MEMO
TO DavidWhite, CityManager
FROM Rick Valte,Director of Public Works
DATE April 14, 2023
SUBJECT National Building Performance Standards Coalition Participation
SUMMARY
Launched by President Biden, the National Building Performance Standards(BPS) Coalition comprises a nationwide group ofstate and local governmentsthat have committed to inclusively design and implement building performance policies and programsin their jurisdiction. There are currently 41 U.S. jurisdictionsthat have committed to joining the National BPS Coalition & as many as 10 that have already adopted BPS. OSE staff recommend that Santa Monica join the national cohort, which requires Mayor or City Manager approval of the BPS commitment to adopt a BPS policy by Earth Day 2024 and to provide a quote or video for the Coalition website.
Joining the National BPS Coalition would present an opportunity for the City of Santa Monica to accelerate equitable decarbonization of our existing buildings, with a focus on the largest buildings that produce the most pollution. Recently, the City supported Net‐Zero Carbon Buildings goals outlined in the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan by releasing an Existing Building Electrification Roadmap. The Roadmap highlights different policy optionsto equitably electrify Santa Monica’s existing building stock and presented BPS as a priority policy to do so.
In March 2023, OSE hosted the first in a series of workshops dedicated to designing a BPS policy for Santa Monica by soliciting input from a diverse group of 30+ technicalstakeholders. Stakeholders were largely supportive of the efforts and recognize the importance of adopting a BPS to reduce emissionsfrom the existing building sector – particularly from large commercial properties. The second workshop isscheduled for April 28th, 2023.
Commitment to the National BPS Coalition would position the City to utilize the momentum of federal action and local government leadership and leverage past work acrossthe country to adopt BPS by 2024. The National BPS Coalition offerssupport from federal agencies, labor, and non‐governmental organizationsthat are providing resourcesfor workforce engagement, technical analysis, equity strategies, policy design, and stakeholder engagement.
Upon approval, OSE staff will work to develop a script or talking pointsfor City Manager’s office for submittal to the Coalition website as noted above. Contact Ariana Vito at ext. 2294, for additional information.
APPROVED
_______________________
David White, City Manager
DocuSign Envelope ID: 85BFA65C-E654-4824-932A-3F528E8B06D9 4/24/2023