Draft Minutes
Executive Committee Meeting
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
9:00 am
In Person:
Conference Room 5
Ava Community Energy
1999 Harrison St., Suite 2300
Oakland, CA 94612
Or from the following locations:
24301 Southland Drive, Suite 101, Hayward, CA 94545
Dublin City Hall - 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568
Balch Enterprises, Inc. – 30960 Huntwood Avenue, Hayward, CA 94544 31 Poynter House, Aberdeen Place, St John's Wood, NW8 8JP Via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88267670367
Or join by phone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
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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) 906- 0491 or [email protected].
If you have anything that you wish to be distributed to the Executive Committee, please email it to the clerk by 5:00 pm the day prior to the meeting.
1. (7:43) Welcome & Roll Call
Present: Members: Hu (Dublin), Kalb (Oakland), Marquez (Alameda County), Balch (Pleasanton) and Chair Tiedemann (Albany)
Member Kalb joined the meeting at 9:11am.
2. (8:41) Public Comment
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This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the Executive Committee on any Ava Community Energy-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 Committee are customarily limited to three minutes per speaker and must complete an electronic speaker slip. The Executive Committee Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker.
There was no public comment for this item.
3. (9:05) Approval of Minutes from November 6, 2024
Member Balch motioned to approve the minutes. Member Marquez seconded the motion which was approved 3/0/0/0/1 (yes, no, abstain, recuse, not present):
Yes: Members: Hu, Marquez, Balch and Chair Tiedemann
No: none
Abstain: none
Recuse: none
Not Present: Members Kalb
4. (10:10) Government Fleet EV Charging Grants (Informational Item) Ava-led initiative resulted in CEC grant funding for government fleet EV charging infrastructure
Zac Thompson presented the outcomes of Ava's Municipal Fleet Electrification Program, a five-year initiative that offered no-cost technical support to local governments for electrifying their vehicle fleets. The program helped identify EV infrastructure needs and secure $7.6 million in California Energy Commission grants for three jurisdictions.
Thompson noted the program's achievements, including avoiding 13,000 metric tons of CO2 annually and assisting local governments with meeting regulatory requirements. (24:38) Public Comment – Bradley Cleveland, an Oakland resident and consultant with IBEW Local 595 and NorCal NECA, spoke in support of the Municipal Fleet Electrification Program, stating that the program has advanced fleet electrification and created local jobs and apprenticeship opportunities.
(25:44) Public Comment – Jim Lutz asked whether Ava is continuing to collaborate with cities that did not receive California Energy Commission grants to identify additional funding opportunities, and whether the new chargers will support demand flexibility by scheduling charging during periods of the lowest electricity costs. (26:55) Public Comment – Aya Peters Paz thanked Member Marquez for supporting the funding of local development programs and for advocating for public facing communication about these programs.
The Executive Committee discussed:
• Member Marquez asked about the tracking of grant funding and suggested making this data publicly accessible on an annual basis.
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• Member Balch spoke in support of the program and stated that its technical assistance as vital for municipalities to adapt to evolving state laws. • Chair Tiedemann stated that the program provided value through service initiatives that align with Ava's goals.
5. (32:00) Piedmont Pool NSR Amendment (Informational Item) Amendment to NSRA w/City to adjust repayment timeline for its electrified community pool
Alex DiGiorgio presented a proposal to amend the electricity service agreement with the City of Piedmont, which includes an interest-free loan for the electrification of the city's municipal pool. Due to construction delays, the city requested to postpone the start of loan repayment until the pool is operational or up to one year, whichever occurs first. The amendment adjusts the repayment schedule without altering the financial terms of the agreement.
The Executive Committee discussed:
• Member Marquez spoke in support of the flexible repayment approach, allowing repayment to start six months after the pool's certificate of occupancy or up to a one-year delay.
• Member Balch spoke about the need for clear communication on timelines and understanding opportunity costs when supporting projects involving construction delays.
• CEO Chang suggested a future discussion on structuring loan programs effectively and aligning them with Ava’s overall financial management and mission.
6. (42:24) CAC Work Plan (Informational Item)
CAC-approved updates to the CAC Work Plan
Alex DiGiorgio presented updates to the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) work plan. The proposed changes, informed by a strategic planning session and member surveys, would prioritize and categorize tasks into recurring items, less frequent but significant topics, and CAC-initiated projects.
(59:56) Public Comment – Anne Olivia Eldred, former CAC Chair, spoke in support for the proposed changes to the work plan, particularly the formalization of ad hoc committees. Anne Olivia Eldred also spoke about the importance of maintaining the CAC's ability to address emerging community issues and provide input to the board.
The Executive Committee discussed:
• Member Kalb asked about the possible impact of the updated work plan on staff time.
• Member Balch encouraged focus on key topics like energy affordability. • Member Marquez spoke about the importance of clearly defining roles and time commitments to enhance recruitment and retention of CAC members. • Chair Tiedemann spoke in support of the shift toward ad hoc committees, which would allow CAC members to focus on topics of interest and make contributions beyond oversight.
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7. (1:07:49) Committee Member and Staff Announcements including requests to place items on future Executive Committee Agendas
• Chair Tiedemann expressed appreciation to staff and the Executive Committee and Board at his last meeting.
• Member Hu expressed appreciation to staff and the Executive Committee at her last meeting.
• Thanks were given to Chair Tiedeman and Member Hu by Member Marquez, Member Balch, Member Kalb and CEO Chang, and in public comments by Jessica Tovar and Aya Peters Paz.
8. Adjourned at 10:18am.
The next Executive Committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 8, 2024.