June 1, 2025
San Rafael City Council
1400 5th Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
RE: City Council's Three-Yer Strategic Plan, FYs2025-28 Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
Sustainable San Rafael wholeheartedly supports the
'Sustainability and Resilience' goals included in the your Three-Year Strategic Plan.
We look forward to additional detail in the work plans that the staff report indicates are the next step to implementing these goals. We urge that the work plans include the following specific actions to achieve these goals in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the City's 2030 and 2045 targets and to prepare for ever more intense climate impacts:
1. Electric Vehicle Acceleration Strategy (Goal C.1.2). • To maintain the leadership of Marin and San
Rafael in reducing GHG emissions from their single
largest source, join with TAM and others to host
annual EV fairs.
• Add annual EV registrations increase to the City's
metrics tracking this goal.
• Augmenting the importance of resilience in this
priority area, note that the batteries of some EVs
can now be used to power homes during outages.
2. Building Electrification Roadmap (Goal C.1.4).
• We look forward to San Rafael adopting all ten of
the actions included in this plan when it comes
before you this fall.
• To provide local support for the BAAQMD timeline
for replacing fossil fuel appliances with electric,
replenish the incentive funds in Electrify Marin.
• Require building energy audits at time-of-sale.
• Add annual heat pump permits for water heaters
and furnaces to track the two most important
metrics for meeting this goal.
• Note that heat pump furnaces double as air
conditioners and air filters during heat waves and
smoke events, increasing climate resilience.
3. Organic Waste Composting (Goal C.1.3)
• Continue education and enforcement of green cart
rules.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Annika Osborn, Co-President
Ben Snyder, Co-President
William Carney, Vice President
Miles Smith, Secretary
Greg Brockbank
Kay Karchevski
Kiki La Porta
Rina Lopez
Phil Muller
Marisa Nordstrom
Stuart Siegel
415.302.0110
• Align the disposal of organics from homes,
businesses, and wildfire prevention vegetation
management with the GHG reduction
recommendations of the Marin Biomass Project.
• Note that in addition to reducing GHG emissions
and increasing carbon sequestration, applying
compost to rangeland increases local food
security, rendering Marin more climate resilient.
4. Alignment of Tree Ordinance with General Plan 2040
(Goal A.3.6)
• In addition to rangeland and woodland
sequestration, urban forests are a vital part of
returning atmospheric carbon to the land, helping
San Rafael reach net zero GHG emissions by 2045.
• The revised Tree Ordinance needs to rest on the
sound foundation of the tree inventory already
underway; include the urban forest maintenance,
preservation, and expansion programs in the
General Plan; and lead to the development of a
comprehensive Tree Master Plan over the next
three years.
• We recommend adding the annual number of
trees planted to the City's metrics for this goal.
• Note that in addition to sequestration, beauty, and
many other benefits, trees provide cooling shade
during summer heat waves, further increasing the
resilience and walkability of San Rafael's
neighborhoods.
5. Sea Level Rise Preparedness Plan (Goal C.2.4)
• We appreciate the City's leadership in addressing
this most intractable of climate impacts, citywide
and especially in the Canal and other vulnerable
communities.
• Note that the nature-based solutions being
considered to reduce shoreline impacts include
expanded salt marshes, which also sequester
significant amounts of GHG.
We applaud the Council's commitment to achieving a more sustainable community, and your responsiveness to
community recommendations.
Sincerely,
William Carney,
Vice President
June 2, 2025
Dear Mayor Colin and Councilmembers,
Cc to Manager Alilovich, Directors Bytof and Miller,
Assistant Director Schellin, Clerk Lara
Re: Agenda June 2: City Council’s Three-Year Strategic Plan for FYI 2024-2028 & Performance Metrics
We thank you and staff for including objective A.3.6. in the strategic plan before you tonight, addressing the stewardship of the City’s trees as specified in General Plan 2040. It was wise to include adopting a revised tree ordinance, the maintenance, expansion and the preservation of our urban forest.
Last year’s LIDAR data inventory of the City’s assets including street trees provides preliminary information for your work. We ask you to include in the City’s “annual work plans” specific next steps as the basis for the implementation of the Tree Master Plan.
San Rafael’s General Plan 2040 values our urban tree canopy. The word “trees” is mentioned more than 100 times! The plan cites “Street trees,” “large trees,” “abundant trees,” “mature trees,” “shade trees,” “native species,” “more trees” downtown, in residential and commercial areas to create “ nicer gathering places” while “enhancing air quality,” improving health and place-making.
While resources are limited, a comprehensive tree master plan as specified in the General Plan is deserving of the City’s attention and will benefit the City’s residents, businesses and environment worthy of our “Tree City USA” name.
With profound thanks in the spirit of community engagement, Amy Likover
San Rafael Tree Group Chair