Fees from $145 for a clothes dryer to $4.1K for a furnace intended to discourage use of fossil fuels 

By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news 

At its first meeting of the new year Tuesday, the Ashland City Council is expected to sew up loose threads from last year with votes to approve the 2200 Ashland St. Master Plan, formally create an Ashland Parks & Recreation Department and the first reading of an ordinance to mitigate carbon pollution for new residential structures, according to meeting materials. 

Ordinance 3254 “would establish a carbon pollution impact fee for new residential structures with fossil fuel appliances in the City of Ashland,” according to the city staff report. 

The ordinance is intended to discourage the use of fossil fuel appliances by establishing a fee on new residential construction that includes a “fossil fuel thermal energy system” – i.e. furnaces, water heaters, ranges, gas fireplaces, and/or clothes dryers that run on natural gas, coal, oil, propane, or other fossil fuels.

Fees range from $145.60 for a clothes dryer to $4,118.40 for a furnace. Collection of the Carbon Pollution Impact Fee would be expected to bring in approximately $89,446 annually, based on recent building trends and appliance installations, according to the city staff report.

Members of the Ashland Youth for Electrification Campaign will rally in support of the ordinance at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday outside the council chamber at 1175 E. Main St., according to a release sent by the organization to Ashland.news. 

“After nearly two years, efforts led by the Ashland Youth for Electrification campaign to pressure Ashland to reduce its fossil fuel use are nearing victory. … a pollution fee ordinance to incentivize developers of new residential dwellings to build with safe, efficient electric appliances by charging a pollution fee on gas appliances installed in new homes,” the release said. 

The council is expected to vote to approve the 2200 Ashland St. Master Plan and to create a new ad hoc committee to “assist in the development of a facility site plan, communications and engagement structure, guiding documents and the structure of a long-term advisory committee for the building and surrounding property at 2200 Ashland Street,” according to the staff report. 

The council is also expected to vote on a second reading for an ordinance to formally create a Parks & Recreation Department within the city while retaining the authority of Ashland’s elected Parks & Recreation Commission commissioners. The ordinance is intended to clarify the roles of the city manager, parks director and parks commissioners “while ensuring compliance with the City Charter and reducing governance ambiguities that have created operational and legal challenges in the past,” the staff report says.

In other council business Tuesday, council will vote on a franchise agreement with Sprint for a telecommunications structure in the public right-of-way, a procedure for filling the city attorney position, appoint members of the budget committee and discuss a change for the 2025 affordable housing trust funds at the request of Mayor Tonya Graham, according to an agenda item and attached letter from the mayor. 

“The Affordable Housing Trust Fund represents one of the most flexible resources the City of

Ashland has to invest in the development of affordable housing. … Several changes have happened over the past couple of years that necessitate a strategic conversation at the council level to determine the best way to invest these funds in order to create the greatest progress in developing affordable housing,” the mayor’s letter said. 

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday’s study session is cancelled. 

The Tuesday business meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the council chamber, 1175 E Main St.

The meeting can be attended in person or watched remotely through Channel 9 or Channels 180 and 181 (Charter Communications) or live streamed via rvtv.sou.edu select RVTV Prime. 

Public testimony will be accepted and can be delivered either via Zoom, in person, or as written comment. To sign up for public comment, fill out the public testimony form. 

Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at morganr@ashland.news.