CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date: December 20, 2022
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Kari Svanstrom, Planning Director
Climate Action Committee
Subject: Climate Action Committee (CAC) Informational Update and Workplan Presentation Recommendation: Review, provide feedback, and approve the CAC Workplan Funding: Currently Budgeted: _______ Yes _______ No ___X__ N/A Net General Fund Cost: $
Account Code/Costs authorized in City Approved Budget (if applicable) __AK______ (verified by Administrative Services Department) INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE:
This item is to:
1) Provide a quarterly update on Climate Action Committee (CAC) work to the City Council; and, 2) Review and ask for the Council’s review and approval of the Climate Action Committee’s Workplan for 2023-24.
BACKGROUND:
In July 2022, the City adopted a Climate Action Framework to guide the City’s next steps in addressing the climate emergency. Appendix A of the Framework includes an extensive list of potential actions that could help the City meet its climate goals.
Now that the Framework is complete, staff has developed a Workplan with the Climate Action Committee to prioritize future climate work items, primarily from Appendix A. The Workplan will guide staff’s and the Committee’s climate work initiatives over the next few years. The Workplan will be updated periodically as work items are completed, or as other items come forward.
Out of the 150 actions included in Appendix A, 28 actions from the 6 sections of the Framework were prioritized by Committee working groups as follows:
• Transportation (pp. A-3 to A-7) - Transportation Working Group • Sustainable Land Use (pp. A-8 to A-10) - Sequestration Working Group • Buildings and Clean Energy (pp. A-11 to A-16) - Energy Working Group • Consumption and Waste (p. A-17 to A-18) - Zero Waste Working Group • Community (pp. A-19 to A-23) - Education and Outreach Working Group • City Operations and Leadership (pp. A-24 to A-26) – Funding/Finance Working Group At their November 9
th meeting, the Committee discussed and prioritized these 28 actions as a group. Staff synthesized the discussion and prioritization at the November 9 th meeting into a draft Workplan. The draft
Workplan was shared with City Department heads for their feedback and discussed at the November 30th CAC Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022
meeting. The Committee voted unanimously, with 9 voting members present, to approve the draft Workplan and send it to City Council for their review and approval.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed Climate Action Committee Workplan for 2023-24 includes the following categories:
• Overall Committee priority actions (10),
• Other Committee priorities (2),
• Ongoing working group and staff projects (6).
Working group priorities that did not emerge as priorities for the entire Committee are also included for reference in Appendix A and may be prioritized in future Workplans.
The Committee is working with staff to develop detailed implementation plans for each of the 10 priority actions in the Workplan. These plans will identify funding sources and needs, project lead and partners, and project steps and timeline.
After receiving the Council’s input and approval of the Workplan, the Committee will move forward with implementation. Though items are numbered by priority, the implementation of many will proceed simultaneously as each Committee working group will focus on the actions that most relate to their group. Additionally, as opportunities (such as grant funding) arise, the exact ordering of items may shift. Any items that are not completed in 2023-24 may continue to future years.
Other updates
In addition to the Workplan development the CAC is addressing several other topics, including: community engagement series (to start in January 2023) and review of how/when various city projects related to climate change and sustainability get ‘referred’/brought to the Climate Action Committee for review and input or recommendation.
GOALS:
This action supports the following City Council Goals and General Plan Actions:
• Goal 5 - Provide Open and Responsive Municipal Government Leadership. • 5.1.4 Enhance the use of the City of Sebastopol Committees, Commission and Board. • Related Climate Action Framework and General Plan Actions/Policies are noted in the Workplan.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
As of the writing of this staff report, the City has not received any public comment. However, staff anticipates receiving public comment from interested parties following the publication and distribution of this staff report.
Such comments will be provided to the City Council assupplemental materials before or at the meeting. In addition, public comments may be offered during the public comment portion of the agenda item.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
This item was noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item by itself does not have a fiscal impact, however, many of the actions included in the Workplan require funding. Requests for funding and/or approvals of grant funding applications for these actions will come to Council when appropriate.
RECOMMENDATION:
Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022
Review, provide feedback on, and approve the CAC Workplan.
Attachments:
1. CAC Workplan Draft
Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022
CAC Workplan 1 2023-2024
CLIMATE ACTION COMMITTEE
DRAFT WORK PLAN 2023-24
DRAFT 12/01/2022
In Order of Priority
# Description of Climate Action1 Timing
Responsible CAC
Working Group and
City Department(s)
Related General
Plan
Actions/Policies
1 BE 1.3 Promote residential electrification and energy efficiency programs such as those from BayREN, Sonoma Clean Power, and Sonoma County's Energy and Sustainability Division. (To also incorporate related actions BE 2.1, BE 3.3, C 1.6, and C
1.7).
