HomeMy Public PortalAboutQuestions and AnswersFrom:Hilary Hobbs
To:town-dept-heads; Lynn Baumgartner
Cc:Truckee Town Council
Subject:Council questions for 2/22/22
Date:Tuesday, February 22, 2022 11:50:31 AM
Attachments:Outlook-rzy0oqm2.png
Good morning Council-
Below please find responses to questions received regarding tonight's agenda:
6.3 Work from Home Pilot Program Laptop Purchase
1. The $45,000 is savings from consultants not used. What consulting services were
completed by Town staff instead of hiring a consultant?
Staff response: This was budgeted for consultant fees for program reviews. These
reviews were completed in-house with the work of staff and community volunteers via
steering committees
2. It does seem easiest to have everyone out on the same day. Is there a possibility to have
this day be flexible in the future if staff needs that?
Staff response: This is a possibility in the future. It will be up to individual managers
based on a number of factors. There are several departments where coverage is the top
priority in terms of meeting the public needs or the main purpose of the department.
Additionally, we do not want to write a policy that creates groups of haves and have nots.
Thus, we are starting slow with a program that creates the most equitability. For
example, the Human Resources and IT divisions serve many departments that do not
have the luxury of working from home such PD and PW. Many of these employees do not
have easy access to computers on a regular basis for email communication and it’s
important that someone is available in office that they can come to for assistance.
Building and Planning are frequently meeting with members of the public at the front
counter to assist with questions.
6.5 Request for Conversion to Chief Information Technology & Security Office, the Addition of
a full-time IT Systems Analyst, and Budget Amendment
1. At the retreat we added 5 new positions (one was temporary). We have had some
changes. With the new employees, new CBO and the pending Chief, then this added
position, what is our current added staff since January 2021?
Staff response: With the adoption of the FY 21/22 budget the following five positions
were added, only one of which is still vacant as we have not been successful in filling that
position:
Emergency Operations Coordinator – filled as a two-year assignment initially
Town Public Information Officer – filled as of January 1, 2022
Senior Planning for Housing – Vacant
Sustainability Analyst – filled as of September 2021
Police Recruit – Advance hire for retirement, filled and completed academy, currently in
Field Training Office. No net add at this point.
7.1: Truckee Tourism Business Improvement District 2021-22 Annual Report
1. What is the timeframe for the comprehensive and integrated trail signage?
Response from VTT: Temporary signs have been implemented. Fixed/ permanent signs-
no proposal in front of us. This well take capital investment and years of planning. This
might be a Sustainable Truckee priority, if the community decides.
2. The occupancy rates per quarter and by hotel size are very interesting and were skewed by
Covid. What is a more normal Q4 occupancy rate?
Response from VTT: Occupancy rate were skewed by both COVID and environmental
conditions, too. What is a more normal Q4 occupancy rate? It depends on the hotel size.
Spring occupancy rates pre-COVID really depend.
3. What does this occupancy information and the market value tell us about future hotels?
Staff response: In FY 2018/19 the TTBID committee reported a annual average hotel
occupancy rate of 53%, with quarterly rates ranging from 65% to 41%. While the
occupancy rate that VTT reported for 2020/21 varies by hotel, occupancy has increased
significantly since FY2018/19, at the same time that hotel room inventory has increased.
4. Given how outside factors (COVID, smoke, PSOM) influence occupancy and
therefore the TBID collections, what are you doing to manage that?
Response from VTT: We cannot control these things.
5. I would consider this income loss a known unknown that should be planned for annually.
Response from VTT: Correct. That is why we have contingency reserve and Tourism
Enhancement reserves and have been highly cautious in years past.
6. As part of its destination planning, TTBID identifies activities that include new or improved
tourist attractions, amenities and infrastructure such as sports facilities and fields,
meetings and event facilities. Can TBID provide any examples of the contemplated sports
facilities and fields?
Staff response: This is a good question for VTT. In the past several years the TTBID
committee (not VTT) has been involved in discussions about the covered ice rink pavilion
at Regional Park and possible improvements to Riverview Sports Park, or other athletic
fields, to better facilitate shoulder season athletic events while also providing community
benefit.
7. Although TBID serves both hotels and private home-owners, is it giving any consideration
to how it might help increase the number of hotel rooms relative to short-term rentals?
Staff response: This is a good question for VTT.
7.2: Bioenergy Project Scoping Study Update.
1. In stating that no one facility or solution will solve our regional disposal issues, what other
facilities or solutions are worth considering besides those identified in the staff report?
Staff response: The Town is being proactive in looking at a range of possible
solutions. The continuation of the scoping study will support that effort and carry it
forward. Placer County is in the process of a study to analyze possible solutions to be
located at the ERL, and Northstar CSD is moving forward with their biomass facility to
heat the village. The collective understanding of staff from these agencies and the
Town is that no one facility would take care of the volume of green waste produced in
our region, therefore a suite of multiple outlets will be necessary. Additionally,
there is some talk that Loyalton may open up again but that has not been confirmed
yet.
2. What do we currently know about the portion of disposable wood fuel in our forest that
would be clean enough for biomass gasification? Is the quality of the forest waste that
would be available a concern for purposes of operating a biomass facility?
Wildephor Consultant Response: This is one of the specific areas to be addressed in
the scoping study refinement effort. It is likely that biomass waste generated from
forest treatment will be more suitable as a fuel for gasification than residential green
waste, but assessments of the proportion that could be of sufficiently high quality will
need to be made in cooperation with TFPD.
