CITY COUNCIL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING
Remote Participation – Digital Zoom Meeting
October 6, 2022
4:30 p.m.
MEETING MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 4:30 p.m. by Council Member Zermeño.
ROLL CALL:
Members:
Present
▪ Barbara Halliday, Mayor/CSC Chair (Excused from meeting at 5:40 p.m.) ▪ Elisa Márquez, City Council Member
▪ Francisco Zermeño, City Council Member
Staff:
▪ Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
▪ Sierra Cannon, Climate Corps Fellow
▪ Nicole Grucky, Sustainability Specialist
▪ Linda Ko, Senior Secretary (Meeting Recorder)
▪ Hailey Meyer, Climate Corps Fellow
▪ Omar Noorzad, City Building Official
▪ Jennifer Ott, Assistant City Manager
▪ Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager
Other:
▪ Sangeeta, Member of the Public
▪ Natalie Blumberg, Member of the Public
▪ Frank Goulart, Member of the Public
▪ David Stark, Member of the Public
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
1. Approval of Minutes from the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) Meeting Held on May 9, 2022
The item was moved by Council Member Zermeño Márquez, seconded by Council Member Márquez, and approved unanimously.
2. 2020 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory – Information and Discussion Nicole Grucky, Sustainability Specialist, presented an informational report on the 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory and provided a comparison to the previous six inventories.
Public Comments
There were no public comments.
Committee Comments
Council Member Zermeño thanked staff for the report and inquired how the high emissions reduction in 2020 would affect the next goal. Ms. Grucky explained that the 42.7% reduction was due to a large decrease in transportation emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic and should be noted as an anomaly. The goal would be to keep the GHG emission reduction from falling below the 2025 goal of 30%. Council Member Zermeño suggested encouraging residents to utilize solar panels.
Council Member Márquez recommended advocating for hybrid work schedules to minimize the number of vehicles on the road. She also recommended publicizing public transportation options, such as the Berryessa BART station in San Jose and the Express Bus, in The Stack and The Leaflet newsletters for residents needing to commute to the Silicon Valley.
Mayor Halliday also recommended providing more information to the public about assistance programs and tax incentives available as well as how residents could install solar panels.
3. Site License Agreement with East Bay Community Energy for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations – Discussion and Recommendation to Council (Item moved up to #3 from #4)
Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager, presented on the draft Site License Agreement with East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) that would allow EBCE to locate electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs on City-owned municipal parking lots and garages.
Public Comments
Frank Goulart, member of the public, inquired if the charging hub in the Cinema Place parking structure would be located on the top level or lower level of the parking structure.
Mr. Pearson answered that the EV chargers would be located on the ground level to minimize the length of the conduit for the equipment and to maximize visibility of the chargers.
Committee Comments
Council Member Zermeño recommended encouraging EBCE to install EV charging hubs near coffee shops to benefit both the vendors and also customers looking to charge electric vehicles. Mr. Pearson responded that EBCE’s first phase of the project focuses on publicly owned properties, but that they do intend to work with private property owners as well.
Council Member Márquez expressed her support of the draft Site License Agreement and recommended publicizing different municipal parking options that are available so that the public is aware that there is sufficient parking in Downtown Hayward, specifically on higher levels of a structure. She also expressed her desire to eventually see other locations in South Hayward in communities with dense populations, such as apartments, as well as lower charging rates for low-income residents.
Mayor Halliday agreed with Council Member Márquez and stated that careful planning would be necessary and that these new developments could be a great asset.
4. Climate Action Plan – Considerations for New General Plan Policies and Programs (Item moved down to #4 from #3)
Ms. Nicole Grucky gave a presentation on updates to the Climate Action Plan (CAP), draft measures, and next steps to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets.
Public Comments
Sangeeta, a member of the public and an organizer at Save the Bay, commended the ambitious goals of the CAP and urged the city to address climate adaptation and resilience in the plan.
David Stark, a member of the public and representative of the Bay East Association of Realtors, commented that partnerships with local realtors could help distribute information about energy saving practices and incentives to homeowners. He also stated that local realtors would be willing to assist in assessing financial realities and impacts of electrification requirements.
Natalie Blumberg, a member of the public, inquired about the meaning of “climate resilience.” Mr. Pearson explained that “climate resilience” was related to the adaptation portion of the CAP which involves making sure we are prepared for the change in climate that is coming such as weather patterns, drought, and wildfires.
Committee Comments
Council Member Márquez asked, if possible, to have a brief survey prioritizing the categories sent to the City Council before the Council Sustainability Committee meeting in January. In reference to the Save the Bay letter, Council Member Márquez asked for staff input in terms of incorporating climate resilience and adaptation approaches to the plan.
Director Ameri expressed that staff was in full agreement with the contents of the letter and were working to combine these elements into the plan. Council Member Márquez also recommended looking at ways to implement climate adaptation and resilience in projects through the Council Infrastructure Committee.
Council Member Zermeño expressed his support of the draft action plans, especially pertaining to the urban tree canopy study. He also recommended staff reach out to Mr.
David Stark regarding his offer to help. In addition, Council Member Zermeño suggested staff reach out to Cal State East Bay to encourage greener efforts.
5. 2023 Electrification Reach Codes – Discussion and Recommendation to Council Mr. Erik Pearson gave a presentation on considerations and draft ordinances addressing electrification of new buildings and electric vehicle charging requirements for the 2023 Reach Code.
Public Comments
Mr. Frank Goulart, stated his support for the measures being taken in the Reach Code and offered his assistance.
Committee Comments
Council Member Márquez expressed her support of staff’s recommendation. She also supported the complete ban on gas infrastructure effective January 2026 in order to meet 2030 GHG reduction target.
Council Member Zermeño also expressed his support for a complete ban on gas infrastructure effective January 2026. He also suggested staff promote information about available heat pump water heater rebates through a flyer insert in the water bill.
The item was moved by Council Member Márquez and seconded by Council Member Zermeño and approved unanimously, to recommend to Council the adoption of two Reach Code Ordinances: 1) A New Building Electrification Ordinance; and 2) Amendments to the Off- Street Parking Regulations to Add Electric Vehicle Charging requirements.
Proposed 2022/2023 Agenda Planning Calendar: Review and Comment Mr. Pearson shared the proposed 2022/2023 agenda planning calendar with the Council Sustainability Committee.
Council Member Zermeño suggested a future agenda item on electric scooters and bicycles.
Director Ameri confirmed that this topic would be placed on the unscheduled items list for the future.
COMMITTEE MEMBER/STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REFERRALS:
Mr. Pearson shared that on October 7th, staff would be having a meeting with Hayward’s sister city in Funabashi, Japan, in which Environmental Programs staff from both cities would be sharing information with a focus on plastic pollution. He also announced that the Compost Giveaway would be on Saturday, November 5th, at the former Skywest Golf Course parking lot.
ADJOURNMENT: 6:27 p.m.
MEETINGS
Attendance Present
10/06/22
Meeting
Present
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Excused
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Absent
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Elisa Márquez ✓ 1 0 0
Barbara Halliday ✓ 1 0 0
Francisco Zermeño ✓ 1 0 0