City of Woodland
Meeting Agenda
Special City Council Meeting
Community and Senior Center
Meeting Room 1 and 2
1000 East Street
Woodland, CA 95776
March 4, 2023
9:00 AM
CITY COUNCIL RETREAT
JOINT MEETING WITH SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A. CALL TO ORDER
B. ROLL CALL
C. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
D. COMMUNICATIONS - PUBLIC COMMENT
This is an opportunity for the public to speak to the Council on any item other than those listed on this agenda.
Speakers are requested to use the microphone in front of the Council and to begin by stating their name, whether they reside in Woodland and the name of the organization they represent if any. The Mayor may impose a time limit on any speaker depending on the number of people wanting to speak and time available for the rest of the agenda. In the event comments are related to an item scheduled on the agenda, speakers may be required to wait to make their comments until that item is considered. The option to submit a public comment via voicemail is no longer available. Written Public Comments Members of the public are welcome to submit written comments prior to the meeting. Comments should be submitted by email to [email protected]. Written Comments received at least two (2) hours prior to the scheduled start time of the City Council meeting will be provided to the City Council and posted to the City website as part of the official record of the meeting but will not be read into the record. Written Comments received within two (2) hours of the scheduled start time of the City Council meeting and during the City Council meeting will be provided to the City Council the day following the City Council meeting. If you are submitting written comments on a particular item on the agenda, please identify the agenda item number and letter. If you are submitting written comments on an item not listed on the agenda, please identify your e- mail/comment as a General Public Comment. Note: Public comments at special meetings are limited to items on the agenda only.
E. REPORTS OF THE CITY MANAGER
1. SUBJECT: City Council Study Session / Retreat
F. ADJOURN TO JOINT MEETING WITH SUSTAINABLILITY ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
JOINT MEETING WITH SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
11:15 AM
G. CALL TO ORDER
H. ROLL CALL
I. COMMUNICATIONS - PUBLIC COMMENT
J. REPORTS OF THE CITY MANAGER
2. SUBJECT: City Council Joint Meeting with the Sustainability Advisory Committee
K. RE-CONVENE TO CITY COUNCIL RETREAT AT 12:00PM
L. ADJOURN
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing Agenda for the City Council Special Meeting and the Joint Meeting with Sustainability Advisory Committee of the City of Woodland scheduled for Saturday, March 4, 2023 was posted on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 in the outside display case at City Hall, 300 First Street, Woodland, CA, and was available to the public during normal business hours.
Upon request, agendas and documents in the agenda packet will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by law. Any such requests must be made in writing to the Office of the City Clerk of the City of Woodland.
Requests will be valid for the calendar year in which the request is received, and must be renewed prior to January 1st.
Persons needing disability-related modifications or accommodations in order to participate in public meetings, including persons requiring auxiliary aids or services, may request such modifications or accommodations by calling the Office of the City Clerk (530-661-5806) at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA: City Council Special Meeting
DATE: March 4, 2023
ITEM #: E.1
SUBJECT: City Council Study Session / Retreat
Establishing explicit City Council goals and priorities is important in several respects. First, the goals set by the Council will continue to be the basis for assessing progress made in addressing the most important issues facing the city and community. Additionally, clearly articulated Council priorities will assist in ensuring the City's limited resources are focused on those initiatives and programs that contribute most directly to the outcomes envisioned in advancing city priorities.
Progress in advancing Council goals is best achieved when there is consensus around community priorities, alignment of resources and shared focus across the Council, staff and our boards and commissions. To this end, the City Council has scheduled a Study Session / Retreat to review and update its Priority Goals and Strategic Actions for 2023-2024. The staff applauds the Council's continued interest in evaluating its goals and priorities, and its support for building the organizational capacity critical to our efforts.
