[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6071086,"mediaKeyId","3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0","parentId",3048085,"title","Iowa City announces Earth Expo, Neighborhood Energy Blitz and campus Miyawaki forest planting","audioSeconds",229,"startMs",186000,"endMs",415000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0&start=186&end=415","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0/thumbnail_186000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6071086/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Iowa-City-announces-Earth-Expo-Neighborhood-Energy-Blitz-and-campus-Miyawaki-forest-planting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071086-2788542d4dc615abba1397f046e3d13c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182912&Signature=TUio90XA2WkvHiQffRUFAP4AWeNCejRdbuwEIw1TntXLndRdoNgxLq7N9iaVdavE1iPGFg9YF1vP2m64eRw3xrE0RC1fNfuqrJhU1G1Ui9UAV17s1qbiMPgMAGr-jGBy-mlC23kUiyfC7~pEBys9ThaceFaUI93l8Cd3AV00KSBeHhnYHfARQJr47ws7iU8R03kBxpaZnVnvIoTtHwT0uK2UNlAXz18wMYxMsQaHRF~lTpcqzXM3kQfPRKsMje9yqkxyZQcRbj2r8Es2FB~u2K9O3bM20Zi5XPc5aJ4avKEnumkJuZOg-VL6WklOSfhjIn36G3QtBE5oP-Vzxdyw-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Iowa City ","date","2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","article","Community announcements opened the meeting, including details about an Earth Expo, a Neighborhood Energy Blitz and a campus tree‑planting project.

Tristan Keller, education coordinator for Green Iowa AmeriCorps Iowa City, said the Earth Expo will be held April 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center and will highlight local and statewide organizations working on sustainability and conservation; the event will include a sustainable fashion show organized with the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center and feature more than 20 local designers and businesses such as Crowded Closet, Savvy Boutique and 10,000 Villages.

Staff also reminded members of the Neighborhood Energy Blitz on April 26 with morning and afternoon shifts (roughly 9–11 a.m. and 3–5 p.m.), during which volunteers distribute energy‑saving boxes and collect used light bulbs for recycling. Commissioner Zach (first name only in record) and other volunteers described it as an easy volunteer opportunity.

Shetty noted the University of Iowa Office of Sustainability maintains an Earth Month web hub (sustainability.uiowa.edu/earthmonth) where community events can be added. Shetty and other commissioners reported the university is planning a Miyawaki forest planting on Arbor Day (April 25) to plant about 4,000 trees on roughly one half‑acre of campus over a series of events starting on Arbor Day.

Ending: Staff agreed to include the Earth Month web hub link in the meeting minutes and to circulate event details and tour opportunities to commissioners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Iowa City Climate Action Commission Meeting of March 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners heard two community event announcements: an Earth Expo April 5 at Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center; a Neighborhood Energy Blitz on April 26; and a Miyawaki forest planting on Arbor Day (April 25) to plant 4,000 trees on the University of Iowa campus.","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},6071092,"Iowa City outlines EMS goals and a roof‑shingles recycling target as a test case for climate metrics",323,2050000,2373000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0&start=2050&end=2373","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0/thumbnail_2050000.jpg","/articles/6071092/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Iowa-City-outlines-EMS-goals-and-a-roofshingles-recycling-target-as-a-test-case-for-climate-metrics","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071092-98e760f0059f9084d278456ec34cdbe2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182912&Signature=lwX1LBs7~rfCAwQkek3JGc7w6R87blFNPglwSZ28hpl4M77Pj9KKCpj3D7yPpjKrGbI70h7hsi3a~GkWn~kZHBo2yHg8H1~hLFKvOaasFmgcjmEb-Tm-ZZgzkHeNuWK1dLJEg7lGHLSJSAO0zjImapp9GejPndr5p2josBymAyVi32-AvCovg8YQxj9cXz4fiy3z7EV15kqPLDcatUtD83fGkdq0BOXgIY9NsB7-ha7SZVa4VQdvRe3D-C6-kkUXCVpZfIQpcq3-7uwDnXg6mi0oxrjND3VJsUNwAr1Pk~nxWUZJA6KKCfbEtBQnEuIM9Ue98JiONvbEXqY2XDa9xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Staff presented the city’s participation in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Environmental Management System (EMS) as a framework to set measurable objectives and targets tied to continuous environmental improvement.

