 tons of food scraps are
collected per year in Dubuque (IA DNR 2005),
50% of which are assumed diverted to the
WRRC. For emission factors, we assume that
each ton of food scraps landfilled generates 1.43
mt CO2e and each ton diverted to a methane -gas-
to- energy facility generates only 0.33 mt CO2e
(EPA 2010a). This yields 6,278 mt from
methane emission prevention.
In terms of electricity generation, we assume 250
kWh per ton of food waste (EPA 2008).
Assuming projected 2030 grid emission factors
(Appendix A), food scrap methane at WRRC will
offset 1,163 mt CO2e of grid electricity emissions
(waste heat not counted).
Combining the electricity and methane offsets
yields a total reduction of 7,442 mt CO2e per
year by 2030. We assign this option a range of
5,000- 10,000 mt.
(b) Food scrap composting: Calculations
assume 11,415 tons of food scraps collected in
Dubuque each year, 50% of which is diverted to
composting. For emission factors, we assume
that each ton of food scraps landfilled generates
1.43 mt CO2e, while each ton diverted to
composting generates -0.2 mt CO2e due to
carbon sequestration (EPA 2010a). This yields a
reduction of 9,303 mt CO2e per year. We assign
this option arange of 5,000- 10,000 mt.
Therefore, both the composting and methane -to-
energy options for food scraps fall in the 5,000-
10,000 mt impact range.
Notably, food scraps diverted to composting or
the WRRC would not reduce useful methane
emissions at the landfill (i.e. the methane used
for landfill- gas-to- energy). This is because
methane is not captured from active landfill cells.
Those cells will be capped eventually, but
probably not until the 2020s (DMASWA,
personal communication). Therefore, all
diversion represents a net reduction in emissions.
31
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Degree of implementation by
DMASWA and partners; behavioral response by
residents.
Waste Diversion - Recycling & Pay -As- You -Throw
1) Sector: Waste reduction and resource
management
2) Policy name: Waste diversion - recycling &
pay -as- you -throw (PAYT)
3) Policy type: Community Policy
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; City of
Dubuque; Dubuque County; landfill customers.
5) Current status: Ongoing.
6) Estimated GHG reduction:
Recycling: **100,000+ mt CO2e annually
Pay -as -you- throw: **1,000s of mt CO2e
annually.
**All or part of reduction is Scope 3, which is not counted
in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Primarily
Scope 3 (embodied emissions); some Scope 1
(landfill methane)
8) Specific description of policies:
(a) Recycling: Dubuque was the first major city
in Iowa to implement curbside recycling.
Dubuque's award winning recycling program
diverts —40% of landfill waste (compared to
1994 base year - Huls 2009), equivalent to
approximately 60,000 mt of waste annually.
(b) Pay-as-you-throw: In 2002, Dubuque
implemented a volume -based collection fees
system, commonly referred to as the "Pay As You
Throw" (PAYT) system. Since then, Dubuque's
refuse tonnage sent to the landfill has decreased
by 28 percent, while the city's recycling
collection tonnage has increased by 37 percent.
The City of Dubuque estimates annual reductions
of 2,722 mt waste per year due to PAYT.
Both PAYT and recycling are ongoing in
Dubuque. Expansion is possible, however,
particularly for large business customers.
9) Barriers to implementation: Changing
32
market prices for recycled products; education;
policy design
10) Co- benefits: Reduced landfill space
demands and costs; community engagement /eco-
literacy; local jobs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Because these two programs are complementary
(i.e. each facilitates the other), there is significant
overlap in their impacts. However, a baseline
estimate of each can be calculated.
Assuming 2.87 mt CO2e prevented per mt waste
diverted rather than landfilled (EPA 2010a) and
54,446 and 2,722 mt of waste diverted from the
landfill by recycling and pay -as-you- throw,
respectively (Huls 2009; City of Dubuque),
recycling reduces GHG emissions by
approximately 174,000 mt CO2e per year and
pay -as-you -throw prevents 7,887 mt CO2e of
emissions. This puts recycling in the 100,000+
mt CO2e range and pay -as-you -throw in the
1,000s of mt CO2e range.
Many of those emissions are Scope 3 and
resulted from programs implemented prior to the
2003 base year, however. So strictly speaking
they do not count toward the 50% by 2030 goal
but are nonetheless significant achievements.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Calculations were made using a single
emission factor (2.87 mt CO2e per mt waste
recycled rather than landfilled - EPA 2010a),
which may not perfectly apply to Dubuque's
landfill. Also, given the overlap in the programs,
GHG emissions cannot be attributed solely to
one program or the other. Also, other factors
besides the existence of recycling and pay -as-
you -throw contribute to reduced landfill inputs.
Nonetheless, these estimates provide a basic
approximation of the impact of two major waste
diversion and reduction programs in Dubuque.
Waste Diversion - Deconstruction
1) Sector: Waste reduction and resource
management
2) Policy name: Waste diversion -
deconstruction
3) Policy type: Community policy
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; City of
Dubuque; Dubuque County; rate payers; area
businesses; construction firms
5) Current status: Ongoing (since 2003). In
2009, the City removed the demolition option
altogether, increased the diversion mandate to
85 %, and added a requirement that contractors
must provide third -party verification that the
minimum salvage standards have been met (SCN
2011).
6) Estimated GHG reduction: **10,000s of mt
CO2e annually
**All or part of reduction is Scope 3, which is not counted
in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Primarily
Scope 3 (embodied emissions); some Scope 1
(landfill methane)
8) Specific description of policy: Dubuque has
worked to reduce unnecessary waste from
deconstruction projects, maximize the amount of
material salvaged /reused, and minimize the
amount demolished/landfilled.
In the early stages ofthe Bee Branch project, the
City asked for separate deconstruction and
demolition bids so comparisons could be made.
They found that contractors made money at
deconstruction, so deconstruction has since
become standard practice in Dubuque.
98 construction and demolition projects were
administered between 2003 and 2012, with 20
commercial building and 78 housing projects,
generating 175,634 mt of waste. More than 94%
of that waste was diverted, saving a total of $5.9
million in landfill fees (SCN 2011a).
33
9) Barriers to implementation: Educating
developers about best practices; monitoring and
verification.
10) Co- benefits: Lower bids and costs for
deconstruction/demolition projects; lower landfill
inputs /management costs; local jobs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Taking the average of the past nine years
(175,634 mt waste total) gives 19,515 mt waste
diverted per year. Assuming 2.87 mt CO2e
prevented per mt of waste diverted (EPA 2010a),
deconstruction in Dubuque has prevented up to
52,647 mt CO2e per year, putting deconstruction
well within the 10,000s of mt range.
Many of these reductions are Scope 3, which do
not count toward the 50% by 2030 goal.
However, Scope 1 emissions also are reduced by
minimizing future methane emissions from
landfilled construction/demolition debris.
Notably, deconstruction/diversion will not reduce
useful methane emissions at the landfill (i.e. the
methane used for landfill- gas-to- energy). This is
because methane is not captured from active
landfill cells. Those cells will be capped
eventually, but not until the 2020s (DMASWA
personal communication). Therefore, all
construction diversion represents a net reduction
in emissions.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Degree of implementation by
DMASWA and partners; behavioral response to
programs; overlap between deconstruction
reduction and recycling reduction (see section:
Waste reduction - recycling and pay- as -you-
throw); also, some portion ofthe 94% diverted
may be landfilled downstream after initial
recovery.
Waste Diversion - Plastic Bag Phase -out
1) Sector: Waste reduction and resource
management
2) Policy name: Waste diversion - plastic bag
phaseout
3) Policy type: Community policy
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; City of
Dubuque; Dubuque County; area retailers and
customers
5) Current status: Ongoing. Goal of 90%
reduction by 2017 (see below)
6) Estimated GHG reduction: * *3,400 mt
CO2e annually
**All or part of reduction is Scope 3, which is not counted
in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Primarily
Scope 3 (embodied emissions); some Scope 1
(landfill methane)
8) Specific description of policy: In July 2011,
the Dubuque City Council approved an initiative
to reduce plastic shopping bag use by 90% by
mid 2017 without a new city ordinance or
outright ban.
The plan was developed in consultation with area
grocers and retailers and will take place in
several phases:
July 2012: 25% reduction in chain grocers and
retailers with >40,000 square feet of floor space
July 2013: 50% reduction in chain grocers and
retailers with >40,000 square feet of floor space;
25% reduction in middle -sized businesses
(15,000- 39,999 square ft)
July 2014: 75% reduction in chain grocers and
retailers with >40,000 square feet of floor space;
50% reduction in middle -sized businesses
(15,000- 39,999 square ft); 25% reduction in
34
small businesses ( <15,000 square feet).
July 2015: 75% reduction in businesses >15,000
square feet of floor space; 50% reduction in
businesses <15,000 square feet
July 2016: 75% reduction at all Dubuque
retailers; will assess likelihood of 90% target by
2017 at this time and take action accordingly
July 2017: 90% reduction at all Dubuque
retailers.
9) Barriers to implementation: Education and
participation by Dubuque residents and retailers.
10) Co- benefits: Litter reduction. Reduced
operating costs for local businesses.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Assuming that each of Dubuque's 22,560
households average 2.3 trips to the grocery store
per week, use 7 bags per trip, and each bag
embodies 0.0002 mt CO2e (32.5 g per bag; 6 g
CO2e per g plastic - source: Time for Change
2011), a 90% decrease in bag use in Dubuque
would decrease CO2e by approximately 3,400 mt
CO2e per year.
These embodied emissions are Scope 3 and
therefore not counted in Dubuque's GHG
inventory or toward the 50% by 2030 goal.
Nonetheless, the reductions are significant and
do contribute to the larger goal of GHG reduction
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: The actual number of bags currently
used in Dubuque. Manufacturing/distribution
costs of permanent cloth/paper replacement bags.
Waste Diversion - Zero Waste Event Guidance
1) Sector: Waste reduction and resource
management
2) Policy name: Waste diversion - zero waste
event guidance
3) Policy type: Municipal/County; community
policy
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; Dubuque
residents, visitors, and event planners
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: **10s of mt
CO2e annually.
**All or part of reduction is Scope 3, which is not counted
in GHG inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(landfill methane); Scope 3 (embodied
emissions)
8) Specific description of policy: DMASWA's
zero waste event planning program provides
events with "event recycling units" with separate
containers for trash, compostable materials, and
recycling for easy separation and pickup.
9) Barriers to implementation: Advertising to
event organizers; education of event patrons
regarding importance of separating discards;
staffing events to prevent cross contamination of
recycling batches.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced litter. Increased
diversion rates and lower landfilling/landfill
management costs. Eco- literacy and community
engagement. Easier event cleanup.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: As
a rough estimate, we assume a modest diversion
rate of 20 mt waste per year from major events
and 2.87 mt CO2e per mt waste (EPA 2010a),
which yields 57 mt CO2e per year. Hence, lOs of
mt CO2e per year is the estimated impact.
Some of these emissions will be Scope 3, though
35
emissions from organic discards will be Scope 1.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Degree of implementation by
DMASWA and partners. Composition of waste
(e.g. organics vs cans and bottles). Fate of
collected discards (e.g. composting food waste vs
landfilling). Emission factor (2.87) provided by
EPA (2010) may not apply perfectly to these
wastes. However, the range (10 -100 mt) should
be reliable.
Policy Descriptions:
IL Local Energy & Renewabtes
Introduction
Dubuque produced 877,373 mt CO2e in 2011 (72% of total - -Table 1) due to electricity and
natural gas consumption. This grid and natural gas derived energy can be replaced by renewables, such
as wind, solar, geothermal, and even hydroelectricity. In total, it is estimated that Dubuque has the
capacity to displace at least 45% of its electricity /heating needs with local renewables by 2030.
This section describes several renewable energy related strategies by which Dubuque can
reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (Table 4).
Table 4. Energy related GHG reduction strategies and their potential impact in Dubuque, I_A.
Strategy Estimated GHG reduction
(mt CO2e per year by 2030)
Local energy- infrastructure
Wood waste CHP
87,000 -134,000
p. 36
Wood waste pyrolysis and energy recovery
44 -4,400
p. 37
DMASWA – methane gas to energy
**61,799 (11,799)
p. 38
WRRC – methane CHP
3,077
p. 39
Local clean energy – solar
9,618 – 28,854
p. 40
Local clean energy – small wind
100s
p. 41
Hydroelectricity at Lock and Dam 11
50,030+
p. 42
Dubuque Generating Station to natural gas
see description
p. 43
District heating – natural gas (Millwork District)
see description
p. 44
Subtotal (scopes 1 and 2 – average of range)
194,337
Local energy– policy***
Renewable energy PPAs
1,000s
p. 45
Distributed energy policies (residential)
100s
p. 46
Distributed energy policies (commercial /public buildings)
1,000s
p. 47
DOE rooftop solar challenge
1,000s
p. 48
Local green financing
-
p. 49
EPA Green Power Community
1,000s
p. 50
Renewable energy property tax exemption
100s
p. 51
Subtotal (scopes 1 and 2 – average of range)
23,100
Total potential impact (Scopes 1 and 2 - average of range)
% total reduction goal (520,000 mt of reductions by 2030)
217,437
- 41.8 %I
**11,799 mt of energy related reductions; 50,000 mt of methane destruction reductions (see section:
DMASWA - methane capture and flaring)
** *Significant (complementary) overlap in these policies, so reduction totals overlap somewhat.
36
Wood Waste CHP
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: Wood waste CHP
3) Policy type: Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; Dubuque
community
5) Current status: Feasibility study completed;
no longer under consideration as of 2012
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 87,000 -
134,000 mt CO2e annually. However, black
carbon emissions should also be considered.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2
8) Specific description of policy: A 2008 study
from the Midwest CHP Application Center at the
University of Illinois — Chicago (Haefke 2008)
studied the availability of wood waste from
forestry residue, mill waste, and clean urban
wood waste within 50 and 100 miles of Dubuque
(Iowa only). This wood waste could be used in a
combined heat and power (CHP) facility that
could generate a significant amount of energy.
CHP facilities are power generators that both
produce electricity and utilize the resulting waste
heat in surrounding buildings.
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front
financial costs; securing sustainable and reliable
sources of biomass; air quality concerns; black
carbon emissions; competition with Cassville
power facility for biomass feedstock.
10) Co- benefits /Costs:
Benefits: Possible reduced energy costs in a
district heating system.
Costs: Air quality could be negatively affected
by a local biomass burning facility. Air quality is
of particular concern in Dubuque (see section:
Air quality measures). Also, indirect CO2
emissions from biomass sources, particularly
forests, should be considered. The GHG
reduction estimates above assume that only wood
37
waste would be utilized in the facility, and that
whole trees would not be used as a supplement or
substitute. With the possible exception of short-
rotation plantations, harvesting whole trees for
biomass energy is not recommended from the
standpoint of GHG emissions (see biogenic in
glossary for explanation of carbon debt) or long
term forest health and productivity.
Because combustion of biomass is a major
potential contributor to black carbon emissions,
proper emissions controls would be necessary to
maximize GHG reductions and ensure healthy air
quality. Sustainable forestry practices should
also be emphasized in the acquisition of wood
waste.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: If
the facility pays $40 per dry ton wood, available
wood waste could power up to a 27.6 MW
facility. At $70 per dry ton, available wood
waste could power up to a 43 MW facility
(Haefke 2008). Our estimate assumed a facility
equipped to utilize 50% of currently available
wood waste from Iowa only using our projected
2030 grid emission factor (Appendix A). This
yields reductions of 87,405 mt CO2e annually at
$40 /ton wood; 134,054 mt at $70 /ton wood (as of
2008).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Price of wood and alternatives (e.g.
natural gas); size of system; sources of biomass
and reliability /abundance of supplies; black
carbon emissions and emission controls (when
size of system is established, however, reductions
should be easy to calculate)
Wood Waste Pyrolysis and Energy Recovery
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: Wood waste pyrolysis and
energy recovery
3) Policy type: Municipal; Private Business
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque
5) Current status: Prospective; not under
consideration
6) Estimated GHG reduction: *44 -4,400 mt
CO2e annually (most likely scale), plus
significant carbon sequestration (see explanation)
Reduction per mt of wood waste: 1.18 mt
CO2e annually (this breaks down to: 0.51
mt CO2e from bio -oil; 0.66 mt sequestered
in biochar; 0.01 mt CO2e offset by waste
heat)
*sequestration related emissions not counted in GHG
inventory or toward reduction goal.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2 (bio -
oil /waste heat);
8) Specific description of policy: Biochar
provides an alternative use for available wood
waste in the Dubuque area (see section: Wood
Waste CHP). Biochar is created through
pyrolysis, which is the thermal decomposition of
organic matter in an oxygen -free environment.
Pyrolysis produces liquid and gas products
known as syngas and bio -oil, which can be used
to displace fossil fuels. The process also yields a
type of charcoal known as biochar, which can be
a valuable soil amendment.
Biochar sequesters carbon in a highly stable form
that can remain stable for hundreds or thousands
of years. This can make pyrolysis a carbon
negative process, meaning that it takes more
carbon out of the atmosphere than it puts in.
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front costs;
infrastructure and administration; establishing
markets for bio -oil and biochar products.
38
10) Co- benefits: Based on mean estimates from
a study of the value of pyrolysis products
(Coleman et al. 2010), value of bio -oil and
biochar products is approximately $116 per ton
of wood waste. This assumes that bio -oil will be
used as a replacement heating oil, but several
studies suggest that bio -oil is more valuable as a
substitute for petro - chemicals in manufacturing,
particularly for 'natural' or 'green' products (e.g.
plastics, soaps, cleaning products).
Air quality concerns are not a major issue with
biochar, because the pyrolysis reaction is almost
fully contained.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
We assume that 1 mt of wood waste will produce
120 gallons of bio -oil, 0.25 mt of biochar, and
0.167 MMBTUs waste heat (Coleman et al.
2010) and that each gallon of bio -oil produces
80,000 BTUs. If bio -oil and waste heat offset
natural gas (emission factor 0.05306 mt
CO2e /MMBTU), they will offset 0.52 mt CO2e
per mt wood. The 0.25 mt of biochar will offset
0.66 mt CO2e (sequestration factor of 2.93 mt
CO2e per mt biochar). In total, this yields 1.18
mt CO2e reduction per dry mt wood waste, 44%
of which is scope 1 via bio -oil and waste heat.
The most likely scale is probably more on the
order of 100 - 10,000 mt CO2e annually, which
represents approximately 0.1 -10% of available
wood waste (Haefke 2008). For scope 1
emission reductions only, 44% of 100 - 10,000 is
44 -4,400 mt.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Per mt estimates of GHG reductions
should be relatively accurate; scale of facility is
the major uncertainty. Also, hauling, sustainable
forestry, and other life cycle costs and emissions
should be considered.
DMASWA - Methane Gas to Energy
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: DMASWA methane gas to
energy
3) Policy type: Municipal/County
4) Affected entities: DMASWA; City of
Dubuque; Dubuque County; landfill clients and
customers.
5) Current status: Early planning
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 61,799 mt CO2e
annually (11,799 mt from electricity /waste heat
in addition to 50,000 mt from captured methane- -
see section: Methane capture and flaring at
DMASWA). Future expansions at currently
active /uncapped cells could expand this capacity
in the future.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(methane combustion); Scope 2 (electricity /heat
generation)
8) Specific description of policy: In 2007,
Dubuque commissioned a study from
Cornerstone Environmental Group, LLC, which
identified the potential for a 2 MW Combined
Heat and Power (CHP) landfill- gas-to- energy
facility (Cornerstone 2008). This facility would
capture methane and burn it to create energy
equivalent to powering over 1,000 homes. CHP
facilities produce electricity and also utilize
resulting waste heat in surrounding buildings.
9) Barriers to implementation: Finding
buyer(s) for electricity /heat; up front costs;
transmission of heat /energy; permitting and
siting of facility.
10) Co- benefits: Based on estimates from
Cornerstone (2008), the landfill- gas-to- energy
project could yield a high rate of return, with a
net present value of approximately $1,909,431.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
39
50,000 mt CO2e per year from methane flaring
plus 11,799 mt from electricity and waste heat
from 2 MW landfill- gas-to- energy facility
(Cornerstone 2008) using projected 2030
emission factors (Appendix A).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: High
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Capture efficiency of collection
system; capacity of CHP facility.
WRRC - Methane CHP
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: WRRC - Methane CHP
3) Policy type: Fiscal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Under construction
(completion 2014)
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 2,367 mt CO2e
annually at a 250 kW facility; 3,787 mt CO2e
annually at a 400 kW facility (in addition to 928
mt from facility conversion to anaerobic
digestion - -see section: WRRC- Anaerobic
Digestion).
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1 (fuel
oil and natural gas heating) ; Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Anaerobic
digestion at the WRRC will produce methane, an
odorless GHG that can be captured and burned
for energy. If methane from the WRRC were
utilized in a co- generation system, that system
could meet the WRRC's heat and power
requirements and reduce the facility's GHG
emissions
Methane from wastewater treatment could be
supplemented with methane from food - scraps,
which either could be transported to the WRRC
by haulers or sent down sink disposals with other
kitchen wastewater (see section: Waste Diversion
- Food Scraps).
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front cost;
design and construction
10) Co- benefits: With the continued rise in fuel
and energy costs, these upgrades to the WRRC
could significantly reduce annual operating costs
by up to $750,000 per year (Strand 2008). Also,
the lack of incineration will improve local air
quality both directly and by reducing demand for
40
fossil fuel intensive energy from the electric grid.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Estimates from Strand Consultants report (Strand
2008) were used with projected 2030 grid
emission factor (Appendix A). We assumed a
250 -400 kW generation capacity. Estimate
includes both electricity and waste heat.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: High
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: No major uncertainties, but reduction
depends on facility demand by community,
efficiency of facility, size of facility, and
utilization of waste heat.
Local Clean Energy — Solar
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: Local clean energy - solar
3) Policy type: Municipal; Private Business;
Utility; State /Federal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; utility
companies; local businesses; individuals
5) Current status: There are several installed
and planned solar energy projects, including a
200 kW installation on the City of Dubuque
Municipal Services Center. There are two locally
owned and operated solar energy companies in
Dubuque as of 2012.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 9,618- 28,854
mt CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The current
economics and incentives surrounding solar PV
create rapid returns on investment for business
and commercial customers. Also, solar panels
generate the most electricity in the middle of the
day, when electricity demand typically is greatest
and energy from the grid is most expensive to
purchase. Also, solar systems are modular and
can be expanded over time.
There are many opportunities for solar energy in
Dubuque. One current project is a 200 kW
facility installed on the Dubuque Municipal
Services Center (the 3`d largest solar installation
in Iowa as of 2011). The project is set up as a
lease agreement, where the City owns the
property and has agreed to pay 11 cents per kWh
to Eagle Point Solar, who maintains the
equipment and is responsible for lease payments
to the bank that financed the equipment. Eagle
Point Solar can utilize state and federal
renewable energy incentives because it is a tax-
paying entity. In total, grants and incentives have
41
reduced capital costs for the project from an
initial $1 million to $350,000 (SCN 2011b).
Financing and cost offsets like this are typical for
commercial scale solar systems.
9) Barriers to implementation: Iowa utility
monopoly rights and regulations; securing
renewable energy grants /incentives; siting;
securing financial backing.
