City of Sunnyvale
Meeting Minutes
Sustainability Commission
7:00 PM Online and Redwood Conference Room,
City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale,
CA 94086
Monday, April 21, 2025
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Veitch called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Redwood Conference Room (Room 140) at City Hall.
SALUTE TO THE FLAG
Chair Veitch led the salute to the flag.
ROLL CALL
Chair Tonya Veitch
Vice Chair Jeffery Nabhan
Commissioner Cortney Jansen
Commissioner Douglas Kunz
Commissioner Richard Parenteau
Commissioner Kristina Pistone
Present: 6 -
Council Liaison - Councilmember Chang (present)
STUDY SESSION
25-0556 Climate Action Playbook: Game Plan 2028 Progress Christina Raby, Environmental Engineering Coordinator, presented an annual update on Climate Action Playbook Game Plan 2028 Moves scheduled for Fiscal Year 2023/24. Commissioners asked questions and staff provided answers.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT CALENDAR
25-0555 Approve the Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes of
Attachment 1
April 21, 2025Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes March 17, 2025
Commissioner Parenteau moved, and Commissioner Kunz seconded, a motion to approve the consent calendar.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Yes: Chair Veitch
Vice Chair Nabhan
Commissioner Jansen
Commissioner Kunz
Commissioner Parenteau
Commissioner Pistone
6 -
No: 0
PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS
25-0557 Sustainability Speakers Series Proposal for FY 2025/26 The Sustainability Speaker Series Subcommittee, composed of Commissioners Jansen and Pistone, and Vice Chair Nabhan presented the Draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2025/26 Sustainability Speaker Series Proposal. The theme for this series is “Game Time: Sunnyvale’s Playbook for Climate Action,” and includes the following seven proposed topics, for up to four events to be hosted in FY 2025/26:
(1) Decarbonizing Buildings: The Next Level; (2) Cool Blocks (empowering community); (3) Resilience Hubs; (4) SMART station and solid waste reduction; (5) Active Transportation Plan; (6) Reducing offroad emissions from landscaping; (7)The intersection of climate change and disability rights. The Subcommittee also presented potential speakers for each topic and potential talk titles. The Commission discussed the pros and cons of each topic and clarified differences between topics.
Commissioners individually ranked each topic. Staff tabulated the rankings and provided the following ranked list of topics: (1) The intersection of climate change and disability rights; (2) Resilience Hubs; (3) SMART Station and solid waste reduction; (4) Decarbonizing Buildings: The Next Level; (5) Reducing off-road emissions from landscaping; (6) Cool Blocks (empowering community); (7) Active Transportation Plan.
Attachment 1
April 21, 2025Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Parenteau moved, and Vice Chair Nabhan seconded, a motion to approve the FY 2025/26 Sustainability Speaker Series topics as prioritized and authorize staff to finalize it.
The motion carried by the following vote:
Yes: Chair Veitch
Vice Chair Nabhan
Commissioner Jansen
Commissioner Kunz
Commissioner Parenteau
Commissioner Pistone
6 -
No: 0
STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES
None.
NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS
-Commissioner Comments
Commissioner Parenteau noted the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent changed position on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and sewer sludge and inquired about the disposal of sewer sludge in Sunnyvale.
Commissioner Pistone shared information about wetland solidarity and encouraged Commissioners to participate in the New Federal Guidance on Waters of the United States (WOTUS) public comment period.
Commissioner Jansen promoted the May 7, Livable Sunnyvale general meeting where a topic of discussion at that meeting will be on climate action update.
Commissioner Jansen shared there is an online survey for the Las Palmas Park Renovation.
Councilmember Chang made a suggestion on one of the Sustainability Speaker Series topics and shared items on the upcoming City Council agenda that would be of interest to the Sustainability Commission.
Chair Veitch thanked Environmental Services staff for hosting a successful Earth Day event and for making it a low waste event. Chair Veitch noted that April 20 is Earth Day.
Attachment 1
April 21, 2025Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes Commissioner Parenteau recognized the Fremont Union High School Robotics Team for winning an International Championship Robotics event that was hosted in Houston, Texas with approximately 600 high school teams participating. -Staff Comments
Ms. Raby reported on previous and upcoming events.
INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS
25-0558 Annual Work Plan April 2025
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 9:12 p.m.
Attachment 1