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Larimer County staff inventories air and water programs, asks commissioners to pick next steps
Summary
Office of Sustainability and Climate presented an inventory of 11 air-quality and 15 water-quality programs and asked commissioners whether to prioritize outreach, commercial incentives, best-practice research, or a consolidated web resource.
Heidi Pruis of the Larimer County Office of Sustainability and Climate presented an inventory of county and partner programs addressing air and water quality and asked the board to direct priorities for coordination and advocacy.
Pruis said the team identified 11 air-quality and 15 water-quality programs running within Larimer County and among partner agencies. The inventory classifies programs by sector (residential, commercial, agricultural), program type (education, incentives, permitting, monitoring), owning entity and whether the county plays an active or passive role. “The coordination structure seems to be in place,” Pruis said, “and the air and water quality programs seem to be in place. So, what is our next course of action?”
Staff proposed four possible next steps: focus on education and outreach tied to existing Climate Smart Future Ready messages (including air, heat and targeted audiences); provide incentive programs for commercial entities similar to the county’s electric lawn mower/electric vehicle rebate work; conduct a best-practices survey of other jurisdictions to identify gaps; or produce a consolidated web page listing programs and offering a user-facing question submission link.
Commissioners discussed potential measures of success and local outreach. Commissioner Cavallos (remarks referenced by transcript) pointed to the county’s Water Master Plan as a potential document to apply for outreach and noted an upcoming film showing on agricultural water topics as an example of an education activity. Commissioner Jody Shattuck McNally said the next steps should align with the county’s broader storytelling goals, as communications work could help residents see how programs connect. Staff noted the Climate Smart Future Ready Health Impacts team is examining better ways to elevate messages for the appropriate audiences and times.
Pruis provided an inventory PDF with hyperlinks to individual programs and asked the board for guidance on priorities and measures of success. No formal action was taken; staff requested direction and will return with recommended next steps based on commissioner input.
The presentation also noted that advocacy and rule-making activity appears to be covered by existing legislative affairs work and partner agencies, while education and outreach showed greater variability across programs.
