Draft Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
6:00 pm
In Person:
The Lake Merritt Room
Cal State East Bay - the Oakland Center
In the Transpacific Centre
1000 Broadway, Suite 109
Oakland, CA 94607
Or from the following locations:
• Clipper Club - 5 Captain Dr. Emeryville, CA 94608
• Conference Room, Irvington Community Center, 41885 Blacow Rd. Fremont, CA 94538
• 1755 Harvest Landing Lane, Tracy, CA 95376
• Albany Community Center - 1249 Marin Ave, Albany, CA 94706 Via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88267670367
Or join by phone:
https://ebce-org.zoom.us/j/87023071843
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 669 900 6833 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free) or 877 853 5257 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 870 2307 1843
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 Board of Directors, please email it to the clerk by 5:00 pm the day prior to the meeting.
Please note that Item 15 – Local Development Business Plan (Informational Item) was heard prior to roll call.
Ava Community Energy
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1.(59:21) Welcome & Roll Call
Present: Members: Lopez (Albany) Tregub (Berkeley), Kaur (Emeryville), Roche (Hayward), Jorgens (Newark), Kalb (Oakland), Andersen (Piedmont), Gonzalez (San Leandro), Patino (Union City), CAC Chair Hernandez (Community Advisory Committee), Chair Balch (Pleasanton)
Not Present: Marquez (Alameda County), Hu (Dublin), Member Diallo (Lathrop), Barrientos (Livermore)
2. (1:00:53) Pledge of Allegiance
Member Kalb led the body in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. (1:34:12) Public Comment
This item is reserved for persons wishing to address the Board 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 two minutes per speaker and must complete an electronic speaker slip. The Board Chair may increase or decrease the time allotted to each speaker.
There were no speakers for Public Comment
4. (1:34:55) Closed Session Public Comment
There were no speakers for Closed Session Public Comment.
5. (1:35:18) Closed Session
A. Public Employee Performance Evaluation Pursuant of Code § 54957: Chief Executive Officer
6. (2:26:43) General Report Out of Closed Session
There were no reportable items from Closed Session.
CONSENT AGENDA
7. Approval of Minutes from November 20, 2024
8. Contracts Entered Into (Informational Item)
9. Piedmont Pool ESA Amendment (Action Item)
Draft Amendment to ESA with the City of Piedmont adjusting repayment schedule due to construction delays.
Ava Community Energy
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10.CAC Work Plan Update (Informational Item)
Draft update to CAC Work Plan to reflect new priorities and engagement with staff.
11.Updated start date for Ava’s participation in the Agricultural Hourly Flex Pricing Pilot (Informational Item)
Overview of updated start date for Ava’s participation in the Agricultural Hourly Flex Pricing (“HFP”) Pilot.
(2:26:48) Member Gonzalez motioned to approve the Consent Agenda. Member Patino seconded the motion which as approved 10/0/0/0/4 (yes/no/abstain/recuse/not present)
Yes: Members: Lopez, Tregub, Kaur, Roche, Jorgens, Kalb, Andersen, Gonzalez, Patino and Chair Balch
No: none
Abstain: none
Recuse: none
Not Present: Members Marquez, Hu, Diallo and Barrientos
REGULAR AGENDA
12.(2:28:34) CEO Report
CEO Chang spoke about the December 4 Executive Committee meeting and introduced two new hires, Claire Huang and Linda Luong.), and a Habitat for Humanity partnership supporting the Sequoia Grove project in Hayward, a fully electric affordable housing community. The CEO also announced the addition of unincorporated San Joaquin County to the joint powers authority, making Ava an 18-member organization. The representative for San Joaquin County is expected to join the board in early 2024.
13.(2:32:13) CAC Report
Chair Hernandez announced that the CAC had recently formed two ad hoc committees:
one to evaluate and recommend updates to the Local Development Business Plan, chaired by Member Lutz, and another focused on electricity affordability, chaired by Member Balkissoon. They also discussed a potential Resilience Hubs ad hoc committee but deferred further action pending board approval of related initiatives, such as the Emerald City Collective grant.
14.(2:35:10) Emerald Cities Collaborative (ECC) Grant Agreement (Action Item) Requesting approval to award a grant to ECC (and negotiate the grant agreement) of up to $300k over 18 months for the Resilience Hub grant initiative.
JP Ross presented a request for board approval to negotiate and execute a grant agreement with the Emerald Cities Collaborative as part of AVA’s Resilience Hub Initiative. The grant will focus on community engagement, capacity building, and developing a "resilience readiness toolkit" to identify and prepare up to 50 potential Ava Community Energy
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Resilience Hub sites eligible for solar and storage incentives. The initiative involves multiple community-based organizations to ensure equity and local impact, with a shortened 18-month timeline to accelerate progress and gather early insights for potential future grants.
Board members discussed the following topics:
• Member Kalb asked whether the Emerald Cities Collaborative could accomplish the project within the reduced 18-month timeline instead of the originally planned three years.