10) Co- benefits: As grid electricity rates
continue to rise, businesses that utilize
PPAs /lease agreements will enjoy stable long
term energy costs because energy generated is
often sold at a flat, contracted rate. Other
benefits include local jobs and economic growth,
improved air quality, and reduced grid demand at
peak loading times, when prices can be highest
and less efficient power facilities are brought into
operation. Reduced peak loads also can lower
costs for utilities, allowing them keep rates low.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Eagle Point Solar, Blue Sky Solar, and Solar
Planet (all of Dubuque) project the installation of
750 kW /year of solar PV for commercial sites
and 50 kW /year at residential sites in Dubuque.
We also project the installation of an average of 5
solar hot water systems per year between 2010
and 2030. At projected 2030 emission factors
(Appendix A) this will reduce 19,236 mt CO2e
per year, with over 19,000 mt of this coming
from solar PV. We assume a large margin of
uncertainty (50 %), yielding a range of 9,618-
28,854 mt CO2e per year.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: GHG reduction per kW solar capacity
is well known. However, future incentives for
solar, future grid rates, and declines in the price
of solar PV create uncertainty in future
projections. Ultimate scale of solar installations
by 2030 will vary significantly depending on
these factors.
Local Clean Energy — Small Wind
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: Local clean energy - small
wind
3) Policy type: Municipal; Private Business;
Utility; State /Federal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; utility
companies; local businesses; individuals
5) Current status: Prospective
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Small wind
refers to wind turbines scaled for on site
generation at homes, businesses, and public
facilities. Most are on the scale of 10 kW or less
(1 kW yields 720 kWh per month, which is
comparable to electricity demand of a small
home). Average energy costs of individual
turbine models over 20 years range from $0.13-
0.38 per kWh (not counting rebates and
subsidies, which can significantly reduce costs
and improve ROI) (AWEA 2011).
According to the American Wind Energy
Association, in 2010 alone the U.S. added 26%
to its small wind capacity to reach 179 MW and
144,000 turbines nationally, and growth
continues to accelerate (AWEA 2011). Smaller
roof -top "urban turbines" grew faster than any
other sector, with a 430% increase in sales from
2009 to 2010. In Iowa, over 100 small wind
turbines were installed in 2010 alone, and this
state is among the national leaders in small wind.
Tax credits and utility rebates are available for
funding.
9) Barriers to implementation: Iowa utility
grid connection rates and policies; securing
42
renewable energy grants /incentives; siting; up
front costs; local permitting.
10) Co- benefits: Stable electric rates for those
installing turbines; local jobs and economic
growth; improved air quality; reduced grid
demand at peak loading times, when prices can
be highest and less efficient power facilities are
brought into operation.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
We project the installation of an average of 40
kW of micro -wind systems per year between
2010 and 2030. At projected 2030 emission
factors (Appendix A) this will reduce 792 mt
CO2e per year, putting small wind in the 100s of
mt impact range.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: GHG reduction per kW of wind
turbines is well known. However, future
incentives, future grid rates, and rate of decline
in the price of wind systems and their
alternatives (e.g. solar PV) create uncertainty in
future projections. Ultimate scale of installations
by 2030 will vary significantly depending on
these factors.
Hydroelectricity at Lock and Dam 11
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: Hydroelectricity at Lock and
Dam 11
3) Policy type: Utility; Municipal; Community
Policy; Businesses
4) Affected entities: Individual residents and
business owners; utility companies
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 50,030 mt CO2e
annually (5,000 mt CO2e per MW)
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2
8) Specific description of policy: Proposed
hydroelectricity projects at Lock and Dam 11 are
mostly low impact hydro facilities that utilize
existing infrastructure while adding generating
turbines. Facilities ranging in size from 10 -27
MW have been proposed. Other Lock and Dam
facilities along the Mississippi have successfully
implemented hydroelectricity generation and
Lock and Dam 11 also appears to be a suitable
site. Flow and water levels would have to be
maintained per U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
regulations (HG Energy, personal
communication).
9) Barriers to implementation: Dubuque
currently does not hold the permit for
hydroelectricity development, and the current
permit holder shows no immediate signs of
developing the Dubuque hydro site. Even if the
project could be administered as a PPA, local
entities would be unlikely to demand such a large
amount of renewable energy in the near term. A
large business or coalition of businesses
demanding large amounts of energy could
facilitate such a project but would have to be
established/administered.
Another potential avenue is for Alliant Energy or
another regional energy company to develop the
site and add it to their capacity. However, for
43
this to happen the project would have to prove
cost competitive with their current pricing and
energy sources. An expanded renewable energy
portfolio standard in Iowa and/or the state joining
the REC (renewable energy credit) market could
motivate this.
10) Co- benefits: Air quality; local jobs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
According to HG energy, a 10 MW hydroelectric
facility is feasible at Dubuque Lock and Dam 11,
which would produce 61,362 MWh/year (HG
Energy 2011). Under projected 2030 emission
factors (Appendix A), this would reduce
Dubuque's GHG emissions by approximately
50,030 mt CO2e per year.
Other energy developers have estimated higher
capacity at the Lock and Dam. For instance, the
current preliminary permit holder (Western
Minnesota Municipal Power Agency — through
2014) proposed a 27 MW project, while another
2011 applicant proposed an 18 MW project
(FERC 2011). Respectively, these would yield
140,000 and 93,400 mt CO2e annual reduction.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Ultimate size of project. However,
given a project of a particular size, the GHG
reduction can be calculated easily (5,000 mt
CO2e per MW).
Dubuque Generating Station to Natural Gas
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: Dubuque Generating Stat
Natural Gas
natural gas is 50% that of coal (36.7% lower than
estimated 2030 grid emissions factors from
on to Appendix A; DOE 2010), and that the plant runs
at 50% capacity, the total reduction is estimated
at 78,460 mt CO2e per year, though it could be
up to twice that at full capacity.
3) Policy type: Utility
4) Affected entities: Utility
5) Current status: Not under consideration
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 78,460 mtCO2e
annually by 2030 (but see explanation in item 11,
below)).
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2
8) Specific description of policy: It is feasible
that Alliant Energy's Dubuque Generating station
coal plant could eventually be converted to
burning natural gas after its scheduled shutdown
in 2014. Natural gas prices have declined in
recent years (DOE 2011e) and natural gas based
generation is replacing coal in many parts of the
country (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2012).
Also, energy generated from natural gas typically
has a lower GHG intensity than energy generated
from coal, so if natural gas replaces coal it can
reduce the carbon intensity of electricity.
At this time there is no indication that Alliant
Energy is considering a plant conversion.
However, it is technically possible and, given the
continued favorable prices of natural gas, was
included in this report as an information item.
9) Barriers to implementation: Technical; cost
of conversion; efficiency /inefficiency of older
plant infrastructure.
10) Co- benefits: Air quality; local jobs
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
The Dubuque Generating Station had a
nameplate capacity of 81.2 MW as a coal plant.
We assume a similar capacity for a natural gas
fired plant. Assuming that the carbon intensity of
44
Most of this energy probably would be used
locally in Dubuque, but not all of it. So the
precise impact of such a facility on Dubuque's
GHG emissions cannot be determined precisely.
Also, uncertainties in the carbon intensity of non -
conventional natural gas should be considered.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: There are currently no plans to
repower the plant with natural gas, so the scale of
the project is speculative and based solely on
historic capacity at the plant. Also, the energy
generated at this plant is unlikely to all be used
locally, so the impact on Dubuque's GHG
emissions is difficult to estimate.
District Heating - Natural Gas (Millwork District)
1) Sector: Local energy - infrastructure
2) Policy name: District Heating - Natural Gas
(Millwork District)
3) Policy type: Utility
4) Affected entities: Utility
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration; prospective.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 119,330
mtCO2e annually by 2030 (but see explanation)
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: While a wood
waste CHP facility is not likely to be pursued, a
natural gas based district heating system could
still potentially be pursued. Natural gas prices
have declined in recent years (DOE 2011e) and
natural gas based generation is replacing coal in
many parts of the country (Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel 2012). Also, energy generated from
natural gas typically has a lower GHG intensity
than energy generated from coal, so if natural gas
replaces coal it can reduce the carbon intensity of
electricity.
At this time a natural gas CHP system in the
Millwork District (or elsewhere in Dubuque) is
not under consideration. However, it is
technically feasible and, given the continued
favorable prices of natural gas, was included in
this report as an information item.
9) Barriers to implementation: Initial cost;
technical barriers; infrastructure challenges
10) Co- benefits: Energy costs; air quality
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Heafke and Associates (2008) assessed a 43 MW
wood waste CHP facility, so these estimates
assume a similar generating capacity. Assuming
45
that the carbon intensity of natural gas is 50%
that of coal (36.7% better than estimated 2030
grid emissions factors from Appendix A; DOE
2010), and that the plant runs at full capacity, the
total electricity - related reduction is estimated at
81,888 mt CO2e per year.
Additional emissions reductions can be derived
from waste heat from the CHP facility. As a
rough estimate of this reduction, we assumed
captured waste heat would increase system
efficiency by 25 %, which would yield 37,441 mt
CO2e per year by offsetting natural gas heating.
In total, heat and power could reduce GHG
emissions by approximately 119,330 mt CO2e
per year.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Size of system; efficiency of
generators; efficiency of heat capture.
Assumption that electricity is used locally rather
than sold into grid.
Renewable Energy PPAs
1) Sector: Local energy - policy
2) Policy name: Renewable energy PPAs
3) Policy type: Municipal; Private Business;
Utility; State /Federal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; utility
companies; local businesses; individuals
5) Current status: Some implementation
6) Estimated GHG reduction: fi 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
tMuch of this reduction is already assumed in the section:
Local Clean Energy - Solar, so adding the two directly
would double -count reductions
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Renewable
energy partner purchase agreements (PPAs)
provide a pathway for Dubuque businesses to
install renewable energy without incurring risk or
taking on responsibility for equipment
maintenance. PPAs are set up so that the installer
is also the owner of the generating equipment.
The owner then sells electricity at a fixed
contracted rate to a business or buyer. Financing
for the project is built into the contract between
the two parties along with a maintenance
schedule and insurance.
Solar PV systems are often the object of PPAs
because the current economics and incentives
surrounding solar PV are attractive. Also, solar
panels generate the most electricity in the middle
of the day, when electricity demand is greatest
and energy from the grid is most expensive to
purchase. Also, solar systems are modular and
can be expanded over time.
9) Barriers to implementation: Iowa utility
monopoly rights and regulations; securing
renewable energy grants /incentives; siting;
46
securing financial backing.
10) Co- benefits: As grid electricity rates
continue to rise, businesses that utilize PPAs will
enjoy stable long term energy costs because the
energy generated from the PAA is sold at a flat,
contracted rate. Other benefits include local jobs
and economic growth, improved air quality, and
reduced grid demand at peak loading times,
when prices can be highest and less efficient
power facilities are brought into operation.
Reduced peak loads can lower variable costs for
utilities, allowing them keep rates low.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
PPAs are typically larger commercial scale
projects, so their GHG impacts can be
significant. Assuming an additional 50 -150 kW
of installed capacity per year due to PPAs, and
1,460 kWh per year per kW solar in Dubuque,
this could yield 1,000 to 3,200 mt CO2e annually
by 2030 under assumed 2030 emission factors
(Appendix A). This puts the potential impact of
renewable PPAs in the 1,000s of mt impact
category.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: GHG reduction per kW installed solar
is well known. However, future incentives for
solar, future grid rates, and rate of decline in the
price of solar PV create uncertainty in future
projections. Likely scale of solar installations by
2030 could vary significantly depending on these
factors.
Distributed Energy Policies (residential)
1) Sector: Local energy - policy
2) Policy name: Distributed energy policies
(residential)
3) Policy type: Community policy; Utility;
State /Federal; Individuals
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; utility
companies; local businesses; individuals
5) Current status: Pending.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Distributed
energy refers to energy created at or near the site
of use. For example, homeowners getting a
portion of their energy from rooftop solar panels
instead of getting all electricity from the grid.
Several distributed renewable energy systems are
available to homeowners, including solar PV,
solar thermal water heaters, small wind systems,
and geothermal (see section Ground source heat
pumps).
There are several ways for local governments to
facilitate the expansion of distributed energy in
the community. Options include:
A Adopt recommendations of DOE Rooftop
Solar Challenge program (see section: DOE
Rooftop Solar Challenge)
A Work with local/regional financial
institutions to develop loans, mortgages, and
other financing options that support and
encourage distributed energy. See section:
Local Green Financing section for additional
discussion.
A Adopt City policy or recommendation to
make new homes 'solar ready.' Pilot projects
47
could be conducted in partnership with select
developers /developments, offering incentives
for them to create 'solar neighborhood'
demonstration projects.
A Provide incentives and technical support for
homeowners installing renewable energy
systems, including free technical assistance
and rebates.
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front cost;
siting and retrofitting; education.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced energy demand and
energy costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on recent solar installation trends in
Dubuque, residential installations are anticipated
to be on the order of 50 kW installed per year
between 2010 and 2030. This is equivalent to
nearly 1,190 mt CO2e per year using projected
2030 grid emission factors (Appendix A). We
assume that policies streamlining and
incentivizing residential solar could increase
solar installs by 10 -100% of current anticipated
amounts, which falls near the range of 100s of mt
CO2e per year.
Notably, if small scale renewables become much
less expensive and /or enjoy significant
incentives, maximum impact of residential solar
could be much higher.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: It is simple to calculate the CO2e
offset of an individual system but very difficult
to predict renewable energy market forces,
government incentives, and economic conditions.
Distributed Energy Policies (commercial and public buildings)
1) Sector: Local energy - policy
2) Policy name: Distributed energy policies
(commercial and public buildings)
3) Policy type: Community policy; Utility;
State /Federal; Businesses
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; utility
companies; local businesses
5) Current status: Pending
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Distributed
energy refers to energy created at or near the site
of use. In other words, commercial and
municipal entities can generate their own energy
on site to offset their electric grid demand.
There are several policy options available to
facilitate renewables on commercial and public
buildings:
A Provide incentives such as fee
reduction/waivers, expedited permitting,
grants, awards, and free technical assistance
to developments and buildings that
incorporate renewable energy
A Work with local /regional financial institutions
to develop loans, mortgages, and other
financing options that support and encourage
distributed energy. See section: Local Green
Financing section for additional discussion.
A Adopt policy or recommendation that re-
roofing projects on City or publicly financed
buildings must be solar ready, except where
additional cost exceeds a certain threshold.
48
A Lobby state and federal agencies to create tax
exemptions, tax rebates, and other financial
rewards and incentives that support
distributed energy.
A Adopt best practices from DOE Rooftop Solar
Challenge (see section: DOE Rooftop Solar
Challenge)
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front cost;
siting and retrofitting; policy design and
adoption.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced energy demand and
ongoing energy costs
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on recent solar installation trends in
Dubuque, residential installations are anticipated
to amount to 21,900,000 kWh per year by 2030
(750 kW installed per year on average). This is
equivalent to around 17,856 mt CO2e per year
under projected grid emission factors by 2030
(Appendix A). The 1,000s of mt range roughly
corresponds to a potential gain of 5 -50% due to
local policies discussed in this section.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: It is easy to calculate the CO2e offset
of an individual systems, but very difficult to
predict renewable energy market forces,
government incentives, and economic conditions.
DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge
1) Sector: Local energy - policy
2) Policy name: DOE Rooftop Solar Challenge
3) Policy type: Community Policy; Utility;
Businesses; Individuals
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; utility
companies; local businesses; individuals
5) Current status: Pending conclusion of
Rooftop Solar Challenge program.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) administers several
programs relevant to Dubuque's local energy
efforts. Foremost among them is the DOE's
Rooftop Solar Challenge, which has awarded $12
million in grants to 22 local and regional teams
to improve market conditions for rooftop solar
photovoltaics (PV) in their communities and
throughout the United States. DOE is funding
the awardees to address key market barriers to
local solar PV, emphasizing streamlined and
standardized permitting in particular (DOE
2011a).
In other words, the goal is to develop and test
local programs and procedures that lower the
cost and streamline the process of installing solar
PV in residential and commercial settings.
These so- called "soft costs" of solar systems,
such as permitting, zoning, and hooking up to the
grid, can comprise up to 40% of a given solar
project (DOE 2011). So identifying paths around
those barriers holds significant promise for
boosting rooftop solar in local communities,
particularly for homeowners.
49
9) Barriers to implementation: Barriers (and
ways around them) will likely be identified in the
final results /reports of the program. Appropriate
and expedient implementation will be the main
challenges. Administrative and technical
expertise also will be necessary.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced cost and streamlined
regulatory process of solar energy systems (and,
by proxy, other distributed renewable energy
systems); greater renewable energy capacity
increases long term stability of business and
homeowner energy costs; indirectly improves air
quality by reducing grid demand.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
We assume that anticipated scale of solar PV in
Dubuque by 2030 (see section: Local Clean
Energy - Solar) could be increased by up to 50%
in Dubuque. However, the impact of policy
measures on market behavior is uncertain, so we
assign a broad range of 100 - 10,000 mt CO2e per
year by 2030.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Without knowing the specific
recommendations coming from this program, it is
impossible to predict their impact. However,
given that projected solar capacity by 2030 under
current market and regulatory conditions is
nearly 20,000 mt CO2e per year (see section:
Local Clean Energy - Solar), 1,000- 10,000 mt
would represent a roughly 5 to 50%
improvement due to Rooftop Solar Challenge
recommendations.
Notably, there is significant overlap between the
impact of these policies and those outlined in the
sections: Distributed Energy Policies
(residential) and Distributed Energy Policies
(commercial and public buildings), so future
updates of this report should be wary of double
counting.
Local Green Financing
1) Sector: Local energy - policy
2) Policy name: Local green financing
3) Policy type: Businesses; Municipal;
Community policy; Individuals
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; financial
institutions; business and homeowners
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: No separate
estimate given, but important for all
aforementioned business and homeowner related
energy programs to reach full potential.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Local 'green
financing' has been mentioned elsewhere in this
report but is important to so many potential
actions that it is given its own section.
Renewable energy and efficiency improvements
can pay for themselves within a few years and
afterwards lead to significant savings on energy
costs. Despite the excellent long -term financial
prospects, up -front cost is often a significant
barrier. A reliable source of financing for such
projects could significantly boost demand for
energy efficiency and renewables in Dubuque.
Working with local and /or regional financial
institutions to encourage them to facilitate low
interest loans for such projects could be one way
for Dubuque to achieve this. Green financing
options could then be promoted to developers,
real estate agencies, and individual
homeowners /buyers. As of 2012, several
financial institutions including Dutrac, Premier
Bank, and Dubuque Bank & Trust independently
offer such "green loans" to commercial and /or
residential customers. The availability of these
loans could be promoted by the City and other
50
community organizations to help connect
institutions with potential customers.
Babylon, NY, Berkeley, CA, Cambridge, MA,
Sonoma County, CA, and Milwaukee, WI all
have well developed local green financing
programs. The Milwaukee Me2 program in
particular is a public /private partnership that
could provide ideas for Dubuque.
9) Barriers to implementation: Program
design; developing partnerships with financial
institutions; advertising to customers
10) Co- benefits: Deferred up front cost of
renewable energy system installation. Stable
long term energy costs for homes and businesses.
Improved air quality. Removal of barriers to
renewable energy and efficiency installations
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: No
separate estimate provided. See previous
sections regarding business /home related
renewable energy programs for potential scale of
impact
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: N/A
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: N/A
EPA Green Power Community
1) Sector: Local energy - policy
2) Policy name: EPA Green Power Community
3) Policy type: Businesses; Individuals; Utility
4) Affected entities: Individual residents and
business owners; utility companies
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2
8) Specific description of policy: EPA Green
Power Communities (GPCs) are towns, villages,
cities, counties, or tribal governments in which
the local government, businesses, and residents
collectively buy green power in amounts that
meet or exceed EPA's Green Power Community
purchase requirements, which is 5% for a
community of Dubuque's size and electricity use.
Between local renewables (see previous sections)
and voluntary renewable energy purchasing
programs, Dubuque seems well positioned to
achieve the GPC designation.
Second Nature and Watts Green are voluntary
renewable energy purchasing programs offered
by Alliant Energy and Maquoketa Valley
Cooperative, respectively, through which
customers can purchase a percentage of their
power from renewable sources. Standard levels
are 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 %, though
businesses can select their own level.
Essentially, choosing a level creates a specified
surcharge on a customer's monthly utility bill, the
proceeds of which go to renewable energy
purchase (80 %) and education/administration
(20 %).
9) Barriers to implementation: Cost;
awareness by consumers.
51
10) Co- benefits: Air quality; community
engagement and eco- literacy.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: In
2012, Alliant Energy estimated that 402
households in Dubuque were enrolled in 2nd
Nature; approximately 200 of those households
enrolled between 2007 -2009, for an average of
67 per year (Alliant Energy, personal
communication 2010). Assuming that 50 new
households using 1,200 kWh per month enroll
each year at an average level of 30 %, this would
yield 4,250 mt CO2e reduction per year by 2030
( -2.94 mt per household per year), putting the
impact of the program in the 1,000s of mt CO2e
annually range.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Individual behavior; utility rates;
general health of economy (i.e. recession vs
growth).
Renewable Energy Property Tax Exemption
1) Sector: Local energy - policy
2) Policy name: Renewable energy property tax
exemption
3) Policy type: Community policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; homeowners
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: This program
would provide exemptions from property taxes
for certain renewable energy installations,
including solar PV, solar thermal (e.g. solar hot
water heaters), wind, and ground source heat
pumps. In other words, assessors would not add
the value of renewable energy systems to the
taxable value of a property. This exemption is
generally applied to both residential homeowners
and commercial/industrial facilities.
Iowa Code §441.21(8) already exempts solar and
wind energy systems from state property taxes
for five full assessment years and provides local
governments with a local option to exempt wind
energy systems from local property taxes.
Dubuque has no such a policy, but adoption
could enhance the financial incentives for
investing in renewable energy systems. With
rising conventional energy prices and the falling
cost of renewable energy, renewables are poised
to grow significantly over the coming years.
A policy could be structured in other ways as
well. For instance, municipal utility bills could
be discounted based on the value of
commercial/residential renewable systems. Such
52
a program also has the potential to expand to
include all major renewable energy systems (e.g.
geothermal) and even certain major home energy
efficiency improvements (e.g. Energy Star
HVAC systems, window and door installations)
in order to facilitate the growth of all effective
clean energy and efficiency technologies.
Expanding system eligibility would require
changes in current state law, but demand from
local governments could catalyze those changes.
9) Barriers to implementation: State of Iowa
Code for inclusion of broader suite of energy
saving measures beyond solar and wind; tax
revenue concerns.
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality; lower
energy costs; greater certainty of future energy
costs; remove barriers to renewable energy and
efficiency installations
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on estimated local renewable energy by
2030 (20,000 mt CO2e per year; see sections:
Local Clean Energy -Solar and Ground Source
Heat Pumps), 100s of mt CO2e annually would
represent a 0.5 to 5% increase in renewable
installation due to a renewable energy property
tax exemption.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Individual system installations have
relatively well established impacts on efficiency.
