Hi everyone,

I’ve been thinking a lot about resilience lately.  It seems like this word shows up everywhere.  Resilience, to me, is how you bounce after a big change - and we certainly have had our share of change. I have equated resilience with a sense of slowness as I find myself being more deliberate and reflective. My family has been spending more time together.  My kids are mowing neighbors’ grass with our new electric lawnmower.  We are taking more bike rides and walks together.  We are making more homemade meals  - and just recently have been able to incorporate a cucumber or two from our tiny garden.  All these activities create time for conversations which in turn make us more connected, stronger, and resilient. 

Our community resilience is evident too in the many ways that we are working together. We have a lot to share in this climate action newsletter that showcases our community resilience: resources for energy bills, national recognition of our fleet, results of funds well spent on climate action, improved EV charging stations, and new protected bike lanes.

Enjoy this newsletter!

Michelle

The City of Fort Collins was named the No. 1 fleet among the Leading Fleets at the Government Fleet Virtual Honors Celebration on June 16! Our organization was chosen for its commitment to training and environmental initiatives.

Tracy Ochsner, Assistant Operation Services Director, credits the success to City leadership: "It's not always easy introducing electric cars, propane, and CNG [compressed natural gas]....[The City Manager's and City Council's] vision and leadership have given us the opportunity to try new things, which has helped us become a leader in many fleet-related initiatives." 

Congratulations!

• Combined, the projects reduced an estimated 5,700 Metric Tons Carbon Dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e), equivalent to approximately 650 homes’ energy use in one year!
• There is potential for an additional 16,000 MTCO2­e reduced over time if all the projects scale up as planned.
• Project participants and partners leveraged 12:1 in private investment ($1.3M).

Thanks to a grant from Charge Ahead Colorado, the City replaced all Level 2 public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations with upgraded units as part of the Electric Vehicle Readiness Roadmap plan. The charging stations will still cost EV drivers a flat rate of $1/hr.

EV charging stations are available at the following locations:

• Civic Center Parking Structure – 144 N Mason St.
• Mulberry Pool – 424 W Mulberry St.
• Edora Pool Ice Center (EPIC) – 1801 Riverside Dr.
• Fort Collins Senior Center – 1200 Raintree Dr.
• South Transit Center – 4915 Fossil Blvd.
• Platte River Power Authority – 2000 E Horsetooth
• Firehouse Alley Parking Structure – 160 Chestnut St.

• When bicycling, be mindful of pedestrians and share the trail
• Stay on designated trails to prevent erosion and negative impacts to plant life
• Keep dogs on leashes to protect wildlife like rabbits, prairie dogs, turtles, birds, and fawns
• Pack out all trash

• Arterial crossing improvements are planned for construction this fall
• Bikeway striping enhancements on critical corridors like W. Elizabeth Street are underway
• Be on the lookout for new bicycle wayfinding signage to guide you to parks, schools, and essential services
• Stay tuned for a variety of activities planned for September to help you Shift Your Ride to bicycling, walking, transit, scooting or even teleworking! 

Trudy Trimbath has been part of the Fort Collins community since 1990.  Originally from a farming community in Iowa, she has lived in Colorado since 1980. Trudy has a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and a Master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Management from Denver University.  She has one son and is now a proud grandma to an infant grandson.  She enjoys being outside, hiking, kayaking, spending time with friends and family, and watching baseball. 

Thank you for your contributions to climate action, Trudy!