The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About10/05/1993, 5 - COUNCIL DISCUSSION OF REQUEST TO FORM AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TASK FORCE VIII^INIII�IIIIII� II � r ME10-5-93 ETING DATE: C� o san tins oBispo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NUMBER: r From: John Dunn, City Administrative Offic�,ri��`` Subject: Council discussion of request to form an Environmental Quality Task Force CAO RECOMMENDATION That the City Council discuss the request to form an environmental Task Force and, if desiring to pursue the matter, refer specific issues to the staff for further evaluation. DISCUSSION Background At the City Council meeting of September 14, 1993, under public comment, Carla Sanders of the Citizens Planning Alliance, Christine Peralta of ECOSLO, Richard Kransdorf of the Sierra Club, and Dr. Richard Krejsa, former Board of Supervisors member, made a collective request of the City Council, that the City Council form an Environmental Task Force. Richard Kransdorf gave the following criteria for establishing the Task Force: 1. City Council place on earliest possible agenda the formation of an Environmental Strategy Task Force. 2. Task force be given the charge of recommending specific policies which would maintain and further the environmental quality of the City of San Luis Obispo. 3. That pursuant to the previous paragraph subjects to be considered may include but not be limited to first, protecting prime agricultural lands, hillsides, creeks, and their respective ecosystems; second, protecting plants and wildlife; third, enhancing air quality; and fourth, planning a sustainable future based on environmental as well as economic criteria. 4. That the task force examine options which have proven successful in other communities; 5. That the City Council follow the informal recommendation arising from the Economic Strategy Task Force, receiving input from experts such as the Rocky Mountain Institute in integrating economic strategies with environmental protection. 6. That the membership of the Environmental Task Force be reflective of the recognized environmental community of the City. �3'-1 MEETING DATE: city of san-Lacs oBispo ITEM NUMBER: WNW COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT 7. That the City Council utilize the Environmental Task Force as a resource providing expertise no longer available through paid staff, the City no longer having the following staff. a biologist, open space planner, or energy coordinator. After the presentation, it was moved by Vice Mayor Roalman, seconded by Councilmember Settle and approved unanimously to direct staff to bring this matter back for discussion of Council, that at this point Council is not asking staff to evaluate a specific format or proposal or agenda, but by placing it on the Council agenda the Council can further discuss the matter and then appropriately direct staff. Consistent with the motion, there is no staff analysis of the request and its implications at this time. However, when considering the formation of any new advisory group, certain points need attention, which can be further discussed and clarified by the Council: 1. What does the City Council want done (what is the-prescribed task, explicitly stated)? 2. What does the Council hope to achieve in the way of a product which has not been achieved through other environmentally-oriented planning efforts (e.g. the LUE, the Open Space Element, the Bicycle Plan, etc.)? 3. How should this undertaking fit with the major City goals and other objectives which were established by Council through the budget process (attached). I'd like to give a quick thought regarding staffing for this Task Force. Given the subject matter, and the relationship. to City plans, presumably the staffing would come from the Community Development Department. As the Council is well aware, the absolute priority of the department is to wrap up these planning efforts that have been underway for the past several years and which are currently the City's highest priority. Therefore the work process of the Task Force would require the Council to give attention to priorities and time lines. ALTERNATIVE As an alternative to embarking on a new task force process at the present time, similar to the Business Coalition's economic stability workshop of last March, a day long environmental workshop can be held. Interested community members can plan and schedule the workshop according to what they feel would be most effective, but perhaps to include officials from other cities and/or staff from the Rocky Mountain Institute. A wide range of community members could to encouraged to attend and participate to enhance the exchange of ideas and information. Dec}ding upon the actual formation of a task force, however, could be deferred until next fiscal year (1994-95), when the City will update the 1993-95 Financial Plan, including our �-a I city of sa. mis OBispo MEETING DATE ITEM NUMBER: COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT goals and priorities. Such timing would allow for the completion of several existing long range planning efforts (e.g. the LUE; the Open Space Element; the Housing Element). Based on the final content of these documents, as well as on ideas generated during the environmental workshop, the Council would be in