However, the number of installations spurred by
such a policy by 2030 will depend on demand
saturation, energy prices, incentives, system
costs, and the suite of qualifying energy use
reduction measures.
Policy Descriptions:
III. Transportation
Introduction:
Transportation accounted for 277,703 mt CO2e in 2011, or 23 %, of Dubuque's total emissions
(Table 1). As such, efforts to streamline and improve the efficiency of Dubuque's transportation system
could yield significant reductions in the community's GHG emissions. However, the primary benefits
of enhancing Dubuque's transportation system are the convenience, safety, cost, and efficiency for users
of Dubuque's roadways and travel corridors.
This section will describe transportation related strategies by which Dubuque can reduce its
greenhouse gas emissions (Table 5).
Table 5. Transportation related GHG reduction strategies and their potential impact in Dubuque, IA.
Strategy Estimated GHG reduction
(mt CO2e per year by 2030)
Complete Streets
9,303 — 27,909
p. 53
The Jule — Dubuque transit system redesign
100s
p. 54
The Jule —fuel efficient buses
1,008
p. 55
Dubuque Intermodal Transportation Facility
2,255
p. 56
Southwest Arterial
7,762
p. 57
Smarter City ITS
4,591
p. 58
Particle filters on diesel City fleet vehicles
*861
p. 59
EV charging infrastructure
1,000s
p. 60
Car sharing
10s
p. 61
Parking
100s
p. 62
Transit policies and programs
100 — 10,000
p. 63
Bicycle policies and programs
100 —1.000
p. 64
Safe Routes to School /Safe Routes to Play
10 —100
p. 65
Roundabouts
100 —1,000
p. 66
Signal timing optimization
100 —1,000
p. 67
Idling reduction
50 — 500
p. 68
Total potential impact (scope 1 — average of range)
% total reduction goal (520,000 mt of reductions by 2030)
47,944
I 9.2%
*Black carbon - not counted in inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal
53
Complete Streets
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Complete streets
3) Policy type: Local policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents; visitors; businesses; commuters;
commercial drivers
5) Current status: Policy adopted by City
Council in 2011; supported by DMATS
resolution in 2010. Demonstration project in
Historic Millwork District completed in 2012,
supported by $5 million TIGER grant.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 9,303- 27,909 mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Complete
streets is a planning and design process that
ensures that the health, safety, and mobility of all
transportation users are considered in all phases
of road project planning, including motorists,
pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users,
commercial vehicles, and people of all ages and
abilities.
Complete streets does not mean "all modes on all
roads," nor does it require specific design
features like sidewalks, bicycle lanes, or transit
stops on any particular street. For each project,
planners evaluate the current and future needs of
all users and design accordingly. Complete
streets also does not require immediate
reconstruction of roads, but is implemented
during regularly scheduled road construction,
reconstruction, and maintenance. This allows
planners and engineers to implement complete
streets one project at a time, gradually piecing
together a complete transportation network that
efficiently serves the needs of all users.
9) Barriers to implementation: Planning
54
standards and design manual; congruity with
state and county roadways.
10) Co- benefits: The GHG reduction from
complete streets is important but is not its
primary benefit. The main benefit is bringing
safe and convenient mobility options to citizens
who are poorly served by conventional
transportation and struggle every day to reach
workplaces, shopping, medical care, and other
essential destinations. Complete streets also can
boost local commerce, improve health and
fitness, and improve air quality, thereby saving
money on preventable health care costs and lost
work productivity. Additionally, complete streets
can reduce traffic volume and congestion within
the city, minimize travel times, lower fuel costs
and consumption for drivers, and improve traffic
safety. The full suite of potential benefits are
detailed in Green Dubuque's 2010 report on
complete streets in Dubuque (Schatz 2010).
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
According to several studies (Bartholomew
2009; CCAP 2010; Winkelman et al. 2009),
comprehensive policies like complete streets can
typically reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by
10% or more. That 10% reduction is considered
a baseline around which actual reductions will
vary. 9,303- 27,909 mt CO2e per year represents
a 5 -15% decrease (assuming a 33% improvement
in overall fleet fuel economy from 2007 to 2030 -
-see section Baseline Scenario).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Uncertain impact on individual
behavior. Higher oil prices by 2030 could
significantly increase demand for alternative
modes and GHG impact of complete streets.
The Jule - Dubuque Transit System Redesign
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: The Jule - Dubuque transit
system redesign
3) Policy type: Municipal; Community policy;
Individuals
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
DMATS /ECIA, residents; businesses; visitors
5) Current status: Ongoing implementation
during 2010 -2012. In 2010, ridership increased
by 10.7% and cost per ride decreased by 14.5%
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt
CO2e annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: In 2009, the
City of Dubuque and ECIA rebranded the former
Keyline transit system and improved the design
and overall management of routes and
operations, creating the new "Jule" transit
system. Routes and schedules are being
carefully redesigned to match the needs of
existing and potential riders, which will improve
route efficiency, cut costs, increase ridership, and
bring bus service to more people who demand it.
The new transit system includes a new fleet of
fuel efficient buses (see section: The Jule - Fuel
efficient buses) that will utilize electronic fare
boxes (rather than, for instance, punchcards),
automated announcement systems, and online
scheduling and tracking software that will allow
transit users to more easily find their routes and
track bus arrivals and departures.
9) Barriers to implementation: Attracting
ridership; educating Dubuque community about
changes; getting current/prospective bus riders to
try /adopt the system.
10) Co- benefits: Improved route efficiency,
convenient transportation options for those who
choose public transit and those who have no
55
choice, reduced roadway congestion, increased
traffic safety, improved health and air quality,
increased commerce /labor opportunities as more
people can reach workplaces and shopping
destinations, and lower individual transportation
costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Assuming: (1) a single bus trip reduces GHG
emissions by 10 lbs CO2
(publictransportation.org); (2) 276,342 trips per
year on the Jule (LCS Transportation Consultants
2009); (3) a 50% increase in ridership due to the
efforts described above, the GHG impact is
estimated at 460 mt CO2e annually, which puts
this in the 100s of mt per year range. 50%
increase in ridership by 2030 appears
conservative considering that ridership increased
over 10% in 2010 alone.
These estimates assume that people riding the
bus would otherwise drive the same distance in
an average automobile.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Uncertain effects on individual
behavior. Oil prices, if significantly higher by
2030, could increase demand for alternative
modes. The intermodal transportation facility
could also bolster the impact of complete streets
significantly.
The Jule - Fuel Efficient Buses
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: The Jule - Fuel efficient buses
3) Policy type: Municipal; Community policy;
Individuals
4) Affected entities: The Jule; DMATS /ECIA;
City of Dubuque; residents; businesses; visitors
5) Current status: Ongoing implementation in
2011 -2012.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,008 mt CO2e
annually by 2030
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: In 2010,
ECIA and the City of Dubuque received grants to
replace the Keyline (now known as the Jule) bus
fleet and equip the new buses with intelligent
transportation system (ITS) technology. Through
these grants, the City acquired $3.8 million for
fleet replacement. The ITS system includes
electronic fare boxes (rather than, for instance,
punchcards), automated announcement systems,
and scheduling and tracking software that will
allow transit users to more easily find their routes
and track bus arrivals and departures. The buses
will consist of clean diesel vehicles that will
significantly improve fuel economy and air
quality.
9) Barriers to implementation: Attracting
ridership; educating Dubuque community about
changes; getting current/prospective bus riders to
try the system, then adopt it.
10) Co- benefits: Lower maintenance costs and
longer lifespan of new buses; lower transit
system operating costs due to greater fuel
efficiency; reduced traffic volume and congestion
within the city; improved health and air quality;
reducing travel times; lower fuel use and cost for
drivers; and improved traffic safety.
56
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: If
ridership remains the same, the fleet upgrades
will prevent approximately 1,008 tonnes of CO2e
emissions per year based on recent mileage and
fuel use totals (City of Dubuque 2010).
However, if the redesign of the Jule transit
system (see section: The Jule - Dubuque Transit
System Redesign) increases ridership, these
savings will be higher (e.g. a 30% increase in
ridership would increase this by 30 %). In any
case, the reduction is almost certain to be in the
range of a few thousand mt CO2e per year. For
instance, if ridership remains static, the reduction
will be 1,000 mt. If ridership increases by, say,
50 %, then it will be 1,500 mt per year.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Ridership response to new
buses /transit system.
Dubuque Intermodal Transportation Center
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Dubuque Intermodal
Transportation Center
3) Policy type: Municipal; Community policy
4) Affected entities: The Jule; DMATS /ECIA;
City of Dubuque; residents; businesses; visitors
5) Current status: Planning largely complete.
Construction pending grants /funding.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 2,255 mt CO2e
annually by 2030
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: The Dubuque
Intermodal Transportation Center (DITC) is a
proposed facility that will connect air, rail, bus,
automobile, and river traffic at a single integrated
transportation hub. Dubuque currently has no
facility where all travel and mobility options are
linked in a convenient, central location. For
instance, local and interstate bus services, airport
shuttle services, long and short term vehicle
parking, and boat traffic all require users to travel
to different locations across the city, making it
challenging to effectively move from one mode
to another, or even to effectively utilize a single
mode (e.g. local buses). This limits demand for
alternative transportation modes as well as
decreasing the convenience and efficiency of the
overall transportation network. The benefits of
the facility would be further enhanced by the
proposed Amtrak route between Dubuque and
Chicago.
The proposed facility would be located near the
Port of Dubuque and Historic Millwork District,
with convenient access to surrounding
businesses, tourist attractions, the Mississippi
River, and U.S. Highways 20, 52, 61, and 151,
which link Dubuque to other cities while serving
as arterials to all parts of the community.
57
9) Barriers to implementation: Securing
funding.
10) Co- benefits: Direct benefits include
enhanced convenience for all transportation
modes, increased parking in the downtown and
Port of Dubuque areas, and enhanced tourism
and commerce. Other benefits include improved
air quality, decreased traffic congestion, and
improved transportation safety. Significant
numbers of construction related and permanent
jobs would also be created. The City of Dubuque
anticipates the creation of over 100 jobs and
between $100 and $200 million in cumulative
benefits over the next 30 years.
The DITC is also an example of infill
development (see section: Infill Development), as
the proposed site is on an existing brownfield in
a central downtown location.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
The City of Dubuque estimated that over 30
years, 102 tonnes of NOx (310 times the global
warming potential of CO2) and 45,088 mt CO2e
will be prevented by the intermodal facility by
2030 (total), which equates to 2,255 tonnes CO2e
per year (City of Dubuque 2011).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Uncertain effects on individual
behavior. Oil prices, if significantly higher by
2030, could increase demand for alternative
modes. Fate of passenger rail line to Chicago.
Southwest Arterial
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Southwest Arterial
3) Policy type: Municipal
4) Affected entities: DMATS /ECIA; City of
Dubuque; residents; businesses; visitors;
commercial vehicles.
5) Current status: As of 2012, the preliminary
engineering design phase is completed and the
Southwest Arterial project is now proceeding
with the final engineering design phase, right -of-
way property acquisition, and archaeological and
cultural resource phase III mitigation work. The
first phase of construction began late 2010.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 7,762 mt CO2e
annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: The
Southwest Arterial will be a 6.1 -mile four -lane
divided freeway that will provide an alternative
route for traffic through southwestern Dubuque.
It will connect the Dubuque Technology Park on
Dubuque's SW side, the new Dubuque Industrial
Center West, and the existing Dubuque Industrial
Center on Dubuque's NW side. The Southwest
Arterial will provide an alternate, direct, and
efficient route for traffic through southwestern
Dubuque, which will avoid the numerous
signalized intersections on Hwy 61/151, Hwy 20,
and Central Avenue (Hwy 52/3). The Southwest
Arterial will provide an efficient bypass around
the City, thereby reducing travel times and
minimizing delay by reducing traffic volumes
and congestion on the local street system.
In addition, the City is considering a cutting edge
'green streets' initiative for the project, which
would minimize construction waste and
landscape impact of the SW Arterial and
incorporate sustainable design and 'complete
streets' related features.
58
9) Barriers to implementation: Securing full
funding.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced traffic volume and
congestion within the city, improved health and
air quality, reducing travel times, lower fuel use
and cost for drivers, and improved traffic safety.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Estimate taken from the 2010 City of Dubuque's
Federal TIGER Grant application (City of
Dubuque 2010b).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Uncertain effects on individual
behavior and traffic patterns within City.
Smarter City ITS
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Smarter City ITS
3) Policy type: Municipal; Community policy;
Individuals
4) Affected entities: Residents; visitors; IBM;
City of Dubuque
5) Current status: Pilot study underway. In
2012, Dubuque received a $1.6 million ICAAP
(Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program) grant for
the SmartTransit component of its Smarter Travel
Pilot Study.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 9,040 mt CO2e
annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: The Smarter
City Intelligent Transportation Solution (Smarter
City ITS) is a partnership between the City of
Dubuque and IBM to provide a sophisticated
system for analyzing real -time transportation
data that will facilitate data -based improvements
in overall travel efficiency in Dubuque.
9) Barriers to implementation: Data analysis
and implementation; participant recruitment.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced traffic congestion
within the city, improved health and air quality,
reducing travel times, lower fuel use and cost for
drivers, and improved traffic safety.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Estimate came from Dubuque's 2009 Federal
Tiger Grant application for the program
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate. Impact/implementation of data
analysis results.
59
Particle Filters
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Particle filters on diesel City
fleet vehicles
3) Policy type: Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration as of 2012. However, Dubuque is
currently incorporating biodiesel into its fuel
mix, which will also mitigate black carbon
emissions. Also, newer vehicles have better
emissions controls
6) Estimated GHG reduction: *861 mt CO2e
annually.
*black carbon not counted in inventory or toward GHG
reduction goal
7) Scope of emissions reduction: *Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Black
carbon is essentially soot produced by the
combustion of fossil fuels and biomass. The
majority of black carbon emissions in the US
come from diesel engines as well as wood
burning stoves and other unfiltered biomass
burning. Black carbon has long been regulated
for its negative air quality and health impacts
but has recently drawn attention for its climate
impacts.
For diesel vehicles in particular several
mitigation technologies are available. Most
diesel engines can be easily and inexpensively
retrofitted with diesel particle filters to
eliminate over 90% of black carbon emissions.
The City of Dubuque could retrofit municipally
owned diesel vehicles with particle filters.
Newer vehicles tend to be more efficient, so
older vehicles should be prioritized.
60
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front costs
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality and
local health.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Numbers are based on diesel fuel use in 2003
and 2007 by City fleet vehicles of various
model years (oldest being 1971; newest being
2008). We use an emission factor of 0.002 kg
black per gallon of diesel and a GWP of 2,200
mt CO2e per mt black carbon (Bond and Sun
2005).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Estimates of GHG reduction per
gallon fuel should be reliable (assuming GWP
for black carbon is accurate), so number of
vehicles will determine impact. Since 1988,
diesel engines have had to meet increasingly
stringent emissions standards. Particle filters
are not explicitly required, but more stringent
requirements are making them standard
features, and by 2030 most operational diesel
vehicles in the Dubuque fleet will undoubtedly
have particle filters installed. Still, particle
filters are often low cost, so they may be a good
solution in the interim.
EV Charging Infrastructure
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: EV charging infrastructure
3) Policy type: Business; Individual;
Community policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents; businesses
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Current plug
in electric vehicles (EVs) have the potential to
cut vehicle fuel costs by 70% or more. For
instance, the Tesla Model S has a range of over
250 miles and an EPA rated economy of 38 kWh
per 100 miles. At $0.10 per kWh, that translates
to $3.80 per 100 driving miles, comparable to the
current price of a single gallon of gasoline.
The US has set a goal of one million electric
vehicles on American highways by 2015. With
the 12th lowest electricity rates in the country,
Iowa consumers are positioned to significantly
benefit from affordable EVs and accessible
vehicle charging infrastructure.
EVs also have the potential to serve as energy
storage units for the regional electric grid. Bi-
directional charging stations can allow EV
owners to sell excess energy in the vehicle's
battery back to, for instance, their employers
during the workday in order to offset costly peak
energy demand.
Possible implementation strategies in Dubuque
include working with local businesses and
Alliant Energy to implement EV Charging
infrastructure and using resources at ECIA and
the Dubuque Smarter Cities - Transportation
program to optimize potential charging station
61
locations.
9) Barriers to implementation:
Locating/establishing local markets. Initial costs.
Administration, outreach, and education.
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality and local
health. Reduced VMTs and cost of auto
ownership. Viability of emerging vehicle
technologies in Dubuque for residents, visitors,
businesses, and commercial traffic. Local jobs
for installers, electricians, etc (e.g. Crescent
Electric)
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: To
get a baseline estimate of the impact of car
sharing on GHG emissions, it was assumed that
EVs would account for 5% of the VMTs in
Dubuque by 2030, and that EVs would be 50%
less carbon intensive than conventional vehicles
operating at estimated 2030 average fuel
economy (Appendix B). With estimated
transportation emissions of 186,061 mt CO2e in
2030 (Appendix B), EVs would yield 4,652 mt
CO2e of reductions by 2030, putting EV charging
infrastructure in the 1,000s of mt range.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low.
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Degree of adoption; behavior in
response to EV charging infrastructure; gasoline
and electricity prices; emissions intensity of EVs
vs displaced vehicles in 2030.
Car Sharing
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Car sharing
3) Policy type: Business; Individual;
Community policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents; businesses
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: lOs of mt CO2e
annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Car sharing
provides an alternative to car ownership by
making vehicles (usually owned and maintained
by a company) available to be used and reserved
by car share members. In general, those driving
fewer miles per year (6,000 is a commonly cited
threshold) can save money with car sharing. The
largest car share company is Zipcar, which
operates a fleet of nearly 10,000 vehicles in 28
states with over 650,000 members, including
many college campuses (Zipcar.com, Jan. 2012).
Car sharing schemes can reduce GHG emissions
by providing more explicit and immediate
financial feedbacks on driving miles compared to
long term vehicle ownership. For instance, if
you own a car, you are likely to use it at every
possible convenience. If you share a car and
have to arrange and pay for every use, you are
more likely to prioritize and only use it when
necessary.
Possible implementation strategies in Dubuque
include:
A Work to bring car sharing companies to
Dubuque
A Place car share pods adjacent to existing
transit network and in neighborhoods under-
62
served by public transit, including low
income residents and college students
A Conduct community surveys on level of
probable use in different areas of Dubuque
in order to facilitate market entry for car
share companies
A Employers and others could provide car
share subsidies for low income residents,
college students, and others with financial
impediments to independent mobility.
A Facilitate car share company market entry
by modifying business license and zoning
requirements to allow siting in residential
areas and designated private driveways.
A Designate priority /free /discounted parking
for car share vehicles.
A Make all car share vehicles in Dubuque
hybrid, electric, or high efficiency vehicles.
9) Barriers to implementation:
Locating/establishing local markets;
advertising/buy in by community
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality and local
health. Reduced VMTs and cost of auto
ownership.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: To
get a baseline estimate of the impact of car
sharing on GHG emissions, it was assumed that
car sharing could reduce driving miles by
100,000 miles per year altogether (equal to about
eight average people's annual driving miles) at a
fuel economy of 32 mpg by 2030, yielding 28 mt
CO2e per year reduction. This falls in the lOs of
mt range.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low. Range of lOs of mt should
be fairly reliable, however.
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Scale of program; degree of adoption;
behavior in response to disincentive to drive; fuel
economy of car share vehicles vs displaced
vehicles.
Parking
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Parking
3) Policy type: Business; individual; community
policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; residents
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt
CO2e annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Municipal
parking design is widely recognized as costly and
inefficient in most cities (Shoup 2011). Instead
of maximizing available parking, the goal should
be to optimize parking fees and infrastructure in
Dubuque to equitably account for and capture the
true cost and market rate for parking.
There are many options for improving parking
efficiency and concurrently reducing GHG
emissions. Options include:
A Parking meter air quality surcharge, with
half of additional funds going to local health
and air quality initiatives
A Preferential parking for efficient modes.
This could be: parking garage passes with
prices scaled to the fuel efficiency of the
make /model; a particular level of fuel
efficiency or vehicle type could be made
eligible for stickers that exempt them from
most public parking fees and meters; priority
parking spaces (e.g. adjacent to handicapped
parking spaces) for fuel efficient, shared, or
carpool/vanpool vehicles.
A Charging stations for electric and plug -in
hybrid vehicles. Study efficient placement
for charging stations for plug in hybrid and
electric vehicles (See section: EV charging
63
infrastructure).
A Parking cash out programs. Encourage
businesses to create parking cash out options.
Essentially, if an employer pays for all or part
of employee parking, make it possible for the
employee to "cash out" of their parking space
and receive equivalent cash value instead.
Structure in such a way as to avoid negative
tax implications.
A Discontinue/phase out subsidized parking
for City employees
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy
development and implementation; resident and
business education and participation.
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality and local
health. Reduced VMTs and cost of auto
ownership since rental provides a more explicit
and immediate financial feedback on usage than
long -term vehicle ownership can.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
100s of mt CO2e per year would represent an
approximately 0.05 -0.5% reduction in VMTs
ranging from parking related policies. This item
has a large range of uncertainty because the
impact of parking policies on GHGs has not been
explicitly studied.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Actual suite of policies adopted;
strength of incentives /disincentives; behavior
changes in response to policies. We are aware of
no studies that quantify the GHG impact of
parking policies.
Transit Policies and Programs
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Transit policies and programs
3) Policy type: Businesses; Individuals;
Community policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; residents
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100 - 10,000 of
mt CO2e annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Dubuque's
transit system is undergoing a host of
improvements, but several complementary
policies could further enhance the GHG
reduction of Dubuque's transit system:
A Bus rapid transit. Bus rapid transit entails
identifying high use, high priority transit
corridors and finding ways (e.g. designated
lanes) to enhance transit flow down those
corridors. This is already occurring through
the Smarter City ITS program.
A Chicago regional passenger rail connection.
Continue lobbying for increased regional
connectivity, including the proposed
Dubuque -to- Chicago passenger rail line.
Eco-pass. Implement an "eco -pass" program
for businesses, institutions, city employees,
and low income residents. This could consist
of mass purchasing of discounted bus passes
by businesses and institutions. The passes
are then made available to employees,
students, and other eligible groups at no
explicit charge. Such a program has been
very successful in Boulder, CO, where people
with eco -passes are 5 -9 times more likely to
ride buses. Each eco -pass holder is
responsible for 1.19 mt CO2e less than other
residents (this number includes eligible
64
people who either do not get or do not use
eco -passes - source: Boulder 2011).
A Flexible Spending Accounts for Transit.
City, businesses, and institutions could offer
pre -tax subsidies for transit passes, car
sharing, cycling, etc.
Telecommuting and, flexible employee
schedules. Work with businesses to
implement policies that facilitate carpooling
A Visitor transportation option kiosks. Partner
with hotels /motels /airports /visitor
destinations to provide information about
public transit, bicycle, and pedestrian
facilities
Ridesharing /carpooling electronic resource.
Set up a ridesharing/carpooling website for
the community (example:
www3.dreog.org/RideArrangers). Could be
integrated with The Jule transit website.
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy
development and implementation. Resident and
business education.
