City of Sacramento
City Council - 5PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2023-00969 8/22/2023 Discussion Item 17.
Quarterly Climate Update
File ID: 2023-00969
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Receive and comment.
Contact: Jennifer Venema, Climate Action Lead, (916) 808-1859, [email protected], Office of Climate Action and Sustainability; Alison Kerstetter, Fleet Manager, (916) 808-1163, [email protected]; Department of Public Works Presenter: Jennifer Venema, Climate Action Lead, (916) 808-1859, [email protected], Office of Climate Action and Sustainability; Alison Kerstetter, Fleet Manager, (916) 808-1163, [email protected]; Department of Public Works Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2- Status of Climate Tasks
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: This report serves as an informational update to City Council on the City’s climate action progress, providing updates for the second quarter of 2023. Staff continues to implement priority initiatives with strong collaboration across all City departments. Projects and policy efforts are underway from the Climate Implementation Work Plan (Work Plan). In addition, staff are preparing for compliance with new regulations affecting the City’s municipal fleet, which will accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but may pose challenges for implementation. Staff will provide a verbal update to summarize next steps and considerations for compliance.
The City has a longstanding commitment to fleet electrification and is frequently recognized as one of the “Top Green Fleets” of North America. A new state regulation, the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, phases in requirements for medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) purchases starting January 1, 2024.These regulations apply to State and public agency fleets and their contractors. While the ACF will support progress towards the City’s GHG reduction goals, the regulation is anticipated to create new unfunded infrastructure, operational, and facility needs for the City that exceed available resources and outpace typical planning cycles. Planning is underway to
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evaluate cost-effective options for compliance, however, more resources and extensive regional partnership will be necessary. Staff are currently evaluating the potential scope of anticipated costs.
In addition to evaluating next steps for the ACF, numerous climate initiatives are underway. Since the last quarterly climate update to City Council on May 2, 2023, new accomplishments include the following:
· Submission of a $5 million grant application to the federal Forest Service and Urban and Community Forestry program of the USDA, to support community tree plantings, workforce development, and a pilot planting program for under-canopied parking lots. · Leading a three-part Sustainability Series for the 2023 Summer @ City Hall program in partnership with the Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment. · Starting the process with the Human Resource Department to post and recruit for the new Sustainability Specialist position established by the City’s Fiscal Year 2023/2024 Budget. · Installation of the first fast-charging station for the City fleet to support the City’s first electric refuse truck, which is scheduled to arrive by the end of 2023. · Submission of a $9 million grant application to the California Transportation Commission’s Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program to modernize floodgates, make the City more resilient to severe flooding risks, and protect vulnerable communities, facilities, and infrastructure.
· Start of construction of the Downtown/Central Mobility Project, to install over 70 blocks (8 miles) of separated bikeways.
· Launch of the pilot e-trike lending program with the Sacramento Public Library, with 5 e-trikes available at Colonial Heights Library for check-out for up to three weeks. · Deployment of 186 air quality sensors to homes, schools, businesses, and public facilities in partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District.
Numerous other climate-related initiatives are ongoing as further outlined in Attachment 2 (Status of Climate Tasks). Efforts underway include selection of a consultant team for the Phase 2 of the Alternate Water Reuse Ordinance, public review of the Draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, applications for transportation infrastructure grants, and planning for existing building electrification.
Policy Considerations: As a foundation for the 2040 General Plan, the City Council adopted a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 (Resolution No. 2019-0433). The City Council has also directed staff to accelerate the implementation of numerous climate actions summarized in the Work Plan. In addition, the City’s Climate Emergency Declaration commits to “maximum feasible efforts to implement emergency-speed carbon reduction actions towards eliminating emissions by 2030 as much as possible” (Resolution No. 2019-0465).
The City’s Fleet Sustainability Policy (Resolution No. 2017-0478) establishes a “ZEV First” commitment for vehicles and equipment, authorizing Fleet Services to procure ZEVs for vehicle
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replacements where a suitable ZEV option is available with equivalent operational capacity. This policy also commits to a minimum of 75% of annual light-duty fleet purchases to be ZEV by 2020.
Economic Impacts: This staff report does not include recommended action with direct economic impact. Full implementation of the City’s long-term tasks to mitigate and prepare for climate change will require new resources. In the near-term, City staff are evaluating economic impacts of the ACF and options for compliance.
Environmental Considerations: This report does not involve activities that constitute a “project” as defined by Sections 15061(b)(3) and 15378(b)(4) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines.