3. Are existing biomass facilities, for example Loyalton and Quincy, being considered as
options for the disposal of green waste generated in town and through measure T?
Staff response: Our understanding is that Quincy has contracts in place and is not
accepting new suppliers. Loyalton is not operating yet but the potential operators are
a logging family and from what we know today they would have plenty of supply for
their operations.
4. For how many years can the annual production of 10,800 BDT of green waste (pg.
195/213) be maintained? Is funding for the forest thinning the limiting factor on supply?
Wildephor Consultant Response: This is a conservative estimate provided by TFPD
based on a projection over the next 10 years. Assuming sufficient funding for ongoing
forest treatment (which is a limiting factor) this could continue to be a steady-state
minimum beyond the next 10 years.
5. Has the TDPUD expressed any opinion on the potential benefits of a local biomass facility
for reducing its dependence on fossil fuels?
Wildephor Consultant Response: TDPUD has expressed general support for expanding
its renewable portfolio to include biomass energy.
6. Per staff report, “The collection, processing and disposal cost at the ERL for the
estimated projection of green waste totals over $1 million per year in the coming
years.” How many years is this projection for?
Wildephor Consultant Response: This is projected to occur within 3-5 years as
Measure T is fully implemented and would be expected to continue for at least the
next 10 years. Also, this does not account for any potential future increases in TTSD
tipping fees, which would be further evaluated during the scoping study refinement.
7. Per staff report, “Lastly, biopower can be used to meet SB 1383 organics
recycling targets. The Town has some unique challenges in meeting those targets
given geographic proximity, costs and current vendor and supply issues.” Can
staff expand further upon the referenced challenges?
Staff response: In order for biopower to count toward SB1383 organics recycling
targets, the Town would need to procure biopower-generated energy from a
California source. According to TDPUD’s most recent Power Content Label, 16.3% of
TDPUD’s power mix is provided by biomass and biowaste. However, this power is
sourced from Utah and therefore does not count toward SB1383 procurement.
Because of Truckee’s location on the eastern side of the Sierra, our power tends to
come from sources to the east (i.e. out of state) rather than from California sources.
Also, for our renewable diesel the only available vendors right now are oversees and
therefore we don’t get credit for those purchases.
8. Per consultant letter in appendix, Why might NEM credits not be available for
excess generation?
Wildephor Consultant Response: TDPUD has indicated that the size/capacity of the
biomass generation systems being contemplated by the partners could be too large to
fit within their net metering cap, and that therefore a power purchase agreement
(PPA) may be the only path forward for recovering costs for a biomass power facility.
7.3: Notification of Intent to Comply with Senate Bill 1383.
1. Is there a way to show our community how we would perform under SB 1383 if California
did not require all these systems to be IN California?
Staff response: If the products did not have to come from California, we would exceed
the procurement target. The target can be met through purchasing one eligible
product, or a combination of eligible products. Renewable diesel purchased alone
would exceed the target. Updated table below shows amount the Town is procuring of
each product: renewable diesel, mulch, and the estimated 16% of TDPUD’s electricity
purchased that is procured from biomass.
Recovered Organic
Waste Product
Target Quantity
Procured
Annually Unit
Amount TOT is procuring
from out of state
Renewable Gas in the form of
Transportation Fuel 27,676.32 DGE
80,439 DGE
Electricity from Renewable Gas 318,936.64 kWh
Heat from Renewable Gas 28,994.24 therms
Electricity from Biomass
Conversion
856,648.00
kWh
240,000 kWh (estimated
16% of total electricity
procured sourced from
biomass)
Compost (tons) 764.39 tons
Compost (cubic yards) 1,910.98 cubic
yards
Mulch 1,317.92 tons 168 tons
2. I assume South Lake Tahoe is in a similar situation. Are we combining our effort with
CalRecycle to manage these requirements?
Staff response: We are in conversation with CalRecycle staff and they have stated
other jurisdictions close to the state border are also struggling due to this
requirement. We have not combined efforts with South Lake Tahoe but can reach out
to their staff.
3. How do unincorporated regions work?
Staff response: Cities and counties are responsible for meeting the SB 1383
requirements for their jurisdiction. Unincorporated areas fall under the county jurisdiction,
but there are also rural area exemptions for counties with a population less than 70,000,
which may apply to some of Truckee’s neighboring rural areas.
4. Are Nevada and Placer County having to file this Notification or are they able to comply
due to their adjacency to the Sacramento region?
Staff response: We have had conversations with Nevada and Placer County staff and
they are also unsure if they will be able to meet the procurement requirements, but
we do not believe they are also applying for the NOIC.
5. Since other jurisdictions on the SWG pipeline also need to meet SB 1383, what is the
minimum percent renewable natural gas we need SWG to provide our region to meet SB
1383? And by when?
Staff response: The Town’s facilities use approximately 90,000 therms of natural gas
each year. In order to meet the heat from renewable gas target established by CalRecycle,
approximately 33% of our natural gas consumption would need to come from renewable gas
produced in California. This would be if 100% of our target were to be reached solely from
renewable natural gas. These targets are effective as of January 1, 2022.
6. Do we know where in California the renewable diesel refineries that may be online in the
next two to three years are located?
Staff response: Anticipated renewable diesel refinery locations coming online include
Martinez and Bakersfield.
Hilary Hobbs (she/her)
Assistant to the Town Manager
Town of Truckee
(530)-582-2914