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality and local
health. Reduced VMTs and cost of auto
ownership.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
100 - 10,000 of mt CO2e per year would
represent approximate reductions in VMTs
ranging from 0.05 -5% due to transit related
policies.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Actual suite of policies adopted;
strength of incentives /disincentives enacted
through policies; behavior changes in response to
policies. Therefore, we have assigned the wide
range of 100 - 10,000 mt.
Bicycle Policies and Programs
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Bicycle Policies and Programs
3) Policy type: Business; individual; community
policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; residents
5) Current status: Prospective; some initiatives
in early planning stages.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100 -1,000 mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Bicycle
transport has received extensive attention in
Dubuque over the past decade, with a significant
number of trails, signage, and bicycle lanes
creating safe and convenient routes for recreation
and commuting via bicycle. Dubuque is
planning and studying many other options,
however, and there are several others that could
be incorporated into Dubuque's transportation
system, including:
A Bike sharing stations/libraries (e.g. the
"Bike Coop" volunteer group starting a bike
library in Dubuque as of late 2012; also B-
Cycle or other comparable bike check -out or
rental station) in high use areas, such as the
Millwork District and Riverfront. Could be
purely local endeavor where City provides
siting/infrastructure /permitting while a
private entity or volunteer group administers
the sharing station.
A Bicycle boulevards. Create designated
bicycle boulevards in high use areas where
design features and signage are centered
around facilitating safe bicycle travel
A New parking lots include bicycle
parking /racks. City ordinance /resolution to
require all new parking lots to provide a
65
certain ratio of car to bicycle spaces (with
exception of some minimum lot size).
9) Barriers to implementation: Funding;
bicycle network design/planning;
administration/staff time
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality and local
health; reduced VMTs, traffic congestion, and
cost of auto ownership; improved fitness
opportunities.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
100 -1,000 mt CO2e per year would represent
approximate reductions in VMTs ranging from
0.05 -0.5% due to bicycle related policies.
Bicycle travel typically constitutes 1 -2% of
commuting in most communities (US
DOT /FHWA2011), so 0.05-0.5% of total VMTs
seems to be a reasonably inclusive range.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low, but range should be reliable
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Actual suite of policies adopted;
strength of incentives /disincentives enacted
through policies; behavior changes in response to
policies.
Safe Routes to School /Safe Routes to Play
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Safe Routes to School /Safe
Routes to Play
3) Policy type: Businesses; Individuals;
Community policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents; children
5) Current status: Ongoing. Dubuque is in the
process of applying Safe Routes to School
principles to local schools. Through ECIA,
grants are pending for 11 walking school bus
routes and 108 crosswalks on roadways around
Dubuque's public and parochial schools (as of
early 2012).
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 10 -100 mtCO2e
annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: The Safe
Routes to School program seeks to make walking
and bicycling to school a safe and routine
activity for students by, for instance, designing
safer street crossings, sidewalks, and other
features that create safe and continuous links
between homes and schools.
Over 50% of children arrive at school via private
automobiles (US DOT /FHWA2011). This is less
important to GHGs than it is to child
health/safety, air quality, and traffic congestion.
Improving infrastructure and programs for
children to get to and from school under their
own power can help improve childhood fitness
and lower the risk of health problems later in life.
Safe Routes to Play is a similar program that
seeks to create links between where children live
and where they play, such as parks and
playgrounds.
66
9) Barriers to implementation:
Implementation; funding; education and
encouragement of parents, students, and schools.
10) Co- benefits: The primary benefits are to the
health and safety of children in Dubuque and
include increased physical activity and health
among children as well as improved air quality
and lower traffic congestion.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Reducing GHG emissions are not the most
important impact of these programs. However,
reducing the trips necessary to take children to
and from school will reduce GHG emissions.
To get a baseline estimate of GHG reduction, we
assume a 2 mile average distance from home to
school and 2 roundtrips per day for a total of 8
miles.
Over 50% of children arrive at school via private
automobiles (US DOT /FHWA 2011), though we
conservatively assume 25 %. There are roughly
10,000 public school students in Dubuque,
suggesting 20,000 miles per day, equivalent to a
total of around 5 mt CO2e per day (assuming
33% improvement in fuel economy by 2030 -
Appendix B). For the entire 180 day school year,
this is around 1,000 mt annually.
If Safe Routes to School /Play could reduce this
by 1 -10 %, that would be equivalent to 10 -100 mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Degree of implementation; response
to program by students /parents; effectiveness of
education about the program and availability of
'safe routes.'
Roundabouts
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Roundabouts
3) Policy type: Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents; visitors; commercial drivers
5) Current status: Several roundabouts are
being studied and considered as part of proposed
"east -west corridor" through the City.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100 -1,000 mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Roundabouts
are circular intersections that promote safe and
efficient traffic flow. The main benefits of
roundabouts are improvements in traffic flow,
efficiency, and safety. They have been found to
decrease collision rates, travel times, and fuel
use, thereby lowering the cost of vehicle
operation. Where they have been installed,
roundabouts have decreased crashes by an
average of 40% and crashes involving injuries by
80% (Persaud et al. 2001).
9) Barriers to implementation: Capital costs;
initial acceptance by drivers.
10) Co- benefits: Improved air quality and local
health; reduced fuel consumption/cost. Reduced
travel times; improved traffic safety.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on the averages of Bergh et al. (2005),
who studied ten intersections in Virginia,
roundabouts can be expected to save 0.85 gallons
of gas and 7.52E -3 mt CO2e annually per
weekday traffic count through a given
intersection. For instance, installing a roundabout
at a 10,000 vehicle per day intersection would be
expected to save approximately 8,500 of gallons
of fuel each year, equivalent to around 75 mt
67
CO2e per roundabout (this assumes a 250 day
work - year -- weekends and holidays not counted).
As such, we estimate the potential GHG impact
of roundabouts in Dubuque to be on the order of
100 -1,000 mt CO2e per year (this is equivalent to
between one and thirteen 10,000 vehicle /day
intersections by 2030)
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Traffic volume of intersections
replaced; number of intersections replaced.
Signal Timing Optimization
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Signal timing optimizat
3) Policy type: Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents; visitors; commercial drivers
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration
corridor (Sunkari 2004). Even a 10,000 gallon
improvement in fuel efficiency (at the low end of
on observed values across the country) would yield
an 89 mt CO2e per year reduction in GHG
emissions.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100 - 1,000 mt
CO2e annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: Traffic signal
optimization entails using smart sensors and
advanced technology to maximize green light
times for the heaviest traffic flows and allow
signal cycle time to adjust based on changing
demands during peak times, such as rush hour.
Doing so can significantly decrease delays,
reduce travel times, and save fuel, with
benefit:cost ratios often on the order of 60:1 or
higher (US DOT 2012).
The primary benefits of signal optimization are
improvements in safety, time savings during
driving and commuting, improved air quality,
and fuel savings. Via that fuel savings, GHG
emissions are reduced.
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front cost;
adjustment, maintenance, and continued
optimization of signals and software (work hours
and personnel).
10) Co- benefits: Improved air quality and local
health; reduced fuel consumption/cost. Reduced
travel times; improved safety and crash
reduction; reduced travel time loss
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
With signal optimization, fuel consumption can
typically decrease by tens of thousands of gallons
per year for a moderate -to -heavy use optimized
68
This is only a baseline estimate, but it suggests
that through advanced signal optimization,
Dubuque has the capacity to reduce GHG
emissions on the order of 100 - 1,000 mt CO2e
per year (i.e. between 1 and 11 optimized
corridors by 2030).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Number of corridors optimized; traffic
volume through those corridors; delays before
and after optimization.
Idling Reduction
1) Sector: Transportation
2) Policy name: Idling reduction (general)
3) Policy type: Community policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
residents; visitors; commercial drivers
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: According to
the DOE, unnecessary idling wastes 1.4% of
annual US fuel consumption, not to mention
harming local air quality.
To mitigate these issues, many cities nationwide
have instituted idling reduction ordinances, with
signage and/or penalties designed to prevent
idling for longer than a specified period of time
(e.g. 3 minutes) with exemptions for traffic jams,
emergency vehicles, auxiliary vehicle equipment,
the health and safety of the driver, and other
reasonable exceptions.
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy
development; education of drivers; enforcement
10) Co- benefits. Improved air quality and local
health; reduced fuel consumption/cost.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
According to the DOE, unnecessary idling
wastes 1.4% of annual US fuel consumption
(Gaines and Levinson 2011), which would be
equivalent to approximately 4,000 mt CO2e for
Dubuque. Reducing this by just 10 -25% would
reduce GHG emissions by 400 -1,000 mt CO2e
per year, putting the impact of idling reduction in
the 100s of mt CO2e per year range.
69
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Actual degree of idling in Dubuque
currently. Response to policy.
Policy Descriptions:
IV. Built Environment
Introduction:
The built environment influences everything from building energy use to transportation. In
other words, the built environment affects every sector accounted for in Dubuque's GHG inventory
(with the exception of the waste sector). As such, building design /operation and urban planning has a
significant impact on local GHG emissions and overall quality of life.
This section will describe built environment related strategies by which Dubuque can reduce its
GHG emissions (Table 6). These strategies are divided into two subcategories: (1) Facility and
building efficiency, containing strategies that affect building energy use, and (2) Planning and urban
efficiency, containing strategies related to urban planning that affect transportation and energy use via
the use and arrangement of buildings.
Table 6. Building and planning related GHG reduction strategies and their potential impact in
Dubuque, IA.
Strategy Estimated GHG reduction
(mt 002e per year by 2030)
Built environment - facility and building efficiency
WRRC - Anaerobic digestion
928
p. 70
ECIA Petal Project
1,000 - 10,000
p. 71
Dubuque Schools
1,311 —2,500
p. 72
Smarter Sustainable Dubuque — energy and water
1,671 — 19,053
p. 73
IECC building standards
10,000s
p. 74
USGBC — LEED for Existing Buildings
1,000s
p. 75
PACE (and similar financing programs)
100s
p. 76
Public building efficiency standards (City gov. buildings)
100 -1,000
P. 77
Advanced commercial building efficiency standards
1,000 — 100,000
P. 78
Rental housing energy efficiency
1,000 — 10,000
P. 79
Ground source heat pumps (residential)
100 -1,000
p. 80
Municipal lighting and energy efficiency
1,000 -5,000
p. 81
Commercial lighting and energy efficiency
1,000 — 10,000
p. 83
State and Federal programs and incentives
100s +
p. 84
Subtotal (scopes 1 and 2 — average of range)
145, 896
. ' im`■
Built environment— planning and urban efficiency •
Dubuque Unified Development Code
1,000s
p. 85
Infill development
1,000s
p. 86
Historic building preservation and revitalization
100s
p. 87
Smart growth — miscellaneous
100s
p. 88
Subtotal (scopes 1 and 2 - average of range)
12,050
Total potential impact (scopes 1 and 2 - average of range) 157,946
total reduction goal (520,000 mt of reductions by 2030) 30 4%
70
WRRC - Anaerobic Digestion
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: WRRC - anaerobic digestion
3) Policy type: Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Under construction
(scheduled completion 2014)
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 928 mt CO2e
annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1 (fuel
oil); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Dubuque's
Water & Resource Recovery Center (WRRC) is a
secondary wastewater treatment facility
responsible for treating and disposing of the
community's sewage and wastewater. The old
facility incinerated waste solids and was
designed in the 1970s, upgraded in the early
1990s, and in the most recent review proved
insufficient to continue to meet Dubuque's
growing needs.
Various options were considered for replacing
the existing facility before the City selected
anaerobic digestion as the best option to meet
Dubuque's future needs. This upgrade is
scheduled for completion in 2014.
9) Barriers to implementation: None.
10) Co- benefits: In a presentation given by
Strand Consultants in February 2008, it was
indicated that the transition from waste
incineration to anaerobic digestion (with land
application) would reduce electricity use by
928,172 kWh/year and fuel oil consumption by
16,972 gal /year, saving significantly on yearly
operating costs as compared to incineration.
Also, replacing incineration with anaerobic
digestion will improve local air quality and
71
health.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on Strand Consultants estimates (Strand
2008), anaerobic digestion (compared to
incineration) will reduce electricity demand by
928,172 kWh/year and fuel oil consumption by
16,972 gal/year. Assuming 2030 emission factor
projections for electricity (Appendix A) and
22.29 lbs CO2e per gallon fuel oil, anaerobic
digestion will yield 928 mt CO2e reduction per
year.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: High
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: No major uncertainties. Depends on
facility demand by community
ECIA Petal Project
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: ECIA Petal Project
3) Policy type: Voluntary
4) Affected entities: Businesses
5) Current status: Ongoing since 2009. As of
fall 2012, Petal certified businesses include The
Finley Hospital, Loras College, Dubuque Bank
& Trust, Premier Bank, River Lights Book Store,
Premier Tooling and Mfg, Inc, and Dubuque
Data Services.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000- 10,000 mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The award
winning Petal Project is a voluntary green
business certification program developed and
administered by ECIA. The Petal Project
provides businesses with a clear sustainability
framework and technical assistance to improve
the environment and the bottom line. The Petal
Project covers a broad spectrum of
environmental impacts, including a strong energy
savings component that relies on the EPA's
Energy Star standards for energy efficient
workplaces.
The Petal Project began in 2009 and has
expanded every year since. As of fall 2012, 6
businesses /institutions representing over 2,000
employees have been certified, and another 23
businesses /institutions are working toward full
Petal certification.
9) Barriers to implementation: Continuing
business enthusiasm and participation;
administration and/or expansion by ECIA;
funding of program.
10) Co- benefits: The primary benefits of the
72
program are to the bottom line, image, and work
environment of participating businesses. The
program also builds a robust, voluntary "green
business" culture in Dubuque and helps to
enhance the health and productivity of
employees.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Total 2009 commercial/industrial emissions were
441,392 mt CO2e from electricity and 50,961 mt
from natural gas. To calculate future reductions,
projected 2030 electric emission factors
(Appendix A) were used; natural gas emission
factors were assumed to remain at 0.05306 mt
CO2e per MMBTU between 2009 and 2030.
Upper bound (10,000 mt) assumes that 1 in 10
average businesses in the Dubuque commercial
and industrial sectors will attain Petal Project
certification over the next 20 years (this need not
be 1 in 10 by number, but 1 in 10 by size if larger
businesses /institutions are first to be certified).
We also assume that certified businesses on
average will decrease their electricity and natural
gas use by 20 %. Lower bound (1,000 mt)
assumes 1 in 100 average businesses achieve
these gains.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Number of successful participants;
other forces on energy use (energy prices, etc);
overlap with other programs in this study make it
difficult to allocate GHG reductions to a single
program, but the range (1,000- 10,000 mt)
appears reasonable.
Dubuque Community Schools
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Dubuque Community Schools
3) Policy type: Fiscal; administrative; cost
reduction
4) Affected entities: Dubuque community
school district
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,311 mt CO2e
annually in anticipated actions through 2013
alone. Achievable amount is almost certainly on
the order of 2,500+ mt.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The Dubuque
Community School District is working to cut
energy and utility costs through a variety of
simple operational and energy efficiency
solutions. According to Mark Henning of 7th
Power Sustainable, the Dubuque Community
School District achieved 11% energy reduction
in the 2009 -10 school year compared to the
previous two years, saving more than $212,600.
The next goal is to achieve a 25 to 30% reduction
in the next three to five years.
9) Barriers to implementation: None;
continued availability of energy efficiency and
reduction opportunities.
10) Co- benefits: According to Mark Henning of
7th Power Sustainable, the Dubuque Community
School District has achieved 11% energy
reduction in the 2009 -10 school year compared
to the previous two years, saving more than
$212,600. The next goal is to achieve a 25 to
30% reduction in the next three to five years. In
other words, the program saves the District
money and indirectly improves regional air
73
quality by lowering demand for grid energy.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Estimates based on GHG reductions to date and
anticipated through 2013 (Mark Henning,
personal communication 2011).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: High
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: No major uncertainties in near future.
However, Mr. Henning's estimates only extended
through 2013, leaving another 16 years of
potential efficiency improvements to bolster
these numbers. As such, this should be
considered a low baseline estimate.
Smarter Sustainable Dubuque - Energy and Water
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Smarter Sustainable Dubuque
Initiative
3) Policy type: Voluntary; administrative
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; IBM;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Pilot programs and data
analysis ongoing since 2010.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,671 mt CO2e
annually from pilot program (31 mt from water
efficiency; 1,640 mt from reduced energy
demand).
If extended to 50% of Dubuque households,
reductions could be on the scale of 19.053 mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2
(electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The Smarter
Sustainable Dubuque project is a partnership
between the City of Dubuque and IBM to
develop smart metering and information systems
that will enable homeowners to identify
inefficient or unintended use of water and energy.
The pilot project of 1,000 homes includes
information for water, transportation, and
electricity.
9) Barriers to implementation: For pilot study,
none. For expansion, up front costs, education,
garnering community participants.
10) Co- benefits: Improved efficiency and lower
water /electricity costs for consumers. Indirectly
improves regional air quality by lowering
demand for grid energy.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Estimates based on EPA Showcase Communities
74
Grant submitted by City of Dubuque on 7/19/10
(City of Dubuque 2010c).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate -low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Primary uncertainties include impact
of participation on consumption patterns and the
degree to which the program is expanded in the
future.
IECC Building Standards
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: IECC building standards
3) Policy type: Community policy; Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: The City of Dubuque
Building Services Dept. has consistently adopted
new IECC standards and currently uses the 2009
version, which is the most recent available.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 10,000s of mt
CO2e per year by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The
International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
is a building code standard created by the
International Code Council. It is a model code
that can be voluntarily adopted by state and
municipal governments to establish minimum
design and construction requirements for energy
efficiency in new residential or commercial
buildings. Every three years the IECC is
reviewed by the International Code Council to
align with current best practices in the industry.
The 2009 IECC contains several major
improvements in energy efficiency over the 2006
IECC, which is the current state code of Iowa.
The 2012 IECC standards are expected to
represent a 30% increase in building energy
savings over the 2006 standards, and the 2015
standards are expected to yield 50%
improvement over 2006 (DOE 2011b).
9) Barriers to implementation: Education;
verification and enforcement of standards.
10) Co- benefits: Improved energy efficiency,
reduced energy costs, improved regional air
quality by reducing fossil fuel demand.
75
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Residential: Over the last ten years Dubuque
averaged 183 new residential buildings /year
(Rich Russell, Dubuque Building Service
Manager, personal communication) with a
relatively stable population around 60,000. We
assume that: (1) these trends will continue; (2)
the average single family home emitted 12.07 mt
CO2e per year (EPA 2012); (3) new versions of
the IECC yield 16.7% average improvements in
efficiency per three year period (this is in line
with IECC /DOE projections - DOE 2011b).
Based on these assumptions and projected 2030
emission factors (Appendix A), IECC standard
adoption will save the residential sector
approximately 31,184 mt CO2e annually.
Commercial: Assuming commercial building
efficiency improves at the same rate as
residential, we estimate 60,497 mt CO2e
reduction by 2030 in the commercial/industrial
sectors due to IECC code updates.
Combined, this yields 91,682 mt CO2e per year
in the residential, commercial, and industrial
sectors combined, putting GHG emission
reductions from IECC standard adoption at the
upper end of the 10,000s of mt range.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low - medium
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Residential estimates are based on
long term trends and are probably reliable.
Commercial estimates, however, simply apply
the residential sector rate of improvement to the
commercial/industrial sectors. While this
probably gets us roughly in the right range, the
estimates are of low confidence. However, the
10,000s of mt range should be reasonable, (or
low if the DOE continues to pursue its goal of
zero - net - energy building standards by 2030).
Other modifying factors include construction
rates in Dubuque; incentives for retrofitting; and
novel/lower cost energy efficiency technologies.
USGBC - LEED for Existing Buildings
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: U.S. Green Building Council -
LEED for existing buildings
3) Policy type: Voluntary
4) Affected entities: Businesses
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: LEED is a
U.S. Green Building Council program providing
building owners and operators with a clear
framework for identifying and implementing
practical and proven green building design,
operations, and maintenance solutions.
LEED is most prominently applied to new
construction projects, which re -use, recycle, and
minimize construction materials while creating
buildings designed to maximize water and energy
efficiency, minimize GHG emissions, and
improve the indoor environment of the building
itself. Examples of LEED certified facilities in
Dubuque include the new Hormel Foods
processing facility and McGraw -Hill Publishing.
The LEED for Existing Buildings program
extends LEED to existing - building owners and
operators. LEED for Existing Buildings
addresses cleaning and maintenance issues,
recycling programs, exterior and grounds
maintenance, weatherization and energy savings,
HVAC system upgrades, and other cost saving
and sustainable operations opportunities. In
many cases, innovative use and management of
existing facilities may be more economically
attractive than constructing entirely new
facilities. According to Yudelson (2009),
existing building upgrades are the fastest
76
growing sector of the green building movement,
with over 450 million square feet of buildings
signing up for the LEED for Existing Buildings
program in 2008 alone. Yudelson (2009) reports
that the LEED program generates more than 50%
annual cash -on -cash returns for building owners,
yielding rapid return on investment.
9) Barriers to implementation: Participation
by businesses; initial business capital costs and
financing; business staff time and expertise.
10) Co- benefits. Improved energy efficiency,
reduced energy and operation costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on case studies from other communities
(Yudelson 2009) and the amount of
commercial/industrial emissions in Dubuque
(over. 500,000 mt CO2e in 2011 alone), there is
potential for major reductions in Dubuque.
Without more specific data, however, and
considering the slight overlap with the Petal
Project's mission, we make a more conservative
estimate of 1,000s of mt CO2e annually. 1,000
mt represents 20% emissions reduction for 1% of
Dubuque businesses (i.e. 1% of 500,000 mt is
5,000 mt; 20% of 5,000 mt is 1,000 mt), so this
constitutes a basic lower bound; the upper bound
obviously depends on how many businesses
participate & what average reductions are.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Estimates are based on total current
energy demand of Dubuque businesses and case
studies of potential impact from other
communities. Estimate may be low, but without
data on likely program demand from Dubuque
businesses, higher estimates are not justified.
Also, there is some difficulty in crediting
emissions reductions to this program due to
overlap (complementary, not redundant) with
other programs, such as the ECIA Petal Project.
PACE (and similar financing programs)
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: PACE
3) Policy type: Municipal; Businesses;
Individuals; Financial Institutions; State /Federal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Not currently available or
under consideration
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt CO2e
annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Property
Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) is a tool for local
governments to empower community members
to make renewable energy improvements to
homes and businesses without the burden of
upfront costs and delayed returns on investment.
In typical PACE programs, cities set up special
"clean energy finance districts" capable of
issuing low- interest bonds to residential or
commercial property owners. Participating
property owners use available bond money to
pay for renewable energy and energy efficiency
improvements. Property owners then pay the
loan back through a long -term (15 -20 year)
assessment on their property taxes.
These programs are generally structured to
ensure that: (1) the amount of money property
owners save on monthly utility bills from PACE -
funded improvements exceeds the amount they
pay back to PACE on property taxes, ensuring a
sustained net savings for property owners, (2)
payback to the issuing body occurs at a low rate
of interest such that the assets of the program
grow over time. So, both homeowners and
municipalities profit from the program (shared
77
profit from avoided energy cost). Notably, PACE
is strictly voluntary and imposes no direct cost
on those choosing not to participate
Under current Iowa law, PACE programs are
prohibited, so PACE currently is unavailable to
Dubuque in its most common form. However,
similar arrangements are available via private
financial institutions offering low interest "green
loans" for commercial and/or residential
customers, including DuTrac, Premier Bank, and
Dubuque Bank & Trust. It is also available via
'performance contracting' and other similar
financing programs. As such, connecting
potential customers to financial institutions may
be the best way to facilitate PACE style loans.
9) Barriers to implementation: Legal status;
administration; financing and initial funding;
connection of customers to financial institutions.
10) Co- benefits. Improved energy efficiency,
reduced energy costs, improved regional air
quality by reducing fossil fuel demand.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Assuming:100 total participating households;12
mt CO2e annual emissions per household (EPA
2012); and a 25% reduction in GHG footprint
due to participation, a PACE style program in
Dubuque could save >300 mt CO2e annually by
2030, putting PACE in the 100s of mt category.
Notably, this assumes only residential
participants; business participants would likely
yield a much greater reduction. Also, 100
participants is conservative estimate, as
participation rates for similar programs (HPRC
2010a; HPRC 2010b) suggest peak participation
could reach 100 homeowners per year in a
community of Dubuque's size.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Participation; fund availability; legal
status of PACE; private bank loan availability
Public Building Efficiency Standards (City Gov. Buildings)
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Public building efficiency
standards (City gov. buildings)
3) Policy type: Community policy
4) Affected entities: Municipal
5) Current status: Prospective
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100 -1,000 mt
CO2e per year.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The City of
Dubuque could adopt a policy that requires all
new or significantly reconstructed City -owned
buildings; buildings developed by private
developers on City -owned and controlled land;
and/or projects that the City finances to meet at
least LEED Silver certification standards. This
would essentially be a step beyond adoption of
current IECC standards (see section: IECC
Building Standards).
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy
development; financial.
10) Co- benefits: Improved energy efficiency,
reduced energy and operation costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Current municipal building GHG emissions are
around 5,000 mt CO2e per year. 100 -1,000 mt
represents 2 -20% of this total, which captures
both modest and significant efficiency gains for
City buildings.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Depending on rate of
replacement/refurbishment of public buildings
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between now and 2030, LEED standards could
fall anywhere in the 100 -1,000 mt range. If a
significant number of low performing buildings
are replaced, the reduction could conceivably be
>1,000 mt per year.
Advanced Commercial Building Efficiency Standards
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Advanced commercial building
efficiency standards
3) Policy type: Community Policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Prospective
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e per year.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: To enhance
efficiency of new commercial developments,
Dubuque has several options.
Requiring/encouraging LEED in new buildings
would be a strong step beyond adopting the most
current IECC standards (see section: IECC
Building Standards). LEED would not
necessarily have to be required for new
commercial developments, though that could be
an option in the future. The following is a
selection of actions that have been employed by
other communities.
A Streamlined/preferential permitting and
zoning for LEED buildings . This would
provide an incentive for developers to build
LEED buildings in Dubuque.
A Local LEED ordinance or recommendation
The City could adopt an ordinance or
recommendation setting minimum standards
of LEED Silver certification for new
commercial, industrial, and high rise
residential building projects, or those meeting
certain criteria.
GreenPoint Rated Checklist Adopt a green
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building checklist and require a certain point
total for residential/commercial buildings
(this would essentially be analogous to the
LEED ordinance, above)
A Minimize unnecessary obstacles to energy
efficiency in residential areas such as, for
instance, not allowing neighborhoods to
forbid outdoor clothes drying to residents
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy design,
administration, and implementation; verification;
engaging builders, businesses, and developers.
10) Co- benefits. Improved energy efficiency;
reduced energy and operational costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Commercial emissions in Dubuque were over
200,000 mt CO2e in 2011, and there is potential
for major efficiency related reductions on the
order of tens of thousands of mt CO2e. Without
more specific data, however, we assign an order
of magnitude of 1,000s of mt CO2e annually
(0.5% of total commercial building related
emissions), though an impact on the order of
10,000s of mt is possible depending on the nature
of the standards and the year in which they are
implemented (i.e. how many new buildings are
built under the standards by 2030).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Uncertainty regarding scope and
effectiveness of program and year of
implementation; lack of data; overlap with other
policies in this document.
Rental Housing Energy Efficiency
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Rental housing energy
efficiency
3) Policy type: Community policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
landlords; tenants
5) Current status: Not currently under
consideration
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000- 10,000 mt
CO2e per year.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Improving
the efficiency of rental properties can be a
difficult challenge. Landlords typically do not
pay utility bills and therefore do not directly
benefit from lower energy costs, and tenants may
hesitate to invest in home improvements that
they will leaves behind at the end of their lease.
However, many programs can help to overcome
these barriers. A selection from other
communities includes:
A Renter efficiency program.
Create /administer efficiency /weatherization
program focused on renters and the aspects of
their home they can easily affect, such as low
flow shower heads, weather stripping, plastic
on windows, lighting, thermostat
management (smart thermostats), etc.
A Landlord energy efficiency incentives
Provide incentives for landlords to make
energy related improvements.
A Energy efficiency lease provisions. Explore
ways in which energy /water efficiency
improvement costs can be shared between
tenants and owners (e.g. lease provisions).
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A Rental unit energy rating Rate the energy
use of rental units to inform current /future
occupants of comparative energy costs per
square foot of living space.
A Green landlord database. Create online
database of 'green landlords,' consisting of
landlords who provide some kind of
verifiable evidence of energy efficiency in
their properties.
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy design,
administration; implementation; verification;
engagement and outreach to landlords and
tenants.
10) Co- benefits. Improved energy efficiency,
reduced energy costs; rental units more attractive
to and less expensive to tenants
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
15.6% of residential energy is consumed in rental
housing, nationally (HUD 2011). That suggests
that 42,884 mt CO2e per year were consumed in
rental properties in 2011 in Dubuque. The 1,000-
10,000 range captures 2.5 -25% improvement in
rental property energy efficiency, which would
reflect very modest and very significant gains in
building energy efficiency.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Scope and effectiveness of program;
overlap with other policies in this document.
Ground Source Heat Pumps (residential)
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Ground source heat pumps
3) Policy type: Individual residents.
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque; utility
companies; local businesses; individuals
5) Current status: Ongoing by private
residences and businesses
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100 -1,000 mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(offset natural gas heating); Scope 2 (offset
electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: Ground
Source Heat Pump (GSHP) systems are central
heating and cooling systems that pump heat to or
from the ground, taking advantage of the
relatively constant ground temperature for
building heating and cooling. GSHPs can
improve the efficiency and significantly reduce
operational costs of conventional heating and
cooling systems.
Depending on the building and type of system, a
GSHP can save anywhere from 20 -50% of the
energy required to heat and cool a building. With
recent fluctuations in energy prices, GSHP
systems have been gaining popularity as way for
homeowners to take control of their energy bills.
In Dubuque, 17 GSHPs were installed in 2010
(Iowa DNR, personal communication).
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front cost;
challenges of siting and retrofitting.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced energy demand and
costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on current trends (17 /year), we assume
300 total installations between 2010 and 2030
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(15 /yr). According to the EPA, energy
consumption in a typical single family home in
the MROW region produces 12 mt CO2e per year
(EPA 2012). Atypical GSHP system will
decrease home energy demand by 20 -50%
(average 35 %), yielding an average CO2e
reduction of 4.2 mt per year per home. If 300
units are installed, this yields 1,260 mt CO2e per
year. Commercial/industrial systems can have a
larger impact, but there is far less local data on
them and estimates are not provided.
This calculation neglects improvements in home
energy efficiency over the 2010 -2030 time
period, but the GHG impact is nonetheless likely
to fall into or a near the 100 -1,000 mt CO2e per
year range.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Individual system installations have
relatively well established impacts on home
energy demand (20 -50 %). However, the number
of installations by 2030 will depend on demand
saturation, energy prices, incentives, and system
costs. Also, this analysis only includes small
residential systems, whereas larger commercial
or business scale systems could yield a
significantly greater impact.
Municipal Lighting and Energy Efficiency
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Municipal lighting and energy
efficiency
3) Policy type: Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000 -5,000 mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2
8) Specific description of policy: There are
many opportunities for improved energy
efficiency in municipal operations in Dubuque.
Many have already been implemented and others
are ongoing, but there are several remaining
opportunities.
The following is a list of ongoing and potential
efficiency improvements in municipal
operations. This list is by no means exhaustive.
ALEDs in streetlights, stoplights, and
municipal buildings /offices. Status: ongoing.
Dubuque is in the process of replacing City
lights with high efficiency LEDs. LED
lighting is up to twice as efficient as
fluorescents and 10 -times more efficient than
incandescents. They also last 6+ times longer
than fluorescents and 40+ times longer than
incandescents (DOE 2011c; DOE 2011d). As
such, LEDs can significantly reduce energy
and maintenance costs of municipal lighting.
Up front costs can be intimidating for LEDs,
but net cost savings for replacing an ordinary
60W incandescent with an LED are >$250
over the lifetime of the LED. Savings are
much higher for higher- wattage lights.
Municipal street/traffic lights alone comprised
2,000 mt of emissions in 2007 in Dubuque. In
early 2013, Alliant Energy began a program to
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replace HPS street lamps with efficient LED
lamps for all of its Iowa customers (including
Dubuque) within 5 -7 years. LED streetlights
are 50 -70% more efficient than HPS, so LED
replacement of street lights could yield on the
order of 1,000 mt CO2e per year in reductions.
'LEDs in exit signs in all city buildings.
Status: ongoing. According to the US DOE,
LED bulbs in exit signs can save 100 or 300
kWh when replacing fluorescent/CFL or
incandescent bulbs, respectively. This equates
to $10 -30 savings per year, not counting the
fact that LED bulbs last 6 -40 times longer than
conventional lighting.
In terms of GHG emissions, replacing
fluorescents /CFLs with LEDs reduce GHG
emissions by 0.08 or 0.25 mt CO2e per year
per sign. Replacing 100 exit sign bulbs with
LEDs would therefore reduce CO2e emissions
by 8 -25 mt CO2e per year and save thousands
of dollars in operating/maintenance costs over
the life of the bulbs (EPA 2010b).
AEnergy Star equipment given priority in
purchasing for municipal facilities. Status:
ongoing. This could yield an estimated 10 -100
mt CO2e per year in reductions, which is 0..2-
2% of municipal building energy use.
AReduced water waste in City Hall. Status:
completed. A significant amount of water
(millions of gallons annually) was lost
annually via an inefficient heating/air
conditioning system in City Hall. The system
has since been replaced, reducing water use in
City Hall by over 90 %. This reduces demand
from the water treatment plant and yields
concomitant decreases in GHG emissions.
A Dubuque Eagle Point Water treatment
facility efficiency upgrade. Status: completed.
Various significant efficiency upgrades were
completed in 2008 -2009 at the Water
Treatment Facility. Precise impact is unknown
but given the amount of emissions from the
facility (6000 -7000 mt/year), estimated GHG
impact is likely to be 100 -1,000 mt CO2e per
year.
AOccupancy sensor lights. Status: ongoing.
Occupancy sensors have been installed in
some City buildings, which power down when
surrounding area is vacant. Photocells can
also be used to adjust lightings to fluctuations
in ambient daylight.
Dubuque municipal buildings are responsible
for around 5,000 mt CO2e per year. According
to the DOE, lighting typically constitutes —1/3
of building energy use (15 -50 %), so improving
lighting efficiency by 50% could yield
reductions on the order of 100 -1,000 mt CO2e
annually, as well as thousands of dollars in
operating costs.
AComputer power -down settings in City
buildings. Status: ongoing. Computer energy
management settings have been proven to
reduce energy use and costs significantly. At
Dell, for instance, a power management
scheme implemented in 2008 reduced GHGs
by an estimated 0.2 mt per PC per year. If
even half of this were achieved on the 100s of
City computers, it would achieve a GHG
reduction of at least 10 -100 mt CO2e annually.
AEnergy miser vending machines in City
buildings. Status: prospective. Energy miser
vending machines power down when the
surrounding area is vacant. This can reduce
energy consumption per machine by nearly
half and save up to $200 per year per machine
in maintenance and operation costs (USA
Technologies 2012). Up front cost is typically
<$200, making for rapid return on investment.
Impact is likely on the order of 1 -10 mt CO2e
per year.
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front cost.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced energy demand and
energy /maintenance costs.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
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Described in each individual section. Total
impact will likely be on the order of 1,000-
10,000 mt CO2e per year based on the likely
impact of ongoing actions (described above) and
the total amount of GHG emissions from lighting
and other energy use in City facilities ( <10,000
mt CO2e total annually as of 2007).
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Exact amount depends on current
usage, which is based on 2007 Dubuque
municipal GHG inventory, and prospective
efficiency gains from each action, which are
based on large scale national averages. These
averages will probably apply to Dubuque well
enough for a reasonably accurate estimate,
however.
Commercial Lighting and Energy Efficiency
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: Commercial lighting and
energy efficiency
3) Policy type: Community policy; Businesses
4) Affected entities: Businesses; City of
Dubuque; GDDC; Schools
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000- 10,000 mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 2
8) Specific description of policy: Local
businesses and institutions can save a substantial
amount of energy an money through simple, low
cost lighting improvements. Possibilities
include:
AHigh efficiency lighting and energy
efficiency retrofits in local businesses,
hospitals, schools, hotels, and other facilities.
City, non - profits, ECIA, or others could work
with local institutions to encourage energy
miser vending machines; LEDs in exit signs,
offices, and hallways; light occupancy sensors;
etc. to reduce energy cost and demand. Work
to secure /provide rebates and other incentives
to mitigate up front costs.
ACreate an "indoor lights out at night"
program for businesses and institutions to
encourage saving energy and money when no
one is in the building.
9) Barriers to implementation: Up front cost;
education; incentives.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced energy demand and
ongoing energy costs
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11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Based on total electricity emissions in Dubuque's
commercial sector (139,599 mt CO2e in 2011)
and the fact that lighting can take up 1/3 of a
typical building's energy use, 1,000- 10,000 mt
CO2e annually would constitute 2 -20% of total
lighting demand, making this a realistically
conservative range for the potential gains from
such programs.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Impact of individual
installations /retrofits is relatively easy to
calculate, but degree of implementation (as well
as the efficiency of current lighting systems
relative to high efficiency systems) are highly
uncertain between now and 2030.
Notably, by 2030, LED bulb costs are likely to
decrease significantly, and even more efficient
lighting alternatives could arise between now and
then. This suggests that LEDs and high
efficiency lighting are almost certain to become
ubiquitous. As such, by 2030 reduction due to
commercial lighting improvements could end up
being well over 10,000 mt CO2e, due simply to
market forces and rational business decisions.
State and Federal Programs and Incentives
1) Sector: Built environment - facility and
building efficiency
2) Policy name: State and Federal Programs and
Incentives
3) Policy type: State /Federal; Businesses;
Individuals; Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt CO2e
annually
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: There are
many State and Federal incentives for efficiency
improvements in residential, commercial, and
government buildings (e.g. weatherization).
These incentives help property owners take
advantage of the rapid payback periods of
efficiency improvements by mitigating the up
front costs of those improvements. An
exhaustive list of available programs is beyond
the scope of this document, but up to date details
can be found at: http: / /www.dsireusa.org/
9) Barriers to implementation. Financial; State
and Federal policy changes and barriers.
10) Co- benefits: Improved energy efficiency;
reduced energy costs; improved regional air
quality by reducing fossil fuel demand.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Simple baseline estimate of anticipated scale of
GHG impacts of Federal and State
weatherization, renewable energy, and related
programs in addition to impacts discussed in
context of previous policies.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
85
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Depends entirely on future State and
Federal policies, which cannot be predicted.
Dubuque Unified Development Code
1) Sector: Built environment - planning and
urban efficiency
2) Policy name: Dubuque UDC
3) Policy type: Community policy; Municipal;
Business; Individual
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Implemented /ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(transportation); Scope 2 (electricity)
8) Specific description of policy: The City of
Dubuque Unified Development Code (UDC) was
created in 2009 to provide guidance and
standards for planning and development in the
Dubuque community. Dubuque's UDC will
advance the long term sustainability ofthe
community's built environment, which underlies
so much of the city's environmental impact -
from transportation and building efficiency to
land use and water quality. For instance, studies
have found that buildings constitute up to 40% of
GHG emissions (DOE 2008), while
transportation accounts for 21% of Dubuque's
emissions. That suggests that over 60% of
Dubuque's GHG emissions are influenced by
development, making smart development one of
the most significant components of local
sustainability.
Dubuque's UDC makes sustainable design the
new standard and inefficient development the
exception. In terms of economic and social well-
being, the code ensures that Dubuque's built
environment supports mobility, healthy lifestyles,
and economic prosperity by facilitating compact
and mixed use development in urban and
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suburban settings. In terms of environmental
sustainability, the code promotes floodplain
management BMPs, healthy urban ecosystems
and greenspace, and LID standards for
stormwater management by minimizing the
extent and impacts of impervious surfaces,
among other advanced design standards.
9) Barriers to implementation: Education;
staff training; proper implementation; monitoring
and verification of results.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced VMTs; improved
traffic flow, safety, and efficiency; energy
efficient buildings; improved air quality and
aesthetics; time savings for residents /commuters;
cost savings on energy and transport.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Studies have found that buildings constitute up to
40% of GHG emissions (DOE 2008), while
transportation accounts for 23% of Dubuque's
emissions. Given the significant share of
emissions affected by Dubuque's development
code, but without specific data on impacts, we
assign a conservative, broad range of 1,000s of
mt.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: The 1,000s of mt figure is probably a
low estimate because ofthe wide scope ofthe
UDC (the wide scope of UDC is also the main
source of uncertainty). Also, the UDC overlaps
and relates to many other policies outlined
elsewhere in this document, so it is difficult to
assign emissions reductions solely to it.
Infill Development
1) Sector: Built environment - planning and
urban efficiency
2) Policy name: Infill development
3) Policy type: Community policy; Municipal;
Business; Individual
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Not yet an official policy,
but successful local examples exist, including the
Historic Millwork District, Washington
neighborhood revitalization, riverfront
revitalization, historic building preservation
efforts, and other downtown development
projects.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 1,000s of mt
CO2e annually.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(transportation); Scope 3 (embodied emissions of
building materials) - -only Scope 1 calculated
8) Specific description of policy: Infill
development policies vary in form and
application but share the goal of shifting urban
growth from outer suburbs and undeveloped
peripheral areas to existing downtowns and inner
suburbs. In other words, the focus of infill is on
the development rather than expansion of
existing city space. For the past several decades,
much of Dubuque's growth has occurred in
outlying areas (e.g. new suburbs) requiring costly
expansion and maintenance of city infrastructure
to those new areas, including streets, sewers,
utilities, schools, emergency medical services,
fire protection, and law enforcement. Infill
development, on the other hand, shifts growth
into established city boundaries, which helps to
ensure that development is spread evenly within
the city and takes advantage of existing
infrastructure, thus limiting costs to taxpayers.
Infill development can be achieved by
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encouraging retail in residential neighborhoods
(e.g. corner stores), preservation and reuse of
historic buildings, and brownfield development.
In terms of GHG emissions, infill development
can significantly limit VMTs by encouraging
compact development and mixed use
neighborhoods with residences, workplaces,
shopping facilities, schools, and other daily
destinations located closer to one another.
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy design;
administration; education; lack of available sites.
10) Co- benefits: Infill can facilitate the
revitalization of downtown areas. The Port of
Dubuque, Historic Millwork District, and
proposed Intermodal Transportation Center are
all prominent local examples of re- developing
existing space and infrastructure and are
responsible for attracting countless tourists,
residents, and investment dollars to Dubuque.
Other infill benefits include reducing commute
times and improving the efficiency of the
transportation network, which will consequently
improve local air quality. Infill also limits the
cost of development/infrastructure expansion to
taxpayers.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Given the potential scope of infill development
and its capacity to reduce VMTs, we estimate
roughly that the impact will be on the order of
1,000s of mt CO2e per year, though this should
only be considered a rough baseline estimate. To
our knowledge, no communities have collected
data regarding the impact of infill development
policies on GHG emissions
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: No data; significant overlap with other
policies, including Dubuque UDC.
Historic Building Preservation and Revitalization
1) Sector: Built environment - planning and
urban efficiency /facility and building efficiency
2) Policy name: Historic building preservation
and revitalization
3) Policy type: Community policy; Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Ongoing in Dubuque.
Examples include Historic Millwork District and
various buildings and businesses downtown and
on the Dubuque Riverfront.
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt CO2e
per year.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(natural gas heating); Scope 2 (electricity); Scope
3 (embodied emissions of building materials)- -
only Scopes 1 and 2 calculated
8) Specific description of policy: Dubuque is
one of the oldest settlements west of the
Mississippi and boasts a rich history. Some of
the most prominent symbols of Dubuque's late
19th and early 20th century manufacturing
prowess are the historic brick streets,
warehouses, factories, and other structures that
remain in Dubuque's downtown and Riverfront
districts. These towering vestiges of a bygone
era not only represent Dubuque's rich cultural
history, but also opportunities to develop a smart
and sustainable community that embraces its
history.
Historic building preservation involves restoring,
revitalization, and re- purposing historic or
neglected buildings. Doing so utilizes existing
developed lands and infrastructure instead of
throwing away and replacing old structural
materials (and all the embodied energy and waste
that would entail). Historic building preservation
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also ensures that development occurs where city
infrastructure already exists (e.g. streets, sewers,
utilities, schools, emergency medical services,
fire protection, and law enforcement), which
limits costs of new development to taxpayers.
In terms of GHG emissions, historic building
preservation directly saves energy that would
have gone into construction and building
materials. It also reduces GHGs in more subtle
ways, including reducing VMTs by concentrating
development in more central areas of the
community.
9) Barriers to implementation: Funding;
procurement of property; education and outreach
to builders, developers, and residents
10) Co- benefits: Same as section: Infill
Development
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: It
is difficult to estimate GHG impact of historic
preservation/revitalization without knowing the
scale of preservation as well as the alternatives.
As such, we conservatively estimate that 100s of
mt of GHGs can be saved simply by reducing
additional infrastructure and transportation
associated with outlying versus centralized
development.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: No data; significant overlap with other
policies in this document, particularly infill
development.
Smart Growth - Miscellaneous
1) Sector: Built environment - planning and
urban efficiency
2) Policy name: Smart growth
3) Policy type: Community Policy; Municipal
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status:
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 100s of mt CO2e
per year.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
(transportation); Scope 3 (embodied emissions of
building materials) - -only Scope 1 calculated
8) Specific description of policy: In addition to
infill development, the Dubuque UDC, complete
streets, and other smart growth initiatives,
several other policies and programs could
encourage smart growth in Dubuque. The
following is a list of actions that have been
employed by other communities.
AMake infrastructure costs of development
explicit. Extending City services and
infrastructure to outlying developments can be
costly. Compact growth (infill) can reduce
these costs by developing existing areas of the
City. To encourage this, codes could be
amended to require new developments to pay
a share of the infrastructure costs of new
developments, including through private
financing or assessment districts (e.g.
transportation fee; city services fee) in order to
incentivize compact development.