• Member Gonzalez sought clarification on whether the grant's goal was to define Resilience Hubs and identify viable sites, as well as the geographic distribution of partner organizations across Ava’s service territory.
• Member Roche asked about Emerald Cities Collaborative's role as the lead agency and their coordination with other community-based organizations. • Member Roche asked whether Ava would manage resilience hubs directly and how organizational or ongoing assistance for sites would be handled. • Member Tregub asked about the total budget for grants and whether other Community Choice Aggregators were undertaking similar resilience initiatives.
Member Tregub motioned to approve the staff’s recommendation. Member Gonzalez seconded the motion which was approved 10/0/0/0/4 (yes/no/abstain/recuse/not present)
Yes: Members: Lopez, Tregub, Kaur, Roche, Jorgens, Kalb, Andersen, Gonzalez, Patino and Chair Balch
No: none
Abstain: none
Recuse: none
Not Present: Members Marquez, Hu, Diallo and Barrientos
15. (18:40) Local Development Business Plan Review (Informational Item) Present an overview of items that were done as part of the LDBP.
Annie Hendersen presented a comprehensive review of Ava Community Energy's Local Development Business Plan (LDBP), highlighting accomplishments from 2018 to 2023 and outlining priorities for the next 6-12 months. The plan, created as a roadmap with 70 tactical recommendations, has driven achievements such as renewable energy projects, municipal fleet electrification, resilience hubs, and community-focused programs like affordability grants and workforce development. The presentation emphasized the agency’s progress in balancing ambitious goals with operational feasibility while adapting to evolving community needs and lessons learned.
(1:15:26) Public Comment: Jim Lutz commended Ava’s staff and board for their accomplishments and success but urged them to be more aggressive in pursuing their Ava Community Energy
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goals.
(1:17:44) Public Comment: Jessica Tovar congratulated and thanked Ava for its accomplishments and expressed hope for continued progress, particularly in expanding local investments and community asset ownership.
The Board discussed the following topics:
• Member Roche asked why reach code support would not continue in 2025 despite its benefits for municipal goals.
• Member Gonzalez asked if program areas such as customer financing align with strategic priorities and whether partnerships with third-party financiers could be revisited.
• Member Tregub sought clarification on the AMP program, its relation to the California Arrearage Payment Plan, and its impact on CARE/FERA customers. • Member Tregub asked about DC fast charging near multi-family housing, compatibility with Level 2 charging, and specific jurisdictions involved in the EV charging initiatives.
• Member Tregub asked about future plans to expand the Disadvantaged Community Green Tariff program and related regulatory challenges. • Member Kalb spoke about the importance of publicizing Ava’s accomplishments through press releases, annual reports, and broader media engagement. • Member Tregub spoke about the need to prioritize equity in program design, particularly for renters and disadvantaged communities. • Chair Balch suggested initiating a strategic planning process to transition Ava from its startup phase to a more mature organization with clear long-term priorities. • Member Kalb spoke about the importance of sharing Ava’s accomplishments with the public, policymakers, and media in a digestible format to enhance Ava’s visibility, promote its successes, and inspire other Community Choice Aggregators. • Chair Balch suggested focusing on the cumulative impact of Ava’s achievements in addition to incremental updates to better showcase the agency’s progress and build on its success.
• Member Gonzalez spoke about the importance of balancing one-page summaries for policymakers with ongoing branding efforts to strengthen public awareness and organizational impact.
• Member Tregub urged the board to maintain a focus on equity, particularly in areas such as resilience hubs and EV charging for multi-family housing, to ensure accessibility for disadvantaged communities.
• Member Kalb and CAC Chair Hernandez advocated for creating annual reports or summaries to effectively communicate Ava’s progress and initiatives to stakeholders and policymakers.
16.(2:58:42) Ava Board Outgoing Members and Sub-Committee Update (Action Item) Express thanks to outgoing members and approve updated subcommittee assignments.
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The board discussed committee assignments for 2025, acknowledging significant turnover with eight outgoing members and plans for additional appointments in the coming year. Outgoing board members, including Members Kalb, Patino, and Jorgens, reflected on their time with Ava Community Energy. CEO Chang and Chair Balch expressed appreciation for the departing members' leadership and contributions.
Chair Balch motioned to appoint subcommittee assignments according to the Staff Report, albeit excluding Member Bedolla and Member Jorgens. Member Gonzalez seconded the motion which was approved 10/0/0/0/4 (yes/no/abstain/recuse/not present).
Yes: Members: Lopez, Tregub, Kaur, Roche, Jorgens, Kalb, Andersen, Gonzalez, Patino and Chair Balch
No: none
Abstain: none
Recuse: none
Not Present: Members Marquez, Hu, Diallo and Barrientos
17.(3:14:11) Board Member and Staff Announcements including requests to place items on future Board of Directors Meeting Agendas
There were no Board Member or Staff announcements.
18.Adjourned at 9:15pm.
The next Ava Board of Directors meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
The Lake Merritt Room
Cal State East Bay - the Oakland Center
In the Transpacific Centre
1000 Broadway, Suite 109
Oakland, CA 94607