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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5d. Approve An Updated MOU for Sharing Central Coast Community Energy Board Seat Item 5d Department: Administration Cost Center: 1005 For Agenda of: 11/15/2022 Placement: Consent Estimated Time: N/A FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager Prepared By: Chris Read, Sustainability Manager SUBJECT: APPROVE AN UPDATED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR SHARING CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY ENERGY BOARD SEATS RECOMMENDATION 1. Approve an amendment to the Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Morro Bay for sharing Policy Board, Operations Board, and Community Advisory Committee seats on Central Coast Community Energy; and 2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the Amendment to the Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding in a form subject to approval of the City Attorney’s Office. POLICY CONTEXT 1. Ordinance 1656 (2018 Series) approved the City’s participation in Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE; originally named Monterey Bay Community Power or MBCP). 2. 2022 Legislative Action Platform Energy Section plank #6 identifies Council’s CCCE Policy Board and Operations Board positions. 3. The existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) requires Council action to make any amendments to it. DISCUSSION Background In November of 2018, the City of Morro Bay and the City of San Luis Obispo adopted ordinances and resolutions committing both cities to join Monterey Bay Community Power MBCP). On December 5, the MBCP Policy Board unanimously voted to approve the two cities’ membership. In September of 2020, MBCP officially changed its name to Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE). Page 91 of 607 Item 5d CCCE is governed by two Boards: 1) a Policy Board that meets quarterly and is comprised of elected officials, and 2) an Operations Board that meets at least eight times per year and is comprised of City Managers and County Administrative Officers. An Executive Committee, which is comprised of both Policy and Operations Board members, is delegated some authority under the Joint Use Agreement to address matters that are a combination of policy implementation and operations. CCCE also has a Community Advisory Council comprised of residents and business owners. In CCCE, counties and jurisdictions with 50,000 or more residents hold permanent Board seats. Additional Board seats are shared by multiple jurisdictions based on geography. As part of membership in 2019, the City of San Luis Obispo and the Ci ty of Morro Bay agreed to share a seat on each of the boards and to negotiate a formal agreement for sharing the Policy Board and Operations Board seat. In December of 2018, staff from the two cities drafted and negotiated an initial draft MOU. In 2019, additional cities and counties joined CCCE. Due to population and geographic proximity, the City of Paso Robles was added to the seat currently shared by San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay. Because of the addition of Paso Robles, the name change from MBCP to CCCE, and a mutual desire by all three cities for the City of San Luis Obispo to serve the 2021-22 term, the original 2019 MOU was updated and executed in December of 2020. 2022 CCCE MOU Update (Attachment A) In 2022, the City of Atascadero joined CCCE and a new Policy Board and Operations seat was created for the City of Paso Robles and City of Atascadero to share. Staff from the City of San Luis Obispo and the City of Morro Bay have drafted and negotiated a third iteration of the CCCE MOU to formalize two changes: (1) the removal of the City of Paso Robles from the formal agreement and (2) the extension of the City of San Luis Obispo’s current two-year term on the Policy Board by one additional year to serve on the Board through December 2023. City of Paso Robles staff have committed to providing a letter expressing their intent to be removed from the current MOU. Attachment A includes a placeholder for that letter, which is expected to be received after November 15, 2022. Previous Council or Advisory Body Action  November 2018 – City of San Luis Obispo joins 3CE and commits to sharing a Policy Board and Operations Board seat with the City of Morro Bay.  December 2020 – Council approves amendment to the City’s MOU with Morro Bay to include Paso Robles. Public Engagement Council and staff received public and written testimony in support of joining CCCE and sharing Board seats with the City of Morro Bay at the November 13, 2018, City Council meeting. Throughout the 2019 and 2020 Climate Action Plan Update, community members expressed support for CCCE participation. Page 92 of 607 Item 5d CONCURRENCE The City of Morro Bay and City of Paso Robles staff concurs with this report. The City of Paso Robles submitted a letter to the City sharing its agreement to be removed from the current MOU and the City of Morro Bay City Council is voting to approve the updated Memorandum of Understanding at a regularly scheduled meeting in November of 2022. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in this report, because the action does not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15378. FISCAL IMPACT Budgeted: Yes Budget Year: 2022-23 Funding Identified: Yes Fiscal Analysis: Funding Sources Total Budget Available Current Funding Request Remaining Balance Annual Ongoing Cost General Fund $0 $0 $0 $0 State Federal Fees Other: Total $ $ $ $ The only fiscal impact to participating on CCCE’s Boards come from staff time and occasional travel to Monterey County. These impacts are accounted for in City Administration’s current appropriated operating budget. ALTERNATIVES The City Council could request amendments to the MOU. Should Council request amendments, they would be provided to the City of Morro Bay for consideration and brought back to Council at a future date. ATTACHMENTS A - Updated CCCE MOU with Morro Bay Page 93 of 607 Page 94 of 607 Page 1 AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT THIS AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT is made and entered in the City of San Luis Obispo on _______________________________________, by and between the CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, a municipal corporation, hereinafter referred to as San Luis Obispo, the CITY OF MORRO BAY, a municipal corporation, hereinafter referred to as Morro Bay. WITNESSETH: WHEREAS, on December 18, 