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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSustainability Cmte - 08-24-2015CITY OF PALM DESERT CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMITTEEE MINUTES MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015 — 2:00 P.M. ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE ROOM 73-510 FRED WARING DRIVE, PALM DESERT, CA 92260 I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Susan Rosenberg called the meeting to order at 2:01 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Present: Member Gregory Gritters Member Dennis Guinaw Member David Mourhess Member Oxana Wolfson Member Dean Gatons Chair Susan Rosenberg Also Present: Absent: Member Tommy Edwards Member Courtney Lingle Member Ralph Raya John Wohlmuth, City Manager Lauri Aylaian, Director of Community Development Mark Greenwood, Director of Public Works Tony Bagato, Principal Planner Deborah Glickman, Management Analyst Monica O'Reilly, Recording Secretary Rachel Sieberg, Youth Committee Member III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS MR. KIM FLOYD, Palm Desert, California 92260, communicated he is representing himself and the Sierra Club. He introduced the concept of Community Choice Aggregation. It enables California cities and other agencies that form a joint powers authority to provide electricity to customers within their jurisdictions. He provided a brief overview of the policy. Mr. Floyd said he could provide more information if anyone is interested. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR A. MINUTES of the Citizens' Sustainability Committee meeting of May 18, 2015. Rec: Approve as presented. MINUTES SUSTAINABI _ I Upon a motion by Member Mourhess, second by mice Chair Gatons, and a 6-0 vote of the Citizens' Sustainability Committee (AYES- Gatons, Critters, Cuinaw, Mourhess, Rosenberg, and Wolfson; NOES- None ABSENT: Edwards, Lingle, and Days; TIN: None), the Consent Calendar was approved as presented. ITEMSV. CONSENT am VI. NEW BUSINESS A. PRESENTATION of the Palm Desert Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory 201 Update, and a draft amended Environmental ustainability Flan. Mr. Tony Ragato, Principal Planner, introduced Ids.Nicole Cristo and his. [belly Clark" with Terra Nova Planning & Research, Inc. He also introduced ids. Lelsy Figueroa, an intern that has been helping him with sustainability programs during the summer. He mentioned he has been working with Ms. Criste to update the GHG Inventory, and she would present the GHG inventory update. MS. NICOLE CRI TP noted that there were two major influences in terms of the numbers found in the GHG Inventory reports 1) the GHG software and reporting methods changed since 2008 so the update is not an `apples to apples" comparison; and 2) the growth rates have slowed down since the mid-2000s, as a result, the changes that they could expect to see are not as great. With that said, ids. Cristo and Ms. Kelly presented the GHG inventory report: s. Lauri A laian, Director of Community Development, asked Ms. Criste for the percentage that the 5,000 tonnes of savings represents. . CRISTE pointed to Table 1 and went through the comparison. T t>l�- , - E. 2013 Palm De,,srt (-it ice C-C>2E Emissl<Dns GAPIanningWonica OReiliy\Sustainabitity Commit1ee\2015tM!nutes\6-14.55 min.docx MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AUGUST 24, 2015 Member Gregory Gritters inquired if CO2E emissions was measured by a per capita basis. MS. CLARK replied that when they received data from the utility companies, it was based on the account and not by number in the household. She mentioned they had done a per capita breakdown using the same method as in 2008 referencing the census in 2008 and 2013, and there was an increase of .01 per capita. Mr. Bagato indicated that in 2008 there were some buildings not registered under the City and they are today. For example, in 2008, Desert Willow was not under City accounts, it was under the operator. Due to the elimination of the Redevelopment Agency, additional buildings are now under the City. MS. CRISTE noted that there are also new facilities added since 2008, such as the Aquatic Center. Chair Rosenberg referred to the employee commute of the update and asked if it was validated that 70 percent of employees traveled in cars, 30 percent traveled in trucks, and employees traveled 25 miles round trip. MS. CRISTE replied that the breakdown is from census data. If people were truthful in their reporting, the census collects information such as how far a person goes to work. Member Dennis Guinaw inquired how all the information in the study is captured. Does the City rely on Terra Nova for the information? MS. CLARK responded that they rely on the districts and the City to provide them with the information. With no further questions, Chair Rosenberg thanked Ms. Criste and Ms. Clark for the update. B. DISCUSSION of the Palm Desert Environmental Sustainability Plan Mr. Bagato said that he and Ms. Criste reviewed the plan and made some changes. MS. CRISTE stated that the changes made were based on several things, such as programs that have changed or programs that have not been implemented. An example is the Set to Save program, which no longer exists. She said they changed the wording so it is more generic so programs could still be implemented in the future. They also made changes that are relevant to today's activities so the City could continue to be effective. Chair Rosenberg mentioned the Sustainability Plan called for a 30 percent water usage reduction by five years. She said it has been five years, and asked if water usage has been reduced by 30 percent or more. 3 GAPlanningWlonica CReilly\Sustainability Committee\2015\Minutes\8-24-15 min.dom MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AUGUST 