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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-18-2016 Item 2, CooperCOUNCIL MEETING: t c) ITEM NO.: Z To: Davidson, Doug Subject: RE: Climate Change Action Plan Progress Report OCT 17 2016 From: Davidson, Doug Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 1:57 PM To: Christian, Kevin <kchristian@slocity.org> Cc: Fowler, Xzandrea <XFowler@slocity.org> Subject: FW: Climate Change Action Plan Progress Report Kevin, agenda correspondence for tomorrow's Council meeting. Thanks From: Allan Cooper [ Sent: Monday, October 17, 2016 1:48 PM To: Davidson, Doug <ddavidson@slocity.or >; Fowler, Xzandrea <XFowler@slocity.or > Subject: Climate Change Action Plan Progress Report Dear Doug and Xzandrea - I thought I had forwarded the attachment below to the City Council last Friday but I don't see it in the correspondence file. Would you please make sure the Council sees this letter before their 4:00 P.M. meeting tomorrow? Thanks! - Allan To: San Luis Obispo City Council Re: Business Item #2: 2016 Climate Action Plan Progress Report From: Allan Cooper, San Luis Obispo Date: October 14, 2016 Honorable Mayor and Council Members - I endorse the development of a San Luis Obispo Climate Action Coalition that would advocate the direct involvement of the community in CAP implementation efforts. I also support the hiring of a Sustainability Coordinator to implement CAP and energy programs. The City is balking on this latter suggestion as it will cost the City money. Addressing climate change should be our number one priority and when it comes to our number one priority, we should be "putting our money where our mouth is". The Climate Action Plan states: "While there are incentive programs to encourage projects that exceed Title 24 energy efficiency standards, they are rarely used. The City should revise these incentive programs to make them easier to apply to and more desirable." I couldn't agree more. Currently there is a mad rush to build non -Net Zero Energy (NZE) housing prior to the 2020 deadline. In order to provide time for designers, builders and developers to learn how to comply to the 2020 requirement the City should create a smooth transition by gradually ramping up the number of NZE residences each year. Per staff report, the "City's jobs -housing balance has continued at a constant of approximately 1.6:1 since 2012, when the CAP was adopted." This ratio will only get worse if we continue to grow jobs in SLO, as we are presently doing. Instead of growing our housing stock (as well as the unsustainable growth in population) in our attempt to accommodate more of our workforce, why are we not instead putting more resources behind better low -carbon, regional transit connecting our workforce to outlying communities? Our present focus on bicycling and walking obviously fails to address this problem. The 2016 RTA Short Range Transit Plan suggests that additional funding is needed to implement weekday express service on Route 9 between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles in the mid-day period, a mid-day weekday express service on Route 10 and evening service expanded on Routes 9, 10, and 12. There is no question that San Luis Obispo should be providing this funding to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The Climate Action Plan recommends the use of "native and non-invasive drought tolerant plant materials combined with conservative use of water and landscape designs that prevent run-off." I agree with this. Native species are ideal for carbon storage as they will thrive in most soils, best support local wild life, are low - maintenance, disease -resistant and will do better without greenhouse -gas -producing fertilizers and equipment. Staff states that "this measure is difficult to implement because it is unclear whether the action should be focused on municipal buildings only or on all new development." I would argue that this measure should be implemented for all new development. In addition to native drought tolerant plant materials, preference should be given to reliable and versatile star -performers for carbon sequestration already listed on San Luis Obispo's Street Tree Master List. Finally, the City should make a more concerted effort to discourage developers and arborists from removing well- established, carbon -sequestering trees in order to make room for future development. The Climate Action Plan recommends the home installation of recycled water, grey water or rainwater - harvesting systems. I am in support of this. The City is also recommending the expansion of recycled water infrastructure to encourage the use of grey water in new construction and landscape projects. A construction contract for a $96 million Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) upgrade will be awarded in 2017. 1 am proposing instead that the City use a wetland -based tertiary treatment facility - all natural, almost no energy requirement and much less costly - where our existing secondary effluent would achieve tertiary status while providing major habitat - like the City of Arcata. The Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary has a series of oxidation ponds, treatment wetlands and enhancement marshes that are used to filter sewage waste. The marshes also serve as a wildlife refuge, and are on the Pacific Flyway. The Arcata Marsh is a popular destination for birders. Despite being effectively a sewer, the series of open-air lakes do not smell, and are a popular destination for cycling and jogging. Staff recommends the creation of an incentive program to encourage the use of photovoltaic systems. Unfortunately, the City does nothing to protect photovoltaic systems from being shaded by neighbors. This problem exists not only in residential neighborhoods but also in our Downtown Core where taller buildings are being proposed (needless to say, if all buildings maintained the same low -profile height throughout the City there would be greater opportunity, not only for maintaining solar access for photovoltaic panels, but also for natural daylighting through the use of skylights). As it is, State regulations are too weak and require neighbor -to -neighbor litigation to enforce solar access. If the City is serious about these systems, it needs to adopt fair regulations to protect investments in sustainable electricity.