12 Apr Lee Leffingwell – 2012 (Incumbent) Candidate for Mayor of Austin – Answers to Multi-Environmental Issue Questionnaire

Each 2012 Austin City Council candidate was sent a Multi-Environmental Issue Questionnaire with 28 questions broken into seven subject areas. The blank questionnaire as well as information about the live, televised May 23rd Election 2012 Green Forum is here.  Below are the written answers submitted for Lee Leffingwell:

General
• What do you believe that Austinites think are significant environmental
issues? How do you plan to address those?

Over the last four decades, environmental issues have grown from
being about creeks and litter to including clean air, water quality &
quantity, preserving natural areas, reducing our contributions to
global warming, reducing our carbon footprint, expanding recycling
& waste reduction efforts, conserving energy and water, investing in
renewable energy, and preserving & protecting our natural resources.
Significant issues in our community range from environmental
justice efforts like the Holly Power Plant deconstruction, and Pure
Castings, to national leadership in the areas of green energy, green
building, conservation and zero waste.
I have worked directly on every single one of these issues and plan
to continue our very significant progress in a second term.

• What positive contributions have you made to environmental efforts in
the past?

I served as chair of our citizen’s Environmental Board for 4 years. I
have been a donor and long-time supporter of a number of
environmental causes and organizations. During my time on the city
council and as Mayor I have championed a long list of environmental priorities:

• Banned coal tar sealants from parking lots to protect our water quality.
• Banned single use plastic and paper bags (the most aggressive and forward-looking ordinance in America) to reduce waste, litter and environmental damage.
• Championed the AE policy to derive 35% renewables, and to attain 800MW in efficiency savings – by 2020. Goal must be balanced by affordability.
• Led the effort on water conservation as chair of the 2007 Water Conservation Task Force, which led to an immediate and dramatic drop in water use in our city. I was name Conservationist of the year for this effort by the AWWA.
• Led the effort on our city’s aggressive Zero Waste agenda – which has already increased recycling by 50%.
• I am also proud that during my time on council we have dramatically increased the amount of permanently protected open space in the Austin area.

• What is the role of the sustainability officer and what changes–if any–
would you like to see to increase sustainability practices in Austin?

I believe that the Chief Sustainability Officer can serve at least two
major roles. First, coordinating environmental policy (and
implementation) across all city departments and entities. Second, the
CSO should be leading in setting the long-term sustainability vision
not just for city departments and facilities but for our entire
community. I was glad to see the Climate Protection staff moved
under the purview of the CSO, but we still need to strengthen the
office and ensure the CSO has the budget and every tool necessary to
make Austin the most sustainable community in America.

• What is your strategy for engaging YOUTH and SCHOOLS in sustainability
initiatives?

I am proud of my office’s work through the Chief Service Officer to
bring more young people into environmental efforts, such as
collaborating with Keep Austin Beautiful and AISD. I think it’s so
important to work with both kids and their parents to help them
learn to live sustainably – we can do that by encouraging community
gardens on public property and at schools, by encouraging families
to participate in park and litter cleanups, recycling, water and energy
conservation and more. AustinCorps, the high school internship
program I created, allows kids to hold internships in various
departments throughout the city, giving them opportunities to learn
about sustainability through the lens of a number of different
departments.

Food

• What steps do you believe the city can take to ensure long-term
sustainability of our local food system, including production, marketing
and distribution, and preparation and consumption? How can the City
make good food easily available and affordable for
all of us living in Austin?

We have just hired our first full-time employee focusing on food
issues and community gardens, and we can find ways to utilize our
public lands and school properties to grow food and provide
opportunities for Austinites to grow their own healthy, local food.

We also must support an integrated system of local food production
and distribution to achieve our goals. I believe that collaborating
with our partners at AISD can result in bringing more young people
into environmental consciousness and providing delicious, healthy
food to the people who need it most.

Finally, I am especially proud of my wife, Julie Byers’, efforts in this area. Her collaboration with
First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative has helped bring
national expertise and resources to our community in this area.

Development and Transportation

• How will you take use of resources and resource availability into account
when making decisions about local economic development and
incentives?

Adequate availability of transportation, water, and energy is always
a consideration when evaluating future development. And no
economic agreements are considered if the location is the DWPZ.

• Do you support construction of SH 45 SW? Why or why not?

The City has no part in the decision whether to build SH 45SW. It is
a County Road. However, since it is in the City’s ETJ, if it is built, we
have significant authority and responsibility to ensue that no
environmental damage occurs. If it is not built, the City must find
ways to adequately address traffic woes in that area that is within
our jurisdiction.

