The minutes from the October 22nd Energy Efficiency & Conservation Strategy meeting were reviewed. Key discussions included potential projects to improve transportation/land use, waste reduction/recycling, and green jobs. Projects were brainstormed to expand alternative transportation networks, promote bicycling, implement smart growth development, and start green job training programs. The next meeting agenda was to review potential project descriptions, conduct a preference voting exercise to rank projects, and discuss next steps.

1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY & CONSERVATION STRATEGY
MEETING MINUTES
MHSM #0907.00
OCTOBER 22, 2009
Steering Committee:
• Greg Coates (by phone) gcoates@trane.com
• Jeff Welborn jwellborn@seaber.com
• Ian Webb ian@rivercitycycling.com
• Jeanne Hamming jhamming@centenary.edu
• Joe Pierce Jr. jpiercejr@comcast.net
• Stuart Crichton stuartcrichton8@gmail.com
• Roy Griggs roy.griggs@partners.mcd.com
Committee Members Absent:
• Leia Lewis lajordanlewis@yahoo.com
• Lee Jeter Sr. ljeter@fullercenternwla.org
Other Attendees:
• Wes Wyche wes.wyche@shreveportla.gov
• Tim Wachtel timothy.wachtel@shreveportla.gov
• Kim Mitchell kmitchell@mhsmarchitects.com
• Bruce Hoffman bruce@gulfgeoexchange.com
• Patti Trudell ptrudell@certla.org
• Murray Lloyd murrayll@bellsouth.net
• Caroline Majors cmajors@mhsmarchitects.com
• Lola Kendrick lolak@bellsouth.net
Cc:
• Sharon Swanson sswanson@mhsmarchitects.com
• Richard Lane richard@gulfgeoexchange.com
• Gala Daftary gala@gulfgeoexchange.com
• Mike Strong mike.strong@shreveportla.gov
• From 3 P.M. to 4 P.M. the brainstorming session from the October 22nd meeting was
continued and the following project additions were suggested:
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2. • The meeting convened at 4P.M. with Kim reviewing how the Steering Committee ideas
are answering the “strategic doing” method first question, “What can we do”? The
meeting today will begin to answer the next question “what should we do”? As we look
at specific projects to date with preliminary budgets and potential leveraging.
• Bruce reviewed a spread sheet of budgets and leveraging.
• There were several questions about how to define jobs created. Bruce gave an example
related to how the work required is considered jobs created. Jeff mentioned that
Shreveport is one of the few places in the country where construction jobs are
increasing.
• Ian said that he would like to be able to answer questions about the metrics such as
jobs. The DOE uses a formula of $92,000 per job.
• Stuart asked about coordinating banks and lending institutions on the leveraging
programs. Bruce reported that member of Gulf-Geo-Exchange are assembling the
financing program options.
• Stuart asked about policies that penalize companies for not incorporating energy
savings. Joe said there are currently policies and billing procedures that accomplish the
incentive to save energy.
• If we want the short term savings of consumer conservation to produce long term
benefit we need to address utility income structures.
• Combining weatherization programs with other social programs will produce positive
benefits.
• Jeanne discussed the problems of lack of resources for people in poverty to implement
energy savings.
• How do we create programs to supplement the weatherization programs in poverty/low
income programs?
• There can be social benefits to low income communities beyond financial savings of
implementing energy saving for low income families.
• Education and outreach are important aspects of energy conservation in all society
economic level of our community. Churches can be part of delivering the message and
education of conservation.
• Murray commented that the “weatherization program” family is an opportunity for
entrepreneurship.
• Bruce Hoffman discussed the new grant opportunity announced earlier in the week by
the Department of Energy, in which around $450 million would be available on a
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3. competitive basis to communities throughout the county for energy projects/programs.
Around $390 million of this total will available to large cities or counties who received
direct EECBG funding (like Shreveport) for “retrofit rampup” projects—8 to 20 awards
will be made nationwide. The remainder is dedicated to smaller government bodies.
Deadline for submitting a non-mandatory letter of intent is November 19, and deadline
to submit an application is December 14.
• The city could lead by promoting flex time and other energy savings work time
strategies to reduce energy. This category on the chart would likely be a project on
CNG fueling.
• There was general discussion on leveraging funds such as allocating $100,000 of EECS
funds to leverage additional funds for a $400,000 project hat is ready to begin.
• Bruce reported that he has been tasked by Caddo Parish to part of the high speed rail
program. The federal program is interested in including Shreveport. Bruce has started
the process of connecting Shreveport to Dallas to Atlanta. The EECS should work to
develop a master plan that includes multi-model strategies. Communities across the
county are investing significantly in the high speed rail network.
• Wes reported that the EECS Committee is on the council agenda for Tuesday, October
27, at 3:00 P.M. All members are encouraged to attend. Wes requested that the
committee agree on a spokesman. Ian agreed to be the spokesperson.
• Joe suggested that we look at some other way to incentivize recycling by not charging
citizens for recycling and raise funds thru some other means such as charging for non-
recycled trash.
