Council puts off Energy Action Plan

Budget the bins for 2012

Midway through the Crested Butte Town Council discussion on which part of the Energy Action Plan (EAP) to enact this year, councilperson Dan Escalante quipped, “I’d hate to lose another year.” But that’s essentially what the council will do as they put off any action decision until the 2012 budget process.

The town’s sustainability coordinator Phillip Supino approached the council Monday, April 4 and asked for some guidance on how to proceed with the EAP. “I have compiled a short list of potential action items which I believe are attainable in 2011,” he wrote to the council in a memo. “The items provide a positive rate of return on investment.”
Supino made three suggestions. He said the simplest action for the council to approve would be to have further public outreach and education campaigns “to inform residents about our efforts as a Town.” He suggested it would be possible to implement a town-wide food waste composting program. He said that would be the most time-consuming and expensive of the three suggestions. The third suggestion was to place recycling bins on Elk Avenue to collect metal, plastics and paper products. He said up-front costs for the bins would be “substantial,” in the neighborhood of $12,000. “However, the impact on public perception of both the town and raising awareness of the imperative of recycling would be large,” he said.
“Why not begin implementing all three recommendations?” asked councilperson Reed Betz.
“Cost is one reason,” said Supino. “Education and outreach is probably the best bang for the buck but ORE [the Office for Resource Efficiency] is already doing a good job with that. Still, I think with maybe an additional $5,000 we could go above and beyond what is already being done.”
“Of the three, I would say the council should step back from the composting alternative,” suggested town manager Susan Parker. “Space and money could be prohibitive. On-site composting could be a better pursuit. I’d ask that the council pick something that could be accomplished this year.”
“Our town trash contract is coming up for renewal,” pointed out councilperson John Wirsing. “Recycling bins present a good opportunity to partner with whoever wants the contract. The local food groups in town might want to partner with us over composting.”
“I like recycling on Elk,” added Escalante. “That says something about our town and where our priorities lie. On any of these, I’d really hate to lose another year.”
Councilperson Phoebe Wilson suggested getting the Youth Council involved in local energy efficiency projects.
“I don’t see them as three different priorities,” said Betz. “I’d like to see us accomplish all three—smoosh them all together and move forward.
Mayor Leah Williams said there wasn’t any money budgeted for the projects in this year’s town budget. “I think we should put money aside in the 2012 budget,” she suggested. “We need hard numbers for the 2012 budget and then we can make some decisions.
Supino said he would gather the more concrete numbers and talk to the council again for next year’s budget.