CITY COUNCIL
Darrell Steinberg, Mayor
Angelique Ashby, Vice Mayor, District 1
Sean Loloee, District 2
Jeff Harris, District 3
Katie Valenzuela, District 4
Jay Schenirer, District 5
Eric Guerra, Mayor Pro Tem, District 6
Rick Jennings, II, District 7
Mai Vang, District 8
CHARTER OFFICERS
Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk
Susana Alcala Wood, City Attorney
Jorge Oseguera, City Auditor
Howard Chan, City Manager
John Colville, City Treasurer
City Council
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
Public Financing Authority
Redevelopment Agency
Successor Agency
City Hall-Council Chamber
915 I Street, 1st Floor
Published by the Office of the City Clerk
(916) 808-5163
CORRESPONDENCE
Description of Attached: Correspondence received after publishing the Agenda.
For the Meeting of: Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
Agenda Item: Discussion Item 19
19. Quarterly Climate Update
File ID: 2022-00813
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and File
Contact: Jennifer Venema, Climate Action Lead, (916) 808-1859, [email protected], Office of the City Manager
From: Kate Wilkins
To: Public Comment; Katie Valenzuela; Jay Schenirer; Sean Loloee; Jeff S. Harris; [email protected]; Rick Jennings; Angelique Ashby; Eric Guerra; Darrell Steinberg
Cc: Jennifer Venema; Nicole Cuellar; 350 Team; Ilonka Zlatar; Katy Webb Subject: April 26 Item 19 Climate Update - 350 Sacramento Letter Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2022 9:42:11 AM
Attachments: Agenda Item 19 - 350 Sacramento Letter to Council.pdf Mayor and Councilmembers,
Attached is 350 Sacramento's comment letter regarding the Climate Update being discussed at City Council tonight.
Thank you,
Kate Wilkins
350 Sacramento Volunteer
https://350sacramento.org/
April 26, 2022
Subject: City Council Meeting April 26, 2022, Climate Action Update (Item 19) Dear City Council,
Firstly, 350 Sacramento would like to thank city staff for their work to plan and implement climate action measures.
350 Sacramento has been directly advocating for the city to act on climate change since the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change was first convened in November 2018. When the Commission’s final report was adopted in June 2020, the Sacramento environmental community was hopeful that the City would follow the clear roadmap outlined by the recommendations to achieve the city’s carbon zero vision. Almost two years later, few measures have been taken to meet the city’s climate goals. Outside of the passage of the new building electrification ordinance, which has yet to take effect, there have been no meaningful policies adopted nor funding secured. As an organization, we are frustrated and disappointed by the continued delay and lack of progress. We ask that the Council:
1. Release the Climate Action Plan without further delay.
City Council delayed implementing the majority of the Mayors’ Commission recommendations until they were incorporated into the CAP. The City’s Climate Action Plan has now been delayed for over a year. The public is owed an explanation for this delay and we request that the city council accelerate the release of the CAP, providing staff with the resources to make this happen .
2. Explain why there is almost no funding for climate action in the proposed 2022-2023 City budget.
According to the draft city budget released yesterday, it appears the City is allocating about $630,000 dollars to ‘climate action’ in FY 2022-2023. How does the city plan to meet its climate emergency declaration commitment to “build on existing climate commitments and to tak[e] significant action to sustain and accelerate municipal and community carbon elimination in the short term, with maximum feasible efforts to implement emergency-speed carbon reduction actions towards eliminating emissions by 2030” without funding?
3. Allocate funds in this year’s budget to match potential state and federal dollars for active transportation projects.
At the February Climate and Transportation Workshop, the Council directed staff to present funding scenarios for transportation before the upcoming year’s budget discussion. This discussion is now slated for summer. If funds are not allocated this year as a match for state or federal funds, none of the active transportation projects will move forward on the timeline required by the climate emergency. Council should also fully fund the planning and design phases of the transportation projects so the city is positioned for success when applying for projects.
