Welcome everyone! As you arrive, tell us about who you are. Please take the following the participation poll:https://www.menti.com/v1qgiuv99f-or-https://www.menti.com and enter code 2470 2270

Welcome everyone! As you arrive, tell us about who you are. Please take the following the participation poll:https://www.menti.com/v1qgiuv99f-or-https://www.menti.com and enter code 2470 2270

Good Evening. I am Marian Pegram, one of the co-chairs. I live in Cameron Station in the West End.

Hi friends - My name is Camille Liebnitzky. I'm the resident green infrastructure engineer for the City of Alexandria.

Welcome everyone! As you arrive, tell us about who you are. Please take the following the participation poll:https://www.menti.com/v1qgiuv99f-or-https://www.menti.com and enter code 2470 2270

Hi Im Mary Harris on the Energy and Climate Change Task Force. I live in North Old Town.

Hello. I am Steve Walz, an Energy and Climate Change Task Force member, living near the flood-prone area along East Glebe Road.

As you arrive, tell us about who you are. Take the participation poll:https://www.menti.com/v1qgiuv99f-or-https://www.menti.com and enter code 2470 2270

ECCAP updates & materials: https://www.alexandriava.gov/energy/energy-and-climate-change-action-plan

Hi, I’m Praveen Kathpal. Resident of the Del Ray neighborhood. Member of the climate task force and former member/chair of the Environmental Policy Commission. Welcome, everyone!

Hi, I'm Don Burke. I live near Fort Ward Park on the West End and will be a facilitator in the breakout rooms later.

As you arrive, tell us about who you are. Take the participation poll:https://www.menti.com/v1qgiuv99f-or-https://www.menti.com and enter code 2470 2270

Shout out to Council member Sarah Bagley - thank you for joining tonight! And EPC chair Kathie Hoekstra. And esteemed EPC alum Reid Sherman who is one of our guest speakers today. Great to see all of you here!

Hi all, thrilled to be here!

Ellen Eggerton Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Alexandria

Hi everyone, I am Sarah Glassco, long time Alexandria resident, naturalist and educator, and member of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Alexandria Hub.

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To help you through this online community engagement workshop, we provide you the following reminders:✏️ Please rename yourself to include your First and Last name.🔇 Please remember to mute yourself during the presentations.📹 We encourage you to keep your video on while participating in the workshop!💬 Remember to be respectful and allow for productive discussion during the community engagement event. Please allow space for everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.⌨️ Please use the Chat box to ask questions, share ideas, or offer support to fellow attendees.

⌨️ Please use the Chat box to ask questions, share ideas, or offer support to fellow attendees.

Do your customers understand we need to move faster? What is preventing them from doing so?

Are there examples of communities that are adapting ahead of the disasters?

Adaptation/resiliency investments protect against the acute and chronic climate risks (for example reducing the costs of damage from disasters) and providing for a quicker recovery after a disaster (lowers economic impact). These are part of the savings Reid is talking about.

⌨️ Please use the Chat box to ask questions, share ideas, or offer support to fellow attendees.

At some point in a high-emissions world, it doesn't matter how big the storm barrier is. How do you make a choice between adapting and retreating so you don't throw good money after bad if a high-emissions scenario remains possible (likely?)?

Building codes area a good example of changes for adaptation

Climate Adaption Knowledge Exchange (CAPE)https://www.cakex.org/

Thanks for sharing the link, Don!

also in the Florida keys

Thank you Reid. Could you please comment on the need to take into consideration climate justice concerns in evaluating, planning, and implementing adaptation and resilience action. Different climate impacts effect different neighborhoods and communities in different ways - Alexandria has a number of such justice concerns.

thank you Reid

There has been two examples in Southwest Virginia of communities relocating after flooding - Clinchport in Scott County and part of Grundy in Buchanan County

Thanks for the question, Ana. We will make sure to pass along the question to Reid.

Thank you Reid—very informative. Great pictures!

@Ana very good point, and that’s one that I meant to say more about: collective action needs to address inequities, otherwise we just exacerbate the existing issues of some people being able to adapt and some left in harm’s way.

@Ana, We're also keeping the questions to post to the City website.

@Steve thanks for those examples, good to know.

The issue on justice is also why it’s important to consider a broader scope than just local: as the IPCC report showed, the impacts in particular on Africa are much more dire than what we face, and having strategies that are not just protecting ourselves is necessary, whether that is accepting immigrants/refugees or increased aid, or something else.

I have to go, but happy to respond to any other questions that arise.

Thanks, Reid! We’re lucky that some of the top experts on this nationally live right here in ALX

⌨️ Please feel free to leave any questions for Reid or Nora in the chat. For those intended for Reid, we can pass along and post answers to the City website.

Reminder:⌨️ Please use the Chat box to ask questions, share ideas, or offer support to fellow attendees.

To what extent to Alexandria building codes address these issues. For instance, are we preventing parking lots from being built without trees, green plants to counteract heat effects.

Nora, are other local jurisdictions expanding their tree planting programs? It’s an existing program with an existing budget and seems like a “low lift” action to have an immediate and lasting impact. (And should be deployed more equitably!)

Hold that thought, Praveen! Will be a great contribution to the breakout room discussions!