Attachments:
1. City Council Goals and Strategic Plan 2021-22
City Council Priority Goals
Identified after February 2022 Retreat
Improve Quality of Life
Key Strategies
Promote healthy and purposeful living
Provide opportunities for youth to thrive
Celebrate our diversity through multicultural events
Continually reevaluate the effectiveness of programs and services Invest in cultural and recreational amenities
Focus on sustainability and resiliency to climate change Priority Initiatives
Formalize and expand volunteer and internship programs Second Aquatic Complex
Conduct comprehensive assessment of programs and services and develop strategies to promote engagement from all segments of community. Elevate sustainability and climate resiliency efforts
Evaluate different models to deliver impactful and inclusive programming Create and promote additional multicultural events
Continuing Initiatives
Adopt Youth Master Plan
Address community child care needs
Complete East Beamer Way Neighborhood Campus Project
Improvements to Sports Park Fields
Library improvements
Neighborhood traffic calming
Strengthened code enforcement
Promote enhanced engagement and awareness through improved multi-lingual communications
Improve citizen engagement
Implement Woodland Promise Program
Complete initial improvements to Woodland Regional Park Preserve
Focus on Economic Development & Downtown
Key Strategies
Cultivate existing businesses
Strengthen communications and relationships with entire business community Continue to develop Woodland as a visitor destination Expand digital and technology-based economy
Develop workforce training initiatives in support of existing and future economy Priority Initiatives
Identify key workforce development needs
Establish workforce development initiatives to support local industry Implement new marketing, events, and promotions that drive increased business activity and hotel stays
Continuing Initiatives
Complete entitlement process and annexation for Woodland Research and Technology Park
Support the construction of new industrial space
Complete comprehensive Zoning Code update
Promote Woodland as a destination
Add lighting, landscaping, and public art enhancements Strengthen communications to better engage with businesses in all areas and sectors
Expand The Lab@AgStart to foster food and agriculture innovation Food Front food and ag industry partnership campaign
JAPA parking management pilot program
Promote Shop Small, Eat Local campaign
Outdoor dining and shopping parklets
Strengthen Public Safety & Infrastructure
Key Strategies
Continually assess public safety service delivery models Invest in programs that support youth and families
Advocate for the District Attorney's 5-point-plan on homelessness Communicate and educate the public on neighborhood safety Ensure maintained infrastructure that complies with regulations Priority Initiatives
Expand law enforcement patrol capacity and resources
Educate public on flood risks and the importance of flood protection Expand volunteer and neighborhood watch programs
Invest in community-based gun violence reduction programs Continuing Initiatives
Determine funding plan for relocation of Fire Station 3 Advocate to State of California for maintenance of Cache Creek Complete outfall channel improvements and expansion
Advocate for key legislative changes to criminal justice system Evaluate industry best practices in public safety delivery models and identify potential opportunities to adapt and expand capacities
Continue to invest in projects to improve the efficiency and resiliency of the City's water system
Continue to leverage state and outside funding for reconstruction of major roadway corridors
Complete lower Cache Creek flood study
Update strategic plans for Police and Fire Departments Redefine and reinvigorate YGRIP collaboration
Increase traffic enforcement and strategic deployment of public safety patrols
Enhance Governance & Fiscal Responsibility
Key Strategies
Proactive communication of factual and relevant information Utilize City boards and commissions to effectively engage public Streamline budget process while maintaining transparency Regularly reassess effectiveness of government services Priority Initiatives
Assess staff recruitment, retention, training, and data collection with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion
Conduct comprehensive evaluation of existing communications efforts and partner with the City Communications Manager and Policy Analyst to develop a coordinated framework to ensure timely and broad based dissemination of information
Maintain balanced budget while strategically investing in projects and programs that yield fiscal, social, and / or environmental benefits Continuing Initiatives
Improve and expand access to public information and constituent services Invest in improved service delivery and organizational efficiencies Continue to work with labor groups to address budget priorities while ensuring adequate benefits
Evaluate the City's boards, commissions, and committees and strengthen alignment with Council priorities
Improve collaboration with partner agencies and community organizations
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA: City Council Special Meeting
DATE: March 4, 2023
ITEM #: J.2
SUBJECT: City Council Joint Meeting with the Sustainability Advisory Committee
The City Council has scheduled time as part of its annual Study Session / Retreat to meet with the Sustainability Advisory Committee to discuss potential projects aimed at addressing carbon emissions and climate resiliency. This discussion will help inform which items are incorporated into the Council Goals and Strategic Initiatives for 2023-2024.
