HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-18-2017 Item 2, VelumFAP
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COUNCIL MEETING: " �� l 2017
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From: Eric Veium
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2017 3:25 PM
To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@siocitv.org>
Cc: Gina Mori < ; Barry Rands < ; Lauren Rueda < ;
Amy < ; Richard Schmidt < ; Ray Weymann < ; Bill
Bradlee < ; Nick Alter < ; Mladen Bandov
< ; Grant Helete < ; Savanna Cooper < ; Mary
Ciesinski < ; Jerid Anderson < ; Maia Kiley < ; Scott
Secrest < ; Frank Owen < ; Kristen Hazard
< ; Ken Haggard and Polly Cooper < ; Nancy J. Cole
< ; M Boswell < ; Sam Blakeslee < ; Christopher
Gray < ; Samson Blackwell < ; Eric Meyer
< ; John Ashbaugh < ; Bob Wolf < ; June
Cochran < ; Michael Costello < ; Scott Mann
< ; Karen Rainbolt < ; Carloni, Marcus <mcarloni@slocitv.org>
Subject: RE: Climate Action Major City Goal Work Program
Honorable Mayor and Council,
The following are comments related to the draft Climate Action Work Program as part of this afternoon's Budget and Major City Goal agenda
item.
First, we are greatly appreciative of staffs efforts to develop the Major City Goal Work Programs and their open and collaborative approach
when engaging the community. Next, we want to acknowledge that we are aware and empathetic to the city's current budget outlook.
The council with strong resident support chose Climate Action as a Major City Goal. The Mayor and our new council members ran on
platforms prioritizing SLO's leadership on climate action. And Mayor Harmon has recently articulated that SLO City should move
aggressively towards carbon neutrality.
It is our perspective that the resources committed to staffing and work program implementation should reflect the council's stated ambition to
act on climate and that of a Major City Goal. The current work program and budget proposal feels more like a "make do with what we have
approach", which is what you would do with regular city goals, but not Major City Goals.
The bottom line is that investments in climate action today will pay for themselves many times over. The capacity for action you begin with
will determine how quickly the benefits of action will multiply. Capacity generates even more capacity, whether it be through community
engagement, grants, utility savings, innovations, intended or unintended community benefit, or avoided impacts to infrastructure.
Regarding specific feedback of the proposed Climate Action Work Program and Budget:
• Most importantly, it is disappointing that the city is not looking for an external hire at a full FTE for the position of Sustainability
Coordinator. This field has become a highly specialized area of expertise and there are numerous, experienced professionals we
could attract to lead the City in this area. The right person could also update the CAP and GHG inventory in-house, avoiding
the need for external consulting expenses.
• .25 FTE for the entire Green Team (of eight) is insufficient to properly resource this effort - consider a full FTE for the Green Team.
• Leverage the expertise, creativity, and resources of the community to multiply impact by implementing the Net -Zero Carbon
Community Task Force
• Empower staff and the Net -Zero Carbon Community Task Force to prioritize the following:
1. Review existing plans and evaluate and recommend Net Zero Carbon Goal / Timeline
2. Evaluate Green Vehicle Charging Station CIP for compatibility with PG&E EV Charge Network (incentive) Program for
possible expansion and coordinate with Solar PPA RFP & implementation.
3. Evaluate delivery methods for municipal facilities audit and energy efficiency project.
4. Develop and implement SLO City Municipal Solar Plan & RFP (NEM -A, RES -BCT)
5. Develop and implement Municipal and Workplace EV Charging Infrastructure Community Plan
Develop Community Choice Energy design principles for program & econ dev business plan to provide guidance for tri -county
program design - examples already exist for us to use as models
Develop neighborhood scale home energy/water retrofit pilot program — coordinate with enhanced energy efficiency incentives.
Work with Green Team to identify upcoming projects, policies, or plans that would help achieve carbon neutrality and climate
adaptation goals.
Thank you for your consideration of our input.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Best,
Eric Veium on behalf of the cc'd SLO City Climate Action Workgroup