Draft Minutes
Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee
Meeting
Friday, February 16, 2024
12:00 pm
In Person:
Conference Room 5
Ava Community Energy
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2300
Oakland, CA 94612
Or from the following locations:
• 33349 9th Street Union City, CA 94587
• Stockton City Hall, 425 N. El Dorado St. Stockton, 95202 • Conference Room 5, 37101 Newark Blvd. Newark, CA 94560 Zoom:
https://ebce-org.zoom.us/j/88008124818
Or join by phone:
+Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 669 444 9171 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 719 359 4580 or +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 309 205 3325
Webinar ID: 880 0812 4818
Meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals who need special assistance or a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in this meeting, or who have a disability and wish to request an alternative format for the meeting materials, should contact the Clerk of the Board at least 2 working days before the meeting at (510) 707-1764 or [email protected].
If you have anything that you wish to be distributed to the Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee, please email it to the clerk by 5:00 pm the day prior to the meeting.
1. Welcome & Roll Call
Present: Directors: Barrientos (Livermore), Hannon (Newark), Wright (Stockton), Vice-Chair Patiño (Union City) and Chair Roche (Hayward). Director Barrientos (Livermore) joined in person at 12:29pm.
Absent: Director Bartlett (Berkeley).
2. Public Comment
Ava Community Energy
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This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the MRL Subcommittee on any Ava-related matters that are not otherwise on this meeting agenda. Public comments on matters listed on the agenda shall be heard at the time the matter is called. As with all public comment, members of the public who wish to address the Board are customarily limited to three minutes per speaker. The MRL Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker.
There were no speakers for public comment.
3. Approval of Minutes from October 13, 2023
Director Wright (Stockton) motioned to approve the minutes. Director Patiño (Union City) seconded the motion, which passed 4/0/2.
Yes: Hannon (Newark), Wright (Stockton), Vice-Chair Patiño (Union City), and Chair Roche (Hayward).
Not Present: Directors Bartlett (Berkeley) and Barrientos (Livermore).
4. Legislative Update (Informational Item)
Update on 2024 assembly and senate bills
The Committee Discussed:
• (19:37) Director Hannon (Newark) asked if the March bill summary would include any anticipated costs or mandates for local governments and/or residents. He also asked about the mechanism to repay bill bonds assuming the bills are passed.
Director Hannon later queried Ava’s progress in delivering sufficient transmission capacity under Senate Bill 1006 and expressed support for Assembly Bills 2125 and 2054. Finally, he questioned whether Assembly Bill 2054 was looking at a set number of EV charging stations per unit and whether the bill would be applied retroactively. He requested answers to his questions to be included in the March executive summary.
• (24:22) Chair Roche (Hayward) asked which past bill Ava was going to mirror and whether Ava was tracking Senate Bill 1095, the Cozy Homes Cleanup Act. (17:25) Jessica Tovar sought clarification on Ava’s current position on the presented bills. Tovar also showed support for Assembly Bill 2054, which prohibits CPUC commissioners from working at entities that they regulate.
5. Ava Website Refresh Feedback (Informational Item)
Presentation and feedback on current website development project The Committee Discussed:
• (37:18) Director Hannon (Newark) questioned whether there would be a link for each city so that they can feed information into their respective link and whether Ava has sufficient staff to regularly update the website. • (40:24) Director Wright (Stockton) queried about ADA accessibility for Ava’s website.
• (41:48) Director Barrientos (Livermore) inquired whether Ava had a dedicated page on the website to showcase its activities or incentives in different cities. He also suggested that Ava explore the installation of hydrogen panels on rooftops Ava Community Energy
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rather than large acres of panels. Director Barrientos inquired about the availability of EV charging sites in Livermore and expressed safety concerns regarding the chargers.
• (45:59) Chair Roche (Hayward) agreed with Director Barrientos’ suggestion for more detailed city-specific sites and asked whether there was a website section that guides people already connected to Ava. She also inquired about the availability of a timeline on the website that informs customers about Ava’s history.
Additionally, she provided feedback on the website's menu placement, noting that having them below the headline makes them hard to locate quickly. (34:50) Jessica Tovar raised a question about whether the website name “Avacommunityenergy.org” will be purchased and used as requested previously by members of the public to stay consistent with the agency’s name. She also provided feedback on Ava's website bills page, which includes a Spanish translation only on the first page but not on subsequent pages.
6. Ava Brand Awareness Campaign Update (Informational Item) Ava staff will share details of the upcoming awareness advertising campaign The Committee Discussed:
• (1:03:05) Director Barrientos (Livermore) expressed concern about the implication of the slogan “shine on,” as it could be interpreted differently than intended.
• (1:14:54) Director Hannon (Newark) recommended that Ava staff explore the East Bay Times and the Tri City Voice to advertise Ava. He also suggested increasing billboard placements in the southern counties, particularly in the Newark, Union City, and Fremont areas.
• (1:18:38) Chair Roche (Hayward) proposed a slogan like “shine bright” instead of “shine on” to avoid different interpretations. She sought clarification about notifying customers that they are getting Ava in their home.
There were no speakers for public comment.
7. Committee Member and Staff Announcements including requests to place items on future Board Agendas
There were no committee member or staff announcements.
8. Adjourn – the meeting adjourned at 1:30pm.
The next Marketing, Regulatory and Legislative Subcommittee meeting will be held on April 19, 2024 at 12pm.
Conference Room 5
Ava Community Energy
1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2300
Oakland, CA 94612
Ava Community Energy
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Minutes written by Raïssa Ngoma.