The City Council allocated $400,000 in its American Rescue Plan funding framework to go toward carbon reduction and climate resiliency projects. Since late 2022, staff has worked with the Sustainability Advisory Committee to identify a handful of possible funding directions. The Sustainability Advisory Committee's report on these initial funding recommendations will follow shortly.
The Committee will be prepared to discuss these materials and their initial recommendations in further detail during the joint meeting.
Attachments:
1. SAC Recoomendation for ARP Funding 2-23
Woodland Sustainability Advisor Committee March 4, 2023 Recommendation to City Council
1 ARP Funding Recommendation
Recommendation: The Sustainability Advisory Committee (SAC) recommends the City utilize the American Recovery Plan (ARP) funding to establish and enhance bike paths on city streets to help meet targets for the Climate Action Plan.
Table of Contents
Background 1
Climate Action Plan 1
Discussion 2
Transportation: Why Bikes? 2
Re-energize the City’s Master Bicycle Plan 3
Active Transportation 3
Other Areas Considered 4
Conclusion 6
Background
Climate Action Plan
The Climate Action Plan (CAP) recommends policies and procedures to obtain reduced Green House Gases (GHG) by 2023. The city developed a target of approximately 602,467 to 606,867 Metric Tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year (MT CO2e/y) and a reduction of 336,124 CO2e by 2035. The CAP estimates that 66.6% of the MT CO2e will be reduced through state actions. However, the CAP notes that there is an approximate 112,265 CO2e GHG gap to be met by local actions.
The CAP identifies most emissions in the community are a result of transportation and targets transportation is the largest area for reducing GHG (65%)1. Achieving GHG reductions comes from two areas:
1. Reducing motor vehicle use, and
2. Replacing gasoline and diesel vehicles having higher GHG emissions with vehicles that have lower or zero GHG emissions.
The CAP targets using transportation and land use strategies to reduce GHG by an estimated 34,850 MT CO2e in 2035.
1 Other areas are energy, 29%; solid waste, 4%; and wastewater reuse, water and wastewater, and municipal operations combining for under 3%. The CAP notes that a major portion of the progress toward meeting Woodland’s GHG reduction targets for energy can be achieved through individual actions [City of Woodland, Final 2035 Climate Action Plan (Woodland: City of Woodland, 2017), pp. 4-1, 4A-1].
Woodland Sustainability Advisor Committee March 4, 2023 Recommendation to City Council
2 Discussion
The Sustainability Advisory Committee discussed options on how to use approximately $400,000 American Recovery Act (ARP) funding to further meet the Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals. The SAC was presented with 5 potential directions for funding avenues, and these have been reviewed by an ad hoc committee. The five directions are: 1. City operations 2. Utilities 3.
Vehicles and Transit 4. Greenhouse gas inventory 5. Outreach, education, and public signage. 2 The SAC concluded that using the ARP funding for bike lane designations and improvements would use the funds in the most efficient way to lower GHG and help meet the city’s targets for 2035.
Transportation: Why Bikes?
The committee looked at many strategies with several considerations in mind. First, the SAC noted that the ARP funding was limited to $400,000 and needed to be obligated by 2024. This limited the reach of the use of the funding to “shovel ready” or quickly implemented projects.
Additionally, because the funding was one-time and limited, a recommendation could not burden the city with an unfunded mandate. The committee’s consensus is to spend the funds in our local economy and community. The committee’s consensus is for the funds to specifically address an area of the CAP with the purpose of helping meet GHG reduction targets. The ARP funds should be used in our vulnerable and underserved communities with the greatest environmental impact, aiming to benefit the people of Woodland best.
