1 THESE MINUTES ARE NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL APPROVED BY
THE CULVER CITY SUSTAINABILITY SUBCOMMITTEE
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE July 22, 2024
CULVER CITY SUSTAINABILITY 5:30 p.m.
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA
Call to Order & Roll Call
Council Member Puza called t he special meeting of the Sustainability Subcommittee of t he City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Dan Patacchia Meeting Room at City Hall and via Webex.
Present:
Yasmine-Imani McMorrin, Mayor
Freddy Puza, Council Member
Staff Present:
Sean Singletary, Environmental Programs and Operations
(EPO) Manager
Joe Susca, Senior Management Analyst
Wallis Nash, Senior Management Analyst
Alicia Ide, Management Analyst
Shetauna Smith, Environmental Programs and Operations
(EPO) Environmental Coordinator
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Pledge of Allegiance
Council Member Puza led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Community Announcement by Members
None.
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Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
2 Information Items from Staff
Alicia Ide, Management Analyst, provided an update on water conservation information from the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department; discussed the need to engage a consultant to evaluate the City ’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) ; compliance; approval in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget; study will evaluate the park system, parkways, and medians throughout Culver C ity;
identification of MWELO compliance issues ; advice on best irrigation practices moving forward ; release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) by the end of August; and, responding to inquiry, she indicated that the timeline was not clear, but that it could take up to a year.
Joe Susca, Senior Management Analyst , provided updates on solar panel installations City -wide; noted that Culver City bought 100% clean power from the Clean Power Alliance;
discussed residents who buy clean power; City facilities; plans of the Transportation Department to electrify their fleet; he presented photos illustrating why City Hall is not a good candidate for solar; discussed the Self Generation Incentive Program; community solar programs; available
programs; resiliency measures; designing Vet erans Memorial Building and the Senior Center as emergency center s; the ability to provide lighting, refrigeration, cooking, and cell phone charging; and partnership with the Red Cross to provide evacuation shelters.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding providing information in a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on the Culver City website to clarify that staff has reviewed programs and investigated whether Culver City qualifies; and information on the webpage for the Clean Power Alliance.
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Public Comment - Items NOT On the Agenda
Council Member Puza invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the Subcommittee:
Derek Stoops provided background on himself; discussed sustainability in Hollywood production; best practices; synthesizing data; regulatory guidelines; creating incentives Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
3 to reignite the industry; and opening a partnership discussion with Culver City.
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Receipt of Correspondence
MOVED BY MAYOR MCMORRIN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PUZA AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE SUSTAINABILITY SUBCOMMITTEE RECEIVE AND FILE CORRESPONDENCE.
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Consent Calendar
Item C-1
Approval of Minutes for the Sustainability Subcommittee Special Meeting on April 4, 2024
MOVED BY MAYOR MCMORRIN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PUZA AND
UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED, THAT THE SUSTAINABILITY SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVE MINUTES FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING ON APRIL 4, 2024.
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Action Items
Item A-1
Receive and Discuss a Presentation by Humble Rentals Regarding Expansion of Use of Batteries to Replace Gas Generators
Amit Runchal, Humble Rentals, provided a presentation on the expansion of the use of batteries to replace gas generators; discussed health impacting emissions in Culver City;
particulate matter; health risks of exposure to gas
generators; lack of interest from the vendors at the Culver City Farmers Market; cost; logistics of usage; public/private micro-partnerships; ideas inspired by the EV market; providing an accessible power source for all vendors; allowing for a more vibrant space by offering clean energy; experience that shows use of batteries can work with community support; the partnership with Ciclavia; and their desire to form a
partnership with the city to move forward.
Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
4 Mayor McMorrin exited the meeting and missed a portion of the presentation and discussion.
Discussion ensued between Amit Runchal, staff and Subcommittee Members regarding generator usage at the Farmers Market; noise from generators; use of batteries at Bridge Fest; providing more reliable power for security and point of sale systems; support for use of batteries; the Clean Power Alliance; next steps; current rental costs; bringing costs down to make battery usag e as affordable as gas ; scale; long -term commitment; providing education; clarification that the presentation would be posted on the Culver City website; field receipts provided after every job; eliminating risk from the vendor process; education; and direction to staff to reach out to the Farmers Market to gage interest.
Council Member Puza invited public comment.
