Climate Action Plan

Use the SolarAPP+ app to automate solar permitting

Developed by NREL for local governments to speed up the solar permitting process. I thought Boulder County and maybe Lafayette used it but I find any confirmation.

Help electric appliances become the default installation choice

Require it for remodels? Incentivize installers? The electric grid is getting cleaner quickly and we can't take advantage of it with our gas appliances.

Eliminate Natural Gas Service in New Construction

Stop natural gas line construction to new builds in Lafayette. Simplify the utility landscape and redirect the upfront costs to electric heat-pumps, induction ranges, heat pump water heaters, and EV charging infrastructure. Current technology is amazing and outperforms gas, even in our 1995 home. Modern homes with better sealing, insulation, windows, etc would be a slam dunk. Save home owners the expense (and waste) of converting down the road.

Inform people about the electrification rebate calculator

Hosted by the nonprofit Rewiring America: http://homes.rewiringamerica.org/calculator Colorado Sun article: https://coloradosun.com/2024/04/16/colorado-google-renewable-energy-credits-calculator/

Invest in energy storage research

We are in the process of converting our home to electric via solar and heat pumps/ water heater, but the challenge facing Lafayette and elsewhere is how to *store* electricity generated by clean/renewable sources. Supply doesn't always match demand, forcing us to rely on non-renewable sources when demand peaks. Until we can adequately store and re-use energy, we will face the problem of individual solar-powered homes generating excess during high sun and then demanding too much during low sun.

Allow more mixed use development

Build less drive through restaurants and encourage the development of mixed use buildings to create more walkable areas that discourages private car use

Encourage Lafayette retail businesses to install EV charging stations

Improve sidewalks and/or add bike paths along Baseline

The sidewalks and bike lane along Baseline are currently deteriorating and hazardous to bikes and pedestrians with strollers, please help!

Make a light rail from Boulder County to Denver County to help with air quality.

Build & Maintain Comfortable Bus Shelters

I realize this is asking a lot, but a focus on making bus stops more comfortable, cleaner, and safer would encourage public transit. Our son rides the RTD bus to school everyday, which is amazing, but the stop he picks it up from it littered with shopping carts, food containers, used pregnancy tests (true), and doesn't have a wind break or place to sit.

Invest in wildfire/wind mitigation, emergency reserve teams and supplies

The last few years have demonstrated that wildfire and wind present hazards to Lafayette residents. Building reserve teams and supplies to help mitigate or recover quickly from these natural disasters is a priority.

Consider building a municipal broadband utility for the City of Lafayette that residents can subscribe to for broadband Internet access

The better informed your residents are, the more chances those residents can help their city protect the community from future climate change impacts. However, that is not possible without access to information, period. Internet access is the best way to arm yourself with information to further that cause. The digital divide is a serious issue that has plagued our entire nation for decades. And yet, both Longmont, CO and Fort Collins, CO have their own municipal broadband utility that receives glowing reviews of amazing service from their respective residents. I can safely say tech-savvy Lafayette residents in the know are jealous of both cities. Lafayette residents are stuck with Internet provider options that largely varies from block to block because of our old town infrastructure. Many of us are unable to subscribe to high speed/broadband internet because of where our homes are located. Whether it's DSL, cable, or a wireless Internet service provider (WISP), Lafayette residents need access to Internet for many things. This includes but is not limited to adults who work from home, children who need to do research for homework, senior citizens that live alone who want to connect with loved ones, and any resident and non-resident visiting businesses within Lafayette city limits. Some parts of our city are very lucky to have high speed Internet access but many of us still don't have that luxury even in 2024. Please consider beginning the process of building a municipal broadband utility for the City of Lafayette. I am ignorant in the ways of how this would be possible but I am assuming it will need to be put to a vote before anything can really happen. Many of Lafayette's old houses and low-income housing are in desperate need of Internet access at an affordable price. The new housing developments that are springing up around Lafayette for low-income families is a great place to start but please do not forget many of us who have lived in Lafayette for decades are still struggling with a lack of Internet access or access to only slow/unreliable Internet.

Build more housing

Build more housing close to where people work so that those who work in Lafayette may have the opportunity to also live here.

More shade producing greenery

Lafayette has so much cement. Especially along 287. It makes walking around almost unbearable. We need more trees, specifically trees that belong to our climate. Instead of massive concrete walls we should have greenery. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/18/world/asia/singapore-heat.html#:~:text=Researchers%20say%20that%20planting%20more,time%20trying%20to%20do%20that.

Collaborate with schools

Could we create a program that collaborates with students in Lafayette elementary, middle & high schools to take care of sections of our natural environment areas? For example, Pioneer Elementary could take care of the Outdoor Classroom (pick up litter, change out the information signs, report broken structures or graffiti), and Lafayette Elementary could do the same for Waneka Lake Park, Sanchez could do Coal Creek...

Reduce Concrete Wastelands

Review city requirements for number of parking spaces for each class of building and reduce as much as possible. Walmart does not need that big of parking lot (and we have two huge lots thanks to them). It causes excessive sprawl and harms walk-ability. Plus, it makes it more expensive to run a business.

Consider a city-run bee farm or collaboration effort. Save the bees!

Native planting to promote and ensure pollinator health is absolutely great should be considered in addition to a bee farm as well. A bee farm in itself has many opportunities to educate the local public beyond just words.

Encourage native plants

Remove restrictions on the "overgrown" yard, which discourages native plants, pollinators, etc. Support lawn removal. Have native seed/plant giveaways.

Override HOA rules regarding grass yards

Override HOA rules that require a resident maintain a certain percentage of grass yard or limits a residents ability to xeriscape.

Common Water Meters not working for Townhomes

New townhome developments should have a dedicated water meter per unit. Typically Townhome HOAs split up the cost of water equally among all of the owners. This breeds complacency and the lack of feedback on a resident's water cost causes residents to use more than they need. Each single family home should have a dedicated water meter and water account and this will reduce water usage.

City Sanctioned Rain barrel usage.

I'm not sure if this is possible legally or not, but many HOAs ban Rain barrels due to the way they look. If possible, the city should legislate that an HOA shall not be allowed to ban capture and storage for rain water of landscape and garden use.

City needs to adjust sprinklers on medians by Centaurus HS. They water street, on too long, operate during rain or after heavy rainstorms

Xeriscape Design Support

Xeriscapes can be really attractive and dramatically reduce water use, but the default is a yard of rocks. Last spring I converted our front yard to xeriscape starting with a Resource Central garden-in-a-box flower bed, but had to figure out the rest on my own. Creating a plant database, recommended materials, pattern ideas, drip system best practices, and links to contractors all in one place could accelerate the transition away from grass and make our community visually attractive.

Emphasize reduce and re-use over recycling

Our house already diverts around 75% of our waste to compost and recycling thanks to Lafayette's 3-cart program, but in recent years I've heard rumors that plastic waste recycling doesn't actually work (much of it ends up in landfills anyway). If Lafayette is going to emphasize recycling, can we be assured that it is effective? Our household's low percentage of waste comes from a significant effort to reduce plastic consumption (not buying plastic products such as drink bottles), so programs that emphasize the more pressing need to reduce consumption are preferred over simple waste diversion programs.

Idea: Use cat litter buckets for garage storage

Cat litter buckets were a huge source of plastic waste at our household until we realized that we could use them as identical storage buckets for some garage supplies (as opposed to buying additional plastic storage bins). They stack conveniently together as well, and have handles! They can also be used for mixing cement or other dirty bucket tasks around the house.

Collaborate with apartment complexes to make composting accessible for those living in multi-family dwellings