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Home My WebLink About2015-11-16 CSC Regular Meeting Agenda PacketCITY OF PALM DESERT � CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEEE AGENDA I. CALL TO ORDER II. ROLL CALL MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2015 — 2:00 P.M. ADMINISTRATIVE CONFERENCE ROOM 73-510 FRED WARING DRIVE, PALM DESERT, CA 92260 III. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Any person wishing to discuss any item not otherwise on the Agenda may address the Citizens' Sustainability Committee at this point by giving his/her name and address for the record. Remarks shall be limited to a maximum of five minutes unless additional time is authorized by the Committee. Because the Brown Act does not allow the Citizens' Sustainability Committee to take action on items not on the Agenda, members will not enter into discussion with speakers but briefly respond or instead refer the matter to staff for report and recommendation at a future Citizen's Sustainability Committee meeting. This is also the time and place for any person who wishes to comment on Agenda items. It should be noted that at Citizen's Sustainability Committee discretion, these comments may be deferred until such time on the agenda as the item is discussed. Remarks shall be limited to a maximum of five minutes unless additional time is authorized by the Citizens' Sustainability Committee. Reports and documents relating to each of the following items listed on the agenda, including those received following posting/distribution, are on file in the Office of the Department of Community Development and are available for public inspection during normal business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260, telephone (760) 346-0611, Extension 484. IV. PRESENTATION A. PRESENTATION to the Citizens' Sustainability Committee by Rachel Seiberg, Youth Committee, regarding the Lincoln Elementary Party. Action: � POSTED AGENDA CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE � V. CONSENT CALENDAR Rec: Approve as presented. Action: VI. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER VII. NEW BUSINESS NOVEMBER 16, 2015 ALL MATTERS LISTED ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED BY ONE ROLL CALL VOTE. THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF THESE ITEMS UNLESS MEMBERS OF THE CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE OR AUDIENCE REQUEST ITEMS BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION AND ACTION UNDER SECTION V. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER, OF THE AGENDA. 6. MINUTES of the Citizens' Sustainability Committee meeting of August 24, 2015. A. PRESENTATION to the Citizens' Sustainability Committee by Jeremy Hutman, Regional PACE Director, regarding the CaliforniaFIRST program. Rec: Provide staff direction on the CaliforniaFIRST program. � VIII. IX. X, 1:{l � Action: CONTINUED BUSINESS NONE OLD BUSINESS NONE REPORTS AND REMARKS A. HERO Program Update — Tony Bagato B. Committee Members Comments ADJOURNMENT I hereby certify under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California, that the foregoing agenda for the Citizens' Sustainability Committee was posted on the City Hall bulletin board not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting. Dated on this 10th day of November, 2015. �� ` "�C�� `: �' -,,�` '� . Monica O'Reilly, Recording cretary Please contact the Planning Department, 73510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260, (760) 346-0611, for assistance with access to any of the agenda, materials, or participation at the meeting. G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015Wgenda\11-16-15 a.docx 2 CITY OF PALM DESERT CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMITTEEE PRELIMINARY 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 II. ROLL CALL ber Tommy Edwards ber Courtney Lingle ber Ralph Raya Member Gregory Gritters Member Dennis Guinaw Member David Mourhess Member Oxana Wolfson Member Dean Gatons Chair Susan Rosenb�rq Also Present: John Wohlrnu ,.: Lauri Aylaian; iaiiiici �gement Analyst �r��' ��ecretary ommittee Member � MR. KII�' ��,QYQ; P'��m Desert, California 92260, communicated he is representing himself ant� ;'��he„Sierra Club. He