24, 2015 Mr. Mark Greenwood, Director of Public Works, replied water usage has been reduced by 32.25 percent for the City's municipal use in the last few months. Chair Rosenberg inquired if there have been any penalties from the water district. Mr. Greenwood replied mostly no. The City has hundreds of accounts and maybe 10 accounts had penalties. He noted that the City has hundreds of miles of irrigation pipes in the ground that leak every day and get fixed every day, and a leak over one night could create penalties. Chair Rosenberg asked if the Code Department report leaks on the weekends. Mr. Bagato replied yes and informed the Committee of the flag system. At this point, the Committee went through the recommended changes of the Environmental Sustainability Plan. Chair Rosenberg referred to the University of California, Riverside (UCR) sustainable native garden project on Page 11. She asked where it is located. Mr. Greenwood remarked that there is some native landscape in the pond area and between the UCR building and California State University of San Bernardino (CSUSB) building. Chair Rosenberg inquired if the Carlos Ortega Villas will be net zero. Mr. Bagato replied that is correct. Chair Rosenberg asked if the City has an inventory of its trees, and how many trees were lost in the recent storm. Mr. Greenwood answered that there is an inventory of City trees. The City lost about 50 trees in a single project (California Villas). Chair Rosenberg asked if the trees would be replaced. Mr. John Wohlmuth, City Manager, replied that the City would not replace all of the trees but some would be replaced. Chair Rosenberg referred to the recommendation actions in the plan, and asked if they are open ended and the City would like to do at some point. Mr. Bagato replied yes. Member Guinaw referred to Page 27 of the plan, and recommended changing "low- level manual labor" to "entry-level." He also referred to Page 39; Shuttles and Taxis. He mentioned there is a significant amount of social services transportation that occurs in the valley. There are a number of vehicles from Desert Arc that pick up their clients and take them to an aggregate site for work. Angel View and a number 4 GAPlanninglMonica OR&IlylSustainability Oommittee12015\Minu1esl8-24.15 min.docx MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAI NABI LITY COMMITTEE AUGUST 24, 2015 of the assisted care facilities also have transportation programs. He said that some are designated as a Consolidated Transportation Services Agency (CTSA). CTSA is required each year to do an inventory of all the transportation services provided in the area, including social services transportation. He stated that CTSA might be able to provide information that would apply to "Shuttles and Taxis." Member Guinaw also said that the SunLine Transit Agency is the regulatory agency for taxis in the Coachella Valley. He stated if the City is going to promote alternative fuels, the City could work with them to establish incentives through the regulatory process to reduce the number of vehicles that operate primarily on gasoline or diesel. He mentioned there is a third category called transportation network companies (TNC); Lyft, Sidecar, and Uber but they are not regulated at this time. He suggested working with the regulated agencies. MS. CRISTE clarified that Member Guinaw wants to add a recommended action to specifically work with SunLine. Member Guinaw replied to work with regulated agencies or Riverside County Transportation Commission to make sure taxis and/or transportation for social services are regulated. MS. CRISTE recommended working with SunLine Transit because they do have some regulatory authority. Chair Rosenberg asked why the Shopper Hopper failed. Mr. Wohlmuth said that the Shopper Hopper did not fail. The City went to a golf cart based system, which are the yellow carts on El Paseo. Member Dean Gatons referred to Recommended Action T 8, and asked if there are incentives for College of the Desert (COD) students to ride SunLine. Mr. Bagato answered that the COD Alumni Association buys bus passes and gives them away to students that need bus transportation. He did not know if they have other incentives. Member Gatons commented that Recommended Action T 8 is being removed; however, should the City encourage the incentives. Mr. Bagato replied that the COD provide those incentives on their own. Member Gatons suggested instead of eliminating the action, he suggested working with the COD and other agencies to promote incentives. Chair Rosenberg asked who designates a "Bicycle Friendly Community?" Ms. Aylaian responded it is a national designation. The City submitted an application; however, the City was not awarded the designation. Therefore, it will be removed as one of the City's goals. 5 GAPlanning\Monica OReillylSustainability Commit1ee\2015\Minutes\B-24-15 min.docx MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AUGUST 24, 2015 Member Oxana Wolfson referred to Recommended Action T 11, and asked how traffic management is coordinated with adjacent cities. She noted that on Highway 111 the speed limit is 45 to 50 miles per hour, and have to slam on the brakes at a traffic light for a long time. She stated there is an increase of emissions when sitting at a red light. She mentioned some cities have adopted green wave, and provided a brief description of the system. Mr. Greenwood responded that Highway 111 is coordinated and explained how the system is set up. He said that Highway 111, Fred Waring Drive, and most of Monterey Avenue in Palm Desert are coordinated. He also noted there are new timing laws for bicycle and pedestrian crossing, which is causing the long red lights. Chair Rosenberg asked if the City is adding more sensors at intersections. Mr. Greenwood replied that the City is not