• Going forward, what are your plans for improving Austin’s pedestrian and
bicycle infrastructure?

I believe progress has been made on improving the quality and
quantity of bikeable routes but there is still more work o be done.
One way we’ve already done that is by passing the first transit bond
in the history of Austin that made pedestrian and bicycle transit a
priority (43% of the last transit bond package was for non-road
transportation options.) I believe we must continue to prioritize
increasing our commitment to multimodal transportation including
additional bike lanes and sidewalks.

• Campaign finance reports for Council candidates are not due until the
end of April, after Early Voting starts. In the past, candidates have made
environmental promises which some believe were undermined by the
influence of political donations. In the interest of disclosure and
transparency, will you tell us who is bundling contributions for your
campaign?

I believe in full disclosure. I always have and will continue to go
above the letter of the law regarding reporting requirements and
will continue to do so.

• What will you do to create or attract high-wage, family-supporting green
jobs to the Austin and Central Texas areas? What will you do to ensure
that hard-to-reach populations and communities of color have access to
these green jobs?

The COA has been doing exactly that – targeting Green jobs along
with digital media and life sciences jobs, and we have been very
successful at recruiting companies with cash positive, performance
based agreements that provide good jobs with good benefits.

In addition, we just approved an agreement with a parts
manufacturer who will provide jobs to citizens who are challenged
with lack of formal education, and with negative job and legal
histories. Along with the minority community and workforce
organizations, we were successful in that effort also.

I recently announced the formation of a regional EB-5 center in
Austin. The center will be totally addressed to green products and
green jobs.

• Politicians often say they are against suburban sprawl – yet they approve
water and sewer lines and zoning changes that create it. How are you
different? How will you ensure that development pays for itself, i.e. the
extension of water and wastewater lines? Do you support or oppose
giving a discount on electric and water rates to ratepayers living outside
the city? Why or why not?

City policy with regard to reimbursement for water and wastewater
extensions has been virtually the same since the adoption of Smart
Growth policies. There are no reimbursements for service in the
DWPZ, so only new development in the DDZ is considered for
reimbursement. This policy was adopted to drive new development
away from the DWPZ. So, in the DDZ, lines above a certain diameter
are reimbursed 100%, and lines below are reimbursed at 50%, (In
2009 the minimum diameter for 100% reimbursement was adjusted,
but the F-1 development for instance would have qualified for 100%
in either scenario.)

I have not proposed that out of City AE customers receive a discount
– only that the matter should be evaluated as any rate adjustment
outside the City can be appealed to the PUC. In fact the City has
already hired outside legal to assist with that anticipated appeal.

• Between urban rail, expanding the current light rail system, bus rapid
transit, a monorail system or HOV lanes on major roadways, toll lanes
which transportation options do you believe would be best and worst for
Austin and why?

I believe every option must be on the table, but my top priority,
which I have long advocated for, is a comprehensive mass transit
plan for Austin that includes urban rail, commuter rail, BRT, express
buses, and high occupancy lanes on certain major roadways. I am
currently Chair of the Transit Working Group, which is now
addressing all of these topics.

• As more families are forced to move further out of Austin to find housing
they can afford, our traffic is becoming more congested, earning us
another distinction as the third most congested city in America and our
air quality deteriorates as a result. What would you do to address these
interconnected issues? How would you help more residents secure
affordable housing in the city?

The first, and most basic, law of economics is supply and demand.
We have more people who want to live in Central Austin than there
are current residences. If we want to have more affordable housing
in the central city we will need to support building more and denser
housing. We have a finite amount of land. We need to make use of it
more efficiently by building smarter and denser. But more housing
isn’t enough, we also need to pursue targeted programs that create
affordability at a variety of income levels. Downtown Austin should
not be affordable for only the affluent. I am proud of my record in
this regard – especially the 2006 affordable housing bond which has
invested millions into programs and projects that have already made
Austin a more affordable place for many families to live.

• Do you believe that the Formula 1 deal is an “historic agreement” for
sustainability? Please explain why or why not. What are your concerns
around Formula 1 and what should be done to mitigate the impacts?

I am proud of Austin, in part, because I believe that we set a model
for others to follow when it comes to building a progressive and
socially responsible city. The F1 project reflects our special Austin
values. The fact is, this F1 facility will be the greenest, most
sustainable F1 venue in the entire world. We are literally setting the
example for future international sports projects. That being said, I
too am concerned about the environmental impacts of F1 and I
believe that our agreement with F1 addresses many areas that could
be problematic. Over the years to come I will steadfastly monitor
and enforce our agreement with F1.