• Jeanne suggested that we do not know what Pratt Industries is actually recycling. Their
current market includes only materials for cardboard boxes. We should look at other
recycling businesses that use materials currently not being recycled. How do we create
the new markets required?
• The suggested allocation for methane should go somewhere else.
• Joe suggested that we develop one project and leveraging for the city council and just
summarize the remaining funding allocations and projected total leveraging $1,977,900
to $24,782,000.
• Ian asked how we might work with the CAG and master plan group. Caroline a
member of the CAG said she will be looking for how to connect or informing both
directions.
• Ian and Jeanne asked about including something in the initial allocation for greenway
programs as discussed it the 3-4 meetings.
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4. • Jeanne also proposed urban forestry be placed into a more comprehensive land use that
include xericaping and bike master plan and greenway programs.
• A carbon offset program would be a way to pay for some programs.
• How do we start a green job programs with initial funding. There is another program
for these $.
• Jeanne asked about training/re-training professionals for green practices. These could
be funded by Labor Dept.
• Ian suggested rolling incubators, green job training and financing into one initiative.
• The incubators could become a local think tank with support from CERT/CRI.
• Joe mentioned that utility companies do have some audit programs.
• Joe asked for a ranking of potential leveraging of projects as low, medium and high
leveraging. He also suggested that we put all projects on the wall and vote to identify
group priorities.
• Jeanne asked that the group also rate the quad-drupple categories of social, economic,
cultural and environmental.
• The consultant team will refine project descriptions and put on the wall for voting at the
next meeting.
• Kim reviewed the web site.
Meeting Adjourned
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5. Steering Committee Notes
The following notes are the result of discussions during the 10.22.09 Steering Committee
Meeting to explore potential projects for each focus area.
Transportation/Land Use
Expand alternative(s) transportation network to connect social/cultural
hubs/districts
Safe/walkable neighborhoods
Bicycle blvds. that connect to small stores/businesses
Connect important culture hubs/districts with alternative transportation
Norton’s Art Gallery (Example)
Need working group to identify hubs and explore connections and map using
G.I.S.
Map how people move through the city to establish patterns of activity
How do we get people outside by choice?
Express options for buses including signal changing for buses
e.g., connect Robinson Film Center with commercial
Bike parking, showers, lockers, etc. that could be paid by the city by private
businesses as an incentive as part of strategy to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
Program to promote with business owners (pub/private partnership)
Explore options to promote bicycling
Re-development and New Development Strategies
Policies for development that require multi-use, amenities, etc. that add to the
alternative transportation, walking network through the city
More efficient public transportation
Connect commuters with computer programs
Look at employment centers to explore new ideas for public transportation
Reduce parking requirements to reduce paving, cover parking with “green” and
solar collectors and absorption coolers
Calculate the bicycle miles traveled by city cyclers, ped/bike traffic counts.
How do we improve traffic signalization to improve traffic flow-this is a fundable
activity for smart signals
Business incentives to encourage bicycling
Expand safe routes to school programs (leveraging opportunity)
Incentive bicycling with priority parking for small, fuel efficient, cars and bikes-
LEED Credit Systems
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6. Bicycle Master Plan that includes biking lanes, “Complete Streets” Green Bicycle
Zones and bicycle preference areas
Waste Reduction/Recycling Focus Area
Shreveport has established a baseline and already has an ozone abatement plan
Comprehensive air quality plan
Also a water quality program
Definition by city for infrastructure-Air, Water, Land & Energy
Xeriscaping:
Waste & Pollution Reduction
Switchgrass/Wildflower
Could be part of biofuel program to harvest switchgrass
“Big belly trash cans” by “Tiny Seahorse”
Green Jobs/Workforce
Diversion programs-unemployed, underemployed, prison labor and at-risk-youth
Cyber traffic should be added to a GIS layer for citizen to describe their daily
routes/routines
Stakeholder Additions
Bar owner’s participation could result in programs to reduce drunk driving
encourage alternative transportation.
CERT is key for collaboration
Education/Outreach
Thinking about consumers as energy producers
Incentives for individuals to be part of a distributed energy systems
Solar collectors on houses to feed grid as an example net metering
Consider programs to distribute to neighbors
“Alternative Hedonism” model
Movement to shift definition of pleasure (Kate Soper)
“Physically Mobile City” – “Unstructured Play” (Land Use Issue)
Award programs for businesses for various green activities such as promoting
bicycle use. Publicize these types of activities
Inventory “Green” activities that city and parish are currently doing as a means of
demonstrating we have “green capacity”
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7. EECS STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
AGENDA
DATE: Thursday, October 29, 2009
TIME: 4:00-6:00 P.M.
LOCATION: 333 Texas Street, Suite 1200
MHSM Office
AGENDA ITEMS:
1. Review minutes of October 22, 2009 meeting.
2. Review CERT plans for higher education alignment/role in the EECP.
3. Review project descriptions with leveraging (low, medium and high ranking) jobs
created and energy saved.
4. Preference voting. Project sheets will be posted on the wall and sticky dots used
for ranking. Voting will also include committee rating of each project for
economic, environmental, social and cultural impact.
5. Discussion of projects.
6. Next steps.
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