Specific actions taken under this item may include:
Conduct community electrification survey to assess residents’ knowledge of and interest in electrification (In progress).
Developing a green buildings tour to showcase sustainable homes or other buildings, share lessons learned, and encourage electrification and adoption of other sustainable building features (Target launch in Spring 2023). Improving/updating resources available on the City website (C1.1, C1.2) Varies
Energy WG
Building/Planning
Action COS 9f
2 Design and implement a climate engagement series beginning in early 2023. May incorporate the following actions:
C1.6 Continue to promote electrification, water efficiency, solar, and other sustainability programs, such as those offered by Sonoma Clean Power, the Sonoma County Energy and Sustainability Division, and BayREN. C1.7 In partnership with these groups, work to create and implement outreach campaigns to increase knowledge of building electrification benefits.
C1.8 In all climate communications, strive to promote positive narratives about climate change, human agency, and the interconnectivity of all living beings.
C2.5 Schedule, format, and locate community workshops and meetings to be convenient and accessible for community members, including by offering childcare and refreshments when appropriate.
C2.7 Explore new and innovative outreach methods to better involve all community members in climate efforts.
Begin Jan.
2023
Education and
Outreach WG
Planning
Action COS 8d
1 The lettered and numbered actions in this column refer to items from Appendix A of the Sebastopol Climate Action Framework.
Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022
CAC Workplan 2 2023-2024
# Description of Climate Action1 Timing
Responsible CAC
Working Group and
City Department(s)
Related General
Plan
Actions/Policies
3 T3.1 In the upcoming Countywide Active Transportation Plan/Sebastopol Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan update, prioritize:
- Development of protected (Class IV) bike lanes.
- Development of more shared use paths that connect Sebastopol to regional destinations.
- Understanding of community needs and priorities.
Evaluate whether this process can include:
T2.3 Create a citywide survey to assess residents’ transportation needs and barriers to alternative transit AND
T3.4 Improve access to bike parking in downtown Sebastopol, commercial areas, and other destinations.
2023
(County-led
project)
Transportation WG
Engineering/
Planning
Policy CIR 2-1
Action CIR 2g
4 Explore ways to promote daytime charging for electric vehicles (EVs), so that cars are charging when electricity is cleaner.
Short term: Support interested workplaces in Sebastopol in participating in Sonoma Clean Power’s workplace charging research program. Long term: Continue research into this topic and propose options. Consider T5.3 Evaluate the possibility of an on-street EV charging pilot program.
Research
project
launches Jan.
2023
Energy
WG/Transportation
WG
Building/Public
Works/Planning
Policy CIR 5-3
Policy COS 9-7
5 Support Community Garden revitalization. Incorporates the following actions:
LU2.6 Promoting regenerative landscaping practices, including mulching and composting, through community education and implementation on Cityowned properties. LU2.8 Encourage local, sustainable agriculture and home gardening to improve food security and soil health.
Launch March
2023
Sequestration WG
Planning/Public Works
Policy COS 12-19
Action CHW 3f
6 CW1.1 Create a Zero Waste Strategy that sets measurable goals for organics diversion and waste reduction, outlines how the City will achieve these goals, and includes data gathering methods for tracking implementation. To incorporate:
Increase efforts to educate residents and businesses about SB1383 and proper waste sorting.
CW1.2 Work with Recology and Zero Waste Sonoma to improve data collection on waste production in Sebastopol.
2023-24
Zero Waste WG
Engineering
Policy COS 9-13
Policy COS 9-14
Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022
CAC Workplan 3 2023-2024
# Description of Climate Action1 Timing
Responsible CAC
Working Group and
City Department(s)
Related General
Plan
Actions/Policies
7 Pursue options to increase installation of electric appliances/fixtures, such as:
BE 1.6 Support workforce development programs, such as those from Sonoma Clean Power, to increase the number of workers who can implement electrification and efficiency upgrades.
Develop methods to address contractor concerns about electrification and electric appliances/fixtures.
Consider lowering permit fees for installing electric options. 2023-24
(BE 1.6
dependent on
SCP)
Energy WG
Building/Council
8 C1.4 Expand climate and sustainability social media efforts. 2023-24
Education and
Outreach WG
City Admin
Action COS 8d
9 Review citywide stormwater management system and look for multi-benefit solutions that will help to reduce flood risk, promote water retention, and increase carbon sequestration. Incorporates the following actions:
LU3.1 Reduce impervious surface cover citywide, with a preference for replacement by green infrastructure where possible.
LU3.2 Require and/or incentivize green infrastructure in future developments.