introduced the concept of Community Choice Aggregation. (t "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. Chair Susan Rosenberg called the meeting to ord�;�'�;�it 2: PRELIMINARY MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE AUGUST 24, 2015 Upon a motion by Member Mourhess, second by Vice Chair Gatons, and a 6-0 vote of the Citizens' Sustainability Committee (AYES: Gatons, Gritters, Guinaw, Mourhess, Rosenberg, and Wolfson; NOES: None; ABSENT: Edwards, Lingle, and Raya; ABSTAIN: None), the Consent Calendar was approved as presented. V. CONSENT ITEMS HELD OVER None VI. NEW BUSINESS A. PRESENTATION of the Palm Desert Greenhouse ,'iC�''as (GHG) Inventory 2013 Update, and a draft amended Environmental SuS��i'r�'�;� ��'�I�t�r Plan. ' ' iI'I��I�Illlii � ' � � i'�,, ilr�;:1 � � i � Mr. Tony Bagato, Principal Planner, introducet��111s�� Nicole CriS��,�nd Ms. Kelly Clark �;' �� ii,,, „ u� � � with Terra Nova Planning & Research, Inc H�''also introduced k11��,� Lelsy Figueroa, an intern that has been helping him with;,�, �us'tainability programs d��i�,1� the summer. He mentioned he has been working v�'i�� Ms. Criste�,,to update the �,� Inventory, and she would present the GHG Inventor'y„��'' pdate.,,,,,,��''� '��'�'"�� MS. NICOLE CRISTE noted �tt�� numbers found in the GHG��'�N�v� +i��i��,;. methods changed since 2008 s,1 and 2) the growth rates have �� ,i changes that they �Quld expect � and Ms. Kelly pr��ent��;i��e GHG there wer�'�9��t� major influences in terms of the i� report. '�� the GHG software and reporting ii� �I �� '��ii � �I��kl�,#e is not �n "apples to apples" comparison; Ned��cic�'uuri ��;�,�ce th�r,�id-2000s, as a result, the ��ee �;;�`�,,,t�i�,�;l�, 5 gre��.� With that said, Ms. Criste w� nv��N'v report. � Ms. Lauri Ayl�i�n, Director of Comri'V''�i��t� percentage th�� the 5,004 �cr�nes of saV'int � ,,� hl��li'' � n �� ;;i;� �� j� �� i��i �I' I�II��I�J�I� �� I� ��I�j�l�� li��ii� IIO �I I��ii�' i� : nl MS ��ISTE poin#��i tc� �'able � ar�c� ��t i �� , �� ? �� „��_ �� . I�' III�� Table 7 Ctt ida Emissions Summo Metric Tonnas Sector of COZE ��I�i 2008 2073 ��i i;��q. ElecAicity 228,933 226,977 ��'��, Noturol Gos 102,773 93,230 '.. Tronsportotion 228.572 232.b02 '�'�. Sotid Wasia 59.489 6/.806 Fv Riva EmLsstons 1,458 1,426 TOTAI 627,225 675,941 Development, asked Ms. Criste for the represents. rough the comparison. �8 v 2013 Com orison Perceritag�s of COsE CI ida Emissions lncrgase or 2008 2013 �ecreose 36.996 36.996 1.556 16_5% 15.19G T,.*>43 J� 36.896 37.896 3,93d7 fi 9_6'96 10_09e 2.317 9" O_29C. 0.29C, >i2 3r 70096 700% r.28n �L 201 3 Pc�lm �esert Citywide CO2E Emissions FY�IHV� Emi�sions � �. Tronspoet�oMon � 2 G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015\Minutes\8-24-15 min.docx PRELIMINARY 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 buy��I�gs not registered under the City and they are today. For example, in 2008„p��'�'ert Willow was not under City accounts, it was under the operator. Du''��;i��o the elimination of the Redevelopment Agency, additional buildings ar��nv��'1"'n� �urt,�er the City. �� I� i i�� ,,,,, MS. CRISTE noted that there are also n'�i'Iw #acilities adc�e� �,�nce 2008, such as the Aquatic Center. ,,, ,; , Chair Rosenberg referred to the er�h� was validated that 70 percent of em� in trucks, and employees traveled 25 MS. CRISTE replied that truthful in their reporting, person goes to work. Member Does the MS. CLA with the i e upd a��r�'�;w inquire� �u�� ii r on '��ra Nova � ';�, � ond�,�#��1at they ,�i i p y��,ll�'' � �,;;;� � II'�,�,� ,,; �� ,i�l� �� il i�„illy�� I ��ii �, . , ,.��tions, Chair commu#� of the update,,�,nd asked if it s tra�'�led in cars, 30 pe�cent traveled rour��' �rip. own is ��rqm census data. If people were ; collects infprmation such as how far a the in�q�mation in the study is captured. information? the districts and the City to provide them nberg thanked Ms. Criste and Ms. Clark for esert Environmental Sustainability Plan Mr. ��qato said tha and Ms. Criste reviewed the plan and made some changes. , � i�� , �, i� :,. MS. CRI�'�F��;stat�.' that the changes made were based on several things, such as programs tii��j��ve changed or programs that have not been implemented. An �,,�,�:.