CFE minutes 101215 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

2  Eisenhart asked how much of a role does cost play in the choice of products used. Farmer said when using public funds price matters quite a lot.  Gronback asked if Farmer uses a mixture of turf grass. Farmer said yes, especially those that can outcompete the unwanted weeds.  Stancil noted that many of the users of County fields—especially the Soccer.com Center—demand high-quality fields that require special maintenance. He said the center hosts many tournaments and college soccer showcase events.  Bouma said he had performed a quick search for viable alternatives to 2-4-d, but could not find anything suitable on line.  Sassaman said he expects there is a fairly high level of safety and control for the application of herbicides and pesticides on County sites by licensed staff. He said he is more concerned about the use of these products by homeowners in residential areas throughout the county. O’Connor and said she would like to see more guidance targeted toward residential users of these chemicals. Stancil noted that during the 2008 drought period the County held public meetings to educate people about water conservation and the proper use of fertilizers.  Becker cautioned that just because a product is EPA-approved and regulated there may be alternatives that are better for the natural environment. O’Connor agreed, but also noted that natural compost can also pollute streams.  Gronback asked Farmer about the use of pre-emergent weed control products. Farmer said he loves them because they often have a one-time application rate. Bouma said he expects County staff would be welcome to a periodic review of its use of herbicides and other chemicals, including the examination of alternatives. Farmer said this discussion is helpful and timely because this is the time of year to identify product needs for the coming year. Bouma suggested the staff of DEAPR and AMS (Asset Management Services) meet periodically to discuss potential alternatives to some of the more caustic substances. He said there are some non-profit organizations that monitor these issues and might have some helpful suggestions. CFE members thanked Davis, Farmer and Stancil for sharing this information. V. Green Building Incentives – The CFE continued its discussion of potential incentives for energy-efficient construction. Bouma provided an update on the Town of Chapel Hill’s early experience with the pilot commercial green building incentive in the Ephesus- Fordham planning district. Bouma reported that he had spoken with Jesse Freedman who, along with John Richardson, had briefed the CFE on this program in April 2015. Bouma said the town had only received three or four building permits for this district thus far, but only one of those—an apartment building—is under construction. The town anticipates the developer of that building will be applying for some kind of green building certification; however it’s unclear whether he would have done this regardless of the town’s incentives. Bouma explained that developers often choose to apply for such certification as a marketing tool despite the high cost of applying and obtaining the certification.