Under EMS the city organizes projects into six component areas (hazardous materials, organics, water quality, greenhouse gas reduction, recycling services and environmental education). Staff described the EMS format: an objective and target split into action and subject, adoption date, metric and time period, results/baseline and an action plan listing tasks, responsibilities and deadlines. EMS uses an \"aspects and impacts\" scoring process to prioritize where objectives should be set based on control, environmental impact and financial impact; staff said each criterion is scored on a 1/3/5 scale and averaged across a core team.

As a concrete example staff presented the roof‑shingles recycling program under the recycling services component. Fiscal‑year 2024 baseline tonnage for roof shingles was 335 tons; the EMS target is a 10 percent increase over that baseline, i.e., a goal of at least 368 tons, comparing FY24 to FY26 with FY25 as a mid‑year result. Staff said the city collects clean shingle loads at the landfill from contractors and that the product partner LL Pelling uses recycled shingles for road surfacing. The program targets roofing contractors as primary customers, with residents able to participate as well.

Commissioners asked about how EMS measures are chosen and whether to prioritize easily measured items or those with the greatest climate impact. Staff and commissioners discussed using the Climate Action Plan sections to identify objectives staff can realistically measure and track by fiscal year. Staff suggested testing the EMS-style objective/target structure first on one Climate Action Plan subsection (buildings) and then extending the method to transportation or other areas.

Ending: Staff proposed a near‑term exercise: commission members will review the buildings section before the next meeting; staff will prepare a condensed, action‑by‑action memo to support choosing test objectives and metrics.","Staff described the city’s Environmental Management System (EMS) process used to set measurable objectives and targets. The landfill’s roof‑shingles recycling objective aims to increase recycled tonnage by 10% from a FY24 baseline of 335 tons to about 368 tons, measured against FY26 results.",{"_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},6071096,"Iowa City plans compost facility expansion, seeks windrow turner; EPA grant paused but DNR funding secured",135,1423000,1558000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0&start=1423&end=1558","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0/thumbnail_1423000.jpg","/articles/6071096/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Iowa-City-plans-compost-facility-expansion-seeks-windrow-turner-EPA-grant-paused-but-DNR-funding-secured","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071096-e9f9ad62b18e5ab886e6a23ee829587d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182912&Signature=SbPNGeTcDd-qqCRFpr9f0ppkzhZLzSCw01cpyLBB4zFEFXt5JHWgroCk7bFQetPkM0yl8M3rt9tAhUsTI~ET-gf2HznRr-JPGtnCbLgEfjbAGBzYH4QWd2tCAbITGC2Gv-hTavOAJPCd35jGkmvBwiHH8qTwfZ2nAJgR~68YzYpRTagADLYi0zhUDrGjU3Mc5ZGKJRneud5Bk7i3TtcOuMQycLfCMVskrjgwvlqMECG1acZBMVd4d~FZ2o3f7Zw3yJLkh5iRmsFm54cWY79LZ9g0K8NOd30z7hhjrGLaZlgWWXDhXLtwUPgH9W3dydqopirD006YPoBjrlKHJlZUqw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff briefed the commission on plans to expand the compost facility at the Iowa City Landfill to accept more yard and food waste and to speed processing with new equipment.

Resource Management staff said the landfill compost operation is at capacity (currently permitted to accept 15,000 tons per year) and the city is planning a physical expansion from five to seven acres, resurfacing and repairs to the compost pad, and the purchase of a ride‑over windrow turner to mechanically turn compost rows. Staff said the turner will sharply increase processing efficiency: the current loader‑bucket method and once‑per‑month turning can take many days, whereas a windrow turner could allow multiple turns per month and shorten the overall compost cycle from roughly one year to an estimated six to eight months.

Staff identified two grant sources supporting the project: a $100,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Environmental Management System (EMS) program, and a $4,000,000 grant applied for through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) program. Staff noted the federal SWIFR funding is currently paused at the federal level, and the city is developing contingency plans while continuing design work with engineering consultants. If funding proceeds, staff estimate construction could begin in the fall.

Commissioners asked whether large local generators — the university dining system and hospital — currently send food waste to the facility. Staff said the university dining halls use pulpers and that material is brought to the landfill facility; a hospital contractor currently routes its material elsewhere (likely an out‑of‑county facility) and the VA was not believed to be composting. Staff reported that about 10 percent of current incoming material at the compost facility is food waste, with the majority being yard waste (leaves, grass, branches).

