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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - October 18, 2011 SSLODI CITY COUNCIL SHIRTSLEEVE SESSION CARNEGIE FORUM, 305 WEST PINE STREET TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2011 A. Roll Call by City Clerk An Informal Informational Meeting ("Shirtsleeve" Session) of the Lodi City Council was held Tuesday, October 18, 2011, commencing at 7:00 a.m. Present: Council Member Hansen, Council Member Katzakian, Council Member Nakanishi, Mayor Pro Tempore Mounce, and Mayor Johnson Absent: None Also Present: City Manager Bartlam, City Attorney Schwabauer, and City Clerk Johl B. Topic(s) B-1 Presentation on Climate Action Plans (CM) City Manager Rad Bartlam provided an overview of climate action plans as set forth in the Council Communication. Specific topics of discussion included federal and state laws including SB 375 and AB 32, Proposition 23 and the intent of the voters, the requirement to adopt a climate action plan based on the General Plan, grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Transportation for the compact of cities, the makeup of the San Joaquin Valley compact, and the overall need to adopt a climate action plan. In response to Council Member Katzakian, Mr. Bartlam stated Turlock adopted a climate action plan as a part of its General Plan adoption, whereas Lodi is adopting its climate action plan as an implementing measure to the General Plan. In response to Mayor Pro Tempore Mounce, Mr. Bartlam stated Tracy adopted a sustainability project, which likely meets its requirement to adopt a climate action plan. In response to Mayor Pro Tempore Mounce, Mr. Bartlam stated he is not sure about the specific penalties associated with non-compliance as the plan is meant to be a goal document. In response to Mayor Johnson, Mr. Bartlam stated staff did not look at other funding opportunities for the project because based on the timing the compact of cities had come together and the grant funding that was received was likely. In response to Council Member Katzakian, Mr. Bartlam provided an overview of the General Plan, the implementing measure of the climate action plan, and the areas to be studied. In response to Council Member Katzakian, Mr. Bartlam stated the grant was for $200,000 and the estimated cost of the study is $120,000, although proposals have not yet been received. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Bartlam stated the market of consultants doing this type of work is growing based on increased regulations and a consultant will be used due to the required expertise and lack of in-house staff with reductions. In response to Mayor Johnson, Mr. Bartlam stated Roseville is not any different than anyone else and it is a policy decision as to how regulatory the City should be. He stated he sees more of a focus on internal practices in the City rather than going out to businesses. Continued October 18, 2011 Discussion ensued amongst the City Council and Mr. Bartlam regarding the State's effort to oversee and enforce the regulations, funding availability through grants versus the General Fund, and the timing and implementation discretion associated with the adoption of the plan. In response to Mayor Pro Tempore Mounce, Mr. Bartlam stated while the plan could sit on a shelf after adoption the law requires both adoption and implementation although there is discretion in the level of implementation. In response to Council Member Hansen, Mr. Bartlam stated the study will take a year to complete. In response to Council Member Hansen, City Attorney Schwabauer provided a brief overview of the fight between the City of Half Moon Bay and the State, which resulted in fines and the building of a new sewage treatment plant. Ed Miller stated he agreed with the general sentiment that the climate action plan does need to be adopted because it is the law but implementation should be at a bare minimum because of costs. C. Comments by Public on Non-Aaenda Items None. D. Adjournment No action was taken by the City Council. The meeting was adjourned at 7:40 a.m. ATTEST: Randi Johl City Clerk N AGENDA ITEM CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION TM AGENDA TITLE: Presentation on Climate Action Plans MEETING DATE: October 18, 2011 PREPARED BY: Community Development Department BACKGROUND INFORMATION: On August 18, 2010, the Lodi City Council approved the City of Lodi's participation in the Smart Valley Places Compact, a partnership among cities and other local and regional agencies and organizations from the eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley region. The purpose of this partnership was twofold: to work together to locally define and implement a regional plan for sustainable development for the San Joaquin Valley; and to pursue funding such as the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program. Those funds were offered through the Sustainable Communities Partnership, made up of the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Transportation (DOT) departments, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The funds are intended to support regional planning efforts that integrate housing, land use, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure investments in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of economic competitiveness and revitalization; social equity, inclusion, and access to opportunity; energy use and climate change; as well as public health and environmental impacts. The Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program placed a priority on partnerships such as the Smart Valley Places Compact, which was awarded $4 million in grants funds in October 2010. Each of the 14 cities within the Smart Valley Places Compact