A Density bonuses: Incorporate positive
incentives, such as density bonuses, near
existing commercial centers, to developers
who comply with, exceed, or otherwise meet
specific smart growth objectives.
89
A Mixed use development incorporated into
City transit. Facilitate and encourage
placement of new residential developments
(particularly apartments and other high density
residential buildings) at mixed use locations
that will increase potential ridership on
planned /existing transit system.
A Brownfield inventory and development
Inventory brownfield and potential infill
development sites in Dubuque and advertise,
facilitate and incentivize development of those
areas.
9) Barriers to implementation: Policy design;
administration; education.
10) Co- benefits: Reduced VMTs; improved
traffic flow, safety, and efficiency; energy
efficient buildings; improved air quality and
aesthetics; time savings for residents /commuters;
cost savings on energy and transport.
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: It
is difficult to estimate GHG impact of planning
policies given that the impacts of urban form on
GHG emissions are indirect. As such, we
conservatively estimate that 100s of mt of GHGs
can be saved simply by improving the efficiency
of transportation and urban design.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: No data; significant overlap with other
policies in this document, particularly Dubuque
UDC and Infill Development.
Policy Descriptions:
V. Miscellaneous
Introduction:
This section discusses reduction strategies that do not fit neatly into the major categories and
includes tree planting, local food, and other miscellaneous community initiatives that impact GHG
emissions (Table 7).
Table 7. Miscellaneous GHG reduction strategies and their potential impact in Dubuque, IA.
*GHG reductions not counted in inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal.
90
Estimated GHG reduction
(mt CO2e per year by 2030)
Urban forestry
*100s
p. 90
Local food
*1,000s
p. 91
Community based initiatives
22,296
p. 93
Refrigerants
11,148
p. 94
Cool roofs /cool pavement
*100s
p. 95
Air quality measures
*not estimated
p. 96
Total potential impact (scopes 1 and 2)
% total reduction goal (520,000 mt of reductions by 2030)
33,444
6.4 %1
*GHG reductions not counted in inventory or toward 50% by 2030 goal.
90
Urban Forestry
1) Sector: Miscellaneous
2) Policy name: Urban forestry
3) Policy type: Fiscal; Administrative;
Voluntary
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: *100s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030
7) Scope of emissions reduction: *N /A
Biogenic emissions and ecosystem sequestration
not counted in inventory or toward 50% by 2030
goal. Energy savings from shade trees would be
counted, but that is not estimated here.
8) Specific description of policy: Tree planting
can reduce GHGs by sequestering (absorbing)
carbon in plant biomass and the soil. However,
the greatest impact of urban trees on energy
comes via well placed trees shading and
sheltering buildings. Carefully positioned trees
can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 25%
and can decrease heating costs by acting as
windbreaks and insulators. There are several
policy options available:
A Municipal tree planting program, focusing, if
possible, on deciduous shade trees for south
facing walls
A Residential 'shade your house' initiative
offering educational outreach and /or
inexpensive trees for property owners to
decrease their energy costs. This could be
administered as a partnership between city,
utilities, and tree planting/conservation
organizations.
A Shade trees part of development review. As
part of standard permitting/development
review, require evaluation of sites for
efficiency, including shading of parking lots
91
and south facing windows.
A Tree BMPs for builders Through resolution
or program, encourage builders to follow Tree
Best Management Practices for Contractors
and Builders or other comparable BMP guide.
9) Barriers to implementation: Cost; pests and
pathogens; education; administration
10) Co- benefits: Aesthetics and beautification;
comfort; reduced energy costs for
homeowners /businesses
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Assumes that a net of 1,000 new trees will be
planted citywide for the next twenty years, and
that each tree will sequester approximately 16 kg
of CO2e per year (DOE 1998). This yields 320
mt per year, which falls within the 100s range.
Including the shading/sheltering impact of trees
could significantly increase this number.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: No major uncertainties. Estimated
range should be sound but depends on type of
tree, where the trees is planted (i.e. previous land
cover and placement relative to buildings), and
number of trees planted.
Local Food
1) Sector: Miscellaneous
2) Policy name: Local food
3) Policy type: Fiscal; administrative; voluntary
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: **1,000s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
* *Scope 3 emissions, so not counted in inventory or
toward 50% by 2030 goal.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 3
8) Specific description of policy: Global food
production and agriculture has been estimated to
have a global GHG impact comparable to
transportation (FAO 2006), so the impact of our
food choices on climate is substantial. There are
several local options by which communities and
individuals can reduce the climate impact of their
food choices, many of which are already
underway in Dubuque.
A Community supported agriculture (CSAs).
CSAs are contracts between local growers and
residents to provide regular (weekly /biweekly)
deliveries of produce or other farm products in
exchange for a seasonal membership fee.
Since 2010, the Dubuque CSA Coalition has
facilitated contracts between Dubuque
residents and several local and regional
growers.
A Farmer's market. Since 1845 Dubuque has
hosted a summer Farmer's Market offering
handgrown or handmade farm products to
local residents. Dubuque's farmer's market
hosts over 150 vendors and attracts many
hundreds of patrons every weekend from
Dubuque and the surrounding region to
partake in local food. The farmer's market
also runs indoors during the winter.
92
A Community gardens City owned lots (or
other vacant lots) could be set aside for
community gardens or greenhouses. To date,
eight community gardens are active in the
community.
A Employee gardens. Employers could be
encouraged to offer garden space on
workplace grounds to employees.
Local food at major grocers The City could
facilitate contracts between local and regional
growers and local grocery chains.
A Compost to community garden program.
Provide free compost from DMASWAfor
community food projects such as community
and school gardens.
A Community fruit and nut trees. A partnership
with a tree planting/conservation organization
could provide low cost nut/fruit trees that
residents would be encouraged to plant.
A Lower meat consumption. Animal products
are significantly more carbon intensive than
plant based foods. Personal choices to replace
animal with plant based foods can
significantly reduce an individual's carbon
footprint.
A Dubuque Food Co -op: The Dubuque Food
Co -op, scheduled to open in 2013, promises a
strong focus on local foods and will provide a
new market for local farmers.
9) Barriers to implementation: Education;
organization and administration.
10) Co- benefits: Boosted local economy;
supporting local farmers; healthier diets /lower
healthcare costs
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Food consumption in the US is estimated to
comprise at least 15% (roughly 3.1 mt CO2e) of
per capita GHG emissions (Weber and Matthews
2008). If this is applied to Dubuque's population
of 57,250, it suggests that approximately 175,000
mt of CO2e per year in Dubuque come from food
consumption. These are primarily Scope 3
emissions and are not counted in the GHG
inventory nor toward the 50% by 2030 goal.
Nonetheless, these numbers suggest that our food
sources and choices could significantly effect
local GHG emissions. For instance, a 1 -5%
decrease in the carbon intensity of Dubuque's
food would reduce annual CO2e emissions by
approximately 1,800 -9,000 mt. This puts the
impact of local food conservatively in the 1,000s
of mt range, though it could be substantially
higher.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Individual choices and personal
93
behavior. No existing reliable estimates of
carbon intensity of current food sources /systems
vs alternatives. However, the general order of
magnitude of GHG impact of food choices
should be sound.
Community Based Initiatives
1) Sector: Miscellaneous
2) Policy name: Community based initiatives
3) Policy type: Voluntary; grassroots
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents.
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: 22,296 mt CO2e
annually by 2030 (goal)
7) Scope of emissions reduction: All scopes
8) Specific description of policy: Several City
and community organizations have created
sustainability- related programs that will reduce
GHG emissions. In the past three years alone,
these organizations have instituted the following
programs, among many others:
A Dubuque 2.0 Community Sustainability
Game
A Green Dubuque 2012 by 2012 program
A Green Asset Map
A Green Drinks
A Four Mounds Energy Center
A Energy auditor training
A Green Iowa project
A Rebate and incentive compilation
CFLs /weatherization materials
A Annual Growing Sustainable Communities
conference
A Sustainable City Network news and
magazine
A Informative newsletters, events, websites,
and materials
A Dubuque CSA promotion program
A Etc. (for more information on these and
other programs, visit the organizations'
respective websites)
94
These organizations have already established
presence and momentum in the community. It is
difficult to project what programs these and other
organizations will come up with over the next
twenty years, let alone what GHG impacts those
programs will have. As such, instead of
speculating on the GHG impact of the myriad
existing and possible future initiatives, we
propose a modest goal of a combined 2%
reduction in community emissions between these
organizations (i.e. 2% beyond what is achieved
through the other options discussed in this plan).
This amounts to just over 0.1% of additional
reductions each year for the next 18 years.
9) Barriers to implementation: Funding;
opportunities; availability of volunteers
10) Co- benefits: All previously mentioned
benefits, depending on mix of programs
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
See above narrative. Assumes community based
initiative impact of 0.1% per year beyond what is
achieved in other options discussed in this plan
by 2030.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Could be much higher or lower
depending on nature of and opportunities for
initiatives.
Refrigerants
1) Sector: Miscellaneous
2) Policy name: Refrigerants
3) Policy type: Voluntary; global/national policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: No precise
estimate given, but could be on the order of
11,148 mt CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: Scope 1
8) Specific description of policy: HCFC
refrigerants are synthetic chemicals that can have
extraordinarily high global warming potential.
Pound for pound, some HCFCs have over
10,000 -times the warming potential of CO2.
Studies have estimated that HCFCs constitute
approximately 2% of national GHG emissions in
the US, and that this percentage could double by
2050 under a business -as-usual scenario (EPA
2010c; Velders et al. 2009).
HCFC -22, one of the most common refrigerants
in commercial use, is scheduled to be phased out
from 2010 -2030 as agreed to in the 1987
Montreal Protocol. This is being done to prevent
further degradation of the ozone layer, but it is
also expected to have significant climate benefits
by substituting substances with a lower GWP
than HCFC -22 (and HCFC -23, which is emitted
during the production of HCFC -22). In 2010, the
EPA began implementation ofthe HCFC
Allocation Rule and the Pre - Charged Appliances
Rule, which together impose quotas on HCFC-
22, ban the sale of new air - conditioning units
containing the gas, and promote recycling of the
gas from old units. These actions are designed to
reduce HCFC emissions in the US by 75% below
baseline levels.
In addition, the Federal government is working
95
to implement a global framework for reducing
HCFCs by approximately 50 -70% by 2030 (90%
by 2050). The focus of this framework goes
beyond ozone depletion to consider the climate
and human health impacts of refrigerants.
These various elements ofthe global phase -out
of HCFC refrigerants will require little action on
the part of Dubuque, though local businesses
could help to accelerate this process by joining
other corporations in voluntarily adopting
alternative refrigerants (e.g. Coca -Cola,
McDonalds, PepsiCo, and others in the
"Refrigerants, Naturally!" partnership). Also,
outreach to air - conditioning businesses and
service technicians regarding the importance of
recycling HCFC -22 refrigerants is crucial (NY
Times 2012).
9) Barriers to implementation: Cost;
education; approval of low cost alternatives;
development, implementation, and enforcement
of global and national policies and frameworks.
10) Co- benefits: Potentially financial
(depending on relative cost of alternative
substances /practices prove)
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
Given the high number of food and beverage
processing, storage, and other industrial facilities
in Dubuque, we conservatively assume that
national averages apply to Dubuque and that
approximately 2% of our emissions are
constituted by refrigerants. The phaseout of
HCFC -22 should therefore yield at least a 50%
reduction in local refrigerant emissions. This
would yield a 1% reduction in total emissions by
2030 (equal to 11,148 mt CO2e)
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Moderate
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: More precise estimates cannot be
produced without detailed emissions of current
refrigerant usage and turnover in Dubuque.
Cool Roofs /Cool Pavement
1) Sector: Miscellaneous
2) Policy name: Cool roofs /cool pavements
3) Policy type: Fiscal; administrative
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Prospective not currently
under consideration)
6) Estimated GHG reduction: * 100s of mt
CO2e annually by 2030.
7) Scope of emissions reduction: *Indirect GHG
mitigation, not counted in GHG inventory or
toward 50% by 2030 goal. However, some scope
1 and 2 reductions could occur through
electricity /heating savings.
8) Specific description of policy: Compared to
dark colored roofs and blacktop, lighter colored,
more reflective roofs and pavement absorb less
energy from the sun and decrease the amount of
warming near earth's surface. White roofs are
widely recognized as one of the simplest,
cheapest, and most immediate climate stabilizing
solutions. White roofs can also affect energy use
by decreasing building temperatures and thus
cooling/refrigeration costs during summer
months (though this can be offset somewhat by
increases in heating demand in winter). Making
roofs and pavements less absorptive also can
reduce the urban heat island effect (UHI), which
is the local "island" of elevated temperatures that
occurs in cities due to heat retention by urban
landscapes. Cool roofs /pavement can minimize
this effect and reduce heat stress and levels of
temperature- sensitive air pollutants (e.g. smog).
Cool roofs can be created using, for instance,
waste paint or whitewash. New York City,
Chicago, and many other cities are implementing
cool roof programs. Cool pavement (a thin,
tough, road -ready coating) also has been used in
many cities, particularly in crosswalks, bike
96
lanes, and blacktopped parking lots or
playgrounds where high summer temperatures
often occur. White roofs also tend to have longer
lifespans than black roofs, all else being equal.
9) Barriers to implementation: Cost;
calculating costs of winter in addition to summer
cooling effects; materials and training.
10) Co- benefits: Human comfort, roof lifespan,
and potential reduced energy cost
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact:
2010 study from Berkeley National Laboratory
(Menon et al. 2010) indicated that painting 1 m2
of rooftop is equivalent to reducing CO2
emissions by 8.9 kg/yr, while putting a thin "cool
pavement" coating on 1 m2 of pavement (parking
lots, playgrounds, driveways, crosswalks, streets,
etc.) is equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by
2.45 kg/yr (building heating/cooling savings not
included in these estimates).
Conservative estimates of the amount of roofed
and paved area in Dubuque (17.5% paved; 12.5%
roofed, which are half what was estimated in the
Berkeley study) indicates that increasing the
reflectivity of all roofs and paved surfaces in
Dubuque would offset approximately 100,000
mt/year of CO2e. So there is clearly significant
potential for this in Dubuque. For our estimates,
we assumed that 1% of roofs and paved areas
could be coated in the next 20 years, yielding
around 1,000 mt CO2e in annual reductions.
Focusing on large commercial and industrial
buildings using waste paint could be a
particularly simple and inexpensive way to
achieve this. This could also be facilitated by
requiring/encouraging certain types of new
commercial developments to have cool roofs.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: Very low
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: Participation by residents and
businesses; impact on building energy demand.
Air Quality Measures
1) Sector: Miscellaneous
2) Policy name: Air quality measures
3) Policy type: Voluntary; global/national policy
4) Affected entities: City of Dubuque;
businesses; residents
5) Current status: Ongoing
6) Estimated GHG reduction: No estimate
provided
7) Scope of emissions reduction: N/A
8) Specific description of policy: Air quality
and GHG pollutants go hand in hand, and
improved air quality is one of the primary
benefits of most of the actions described in the
previous sections. Afew additional opportunities
exist that have not yet been discussed, however,
including:
A Limit VOC coatings in Dubuque. VOCs are
minor in terms of GHG emissions but can
significantly impair local air quality via the
formation of ground level ozone.
A Work with Dubuque County to limit biomass
burning. Biomass burning can significantly
impair local air quality. It can also contribute
to climate change (see section: Particle filters
on diesel vehicles). As such, the regulation
of biomass burning can significantly improve
local air quality while also limiting GHG
emissions. Public parks and other facilities
are one opportunity (except in the case of
long -term carbon sequestering ecosystems
such as prairies for which burning is
essential).
9) Barriers to implementation: Education,
outreach and administration; policy design,
implementation, and enforcement; verification
and monitoring
97
10) Co- benefits: Health; air quality
11) Explanation of GHG reduction impact: No
estimate provided. Most emissions in this
category are not GHG emissions, but rather
traditional criteria air pollutants.
12) Relative confidence of GHG reduction
estimate: N/A
13) Sources of uncertainty in GHG reduction
estimate: N/A
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Appendix A - Emission Factors and Assumptions
Natural as
For natural gas, a standard emissions factor of 0.05302 mt CO2e /MMBTU was used for all
inventory years.
Transportation
Transportation emissions were calculated using standard data from ICLEI and local VMT data
from Dubuque. Specifically, if we know how many VMTs there were in Dubuque each year (ECIA
2012); what percentage of those VMTs carne from different classes of vehicles (ICLEI), how many
miles - per - gallon each of those vehicle classes gets on average, and how much CO2e is released per
gallon of fuel, total transportation related GHGs can be calculated. This data is compile in the tables
below.
Table Al. Vehicle mix (i.e. percent of total miles driven for each vehicle class and fuel type), fuel
emissions factors, and average fuel efficiency for vehicles in Dubuque, 2002 -2011.
Table A2. Vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) in Dubuque from 2002 -2011.
Dubuque
Diesel
Gasoline V
Year
Heavy
trucks
Light
trucks
Cars
i
Light
trucks
Cars
Vehicle Mix
5.4%
1.3%
0.3%
32.4%
60.6%
CO2 (mtlga I)
0.0102
0.0102
0.0102
0.0088
0.0088
MPG 2002
5.63
16.80
19.38
13.34
18.08
MPG 2003
5.63
16.82
19.38
13.49
18.25
MPG 2004
5.63
16.84
19.38
13.61
18.43
MPG 2005
5.63
16.86
19.38
13.72
18.61
MPG 2006
5.64
16.87
19.38
13.80
18.79
MPG 2007
5.64
16.93
19.38
13.87
18.97
MPG 2008
5.64
16.93
19.38
13.92
19.14
MPG 2009
5.64
16.93
19.38
13.96
19.32
MPG 2010
5.64
16.93
19.38
13.99
19.50
MPG 2011
5.64
16.93
19.38
14.01
19.68
MPG 2012
5.64
16.93
19.38
14.03
19.85
Table A2. Vehicle miles traveled (VMTs) in Dubuque from 2002 -2011.
Dubuque
VMT
Year
Total VMT
2002
462,721,406
2003
464,145,712
2004
467,905,465
2005
460,177,587
2006
457,071,423
2007
453,536,220
2008
446, 402, 396
2009
472,108,493
2010
474,369,522
2011
469, 813, 814
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Electricity
Baseload vs non - baseload emission factors:
Electricity grid emission factors describe the amount of GHGs produced per unit of electricity.
Iowa is part of the Midwest Regional Organization West (MROW) region, which in 2007 (the most
recent data available) had a baseload emission factor of approximately 7.86E -4 mt CO2e per kWh, as
reported in the EPA's eGRID 2010 v1.1. This is the emission factor used to calculate emissions in
Dubuque's 2009 -2011 GHG inventories (earlier emission factors were used for 2003/2007 inventories).
A second emission factor, called the "non - baseload output emission rate" is used to calculate the
GHG impact of energy saving actions. This emission factor differs from the baseload emission factor,
above, because when energy demand decreases, the least efficient forms of energy (e.g. older coal
plants) tend to be taken offline first. As such, the non - baseload emission factor is higher than the
baseload emission factor. For MROW in 2007, the non - baseload emissions factor is approximately
9.07E -4 mt CO2e per kWh.
As an example of how these are used, assume that a city uses 1,000,000 kWh of energy per
year. To calculate the GHGs produced by generating this much energy, we use the baseload emission
factor of 7.86E -4 as follows:
7.86E -4 mt CO2e /kWh * 1,000,000 kWh = 786 mt CO2e
Now assume that an energy efficiency program saves 10% of that 1,000,000 kWh (= 100,000
kWh). To calculate the GHG impact of this reduction, we use the non - baseload emission factor of
9.07E -4 as follows:
9.07E -4 mt CO2e /kWh * 100,000 kWh = 90.7 mt CO2e
Dubuque's Emissions Factors -- Factoring in the Coal Plant
Alliant Energy's Dubuque Generating Station coal fired power plant lies within Dubuque's city
limits. Although the electric grid the is regional, the power plant and its impacts are primarily local,
giving Dubuque a far greater stake in (e.g. air quality) and influence on its operation than any other part
of the electric grid.
Although the plant is not owned and operated by the City of Dubuque, the vast majority of the
energy gene generated at the facility is used locally (Alliant Energy, personal communication). The
regional grid and the local power plant have quite different emissions factors (Table A3, below); to
reflect these differences, and the importance of the coal plant to Dubuque's power consumption, a
weighted average of coal plant and grid emissions factors (EFs) was used to calculate the carbon
footprint of electricity in Dubuque.
Table A3. Emissions factors and weighting factors for calculation of final, weighted electric emissions factor for Dubuque
in 2003 -2011.
wr
Total kWh used in Dubuque
Grid kWh
Coal plant kWh
Grid EF (mt /kWh)
Coal plant EF
Weighted Average EF
104
2003
689, 934, 710
348,761,530
341,173,180
0.000831
0.001328
0.001077
2007
737, 973, 696
396, 250,105
341,723,591
0.000786
0.001328
0.001037
715, 388, 872
565, 906, 872
149,482,000
0.000743
0.001328
0.000865
2010
777, 509, 953
625, 311, 953
152,198, 000
0.000743
0.001328
0.000857
773,125, 642
655, 308, 642
117, 817, 000
0.000743
0.001328
0.000832
The weighted average approached is illustrated as follows. In 2003, the coal plant produced
around 341,000,000 kWh of electricity, which amounts to nearly half of the 689,000,000 kWh used in
the community that year. Assuming that virtually all of the coal plant's energy was used in Dubuque
(Alliant Energy, personal communication), this suggests that in Dubuque in 2003, 341,000,000 kWh
came from the coal plant and 348,000,000 kWh came from the grid. So, the final 2003 emission factor
for Dubuque is the weighted average of the emissions factors for the coal plant and the grid, as follows:
(348,761,530 * 0.000831 + 341,173,180 * 0.001328) / 689,934,710 = 0.001077
- -- -Grid kWh - - -- -- -Grid EF - -- -Coal plant kWh- -Coal plant EF- -- -Total kWh - -- -- Weighted avg EF --
A similar weighting procedure was used for all years. Because coal plant production declined
between 2003 and 2011, a greater and greater proportion Dubuque's energy is now being derived from
the grid, which has a lower EF than the coal plant. Therefore, Dubuque's overall EF has improved at a
significant rate, and will further improve when the coal plant shuts down entirely (expected 2014, but
appears likely to be earlier). When the coal plant shuts down, Dubuque's overall EF will simply match
the regional grid EF which, in 2011, represented a 10.7% improvement in carbon intensity.
2007 vs 2030 emission factors
In order to predict the impact of energy related GHG reduction actions on GHG emissions in
2030, we need to know what the emission factor will be in 2030. Why do we need to know this?