Limits of Money: The funding looked at by the SAC was $400,000 taking large projects like electric vehicles and solar panels, off the table.
Limits to Spend: The ARP funds must be committed to eligible uses by the end of 2024.
However, funds may be expended after 2024 so long as the payment occurs before December 31, 20263.
One time funding: The committee was conscious to not burden the city with an unfunded mandate into the future. While the funding could be used as seed money to gain future funding, we did not want it to go towards a project that would have onerous recurring annual expenses or fund personnel.
Money to Stay in the Community: The SAC did not want the money to be spent outside the community, if possible, particularly hiring consultants or purchasing.
Addressing the CAP: specifically, we looked at what could help close the gap, but was a lower target than many existing GHG reduction efforts.
2 For a breakdown of these areas and considerations, see “Other Areas Considered,” below. 3 Treas. Reg. 31 CFR 35 at 357, available at:
https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/SLFRF-Final-Rule.pdf.
Woodland Sustainability Advisor Committee March 4, 2023 Recommendation to City Council
3 For the Benefit of the People of Woodland: The committee looked at several opportunities that could benefit the city government or a specific sector. We concluded the funding should be used for the broadest reach to the entire population.
Equality Conscious: The SAC wanted the funding to be deployed smartly and equitably, which means we didn’t want to just spend it, but invest it. We wanted the funding to go towards something that provided equitable access to the full population of Woodland.
Re-energize the City’s Master Bicycle Plan
The city published a master bicycle plan in 2003 and updated it slightly in 2013. Since then little has been adjusted to meet contemporary needs for equitable use by all, support for active lifestyles, and support for financial growth. The 2003 Master plan was heavily influenced by bike routes for schools. The 2013 update aimed at active lifestyles by delineating the “Woodland Bike Loop”, four routes varying in length of 1.8 to 7.4 miles (see fig.1, below). Despite the planning, the city’s current bicycle routes are a patchwork, are routinely criticized for lacking safety, and fail to bring bicyclists to the city’s business districts. Current bicycle planning is limited to improvements to current roadway projects (west Main, Gibson) and bicycle infrastructure for the homeless.
The committee hopes the use of ARP funds will stimulate the Master Bicycle Plan and even be used as “seed money” for greater bicycle infrastructure.
F
i
g
u
r
e
:
W
o
o
d
l
a
n
d
B
i
k
e
M
a
p
(
2 0
1 3
)
Figure 1: Woodland Bike Map (2013)
Woodland Sustainability Advisor Committee March 4, 2023 Recommendation to City Council
4 Active Transportation
In addition to addressing the GHG gap in the city’s CAP, bicycling also brings the benefits of active transportation. Active transportation aligns with state and county programs to encourage better health of its members and reduce health expenditures. Active transportation includes walking, biking, and other active or “human‑powered” ways that people get from one place to another. Indeed, the Yolo County 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment”4 identified as a top concern:
“The built environment doesn't support physical activity (e.g., neighborhoods aren't walkable, roads aren't bike-friendly, or parks are inaccessible) “, p. 19.
In recent years, the state has taken steps to improve the infrastructure for this type of transportation due its many potential benefits. Such benefits include improved health for travelers; reduced vehicle trips and the resulting reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution; reduced traffic congestion; and increased transit ridership by facilitating connections to and from transit stations.
Other Areas Considered
The committee looked at five directions for using the ARP funds. These ranged from “low- hanging fruit” identified by city staff, to inventorying greenhouse gases. Below where questions and considerations for each direction.
Direction 1 — City Operations
Considerations: What “low-hanging fruit” city projects to address CAP Municipal Operations:
MO-3?
