Highlands Ranch - Alternative Fuel City of the Future

Tuesday, February 2o, 2007

The Future City of Highlands Ranch Energy Municipality team presented a 15 minute presentation to the HRCA Public Issues Committe. The presentation was focused on the Fiture City’s Alternative Fuel and Renewable Energy Vision and Strategy.

The feedback was excellent and there were no negative comments or issues raised.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Interview was conducted with Mr. Gary Debus from HRCA. Various questions were posed and the main focus was about getting covenant revisions for the wind turbines.

Monday, January 8, 2007

Team interviewed a senior manager from Gefinor Ventures (www.gefinorventures.com) to talk about innovative “clean tech” municipality revenue enhancers for the future city of Highlands Ranch. It was discussed that the City of Highlands Ranch can generate low-risk/high yield revenue from forming a clean tech energy incubator owned and operated by the city. Revenues are realized from start-up alternative fuel and renewable energy businesses who earn a profit and royalties from any patents spawned from the incubator.

Team meeting at Highlands Ranch library. Members present: Andy Furze, Ashleigh Warntjes, Phil Clukies, and Kush Agarwal. Discussed how to find a student/community member to design a sketch for the hypothetical renewable energy business park. Determined member research topics (Andy: Chicago Climate Exchange, Ashleigh: Alternative Energy Automobiles, Phil: Fuel Cells, Kush: Solar Panels/Wind Energy, John TBD). These will be each of the seniors’ primary topics as they write their senior paper and present to the senior board. The team also worked out a few questions for the upcoming meeting with HRCA.

Meeting held with Commisioner Worley at the ThunderRidge High School. Discussed pre-determined questions:

1. In 2006, what are the total residential assessed values and commercial assessed values?
2. Could Highlands Ranch use Douglas County’s human resources department as a shared resource to reduce operating expenses?
3. Could you provide 2006 taxable sales tax revenues, excluding food? Do you have a forecast for upcoming years?
4. Does Douglas County receive tax revenues from local hotels? If so, how much was generated in 2006?
5. How much gasoline sales taxes are collected from Highlands Ranch gas stations?
6. Can Highlands Ranch levy a percent or fixed fee to current motor vehicle registrations?
7. How many vehicles are registered in Highlands Ranch as of 2006, and how much revenue was collected by Douglas County in 2006?
8. Can Highlands Ranch levy an additional moving violation surcharge to drivers convicted in Highlands Ranch? (i.e. addtional $30 surcharge for speeding?)
9. In our situation does creating a special district or incorporating seem more feasible? Or, if neither, in what ways do you see this project proceeding?
10. Could the Partnership of Douglas County Governments be used as a resource for help/advice for this project?
11. Do you know of any venture capitalists that could be contacted for this project?
12. After being on the Douglas County planning committee, what advice can you offer us in our planning process?
13. As we proceed with this project, would you be open to, hypothetically in February or March, reviewing our city plan and providing us with feedback?
14. In your opinion, what is the most compelling reason to proceed with a renewable energy based city plan?

Meeting with Mr. Terry Nolan, General Manager of the Highlands Ranch Metro District (HRMD) at the Metro District Building. Discussed pre-determined questions:

1. Could the Highlands Ranch human resources function be a shared resource between the HRMD human resource department and the Energy Department to reduce operating expenses?
2. What do you think is the most compelling reason to incorporate based upon an alternative fuel and renewable energy economy charter?
3. What impact do you foresee if there is an energy vertical in Highlands Ranch?
4. Would you be interested in migrating to better and higher efficiency technology lights, thus reducing your electrical budget? Would you also be interested in a hydrogen car fleet?
5. What suggestions and advice would you provide in regards to this alternative fuel energy program?

Team met in school library. Andy Furze was elected team leader, with Ashleigh Warntjes as second in command. Discussed Highlands Ranch Metro District questions for upcoming meeting.

Mr. Taraborelli, Mr. Sameshima, Mr. Cheney, Andy Furze, and Ashleigh Warntjes all met with Burt Automotive representatives, Mr. L.G. Chavez, President and CEO, and Mr. Hank Held, Vice President, at Burt Automotive in Centennial, CO on Tuesday, November 28th. The Burt team presented the ThunderRidge Senior Project/Science Club with a $5,000 check to get the project up and running and discussed ideas on how to transform the Highlands Ranch economy to an alternative fuel and renewable energy economy. Burt is excited about the energy efficient Vision and will be an excellent advocate and long term partner in this project.

Interview meeting held with Mr. Steve Ormiston, Vice President of Planning at Shea Homes held at the ThunderRidge high school. The team discussed pre-determined questions.

Questions directed to Mr. Ormiston:
1. What do you think is the most compelling reason to incorporate Highlands Ranch that is based upon an alternative fuel and renewable energy charter?
2. Will Shea Homes entertain the approval of incorporation and include the remaining undeveloped land?
3. How much undeveloped land is left as of November 2006?
4. What percentage of land is designated as commercial/light industrial?
5. How many acres of commercial land is left?
6. When will all commercial land be exhausted?
7. Does Shea Homes like the idea of designating a set aside area of commercial land designated as a Research and Developement Renewable Energy Zone designed to attract and retain new businesses to relocated to Highlands Ranch?
8. Please provide a Highlands Ranch boundary map that would show the boundaries of incorporation.
9. Do you know what a “building use tax - % of net vender value” mean?
10. Does Shea Homes have any ideas on how to create a city of the future solely based on alternative fuel and renewable energy economy?

Chamber of Commerce Interview with Mr. Glenn Hagen at ThunderRidge. The team discussed the predetermined questions, and had some good feedback.

Interview Questions Directed to the Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce:
1. For new energy-related businesses considering relocation to Highlands Ranch, what would the obstacles be?
2. What actual alternative fuel energy businesses do you know of that would be willing to relocate in Highlands Ranch?
3. Do you forsee a lack of available land for new alternative fuel/renewable energy businesses coming to Highlands Ranch?
4. Would an extra energy-related sales-tax be a boon or a bane for Highlands Ranch based upon an alternative fuel economy?
5. An energy-related sales taxes would hopefully attract alternative fuels and renewable energy businesses in the future, therefore improving the economy of Highlands Ranch. What are your thoughts?
6. Suppose you had a revenue stream from an energy tax, how would you use such monies to attract and retain energy efficient industries to Highlands Ranch?
7. Does Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce/Highlands Ranch have any sources to attract venture capitalists?
8. What will the effect be on the willingness of venture capitalists to invest VC money into the “future city of Highlands Ranch?”
9. How can the Highlands Ranch Chamber of Commerce attract energy businesses to Highlands Ranch? (ie. GM decides to make available prototype hydrogen/solar-powered autos for local residents to view and drive — then auto manufacturerer adopts community for future alternative fuel pricing discounts that are not found in other counties/States.) Are there any such businesses that you know of that you can attract?
10. Why would people want to come to Highlands Ranch over any other community/city?
11. If there was an energy sales tax to generate revenue for this new Highlands Ranch program, what would your recommendations be towards them?
12. How could venture capitalists relocate businesses to Highlands Ranch?
13. What have you tried in the past and has been successful that made businesses relocate to Highlands Ranch?

Highlands Ranch economy
alternative fuel industry
renewable energy sources
wind power
solar power
energy tax credits