Sustainability: The tasks described in this staff report help to advance sustainability and livability of the community. Strategies such as tree planting, fleet electrification, and building electrification can mitigate climate impacts such as extreme heat while helping to improve indoor and outdoor air quality. Staff is actively implementing priority initiatives with available resources as directed by the City Council, even as longer-term plan development is underway. Public review of the Draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) and General Plan is ongoing through August 2023. Upon adoption, these plans will establish the City’s long-term policy direction and priorities for climate change and sustainability.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: Quarterly climate reports provide updates on City efforts for transparency and accountability on the implementation of the City’s climate action initiatives. This update includes highlights on compliance considerations for the forthcoming ACF regulation. Staff seek to inform and prepare the City Council for upcoming implementation issues.
Financial Considerations: Many near-term climate initiatives are underway with one-time funding from the Climate Action Initiatives Program (I15240100). Long-term, new sustainable sources of funding will be necessary to support ongoing programs and initiatives.
City staff continue to evaluate the costs for ACF compliance. While the City has existing commitments to ZEV adoption, the ACF regulation accelerates the purchase timeline for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, even where market availability of such vehicles is limited. Importantly, the ACF does not include an exemption where vehicle or supportive charging infrastructure costs may make compliance infeasible with available resources.
An analysis of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle options and charging infrastructure costs will commence soon in partnership with SMUD via the SMUD eFuel program. Additional training and staff resources will be necessary to ensure contractor compliance and satisfy detailed quarterly reporting requirements to the California Air Resources Board.
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In the longer term, the City will need to redo its fleet maintenance shops to meet requirements for servicing and repair of electrical vehicles, update emergency response procedures to respond to vehicle damages and potential fires for electric vehicles with large batteries, and update job specifications and training for fleet mechanics.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
Background:
Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) Regulation
The State of California has adopted ambitious goals for converting vehicles from carbon producing fossil fuels to cleaner zero-emission vehicles. Transportation emissions comprise over half of the greenhouse gas emissions statewide, so addressing the transportation sector is critical to meeting climate goals. In response, in April 2023, the California Air Resources Board adopted the ACF, which establishes minimum targets for medium- and heavy-duty fleet vehicle purchases that must be zero- emission in State and local fleets. The regulations also require public agencies to amend contracts with all its vendors to ensure they are also in compliance with new vehicle requirements, as defined by the regulation.
The ACF regulation applies to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 lbs. with some exceptions, including public safety vehicles. A Ford F250 is a common example of an 8,500 lb. vehicle in the City fleet. An electric Ford Lightning truck with an extended range battery would also fall within this size category.
Some key challenges for ACF implementation include limited market availability and operational testing of medium- and heavy-duty vehicle models, supply chain issues and increased costs for electric models over current models, increased need for fleet charging infrastructure and electrical supply upgrades, and the administrative requirements for quarterly reporting. The City’s vendors that are subject to the ACF will also have these challenges.
The City must select a compliance pathway and prepare for implementation by January 1, 2024, the effective date of the ACF regulation. As this is a new regulation with many components and complexities, City staff continue to evaluate the vehicles that will be affected and available options, potential costs, needs for charging infrastructure, fleet maintenance shop upgrades, other support, and the administrative requirements associated with the ACF. City staff continue to coordinate with regional agency partners and organizations to identify the most effective path.
The City’s municipal fleet consists of approximately 2,604 vehicles, with approximately half that are medium- or heavy-duty. Currently, the City fleet includes 119 battery-electric vehicles, all of which are light-duty vehicles. The City has already purchased its first heavy-duty electric vehicle, an electric
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refuse truck, which will be used to test the use of BEV technology and vehicle ranges for refuse service. In addition, the City has also ordered Ford Lightnings and other electric vehicles, but delivery has been delayed due to supply chain issues, a pause in manufacturing and recalls, and demand exceeding available supply.
Status of Critical Climate Action Tasks
Updated August 2023
1 2022 - 2023 Tasks
This table summarizes priority tasks for the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability (OCAS), and other department leads. Staff presented this list to the City Council in early 2022 as an update to the 2021 Climate Implementation Work Plan. The table below includes minor modifications to the original version presented in 2022 for accuracy, to reflect changes since that time.
