Evansville Climate Collaborative outlines composting plan, joins IU heat-pump cohort and launches student media contest

The Evansville Climate Collaborative reviewed staff updates Nov. 13 that advance local recycling and energy-efficiency work, including a municipal-yard-waste composting feasibility study, enrollment in an Indiana University heat-pump training cohort and a student-focused media campaign produced with WNIN and PBS.

Staff told the board that GT Environmental, working with the Vanderburgh County Solid Waste District, has modeled the local yard-waste stream and estimated the municipality will need roughly 15 to 20 acres to host a yard-waste and storm-debris composting operation. "They've estimated about 15 to 20 acres is what we need," the staff member said, and staff asked members to identify potential city- or county-owned properties available for long-term lease or purchase.

The study, staff said, covers yard waste only and does not include food waste; staff acknowledged some community members favor food-waste composting but said that would likely require a different site and operations. The consultant’s work included tonnage estimates, site-space modelling and market assessments for finished compost, staff added.

On buildings and energy, staff said the Collaborative has contracted Carameda Consulting to perform level-1 energy audits on 13 municipal buildings during the week of Dec. 2 to identify energy-use drivers and recommended improvements. Selected sites cited in the briefing include Swander Ice Rink, C. K. Newsom facilities, several zoo buildings and a number of fire stations. Staff described a reinvestment approach: savings from efficiency projects would be used to fund subsequent improvements.

Separately, the Collaborative was accepted into a two-year cohort run by Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute focused on heat-pump HVAC systems. The cohort begins in January, will provide technical assistance and workforce development, and staff said three local nonprofits will receive free heat-pump HVAC installations to serve as training sites for contractors. A board member shared an anecdote of a homeowner who reported quick payback on a residential heat pump despite higher upfront costs; staff also noted local incentives such as a $500 CenterPoint rebate and federal tax credits that may affect payback.

Communications work includes a partnership with WNIN supported through a PBS climate-engagement grant. Staff said the Collaborative helped identify local sustainability projects and high-school students were invited to submit PSAs and signage for a creative-media contest focused on vehicle idling and air quality. Entries have been received and are being judged; the staff member said winners (three videos and three signs) will be announced Dec. 3 and that WNIN will air a documentary Nov. 14 and stream short spots for two weeks after the broadcast.

Staff also reported that the Climate Action Plan revision for 2025 is progressing (staff estimated roughly two-thirds complete, with a draft expected in January and a final version in February) and that the greenhouse-gas inventory is nearly finished pending one large data source; staff noted reporting options include the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

The Collaborative was reminded of upcoming events: an ECC roundtable for nonprofits on Nov. 20 at the Danks Building (4 p.m.) and the next Collaborative meeting on Dec. 12 at 3:30 p.m. in Civic Center Room 301. Staff said the group's new website is about 95% complete and awaiting approval.

Votes at a glance: The board approved the minutes from the Sept. 11 meeting after a motion and second (motion text: "approve the previous meeting's minutes"); the meeting concluded with a motion to adjourn that was accepted.

What’s next: staff will continue site searches for a composting yard, finalize the energy-audit schedule for early December and begin cohort activities with Indiana University in January.