Hi! Thanks for joining and for helping us out tonight, Olivia!

Steve Walz, ECCTF Task Force Member

Hi Jessica, I'm happy to be here! Looking forward to this :)

Ellen Eggerton, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Alexandria.

Hi everyone, Alyssa Abosompim here :). I'm also on the task force

Hi All, I’m Al Clark, representing the EPC (present in lieu of Marta Schantz, the EPC’s rep on the task force, who couldn’t be present today)

Dan Medina, FloodAction Program Manager

Josh Sawislak, task force member.

Good evening all, Rose Stephens-Booker, Task Force Member

Leah Devendorf, Youth member

Thank you for joining us tonight. Mary Harris, Co chair, here.

Where will these reports be posted for the public to read?

Bill responded to Alyssa that the reports will be sent to the Task Force when complete and then posted for public on the ECCTF city website

👍

Bill, I'll reach out to you regarding being on the right DOE listservs for BIL and BBA implementation information that is coming out weekly.

Thanks, Rose! Very helpful. We keep watch via email and media, but admittedly we don't capture everything that comes out. Much appreciated.

they are posted: https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/tes/eco-city/info/11_16_2021%20Energy%20and%20Climate%20Change%20Action%20Plan%20Community%20Workshop.pdf

they are posted: https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/tes/eco-city/info/11_16_2021%20Energy%20and%20Climate%20Change%20Action%20Plan%20Community%20Workshop.pdf

Under the workshop there is a doc whose link is labeled “Breakout Room Jamboard Results” from this page: https://www.alexandriava.gov/tes/eco-city/info/default.aspx?id=118548

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In Alexandria, we may face climate vulnerabilities from coastal flooding more than on a regional level. This is due to the potential effects on Old Town and Four Mile Run in particular, This may be a risk rating of 9 for Alexandria.

Bill, can you say what the Healthy Places Index Score for Alexandria is on previous side?

FYI thought: Alexandria equity and environmental justice metrics should align with fed gov agency/department metrics/definitions to ensure alignment for j40 funding opportunities.

Suggestion: each time you reference a plan or report - provide a link to it so anyone can review it if they’d like to

Question: do you plan to talk about the current proposals to protect the 4 blocks of Old Town from flooding including possible costs to taxpayers?

NTSB brief on May 2018 freight train derailment: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAB2001.pdf

Hi Kathie - Dan does have a slide on the flood mitigation project in Old Town so we will touch on it, yes.

@Jessica, I don't have tonight's PPT--could you please send? I have the 10 attachments from the email from Bill but I could really use the master PPT slides as we go through the meeting tonight

🏫 Presentation slides can be downloaded from: https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/tes/eco-city/info/ECCTF_Meeting4_SlideDeck.pdf

thank you!

DC’s gift to weather Hell. Freezing rain.

city has cooling centers during heat events

Often the City uses rec centers and the libraries

June 29, 2021 Alexandria release on cooling centers opening in response to hazardous heat forecast - https://www.alexandriava.gov/news_display.aspx?id=123126

Yes, I'm so sorry. I just lost connection. I'll place in chat.

Rose, can you type in chat your comments when you have stable connection?

Heat, trees, and equity: Street trees are a nature-based solution that can help with extreme heat. Fortunately for Alexandria, this is already a funded program. However, it is disproportionately accessed by our residents of greater privilege. Giving staff the discretion to direct (native!) street tree planting to areas where they are most needed seems like a quick fix that can immediately direct budgeted funds in a more equitable manner. There are neighborhoods of the City where street trees can make a big difference, but very few currently exist. This should be an easy one!

Reference: McKinsey/C40 report, How cities can adapt to climate change(July 2021) https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/how-cities-can-adapt-to-climate-change#

Happy to include my thoughts in the chat and I'm so sorry that I couldn't speak to this point more concisely earlier. Many of you may not know but I grew up in the Tidewater area. Another area that is very prone to flooding. In fact, it was just a matter of life growing up and with that came a type of respect to the power of water and the understanding that mitigation and resilience and human ingenuity can drastically improve quality of life and empower the community but can only take us so far. There was an educational and big effort that emphasized adaptation emphasizing community and business continuity planning and so forth that I really think could benefit the citizens of ALX.

Rose, that is such a helpful perspective. I'd love to learn more about continuity planning for communities and businesses. That sounds like it would really benefit us here in Alexandria.

What is the City doing to make the flood mitigation grant program more accessible to residents who may not be familiar navigating administrative processes? Or who may not have the time, knowhow, education, language skills, etc to successfully apply? Is it only available to property owners (not renters)?

Rose, I imagine a lot of life lessons from your time growing up in Tidewater and experiencing the issues of flooding and climate vulnerabilities to the community. A few thoughts; it might be great to capture your lived experiences to contribute to a personal story to the ECCAP. Also, this would be a perfect pairing with the ResilientALX initiative which is working with the business community and individuals to understand and promote individual and organizational resilience planning. Let's think about how to promote your and others' experiences to communicate these important experiences.

