FAIRFAX TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA ITEM #11
MEETING DATE August 7, 2024
PREPARED FOR Mayor and Town Council
PREPARED BY Fairfax Climate Action Committee
SUBJECT Receive the 2023-2024 Annual Action Plan Report
RECOMMENDATION
Receive the 2023-2024 Annual Action Plan Report
BACKGROUND
Per the Fairfax Climate Action Plan 2030 (I-1), the Fairfax Climate Action Committee (CAC) began to develop its 2023-2024 Annual Action Plan at its annual retreat in early 2023 and adopted its Plan in April of 2023, to officially get underway on July 1, 2023.
DISCUSSION
The information below documents progress made toward the implementation of that Annual Action Plan throughout the fiscal year, ending June 30, 2024.
Engagement:
• Continue to recruit new members and increase visibility of the CAC o Integrated 3 community volunteers into the meetings and activities of the CAC: Greg Smith (Engagement), Neil Kraus, (CAC) and Gabriel Yetnikoff (Sequestration) o Tabled at Good Earth, Town Picnic, Farmers Market and on Earth Day in Fairfax, engaging with the public and encouraging action and support for a multitude of initiatives in the Fairfax Climate Action Plan 2030.
o Created new information flyers on Energy Audits, E-Bikes, and Sequestration; as well as updating several existing flyers and tabling materials
o Participated in Fairfax Parade 2024 with 3 bikes, 2 EVs and many members of several environmental/climate groups: the Fairfax Climate Action Committee, the San Anselmo Climate Action Commission, 350Marin, Resilient Neighborhoods, the Climate Center, Sustainable Marin, Supervisor Katie Rice, etc.
• Plan 4/quarterly events to promote CAC initiatives and support other relevant local events o Organized 4 educational events on September 13, 2023, “Quit Carbon,” on February 15, 2024, “Climate Action & Advocacy,” on April 20, 2024, “Earth Day in Fairfax,” and on June 28, “The Scale of Hope,” film night.
o Promoted both the Ride & Drive Clean EV & E-Bike Shows at Fair-Anselm Plaza on August 27, 2023, and again on May 19, 2024.
• Continue to promote to the community funding strategies including rebates/incentives 2 o Created a portal tool for the Town’s website to assist residents in locating rebates available for electrification and other climate-related actions • Research communication tools to provide metrics to the community-use of gas, electricity, # of EVs, etc.
o No progress was made on this initiative
• Additional accomplishments
o Initiated a free raffle contest for an induction burner, drawing to be completed in September 2024
o Worked with 2 college interns during the months of July-Aug 2023, and 3 college interns in May-June 2024, funded by the local non-profit 350Marin, in support of the Fairfax Climate Action Committee and the implementation of the Annual Action Plan o Supported the staff work of Climate Action Coordinator Sean Youra in reaching out to the community via the Town newsletter, providing copy for announcements regarding landscape equipment, electrification rebates, the induction cooktop loaner program, etc.
Transportation:
• Host an EV and E-Bike Show in Fairfax
o Worked closely with the team at Ride & Drive Clean and with the San Anselmo Climate Action Commission in the planning of two EV & E-Bike Shows on August 27, 2023, and on May 19, 2024
• Promote an E-Bike Incentive/Rebate Program
o Wrote a draft outline for an E-Bike Rebate program, including an electronic form for the public to use in requesting a rebate; all in preparation for a new staff member initiating the actual program
• Launch Orange Outlet program at local MUD or Victory Village/Bennett House o Sent a survey to 32 multi-family housing complexes and communicated 4 or 5 times with property managers in support of this program
• Support Town Council to encourage TAM’s electrification of its transit and school buses o No progress was made on this initiative
• Promote low-income/free transit programs and other mobility options: ridesharing, telecommuting, etc.
o Supported the promotion of the free public transit summer program for youth and older adults
• Additional accomplishments
o Invited speaker Kurt Johnson from The Climate Center to a CAC meeting who then assisted in the development of a bidirectional proclamation that the Town Council passed o Reviewed the Fleet Electrification Policy and supported its passage by the Town Council o Supported the final passage of an ordinance banning the expansion of existing gas stations and the creation of any new stations
o Supported the Town’s purchases of a Chevy Bolt and a Ford Mach-E vehicles Requested that the Town Council bring the Bike & Pedestrian Plan back to its agenda in 2023-24 Built Environment:
• Support development of a countywide plan for the Electrification of Existing Buildings 3 o Two CAC members participated in 3 Countywide Community workshops, providing feedback and input into the development of the County’s Building Electrification Roadmap • Research requiring energy/disclosure requirements for property at time of sale; and for major remodels
o CAC Chair wrote a summary of the energy requirements for disclosure on new and rental properties in France and the UK; she also worked closely with the Marin EV Squad’s Home Energy Score Subcommittee to explore similar programs in Berkeley, Portland and Austin • Continue involvement in and support of the Fairfax Library Resilience BayREN Project with the County
o Committee members continued to work on this collaborative process to its conclusion, pending further funding through the County
• Additional accomplishments
o Worked to promote the pilot program ReadySetReplace/Carbon Free Homes for the replacement of gas water heaters with heat pump technology for residents o Encouraged Council and the community to attend the Marin Green Homes virtual tour in October 2023
o Participated in the Pavilion Electrification/Microgrid project to assess readiness Sequestration:
• Support County’s carbon sequestration through composting plan o We received just some preliminary information about this work in the Town of Fairfax • Additional accomplishments
o We formed a subcommittee for this initiative which includes one community member, Gabriel Yetnikoff and we’ve met for several months on a consistent basis, generating tasks and brainstorming many potential goals for Sequestration, Water Conservation and Waste Reduction for 2024-2025
o We’ve done a great deal of research, gathering information and resources on local and regional efforts to address sequestration, nature-based solutions, community gardens (including Fairfax’s) and initiatives regarding urban forest management plans (such as the Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy) and tree inventories, including those already done within the Town of Fairfax by Ray Moritz, Town arborist o Encouraged the Town Council to support a Biodiversity resolution which may be on the Town Council agenda on September 4, 2024
o In late June, the subcommittee met with Ray Moritz and Loren Umbertis, Public Works Director about 2024-2025 initiatives under the auspices of sequestration
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact with accepting this report.
