HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4.C 01/22/2018DATE: January 22, 2018
Agenda Item #4.0
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council through City Manager
FROM: Scott Duiven, Senior Planne
SUBJECT: Resolution Reaffirming the City of Petaluma's Intent to Reduce Greenhouse Gas
Emissions as Part of a Coordinated Effort through the Sonoma County Regional
Climate Protection Authority and to Adopt Local Implementation Measures as
Identified in Climate Action 2020
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution Reaffirming the City of
Petaluma's Intent to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions as Part of a Coordinated Effort through
the _Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority and to Adopt Local Implementation
Measures as Identified in Climate Action 2020.
BACKGROUND
The Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) developed the Climate Action 2020 and
Beyond Plan (CA2020 Plan) over the course of several years, with input from all local city
councils, the Board of Supervisors, local government staff, expert consultants, community
sustainability leaders, and hundreds of members of the public. It put forth a comprehensive
framework for coordinated action on climate change including updated, long -term greenhouse
gas reduction targets, broad policy goals to guide work to reduce GHGs and prepare for local
climate impacts, and reduction measures customized to each RCPA Member Jurisdiction.
The Environmental Impact Report developed along with the CA2020 Plan was intended as a tool
to ensure that GHG reduction measures do not create adverse environmental impacts such as
habitat loss or noise, and to make future implementation of those measures easier for local
government and by private project developers. The pursuit of this strategy for compliance with
the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), however, opened the CA2020 Plan to a
successful legal challenge related to CEQA procedures.
The litigation against the RCPA stalled and ultimately stopped local jurisdictions' efforts to
adopt the climate action plan, despite the work each jurisdiction, including Petaluma, put in to
ensure the CA2020 Plan matched local priorities.
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DISCUSSION
The CA2020 Plan, while no longer enforceable as a CEQA tool, can still serve as an advisory
resource to coordinate countywide climate protection efforts. The ideas contained in the plan — to
advance smart land use, resource efficiency, carbon free electricity, fuel switching, etc. — are still
good and valid, and aligned with the climate action strategies articulated in the State Scoping
Plan established to achieve the goals of AB 32 and SB 32.
To create more clear direction as regards climate action on an ongoing basis, the City Council
may consider adoption of the attached Resolution to officially update GHG reduction targets and
policy goals to reduce GHGs and prepare for local climate impacts. This resolution, similar to
one recently adopted by the RCPA, would achieve similar policy impetus behind climate action
as would have the CA2020 Plan, but without the CEQA elements challenged in the litigation.
The RCPA provided a model resolution for use by each member jurisdiction, as a tool to
formalize updated commitments to the countywide collaboration on climate action, to update
long term policy goals, and to consider pursuing the implementation of measures each
jurisdiction had previously identified as good local opportunities. Taking this policy action at a
city and county level will help create countywide consistency and clear guidance for RCPA and
jurisdiction staff about coordinated implementation.,
Even without a valid EIR, Petaluma can still implement the measures in the plan if CEQA
review is conducted on the individual measures, or a finding is made that the measures are
exempt as included in the attached resolution. In addition, the majority of the measures included
in the the CA2020 Plan are already consistent with adopted policies and programs included in
the Petaluma General Plan 2025. Examples of measures currently underway or recently
completed include joining Sonoma Clean Power, making PACE financing available to property
owners, replacing the City's high pressure sodium bulb and ballast streetlights with energy-
saving LED bulbs, installing cool roofs on City -owned buildings, and upgrading the waste water
treatment plant to produce natural gas to power the garbage hauling fleet.
In addition to pursuing the proposed policy action, Petaluma may consider the following next
steps:
• Evaluate updated approaches to GHG thresholds under CEQA. While the Plan
cannot be used as a tool for making significance determinations for CEQA reviews of
projects, the measures can be implemented. The Bay Area Air Quality Management
District is beginning a process to update guidance for addressing GHGs under CEQA.
Petaluma staff will follow this process and see how local thresholds may evolve.
• Maintain a focus on implementation. With the enactment of SB 32, the State now has a
2030 target that can become the focus of GHG planning. The long term targets warrant
increasingly deep reductions in GHG emissions, and for a scaling up in efforts. The City
of Petaluma in partnership with the RCPA will continue to explore funding and financing
that help implement measures from the plan.
