Sustainability Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Sustainability Commission Tuesday, January 19, 2021 7:00 PM Telepresence Meeting: City Web Stream CALL TO ORDER Pursuant to Section 3 of Executive Order N-29-20, issued by Governor Newsom on March 17, 2020, the meeting was conducted telephonically. Chair Wickham called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. via teleconference. ROLL CALL Present: 7 - Chair Kristel Wickham Vice Chair Douglas Kunz Commissioner Stephen Joesten Commissioner Shana Padgett Commissioner Bruce Paton Commissioner Murali Srinivasan Commissioner Tonya Veitch Council Liaison – Councilmember Fong (absent) Chair Wickham, Vice Chair Kunz, and all Commissioners attended via teleconference. PRESENTATION 21-0159 PRESENTATION - Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) Decarbonization Joint Action Plan Update Aimee Bailey, Director of Decarbonization and Grid Innovation Program, and John Supp, Account Services Manager, of Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) presented an overview of SVCE’s Building Decarbonization Joint Action Plan. Ms. Bailey and Mr. Supp highlighted the key components and goal of the plan, and a strategy for implementing it. Commissioners asked clarifying questions, and SVCE staff provided answers. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final January 19, 2021 None. CONSENT CALENDAR 21-0158 Approve the Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes of December 21, 2020 Vice Chair Kunz moved, and Commissioner Paton seconded, a motion to approve the consent calendar. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5 - Chair Wickham Vice Chair Kunz Commissioner Joesten Commissioner Paton Commissioner Veitch No: 0 Abstain: 2 - Commissioner Padgett Commissioner Srinivasan Commissioners Padgett and Srinivasan abstained as they were not present at the December 21, 2020, meeting. PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 21-0192 Rank 2021 Study Issues Chair Wickham provided an overview of the ranking process for Study Issues. Commissioners asked clarifying questions regarding the process and staff provided answers. Nupur Hiremath, Environmental Programs Manager, provided an overview of the three Study Issues. Chair Wickham open the Public Hearing. No public comments were made. Chair Wickham closed the Public Hearing. Chair Wickham opened the floor to discussion of the Study Issues. Commissioners discussed the potential impacts and feasibility of each Study Issue. City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final January 19, 2021 Vice Chair Kunz moved, and Commissioner Joesten seconded a motion to recommend to City Council that Study Issue CDD 20-04 be deferred to 2022 to allow outreach on Reach Codes Phase 3 to be implemented. Staff clarified that this Study Issue would return in 2022, even if it were deferred by the Commission and by City Council. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 7 - Chair Wickham Vice Chair Kunz Commissioner Joesten Commissioner Padgett Commissioner Paton Commissioner Srinivasan Commissioner Veitch No: 0 The Commission discussed the remaining two Study Issues to be ranked. Commissioners highlighted that Study Issue ESD 17-01 has been highly ranked by the Commission in previous years and that Council has continued to rank it; however, it has not been funded. Commissioner Padgett observed that this Study Issue could have more beneficial implications from an equity perspective than Study Issue DPW 20-01. Commissioner Veitch observed that because this Study Issue has lower estimated costs and has previously been ranked by the City Council, it was higher in her ranking. The Commission expressed concerns that the staff response to Study Issue DPW 20-01 misinterprets the intent of the original Study Issue, which was to study existing fossil fuel infrastructure and develop a plan so the City is ready to transition to all-electric infrastructure as assets are upgraded. The Commission expressed concern that the staff response focused more on the electrification of end uses rather than the assessment of current fossil fuel infrastructure. The Commission also discussed that the fiscal impact of the study was likely over-estimated. Commissioner Joesten noted that Study Issue DPW 20-01 could have greater impact on future climate emissions, which elevates its priority in his ranking. Chair Wickham observed that the estimated costs associated with this Study Issue were significant and that it would be unlikely to receive funding, thereby lowering its priority in her ranking. Staff clarified that the meeting minutes noting the Commission’s concerns and City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final January 19, 2021 comments will be provided to City Council, and that a Commission representative could be nominated to speak at the City Council Study Issue workshop in February 2021. The Commission ranked the Study Issues as follows, with 1 being highest priority: Rank 1 - ESD 17-01 Eliminating the Use of Chemical Pesticides on City Owned or Leased Property Rank 2 - DPW 20-01 Reducing the City of Sunnyvale’s Fossil Fuel Infrastructure and Equipment Commissioner Paton moved, and Commissioner Joesten seconded, a motion to accept the overall Study Issue Rankings and to nominate Chair Wickham to speak on behalf of the Sustainability Commission at the City Council Study Issues workshop. The motion carried the following vote: Yes: 7 - Chair Wickham Vice Chair Kunz Commissioner Joesten Commissioner Padgett Commissioner Paton Commissioner Srinivasan Commissioner Veitch No: 0 STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES The Commission discussed ideas for potential new Study Issues. No new Study Issues were submitted. Staff reminded Commissioners that they could submit Study Issues at any time for the 2022 cycle. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Commissioner Veitch noted that the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved the first ever Sustainability Master Plan. She also noted that the Building Decarbonization Coalition has launched “The Switch is On” which will promote building electrification. Chair Wickham reminded Commissioners that there are a few events coming up: (1) City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes - Final January 19, 2021 Moffett Park Specific Plan workshop on transportation on February 1, 2021, at 4 p.m. (2) Council Strategic Planning Workshop on January 28, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and (3) Sustainability Speaker Series entitled “Carbon Neutral Portfolio; From Vision to Strategy” focused on decarbonizing schools on January 30, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. -Staff Comments Madeline Willett, Environmental Engineering Coordinator, reminded Commissioners that staff will be hosting an EV 201 event entitled “Finding the EV for Your Lifestyle” on February 20, 2021, from 11 a.m. to noon. INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS 21-0157 Updated Annual Work Plan January 2021 ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:59 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 5