Cedar Rapids City Council plans green flood renovations

The City Council is preparing to make big decisions about the city's key flood-damaged public buildings, and tonight council members decided they will build or renovate those buildings to reach a basic level of LEED or LEED-like certification.

LEED ­- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - is a “green” building rating system developed 13 years ago by the U.S. Green Building Council, Scott Beckman, senior sustainability consultant for HDR, Omaha, Neb., explained to the council and the audience at last night's council meeting.

Most on the council are well acquainted with LEED. Council member Monica Vernon noted last night that the council and the city manager have been discussing green building design since she arrived on the council two years ago.

Most on the council acknowledged that incorporating elements into construction to achieve a LEED certification likely will result in an increase in upfront cost for buildings. As a result, the council said it will want to see a cost-benefit analysis on building projects to see how many years it will take to recoup the upfront cost as LEED elements in a building result in more efficient use of energy, water and materials.

Council member Tom Podzimek - he and council member Pat Shey own a green insulation business together as well as a small construction company - said as important as cost considerations are construction decisions that will reduce a building's carbon footprint and make for a better planet.

Vernon told Podzimek he was “preaching to the converted,” but she said the city still had to look at costs. Council member Justin Shields said he wanted to see costs, too.

In his business, Shey said he always presents clients with a “green” option, but he said most don't choose it because of the extra upfront costs. “People are still obsessed with upfront cost,” he said.

Council member Kris Gulick said he was interested in understanding the benefits of LEED certification and not in just obtaining the certification. Podzimek said he was looking for more than plaques trumpeting LEED certification.

LEED certification comes in four levels: certified, silver, gold and platinum.

For now, the council said it would look to achieve the level of certified for all new construction and major renovation of city buildings as a way to “lead by example” in the community. It then will consider higher levels of certification depending on the particulars of a building.

The council last night also said it will not require private builders to use LEED certification, saying that private builders will pursue such certification without requirements because it will make their buildings worth more on the market.

Council member Chuck Wieneke insisted he would not vote to provide incentives for private builders to build green, and most on the council seemed to agree. Nonetheless, Podzimek said the city can encourage builders to build green by speeding up the city's building regulatory process for them and by charging them less for permits and by charging more for permits for those who don't build the way the city would like. Shey called such a practice “soft incentives.”