4. Prioritize filling City positions that work on climate action and environmental justice, and hire additional staff to help move the city’s climate work forward.
We have heard many declarations of support for climate action and requests for staff to bring new plans, information and funding opportunities back to Council. City staff has done excellent work, but there is an obvious lack of capacity that limits what the city can accomplish. Without providing adequate resources to carry out the goals and directives publicly stated by Councilmembers, these statements of support for climate action and environmental justice are merely performative.
Sacramento needs to act on the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change recommendations. The effects of climate change will impact every other issue the city cares about, from public safety to jobs. We will hold this Council accountable for the continued failure to act.
We ask that you make climate action a priority and follow the roadmap laid for you by the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change.
Sincerely,
350 Sacramento
From: [email protected]
To: Kelly F. Rivas; Jay Schenirer; Angelique Ashby; Sean Loloee; Jeff S. Harris; Katie Valenzuela; Eric Guerra; Rick Jennings; District8; Howard Chan; Hector Barron; Jennifer Venema; Jennifer Donlon Wyant; Mindy Cuppy; Public Comment
Cc: "Ralph Propper"; Alexandra Reagan
Subject: ECOS Letter re City Council April 26, 2022 Item 19 Quarterly Climate Update Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2022 1:56:55 AM
Attachments: 220426 ECOS Letter SacCity Council April 26, 2022, Item 19 Climate Update.docx RE: City Council Meeting, April 26, 2022, Item 19 Quarterly Climate Update
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers:
Please accept the attached comment letter from ECOS.
We urge the City in its CAAP to portray the entire path of greenhouse gas reductions from the present 3.4M MTCO2e to an estimated year for carbon neutrality.
Also, we urge the City to use SacRT’s transit system as the armature for a whole network of development and active transportation. This approach offers much potential for building community and transit ridership, increasing housing and equity, reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle miles traveled, preserving open space, and attracting federal grants.
Sincerely,
Susan Herre
ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL OF SACRAMENTO
Susan Herre AIA AICP
President of the ECOS Board of Directors
https://www.ecosacramento.net/
[email protected]
202-747-4087
Post Office Box 1526 | Sacramento, CA 95812-1526
April 26, 2022
Mayor and Council Members
City of Sacramento
915 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Sent via email
RE: City Council Meeting, April 26, 2022, Item 19 Quarterly Climate Update
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers:
ECOS urges the City in its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) to portray the entire path of greenhouse gas reductions from the present 3.4M MTCO2e to an estimated year for carbon neutrality. The later years should be described in terms of the sectors from which reductions will occur and the rough magnitude of the reductions in each sector. If future projects are to be relieved of evaluating their GHG emissions impacts because the projects are deemed consistent with a CEQA-qualified plan, then the CAAP must show how the path to carbon neutrality will be achieved.
Sacramento can be a leader in sustainable and equitable growth and reducing of GHG emissions. The Sacramento region is the home of the Blueprint, upon which was modeled the landmark law SB375 linking land use and transportation. The concept of coordinating or integrating land use and transportation was right in 2008 and it is still right today. The key is to implement it.
Therefore, ECOS urges the City to use SacRT’s transit system as the backbone for redevelopment. Five- to seven-story buildings should frame the light rail station areas. Streets with existing high-ridership bus routes should be transformed into boulevards with consistently high street walls, wide sidewalks, protected bikeways, street trees on park strips, and curb parking. New parks and public plazas should be inserted.
A whole network of development and active transportation should be planned, starting with the light rail stations and heavily used bus routes. This approach offers much potential for building community and transit ridership, increasing housing and equity, reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle miles traveled, preserving open space, and attracting federal grants.
Sincerely,
ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL OF SACRAMENTO
Susan Herre AIA AICP, President of the ECOS Board of Directors https://www.ecosacramento.net/
202-747-4087