FYI the APEX links are broken on the quick start guide and the submission guide

Are grants available to renters? A concern I heard from neighborhood residents is the health impact of mold from flooding or infiltration as well of the cost of remediating and resealing basements and poor landlord clean-up response

(from here: https://www.alexandriava.gov/tes/stormwater/info/default.aspx?id=121974)

The pilot program is currently only open to property owners which does not include renters.

Yep. Norfolk,VA born and raise. Bill, I love that idea and I'm super super super into it and would absolutely being willing.

Praveen - Thank you for pointing that out. I will take a look at it!

Other's on the task force, we could also consider a quote or profile or story that could communicate your experiences to the broader community.

The program doesn't cover remediation for flooding, such as mold issues. The law focuses on flood mitigation only.

I think it's possible to seek other sources of funding to support communities for flood impacts beyond our flood mitigation program.

I understand that the City's Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C- PACE) program that can offer lower cost financing for energy efficiency also can fund stormwater and flood mitigation. Can the City staff confirm?

Waterfront Tidal Flooding Mitigation: is the City looked at the climate fate of the entire waterfront with projected sea level/riverine rise and land sinking? The NOAA forecast I think is 16 inches to 4 foot rise on the Potomac within next 50-75 years which could endanger our Park system.

Confirmed! Yes, Steve. We have yet to see it used in this way but it is available.

the building code requires an window correctly sized to have any bedrooms in the basement. One cannot modify a home to allow sleeping in a basement without egress windows

C-PACE link: https://www.alexandriava.gov/tes/eco-city/info/default.aspx?id=123234

Can we overlay the heat island map with demographic data, house prices, renter density…etc?

What % of playing fields are using turf instead of grass and what is the difference in temperature between the two?

Praveen - Would you be able to have your renter contact email me their situation so I may be considered as we transition out of the pilot phase? We can bring it up with the City Attorney or try to see what options there might be as we move forward.

Javier - The map Bill Pug created (see handouts posted for the meeting) showed high heat areas overlaid with social vulnerability. See https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/tes/eco-city/info/8a_ECCTF_Meeting3_PublicCommentsRecieved-Pugh_ALX%20climate%20vulnerable%20neighborhoods.pdf This may partly get to your question. Certainly more is needed to address your request.

Can we consider adding Tree canopy and our Park system to our critical infrastructure which can be severely affected by heat?

Thanks Jessica, I totally understand that the program doesn't cover remediation but I think the assumption is that if "priority is being given to property owners who have documented flood issues from storms dating back" there is an assumption of remediation that is going to happen (i.e the unknowns once projects begin). Furthermore, I shouldn't have used the word remediation because that distracted from my actual point regarding mitigation techniques that would protect the property and the true need to assist owners and tenants with sunk costs associated with improvements that need to be made.

Javier - RPCA would be better suited for the turf issue but I know it is something the City is transitioning into (turf). We can follow up with them but here is some background: https://www.alexandriava.gov/budget/info/default.aspx?id=103141

Thanks for the clarification, Rose.

We have not talked about, other than cooling centers, the interface between emergency response. Assessment of climate adaptation should consider the co-benefit of reducing emergency response needs.

Interface between emergency response and mitigation. (left something out above)

One more time - interface between emergency response and adaptation actions.

coastal flooding, for sure.

Please clarify for me, I just assumed that increased precipitation was due to extreme storms

are those two different categories?

Rose - I understand coastal flooding is typically from tropical storms coming up the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River. It also is tidally influenced and made worse from sea level rise. Extreme storms are more of an issue with the overland flooding and riverine flooding where water flows exceed stream and stormwater system capacity.

@Rose, I would defer to staff on how they are defining, but generally we talk about coastal flooding as related to tidal water bodies (such as the Potomac) and inland riverine and stormwater flooding as non-tidal.

@Ellen - or by shading the structure with more trees!

Sorry all. My comments weren't clear. I was listing coastal flooding as one point. And then, wanted to clarify the difference between how we are defining extreme weather and increased precipitation.

Bill answered my question perfectly. Thanks all. And, so sorry for the lack of clarity in my comments.

@Rose, The National Climate Assessment talks about increases in “more frequent” as well as “more severe” storms.

@Josh 👍

excellent point Josh

+ on @Josh’s point + A difficult application process is a different type of (inverse) means test

@Praveen, the last round of FEMA BRIC funding awards is a good example of your point.

Thanks Olivia. And particular thanks to the staff for the presentations.

Thank you staff and co-chairs for the effort that goes into these meetings! And Olivia for taking notes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/03/climate/climate-change-infrastructure-bill.html

📊 Please give us your feedback on tonight’s Energy and Climate Change Task Force meeting: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y93FRKC

Bill - Please email the SurveyMonkey link. Thanks!

@Steve. Will do.

The Ad Hoc Stormwater Group is meeting tomorrow night if anyone is interested in attending.

https://apps.alexandriava.gov/Calendar/Detail.aspx?si=38390

Thank you to the co-chairs for keeping us on time.