Staff also described market and operational details: finished compost is sold (staff cited a current price of $20 per ton) and the program is partially subsidized now, with a goal of moving toward greater cost recovery over time. Commissioners discussed opportunities for tours of the landfill and compost operations; staff said they coordinate tours and will share schedules.

Ending: Staff will continue design with consultants and monitor federal grant status; if EPA funding proceeds, construction may begin later in the year. The commission asked staff to share tour opportunities for members.","City staff described a planned expansion of the Iowa City Landfill compost facility from 5 to 7 acres to increase annual capacity from 15,000 to at least 20,000 tons, purchase a windrow turner to speed processing, and noted a $100,000 Iowa DNR EMS grant and a paused $4,000,000 EPA SWIFR grant tied to the project.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6071102,"Iowa City staff propose year-round reusable food-container grant to help restaurants adopt durable options",794,606000,1400000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0&start=606&end=1400","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3048085-fa3b8092df58519f463da18437649ea0/thumbnail_606000.jpg","/articles/6071102/Iowa-City/Johnson-County/Iowa/Iowa-City-staff-propose-year-round-reusable-food-container-grant-to-help-restaurants-adopt-durable-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6071102-ee3952838f849cec2fb3de09107832c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182912&Signature=IdDyfpJB5qqDWAqcDPHOZUVKVAXFA5z9K9dt10C0nvmtipIlBpk5m5KDf-y45esy3plCszng4-Ebn7sBKEZOwdZn0YpIQUKvMfI6SiBCJCEBVd3l8IbV7BdLz6rGdgLxe0x3dElFI7vglCc4QH4AJw97isavmwRDILtCt3sYOSYpzEyzdnsM0dJulBs2ol3my57~-POTZKmYWC3FLLTZKbk95NXSgFDydSKS9MDtip6Qw0fNL1E53UKGB-pR7BW~1r0-mUdBFX2MPETTl2nzpbfMSGI0Rw-gSdf5FD9BqByfcNP78gTEPESYqkcbMrmVSYgukFP-mBKVyLZGIJr7Mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a proposal to create a year‑round grant pool to help restaurants and food vendors adopt reusable takeout containers.

The proposal would seed a $20,000 pool, with half the funds coming from the Climate Action budget and half from Resource Management. Grants would be capped at $5,000 per applicant and would remain open until funds are exhausted; staff plan to evaluate the program at the end of the calendar year to determine next steps.

Staff said the program would offer funding only and would not supply containers directly; businesses would describe in their applications what kinds of containers they would buy and whether they would choose branded containers to encourage return. Jane Welch, Resource Management staff, said the grant is intentionally flexible so it can cover different scenarios — to‑go containers for takeout, durable in‑house replacements for disposable cups or popcorn containers, or systems for theaters and other food‑service venues. \"If they'd like to brand them, we'll leave that up to them,\" Welch said.

Commissioners and staff discussed related challenges for event vendors and at the farmers market. Commissioners asked about applying the program to market vendors or to city‑permitted events; Welch said individual vendors could apply, but a larger coordinated solution with the farmers market has not been finalized and staff turnover slowed earlier efforts. She noted particular barriers around compostable containers (contamination in collection bins and staffing to manage them) and practical hurdles for reusable systems at temporary events, such as the lack of on‑site commercial washing capacity.

Commissioners also raised alternative models, including durable commemorative containers people keep at home (for example, reusable cups or bento boxes). Staff cautioned that the environmental benefit depends on repeated reuse and that program design should consider practical reuse rates and business timelines. The commission did not vote on the proposal; staff will refine program details and incorporate the grant alongside the Climate Action Grants process.

Ending: Staff said they will finalize the grant application details and coordinate the program launch alongside the Climate Action Grants cycle. The commission had no formal vote on the measure during the meeting.","Staff proposed a $20,000 reusable food-container grant pool, intended to fund grants up to $5,000 to restaurants and food vendors year-round; commissioners discussed barriers at farmers markets and options for branding, washing, and compostable vs. reusable materials.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Iowa City announces Earth Expo, Neighborhood Energy Blitz and campus Miyawaki forest planting

Iowa City outlines EMS goals and a roof‑shingles recycling target as a test case for climate metrics

Iowa City plans compost facility expansion, seeks windrow turner; EPA grant paused but DNR funding secured

Iowa City staff propose year-round reusable food-container grant to help restaurants adopt durable options