[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6071020,"mediaKeyId","3048304-bba2af5395fe46dceef964e9dc8c0ff6","parentId",3048304,"title","Commission begins reprioritization of Climate Action Plan; staff and commissioners debate home energy audits and incentives","audioSeconds",1419,"startMs",3308000,"endMs",4727000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048304-bba2af5395fe46dceef964e9dc8c0ff6&start=3308&end=4727","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048304-bba2af5395fe46dceef964e9dc8c0ff6/thumbnail_3308000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6071020/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Commission-begins-reprioritization-of-Climate-Action-Plan-staff-and-commissioners-debate-home-energy-audits-and-incentives","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071020-46ec31c927e55eac673def156e4d6f34/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160898&Signature=GqpVEuvmRBbMCa2Nr72XwL5vuk~Y9TvoEGEl0LEe~enNYVEc05M~KALoGrdjcoECx-fknW1r0BANPpgPAPHRiKdcAAddSAWMYucmjX09LSNLFy7iqsW0OGN72qOJKJysEbY8fdZ6mk9FlZ7E8YDOJhrhI1om1DXyebdXgcMPrTkJRNhFPF5bcxye5NeDztWjpuzCYCGnQYe2~7GNMM7S0JUXOiyCsHAq~Udulrg8gqk7QNoo6bLztWVfUfzPFVWr~NHR7YAR9MaYpYC3WnK4B-qqSz-SeTZaFHXKqlP6iC~fY2P7w-fFA5OEMxcXLFjOtqdqahrqC6~GtS-pZBDUxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Iowa City ","date","2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","article","The Iowa City Climate Action Commission began a reprioritization exercise of its Climate Action Plan actions at a meeting where staff asked commissioners to rate items as monitor, maintain or grow to set near-term priorities.

Commission staff explained the intent: after five years many plan items were marked “ongoing” and the spreadsheet needed priority designations so staff could pursue the highest-priority topics. “When we have a specific project, we bring a benefit–cost analysis,” staff said, but for broad plan items the commission’s guidance on priorities should come first.

Commissioners debated how to treat promotional and education items versus incentive programs that have measurable outcomes. Commissioner (unnamed) observed that some promotional activities are important for laying groundwork even if they lack direct performance metrics, while others argued that items with measurable outcomes should be elevated.

A substantial part of the discussion focused on home energy audits currently offered through Green Iowa AmeriCorps. Staff reported the city has partnered with Green Iowa AmeriCorps to provide free home energy audits and noted the program’s value as a community outreach and training opportunity. Staff also said Green Iowa AmeriCorps teams are arriving with fewer members and that program funding and staffing have fluctuated, creating periodic service gaps when audits pause between teams.

Commissioners asked whether audits should remain free or move to a sliding scale, and whether the city should hire a dedicated part-time auditor or contract the work. “People won’t do it if it’s not free,” staff said, noting that offering audits without income verification reduces stigma and administrative burden and helps reach a broader set of households. A Green Iowa AmeriCorps alum (named in the discussion) said audits are useful and that the program provides additional community education benefits.

Staff said they sometimes require an audit before approving participants for insulation-grant funding, and that audits have yielded other benefits, including identification of gas leaks in some homes that were reported to the utility for remediation. Commissioners also discussed vehicle support: staff said a city-owned Ford Lightning EV is being procured to support the audit crews (staff said the vehicle would be dedicated to the AmeriCorps team but would belong to the city).

Commissioners were asked to score items on a 1–5 scale (1 = monitor, 3 = maintain, 5 = grow). Staff said they would collect scores, average them, and return results for further discussion. The reprioritization process will continue at the next meeting.