2020, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, and Paso Robles entered into an agreement to share a Central Coast Community Energy Policy Board and Operations Board seat, (the “Agreement”); and WHEREAS, the City of Atascadero joined Central Coast Community Energy in 2022 and will share a seat with the City of Paso Robles and therefore no longer shares a seat with Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo; and WHEREAS, the previous agreement for a shared seat is void by the approval of the Joint Powers Agreement whereby Paso Robles and Atascadero share a seat; and WHEREAS, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, and Paso Robles, desire to amend the Agreement to remove Paso Robles from the Agreement and to extend San Luis Obispo’s term on the Policy Board by one year, as set forth in Exhibit B attached hereto. NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises, obligations and covenants hereinafter contained, the parties hereto agree as follows: 1. Paso Robles has indicated its intent to rescind from the Agreement as reflected in the letter attached as Exhibit A; and 2. The Agreement is hereby amended to reflect Paso Robles’ recission from the Agreement as set forth in Exhibit B attached hereto, which reflects an amended and restated version of the Agreement and limits the parties to Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. Page 95 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 2 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed the day and year first written above. CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO ___________________________________ Derek Johnson, City Manager, City of San Luis Obispo CITY OF MORRO BAY _____________________________________ Scott Collins, City Manager, City of Morro Bay Page 96 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 3 EXHIBIT A PASO ROBLES’ LETTER EXPRESSING INTENT TO RESCIND FROM THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING [to be provided by the City of Paso Robles after November 15, 2022] Page 97 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 4 EXHIBIT B MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO AND CITY OF MORRO BAY REGARDING PARTICIPATION WITH CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY ENERGY This MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) is hereby made and entered into by and between the City of San Luis Obispo, a California municipal corporation and Charter City, hereinafter referred to as SAN LUIS OBISPO and the City of Morro Bay, a California municipal corporation, hereinafter referred to as MORRO BAY (SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY hereinafter individually referred to as “party” and hereinafter collectively referred to as the “parties”). A. INTRODUCTION In November 2018, SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY jointly pursued community choice energy programs for the purpose of providing choice in the electricity market, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, proving potential rate savings, supporting energy efficiency, promoting regional collaboration, and contributing to economic development. The two cities pursued participating in a community choice energy program by joining Monterey Bay Community Power, which has since changed its name to Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE). On December 5, 2018, SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY became official members of CCCE. As outlined in the CCCE Joint Powers Agreement, the agency is governed by two decision making bodies and one advisory body:  The Policy Board is comprised of elected officials and meets quarterly to make high level policy decisions.  The Operations Board is comprised of City Managers or their designees and meets approximately eight times per year to make operational decisions.  The Community Advisory Council is comprised of community members and serves in an advisory role to the Policy Board and Operations Board. Page 98 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 5 CCCE is a large agency and to ensure manageable meetings, smaller jurisdictions share seats on the Policy Board and Operations Board. Jurisdictions with 50,000 or more residents have permanent seats, while smaller jurisdictions share seats based on geographic proximity. Since SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY are smaller than 50,000 each, the two cities will share a Policy Board and Operations Board seat. On November 13, 2018, SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY City Councils voted unanimously to direct staff to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding to provide a collaborative and fair strategy for CCCE representation and to return to their respective Councils for final approval. The MOU was executed by SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY in December of 2018. On December 8, 2020, SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY City Councils voted unanimously to rescind and replace the original MOU with a new MOU to include the City of El Paso de Robles (“PASO ROBLES”) and other minor updates. That MOU was executed by SAN LUIS OBISPO, MORRO BAY, and PASO ROBLES in December of 2020. That MOU is hereby replaced by this MOU to remove PASO ROBLES from the agreement and extend SAN LUIS OBISPO’s term on the Policy Board by one year, as described below. B. PURPOSE The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding is to identify a clear framework between SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY to share governance seats on CCCE’s Policy Board, Operations Board, and Community Advisory Council. This MOU rescinds and replaces the previous December 2020 MOU between SAN LUIS OBISPO, MORRO BAY, and PASO ROBLES. It should also be noted that community collaboration and regionalism was a key value of the effort to create a local community choice energy program. This Memorandum of Understanding seeks to encourage further regional collaboration. C. SHARED SEATS 1. Policy Board – The Policy Board representative shall serve for a term of two years and shall rotate between cities (with exception of the first two, two-year terms, which shall be held by SAN LUIS OBISPO). SAN LUIS OBISPO provided the initial representative and served the first two, two-year terms from December 2018 to December 2022. Both parties Page 99 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 6 have agreed to extend SAN LUIS OBISPO’s term to serve as the Policy Board representative through December 2023, and thereafter shall transition every two years between MORRO BAY and SAN LUIS OBISPO. a. The city with the currently serving Policy Board representative shall distribute via email to both City Councils and City Managers the meeting minutes and any additional narrative deemed necessary after each Policy Board meeting to stay informed of policy, business, or other related matters. b. The Policy Board Director alternative shall be identified by the City currently holding the seat. 2. Operations Board – The Operations Board representative shall serve for a term of two years and may be one of two options: a. The City Manager for the City of the Policy Board representative; or b. A director or deputy-director level staff member as determined by the City Manager of the Policy Board representative. 