July 25, 2023
City Council Meeting
Written Public Comments
Public Comments
Non-Agenda Item
Jennifer Connally
From: Janice Brownfield
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2023 8:53 PM
To: City Council Public Comment
Subject: Public Comment Non-Agenda Item
While hot weather may have sometimes been dismissed as nothing more than an inconvenience, in actuality heat is the deadliest severe weather event. Heat waves are getting hotter, longer and more frequent. In addition to heat waves we are having more days of "poor" or "unhealthy" air quality in Orange. High temperatures and extreme heat raise levels of pollutants like ozone and particulate matter. Research shows that the combined mortality risk of extreme temperatures and air pollution is more than the sum of their individual effects. Respiratory ailments, including asthma, and other health conditions are exacerbated by heat and pollution.
Protecting and preserving Santiago Creek and creating more urban greenspaces, such as the proposed Nature Park at City Hall, can help reduce the hot temperature, polluted air and other harmful effects of fossil fuels and climate change. More shade and vegetation in outdoor areas can help reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths. That is especially true for residents without air conditioning or who have jobs that require them to exert themselves physically or remain outdoors. At least during heat waves, it would be helpful if the hours of the City's air- conditioned libraries could be extended and they could also be open on Sundays. The Orange Senior Center could also be open on Saturdays and Sundays and later than 4:00 p.m. all days of the week.
Our air temperature could be immediately lowered by painting the streets a lighter color. The surface temperature of streets has been reduced up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit by doing so, as shown over the past four years on hundreds of miles of streets in Canoga Park, Sun Valley, Pacoima and elsewhere. The streets were painted with light-colored reflective grey paint, prioritizing neighborhoods with a lot of concrete and asphalt, and little shade.
Twelve months ago the city of Boyle Heights received a $1 million federal grant to combat the heat with cool pavement. There an invisible coating was applied that reflects the sun's heat instead of absorbing it to help reduce surface temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooling relief, which has been experienced by residents, has also been documented by the thermal camera on the International Space Station which showed that a street in Winnetka coated with cool pavement was cooler than the whole surrounding neighborhood.