The following member of City staff addressed the Subcommittee online:
Luis Gonzalez , Project Manager for Economic and Cultural Development Division, indicated that he oversaw the Farmers Market that is managed by SMS Management; agreed to connect City staff with the Sustainability team; and discussed vendor receptiveness.
Additional discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding alignment with City sustainability goals; outreach events; understanding community need; finding another outlet with more need; Fiesta La Ballona; starting with a pilot program; showing that the quality of the event is not
negatively impacted; allowing the vendors to try out the new system; provid ing credibility; community support vs. City support; collaboration with Edgar Varela to identify events to try; coordination between Mr. Runchal and Sean Singletary and the Sustainability Team to educate and advocate for the electric generators; providing data to move forward; and a suggestion that Economic Development come back to the next meeting with information on conversations to explore use at Farmer’s Market, discuss with vendors and Humble for a possible pilot program with Culver City providing equipment and potential use at Fiesta La Ballona and other events.
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Item A-2
Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
5 Receive and Discuss a Presentation Regarding Outreach Plan for the Proposal to Ban Single -Use Plastic Beverage Bottles, Balloons, Butts (Smoking), Astro-Turf, and Single-Use Bags Not Pre-Exempted by California Public Resources Code
Sean Singletary, Environmental Programs and Operations (EPO) Manager, provided background on the item and a presentation regarding the outreach plan for the proposal to ban single - use plastic beverage bottles, balloons, cigarette butts, and single use plastic bags; discussed Council direction for the Subcommittee to consider the items; stakeholder outreach; the timeline; planned updates to the Subcommittee; ensuring that businesses are included in the process; and the request from the City Council to ban Astro-Turf.
Ly Nguyen, SGA, discussed the timeline; difficulty engaging people in a political year; laying the foundation for
messaging; creating more finite and finely tuned outreach; in- person outreach; quantitative and qualitative questions; the broad bans that encompass a lot; survey details; survey strategies; incentives to motivate people to participate; outreach to businesses; phone surveys; previous experience surveying people in Glendale; distribution of postcard
surveys; development of a FAQ; the intent to ga in data; and fiscal impact on Culver City.
Sean Singletary, Environmental Programs and Operations (EPO) Manager, discussed regular updates to the Subcommittee and the intent to gain feedback from the Subcommittee and make
adjustments as needed.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding appreciation for the report; measuring environmental impacts; getting an additional consultant on board to do a lifecycle analysis for both plastic and alternative materials; survey methodology and evaluation; and ensuring that people do not answer the survey more than once.
Council Member Puza invited public comment.
The following member s of the public addressed the
subcommittee:
Chloe Brown, Californians Against Waste, provided background on the organization; thanked staff for meeting with them to discuss the ordinance; expressed support for banning three of the four Bs; discussed appreciation for Culver City going above Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
6 and beyond state law; work to close the loophole with the thicker reusable plastic bags; reducing the use of plastic film bags; willingness to serve as a resource; incentivizing a move to reuse; potential unintended consequ ences of
prohibiting PET beverage containers; the need for parallel restrictions of other types of single -use CRV packaging; recycling rates in California; concern with a shift to another single use product; the need for more commitment to reuse and refill; potential policies; establishing targets for sales of reusable or refillable containers; and she expressed eagerness to work with staff.
Sandrine Cassidy from Ballona Creek Renaissance thanked staff for their efforts; discussed past efforts; continued work and research; previous surveys; observations of volunteers
cleaning up Ballona Creek; the plastic pandemic; the need to make changes; education; the need for reuse; the importance of laws; the power of legislation in Culver City; plastic
associations that claim continued use is necessary; real harm with the use of plastic; support for staff; and eagerness to review survey questions since they originated the request.
Tim James , California Grocers Association, discussed the process; how decisions and changes are made; identification and involvement of stakeholders; valuable insight; adding value to consideration; accessibility and equity issues; critical, essential needs; resour ce choices; regulation; ensuring that alternatives are environmentally and sustainably sound; increased cost issues; key pieces of legislation; impact of making changes; online retail; purchase vs. use; and their request for additional information and to be a unique stakeholder.
Juan Camacho , American Beverage Association, provided
information on the organization; discussed recognition of plastic pollution; their support for reducing plastic waste; the goal to decrease use of new plastic; placing the focus on recyclable plastic; support for s tatewide plastic reduction measures; the need to address plastic in the environment; PET plastic used; recycling rates for PET containers; concern that the ban would hurt small businesses and deprive the CRV system of valuable materials; reductions to greenhouse gases and the use of energy and water with the use of recycled p lastic; support for Governor Newsome ’s proposal to boost the demand for recyclables and attract green industry; he asked that the City Council align policy with recently passed SB54 and AB793; Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
7 discussed creating a circular economy for recyclable bottles and cans; and negative results of a ban.