a better position to determine what, if any, 'voids" still exist in our environmental efforts and develop the task force mission accordingly. This timing would also be helpful to staff in terms of the current workload and our ability to plan for such an undertaking. JD:mc Attachment b/eytt I X5'-•3 1993-1995 GOAL SETTING Grid%rg Principles ■ Be open to change and new ideas. ■ Balance budget while maintaining most critical basic services and minimizing "overhead"and other administrative costs (emphasize change in how we do things, not in what we do). ■ Find solutions to the City's financial challenges which maintain and promote a quality community and preserve our tradition of support for social service programs. ■ Have a "continuous improvement" attitude in delivering City services, including those which are mandatory, to assure the most cost effective services possible. ■ Continue to build partnerships with other levels of government, particularly Cal Poly, Cuesta College, the County of San Luis Obispo, and the California Men's Colony. ■ Continue strong community involvement efforts, including. citizen participation through diverse task force memberships; community, forums for key issues; and enhanced use of community-based resources and volunteers. ■ Assure the public safety and preservation of neighborhood quality within the community by supporting diverse City services which prevent crime, assist neighborhood health and safety, and support our youth (e.g., Police and Fire services, youth programs and childcare, neighborhood preservation, code and zoning enforcement). R lafior t 't� .. oa s ■ Maintain City fiscal health and a balanced budget. ■ Implement a more defined/proactive Economic Stability Program. ■ Continue to aggressively pursue the development of a long range water supply, including the Nadmiento project, Salinas Dam expansion, use of reclaimed water, and the evaluation of a pipeline between the Salinas Dam and Whale Rock Reservoir. ■ Complete the update of General Plan Elements: ► Land Use Element ► Circulation Element 8 �-� Page 2 1993-95 Goal Setting ► Housing Element (including student housing) ► Open Space Element ► Noise Element ■ Adopt master calendar for completing the updating of General Plan Elements. Following completion of the update, develop a program to assure that General Plan elements are routinely reviewed and kept current. ■ After adoption of the updated General Plan Elements, prepare options for the implementation of an enhanced neighborhood protection program, based on citizen input. ■ Develop non-general fund options to support the implementation of Open Space Programs. ■ Adopt a Downtown Physical Concept Plan which promotes appropriate mixed uses in the downtown. ■ Work with the community and pursue grant funding to promote installing more trees and landscaping in various areas of the community. ■ Adopt a creek setback ordinance. ■ Adopt an agricultural zone for the City. ■ Streamline the development review process, while assuring high standards and quality projects. ■ Implement programs to achieve solid waste reduction goals established under AB 939. ■ Enhance the use of alternative transportation through the implementation of projects identified in the Circulation Element, Short Range Transit Plan, and Bicycle Plan, and pursue grant funding in support of specific projects, including rail. ■ Construct the Performing Arts Center in conjunction with Cal Poly and the Foundation for the Performing Arts. ■ Evaluate pre-hospital emergency medical care and transport services to eliminate .duplication of service, and develop an equitable formula for paramedic service cost recovery and/or consider a City operated patient transportisystem. 9 �� Page 3 1993-95 Goal Setting ty'rar Page 4 1993-95 Goal Setting ■ Implement policies which discourage the conversion of residential to office uses (Community Development). ■ Continue efforts to preserve hillside and creek areas (Community Development). ■ Develop and implement joint purchasing efforts with other agencies (Finance). ■ Increase cost recovery for "non-essential' services (Finance, others). ■ Generate higher cost recovery for appropriate existing recreation programs (Finance, Recreation). ■ Complete construction of Headquarter Fire Station Facility (Fire). ■ Implement and evaluate the Student Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP), including the potential for expanding its use throughout the City (Police). ■ Complete the analysis of the Southern Pacific Railroad Bikepath Project and identify non-General Fund funding for the project (Public Works). ■ Evaluate existing trolley program to determine if there are ways of enhancing its effectiveness as a transportation service (Public Works). The items below were designated a lower oriority, to be considered only as resources and workload permit: ■ Consider the use of an appropriately qualified organizational analyst to study specified departmental operations, depending upon need (as determined by Council) and funding availability (Administration). ■ Fully implement a geographic information system (GIS) (Community Development, Public Works, Finance). ■ Establish regular review schedule for City Council advisory bodies (City Clerk). ■ Prepare a "digest version" of the General Plan Elements (Community Development). kh\goalset 11 ��7