Votes at a glance: The commission approved the previous meeting’s minutes by voice vote after a motion and second (movers not clearly identified in the transcript excerpt), and the meeting adjourned after a motion by Commissioner Shetty and a second from Commissioner Anderson.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Iowa City Climate Action Commission Meeting of April 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Climate Action Commission started an exercise to reprioritize items in the city’s Climate Action Plan, discussed metrics for promotional programs, and debated whether the city should continue free home energy audits through Green Iowa AmeriCorps or hire/contract for a dedicated energy-assessment role.","taxTitle","Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa","taxId",4187,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6071026,"Consultants project Iowa City population growth to 95,000 by 2050; steering committee readouts prompt climate commission engagement",149,442000,591000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048304-bba2af5395fe46dceef964e9dc8c0ff6&start=442&end=591","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048304-bba2af5395fe46dceef964e9dc8c0ff6/thumbnail_442000.jpg","/articles/6071026/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Consultants-project-Iowa-City-population-growth-to-95000-by-2050-steering-committee-readouts-prompt-climate-commission-engagement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071026-6236700c45a64cacf9ab298281bb2960/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160898&Signature=hH9qwKtpY~2fA9QeunBp-jkoqGYc3Xim1q2GSFk-NbCr5r0~65o3zGR~DCizTU9feKDmXrtDRgoCOMENa2jmNI0gxuHTrnu-mP01B8TMhgBFnfnYYnchxyeESmK7-17LYBZSbCVtlyNVjtlvNfbpja6A0mUXfAhiHLc2yioVEdyST4TNniEBZ0kcgei9oj~0HLwYHn~OgLAiAaztYSEaXp87a1qiNcve0-GvYfnMz69nCI0FERzG80nGjSu9WDP6f02KASG3PfuhEn0djRcv4CErtGPTKQFeow2THY0Go9GWGieQgPdNhfppC1sdIrFwydJwP0-e-nRYH06Ln~jhmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Angie Smith, the Climate Action Commission’s representative to the city’s comprehensive-plan steering committee, briefed commissioners on a March 10 meeting where consultants presented data on land use, transportation and population forecasts that will inform the city’s comprehensive plan.

“By 2050 they predict that the city of Iowa City's population will be 95,000 people,” Angie Smith said, summarizing consultant projections and the plan’s time horizon. The presentation, she said, used anonymized mobility data and other sources to analyze how residents travel and how land is currently allocated in the city.

Commissioners were told the consultants modeled growth through mid-century and concluded that, given current land availability and ownership patterns (including significant university-owned land and constrained buildable areas such as flood plains and steep slopes), the city would need to plan for about 350 new housing units per year to accommodate that growth.

Smith also cited housing-market figures shown in the consultant slides: an average asking price of $555,000 in the most recent data compared with about $365,000 six months earlier. Smith said half of the projected 2050 population would be in the 20-to-44 age range and noted a current vacancy rate of about 9 percent.

Commissioners discussed when public engagement will begin and how the Climate Action Commission can contribute climate perspectives to the plan. Smith said the next steering-committee meeting is scheduled for July and that public engagement has not yet opened. She urged commissioners to participate in upcoming public engagement and to consider submitting comments through the designated process once dates are set.

Commissioner questions focused on the data sources, whether university enrollment changes were included in the projections and the timeline for plan completion; Smith estimated the comprehensive-plan process could reach a deliverable stage by summer 2026 given it began in January of the current year.

Staff and commissioners emphasized the commission’s representative role: the city intended that a Climate Action Commission member serve on the steering committee so commission concerns about transportation, housing density and climate resilience would be conveyed in committee deliberations and public outreach.

No formal action or vote on the comprehensive-plan material was recorded during the meeting excerpt; commissioners were asked to watch for announcements about public engagement.","Consultants presented land-use and demographic projections to the steering committee for Iowa City’s comprehensive plan and told commission members the city must plan for roughly 350 housing units per year to meet projected growth; public engagement dates were not yet scheduled.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6071031,"Iowa City names Bike Library a resilience hub; funding set for roof and solar",1580,1186000,2766000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048304-bba2af5395fe46dceef964e9dc8c0ff6&start=1186&end=2766","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048304-bba2af5395fe46dceef964e9dc8c0ff6/thumbnail_1186000.jpg","/articles/6071031/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Iowa-City-names-Bike-Library-a-resilience-hub-funding-set-for-roof-and-solar","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071031-061a67e06ea369a1b6cfe22165413486/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160899&Signature=g6Ga2Fp7J-37PU7Prr5LLnKmdDHbvU6-qcEraqsdnCWLLha-o-pVFdwvCKirTCQiHvMxzuy15emBlGpsY1oT77IX0q~Znp4t6qoDtpK-vb54gO~q2rJ~wcYY~L3~Oa1U03RuWQsCc3dEIi60FCKjVgIaG5yg54HdRg6gTtnyZ9bXsFimdaeKzgYy~xZi9UEg6T1tAkgb1ENQZJRfU8dmAM-rMezCm68EnIP7ohVWU1HMucHnIUencdoWJZRwPR0jJRPG3lVJnB-e453PI9Fa4SKXV9~FptbifJCZIPW15~U4oYP2V1QDvJWeOwtyfGVXFlNpOnGHVoaodo13sQ2vlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Iowa City Climate Action Commission on April (date not specified) reviewed a resilience-hub planning report that recommends the Iowa City Bike Library as the city’s second official resilience hub and identified near-term building and power upgrades.

