City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2023-00341 4/4/2023 Consent Item 8.
2023 Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Grant Application for Neighborhood Resiliency
File ID: 2023-00341
Location: District 2, Represented by Councilmember Loloee; District 3, Represented by Councilmember Talamantes; District 5, Represented by Councilmember Maple; District 6, Represented by Vice Mayor Guerra; District 6, Represented by Mayor Steinberg; District 8, Represented by Mayor Pro Tem Vang; District 8, Represented by Mayor Steinberg Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution authorizing the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee to: 1) apply for up to $1,000,000 in Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) grant funding in partnership with non-profits and other local agencies; and 2) accept and execute the grant agreement, and execute and submit any related documents necessary to support the grant application and award.
Contact: Jennifer Venema, Climate Action Lead, (916) 808-1859, [email protected]; Sarah Kolarik, Sustainability Analyst, (916) 808-1421, [email protected]; Office of Climate Action and Sustainability
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
Additional Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has $20 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act available through the Government-to-Government (EJG2G) program for local governments partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement projects that address disproportionate environmental and public health harms. The current funding cycle provides special consideration to applications addressing climate change, disaster resiliency, and/or emergency preparedness. This EJG2G funding is available to implement a wide range of eligible activities, including investment in infrastructure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air
File ID: 2023-00341 4/4/2023 Consent Item 8.
pollutants, as well as to mitigate the climate and health risks from urban heat islands and extreme heat. EJG2G applications are due April 14, 2023.
Grant applications must build on existing partnerships with CBOs and include confirmed CBO partners for subaward agreements. Staff are recommending a project application in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento (Habitat), the Sacramento Tree Foundation, and Sacramento City Unified School District as key subaward partners. This approach reflects EJG2G program priorities and existing partnerships and climate priorities. The recommended approach would expand the City’s existing home rehabilitation and retrofit programs underway with Habitat, and support an expansion of existing tree planting partnerships. Sacramento Tree Foundation is the sole operator of SMUD’s Sacramento Shade program, and able to leverage SMUD investments for greater project impact. The grant application will be highly collaborative with engagement across City departments, to build on the City’s related efforts.
Funding will support the following key components:
· Home rehabilitation and electrification, in collaboration with Habitat and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), building on the Stockton Boulevard housing anti- displacement and housing stabilization programs (Motion No. 2023-0041). · Water efficiency investments, leveraging incentives from the City Department of Utilities (DOU).
· Tree planting, in collaboration with the Sacramento Tree Foundation and the Sacramento City Unified School District (School District).
· Multilingual outreach and engagement to support project activities and invest in neighborhood capacity building, including cleanups, and climate and disaster-response preparation.
The project will focus on the neighborhoods of South Sacramento/Meadowview, Stockton Boulevard, North Sacramento, and the unincorporated Fruitridge Pocket neighborhood in partnership with the County of Sacramento. Investments would build upon existing housing stabilization initiatives and tree planting partnerships, while expanding programs and supporting holistic investments in historically underinvested neighborhoods. Additionally, neighborhoods in these areas score in the top 10% percent of census block groups in the U.S. for particulate matter 2.5, ozone and air toxics cancer risk, according to the US EPA’s EJScreen tool.
Policy Considerations: The City of Sacramento is committed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 (Resolution No. 2019-0433), which includes the substantial task of encouraging existing residential building electrification. Resolution No. 2021-0166 directs staff to deploy initial learning pilots for electrification, prioritizing the health and resilience of Sacramentans and an equitable transition.
Securing additional grant funding will equip staff to better implement these directives and deliver the benefits of holistic decarbonization efforts.
This funding opportunity also supports other City policy goals. The City’s Climate Emergency
File ID: 2023-00341 4/4/2023 Consent Item 8.
Declaration advances the City’s commitment to “maximum feasible efforts to implement emergency- speed carbon reduction actions towards eliminating emissions by 2030 as much as possible, recognizing that such a goal can only be reached through collaboration with regional partners as well as appropriate financial and regulatory assistance from state and federal authorities” (Resolution No. 2019-0465). The City Council has also adopted “Resiliency and Climate Action” and “Safe, Equitable, Inclusive, and Just City” as guiding principles for the 2040 General Plan Update (Resolution No. 2019 -0433).
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations:
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines, continuing administrative activities such as grant applications do not constitute a project and are therefore exempt from review. Any projects that are awarded grant funding will undergo necessary environmental review following the acceptance of funding.
Sustainability: As of 2016, residential energy accounts for approximately 19% of community- wide greenhouse gas emissions, tied for the second largest sector in the community. Energy efficiency investments through home rehabilitations and residential electrification contribute to reductions in natural gas use, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves indoor air quality. Additionally, investments in water conservation and urban canopy on residential properties and in collaboration with school partners will mitigate urban heat island impacts and provide shade and cooling in under-canopied areas, improving air quality while also reducing energy demand for air conditioning.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: The EJG2G program goals include achieving meaningful public health results in communities and building robust partnerships within disproportionately impacted areas. Additional program goals include demonstrating activities that can be expanded or replicated in other geographic areas, and strengthening the implementation of meaningful approaches to achieve environmental justice. Securing this grant funding would support the cost-effective expansion of multiple tasks within the 2021 Climate Implementation Workplan. EPA funds would equip staff with resources to strengthen partnerships and formalize new approaches to holistically advance neighborhood sustainability, equity and resiliency.
Funding would also augment the City’s existing efforts, including existing building electrification initiatives, the Vison Zero School Safety Project, the Urban Forestry Master Plan, and anti- displacement and housing stabilization efforts. Building on existing programs can yield greater benefits for Sacramento’s diverse neighborhoods.
File ID: 2023-00341 4/4/2023 Consent Item 8.
Financial Considerations: A total of $20 million in EJG2G funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is available for grants up to $1 million each for local governments partnering with CBOs. A local cost share is not required for this EJG2G funding. The City will leverage existing funding from the Climate Action Initiatives (I02002300) and Stockton Boulevard Housing Anti-Displacement Program (I02189030), as well other partnerships, where possible, in order to craft the most competitive grant proposal possible.
If grant funding is awarded, staff will return to the City Council to accept the funding and establish the project budgets.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
April 4, 2023
2023 Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Grant Application for Neighborhood Resiliency
BACKGROUND
A. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a request for applications for the 2023 Environmental Justice Government-to-Government Grant Program.
B. The solicitation will close on April 14, 2023.
C. The program funds activities including investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the climate and health risks from urban heat islands in environmental justice communities.
D. The grant funding is intended to achieve environmental justice by expanding existing partnerships with community-based organizations for meaningful public health outcomes within disproportionately impacted areas.
E. The City is partnering in numerous related efforts with community-based organizations that are eligible for expansion with EPA funding, including home rehabilitation and electrification, water conservation, urban forestry, and community engagement.
F. Staff have reviewed the guidelines, criteria, and requirements for the grant to prepare the recommended project that meets the criteria.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Manager or the City Manager’s designee is authorized to submit a grant application for $1,000,000 in Environmental Justice Government-to-Government grant funding in partnership with non-profits and other local agencies.
Section 2. The City Manager or the City Manager’s designee is authorized to accept and execute the grant agreement, and execute and submit any related documents necessary to support the grant application and award.