Main Topics
Dan Welsh was unanimously voted in for another 4-year term as chair of the advisory board. Mark Houdashelt prefers to step down as vice chair but agreed to stay as interim vice chair until another vote can be taken with a full 9-member board present.
Chief Sustainability Officer Jacob Castillo sought the board's input and recommendations for air quality measures that will demonstrate progress while implementing the city’s “Our Climate Future Plan.” Castillo is doubtful there are sufficient performance measures if the City Council asks what his staff is doing to improve air quality. Castillo wanted ideas on how the city’s sustainability department can map results for the city’s air quality programs.
Chief Sustainability Officer Jacob Castillo asked for assistance on how to measure performance for the following 3 initiatives (page 12 of the agenda/packet):
ENV 16 Healthy Homes: Improving indoor air quality
ENV 131 Indoor Pollutants: Focusing on Radon testing and results
ENV 146 Outdoor Pollutants: Supporting state efforts and providing education
Questions remain from Radon Initiative measurements.
The Healthy Homes initiative and Radon testing raised several questions about what the Fort Collins Environmental Board does to protect its citizens and whether measurable results can be provided. Castillo said he believes the data so far leaves many questions unanswered:
How many homes are being tested for air quality? How many continue to have unsafe air quality?
What are the results? Is poor air quality coming from radon, pet dander, carbon monoxide, natural gas or other pollutants? Who is keeping track?
Where are the issues? Are there neighborhood pockets within Fort Collins that are worse than others?
When radon test kits are sent to homeowners, how many are using the test kits? How many homeowners are having mitigation done if the results are high?
There is currently no indoor air quality standard that must be met.
Castillo said the whole state is considered Zone 1 with high levels of radon gas. He said no neighborhoods should assume they are safe or free from radon gas. However, he said, there are also a lot of variables with radon gas. One house could test good with very low radon gas, yet the house next door could test very high. Another variable is that a homeowner could test for radon, have a high-level outcome, but then not mitigate their home to reduce the radon level. Castillo said a home seller is required to disclose any recent radon testing they’ve done, and the results, but testing for radon is not required.
Castillo also pointed out that radon testing is not required for rental housing. He said landlords and property management companies could be given radon test kits and information, but that raises questions about how many of them would use it and what percentage of them would test every 2 years (recommended for all property and homeowners). Board members raised questions about what recourse a renter would have if the home had high levels of radon, but the owner doesn’t mitigate. Are there resources to help low-income residents with mitigation?
Castillo and the board members agreed that outdoor air quality and pollution is not something they can directly do something about. The city, county, and state already have programs and initiatives to address outdoor air quality. However, everyone agreed that Castillo’s group could be more involved in providing air quality literacy. How can families easily determine whether to participate in outdoor activities or children’s sports? Where does the data come from for the numerous websites and state-posted Ozone Action Days? Is the data current, or is it yesterday’s numbers? Where are the monitoring sites? Denver data will not be accurate for Northern Colorado. If this kind of data is added to the City of Fort Collins website, a disclaimer should be added about the accuracy.
Several board members said too much information could potentially be misinterpreted by some residents and cause confusion or alarm. One board member said the public only needs to know air quality by use of colors and maybe a color wheel could be added to the website.
Green – it’s a good air quality day
Yellow – the air quality is moderate. If you are in a sensitive group, you might want to limit your activities or stay indoors.
Red – the air quality is bad, and everyone should drive less and stay indoors.
Current AQ initiatives need to be measured.
Castillo said members of the Fort Collins City Council want to know if the current air quality initiatives are working. He said a lot of programs address air quality issues, but not enough measurement of input and outcomes answer that question. How can progress be measured? Should the city offer a better online dashboard for its residents? Castillo said his group will work on investigating some of the data tracking questions, brainstorm solutions, and come back in August to report on his team’s progress.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:10 p.m.
Next Meeting
July 21, 2025, 5:30 p.m. online Zoom, or in-person at 222 Laporte Avenue, Colorado River Room, Fort Collins, CO
Members’ Present
Chair Dan Welsh, Interim Vice Chair Mark Houdashelt, and board members: Matt Ayers, Adam Schmidt, Michael Johnson, Howard Gebhart. Board members Christina Swope, Michael Cheeseman, and Maria Moore were absent.
Others Present to Note: Environmental Staff Liaison Selina Lujan, Chief Sustainability Officer Jacob Castillo.
Documents
From the Advisory Board website:
The Air Quality Advisory Board advises the City Council regarding policies, plans, and programs to improve and maintain the City's air quality. The Board may, without limitation, biennially review air quality indicators and recommend adjustments to the Air Quality Action Plan, review and recommend revisions of the Air Quality Policy Plan and advise the Governor-designated lead agency for air quality planning on matters pertaining to the Fort Collins element of the State Implementation Plan. The Board may also convene ad hoc citizen task groups to provide additional technical expertise to the Board. The Board coordinates its work with the Energy Board, Transportation Board, Natural Resources Advisory Board, and the Planning and Zoning Board.
*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.