VISTA CITY COUNCIL (CC)
CITY OF VISTA
WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES
OCTOBER 5, 2023
The October 5, 2023, Workshop Meeting of the City Council of the Chartered City of Vista, was called to order by Mayor Franklin at 6:02 pm in the City Council Chambers, 200 Civic Center Drive, Vista, California.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT
Mayor John Franklin, Deputy Mayor Corinna Contreras
Joe Green, Katie Melendez, Dan O’Donnell
DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT
John Conley City Manager
Walter Chung City Attorney
Kathy Valdez City Clerk
Matt Atteberry Principal Engineer
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Councilmember Melendez led the Pledge of Allegiance.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Joe Houde spoke on the progress that Vista has made on its Climate Action Plan since the last update in 2021.
DISCUSSION
D1. CLIMATE ACTION PLAN UPDATE (CC)
Assistant City Manager Imelda Huerta and Climate Action Plan Program Administrator Cassidy McCarthy provided the staff report.
The following members of the public voiced their opinion:
• Joe Houde offered suggestions for ways the City Council could achieve various Climate Action Plan goals.
• Sid Rothenberg urged the City Council to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution, and light pollution.
• Anne Force asked the City Council to apply for EPA grant funding, provide climate education to residents, develop community gardens and identify locations for microgrids. • Nanci Oechsle requested the City Council join CEA at 100%. • Lynne Mitschke voiced her appreciation for staff’s efforts and asked the City Council to focus on equity in the CAP.
• Janis Jones gave recommendations on CAP strategies including: fast EV chargers, joining CEA at 100%, and strengthen waste strategies.
• Rebecca Medici would like to see solar panels on all City properties, an increase in the tree canopy and pocket parks, and to increase public transportation. • Mary Gilman asked the City Council to consider “smart growth”, increase biodiversity and habitats, and to plant more trees.
• Zak James spoke about carbon capture through perennial grasses, regenerative farming, and green waste services.
WORKSHOP MINUTES
OCTOBER 5, 2023
2 Barbara Boswell, CEO of Clean Energy Alliance, appeared via Zoom to answer questions from the City Council.
City Council Members and staff discussed the following:
•Number of EV chargers to be installed throughout the City and request for more Level 3 chargers
•Community outreach will occur before new street lights are put in; may do a demonstration block to allow residents to view street light design
•Increase residential awareness and education of organic waste recycling •Support for the City to join Clean Energy Alliance (“CEA”) at 100% renewable, but give residents a choice of level to join at
•Apply for grants to achieve different CAP goals
•Need to learn more about micro-grids
•Lowering road speeds will reduce noise pollution
•Request for community gardens to be included in the CAP •Include solar in any new City parking projects; encourage EV charging stations to be included in new housing development guest parking spaces •Reduction of single use plastics and increase of waste separation receptacles at City facilities
•Host CAP community workshops in all Districts
•Include the updated Pest Management Plan in the CAP
•Prioritization of strategies; need to evaluate costs of projects •Create a network of urban and rural trails throughout the City to connect communities •Continue to increase number of trees planted; direct staff to create tree planting and management plan
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Franklin adjourned the meeting at 8:27 pm.
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Kathy Valdez, City Clerk