HomeMy WebLinkAboutcc - Page (Reach Code) 8/23/2019
Tonikian, Victoria
From:CityClerk
Sent:Friday, August 23, 2019 3:49 PM
To:Dominique Page
Cc:Betz, Ryan; Read, Chris
Subject:RE: Ban on Natural Gas?
Dear Ms. Page
Thank you for taking the time to contact the City Council on this topic. This is a policy related issue for the City
Council’s consideration that is scheduled to be heard at the regularly scheduled City Council meeting on
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September 3. Your message has been provided directly to them.
If you have any questions, please contact the Administration Department at (805) 781-7589.
Sincerely,
Victoria Tonikian
Administrative Assistant II
City Administration
City Clerk's Office
990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249
E vtonikia@slocity.org
T 805.781.7105
slocity.org
From: Dominique Page <
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2019 11:44 AM
To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org>
Subject: Ban on Natural Gas?
August 23rd, 2019.
City Council
City of San Luis Obispo, CA
RE: Proposed Ban for Natural in New Construction
Dear Mayor and Council
I am writing to express my concern with the proposed Ban on Natural Gas in the beautiful city of San Luis Obispo. As it is
proposed now, it has the potential to jeopardize the livelihood of several businesses in California. It will also create an
unprecedented increase in the cost of energy for the citizens of San Luis Obispo.
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Although our company is not based in SLO, we have a retailer member that is in your city. United Buyers Group operates
in the fireplace and barbecue industry. We count as members, over 285 stores and 47 suppliers. Our members store in
San Luis Obispo offers quality employment to 22 people. They sell and service gas fireplaces and grills. That is their main
revenue stream.
At our company, we service all of Canada and the United States. We’ve seen other cities come out with lofty plans with
regards to the air quality and Net Zero programs. One of them was Montreal, who back in 2009, banned all new
installations of wood burning fireplaces without consulting the industry. After 5 years of the ban and no reduction of the
winter smog and the level of particulates, a change was indeed needed.
After several meetings with the former administration and now, the new one, the city became inclusive and now since
2018 homeowners can choose the type of energy they want to use for heating their homes. Yet, what is now required
today is a stricter set of emissions for wood burning appliances, combined to incentives to upgrade the equipment. We
can now expect the total emissions to go lower now as more fireplaces have been replaced this past 12 months. Getting
together with the City, the utilities and the industry players, like retailers and manufacturers has created a much more
solid plan to clean up the older ‘technology’ fleet of fireplaces in the homes of Montreal.
When it comes to San Luis Obispo, we understand the city wants to use ‘sustainable’ energy. If electricity is produced
using natural gas, where is the real gain here? Although It may create a warm and fuzzy feeling at the beginning, it will
become a plan to backtrack from because homeowners will not be able to afford living in San Luis Obispo with the
increased cost of energy this plan will create. Electricity is a much more costly energy source than natural gas.
We would like to see the city do more consultations to come up with a plan that will motivate homeowners to reduce
their energy consumption levels. We would like this plan to include solar, electricity, biomass and natural gas. There are
creative minds in the industry who should be included in the process. Including local business owners like Jason Moore
from Forden’s Fireplace Shop is hugely important. I would also recommend to involve the Hearth Patio and Barbecue
Association as they have access to resources on the emissions side that will guide the thinkers.
I believe reducing emissions and energy consumption is important and it can be achieved. An inclusive approach will
lead San Luis Obispo onto this path. I am begging you to include the industry in the plan. Doing so will make it a success!
Sincerely,
Dominique Pagé | Director of Business Development
United Buyers Group® LLC
Tel : 608 448-2449 ext. 113
Fax : 608 305-1153
Mobile : 418 803-3494
E-mail : dominique@united-buyers-group.com
Web: http://united-buyers-group.com
Uniting a network of independent businesses people,
Elevating one another to achieve everyone’s full potential.
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