Craig Cadwallader , Surfrider Foundation and Ballona Creek Renaissance, discussed the misnomer that plastic is
recyclable; the limited number of times plastic can be
recycled; infinite recycling of aluminum and support for more use of aluminum single use containers; the manufacturing process for plastic bottles ; Coastal Cleanup Day statistics for 2020; plastic as having the greater impact on the
environment; micro -plastics; leaching chemicals; reusable beverage containers; the need to take action to address the plastic inputs; cleanup costs; tax burden on residen ts; he noted that the use of down-cyclable products did not make sense when better products were available; discussed the careful survey process; crafting a survey to get the results you want; clarity of the survey; education and knowledge; he asked to be able to provide input on the survey questions; discussed Californians Against Waste; the need to do something now to knock out plastics; lack of studies indicating that changes are harmful to business; proof that changes help the
environment; statements that are made but not challenged; and providing the best leadership to the community.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding stakeholder engagement; the mailing list; dialogue; engaging in a transparent process ; ensuring the right issues are addressed; preference for a staff-led process; different groups that want to be involved; transparency; scheduling; and information available at culvercityrecycles.com.
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Item A-3
Receive and Discuss a Presentation of the Updated
Environmental Programs and Operations Website
Wallis Nash, Senior Management Analyst, discussed redesign of the EPO section of the website.
Discussion ensued between staff and Subcommittee Members regarding outreach to residents about changes to the website; incorporation of environmental pages and information on other areas of the Culver City website; connecting events to the calendar page; appreciation to staff for their efforts; providing suggestions for people searching for related items; Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
8 monitoring clicks; collecting feedback; limitations with the system; programming; the value of comments and feedback; adjustments to messaging; information available at the
previous location; the intent to drive more traffic to
culvercityrecycles.com; promotional aspects; creative ways to get information out; and enabling related links.
Council Member Puza invited public comment.
Alicia Ide, Management Analyst, indicated that no requests to speak had been received.
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Item A-4
Receive and Discuss a Presentation Regarding a Letter of Support for Culver City ’s Funding Applications to Los Angeles County Safe Clean Water Program: Technical Resources Program for Stormwater Concept Studies at Lindberg Park and Fox Hills Park
Sean Singletary, Environmental Programs and Operations (EPO) Manager, provided a presentation on potential grant
applications through the Los Angeles County Safe Clean Water Program for feasibility studies for Lindberg Park and Fox Hills Park; discussed urban runoff; regulation; compliance; Measure W; offsetting water usage; water treatment; reuse; grant opportunities; runoff diversion; the treatment process; geotechnical studies; and the timeline design and construction funding.
Council Member Puza invited public comment.
The following member of the public addressed the Subcommittee:
Craig Cadwallader, Surfrider Foundation and South Santa Monica Bay Watershed Area Steering Committee Chair, provided
background on himself; felt that the Measure W program was a gift to Los Angeles County; discussed the technical resource program; and expressed support for the item.
MOVED BY MAYOR MCMORRIN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PUZA AND UNANIMOUSLY CARRIED THAT THE SUSTAINABILITY SUB COMMITTEE:
APPROVE STAFF DEVELOPMENT OF A LETTER TO BE SIGNED BY THE MAYOR SUPPORTING THE CITY ’S FUNDING APPLICATION TO THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAFE CLEAN WATER PROGRAM: TECHNICAL RESOURCES PROGRAM.
Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council
July 22, 2024
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Public Comment for Items NOT on the Agenda
Council Member Puza invited public participation.
Alicia Ide, Management Analyst, reported no additional
requests to speak.
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Members Requests to Agendize Future Items
None.
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Items from Subcommittee Members/Staff
Mayor McMorrin thanked everyone for their flexibility with time.
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Adjournment
There be ing no further business, at 7:08 p.m., the
Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council adjourned to August 22, 2024 at 6:30 p.m.
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___________________________________________________________ Jeremy Bocchino
SECRETARY of the Culver City Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council Culver City, California
APPROVED
___________________________________________________________ Freddy Puza
COUNCIL MEMBER, Sustainability Subcommittee of the City Council Culver City, California