2023-24 (CAC
work)
(TBD Master
Plan)
Sequestration WG
Planning/Engineering
/Public Works
Action CD 1i
Action COS 3d
Action COS 3e
10 CO4.2 Provide up-to-date information on climate progress on the City website, including data on the City’s progress towards carbon neutrality for municipal operations and other metrics included in the Framework document. 2023
CAC
Planning/Citywide
Action COS 8d
CAC Working Groups (WGs)
1. Transportation Working Group
2. Sequestration Working Group
3. Energy Working Group
4. Zero Waste Working Group
5. Education and Outreach Working Group
6. Funding/Finance Working Group
Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022
CAC Workplan 4 2023-2024
Other CAC Priorities
Actions in this section were highly ranked by the CAC, but are not “projects” that they can take on.
Description of Climate Action Timing Responsible
Department(s)
Related General
Plan
Actions/Policies
CO2.1 Fund a full- or part-time sustainability staff position to implement climate actions, coordinate and engage with stakeholders, and oversee progress. Council Policy COS 9-17 CO1.3 Analyze each climate action through an equity lens, to ensure that mitigation actions (1) do not have detrimental effects on Sebastopol’s vulnerable populations; (2) are targeted to serve vulnerable community members, and therefore are accessible to the larger community; and (3) distribute the benefits of climate action equitably.
Ongoing CAC/Citywide Policy COS 9-17
Ongoing Working Group/Staff Projects
Description of Climate Action Working Group or Department LU3.5 Continue conducting compost giveaways and expand education about benefits of composting. Sequestration WG
Coordinate monthly publication of climate article in the Sebastopol Times and include link to article in City newsletter. Education and Outreach WG
Continue running the Upcycled Art Project. Education and Outreach WG City website update. CAC recommends that this update include:
C1.1 Provide clear, multilingual climate resources for residents on the City website, at City Hall, and at all community events where the City is present. C1.2 Improve organization and content of the City website as it relates to sustainability and climate change.
City Admin/Planning
CO1.4 Align permit approvals with Framework goals. Planning/Building/Engineering CO3.6 (3.8) Assess the possibility of installing additional solar and battery backup systems at City-owned sites, including at City-owned wells. Public Works/Building/Engineering Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022
CAC Workplan 5 2023-2024
APPENDIX A: Other Working Group Priorities
Actions in this table were prioritized by individual working groups, as noted in the second column, but did not emerge as priorities for the entire CAC at the November 9th workshop meeting. These items are not proposed as part of the 2023-24 Workplan and may be prioritized in future Workplans.
Description of Climate Action Working Group Responsible Department(s)
Related General
Plan
Actions/Policies
C3.5 Host or co-sponsor climate-friendly community-building events, such as climate fairs, clothing swaps, plant and produce exchanges, community service days, etc. Aim to have one large climate event in 2023.
Education and
Outreach Action COS 8d
LU2.2 Develop an urban forest plan to increase canopy coverage by planting native, drought tolerant trees. The plan should identify areas in need of additional trees using tools such as the Tree Equity Score and Bay Area Greenprint, set coverage goal dates, and address funding and community engagement needs.
Additionally, there is a need to inventory existing street trees to determine health and replacement/maintenance needs.
Short term: Look for grant funding.
Sequestration Planning/Public
Works Action COS 6d
Review citywide parking policies, including:
T1.4 Explore updates to on- and off-street parking policies that could encourage active transportation, such as demand-based pricing and improved monitoring. T1.5 Build no new City-owned off-street parking and consider transitioning existing lots to more beneficial uses, such as multifamily housing or parks.
Transportation Engineering/
Police/Planning Action CIR 6b
T3.2 Explore micromobility options such as bike or e-bike share programs. Potentially working with bike shops in the City.
Transportation Engineering
T1.1 Evaluate the possibility of establishing temporary and/or permanent car-free street areas in community-determined locations. Transportation Planning/ Engineering Policy CIR 1-3
CW1.3 Increase education and enforcement of the City's Disposable Food Serviceware ordinance. Zero Waste Engineering Policy COS 9-14
CO3.6 Replace City gas yard equipment and other tools with electric alternatives at end-oflife. AND CO3.6 (3.7) Continue implementing and strengthening the City's environmentally preferable purchasing policy, including by incorporating a climate-friendly food policy for City events and evaluating the fossil fuel consumption of all City contractors.
Funding/Finance Public
Works/Council Policy COS 9-17
CO1.1 Add a "climate impacts" section to every staff report. Develop a checklist or other tool to help staff evaluate potential climate impacts. Funding/Finance Council Policy COS 9-17 Agenda Item Number 8 Agenda Item Number 8
City Council Meeting Packet of December 20, 2022