Assume the installation of 1 kW of solar panels that produce 2,000 kWh of electricity per year. If we
use the 2007 emission factors (above), then replacing 2,000 kWh of grid electricity with solar power
will reduce present day GHG emissions by:
9.07E -4 mt CO2e /kWh * 2,000 kWh = 1.81 mt CO2e
However, emissions factors will almost certainly be different in 2030 than in 2007. What
exactly they will be cannot be predicted, but the U.S. DOE publishes energy projections in EIA's
Annual Energy Outlook reports. In the Electricity Generation & Renewable Resource supplemental
table of their 2010 report, they list energy generation and GHG emission data from 2008 -2035. From,
this, the energy intensity (GHGs per unit energy generated) can be calculated. 2007 data is not
available, but if 2008 data is used, MROW grid emissions factors are expected to improve by
approximately 10.1% by 2030. If we assume that this applies to both baseload and non - baseload
emission factors, then based on 10% improvement on 2007 emission factors, this gives us:
Baseload 2007 emission factor:
Baseload 2030 emission factor:
Non - baseload 2007 emission factor:
Non - baseload 2030 emission factor:
7.86E -4 mt CO2e /kWh
7.06E -4 mt CO2e /kWh
9.07E -4 mt CO2e /kWh
8.15E -4 mt CO2e /kWh
These are the 2030 electricity emission factors we use in our calculations (there is no need to include
coal plant EFs, because these numbers already assume only grid energy). Notably, given the rate of
growth of renewable energy in Iowa and the Midwest, these estimates are probably conservatively low.
However, they are based on the best available data and serve the purposes of this report.
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Appendix B - Emission Reference Case
Electricity and Natural Gas
According to a 2009 study by the Electric
Power Research Institute, energy demand is
expected to increase by approximately 1.07% per
year between 2010 and 2030 (EPRI 2009). This
estimate includes projected business -as -usual
improvements in appliance, building, and power
plant efficiency but does not include any
additional measures such as federal climate
policy or energy efficiency programs. In order to
model future GHG emissions in Dubuque, this
1.07% annual increase was applied to electricity
and natural gas consumption in Dubuque
between 2011 and 2030.
A projected 10.1% decrease in grid
electricity GHG intensity between 2008 and
2030 (see Appendix A) was applied to these
figures to calculate total electricity related GHG
emissions in Dubuque in 2030. In addition, the
planned shutdown of the Dubuque coal plant will
yield an estimated 10.7% immediate
improvement in the carbon intensity of
Dubuque's energy (see Appendix A), meaning
that emissions factors should decrease by an
additional 10.7% between 2011 and the year in
which the coal plant is no longer operating
(scheduled for 2014, but anticipated to be
earlier).
Natural gas emission factors were held
constant between 2011 and 2030.
Transportation
VMTs in Dubuque were assumed to stay
constant between 2011 and 2030 under the
baseline scenario. A growing population could
increase VMTs while rising oil prices could
reduce VMTs, but the assumption of constant
VMTs greatly simplifies our baseline scenario.
In terms of fuel economy, we assumed
that the median age of vehicles on the road will
continue to be approximately 10 years (US DOT
2011a). As such, we assume that in 2030, the
average fuel economy of vehicles on the road
will be equivalent to the average fuel economy of
model year 2020 vehicles.
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New fuel economy standards announced
in 2011 and finalized in 2012 will increase fuel
economy to 54.5 mpg by 2025 for cars and light
trucks (which comprise over 80% of VMTs on
US roadways - US DOT 2011a) and improve
heavy truck fuel economy by 10 -20% by 2018
(NHTSAIEPA 2011b).
EPA projections indicate that combined
car /light truck fuel economy by 2020 will be
over 38.8 mpg (NHTSA/EPA 2011a) compared
to 23.1 mpg in 2009 (US DOT 2011b), a 68%
improvement. For our analysis, we very
conservatively assume a 33% improvement in
overall fuel economy above 2011 levels for our
baseline scenario.
Waste
Methane emissions from the waste sector
were held constant between 2011 and 2030.
Baseline scenario: 2011 -2030
For the baseline reference case scenario,
we assume that Dubuque's population will
remain constant between 2011 and 2030.
Under these assumptions, we predict that
Dubuque total community emissions will be
approximately 49,614 mt CO2e lower in 2030
than in 2011, a 4.1% decrease (Table B1). This
assumes no population change; for any
population change, anticipated emissions imply
should be scaled proportionally.
Cable Bl. Baseline reference
case for
2011
GHG emission
2030
Electricity total
' 643,231
632,784
Natural gas total
' 234,142
286,617
Transportation
277,703
186,061
Waste
48,076
48,076
Total
1,203,152
1,153, 538
2011 and 2030 (mt CO2e per year).
s in
Appendix C - Glossary of Terms
Albedo — The reflectivity of a surface. High albedo surfaces are more "mirror- like" and tend to reflect
solar radiation without absorbing it; examples of high albedo surfaces include ice, snow, and other light
colored or shiny surfaces. Low albedo surfaces tend to be darker in color and absorb more solar
radiation, converting it to thermal or heat energy. Examples of low albedo surfaces include soot, dark -
shingled rooftops, blacktop, plants, and the ocean.
Biogenic — GHG emissions from a biological or organic source. For example, when wood waste is
burned for energy, it will only release CO2 that it absorbed during the lifetime of the tree. As such, the
wood waste produces no net emissions and is often considered to be carbon neutral (see below).
However, it is notable that many long -lived bioenergy feedstocks, such as trees harvested solely for
bioenergy generation, take decades to regrow and reclaim the GHG emissions they released when
burned. This creates a temporary (up to 50 years or more) increase in atmospheric carbon
concentrations before new trees re- absorb that carbon (Walker, T., P. Cardellichio, A. Colnes, J. Gunn,
B. Kittler, B. Perschel, C. Recchia, and D. Saah. 2010. Biomass sustainability and carbon policy study.
Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences.). This temporary increase in GHG concentrations can
have significant impacts on climate change by pushing the climate beyond certain thresholds (see
ripping points, below) that cannot be undone, even when GHGs are eventually drawn back down by
regrowing forests.
Biomass - Any organic matter derived from plants. Examples include trees, wood waste, switchgrass
and other perennial grassland plants, and crop residuals.
Black carbon - Black carbon is essentially "soot" produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels
and biomass. The majority of black carbon emissions in the U.S. come from diesel engines used for
transportation and industrial use as well as wood burning stoves and other unfiltered biomass burning.
Black carbon has been estimated to be the second largest contributor to climate change, second only to
CO2 (Ramanathan V. and Carmichael G. 2008. Global and regional climate changes due to black
carbon. Nature Geoscience 221 -22). Black carbon has a direct warming effect by absorbing solar
radiation and converting it to heat in the atmosphere, as well as an indirect warming effect by
decreasing the albedo of snow and ice.
Carbon intensity — The amount of CO2e emitted during the production of a unit of energy. For
instance, if a particular coal plant emits 2 lbs of CO2e per kWh of electricity, then the carbon intensity
of electricity from that plant is 2lbs /kWh. This is equivalent to an emissions factor.
Carbon negative — A process that results in a net decrease in atmospheric GHGs. In other words, a
process that removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it puts into the atmosphere.
Carbon neutral — Any energy source or process that absorbs or sequesters the same amount of carbon
it releases, causing no net increase in atmospheric GHG concentrations.
Carbon sequestration — Uptake and storage of carbon. For instance, trees store carbon in its wood
and other tissues, and this carbon can then be sequestered in the soil when roots and other parts of the
plant decompose. Depending on conditions, soils, oceans, and other ecosystems can act as net carbon
sources or carbon sinks depending on the net balance of carbon loss and carbon sequestration.
Carbon sink — A system that sequesters more carbon than it emits. For instance, prairies act as carbon
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sinks by sequestering carbon in the soil by producing extensive root systems year after year. If that
prairie is plowed and converted to agricultural land, it will often become a carbon source as the carbon
accumulated belowground is exposed to the surface, broken down, and emitted to the atmosphere.
Oceans, forests, and other natural ecosystems generally are significant carbon sinks.
CO2e - The amount of CO2 that would cause the same amount of warming as a given amount of
another greenhouse gas. For example, each molecule of methane (CH4) causes 21 -times more warming
than 1 molecule of COz, so 1 kg of CH4 is equal to 21 kg CO2e. CO2e is a useful way to combine all
GHG emissions into a single unit of measurement.
CHP - Combined Heat and Power, a power generation facility in which both electricity and waste heat
are utilized.
ECIA — East Central Intergovernmental Association, an organization of local governmental bodies in
Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson Counties. Provides an advisory and administrative
role for local member governments on a wide range of issues.
DMATS - Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation Study. A Metropolitan Planning Organization
(MPO) located at the boundary intersections of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Responsible for
approving goals and plans for the development of the Dubuque area transportation system.
DMASWA — Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency. DMASWA is the entity responsible for
solid waste management in Dubuque (and Delaware county). The Agency's municipal solid waste
landfill is located on Dubuque's west side along U.S. Highway 20. Its service area is Dubuque and
Delaware counties. The Agency owns 460 acres of property, of which 80 are permitted for landfill use.
DOE - U.S. Department of Energy. Federal agency whose mission is to advance energy technology
and promote related innovation in the United States.
Embodied Energy — The energy required to make any product, bring it to market, and dispose of it.
Embodied Energy is a Scope 3 emission (see Scope 3 Emissions).
Emission factor - The amount of CO2e emitted during the production of a unit of energy. See carbon
intensity.
EPA — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Federal agency whose mission is to protect human
health and the environment.
Fossil fuel — Geological deposits of carbon formed by the burial and decomposition of ancient
organisms, including plants, phytoplankton, and zooplankton. So fossil fuels are literally made of
decomposed fossils. The age of organisms and resulting fossil fuels ranges from tens- to hundreds -of-
millions of years. Fossil fuels includes coal, oil, and natural gas.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) — A gas that absorbs and traps heat in the atmosphere. The principle
anthropogenic (human generated) greenhouse gases are CO2, CH4, and N20.
IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. From the IPCC website "[the IPCC] reviews
and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio- economic information produced worldwide
relevant to the understanding of climate change" The IPCC convenes approximately twice per decade
to assess the scientific literature underpinning climate science and produces synthesis reports reflecting
this body of knowledge. Working strictly on a voluntary basis, hundreds of leading scientists from
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around the world prepare the report, and thousands more scientists review their work. The IPCC
produced synthesis reports in 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2007. The Fifth Assessment Report is scheduled
for completion in 2014.
kWh -- Average power consumption (kW) per hour. For example, 100 kWh is equivalent to 100 kW of
power being used for 1 hour.
LEED -- A rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council for the design, construction,
and operation of energy efficient buildings and neighborhoods.
PPM — Parts per million. For instance, if 1 cup of salt is mixed with 999,999 cups of sugar, the
resulting solution will have a salt concentration of 1 part per million (ppm).
Scope 1 Emissions - All direct GHG emissions. For instance, from burning natural gas to heat a home,
from a community operates its own power plant, or from fugitive methane emissions at local landfills.
Scope 2 Emissions - Indirect GHG emissions from consumption of purchased electricity, heat, or
steam.
Scope 3 Emissions - Other indirect emissions. Common examples include emissions from extraction
and production of purchased materials and fuels (i.e. embodied energy), transport- related activities in
vehicles not owned or controlled by the reporting entity, electricity - related activities not covered by
Scope 2 emissions (e.g. transmission and distribution losses), outsourced activities, waste disposal, etc.
Tipping point - A threshold beyond which further changes trigger abrupt and often irreversible
consequences for human or natural systems. In other words, once a certain climatic threshold is
reached, rapid changes occur that are unlikely or impossible to be reversed. For instance, pushing
temperatures beyond certain limits can cause species to become extinct. The cascading effects of
losing a keystone species can degrade an entire ecosystem and the services it provides; this is
effectively irreversible since the species in question no longer exists.
USGCRP — U.S. Global Change Research Program. USGCRP provides "a comprehensive and
integrated United States research program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand,
assess, predict, and respond to human- induced and natural processes of global change."
VMT — Vehicle miles travelled. The number of miles travelled by a given vehicle or set of vehicles.
WRRC -- Dubuque's Water & Resource Recovery Center (WRRC) is a secondary wastewater
treatment facility responsible for treating and disposing of the community's sewage and wastewater.
The facility formerly incinerated waste solids and was designed in the 1970s and upgraded in the early
1990s. To more efficiently meet the growing needs of the Dubuque community, the WRRC is being
upgraded to an anaerobic digestion system scheduled for completion in 2014.
109
Appendix D - Outreach and Public Input
Community Input
Various public outreach and input sessions were held throughout 2012 and are described in the
sections below.
Clarke University "Connect" sessions
In August 2012, incoming Clarke University students participated in discussions and workshops
regarding sustainability in Dubuque. Green Dubuque led a session describing the 50% by 2030
initiative and engaging students on how it relates to them. 12 students attended the session and
participated in an excellent and energetic discussion.
Green Drinks
Since 2008, Green Dubuque has organized Dubuque Green Drinks, which is a monthly social
event designed for anyone interested in sustainability or green issues. It is informal, open, inclusive,
and dedicated to fostering conversation, connections, and action in Dubuque, Iowa.
A speaker or topic is designated each month to kick things off and generate discussion. Many
of the themes are related to or directly address the Dubuque Community Climate Action & Resiliency
Plan. These are the themes from 2012:
A January 2012: General Discussion
A February 2012: Keystone XL Pipeline
A March 2012: Dubuque Food Coop ( http: / /www.dubuquefoodcoop.com/)
A April 2012: Plastic Bag Reduction
A May 2012: Green Roofs presented by Roof Top Sedums, LLC (www.rooftopseedums.com/)
A June 2012: Iowa Renewable Energy and Jobs Agenda 2020
(http ://iowarenewableenergyj obs2020. org/)
A July 2012: Catfish Creek Watershed Management Authority, led by Eric Schmechel and Dean
Mattoon ( http : / /catfishcreek.cdmeyer.com/)
A August 2012: Bicycle Library in Dubuque, with Rob Williams presenting on his experience
with the Iowa City Bike Library.
A September 2012: Updates on the Bike Coop group launched at August Green Drinks.
Session culminated in creation of "The Bike Coop," a volunteer -run bicycle cooperative in
Dubuque. Also, received an update on local composting developments from Paul Schultz and
Chuck Goddard
A October 2012: 50% by 2030 Dubuque Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan input
session
A November 2012: Bicycle safety and infrastructure in Dubuque, led by Urban and Regional
Planning students from the University of Iowa who are working with the City of Dubuque
Sustainable Dubuque Collaboration
The Sustainable Dubuque Collaboration is a committee of City officials, community
organizations, and individuals working on sustainability issues. In November 2012, Green Dubuque
presented a draft of the Dubuque Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan to representatives of
the Collaboration and incorporated their feedback into the final report.
110
Collective Social Learning Workshop with Greg & Candia Bruce
In October 2012, noted sustainability experts Greg and Candia Bruce held a collective social
learning workshop for the Dubuque Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan. The workshop
addressed the following question:
How will we define and implement the necessary actions
to meet Dubuque's greenhouse gas and resiliency goals?
What is Collective Social Learning?
Collective social learning (CSL) is a method for creating actionable ideas from groups with
diverse perspectives, values, and knowledge. By combining small group brainstorming sessions with
reporting/discussion in the larger group, CSL takes workshop participants from creative vision to
concrete action. This is achieved by addressing the following four questions:
(1) What should be? (sharing ideals and building a vision)
(2) What is? (establishing facts and assessing whether each fact enables or disables progress
toward vision outlined in question 1)
(3) What could be? (creative ideas)
(4) What can be? (translating ideas into collaborative action)
For each question, smaller groups of 2 or 3 individuals (typically based on specialty or sector of
the community) brainstorm on each question and then report back to the larger group (importantly,
there are no 'wrong answers'; see rules below).
First the groups piece together an ideal vision. Second, groups discuss what current realities aid
or impede those ideal visions. Third, creative ideas to reach these goals and overcome those obstacles
are discussed, after which those ideas are boiled down to consistent emergent themes. Finally, those
ideas, themes, and goals are translated into a list of action items. The end goal of CSL is to have each
workshop participant walk away with a positive action to take that (1) they are capable of, (2) they are
accountable for, (3) keeps them excited /engaged. The overall process is probably best understood
through example, so the results of this workshop are included on the following pages.
The following rules were followed in the CSL workshop:
• No right or wrong tonight - only ideas
• Used colored pens
• Exercise your rights and write your own thoughts
• Please draw pictures
• There is no scribe
• Please present by standing up
• One group member holds paper up to audience to show your work; other member presents
• Write anywhere on your paper
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Collective Social Learning - Results
The following are the 'raw' results of the workshops; these were incorporated as appropriate in the policy
options throughout the report but are included here in raw form.
I. What Should Be? (Group 1)
A Future generations are considered in public decision making
▪ The whole community has been involved in some way such that they feel connected to it
A No externalities in cost/benefit analyses - -all impacts considered
A Everyone is healthy, happy, and at peace
A Zero waste
A Economic social environmental goals align
I. What Should Be? (Group 2)
• Buy Local
• Conserve water
• Discourage lawns, plant more shrubs and trees
• Teach all of this in community college
• Cut energy needs
• Grow more food locally
• Build up soil, carbon, organic matter
• Insulate, solar, wind energy
• Mass transit biking
• Produce fuels locally, methane, wood alcohol
• Parks and green areas
• Utilize local businesses as much as feasible
• More locally grown food
• Back to more of a barter system
• Less packaging
• Educate school
• Promote vegetation
• Get kids involved, start while young
• Community gardens
• Promote /Create incentives for organic farms and gardens
• Have fairs and seminars
• Create local focus groups
I. What Should Be? (Group 3)
• Grocery stores that let us reuse refill containers, glass ok like in Europe
• Bike lanes on every street
• Pair students with senior citizens
• Fresh local food at school lunch
• Curbside food waste collect for all residences and businesses
• Community gardens in every neighborhood, front yards
• Composting in all schools
• Easy renting bikes
• Charge for plastic bags at schools
• Educate in schools about composting and how to be sustainable
• Info signs throughout city
• More bulk buying at stores = less plastic
• Neighborhood champions to educate on greenhouse gas /climate change issues and policy
• Support for Neighborhood Champions
112
• Errand planning education
• More CSL take to neighborhoods
• Easy public transportation
• Facilitate carpooling with background checks
• Warming up ideas for winter to keep thermostats down
I. What Should Be? (Group 4)
A Should support business /industry and community
A Timeline: actions at 1 -12 months, 1 -2 years, 3 -4 years, 4 -5 years
▪ Should we define short long, big small?
▪ All of us able to make small steps know what to choose to do by education
▪ The whole community should be involved and get it, not through preaching, common sense
▪ We should know what the greenhouse gas targets are and where to focus for best effect
▪ Should not mention greenhouse gas, should be "normal way"
▪ Should be a whole community approach
▪ Should build on other success and knowledge
A People learning about the unsustainable trend, impacted by climate destruction
A People supporting good science and fact checking
A People gathering in small support and empowerment synergy groups
A People encouraging developing milestones and measurements
A Lessen the dis- empowerment of "I don't understand enough"
A Validate participatory democracy, need input from all
▪ Accessible, relevant
A Build a framework that encourages input collaboration
A Build portfolio of community successes
A Measure all the costs and impacts that affect the climate
▪ Gather input from a wide variety of stake holders in the community
A Creative
I. What Should Be? (Group 5)
• Build visual reminders in prominent locations to keep community in the mindset of achieving goals and
create public works of art that can also be used to teach/educate
• Host events in the community that get people out of their houses and talking to each other, events based
around specific goals and projects, see results!
• Get students involved, they are already immersed in an environment of learning, get them educated
about the issues and build involvement and energy in the schools and environment
• I think it is important to involve college students why not develop clubs or courses for credit, the city
could be involved with facilitating this.
• It is also important to develop an environment in which climate action is not threatening or partisan but a
net gain for everyone
• If climate action is aesthetically and visually pleasing, it is easier to get behind
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II. What Is? (Group 1)
Enabling
Disabling
Solar and wind cost is decreasing
Partisan politics
Fuel efficiency standards
Fear
City of Dubuque staff are awesome and connected to
community and environment
Special Interest Money
Youth involvement -- Green Vision Education program
Misinformation (Group Think)
Local solar energy companies
Language of GHG /Climate Change
Grassroots democracy
Different views in world/Dubuque
Processes exist (e.g. Collective Social Learning)
Remove woodland for corn
Energy in this community to make it happen
Individuals feeling they alone won't make a difference
Knowledge exists
Political headbutt ing
II. What Is? (Group 2)
Enabling
Disabling
Farmers Market growing
Businesses going more global (less caring)
School's conservation clubs
Deniers
City building trails, working on bus lines
High Cost of Organic Food
Increasing number of organic farms
Lack of local processing
City tree planting
Old fashioned views
US fuel standards going up
Slow rate of cars /miles per gallon
Alternative forms of energy
Remove woodland for corn
Individuals feeling they alone won't make a difference
Political headbutt ing
II. What Is? (Group 3)
Enabling
Disabling
Complete Streets policies
Money
Green Dubuque and other local advocates /champions
Att itude, "I won't make a difference"
Supportive mayor, council, small but supportive
citizens
Lack of people participating
Farmer's market, CSAs getting stronger, more
successful
Belief there are plentiful resources
Local pride in our community, river
Terrain
Momentum has started
State and federal barriers
Incentives
Lazy, not motivated
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Internet education
Someone else's problem
Health education
The false ideas and misunderstanding of groups
Community conversations (Collective Soc. Learn)
The waiting game
Creative energy e.g. Bike Coop
Complacency and privilege
Composting infrastructure now available
Surrender philosophy (giving up)
II. What Is? (Group 4)
Enabling
Disabling
Food Coop developing
Partisan politics
Community conversations (Collective Soc. Learn)
Powerlessness
Creative energy e.g. Bike Coop
Greenhouse gas issues has a bad reputation
Composting infrastructure now available
People think it will cost $, business opportunities
Business opportunities, new industries
Concentrated decision making
Dubuque, perfect "community" is go for it
Some not empowered
Makes sense
Some don't know/ No choice
Humans are creative and inventive
Perceived as middle class liberal issue
Religious community support leadership
Too much fighting over stats and numbers gets stuck
because cause for no action
Technology
Inertia
History of sustainability success in Dubuque
Lack of confidence and knowledge
Evidence that people have /are making a difference
Fear of embarrassing ones self
Believe Yes
Lack of mentoring /empowering young people about
their future
II. What Is? (Group 5)
Enabling
Disabling
Millwork district/historic conservation
Enormity of Climate Issues
Complete Streets
Not enough bike racks
DBQ Bike Coop
Not enough awareness regarding complete streets
GHG Initiative
Urban sprawl
Phasing out plastic bags
Rivers, streams, and drinking water in danger
The Jewel Bus / Transit system
Stream cleanup
Solar
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III. What Could Be? (Group 1)
• Reduce food miles
• Food Coop, FM, Backyard Gardens, Edible landscaping
• Distributed Energy Incentives
• Bike opportunities for all, Bike Coop, complete streets, trail vision expanded
• White, green, solar roof
• Report matters, Build a framework that involves community based on CSL results tonight
III. What Could Be? (Group 2)
A Kids should be taught and shown different examples so they can decide Public areas should become
positive examples
▪ True cost analyze factoring all long term cost
▪ Teach kids how to compost and recycle properly
A Incentive for producing locally grown foods at schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.
A Budget more to these efforts or add incentives
▪ Create ongoing focus groups to deal with each issue
III. What Could Be? (Group 3)
• Incentives/ property value increase if have a garden on property
• Surplus donated to coop to give people with special diet needs or to schools
• Free Jump on /off business
• Incentives, coupons, vouchers for biking /walking
• Have volunteers who are educated on sustainability pass knowledge on to students
• After school snacks are grown not from plastic bag!
