John Scarffe, Nederland. The Nederland Board of Trustees approved a request to pursue a grant for solar panels on the Waste Water Treatment Plant during a regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 18, 2019, in the Nederland Community Center. The Board also discussed new regulations for the Town’s zero waste policies for events.

Public Works Manager Chris Pelletier told the Board that the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) came out with a new grant, and it supports clean energy, planning and infrastructure projects. The Town goes to DOLA for a lot of funds, and Nederland wants to be more energy efficient. DOLA has grants available. 

Staff is requesting to apply for a grant to install solar panels at the Waste Water Treatment Facility. DOLA has announced funding availability for renewable and clean energy planning infrastructure, and implementation projects in an effort to support Colorado’s 2040 renewable energy goal, according to the agenda information memorandum.

“DOLA has earmarked $12 million in Energy Impact Assistance to assist local governments to achieve this goal. There is no cap on funding for Implementation Grants awarded to qualifying entities with a 50 percent match requirement and a potential to reduce the match to 25 percent,” according to the memo. 

Staff would like to apply for an implementation grant to install solar panels at the Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTP). Staff has communicated with the Town’s DOLA representative and received positive feedback for the proposed project, according to the memo.

The grant deadline is in December with a preliminary submittal in September and grant award in March 2020. Staff has researched solar installations and thinks this may be a good opportunity to leverage existing loan funds for this purpose, according to the memo.

Nederland received a loan from the State’s revolving fund (SRF) for $2 million dollars and is leveraging funds from a DOLA grant in combination with SRF to construct the Biosolids Facility. “Staff expects the project to be well below the projected $2 million that was borrowed and would like to use a portion of these funds as a match for a DOLA grant,” according to the memo. 

The Board passed resolutions in support of the Paris Agreement in recognition that an increase in atmospheric greenhouse gases pose an existential threat to humanity, and the Board passed a resolution to ensure the Town of Nederland transitions to 100 percent renewable energy by 2025. 

Pelletier said this is a good opportunity to reduce energy consumption at the plant, because it is a power monster. It uses a lot of power, so this is another way to reduce those costs. Solar was originally part of the plans for the plant, and infrastructure and piping has already been put in, but it was so cost prohibitive to put it in when the plant was built. “What I’m asking the Board for tonight is if they would support expenses for this project.”

Trustee Jonathan Baumhover said it seems like the Town is finding cost savings from Biosolids project through the contractor arrangement. The Town borrowed $2 million but only needed $950,000, so they can use a small portion of the funds for this purpose. 

“It seems like a good use of funds, so I would like to say yay and give you direction to pursue the funds,” Baumhover said. The pipes were already installed, and the question is how this would affect finances going forward.

Town Administrator Karen Gerrity said the Town would need to borrow an additional $50,000. If you passed it on to fees, it would be 35 cents a month. Baumhover asked if there was any way not to pass that on, and Gerrity said if they had anyway to realize more savings because of energy efficiency, they won’t need to pass it on.

Baumhover said he has heard a lot from people whose water bills hit them hard, so he hopes they can leverage other funding opportunities without passing the fees on to users. Pelletier said as energy costs go up over time, they will be passed on to the rate payer. This is a way to help stabilize future rates.

Trustee Alan Apt said that energy costs are not going to go down, so having our own system is worth it. Trustee James Rawsthorne said he appreciates the level of detail in the request. One of the advantages is that it is web-based. “I’m supporting it, and I think the pay-back schedule is spot on.

Mayor Kristopher Larsen asked, “Don’t you love having a bunch of scientists up here?” The Town has a solar energy contract with Oakleaf, and Larsen asked if that is something they can eventually use to help get solar to the rest of the town. 

Pelletier said that’s an interesting idea and perhaps could maybe reduce the contract. Larsen said he is in favor of doing this. The Board approved pursuing the grant for solar panels at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Pelletier and Jennifer Morrison with the Nederland Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) presented regulations to accompany the Town’s zero waste policies. Pelletier said the Board of Trustees adopted a zero waste policy in 2012 along with Boulder County’s plan for zero waste.

The town’s special events application requires zero waste. Morrison said the proposal has two different pieces with small updates and the bigger picture of how do you regulate zero waste. Colorado is figuring out regulations and how do you do it successfully. 

Boulder County has already done the work, but then the question SAB went around with forever is how do you encourage it and enforce it. SAB has been working with NedFest organizers, and they have come to SAB meetings, but it is probably not going to happen, Morrison said.

