Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP)

Q12 Is there anything else you would like us to consider in the Ashland Climate and Energy Action Plan? Answered: 5 Skipped: 8 # Responses Date 1 Liked page 19 which showed example actions we need to take to reach 46% of goal. Maybe add in a realistic assumption on how much carbon offset credits we would need over time to achieve the 8% goal. 12/12/2016 8:37 PM 2 Maybe to consider leaving this open a bit longer, to generate more awareness. Even though it has been ongoing for a year+, I seem to talk to a fair number of Ashlanders that don't know about it. Can the city send out an email blast, a JPR announcement, or special bill insert,etc, to get more people informed and to somewhat "insist" on a reply?! Even in Ashlandia, more awareness is needed! 12/11/2016 6:36 PM 3 While there are many good ideas in the draft, we strongly support focussing on those top tier plan elements that have the highest "bang for the buck." Others may sound good but are likely high cost-low payoff. In summary those elements to prioritize would include: - Achieving energy efficiency in building construction, operation and maintenance and updating codes and zoning policies to achieve that end. - De-emphasizing more parking. We have enough parking already. We should actively move to support ways to eliminate expansion of the number of automobiles in our neighborhoods. (That also means that hiring a "parking czar" should be aggressively viewed as theft from the efforts to address climate change. ) - Focusing messaging on lifestyle changes toward younger audiences (K-12 and College. Also use that student base as the amabassadors of the program, rather than hiring more City staff. - Use existing City Commissions by expanding their mission statements to embrace dealing with climate change and the goals of your final plan, rather than adding new staff or commissions. - Focussing on private behaviors and choices while de- emphasizing the focus on City staff operations. The climate imnpacts of City staff and departments are only a small fraction of the problems that are occurring. The fact that they are easy to monitor/measure is not offset by the relatively low inpact on the bigger problem. - Encouraging best practices in private and civic landscaping and horticulture We would support ULT-1-4 for locally owned transit insofar as it ONLY addresses the need for low cost or free interurban shuttle funded by parking fees. Parking a car in Ashland should be an expensive choice. We would support ULT-5-1 only to the point it emphasizes vanpools, and car pool parking. EV charging stations in private parking lots is a luxury item that should be paid by the local landowner. 12/11/2016 4:27 PM 4 Mitigating potential impacts to open space, for example: rare ecology features at the Imperatrice Property Considering how to leverage current technologies, make existing infrastructure more efficient (could save on costs too!) instead of starting from the ground up in creating new things (solar infrastructure) - this was reinforced by a disscussion I had with the consultant (Mark?) from Seattle that was at the last public meeting Financial Incentives for businesses and homeowners to decrease their use of energy. Perhaps a program where people can crowd source with the money that they would have have spent on electric bills to help fund the position mentioned at the meeting (someone to implement the plan). 12/9/2016 1:22 PM 5 Consider focusing on real issues and stop spending money on these politically correct appeasement endeavors. How about cleaning up downtown, planting more trees and landscaping, moving the homeless along and hiring more police? There are some good places to spend out tax dollars. Like our city council but think these special interest groups get you going in the wrong directions and distract you from real issues that negatively impact us daily (downtown crime and nuisances). I mean all of these suggestions in a constructive way, don't misjudge. I am trying to keep it all short, concise and on point. Thank you for reading. 11/29/2016 2:22 PM 13 / 13 Ashland Climate and Energy Action Plan: Draft Plan Public Feedback Survey