• Year round youth environment group /club
• Incorporate into L.E.A.P. Grant
• Artsy Tip Sheet
• Green concerts in public venue and town clock square for celebration and education
III. What Could Be? (Group 4)
• That the city has an integrated transport plan that includes safe bike paths and buses to our appropriate
areas
• The plan incorporates the vision of a variety of background (youths, seniors, various economic
backgrounds, etc.)
• Empower, mentor, and help develop new leaders, communicators, and strategic organizers
• That the strategic plan is lead by the community and everyone wanting to help carry the load
• Synergy between points of energy = coops and faith groups and advocates, etc.
• Express a vision and suggest actions that can be understood by almost all Dubuquers
• Integrate art, culture, city events, in communications and actions...
• Small Groups Meeting Everywhere
• Zero Waste
III. What Could Be? (Group 5)
• Gardening clubs
• Bush craft/wildlife groups
• Activities in the summer, live music, share ideas about climate action
• Public Art/Whitespace mural
• Involves artists in the community
• Teaching tool /visual regarding climate issues
• Cooling space where there was blacktop, now a whiteshade mural
• Involve students in grant writing process
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• Grant writing powerful skill to be used in additional future projects
• Public unveiling, DBQ likes to party
• Involve local musicians, involve local food
• Involve historical district, location?
• Total community involvement
III. What Could Be? Group 4 (2id Groups)
• Food = coop and more locally produced and increased use of local food and farmers market
• Arts and Culture life = Music and Local Artists
• Local Festivals
• Web of Capacity Building small powerful groups
• Whole or County and art events cultural activity integrated
• Integrated transport
• Grow Youth Capacity
• Food/energy /Transportation /Art
• Leadership Development
• Cross Cultural Tool Box
• Projects empowering more engagement and more projects
• Reporting outcomes and measurements
III. What Could Be? -- THEMES
• Money — incentives, funding, creating value
• Education outreach to targeted populations (esp. youth)
• Transportation bus bike trail;
• Food Edible Landscaping, Gardens, Trees
• Fun
Seek more opportunities to make it fun (should NOT be a drag)
Celebrate small steps with events, parties, etc.
• Integration of all age groups (opinions; opportunities for participation/action /benefit)
• Support for many small community organizations to build an entire community working successfully
toward improvement
• ENERGY
° Different forms: Social momentum, Renewables, Fossil Fuels, Food, Heating, Transportation
IV. What Can Be? (action steps)
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Name
Commitment or action
By when/date of action
Resources
Participant 1
Develop tip sheet on
common GHG sustain for
use in NBHD education
Tip Sheet printed, donated to
and give to Green Dubuque
60 days
Names redacted for report;
but resources typically
consist of key contacts,
individuals, organizations,
volunteers, and individual
skills that can move these
goals forward
Participant 2
Suggest youth club in school,
implement
Within two years
Participant 3
Reduce energy use by being
less indulgent, mow, planting
a garden
Participant 4
Connect with other workshop
participants to continue
discussion/flow of ideas
2 months
Participant 5
4 CSL for community
improvement
Before Greg and Candia
return
Participant 6
Contact schools if they
support conservation
05/30/13
Participant 7
Support local effort to copy
growing power
This winter
Participant 8
Attend community activity
By Spring
Participant 9
Whitespace Mural Continue
to raise awareness for bike
coop through designing
merchandise, logos and
brochures
Now...
Participant 10
Happy to volunteer my time,
clean up wildlife project
June 13th
Participant 11
Help maintain Greg Bruce
Always
Participant 12
Get an assessment of solar
potential at our house
Suse Get a deskside
composter
2012
Participant 13
Support more CSL
Next 3 months
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Business Input
Petal Connect
Business input was collected in face -to -face events, such as Petal Connect sessions, and an
online survey. Petal Connect sessions are regular meetings held by the Petal Project (see p. 71 for
description of Petal Project) with participating businesses. Green Dubuque was invited to present at a
Petal Connect session in June 2012, where the Dubuque Community Climate Action & Resiliency Plan
was presented and discussed.
Online Survey
A survey of local businesses /institutions in Dubuque was conducted to understand sustainability
related trends, barriers, and opportunities in the private sector. The survey was administered with the
following goals:
A Receive 2 -3 responses from all major business sectors
A Receive responses from businesses representing cumulative 25% of employment in Dubuque
A Identify private sector priorities regarding sustainability
A Identify barriers to energy use and GHG reduction in the private sector
A Incorporate existing private sector successes, barriers, and ideas into Dubuque Community
Climate Action and Resiliency Plan
The survey was designed not to require extensive expertise in sustainability to complete and
was intended to be completed in 15 -20 minutes (survey text included below). As of November 30,
2012, 21 area businesses representing well over 3,000 Dubuque area employees had responded to the
survey. We thank the respondents sincerely for their help in gathering this important data.
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Survey Text
Dubuque Community Climate Action & Resiliency Pius: Business Survey - 2012
Thank you for sharing your input regarding the Dubuque Community Climate Action Plan. Private
sector leadership and innovation are an important component of community resiliency and adaptation.
Your thoughtful input in the following survey will help give a better perspective of what is important to
our local businesses as well as the obstacle that you may face in your efforts to improve your corporate
sustainability. Individual answers will be kept confidential. Only aggregate data will be utilized/shared
to understand local trends. If you would prefer that your business not be listed as a participant, please
indicate "(anonymous)" after your business name and your business will not be listed. Thank you again
for your input.
*1. Name of your business?
*2. Number of employees?
Q < 10
Q 10 -50
Q 50 - 100
Q 100 - 500
Q > 500
*3. Type of Business?
Retail
Q Office
Q Food Service
Q Industrial/Manufacturing
Q Public Service
Q Construction
Q Health Care
Q Financial
Q Education
Q Recreation
Q Warehouse/Distribution
Other (please specify)
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*4. Does your business have a corporate vehicle fleet?
Yes
I o
*5. Has your company developed a corporate sustainability strategy?
`, Yes
Q No
Q I don't know
* 6. What are the driving factors behind your organization's sustainability initiatives?
End - Consumer Environmental Concerns/Pressure From Customers
Cost Reduction
✓ Investors
✓ Government Compliance
• Corporate Image /Brand Reputation
• Employee Interest
• Community Environmental Concern
▪ Supply Chain Pressure/Interest
Other (please specify)
* 7. What are the significant barriers that your company faces in developing and
implementing sustainable strategies?
Lack of adequate sustainability education /training
• Cost/perceived lack of retum on investment
— Senior management indifference
Lack of staff/insufficient staff time
✓ No significant business driver
• Complexity of implementation
• Availability of funds /prioritization of funds
Other (please specify)
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* 8. Which of the following are current (implemented) sustainability initiatives at your
company?
▪ Sustainability reporting
▪ Green fleet changes to conserve fuel
▪ Engagement of customers or community
▪ Product life cycle analysis
▪ Recycling and waste reduction
▪ Water conservation
▪ The Petal Project (green business certification)
▪ Product take -back initiatives, such as product stewardship or extended producer responsibility
▪ Construction of "green facilities"
▪ Carbon footprint analysis /greenhouse gas inventory
▪ Composting of organics (either curbside or on site)
▪ Energy efficiency
▪ Renewable energy
▪ Product redesign to improve energy efficiency of product
Other (please specify)
*9. Which of the following is your company interested in education/technical assistance
for? (choose top three)
▪ Life Cycle Assessment
▪ Sustainabilty Reporting
fl Energy Efficiency
▪ Green Buildings
Carbon Foctprint Analysis
• Renewable Energy
• Corporate Sustainability Strategy
• Community /Conoumcr Engagement
n Waste Stream Management
• Lower Emissions
Development of Sustainability Me:rics
Climate Disruption and Adaptation
Other (please specify)
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Survey results and discussion
(1) Name of business
Respondents consenting to be named include:
A Eagle Point Solar
• Gronen Restoration, Inc.
A Clarke University
• Loras College
A St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church
A American Trust and Savings Bank
A Dubuque Bank and Trust
• DuTrac Community Credit Union
A Premier Bank
• Jitterz Coffee + Cafe
A The Food Store
A Finley Hospital
A Unified Therapy Services
• Welu Printing Company
• Cottingham & Butler
A Dubuque Data Services
• IIW, P.C.
A City of Dubuque Public works
A Community Foundation
A East Central Intergovernmental Association
A River Lights Bookstore
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(renewable energy /construction)
(construction)
(education)
(education)
(religious)
(financial)
(financial)
(financial)
(financial)
(food service)
(food service)
(health care)
(health care)
(industrial/manufacturing)
(office)
(office)
(office)
(public service)
(public service)
(public service)
(retail)
(2)
<10-
10 -50-
1
50 -100-
100 -500-
>500-
Number of employees?
1
1
7
8
0 2 4 6 8 10
The survey received responses from a strong sample of small, medium, and large businesses and
institutions, including 10 businesses with fewer than 50 employees and 13 with more than 50
employees (weighted somewhat toward larger institutions/businesses with 100 - 500+ employees).
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(3)
Financial -
Education —
Office —
Public Service —
Retail —
Food Service —
Construction —
Health Care —
Industrial /Manufacturing —
Recreation —
WarehouselDistribution —
Type of Business?
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
4
2
3 4 5 6
This chart shows that the survey largely met its goal of sampling a wide variety of sectors,
though we would still like to gather more responses from, in particular, the Industrial/Manufacturing,
Warehouse/Distribution, Retail, and Recreational (e.g. casinos) sectors.
(4) Does your business have a corporate vehicle fleet?
A Yes (10)
A No (8)
A No response (3)
(5) Has your company developed a corporate sustainability strategy?
A Yes (77.8 %)
A No (22.2 %)
77.8% of respondents had already developed a corporate sustainability strategy, indicating that
institutional sustainability has permeated much of the private sector but that there is still significant
room to grow (22.2% in our sample). Notably, however, it was almost exclusively smaller businesses
that have not yet developed a sustainability strategy, possibly related to staff limitations (see response
7, below)
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(6)
What are the driving factors behind your organization's sustainability initiatives?
Community _
Environmental Concern
Employee Interest—
Corporate Image/Brand
Reputation
Cost Reduction
End-Consumer
Environmental Concems /Pressure 16.7
From Customers
Supply Chain 11.1 %
Pressure/Interest
Government Compliance 1 5.6 4
Investors-
61.1 7.
77.84
72.2 4
94.44
0 5 10 15 20
There are several interesting results in this section. First, 'cost reduction' (via improved
energy /water /materials efficiency for most survey respondents) was cited by 61% of
businesses /institutions with sustainability initiatives. This indicates that cost reduction is an important
factor but is not the exclusive or even primary driver of voluntary corporate sustainability.
Second, only 1 respondent named 'government compliance' as a driving factor, indicating that
corporate sustainability in Dubuque is primarily a voluntary, internally driven process. Related to this,
very few respondents indicated that explicit external pressure from investors, customers, or
upstream /downstream links in the supply chain drove their current sustainability initiatives. This again
suggests that private sector sustainability in Dubuque is primarily driven by companies and institutions
themselves. Consistent with this, nearly 78% of respondents cited 'employee interest' as a driving
factor in their pursuit of sustainability.
There were some external pressures companies did respond to, however. 94% of respondents
cited 'community environmental concern' as a driving factor, and 72% cited 'corporate image/brand
reputation.' This indicates that companies are motivated to support and participate in the culture and
priorities of the communities where they live and do business, and that this is supported at least in part
by 'soft pressures' such as a building and maintaining strong reputations as sustainable, responsible
companies.
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(7)
What are the significant barriers that your company faces in developing and
implementing sustainable strategies?
Lack of staff /insufficient
staff time
Cost/perceived lack of
return on investment
Availability of
funds /prioritization of funds
Complexity of
implementation
Lack of adequate
sustainability
education /training
Senior management
indifference
No significant
business driver
33.3 %
16.7
556::
10 12 14
None of the respondents indicated that they did not pursue sustainability because there were 'no
significant business drivers.' This indicates that they all believed that, whether for cost reduction,
image, or other factors, sustainability made good business sense. Also, none cited 'senior management
indifference' as a barrier, again suggesting that corporate interest in sustainability is strong.
The most common barriers cited fall into two categories: cost and implementation. In teens of
cost, 44% of respondents indicated that they would pursue more sustainability initiatives if more
funding were available. This is a large percentage, but it is somewhat striking that it is not higher. 56%
of respondents indicated that perceived lack of ROI was a significant barrier. This suggests two
important things: (1) sustainability initiatives with good ROI are most amenable to businesses (or
perhaps initiatives with good ROIs just need to be better marketing), and (2) 44% of respondents do
not see lack of ROI as aproblem, either because they are willing to incur the costs or because they
perceive sustainability as ultimately good for business.
So cost can be an important barrier, but in our survey, implementation was more important. 72%
of respondents cited 'lack of staff/staff time' as significant barriers. Implementing sustainability
initiatives, even the most cost effective ones, requires some measure of expertise and staff time. In our
survey, it appears that staff time outweighs expertise as abarrier, with 33% of respondents citing
'complexity of implementation' as a barrier and 17% citing 'lack of training.' So while expertise and
education are important, they are not as significant as simple staff availability (also, sustainability
outreach is strong in Dubuque, so this may also explain some of these results).
Other barriers cited (not shown in this graph) include 'not owning their facility'. It is also
notable that several respondents stated that they saw no significant barriers.
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(8)
Which of the following are current (implemented) sustainability initiatives at your
company?
Energy efficiency —
Recycling a nd —
waste reduction
Water conservation —
Engagement of customers
oroommunity
The Petal Project (green —
business certification)
Sustaina Wiry reporting —
Composting of_
organics (either_
Renewable energy—
Construction of J
'green faci@ies'
Product take -back initiatives.
such as product
Carbon footprint
analysts greenhouse_
Green fleet changes
to conserve fuel
Product life
cycle analysis
16.7
16.7
16.7
22.2
38.9
38.9
38.9
55.6 e
72.2 %
72.2 %
72.2 %
100.0 %
94.44
5 10 15 2]
Question 8 indicates that respondents are implementing a broad portfolio of sustainability
initiatives. In particular, energy efficiency (a notable cost saving measure) and recycling were nearly
ubiquitous. Water conservation was also a common practice, and those who did not cite water
conservation were typically smaller businesses for which water use was probably not very high to
begin with. So water conservation is also probably pretty ubiquitous.
72% of respondents were participating in the Petal Project, indicating that they are particularly
focused on sustainability. 72% of respondents also reached out to customers and the community to
publicize their efforts, which is identical to the percentage citing concern for corporate image/brand
reputation in question 6. 56% of respondents formally reported their sustainability efforts and trends,
either through third party programs, the web, or corporate reports, though only 17% had conducted a
GHG inventory or analysis of any kind (larger companies were the ones conducting GHG inventories).
Somewhat surprisingly, nearly 39% of respondents were engaged in some sort of
composting /organics separation. There is certainly room for growth in that regard, but those numbers
are encouraging. Also, 39% of respondents employed renewable energy of some kind in their
operations. Again, there is tremendous room for growth in this regard, but these figures indicate that
local renewables are spreading and working for local businesses. 39% also had constructed 'green
facilities', which are more energy efficient and widely recognized as saving money in the long term
(and often the short term); as such, it is likely that this number will grow as more companies
expand/update their facilities in the future.
Other efforts had lower levels of implementation but were still cited by several respondents.
17% of respondents had replaced fleet vehicles with more fuel - efficient models (notably, most smaller
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businesses do not have fleets, so this figure is higher among large companies). 22% of respondents
engaged in product take back initiatives, such as recycling and management of products they
sell /manufacturing, indicating that these respondents were engaged with the downstream fate of their
products. Related to this, 17% of respondents had engaged in product life - cycle- analyses to improve
the efficiency / sustainability of their products and supply chains. Though not shown in the graph, 11%
of respondents had redesigned their products or materials to be more energy efficient and sustainable.
(9)
Which of the following is your company interested in education /technical assistance for?
(choose top three)
Energy Efficiency -
CommunityJConsumer —
Engagement
Development of _
Sustainability Metrics
Life Cycle Assessment —
Cot _�
Sustainability Strategy
Renewable Energy —
Waste Stream Management —
Carbon Footprint _
Analysis
Green Buildings-
Sustainability Reporting—
Lower Emissions 5.6
Climate Disruption 5.6
and Adaptation
16.7 %
22.2 %
22.2 %
27.8%
27.8%
27.8 %
27.8 %
33.3 %
50.0%
50.0%
0 2 4 6 8 10
This question was restricted to the top -3 priorities in order to better understand where
respondents most wanted more knowledge or technical assistance. In our sample, energy efficiency
and ways of communicating sustainability efforts to the public were the strongest performers; given
their relationship to cost savings, corporate image, and community concern (see question 6), this is not
surprising.
After the top two priorities, the spread of companies' top -3 priorities is striking. Roughly 1/4 of
respondents stated that they would like technical assistance on nearly every type of sustainability
option listed. These generally fell into three categories: (1) Product - related (life -cycle analysis, waste
stream management); (2) Energy (green buildings; renewables); (3) Strategies and measures of
sustainability (metrics; corporate sustainability strategy; carbon footprint analysis; sustainability
reporting). Priorities differ by the size and sector of the respondents, but it is clear that a wide variety
of technical assistance would facilitate private sector sustainability and that it is important to gear that
assistance specifically to the needs and concerns of a given business. With the variety of responses
above, clearly one -size does no fit all (except perhaps energy efficiency). This also highlights the
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responses we received in question 7, indicating that lack of staff/staff time was a very common barrier
to pursuit of additional sustainability initiatives.
Perhaps most interesting for this report, GHG emissions and explicit climate concern was only
cited by a little over 5% of respondents, though 22% did cite a GHG inventory as a top -3 priority. This
suggests that the companies we surveyed are motivated more by proximate and community concerns
than global concerns, and that the best way encourage corporate GHG reduction may be indirect, such
as by emphasizing waste reduction (e.g. on -site recycling and product/material life cycle efficiency)
and energy (efficiency, renewables, and green buildings). As discussed above, helping to bring
expertise in these areas to interested companies /institutions may be an important way to drive those
changes.
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Appendix E - Reduction Estimate Ranges and Uncertainty
As discussed in the summary section of this report, each strategy includes an estimate of its
impact on annual GHG emissions by the year 2030. That estimate generally consists of a range of
probable values. The average of that range is used to estimate the total potential GHG reduction
discussed in this section and displayed in Table2a and Figures 2 and 3. For instance, a 100 -1,000
strategy would have an estimate of 550 (the average of 100 and 1,000). A range of 100s would also
have the same estimated average of 550, though with less certainty, as discussed below.
The specific GHG reduction estimates for individual strategies are discussed in the description
sections for each those strategies. This section is more of a general discussion of the estimate ranges- -
what they mean, why one type of estimate goes with a particular strategy, etc.. In general, there are
three types of estimates provided, from most certain to least certain: (1) A single estimated number; (2)
A range of reductions; (3) A magnitude of reductions. These are discussed in detail below.
1. A single estimate, such as 928 mt for the WRRC anaerobic digestion conversion. A single
estimate indicates that the GHG impacts of these actions are relatively certain and
straightforward to calculate. Examples include methane capture and flaring at the landfill,
anaerobic digestion at the WRRC, improved fuel efficiency for The Jule buses, and methane -to-
energy projects at the WRRC and DMASWAfacilities. The impact of these actions on electric
demand, fuel consumption, or methane emissions is well known and can be computed using
standard emissions factors, which minimizes uncertainty and generally justifies using a single
number.
Other GHG reduction strategies are given a single number despite their having somewhat higher
uncertainties. These include the Dubuque Intermodal Transportation Facility, the Southwest Arterial,
and Smarter City ITS. These items already had been given GHG reduction estimates in previous City
documents and studies and appeared to be reasonable to the authors of this study. Therefore, they were
retained to ensure consistency between City documents, though they should be understood to actually
have a range of uncertainty around them.
2. A range of reductions, such as 10 -100, 100 - 1,000, or 1,000- 10,000 mt. Actions in these
categories typically include policy measures, whose impact on behavior is always difficult to
predict. For instance, it is very straightforward to calculate the impact of reducing VMTs by
100,000 miles per year, because we know how many GHGs are emitted per mile driven.
However, it is difficult to know exactly what impact a given transportation - related strategy will
have on VMTs (e.g. the Southwest Arterial, route improvement on the Jule, Complete Streets, or
the Intermodal Transportation Facility ). Similarly, it is very easy to calculate the GHG impact
of a solar panel or a hydroelectric facility of a given size, but it is impossible to predict exactly
what scale renewable energy will achieve in Dubuque by 2030
These are not exhaustive ranges, and the actual reductions could fall short of or surpass expectations.
However, the upper and lower bounds of these ranges do cover the wide middle range of reasonable
expectations. These expectations are based on the impact of similar actions in other communities,
academic studies, and (most importantly) detailed knowledge of the GHG characteristics of each sector
in Dubuque. For instance, if Dubuque's transportation related emissions amount to 200,000 mt per
year, then clearly no action can exceed 200,000 mt, nor is anything likely to reduce transportation
131
emissions by 100,000 or even 50,000 mt. This puts an upper bound on emissions reductions estimates.
The lower bound is technically zero, but actions with no expected impact on GHGs were not included
in this document.
Compared to making precise estimates (or the illusion of precise estimates), it is much more reliable to
calculate that a given strategy could reduce GHG emissions by hundred, thousands, or tens of
thousands of metric tons.
3. A magnitude of reductions, such as 10s, 100s, or 1,000s of mt. These are essentially
equivalent to the ranges described above (i.e. (10s = 10 -100; 100s = 100 - 1,000; etc.); except
that for these strategies, there is less of a firm basis for the upper and lower bounds. To reflect
this greater uncertainty, they are not given a range, but rather an order of magnitude. These
actions are typically actions with broad but diffuse impacts (e.g. the Dubuque UDC) where
making precise predicts is impossible. Still, these broad orders of magnitude provide a useful
baseline for comparing emissions impact and are based primarily on the amount of emissions
currently occurring in a given sector (e.g. energy, transportation, lighting within buildings) and
the amount of those emissions that can reasonably expected to be impacted by a given reduction
strategy.
These estimates are mainly intended to give a sense of their relative likely impact on emissions. For
example, a reduction in the 1,000s category is likely to have a greater impact than a reduction in the
100s category. But again, due to inherent uncertainty, a 100s action could very well exceed
expectations, while a 1,000s could fall short.
As an example, consider IECC building standards. This strategy has a range of 10,000s of mt. This
estimate is based on (1) the amount of electric /heating related emissions in Dubuque; (2) The % of
Dubuque buildings represented by new constructions each year; (3) Past and planned impact of IECC
standards on building energy use. We then calculate a number, which in this case was 91,682 mt of
reduction by 2030. This falls on the upper end of the 10,000s order of magnitude, but there are a lot of
uncertainties like the number of new constructions in Dubuque by 2030, the form of IECC standards,
etc. So the estimate is conservative, but the authors judged it better to be somewhat conservative than
to risk overselling reduction potential in Dubuque. In general, we were most conservative in our
estimates for strategies in this category.
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