Sustainability Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Sustainability Commission Monday, September 21, 2015 7:00 PM West Conference Room, City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 CALL TO ORDER Chair Paton called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. in the West Conference Room. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Chair Paton led the salute to the flag. ROLL CALL Present: 6 - Chair Bruce Paton Vice Chair Amit Srivastava Commissioner Barbara Fukumoto Commissioner Brian Glazebrook Commissioner Petya Kisyova Commissioner Dan Hafeman Absent: 1 - Commissioner Gerald Glaser Commissioner Hafeman arrived at 7:03pm. Commissioner Glazebrook arrived at 7:07pm. Commissioner Glaser’s absence is excused. Council Liaison – Tara Martin Milius (present) PRESENTATION 1 15-0884 PRESENTATION - Water Mansour Nasser, Water & Sewer Systems Division Manager, provided an update on drought response activities undertaken by the City to encourage water conservation and on Sunnyvale’s progress towards achieving state-mandated conservation goals. Mansour Nasser presented the impacts of drought on water bank levels in the Hetch Hetchy system, groundwater levels in Santa Clara county, and water quality (due to high bromide levels and salinity intrusion). Since City Council adopted the District’s 30% reduction goal in May 2015, Sunnyvale’s water usage has dropped by 37% largely due to conservation efforts already in place in City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 21, 2015 the City prior to the drought (e.g., no washing of hardscapes, using a shut-off nozzle while washing cars) as well as new state-mandated actions (e.g., watering restrictions, laundering of hotel linens only upon request). PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. CONSENT CALENDAR 2 15-0882 Draft Minutes of the Sustainability Commission Meeting of August 17, 2015 This item was approved on the Consent Calendar. Yes: 5 - Chair Paton Vice Chair Srivastava Commissioner Glazebrook Commissioner Kisyova Commissioner Hafeman No: 0 Abstain: 1 - Commissioner Fukumoto PUBLIC COMMENTS Deborah Marks presented a proposal for a study issue prepared by the Sunnyvale Urban Forest Advocates (SUFA) and requested the Commission’s support on this issue. The study issue proposes a review, update, revision, and expansion of ordinances pertaining to protection of existing trees and increased planting of new trees. The study issue provides specific suggestions for strengthening existing municipal code pertaining to trees (Chapters 13.16, 19.38, and 19.94) using concepts from the Urban Forest Management Plan. STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES 3 15-0883 Proposed Study Issues The Commission discussed and revised, as needed, five study issues proposed by Commissioners and one additional study issue presented by the public. City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 21, 2015 Study Issue #1: Explore a Local Anaerobic Food Scrap Decomposition Facility for Organic Food Waste Collected in Sunnyvale, and potentially other Smart Station partner cities This study issue explores the feasibility of and funding opportunities for construction of an anaerobic digestion facility in Sunnyvale or expansion of the existing San Jose facility to process Sunnyvale’s food waste. Mark Bowers, Solid Waste & Recycling Division Manager, presented several key points to consider while examining this study issue including: a summary of the ongoing technology-neutral food waste management strategies being implemented by the City to achieve 2020 zero waste goals; factors to consider when proposing construction of an anaerobic digestion facility (including the historical context of collaborating with current SMaRT Station partners, previous discussions with San Jose, and a consideration of odors that may be released); and planned capital improvements for future management of food waste, including ongoing Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) upgrades and SMaRT station upgrades scheduled for 2023. Based on this information, the Commission deliberated on whether or not this study issue would be beneficial. Commissioner Hafeman decided to withdraw this study issue from further consideration. Study Issue #2: Green Building & Zero Net Energy Ordinance This study issues proposes to examine the creation of a Green Building and Zero Net Energy Ordinance, modeled on the City of Palo Alto’s ordinance and process, to facilitate the construction of high-performance commercial and residential buildings that have minimal environmental impact, healthy indoor environments, and a positive impact on the community. Based on the Commission’s discussion, the following revisions were made to the study issue language to: allow the City to determine whether the study should be conducted by consultants or by City staff; explicitly state that the current Green Building Ordinance does not use the California State Green Building Tools for exceeding state’s CalGreen standards; and delete text relating to the fiscal impact of the study issue (as the fiscal impact will be determined by City staff upon review of the study issue). Commissioner Kisyova moved, and Commissioner Hafeman seconded, a motion to sponsor this study issue. The motion carried by the following vote: City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 21, 2015 Yes: 6 - Chair Paton Vice Chair Srivastava Commissioner Fukumoto Commissioner Glazebrook Commissioner Kisyova Commissioner Hafeman No: 0 Study Issue #3: Transportation Demand Management Requirements For New Commercial/Industrial Development This study issue proposes to examine the potential benefits and constraints of raising requirements for transportation demand management (TDM) plans for new and existing commercial projects. Commissioner Glazebrook expressed his support for this proposed study issue and pointed out that although there are TDM targets for companies, there is no incentive for them to meet the targets. Based on the Commission’s discussion, the following revisions were made to the study issue scope to include an evaluation of: how new standards should be incorporated into existing TDM plans whenever plan updates are triggered; how the City can encourage companies that do not have TDM plans to put such plans in place; and what has worked and what has not worked for companies that already have TDM plans in place. Commissioner Fukumoto moved, and Commissioner Kisyova seconded, a motion to sponsor this study issue. