RESOLUTION NO. 970959

 

Expressing the desire of the Council that all City departments implement recommendations of the Mid-America Regional Council's Air Quality Forum for reducing air pollution.

 

WHEREAS, the Kansas City region violated Federal Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone on several occasions during the sum of 1995, thereby triggering the requirement for additional actions to prevent the recurrence of high ozone levels this summer and in the future; and

 

WHEREAS, the Mid-America Regional Council's Air Quality Forum has developed Heartland Sky, a program of voluntary, no- or low-cost measures which reduce ozone pollution; and

 

WHEREAS, many of these measures have the added benefits of conserving energy and resources; and

 

WHEREAS, the City of Kansas City is and should be a leader in environmental management, and the City's Environmental Management Commission has requested that the City set an example for other public and private entities in changing behaviors and practices to produce cleaner air for the continued public health and economic well-being of the metropolitan region; NOW, THEREFORE,

 

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

 

Section 1. That the City manager be directed to work with all City departments to implement voluntary actions to reduce air pollution, including but not limited to:

 

Operating practices on Red Alert Days

 

a. Postpone mowing of parks and gold courses.

 

b. Postpone mowing of public rights of way.

 

c. Postpone refueling of City vehicles until evening, avoid topping off gas tanks,

and avoid refueling at all if fuel tank is over half full.

 

d. Postpone work activities involving paints, solvents, cleaning fluids, and other

volatile organic compounds.

 

e. Postpone work activities involving use of small two-stroke engines.

 

f. Postpone field trips where possible.

 

Operating practices, seasonal or year-round

 

g. Keep engines of vehicles and equipment well tuned and operating properly.

 

h. Avoid idling engines more than one minute.

 

I. Encourage use of flex-time or staggered hours to reduce total commuting

and/or avoid late afternoon work.

 

j. Permit telecommuting.

 

Information and outreach

 

k. Provide information about Heartland Sky to employees through internal

newsletters, payroll inserts, bulletin boards, and electronic mail networks.

 

l. Distribute public transit Ozone Alert Cards to all employees, and publicize

ongoing programs to promote transit use by City employees.

 

m. Encourage ride-sharing and provide incentives such as preferential parking

for carpool drivers.

 

n. Encourage employees to walk to lunch, to postpone errands which require

driving, and to avoid drive-thru services.

 

o. Encourage all City employees to observe at least one personal all-transit day,

or at least one day without driving, during the ozone season, June 1 through September 15.

 

p. Provide information about Heartland Sky to residents through City sponsored

media such as cable television, internal and neighborhood newsletters, electronic bulletin boards, and Internet home page.

 

Section 2. That the City Manager report to the Council by November 1 on all voluntary actions implemented by the City to reduce air pollution and improve long-term air quality.

 

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