because the City is at 100 percent. Member Wolfson referred to Recommended Action T 20, and asked if it could be changed to a longtime goal. Mr. Wohlmuth stated that the City bought a compressed natural gas (CNG) ambulance. Unfortunately, the ambulance cost $180,000 and sold the following year for $40,000. He explained that after the ambulance would make a trip to the hospital, the fire department would have to take it to get filled with gas. It was a pilot program that did not work. Mr. Bagato indicated that he could keep Recommended Action T 20 in the plan; however, he does not see new technology for emergency alternative fuel vehicles within the next five years. Chair Rosenberg asked the Committee if they were agreeable to deleting Recommended Action T 20. The Committee agreed. Member Guinaw commented that the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) has an ad in The Desert Sun that reads "thank you for saving 41 percent." Member Gatons asked what the 41 percent is based upon. He feels CVWD needs to educate people on what to look for in their statements. Member Gritters mentioned to be careful to use the last month statement as your baseline. Coachella Valley Water District's reference to the 40 percent, they are referencing the drought mandate which was 41 percent less than what the Coachella Valley used during the same time period in July 2013. Chair Rosenberg questioned if Desert Willow would be overseeding both courses this year. Mr. Wohlmuth replied that is correct. 6 GAPlanningWonica OReilly\Sustainability Committee\2015Winutes\B-24.15 min.docx MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AUGUST 24, 2015 Member Gatons moved to approve a recommendation to the City Council for approval of the amended changes to the Palm Desert Environmental Sustainability Plan. Motion was seconded by Member Gritters and carried by a 6-0 vote (AYES: Gatons, Gritters, Guinaw, Mourhess, Rosenberg, and Wolfson; NOES: None; ABSENT: Edwards, Lingle, and Raya; ABSTAIN: None). C. PRESENTATION of the draft Sustainability Education Program Series at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School. Mr. Bagato stated that Ms. Figueroa (intern) helped him establish an education/outreach program for students at Abraham Lincoln Elementary school. Ms. Figueroa shared that the educational series is a five -month program, and once a month there would be a presentation related to sustainability. She provided details of the program. Mr. Bagato commented if anyone on the Committee had any ideas or resources to include in the program, please let him know. He noted that the Palm Desert Youth Committee would be involved in the program too. Chair Rosenberg inquired if the Citizens' Sustainability Committee would be getting two new Youth Committee liaisons. Ms. Deborah Glickman, Management Analyst, responded that Ms. Sieberg would continue to attend, and at the next Youth Committee meeting they will appoint another member to attend the Sustainability meetings. Member Gritters asked why Abraham Lincoln Elementary was chosen for the educational series. Ms. Aylaian responded that the City contributes to the after school program at Abraham Lincoln Elementary, and they have an audience that is ready without disrupting the regular curriculum. VII. CONTINUED BUSINESS None VIII. OLD BUSINESS None IX. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Committee Members Comments Pertaining to single -use plastic bags, Member Gatons asked what is potentially going back to the City Council. 7 GAPlanning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee\2015VAinutes\8-24-15 min.docx MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AUGUST 24, 2015 Mr. Bagato responded that he is proposing to modify the ordinance to clarify the definition of grocery stores and retail establishments (non -grocery). He is also adding an exemption for non-profit stores. Member Gatons voiced that he recognized the need for the reduction of single -use plastic bags. However, he has always been concerned with the consistency and the confusion factor. He stated that Palm Desert is a resort town, and people visiting do not know that they need to bring their own bag. He shared that his friends stayed at a local hotel and paid the resort tax. They went to Walmart and the only bag they were offered cost 50 cents. Later he read a letter to The Desert Sun editor that at the same Walmart, they were charging 10 cents for the regular plastic bags. He reiterated that the confusion factor continues. Mr. Bagato explained that Palm Desert's ordinance would be confusing because the City exempts retailers from charging 10 cents. He mentioned that some grocery stores have introduced thicker plastic bags, and they are charging 10 or 50 cents for the thicker durable bags. He also mentioned a lot of the businesses know that they do not have to charge; however, they want to recoup their cost of the bags. Mr. Bagato informed the Committee that on October 1, 2015, the smaller grocery stores (less than 10,000 square feet) could no longer provide single -use plastic bags. Member Guinaw commented that the City of Huntington Beach rescinded the ordinance and stores are now stuck with the paper bags, which they are not getting reimbursed for. Member Gatons commended the City of Palm Desert for the realignment of Portola Avenue and Fred Waring Drive. In addition, he said it would be nice to recognize communities that are converting to desert landscape. Last, the Citizens' Sustainability Committee agreed to move the regularly scheduled meeting of November 23 to November 16 due to the Thanksgiving holiday. X. ADJOURNMENT With Committee concurrence, Chair Rosenberg adjourned the meeting at 3:30 p.m. Monica O'Reilly, Recording e retary 8 GAPlanningWlonica OReilly\Sustainability Commatee\2015\Mlnutes\8-24.15 min.docx