A sustainable building policy for the city of St. Albert is one step closer after council agreed to provide recommendations on a draft policy by Sept. 30.
Council unanimously agreed Aug. 22 to provide the feedback and administration is expected to provide a final draft of the policy to council by the end of the year. Councillors will also consider the draft policy when updating project charters for the new branch library and the new ice surface, which will be considered as part of the 2017 budget.
Chief community development officer Gilles Prefontaine explained this updated policy is in line with one of the pillars of sustainability in the city’s strategic framework, which states the city’s infrastructure will be innovative, efficient, minimizes the use of natural resources and “creates harmony between the natural and built environment.”
Essentially what will change, is the city will mandate standards for its own buildings that are in line with a third-party verified green ratings, such as the LEED certification overseen by the Canada Green Building Council, the Business Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of British Columbia, and/or the WELL standard set by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The policy would apply to any new builds or renovations costing $1 million or more, and would also potentially apply to any buildings the city leases for a period of six years or more.
Ruby Cole is the regional director of the Canada Green Building Council’s Alberta chapter, which administers the LEED certification. She spoke in favour of the new policy.
“Municipalities are well positioned to become green-building leaders,” she said, adding this can stimulate the private sector in that direction as well.
Cole said building to the LEED silver standard would cost an estimated six per cent extra over conventional buildings – $60,000 for each $1 million in the price tag – with the LEED gold standard costing one or two per cent over that. She said those additional costs can be recouped through lower operating costs over the long term.
“There’s a huge economic impact of green buildings,” she said.
The proposed policy was created in consultation with Brandy Burdeniuk from EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting. She explained to council while she did not have specific figures on cost savings from sustainable buildings from other Alberta communities, research points to some unquantifiable benefits as well.
“We know productivity goes up and innovation goes up in spaces like this,” she said.
Furthermore, Prefontaine explained, the city adopting this kind of policy and building these kinds of buildings could be a starting point for encouraging similarly sustainable buildings in the private sector.
“The first step is us role-modeling,” he said.
But while councillors were unanimously in support of moving forward with the policy, several balked at the $107,900 annual price tag for a Sustainable Buildings Coordinator position, listed as part of a three-year pilot project in the administrative backgrounder provided to council.
Prefontaine explained administering the policy would create additional workload for city staff, and would require the additional position. Councillors Sheena Hughes, Cam MacKay and Bob Russell all expressed skepticism at needing the additional staff member.
“When we get to budget time, I won’t be supporting that one,” Russell said.