The designation matters because resilience hubs are intended to operate year-round as trusted community sites that provide services, communications and basic necessities during extreme weather or other disruptive events, while also offering everyday programs that build social resilience. Tamara Marcus, owner of Empowered Solutions Collective, and Audrey Wiedemeyer, director of the Iowa City Bike Library, presented the planning findings and described how the library’s programs, partnerships and building make it a match for the hub model.

“It's a known entity that's trusted by the community, that's helping its residents not only become educated, but access critical resources to make them more resilient,” Tamara Marcus said, explaining the hub concept and the five foundational areas—services and programs, communications, building and landscape, power and operations—that guided the plan.

Wiedemeyer described the Bike Library’s operations and programs as the practical foundation for a resilience hub. “We refurbish about a thousand bikes a year,” Wiedemeyer said, and the organization runs roughly 15 programs that include bike checkout, youth mentorship programs and vouchers to support transportation for people exiting homelessness or seeking work. She also outlined the Bike Library’s capital campaign to pay off its mortgage, improve outdoor space, expand youth programming and install solar, saying $575,000 has been pledged to a $1 million goal.

The presentation included specific facility work the planning process recommended. Staff said the city intends to allocate $50,000 in resilience-hub funding across this year and next to help with a roof replacement and an 80-panel solar installation at the Bike Library; the electric service panel will also be upgraded so the solar array can be brought online. Wiedemeyer said the roofing work will begin in spring and the organization aims to have the system operational by year’s end.

Commissioners asked practical questions about water management, green space and battery storage. When Commissioner Harrelson asked whether the plan includes plantings or how rainwater will be used, Wiedemeyer said planners evaluated multiple approaches (rainwater-harvested bike wash, large movable planters, tree trenches) but noted constraints such as surrounding concrete and stormwater routing.

Commissioner Anderson asked whether the proposed solar array will include battery storage. Wiedemeyer said the group has considered storage but is not including batteries in the immediate scope because battery costs are comparable to the panel-and-panel-inverter-plus-electrical-upgrade costs; she said batteries would be considered if the capital campaign raises substantially more funds.

Marcus emphasized the variety of local organizations that can serve as hubs and recommended that funding prioritize what local organizations actually need to operate year-round and during disruptive events.

The planning phase is complete; staff said the project will move to a second phase that provides the $50,000 resilience-hub grant in the current and next fiscal year to support the roof and solar work. No formal commission vote on the grant was recorded in the transcript excerpt presented to the commission during this meeting.

The presentation also included details about the Bike Library’s capital campaign, the organization’s volunteer and staffing model and its community partnerships; staff said the hub designation is intended to scale with other, different local organizations in future rounds of the resilience-hub initiative.

The commission indicated support and asked staff and the Bike Library for follow-up as the design and procurement steps proceed.","The Climate Action Commission heard a planning update for the Iowa City Bike Library’s designation as the city’s second resilience hub and the organization described planned roof replacement and an 80-panel solar install; commission staff said $50,000 in resilience-hub funding will support those near-term projects.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission begins reprioritization of Climate Action Plan; staff and commissioners debate home energy audits and incentives

Consultants project Iowa City population growth to 95,000 by 2050; steering committee readouts prompt climate commission engagement

Iowa City names Bike Library a resilience hub; funding set for roof and solar