Legend:
Ongoing Initiated
Ongoing; active work
underway Delayed or postponed
Complete
T
asks & Status
Task Department or
Office Leads
and Support1
Status
Internal & administrative tasks
1 Expand team capacity with intern support
and/or on-call assistance OCAS - Lead Role
Initiating recruitment for
new Sustainability
Specialist position in
OCAS
2 Continue convening the Green Team
monthly with participation by key
departments
OCAS - Lead Role
Support: All
Ongoing
3 Establish and launch the internal Climate
Action Task Force, with an initial audit of
each department’s performance
OCAS - Lead Role
Support: All
Preparation underway for
kickoff in fall 2023
4 Create an internal climate leadership,
learning, and collaboration cohort OCAS - Lead Role Postponed 1 Department and Office abbreviations:
CDD: Community Development Department
DOU: Department of Utilities
DPW: Department of Public Works
HR: Human Resources
IT: Information Technology
OCAS: Office of Climate Action and Sustainability
OEM: Office of Emergency Management
OIED: Office of Innovation and Economic Development
YPCE: Department of Youth, Parks, and Community Enrichment Status of Critical Climate Action Tasks
Updated August 2023
2 Task Department or
Office Leads
and Support1
Status
5 Develop and administer the Sustainability
Performance Monitoring Tool OCAS - Lead Role
Ongoing
6 Prepare a GIS resource hub for climate,
sustainability, and equity-related data
OCAS - Lead Role
Support: IT, ODE
Complete, with ongoing
refinement with GIS
Team
7 Embed sustainability and racial equity
decision-making into City processes
OCAS & ODE -
Leads
Engagement initiated with
Budget Office and Office
of Diversity and Equity
8 Create new guidance for the
“Sustainability” section of City staff reports OCAS - Lead Role Coordination initiated - to
be completed in
conjunction with other
forthcoming resources
9 Establish tools and processes to track City
fiscal activity from a climate perspective
OCAS - Support
Lead: Budget
Postponed
10 Create an internal Nexus City webpage with
resources and information
OCAS - Lead Role
Support: IT
Complete
11 Continue public quarterly reports on
climate action progress
OCAS - Lead Role
Support: Varies
Ongoing
12 Coordinate City efforts for climate-related
state and federal funding, and align efforts
to seek and apply for external funds
OCAS - Lead Role
CMO
Ongoing; recent grant
applications include a $5M
application to the USDA
Forest Service Urban and
Community Forestry
program (submitted in
June 2023)
13 Support updates to the City’s Sustainability
Procurement Policy and Telecommuting
Policy
OCAS - Support
Lead: CMO,
Finance, HR
Formalization of
Sustainability Policy
update in process;
Telecommuting Policy
update in progress but
delayed due to staff
turnover
Status of Critical Climate Action Tasks
Updated August 2023
3 Task Department or
Office Leads
and Support1
Status
Partnership, outreach, capacity-building and other
collaboration
14 Establish a climate equity outreach pilot
that advances CAAP implementation, and
increase community outreach
OCAS - Lead Role
Delayed: staff re-
evaluating options to
release a revised RFP for a
program administrator
15 Launch a climate ambassadors program
OCAS – Lead Role
OIED
In process: preparing to
launch a Climate
Ambassadors cohort in
OCAS as part of the
CaliforniansForAll
program, with a late
summer/early fall start
date
16 Distribute an Office newsletter monthly
OCAS - Lead Role
PIO
Ongoing
17 Continued engagement and collaboration
with the Sacramento EJCGC and other
local environmental justice groups
OCAS - Lead Role
Ongoing
18 Continued engagement and support for
integration of climate and sustainability into
City youth programs
OCAS - Support
Lead - YPCE
Ongoing - convened a
three-part sustainability
series for the 2023
Summer@City Hall
program
19 Continued convening of a regional working
group for city and county staff on climate
action
OCAS - Lead Role
Support: CDD
Ongoing
20 Facilitate a standing open networking and
collaboration meeting with climate-focused
stakeholders
OCAS - Lead Role
Not yet initiated
Status of Critical Climate Action Tasks
Updated August 2023
4 Task Department or
Office Leads
and Support1
Status
21 Participate in and facilitate collaboration
with external agencies, partners, and
stakeholders for successful grant
applications to secure state and federal
climate investments
All
Support: CMO,
DPW, DOU,
YPCE, CDD,
OIED
Ongoing, including
implementation of an
Electrification
Memorandum of
Understanding with
SMUD, the County of
Sacramento, and Elk
Grove
Strategic project actions – OCAS Oversight,
Support, or Management
22 Support completion of the CAAP for
Council adoption, including identification
of carbon reductions and funding options
for Council direction
OCAS - Support
