CITY COUNCIL SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MEETING
Hybrid Meeting
November 13, 2023
5:00 p.m.
MEETING MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER: Meeting called to order at 5:00 p.m. by Council Member Julie Roche.
ROLL CALL:
Members:
Present
Julie Roche, City Council Member/CSC Chair
Angela Andrews, City Council Member
Francisco Zermeño, City Council Member
Staff:
Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Dustin Claussen, Assistant City Manager
Makenna Colucci, Sustainability & Climate Action Fellow Nicole Grucky, Senior Sustainability Specialist
Linda Ko, Senior Secretary (Meeting Recorder)
Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager
Elise Pierce, Recycling Outreach Fellow
Leigha Schmidt, Principal Planner
PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments.
Approval of Minutes of the Council Sustainability Committee (CSC) Meeting Held on September 11, 2023 The item was moved by Council Member Zermeño, seconded by Council Member Andrews, and approved unanimously.
Proposed General Plan Amendments: Climate Action Plan, Hazards Element, and Environmental Justice Element – Discussion and Recommendation to Council Leigha Schmidt, Principal Planner, reported on the Hazards Element update and a new Environmental Justice Element of the Hayward 2040 General Plan. Erik Pearson, Environmental Services Manager; Nicole Grucky, Senior Sustainability Specialist; and Makenna Colucci, Sustainability & Climate Action Fellow, presented on the updated Climate Action Plan.
Public Comments
There were no public comments.
Committee Comments
Council Member Andrews asked staff to reach out to two residents who had expressed concerns about the use of funds for the Urban Forest Management Plan for software to further explain to them the need for the software in order to develop the plan itself. Council Member Andrews also asked staff to look into the state guidelines for synthetic turf and also the reasons why some jurisdictions are banning it.
Council Member Zermeño expressed his interest in banning synthetic turf and asked staff to look into other municipalities that had banned artificial turf and their protocols to implement the ban.
Council Member Roche stated she was interested in banning synthetic turf for residential properties but was concerned about the cost factor for maintaining natural grass for larger public parks. For the Hazards Element, Council Member Roche suggested looking at shade infrastructure such as awnings and sail cloth structures where trees may not be suitable. Ms. Schmidt said that Planning staff would suggest the idea to developers. Council Member Roche proposed partnering with the Hayward Unified School District and the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District to use compost as well as help distribute it to the community.
The Committee voted unanimously to recommend to Council to approve the proposed amendments to the General Plan.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:
Proposed 2024 Agenda Planning Calendar: Review and Comment Mr. Pearson shared the proposed 2024 agenda planning calendar with the Committee.
Public Comments
There were no public comments.
Committee Comments
Council Members requested reports on the following topics as future agenda items: artificial turf, tree planting, water, water system resiliency, and trash can requirements for new development.
COMMITTEE MEMBER/STAFF ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REFERRALS:
There were no Committee Member or staff announcements and referrals.
ADJOURNMENT: 6:16 p.m.
MEETINGS
Attendance
Present
11/13/23
Meeting
Present
to Date This Year
Excused
to Date This Year
Absent
to Date This Year
Julie Roche
✓
5 0
0 Angela Andrews
✓
5 0
0 Francisco Zermeño
✓
4 0
0