• Hybrid/Virtual Meetings for all committees and commissions • What buildings could have had retrofitting done to increase energy efficiencies? • What would retrofitting for high priority buildings cost? • Can city staff identify what buildings have the highest usage for the community and city operations (e.g., Community Center/City Hall/Woodland Police/Jail/Fire Department/Library)
Determination: The committee concluded that other funding options were better fit for these projects. However, having a hybrid/virtual meeting spaces would support groups with compromised immunity and people with accessibility concerns. We believe this could address equity issues and representation now and in the future.
Considerations: What could be done to address energy use in the community (Energy: E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4)?
4 Insights, Community Health. “2022 Community Health Needs Assessment.” (2022): Accessed 2/20, 2023.
https://www.yolocounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/74781/637998705177230000.
Woodland Sustainability Advisor Committee March 4, 2023 Recommendation to City Council
5 Direction 3 – Utilities
• Lighting upgrades
• Appliance / equipment upgrades
• Building efficiency improvements
Questions to consider:
• What are the weatherization solutions for older homes? • How can we map the highest priority homes? Can this be done? (e.g., a community survey to find out who needs help immediately versus later).
Determination: The committee thought these projects where too ambitious for the ARP funding.
Direction 3 — Vehicles & Transit
Considerations: Woodland is not a safe place for bike riders. How can we change this? Possible bicycle-related initiatives include (Transportation and Land Use: T/LU-5, T/LU-7)? • Financial incentives for residents (e.g., rebates for e-bikes, regular bikes, etc.) • Invest in bike programs
• Address bicycle theft and improve bike-secure storage throughout the city • Increase use of safe bike lanes
Possible electrification initiatives include:
• EV replacements/retrofitting for city vehicles:
• City staff is looking at whether there is an outside grant that could fund this (e.g., IRA funding)
• Electrify school bus fleet
• Bring an EV car sharing pilot program to Woodland.
Determination: The committee found electrification projects to ambitious for the ARP funding and timeline and it was not clear whether ARP funding could be used for grant programs for purchasing bikes or e-bikes. Additionally, the committee wanted the ARP funds to stay in the community as much as possible rather than purchases or vendors outside the community. The committee did find the expansion of bike routes acceptable.
Direction 4 — Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Considerations: A GHG inventory should be considered a top priority. An inventory was scheduled for 2020, but not conducted. This effort is a key supporting indicator for the Climate Action Plan (Public Involvement: PI-4).
Determination: The city is already working to conduct a GHG inventory.
Direction 5 — Outreach, Education, and Public Signage
Considerations: This is a relatively affordable and highly visible approach. Directly aligns with the goals of the Climate Action Plan (PL-1, PL-2). Possible initiatives include:
Woodland Sustainability Advisor Committee March 4, 2023 Recommendation to City Council
6 • Community Resource Centers focusing on public education regarding climate change adaptation
• Community engagement and public outreach regarding bicycling benefits and incentives • Promote incentive program for electrifying landscaping equipment • Community Microgrid
• Workforce Development Programs
Determination: The committee found many of these projects too ambitious or already under consideration by the city. The committee did rank as it’s number two recommendation using the funding for better community engagement and outreach. But, found our main recommendation to be further reaching and accommodating future growth and prosperity.
Conclusion
The committee looked at many ways to use ARP funds to address the CAP, specifically, actions that could address the gap in meeting the city’s 2023 targets. The committee was conscious of the one-time nature of the funding, and the limits of the fund. The committee sought a solution that was not a high priority of the city, nor had existing funding or an existing program. We looked for a recommendation that could be applied equally to all Woodlanders. Finally, the committee looked for a direct expenditure of the funding in the community.
The committee recommends the use of the ARP funds for the expansion and maintenance of the city’s bike routes. The committee sees this as a future-directed action with long-term benefits. Bike routes are a highly visible action, can reduce GHG emissions, make a more accessible community, be applied equitably, encourage health through active transportation, and encourage business growth.
Robert Ullrey
Chair, Sustainability Advisory Committee