3. Community Advisory Council – There shall be one Community Advisory Council member who shall serve a two-year term and be selected by the current Policy Board Member and their alternative. The pool of Community Advisory Committee applicants shall include all registered voters residing in the cities of San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay. The City currently providing the Policy Board representative shall conduct the Community Advisory Council selection process. The Community Advisory Council member does not need to be from the same city as the Policy Board member and the parties agree that the seat should rotate informally among the three cities. 4. In all cases, the elected officials, staff, or public representing the joint interests of SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY, for purposes of the CCCE, shall consider the program purposes outlined in the Central Coast Community Energy Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement: a. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions; b. Providing electric power to customers at a competitive cost; c. Carrying our programs to increase energy efficiency; Page 100 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 7 d. Stimulating and sustaining the local economy b y developing local jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency; and e. Promoting long-term rate stability and energy security and reliability for residents through local control of electric generation resources. 5. If a party fails to attend or otherwise comply with the CCCE JPA and bylaws, and if the seat becomes vacated because of such conduct, the next party shall serve in that seat. D. PROCESS SAN LUIS OBISPO City Council will appoint its respective Board Members for the two-year term by February 2019. Terms shall run for two-years starting in December and concluding in November of even- numbered years. Based on mutual agreement of the parties, SAN LUIS OBISPO will also appoint respective Board Members for the two-year term running from January 2022 through December 2024. Future term appointees shall be made by alternating City Councils in November of the year that the term concludes (e.g., SAN LUIS OBISPO in 2022, MORRO BAY in 2024). Thereafter, the rotation shall continue in two-year periods until this MOU is amended. E. PRINCIPAL CONTACTS The principal contacts for this MOU are: SAN LUIS OBISPO: Name Role: Derek Johnson, City Manager Bob Hill, City Lead MORRO BAY: Name Role: Scott Collins, City Manager, City Lead Page 101 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 8 F. COST OBLIGATION Each party to this Memorandum of Understanding shall be financially responsible for absorbing costs incurred for their own participation on the Policy Board, Operations Board, and Community Advisory Council. G. COMMENCEMENT/EXPIRATION DATE This Memorandum of Understanding is executed as of the date of last signature and is effective until the CCCE governance model changes, or SAN LUIS OBISPO or MORRO BAY withdraw from CCCE, or either party fails in good faith to resolve with the other party a conflict over a substantial issue concerning the CCCE or the parties’ performance of this MOU. As to SAN LUIS OBISPO and MORRO BAY, this MOU is effective as of December, 2018, in so far as this MOU replaces and rescinds a prior MOU similar in substance to this MOU. Prior to such termination, the party desiring to terminate this MOU shall provide the non-terminating party with written notice of its desire to terminate and the reasons therefore. Both parties agree to engage in a meet and confer process, and, in the case of termination based on a conflict over a substantial issue concerning the CCCE or the parties’ performance of this MOU, the parties shall engage with one another in good faith to resolve the conflict. If a conflict still exists after such good faith negotiations, this MOU shall terminate upon thirty (30) days final written notice. H. LIABILITIES It is understood that none of the parties to this Memorandum of Understanding is the agent of any of the other parties and none of the parties is liable for the wrongful acts, omissions or negligence of any other party to this MOU. Each party shall be responsible for its wrongful or negligent acts or omissions and those of its officials, officers, employees, and agents, howsoever caused, to the extent allowed by law, and shall be responsible for their own Commercial General Liability, Auto, Worker’s Compensation and Errors and Omissions insurance and adherence to their respective City’s policies. Each party to this Memorandum of Understanding agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the other, and their officials, officers, employees, and agents, against any liability, claim, personal injury, including death, or property damage caused by that party’s negligence or willful misconduct in their performance under this Memorandum of Understanding. Page 102 of 607 City of San Luis Obispo and City of Morro Bay Central Coast Community Energy Participation Memorandum of Understanding Page 9 I. NO ASSIGNMENT The rights and obligations of the parties to this Memorandum of Understanding may not be assigned or delegated. J. AMENDMENT This Memorandum of Understanding may not be amended or modified in any manner whatsoever except by written agreement between the parties hereto. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this agreement as of the last written date below. FOR SAN LUIS OBISPO Date: ________________ ______________________________________ Derek Johnson, City Manager, City of San Luis Obispo FOR MORRO BAY Date: ________________ ______________________________________ Scott Collins, City Manager, City of Morro Bay Page 103 of 607 Page 104 of 607