Longmont will develop a climate adaptation plan to prepare for the threats to public health from a warmer, changed climate. Apply equity lens to understand communities most impacted and under-resourced.
Develop a coalition focused on identifying issues and solutions for a warming climate, with a specific focus on the needs of low-income households and residents experiencing homelessness. Topics may include addressing heatwaves and other severe weather events, air quality issues, detection, surveillance and treatment of diseases.
AR.1Public Health
Progress
On time
- Not started
- Planning
- Implementation
- Completed
Description
To address public health, staff began with creating an online Climate Risk Mapping tool to determine climate exposures at a neighborhood scale. Of the five vulnerabilities analyzed so far, extreme heat was identified as the biggest risk to Longmont. Efforts to address climate adaptation and public health have focused on extreme heat. See examples of actions taken in the Tasks section below.
The City's extreme heat efforts have been recognized by AT&T's Climate Resilience Cities program for additional technical support and funding to implement cooling in households most impacted by heat, as well as the podcast Morning Brew and Harvard's Data-Smart Cities Program which highlighted the Climate Risk Mapping Tool.
Read more
- Longmont Heat Watch Summary Report
- Climate Risk Mapping Tool
- Longmont, CO: Building a Better Climate Future with Maps
Tasks
What are we doing?
- 12/31/2025
Implementation of Community-Driven Cooling Solutions in Key Parks
What has been done?
- 12/31/2024
Whole Home Health: Extreme Heat Resilience through Energy Efficiency and Building Electrification
While the original goal was to assist 10-12 households, the program's outreach and impact exceeded expectations. A total of 24 single family, and 10 multifamily households received energy retrofits in 2024, demonstrating a strong demand and need for energy assistance. These retrofits combine energy efficiency, housing rehabilitation and building electrification to enhance heat resilience while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and utility cost burden. This pilot program will continue through the end of 2025.
- 12/31/2024
Climate Risk Mapping Tool – Staff Training and Implementation
An initial staff training was conducted in June 2024, with additional support for implementation ongoing.
- 06/30/2024
Heat Action Plan
The recommendations from the Heat Action Plan will be incorporated into the Longmont Indicators platform.
Related actions
- Implementation (Late)
Sustainability PlanBI-3. Develop and implement a process to incorporate social equity into prioritizing infrastructure improvements - Implementation (Late)Sustainability PlanE-2. Continue collaboration with Energy Outreach Colorado to expand energy services for low-income households
- Continuous
Envision Longmont4.1. Emergency Operations Plan - Implementation (On time)Envision Longmont4.2. Resilient Community and Neighborhoods Partnerships
- Implementation (Late)
Envision Longmont4.5. Update Floodplain Boundaries - Implementation (On time)Envision Longmont4.6. St. Vrain Creek Floodway and Floodplain Improvements
- Implementation (On time)Envision Longmont4.7. Improve and Rebuild Bridges
- ContinuousEnvision Longmont4.9. Older Adult Risk Liaisons
- ContinuousEnvision Longmont4.10. Disaster Response and Preparendess Planning
- Envision Longmont4.11. Public Safety Coordination and Partnerships
- Implementation (On time)Envision Longmont4.14. Grants and Partnerships
- Planning (On time)Envision Longmont5.3. Sustainable and Resilient Regulations
- Implementation (On time)
Beneficial Building Electrification Plan7. Affordable Housing Partnerships
Summary and contacts
Timeline
7/2021 →
Initiation Period
Responsible organizations
Contact persons
- Lisa KnoblauchSustainability ManagerSustainability
- Adam SandersonEnergy Program CoordinatorLongmont Power & Communications
Information updated 01/15/2025
Sustainability, Parks, and Community and Neighborhood Resources are utilizing 2024 Sustainability Tax funds and ARPA funds to implement community-driven cooling solutions identified in 2023 in the Kensington, Lanyon, and Spangler community parks.