If the Town charges a fee, people will just throw the trash in a dumpster to avoid the fee. You just get a dumpster of stuff that could have been recycled. Morrison suggested that Pelletier come up with the costs, and the fee would be based on that. 

She did get in touch with zero waste sites for the entire state of Colorado and if asked if the Board would like to have them come up and speak.

Staff was given direction to provide zero waste regulations to the Board for consideration. Nederland has a resolution adopting the Boulder County zero waste action plan as a guiding document, according to the memo. In this document, the Board is given authorization to establish fees as it pertains to zero waste. Additionally this resolution authorizes the Board to adopt regulations in furtherance of its zero waste goals.  

In recognition of the difficulty for Town Staff with limited resources to enforce its rules, according to the memo, staff determined that the best incentive will be to require a reasonable deposit for large events. Staff in cooperation with SAB is proposing changes that will result in providing Town Staff the necessary means to enforce the Town’s goals of sustainability and zero waste.    

One line is to be added for permitting requirements: “All special events and temporary events at a venue at a facility in the Town of Nederland must provide recyclables and compost collection in compliance with the Town’s Special Event Permit Requirements”. Additionally, a “Zero Waste event checklist” is to be added as part of the permit application process.  

Secondly, SAB proposes adopting a Zero Waste Special Event Checklist/Requirements, according to the memo. Staff proposes to adopt the same zero waste documents that Boulder County has adopted in regards to special events. The requirements consist of providing recycling receptacles, best practices, a before and after zero waste checklist and a zero waste vendor agreement. 

At a future meeting, SAB proposes making additional levels for larger event damage deposits in the Nederland Fee Schedule during the fall approval of the 2020 Fee Schedule. The current fee schedule has a damage deposit fee for events greater than 1,000 people of $2,500, but events such as Frozen Dead Guy Days are far more impactful than events under 1,000 people. 

Further, SAB hopes to incentivize waste diversion, as the current fee and deposit structure has resulted in large events forgoing zero waste practices in lieu of having their deposit returned. The policy on special events has resulted in outcomes counter to the Town’s objectives of zero waste, and for profitable events that exceed 10,000 people, events have taken advantage of the lack of enforcement and the low cost of compliance, according to the memo.

SAB and staff are proposing an increased damage deposit for events greater than 5,000 people and 10,000 people. SAB will research incentives and propose deposit amounts during the next fee schedule change at the end of the year. 

Trustee Rawsthorne asked if this would encourage a festival to come to town. “I agree with the goals here.” Morrison said this will help events reach zero waste, and if we’re leading in this, she can see people calling and asking how you do this.

Mayor Larsen said other places have zero waste policies and have festivals. Baumhover asked if Nederland could purchase composting, trash and recycling cans and help achieve the goal that we put on them. How about the town has equipment, and the festivals put them up and staff them.

Pelletier said that from a staff perspective, it’s how do we enforce zero waste. Baumhover said that if the town is able to partner with the festivals, it would be helpful if the Town provided the necessary things, and this would be a way to bring festivals into town and start to work with them instead of just proposing regulations.

During public comment, five residents addressed the Board. Magnolia Star Resident Kathleen Chippi blamed Mayor Larsen for the town’s current problems. The town now has zero waste and a greenhouse, but it has killed the festivals.

Deb DeAndrea, one of the managers of the former NedFest music festival, said that NedFest was close to zero waste, and they paid staff to manage the stations. She still has materials stored on her property, including her own receptacles, CDOT approved vests and traffic controllers, and she could teach the Town what to do, but that line of communication has gone cold.

Town Clerk Hope Jordan said she has just become executive director of the Nederland Downtown Development Authority, and she is excited about a survey to businesses about the impact of the festivals in town. “We’re really looking forward to talking with Deb and putting together ideas for waste and parking. Regarding construction in Boulder Canyon, we are reaching out to businesses to come up with ideas to get people to stop, shop and dine.

After discussion, Mayor Larsen said, “I am in favor of the modifications and the checklist and have concerns about the fee increases. I would move to have town staff draft an ordinance to modify for the code language and a plan for outreach to festivals and include ways for festivals to request fee waivers based upon the common good, like NedFest, and add ways to get fee waivers.” 

Make the fee schedule more clear and get input from the event organizers prior to the budget. He moved that Town staff draft an ordinance and make plans for outreach and modification to the fee schedule for the 2020 budget season. 

The Board approved the motion. The Board canceled the July 2 meeting for the Fourth of July holiday. 

The next regular meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in the multi-purpose room at the Nederland Community Center.

(Originally published in the July 4, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)