Sustainability Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes Sustainability Commission Monday, May 15, 2023 7:00 PM Online and Bay Conference Room (Room 145), City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 CALL TO ORDER Chair Wickham called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. in the Bay Conference Room (Room 145) at City Hall. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Chair Wickham led the salute to the flag. ROLL CALL Present: 5 - Chair Kristel Wickham Vice Chair Douglas Kunz Commissioner Kathryn Besser Commissioner Jeffery Nabhan Commissioner Kristina Pistone Absent: 1 - Commissioner Tonya Veitch Commissioner Besser arrived at 7:03 p.m. Commissioner Veitch's absence was excused by general consent. Council Liaison - Councilmember Sell (present) Chair Wickham announced that Commissioner Wang resigned from the Sustainability Commission. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT CALENDAR City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes May 15, 2023 1 23-0583 Approve the Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes of April 17, 2023 Commissioner Besser moved, and Vice Chair Kunz seconded, a motion to approve the consent calendar. Yes: 4 - Chair Wickham Vice Chair Kunz Commissioner Besser Commissioner Pistone No: 0 Absent: 1 - Commissioner Veitch Abstain: 1 - Commissioner Nabhan PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 2 23-0584 Annual Review of City Manager’s Recommended Budget Full budget available online at: Sunnyvale.ca.gov/your-government/governance/city-budget Staff addressed comments and questions from the Commissioners on the City Manager’s FY 2023/24 Recommended Budget (Recommended Budget), highlighting funding available for projects and positions related to sustainability programs. The Commission discussed the Recommended Budget and asked clarification questions of staff. Chair Wickham opened the Public Hearing at 8:13 p.m. Daniel Benusorich voiced concern regarding affordable housing and asked the Commission to recommend allocating more funding toward affordable housing in Sunnyvale. Councilmember Sell responded with locations for future affordable housing units in Sunnyvale and mentioned she is available to meet to discuss further how to prepare for the future. Chair Wickham closed the Public Hearing at 8:18 p.m. MOTION: Vice Chair Kunz moved, and Commissioner Nabhan seconded, a motion to provide the following recommendations on the City Manager’s Recommended City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes May 15, 2023 Budget for FY 2023/24 to City Council, and to nominate Chair Wickham to convey these recommendations to City Council verbally and in writing: (1) Support Budget Supplement No. 1, specifically the funding of ESD 23-01, ESD 17-01, and DPW 22-04 (2) Given the City’s priority of Accelerating Climate Action, continue to evaluate whether Project 824780 – Upgrading of Fuel Stations, utilizes the most appropriate strategy. Fuel needs assessments should consider: a. Fleet electrification, especially with the CARB Advanced Clean Fleets ruling b. The costs of maintaining this asset while electrifying, then the cost decommissioning this asset prior to the end of its useful life c. Alternative methods of fueling while the fleet is transitioning to all-electric, such as Mobile Fueling FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Chair Wickham introduced a friendly amendment to add the following recommendations: (1) Projects involving maintenance and repairs should commit to all-electric replacements. For example: a. Projects to install or replace emergency generators, when solar and battery back-up is feasible: 833210, 833370, 830910, 829140, and 830580 b. Proactively transition equipment to all-electric for projects that will be impacted by BAAQMD Rules 9-4 and 9-6: 835510, 818600, 825850, 828400, 829190, 832800 (2) Support Projects that implement improvements identified in the Active Transportation Plan. For example, support funding Project 836200, as opposed to potentially defunding it as proposed in Budget Supplement No. 2, Exhibit A, Item 2A.4. FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Commissioner Besser introduced a friendly amendment to add the following recommendation and order it as recommendation number two: (1) Support projects that result in an increase in the net number of trees in the City to further the City’s Climate Action Playbook Move 4.F: Implement the Urban Forest Management Plan. Specifically, Budget Supplements 1 (DPW 22-04) and 3, Project 835400, and Project 832750 FRIENDLY AMENDMENT: Commissioner Pistone introduced a friendly amendment City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes May 15, 2023 to modify recommendation number one to the following: (1) Support Budget Supplement No. 1, specifically the funding of ESD 23-01 and ESD 17-01 Vice Chair Kunz and Commissioner Nabhan accepted the friendly amendments, agreeing to the amended recommendation as follows: (1) Support Budget Supplement No. 1, specifically the funding of ESD 23-01 and ESD 17-01 (2) Support projects that result in an increase in the net number of trees in the City to further the City’s Climate Action Playbook Move 4.F: Implement the Urban Forest Management Plan. Specifically, Budget Supplements No. 1 (DPW 22-04) and No. 3, Project 835400, and Project 832750 (3) Given the City’s priority of Accelerating Climate Action, continue to evaluate whether Project 824780 – Upgrading of Fuel Stations, utilizes the most appropriate strategy. Fuel needs assessments should consider: a. Fleet electrification, especially with the CARB Advanced Clean Fleets ruling b. The costs of maintaining this asset while electrifying, then the cost decommissioning this asset prior to the end of its useful life c. Alternative methods of fueling while the fleet is transitioning to all-electric, such as mobile fueling (4) Projects involving maintenance and repairs should commit to all-electric replacements. For example: a. Projects to install or replace emergency generators, when solar and battery back-up is feasible: 833210, 833370, 830910, 829140, and 830580 b. Proactively transition equipment to all-electric for projects that will be impacted by BAAQMD Rules 9-4 and 9-6: 835510, 818600, 825850, 828400, 829190, 832800 (5) Support Projects that implement improvements identified in the Active Transportation Plan. For example, support funding Project 836200, as opposed to potentially defunding it as proposed in Budget Supplement No. 2, Exhibit A, Item 2A.4. The motion as amended carried with the following vote: City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes May 15, 2023 Yes: 5 - Chair Wickham Vice Chair Kunz Commissioner Besser Commissioner Nabhan Commissioner Pistone No: 0 Absent: 1 - Commissioner Veitch STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES No new Study Issues were submitted. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments Vice Chair Kunz shared that there is a forum regarding transportation for high school youth happening on Saturday, May 20, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Columbia Middle School Multipurpose Room. Commissioner Nabhan shared the County of Santa Clara is creating an 11-member Sustainability Commission. There are nine open seats available for adults over the age of 22, and two seats open for youth 14-22. Applications are on the County of Santa Clara's website now. Chair Wickham mentioned last month was Earth Month and there were several successful events in Atherton and Cupertino. All five high schools in the Fremont Unified School District sponsored an Earth Day event at their school. Chair Wickham thanked staff for attending and speaking at Homestead High School and Fremont High School. -Staff Comments Christina Raby, Environmental Engineering Coordinator, reported over 250 electric vehicle (EV) test drives happened at Sunnyvale’s EV Ride & Drive event on April 29 and reminded Commissioners of upcoming events. She noted that the next Sustainability Commission Meeting is scheduled to be in the Bay Conference Room (Room 145) in City Hall on June 19. Madeline Khair, Environmental Programs Manager, reminded Commissioners that the City Council budget workshop is on Thursday, May 18. She also mentioned that vacant Commissioner interviews occurred, and the City Council will be making City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes May 15, 2023 decisions on filling vacancies for Commissions with current vacancies on May 18. Ms. Khair also reported that staff saw more survey responses expressing readiness to purchase an EV at the April EV Ride & Drive event than at any other event. Councilmember Sell voiced her appreciation for the meeting and the thorough budget recommendations from the Commission that will be presented to the City Council in June. INFORMATION ONLY REPORTS/ITEMS 23-0585 Updated Annual Work Plan May 2023 ADJOURNMENT Chair Wickham adjourned meeting at 10:14 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 6