There will be a presentation about updating the tree program in Alexandria at the Environmental Policy Commission (EPC) meeting March 21, 2022

Heat Islands Storymap: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c225bece42c345c3a292a025ccb6acdb

thanks, nora

Thanks, Nora! We'll also post to the City's ECCAP website!

How can we learn more about how water flow in backyards to streams is supposed to work?

Sarah, great discussion issue for the breakout room

Are there any city incentives for homeowners to invest in more permeable landscaping? Or ways to reduce the cost?

Did anyone catch how much dynamite per acre he said? 6 tons?

Per acre

Is permeable pavement a useful tool for ultra urban environments? Is Alexandria using any of it?

https://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain/soak-rain-permeable-pavement

@Nicole - The City offers reduction to the stormwater fee for installing and maintaining permeable landscaping, installing and using rain barrels, planting native trees, and other. See https://www.alexandriava.gov/stormwater-management/stormwater-utility-fees-and-credits-for-residential-properties

NH The incentive is to reduce or eliminate your storm water fee.

Thanks, Steve! You beat us to it.

yes, thanks

There are stormwater utility credits in Alexandria too

Steve shared the link

Are these large capacity projects coordinated with lead pipe replacement projects?

Hi Don - Yes, the City does have some permeable pavement projects around town and we are looking for areas to increase green infrastructure.

But Alexandria limits the amount a homeowner can qualify for stormwater credits based upon items which limit the water like rain barrels & rain gardens, etc. to 30% of my annual fee. Perhaps if you want me to do more to limit stormwater including cutting my lawn you should provide me with more credits as an incentive.

Too bad there is not any incentive for homeowners to preserve existing trees on their property as well.

From @Frederick Abbey - Is the city looking for suggestions to install catch basins? And if so where can we make that suggestion?

To what extent are the innovative systems that RenewAlexandria has implemented on its own site to reduce water use and reuse (brown water instead of potable for toilets, for ex) being incorporated into planning, developments, redevelopments?

The condo where I'm the president of the Board will have to redo our large parking lot in the next few years, we probably can't afford to do a permeable surface ourselves (I assume it costs more)...is there a way we could partner with the City or others?

The condo association I'm in needs to re-do gutters and the irrigation system. We could potentially do something interesting/innovative, but we've got owners who aren't interested in spending one cent more than necessary. They'd need to see ideas and convincing numbers.

How can this program be leveraged by condominiums and/or the owners within them?

@Donald Burke CPACE funding is not available for condos but it is for commercial buildings to change to permeable pavers and other stormwater mitigation

@Ellen, this is such a big problem. As our Mayor has articulated, Alexandria is home to the most old high rise buildings (most condos) in all of Virginia and there is no support to help them.

Whoever’s computer it is needs to turn on computer audio

Perhaps some of the infrastructure funding could be directed to solutions for condo associations. So much of what currently exists doesn't work for condo associations, and we have a lot of condo/townhouse communities.

@Don and @Kathy, let's connect you with our Stormwater management division after this meeting. You can email me at Jessica.lassetter@alexandriava.gov and I can connect you with the utility fee staff

@Ellen, seconding Donald's point - seems like there is a significant gap since high rise condos (my situation too) can't use the residential programs nor can they leverage CPACE.

thanks Dan and Nora

📊 We’d like to hear from you!What climate vulnerabilities you are most concerned about affecting you and the Alexandria community?What is most important to you when prioritizing climate adaptation actions.https://www.menti.com/absduiigrcOrhttps://www.menti.com and enter code: 4975 9014

That would be appreciated but the comment applies more broadly. Condos live in purgatory with respect to these issues. They aren't commercial and they aren't residential. We need initiatives that help them.

If we want to reduce flooding, we need to rethink density and limit heavy density to within 1/2 mile of metro stations. More open space and tree canopy should be required for all new commercial development. The Green Building Policy needs to be updated to reflect that things are worse than in 2019 so that all new commercial development is net zero.

Can we please get a response from staff on the idea that we need to “limit heavy density to within 1/2 mile of metro stations” ???

A comment on resilience/adaptation financing in Virginia — You all may be aware that Virginia joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (REGGI) in 2020. According to the environmental organization, EDF, since, the commonwealth netted $228 million through auction proceeds, with half going toward low-income energy efficiency and weatherization programs and 45% dedicated to Virginia’s statewide Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The fund has made tens of millions of dollars available for local governments and tribes to build capacity, plan and implement flood resilience projects. However, there is a major push to pull VA out of REGGI in our congress at the moment. This would mean a major reduction in funding across the state for resilience.

📝 Please use the Jamboard corresponding to your Breakout Room number to post your ideas, thoughts, and perspectives for everyone to see: https://bit.ly/3K5Wn63❓ Question 1: What do you see as the City's role in supporting the community's adaptation to climate change impacts?❓ Question 2: What existing ways do you see or experience the City supporting the community's adaptation to climate change impacts? How can these be improved or expanded?❓ Question 3: What additional climate adaptation strategies are you most interested in seeing Alexandria implement? What strategies from other communities can Alexandria consider?

the questions are on the jamboards

For faith community members interested in climate action, the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions has an Alexandria group, check us out for ways you can get involved or your congregation can find resources: https://faithforclimate.org/alexandria/

📊 Please give us your feedback on tonight’s Community Engagement Workshop: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J25VMDD