Zero Waste

• The City Council has passed a plan to reach 90% diversion of our discards
from landfills by 2030 and 95% by 2040. Would you support any changes
to the Zero Waste plan? Phase 1 of the Universal Recycling Ordinance
(URO) requires all multifamily buildings, office buildings, and institutional
properties in the City to recycle. In Phase 2, the City will add a citywide
policy for diverting compostables. Phase 3 will include single-family
residences in the requirement to recycle and compost. Do you support all
three phases of this ordinance?
Yes, and I’m proud to have led on this issue.

• Do you believe Austin should ban certain problem materials, such as
styrofoam, to keep them out of our waste stream? If so, which materials
should we target? If not, how will you deal with problem materials?
Yes, absolutely. I think we need to take a long, hard look at reducing
many products in our waste stream, including Styrofoam and other
products that either cannot be recycled effectively or that have
serious consequences for our environment.

Water, Streams and Trees

• The health of Barton Springs and its aquifer are always a concern to us.
How would you use land acquisition to protect the aquifer? How much
would you allocate for this purpose in upcoming bond packages? What
new ideas do you have to stop pollution of our waters?

I wish we had a time machine to go back to the 1980s and purchase
as much aquifer recharge zone property as humanly possible. I have
fought to increase our acreage of land that directly recharges or
contributes to recharging the aquifer. I will continue to do so. In
particular, I am proud of our use of creative legal instruments, such
as restrictive use covenants and environmental easements, which
cost less and allow us to protect even more land. I do not simply
seek to slow the rate of pollution of our water resources, I want our
water to be cleaner in ten years than it is today. Our water is our air
– we must do more to reduce air pollutants, reduce dangerous runoff
and to ensure that water quality (and quantity) is looked after for
future generations.

The SOS agreement was historic, but I was proud to champion an
amendment to that ordinance that takes protection much further and
retrofits old development with water quality controls at private
expense.

• Austin’s residential water rates are among the highest in Texas, and
unless Water Treatment Plant 4 is put on the shelf, the cost of water will
continue to rise. How will you stop the increase in Austin’s residential
water rates?

Water Plant 4 is only a small part of present and future increases in
future water rates. The main cost drivers now are resultant from
past policies that delayed payment on debt principal, deferred
upgrading and maintenance of wastewater lines, and other CIPs. The
neglect of our wastewater lines triggered an AO from the EPA in
2002 mandating cleanup of sewer overflows at a cost to the utility of
$471mm.
When this past debt is retired, rate increases will stop naturally,
since the cost of raw water is currently “zero”. We could even
(although I don’t recommend it) stop subsidizing conservation
programs such as reclaimed water and leak repair, as well as stop
funding maintenance of Water Quality Protection and Preserve lands
(now fully paid by the Utility).

• We’re in one of the worst droughts in Texas history yet we are still
watering our lawns. What stronger measures do you see as necessary to
conserve water beyond the city’s current goals? How do we get to 140
GCPD or less?

We already have one of the strongest water conservation programs
in the nation. It is award-winning, and about halfway through its
implementation period. We will continue to look for ways to improve
it.

• Austin has lost thousands of trees during the recent drought, posing a
serious threat to our urban forests. What will you do on the Council to
protect and replenish these forests? How do these concerns figure into
your priorities when it comes to drought response

The loss of these trees is a true tragedy. We are implementing
educational programs that teach how to efficiently and effectively
irrigate trees, and we are working with Tree Folks on replenishment
issues.

• The City of Austin is currently engaged in a public input process to
amend the Watershed Protection Ordinance to help preserve east side
creeks. Based on this input the Watershed Protection Department will
probably recommend headwater setback buffers to be set at 64 acres in
east Austin and the ETJ. Would you support or oppose allowing
developers to use expanded creek protection setbacks as part of their
Park Land dedication requirements?

I have supported this in the past and support it now as well.

Air

• What air improvement strategy or set of strategies would you advocate to
help clean our air? How can the City leverage its purchasing power to
impact air quality?

The most important things we can do to improve air quality is to
stop burning coal in Central Texas, reduce our electricity use as
much as possible, reduce our vehicle emissions and capture local
landfill methane emissions. We must attack our air quality issue in
any and every way possible.