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Integration of climate action priorities within the General Plan. Petaluma has already
adopted climate policies in the General Plan 2025. A future update of the General Plan
could include strategies from Climate Action 2020 and Beyond.
Petaluma remains committed to minimizing the loss of momentum on climate action progress in
Sonoma County.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
None associated with the recommended action.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Resolution
® Items listed below are large in volume and are not attached to this report, but may be viewed in the
City Clerk's office or online at https: / /repa.ca.gov /projects /climate - action -2020/ .
• Climate Action 2020 and Beyond (July 2016)
ATTACHMENT I
RESOLUTION REAFFIRMING THE CITY OF PETALUMA'S INTENT TO REDUCE
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AS PART OF A COORDINATED EFFORT
THROUGH THE SONOMA COUNTY REGIONAL CLIMATE PROTECTION
AUTHORITY AND TO ADOPT LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES AS
IDENTIFIED IN CLIMATE ACTION 2020
WHEREAS, climate change is a real and increasingly urgent threat that demands action at every
level of government; and
WHEREAS, actions taken by local governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs)
provide multiple benefits by providing energy and cost savings, air quality and public health
improvements, local job creation, resource conservation, climate resilience, and enhanced equity;
and
WHEREAS, the State of California has adopted policy targets to reduce GHGs by 40% from
1990 levels by 2030 and by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050; and
WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma has taken a number of actions in support of addressing
climate change, including joining Sonoma Clean Power, making PACE financing available to
property owners, and implementing energy- saving projects; and
WHEREAS, the City of Petaluma participates in a coordinated, countywide collaboration to
address climate change via the Sonoma County Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA);
and
WHEREAS, the success of the RCPA depends on the participation of and collaboration with all
local jurisdictions, and a commitment to pool resources towards common goals; and
WHEREAS, the RCPA has adopted the same GHG reduction targets as the State of California;
and
WHEREAS, the RCPA has established twenty goals to reduce GHG emissions and nine goals to
prepare for local climate impacts; and
WHEREAS, the RCPA and the City of Petaluma collaborated through the Climate Action 2020
project to develop Measures specific to Petaluma that will result in the reduction of GHG and
result in substantial environmental and community benefits.
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NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Petaluma agrees to work towards
the RCPA's countywide target to reduce GHG emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and
80% below 1990 levels by 2050; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Petaluma adopts the following goals to reduce
GHG emissions, and will pursue local actions that support these goals:
1. Increase building energy efficiency
2. Increase renewable energy use
3. Switch equipment from fossil fuel to electricity
4. Reduce travel demand through focused growth
5. Encourage a shift toward low- carbon transportation options
6. Increase vehicle and equipment fuel efficiency
7. Encourage a shift toward low - carbon fuels in vehicles and equipment
8. Reduce idling
9. Increase solid waste diversion
10. Increase capture and use of methane from landfills
11. Reduce water consumption
12. Increase recycled water and greywater use
13. Increase water and waste -water infrastructure efficiency
14. Increase use of renewable energy in water and wastewater systems
15. Reduce emissions from livestock operations
16. Reduce emissions from fertilizer use
17. Protect and enhance the value of open and working lands
18. Promote sustainable agriculture
19. Increase carbon sequestration
20. Reduce emissions from the consumption of goods and services; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Petaluma will continue to work to increase the
health and resilience of social, natural, and built resources to withstand the impacts of climate
change; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Petaluma has the goal of increasing resilience
by pursuing local actions that support the following goals:
1. Promote healthy, safe communities
2. Protect water resources
3. Promote as sustainable, climate - resilient economy
4. Mainstream the use of climate projections
5. Manage natural buffer zones around community resources
6. Promote agricultural preparedness and food security
7. Protect infrastructure
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8. Increase emergency preparedness and prevention
9. Monitor climate change and its effects.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Petaluma will support these goals through its
own actions and through collaboration with other local governments through the efforts of the
Regional Climate Protection Authority; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Petaluma intends to implement its local
measures from the Climate Action 2020 planning project; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the adoption and implementation of the climate
protection measures developed for the City of Petaluma in Climate Action 2020 are categorially
exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15308 of Title 14 of the California Code
of Regulations, because these measures constitute actions taken by a regulatory agency, as
authorized by state or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or
protection of the environment.
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