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Sustainability Department Check-in
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Happy Fall Y’all! The leaves are crunching underfoot and the crisp night air has kissed the summer flowers goodbye. As we hunker down for cooler temperatures don’t forget to weatherize your home and keep pursuing ways to increase your household and business energy efficiency.
In the Sustainability Department we’re in the home stretch of developing the Municipal Climate Action Plan. Our consultant team collaborated with the Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment to develop prioritization factors and have developed preliminary goals, focus areas, and high impact activities (HIA). Utilizing these factors, a prioritized HIA list was created. Next steps include scoping high level costs, staffing and resources required to implement the HIA as well as developing an implementation timeline. The final document is slated to go to City Council for adoption in early 2023. For more information please go to the project page or reference the Sustainability Advisory Committee’s recent meetings.
With Gratitude in Service,
City of Asheville, Sustainability Department
Bridget Herring Kiera Bulan
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Carbon Reduction Updates
In August, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration announced the City of Asheville has been awarded $4.2 million from the Low-and No-Emission Program to invest in purchasing new transit buses for the Asheville Rides Transit (ART) fleet. The $4.2 million will allow the City of Asheville to purchase six hybrid replacement buses and three replacement batteries for existing hybrid buses. Read more about the new busses!
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Renewable Energy Updates
On September 27th City Council approved an interlocal agreement with Buncombe County to study the feasibility of installing floating solar panels on the North Fork Reservoir and Lake Julian. While this does not mean that either project will come to fruition, this is an important first step to considering opportunities to meet the City and County’s 100% renewable energy goals! For more information watch County Commissioner Newman’s presentation to the City Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee in September.
The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County, formally intervened in the North Carolina Utilities Commission Docket on Duke Energy’s Carbon Plan. The City filed comments alongside other local governments and businesses identifying key issues present in all four modeled scenarios that would make meeting the City’s 100% Renewable Energy goal by 2030 difficult. This was the second time the City has officially intervened in a docket at the NCUC, the first time being in 2021 on the 2020 Integrated Resource Plan. Read more about the intervening in this article.
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Climate Resilience & Justice Updates
Photo credit: Emmanuel Figaro
Asheville’s inspiring Youth Artists Empowered and their artist mentors continue to showcase their work and engage with community around climate and connection. This fall “The Faces of Change” exhibit was selected for Art in the Heart, a multi media installation at Pack Square Plaza that sparked community engagement for the Pack Square Plaza Visioning and Improvements Project.
Sustainability Department Director, Bridget Herring, provided a Climate Justice Initiative update at the August 23 Public Safety Committee meeting. Key takeaways from the presentation included a reminder that our frontline communities are resident experts in building and maintaining social safety networks that deploy resources in times of need, current project priority is integrating climate justice into city operations, and that climate justice collaborations and initiatives enhance neighborhood resilience. Watch the Public Safety Committee meeting recording.
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Food Policy Updates
We’re celebrating a new community garden in West Asheville Park! This spring and summer Bountiful Cities Community Garden Network supported a community-led initiative that organized, built, and grew food in a new garden on City property. This sweet gathering space provides a place to rest your legs while enjoying views of the baseball field, creek, and lovingly tended fresh food. Learn more about the Asheville Edibles Program.
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Waste Reduction Updates
Tis the season for many leaves! At their October 11th meeting, City Council directed staff to present an ordinance update requiring paper leaf bags or reusable containers at the upcoming December council meeting. Staff was also directed to pursue robust community engagement to prepare a recommendation regarding single use plastic bags and Expanded Polystyrene take out food containers in 2023.
You don’t have to wait for the leaf bag ordinance update to pass, paper leaf bags are an affordable and ecological choice to prepare your leaves for curbside pick up; in fact paper leaf bags decompose right alongside your leaves at the compost facility. Sometimes it can be appropriate to “leave the leaves” (loose or in a wire enclosure). Leaves create excellent pollinator habitat and recycle nutrients to feed your soil as they decompose. Please be a good neighbor and citizen and be sure NOT to let leaves blow into neighboring yards, streets or sidewalks. Leaves, grass clippings and tree trimmings that are swept or blown into the street and storm drains are pollutants and also create a hazard for motorists and pedestrians. These materials clog storm drains and increase the risk of flooding on our streets.
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Sustainability Across Departments
Sweet garden install at the Public Works truck bay lot!
Public Works Sanitation Operations Manager Darlene Barnwell not only keeps things running smoothly with our Sanitation trucks and routes, but also took time to plant a veggie, herb, and flower garden in the truck lot. Thanks for bringing beauty, healthy food, and creativity to the workplace!
Congrats (and thanks!) go out to the Water Department on the 1st floor of City Hall for taking up the compost challenge and putting a compost bucket in your break room! Dedicated staff has agreed to take the scraps to Stephens Lee food scraps-drop off & keep those coffee grounds out of the landfill!
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RESOURCES
Upcoming meetings - tune in’!
- November 8, 3-5PM Blue Horizon’s Project Community Council will meet virtually. Meeting link and materials on the BHPCC webpage.
- November 16, 3:30-5:30 PM - Sustainability Advisory Committee will meet virtually to elect new officers among other things. The agenda will be posted on November 14th on the committee’s webpage.
Local News & Resources
- New Food Scraps Drop-off site alert! West Asheville library drop off is now LIVE! If you’re already registered the same code will work at all four sites. For more information and to register check out this webpage.
- Local Governments call for strong, affordable carbon plan - Meg Jamison opinion piece
- Compost celebration Nov 5 11AM-2PM @ Lucy S. Herring Peace Garden in Asheville. Come get some free “Black Gold” (bring your own bucket!), learn about soil biology, sign up for Food Scraps Drop-Off and enjoy composting community. Learn more and register.
National News
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