Lead: CDD
Support: DPW, all
Ongoing; CAAP
presentation to City
Council on 8/22/23, for
adoption in early 2024
23 Seek grant funding to prepare a climate
resilience infrastructure and program
strategy, with shovel-ready project list for
adaptation funding needs
OCAS - Support
CDD, DOU,
DPW, OEM,
YPCE
Award decision pending
from City-SacRT
application to the Caltrans
Adaptation Planning
Grant program (submitted
in March 2023)
24 Facilitate City efforts to seek state grant
funding for community center retrofits and
resilience improvements
OCAS – Support
DPW, OEMS,
YPCE, SMUD
For Pannell Community
Center resilience
improvements, provided
additional technical
documentation to FEMA
for the $1.97 million
allocation via the Fiscal
Year 2023 Congressionally
Directed Spending
Requests
25 Support development of a shovel-ready list
of energy efficiency and resiliency project
list for City facilities and implementation
OCAS - Support
Lead: DPW
Ongoing; retrofits
underway
26 Support expansion of the City’s zero-
emission fleet and charging infrastructure
OCAS - Support
Lead: DPW
Ongoing; update to City
Council on 8/22 including
next steps to implement
the Advanced Clean
Fleets regulation
Status of Critical Climate Action Tasks
Updated August 2023
5 Task Department or
Office Leads
and Support1
Status
27 Support preparation for implementation of
the New Building Electrification
Ordinance, including participation in the
Infeasibility Waiver Technical Panel, and re-
adoption of the Ordinance with Infeasibility
Guidelines, to go into effect 1/1/2023
OCAS: Support
Lead: CDD
Complete
28 Guide and support preparation of the
Existing Building Electrification Strategy
and related stakeholder engagement for
Council action in 2023
OCAS: Support
Lead: CDD
Ongoing; presentation of
draft strategy to the
Planning & Design
Commission on 8/24
29 Manage City’s execution of a memorandum
of understanding with SMUD and
Sacramento County on building
electrification, and facilitate the City’s
participation in related efforts and pilots
OCAS – Lead
Support: CDD,
DPW
Ongoing
30 Support critical transportation initiatives,
including completion of the Transportation
Priorities Plan (TPP), the Active Streets
Plan, and identification of funding strategies
for transportation
OCAS – Support
Lead: DPW
Ongoing; outreach
underway in summer 2023
for the “Streets for
People” Sacramento
Active Transportation
Plan
31 Support implementation of the Electric
Vehicle Implementation Blueprint
OCAS – Support
Lead: DPW
Ongoing; launched E-
trike lending program
with Sacramento Public
Library, and infrastructure
design is ongoing
32 Support completion of the technical study
for on-site water reuse and dual plumbing,
including preparation of a dual-plumbing
ordinance
OCAS – Support
Lead: DOU
CDD – Support
Ongoing; consultant
procurement underway
with the On-Site Non-
Potable Water Reuse
Phase 2 RFP that closed
on 6/16
33 Support the launch of a new community
tree-planting initiative with partners
OCAS – Support
Lead: DPW
Timing to be confirmed;
DPW applied for a $5
million grant from the
USDA Forest Service
Urban and Community
Forestry program that
would augment and
support this effort
(submitted in June 2023)
Status of Critical Climate Action Tasks
Updated August 2023
6 Task Department or
Office Leads
and Support1
Status
34 Support expansion of shared use recreation
spaces and completion of the Parks Master
Plan (Parks Plan 2040)
OCAS – Support
Lead: YPCE
Ongoing; early 2024 plan
release
35 Support for the City’s clean and green
workforce and economic development
initiatives, and including completion of
regional green jobs analysis and opportunity
mapping
OCAS and OIED,
Leads
Ongoing; preparing to
launch a Climate
Ambassadors program
with CaliforniansForAll
youth and young adults
36 Support City participation in food access
and resiliency planning, including
completion of the US EPA Local
Food/Local Places action plan, ongoing
coordination of City staff, and food-
anchored hub development
OCAS - Support
Mayor’s Office,
OIED, YPCE,
CDD, DPW
US EPA Action Plan
complete. Ongoing: food
justice NOFA award
recipients announced in
December 2022
37 Support climate resiliency partnerships and
identification of pilots OEMS
Ongoing; implementation
of Home Energy Equity
Pilot underway in
Stockton Boulevard area
for completion by 2024
38 Manage the City’s partnership with the
Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality
Management District for air quality
monitoring, and support related community
outreach and education
OCAS - City Lead
Lead implementer:
Air District
Ongoing; 186 air sensors
deployed and mobile
community air monitoring
complete, additional tasks
underway include
development of maps and
preparation for additional
engagement with school
districts