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 6 - Chair Paton Vice Chair Srivastava Commissioner Fukumoto Commissioner Glazebrook Commissioner Kisyova Commissioner Hafeman No: 0 Study Issue #4: Central Sunnyvale Shuttle The study issue examines the potential costs, benefits, and constraints of using to create and maintain a shuttle service connecting major employers and major City areas (e.g., downtown) to mass transit centers. Vice Chair Srivastava proposed a collaboration between the City and local employers to provide such a shuttle service. Commissioner Glazebrook pointed out that employers may not be interested in funding a shuttle service during non-work hours or to areas that do not directly serve their employees (e.g., downtown). The Commission agreed that if the City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 21, 2015 shuttle is initiated and run by the City, employers may be more interested in supporting such a service. Based on this discussion, the objective of the study issue was revised to specify that a study is needed to assess the potential for a public/private partnership agreement to create, run, and maintain a shuttle service in Sunnyvale. Commissioner Glazebrook moved, and Vice Chair Srivastava seconded, a motion to sponsor this study issue. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 6 - Chair Paton Vice Chair Srivastava Commissioner Fukumoto Commissioner Glazebrook Commissioner Kisyova Commissioner Hafeman No: 0 Study Issue #5: Consider the Environment in All Our Actions This study issues proposes the inclusion of an analysis on environmental impact in all staff reports to Council, with the intention of more effectively integrating the Climate Action Plan (CAP) into the DNA of the City. Commissioner Glazebrook expressed support for this study issue, stating that when environmental impacts are incorporated in this manner into regular reports, there is an expectation to see such information in future reports. Based on the Commission’s discussion, the following revisions were made to the study issue language to: clarify that staff reports should identify environmental impacts that can be reported in a feasible, technical, and cost-effective manner; delete text proposing that staff develop and report on indicators, as City staff are already working on this to measure progress made towards achieving CAP goals; incorporate language to specify that this practice would relate to all staff reports but may be reported differently depending on type of report. Commissioner Fukumoto moved, and Commissioner Glazebrook, to sponsor this study issue as amended. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 6 - Chair Paton Vice Chair Srivastava Commissioner Fukumoto Commissioner Glazebrook Commissioner Kisyova Commissioner Hafeman No: 0 City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 21, 2015 Study Issue #6: Tree Ordinances The Commission agreed that this study issue had several technical details that were challenging to review, given the short amount of time available for considering this issue. Vice Chair Srivastava commented that although the study issue contained several key points that relied heavily on the Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP), he questioned whether the implementation timelines recommended in this study issue were consistent with the workplan identified in the UFMP. The Commission agreed with the general concepts identified in the study issue, but decided not to sponsor it as a study issue. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Commissioner Glazebrook announced that Joint Venture Silicon Valley had a meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 24, 2015 on coalitions to share transportation resources to overcome obstacles to using public transit. Commissioner Kisyova provided an update on Sunnyvale’s first El Camino Real (ECR) Plan Advisory Committee meeting whose goal is to propose changes to the 2007 Precise Plan for El Camino Real related to the appearance and function of ECR over time. She also announced that the Grand Boulevard Initiative, which is a collaborative effort by 11 cities and counties along ECR to advise the development along ECR, will hold a meeting on September 30, 2015 from 10:00am-12:00pm in San Carlos. Commissioner Fukumoto announced that the City has organized a Fix It, Reuse It Day on September 27, 2015 from 12:00pm-4:00pm at the Sunnyvale Public Library. The event will feature Repair Café of Mountain View, Bay Area Bike Coalition, and Zero Waste Chef. Commissioner Kisyova raised a question as to how the recommendations made at the Civic Center Planning Special Workshop on August 26, 2015 will be translated into the final plans presented to Council. Elaine Marshall stated that there is a community workshop, similar to the Boards and Commissions workshop, scheduled on October 3, 2015, and all information will be presented to City Council at the end of the year. City staff will follow-up with Kent Steffens, Assistant City Manager, to get more information on how feedback will be provided to the Boards and Commissions as well as the City Council. Commissioner Hafeman spoke about how it was evident from this workshop that if parking structures are built up or put underground, a large amount of open space becomes available, which may be valuable, given the high density of housing and other projects developing along El City of Sunnyvale Page 6 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final September 21, 2015 Camino Real. Vice Chair Srivastava brought up the general point that it would be good to know the outcome of City Council’s decisions on most of the issues that the Commission makes recommendations on. Commissioner Fukumoto noted that City staff are working hard on the Energize Sunnyvale campaign. -Staff Comments Elaine Marshall introduced Nupur Hiremath, Sustainability Coordinator, who will be taking on the staffing for the Sustainability Commission. Elaine Marshall also announced there is a first round of public meetings to introduce the community to community choice energy (CCE). The Sunnyvale meeting is scheduled for October 15, 2015 at the Sunnyvale Community Center from 6:30pm-8:00pm. There are also five other meetings scheduled around South Bay, one in each of the sponsoring communities (Mountain View, Cupertino, Santa Clara County) as well as a west valley meeting in Campbell and a south valley meeting in Gilroy. A second round of public meetings will be held later in 2015 to share the results of the technical feasibility study. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:09 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 7