• Pure Casting Foundry emits toxic metals and carcinogenic compounds/
particles through the manufacturing process of steel and aluminum
products. Residents have registered odor complaints from this facility
and others, most of which are located East of IH 35. The TCEQ has
installed an air quality monitor on top of Zavala Elementary, which is
located directly south of Pure Castings. Would you support the passage of
an air quality nuisance ordinance as part of the solution? Also, What steps
would you take to relocate this facility in order to protect the health of
the children at Zavala Elementary and area residents?

My staff is currently working with local stakeholders and in
discussions about an air quality nuisance ordinance – we need to see
what is possible under state law and to what extent existing civil law
provides appropriate legal remedies. We are working with our legal
staff to get these questions answered, but I anticipate we’ll have
something to offer in the next month or so.

Energy and Austin Energy

• Fayette finally has sulfur dioxide scrubbers installed after many years of
delay. Fayette doesn’t have SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology
to reduce NOx emissions that contribute to ozone. Fayette has not
installed the technology to control the fine particles (PM2.5) that cause
premature deaths and asthma attacks within a few hundred miles. Do you
support getting Austin out of Fayette, and off of fossil fuels and nuclear
power altogether? How do you propose that we do so?

Yes, I support getting out of Fayette as soon as reasonably possible. I
think the most realistic scenario is the sell the plant, because LCRA is
a co-owner and ERCOT has the power to keep it online to help
stabilize the grid. Both entities have a large stake in determining the
future of that plant; it is not Austin’s decision alone.

As your question implies, traditional coal plants are only going to get
more expensive to operate because of the pollution controls that will
soon be required by the EPA. The cost of operating traditional fossil
fuel plants are increasing, along with the cost to our public health.
My wife is a nurse, and she sees how people are negatively impacted
by pollution directly, and on a daily basis.

I am proud of my pledge to move Austin beyond coal, and I favor
divesting Austin’s ownership in the Fayette coal plant and
reinvesting our resources into Austin’s clean energy future. If Austin
moves beyond coal, we’ll be the biggest city in the country to divest
from a municipally owned coal plant. This will help establish our city
as the Clean Energy Capital of the World and create good local green
jobs.

• As the board of directors for Austin Energy, the City Council sets
environmental policy for our electric utility. What are your environmental
priorities for Austin Energy for the next 3 years? What will you do to
increase energy efficiency savings so that we meet our 300 Megawatt
savings goal by 2020? Proposed hikes to minimum charges are a
disincentive to conservation. Will you raise minimum charges for
residential users, and if so, by how much?

I am proud of my work leading on the generation planning process,
not just making Austin Energy’s one of the most aggressive
renewable and efficiency goals in the country, but pairing that with
affordability. We actually have a goal to reach 800MW of efficiency,
not 300, and I believe we are doing a great job getting the lowhanging
fruit, but the harder part will be the next steps. We should
continue to get creative by working with the federal government to
get weatherization grants, work with nonprofits to create
partnerships, and really use our dollars wisely to go after older
homes that can be weatherized for not very much money.

• Currently Austin's water rates have 5 tiers. The lowest "lifeline tier" is less
than 10% of the highest tier. Do you support a similar rate structure for
Austin's electric utility?

The progressive rate structure seems to be working well for AWU,
and as everyone knows, we are currently in discussions to update
our rates. I would support a similar rate structure for AE.

• The City Council adopted the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure
ordinance in 2008 as a key component of the Climate Protection
Program, with the goal of retrofitting older properties with energy
efficiency measures at the point of sale. The program has not yet lived up
to expectations, with only 5% of properties sold retrofitted. Would you
support mandating some energy efficiency improvements when a home is
sold?

I think this needs to be closely reviewed before we require mandates
that could be too onerous on the seller or the buyer. I absolutely
support the ECAD ordinance, so we’ll need to be creative on how we
move forward to ensure the intent of the ordinance is being realized.

• What role does rooftop solar energy have in Austin’s renewable energy
mix?

Rooftop solar has a huge role in our energy mix. If we can get to
scale, and therefore get the prices down, then we’ll be able to really
get it on more rooftops. I think we need to get creative here as well –
possibly by leasing space on larger commercial buildings or
exploring the idea of community solar. We have such a robust solar
community here in Austin and we need to be taking advantage of
their expertise.

Other resources to learrn more about Leffingwell:

Leffinngwell has a campaign website and facebook page and Twitter feed

Here is a video of Leffingwell sharing his campaign priorities.