identified up to three projects each to fund in their communities through these grant funds. The cities of Lodi, Stockton and Manteca all identified the development and implementation of a Climate Action Plan as one of their projects. The Lodi General Plan, adopted in April, 2010, provides a good overview of the state laws in effect regarding climate change. Executive Order S-3-05 Executive Order S-3-05, signed on June 1, 2005, recognized California's vulnerability to climate change, noting that increasing temperatures could potentially reduce snow pack in the Sierra Nevada, which is a primary source of the State's water supply. Additionally, according to this Order, climate change could influence human health, coastal habitats, microclimates and agricultural yield. The Order set the GHG reduction targets for California: by 2010, reduce GHG emissions to 2000 levels; by 2020 reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels; by 2050 reduce GHG emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels. APPROVED: — K"onra Ma-rtlam, City Manager Presentation on Climate Action Plans October 18, 2011 Page 2 California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 Assembly Bill 32 outlines measures by which the State, its businesses and residents can reduce heat -trapping emissions from a variety of sources, including mobile sources and stationary sources such as power plants and refineries. In addition to setting a binding limit on greenhouse gas emissions, AB 32 requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and the California Climate Action Registry to jointly administer State policy specific to global warming issues. In addition, AB 32 requires CARB to institute a mandatory emissions reporting and tracking system to monitor compliance with the emissions limit. To that end, CARB adopted a scoping plan in December 2008 to guide the development of detailed regulations in accordance with AB 32. This plan includes local government targets to reduce emissions by 15 percent by 2020 over 2008 levels. GHG rules and market mechanisms adopted by CARB will take effect and are legally enforceable beginning in 2012. As a result, the plan seeks to limit GHG emissions to reduce global warming pollution by 145 million tons by 2020, or to 25 percent below forecasted emissions (reduced to 1990 levels by 2020). Senate Bill 375 Senate Bill 375 links transportation and land -use planning with the California Environmental Quality Act process to help achieve the GHG emission reduction targets set by AB 32. Regional transportation planning agencies are required to include a sustainable community strategy (SCS) in regional transportation plans. The SCS must contain a planned growth scenario that is integrated with the transportation network and policies in such a way that it is feasible to achieve AB 32 goals on a regional level. SB 375 also identifies new CEQA exemptions and streamlining for projects that are consistent with the SCS and qualify as Transportation Priority Projects. Based on these requirements, the General Plan contains several implementing actions including: Policy C -G10: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 2008 levels by 2020, to slow the negative impacts of global climate change. Policy C -P36: Prepare and adopt a comprehensive climate action plan (CAP) by 2012, with implementation beginning in 2013. The CAP will be an additional policy document for the City of Lodi, based on polices listed in Appendix A. The CAP should include the following provisions: • An inventory of citywide greenhouse gas emissions; • Emissions targets that apply at reasonable intervals through the life of the CAP; • Enforceable greenhouse gas emissions control measures; • A monitoring and reporting program to ensure targets are met; and • Mechanisms to allow for revision of the CAP, as necessary. City staff submitted a question on a statewide listserve to learn how other cities were approaching climate action plans, and their source of funding. As you see, responses vary, but there is consistency throughout State that cities must provide for some type of plan that implements the laws that have been passed. I would also add that the voters of the State weighed in on this issue this past year with the defeat of Proposition 23, which would have suspended the provisions of AB 32 until California's unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent or less for four consecutive quarters. Presentation on Climate Action Plans October 18, 2011 Page 3 ■ Tracy: Developed a CAP with General Fund dollars. ■ Turlock: Not developing a CAP, but created a Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas chapter in the most recent General Plan update. ■ West Sacramento: Developing a CAP with General Fund dollars as part of a General Plan update. ■ Delano: Planning a CAP as part of an energy grant from Southern California Edison. Delano will hire a consultant to work with a contract planner on related sustainability programs funded by the Smart Valley Places grant. ■ Roseville: Has developed a CAP, but it hasn't yet been adopted. The CAP, which would be voluntary, was funded by an air district grant with a city match of staff time. ■ Emeryville: Adopted CAP in 2008. ■ Beverly Hills: Developing CAP as part of overall, nine -goal sustainability program. Study funded by General Fund. ■ Murrietta: Adopted a CAP as part of General Plan adoption in July. The study was funded in part by Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant and redevelopment monies. ■ Glendale: Completing CAP funded by EECBG. The study addresses seven topics of sustainability. ■ Ross: Developed a CAP with General Fund dollars, partly using building permit fees. Konra artlam Community Development Director KB/jw Attachment: