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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Glenwood Springs City Council unanimously voted to approve a climate action plan at Thursday’s meeting on the basis that it be a “working document” that can be revisited and updated if some of the energy reduction goals are found to be unrealistic.
A second motion to approve specific energy reduction targets narrowly passed with a 4-3 margin, but not without discussion.
The plan for the City of Glenwood is the result of nearly two years of work by the Glenwood Springs Energy Efficiency Ad Hoc Committee which was formed in April of 2007. City Council asked for the committee to develop the plan to address issues of global and local climate change, rising energy costs, and to stimulate measures that enhance community sustainability.
“The key is that it’s a working document,” said Councilor Kris Chadwick. “All the funding may not be available right now, and all the solutions may not be available now, but this does provide the framework to move ahead with the climate action plan.”
Councilors agreed that approving the document was an important step in moving forward with the goals.
“I think it’s important to have the targets in place and set those as goals for the city so that that can guide us in the framework in every decision we make from here forward,” said Councilor Shelley Kaup.
While Kaup was in support of the document’s overall framework, she did not support approval of the targets without further input from city staff.
Councilor Dave Johnson said he felt it would be helpful to wait on approving the targets, for a period of six months, until they have feedback from city staff on the specific goals.
Some of the specific goals include a 20 percent reduction in gas emissions from all city facilities operation, a 25 percent reduction in energy use per gross square foot for the city’s total existing building portfolio, a 25 percent reduction in petroleum consumption, and a 20 percent reduction in per capita electric consumption within the city’s electric service area, below 2006 levels over the next three year.
The plan calls for a 30 percent reduction in the city’s greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 levels by 2020, and an 80 percent reduction by 2050.
“I cannot vote tonight in support of the second motion,” Kaup said. “Not because I don’t support the targets, I do. And I think it’s important to set the goals, but I don’t want to set them with the intent of having to modify them in six months. I’d rather take the time up front to get them to something I think is a real goal that we’re going to actually work toward achieving.”
Glenwood Mayor Bruce Christensen said the proposed targets weren’t inappropriate or unattainable, but he agreed that they may need some modifications. However, he still felt the council needed to move forward on the matter.
“This is not saying, no matter what happens we are going to do this,” Christensen said. “What we are saying is, that these are good targets and we are going to move forward on them. And if we find that some of them need to be modified, we will do that.”
A second motion to approve specific energy reduction targets narrowly passed with a 4-3 margin, but not without discussion.
The plan for the City of Glenwood is the result of nearly two years of work by the Glenwood Springs Energy Efficiency Ad Hoc Committee which was formed in April of 2007. City Council asked for the committee to develop the plan to address issues of global and local climate change, rising energy costs, and to stimulate measures that enhance community sustainability.
“The key is that it’s a working document,” said Councilor Kris Chadwick. “All the funding may not be available right now, and all the solutions may not be available now, but this does provide the framework to move ahead with the climate action plan.”
Councilors agreed that approving the document was an important step in moving forward with the goals.
“I think it’s important to have the targets in place and set those as goals for the city so that that can guide us in the framework in every decision we make from here forward,” said Councilor Shelley Kaup.
While Kaup was in support of the document’s overall framework, she did not support approval of the targets without further input from city staff.
Councilor Dave Johnson said he felt it would be helpful to wait on approving the targets, for a period of six months, until they have feedback from city staff on the specific goals.
Some of the specific goals include a 20 percent reduction in gas emissions from all city facilities operation, a 25 percent reduction in energy use per gross square foot for the city’s total existing building portfolio, a 25 percent reduction in petroleum consumption, and a 20 percent reduction in per capita electric consumption within the city’s electric service area, below 2006 levels over the next three year.
The plan calls for a 30 percent reduction in the city’s greenhouse gas emissions from 2006 levels by 2020, and an 80 percent reduction by 2050.
“I cannot vote tonight in support of the second motion,” Kaup said. “Not because I don’t support the targets, I do. And I think it’s important to set the goals, but I don’t want to set them with the intent of having to modify them in six months. I’d rather take the time up front to get them to something I think is a real goal that we’re going to actually work toward achieving.”
Glenwood Mayor Bruce Christensen said the proposed targets weren’t inappropriate or unattainable, but he agreed that they may need some modifications. However, he still felt the council needed to move forward on the matter.
“This is not saying, no matter what happens we are going to do this,” Christensen said. “What we are saying is, that these are good targets and we are going to move forward on them. And if we find that some of them need to be modified, we will do that.”