ATTACHMENTS
2023-2024 Annual Action Plan
Fairfax Climate Action Committee
Annual Action Plan 2024-25
July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025
Adopted March 19, 2024
An “annual action plan” is created by the committee each Spring after reviewing the goals and strategies of the master document, the “Fairfax Climate Action Plan 2030” Note: Top priorities are in italics
#1 Engagement: • Utilize public events, newsletters, town website, and social media to inform and publicize the activities and strategies of the CAC (O-1, O-2)
• Promote education and outreach for local and Countywide climate-related programs such as Resilient Neighborhoods, Ride and Drive Clean/transportation events, a County-based building electrification digital hub, ReadySetReplace (Carbon Free Homes), etc. (O-1, O-2) • Educate and prepare residents for adaptation to climate-related weather events by working and the Community Emergency Preparedness Committee and local Firewise/NRG groups (O1) • Work with Fairfax Chamber of Commerce to encourage businesses to participate in the Marin County Green Business Program (O-3)
• Advocate to Town Council for policies, funding and actions that support the rapid transition to a GHG-free community (O-4)
#2 Transportation: • Operationalize and promote the E-Bike Rebate Program (T-2) • Identify locations and support the installation of EV charging capacity/chargers at multifamily, workplace and commercial sites based on an EV Inventory and Needs Assessment (T1) • Review EV Acceleration Strategy Plan prior to adoption by Town Council (T-1) • Host an EV and E-Bike Show in Fairfax in Spring 2025 (T-1) • Support reestablishment of the Bike & Pedestrian Plan (T-2) • Advocate for no idling campaign (T-7) and EV charging at local schools (T-1) • Support EV infrastructure at the Fairfax Library
• Promote electric transit/school buses and low-income/free transit programs (T-5) • Support infill, higher density, mixed use development near transit and within walking distance to downtown (T-8)
#3 Built Environment:
• Promote information for residents/businesses to decarbonize their buildings, including:
• Practical tips/steps towards electrification,
• Financial incentives and resources,
• Produce case studies of homes in Fairfax (possibly videos, articles, factsheets, etc.), • Support coordination with and the implementation of the County’s Building Electrification Roadmap-possibly recommend ordinance at time of changeout, to be phased in over several years
• Focus on GHG reductions for renters i.e., encourage use of induction stovetops and promote lending programs
• Support efforts and funding to re-ignite the Pavilion Project/micro grid • Support 1 public event with speakers on topics around decarbonization of the built environment
• Research requiring home energy scores/assessments and energy/disclosure requirements for property at time of listing; and for major remodels; and explore same for MFH renters • Support school electrification efforts (@ Manor, Whitehill, AWHS and all public/private schools in Marin)
#4 Sequestration: • Recommend to Council the development of a Tree Inventory in collaborate with the Town arborist and Public Works as a first step toward a Fairfax Tree and Urban Forest Plan in support of the health, maintenance, and replacement of trees on public lands to increase sequestration, balanced with fire-safety concerns (S-1) • Host a public event in September to educate the community on local biodiversity and on planting native, drought resistant, fire resilient/resistant trees and plants S-1) • Explore the support needed to engage and enhance the Fairfax Community Garden (S-1 • Identify and partner with local projects/organizations/businesses in sequestering carbon (S-3)
• Educate the community on the use of compost for healthy soils management (S-2) • Explore the application of riparian restoration methodologies with Fairfax (S-2) • Continue to monitor County’s composting plan for public lands in Fairfax • Encourage use of climate-friendly building materials and techniques such as low-carbon concrete and permeable surfaces (S-4)
#5 Water Conservation
• Recommend to Council a Biodiversity resolution that encourages replacing landscaping with native plants and trees that support pollinators and other local wildlife • Encourage the Town to install rainwater catchment systems where feasible, possibly at Pavilion (C-3)
• Encourage maximum permissible use of grey-water for residential use (C-2) and in Town facilities where possible (C-3)
• Work with Marin Water to promote water conservation programs and incentives (C-2) #6 Waste Reduction
• Work with Zero Waste Marin and Marin Sanitary Service to educate the community on minimizing food waste and on composting excess food waste (W-1) • Support a collaborative campaign to promote refuse, reuse, repair and recycle for inorganic materials, supporting organizations such as Urban Ore and Ridwell (W-2)