�: example is the''`�et 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. G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015\Minutes\8-24•15 min.docx 3 PRELIMINARY MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE if the 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 I�� , �,,;,� . �� „Il�i' , : � Mr. Bagato replied yes and informed the Committe,�;t�f th�'c�l�� I ,�� I �, ��i,, , At this point, the Committee went through ��the recomm Environmental Sustainability Plan. �,i,;lj;;i;;�� ' Chair Rosenberg referred to the ��Jr��;"versity sustainable native garden project on Pag��'��;�,1,, Sh Mr. Greenwood remarked tha,t�i��,ere is some between the UCR building ��id � lifornia (CSUSB) building. ��I;��'�, , "''��' ° ; , Chair Rosenberg inq.�ar� ��,!�ii il i� Ij�i�l� �� ii, ��'�' I Mr. Bagato repl��d that i i;'� Chair Roserr�� asked were lost in th�"�� ° cent s ees in a ��le proj�'� �, , � r Rosenberg'�s�ed if City has AUGUST 24, 2015 the weekends. system. changes of the lifornia, Ri�',��;�ide (UCR) where it is loc��ed. landscape in the pond area and University of San Bernardino net zero. of its trees, and how many trees that there is"an inventory of City trees. The City lost about ,(California Villas). would be replaced. Mr. J�h�, Wohlmuth,R City Manager, replied that the City would not replace all of the trees b��;�ome wo,�Ilc# be replaced. � ,,, � ,,��6� �� Chair Rose'r��!-�'referred to the recommendation actions in the plan, and asked if they are open �hded 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 �r their clients and take them to an aggregate site for work. Angel View and a number 4 G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015\Minutes\8-24-15 min.docx PRELIMINARY MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY 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 ,, ,�u,Kork companies (TNC); Lyft, Sidecar, and Uber but they are not regulated at this �ti' ��',�'�. He suggested working with the regulated agencies. �li�i�,' ,',�i;;,;, MS. CRISTE clarified that Member Guinaw specifically work with SunLine. Member Guinaw replied to work Transportation Commission to m services are regulated. MS. CRISTE recommende some regulatory authority. Chair Rosenberg asked why t Mr. Wohlmuth s��i t�ti� based system ��ii�h a ��;�I�;�., .' ` iii'��i Member De� �� „�atons incentives for ��p,l��e � �� ,,, � �li�� M,�� tg��'t�'��,swer�t� ,�,,�1�m away t��'!ii�t�den� �ther incentives ;;��,, Shoppe � vellow alated agencies or""''!I taxis arld„/or transpo d action to de County for social g with Sun,l,ni,ne Transit because they do have '��i� ,,� ' �� .:;��,I�;��i;�; , ' � I�� i� � , �pper "�opp�r failed �, �91�'li��'; �i�l�ll�� ;li �, '';' � ��'er did nt�t �ail. The Cit went to a olf cart i,,�iQ , p� Y 9 �ar��on EI Paseo. to Reco��mended Action T 8, and asked if there are �ert �C01�� tudents to ride SunLine. the COD Alumni Association buys bus passes and gives it need bus transportation. He did not know if they have r Gatons cQti'imented that Recommended Action T 8 is being removed; ,�, should the�C��ty encourage the incentives. M r. the COD provide those incentives on their own. "�Ii� tiC!�'i Member Gatori�'� 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. G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015\Minutes\8-24-15 min.docx 5 PRELIMINARY MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE not sE years. 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 �I�o noted there are new �� , � �� i�� timing laws for bicycle and pedestrian crossing, which is��,t��ing the long red lights. ,�„i�i,,. �� Chair Rosenberg asked if the City is adding more se,,�,��ir�'"��. intersections. �� ,,, : ''' J, , Mr. Greenwood replied that the City is not be�,��use the City i��'�'�� ,100 percent. ;��i,� i liil;�� Member Wolfson referred to Recomme,,��' Action T 20, and a��d if it could be changed to a longtime goal. �;;�;�I'''',,, ' '`��.�,,,;�Ili;��,, Mr. Wohlmuth stated that ambulance. Unfortunately, tl for $40,000. He explained tr the fire department would h� that did not work. Mr. Bagato ind however, he dt within the ne'"� �4�1 Chair Rosen �nber Gui ad in The Me', �aer Gatons a: ,�� , edu��,t��peoqle on the City boul'C w mbulance cc �t�'��' � �te'��he amb � cou ew tE AUGUST 24, 2015 � i��;,�p''�npressed natural gas (CNG) ,, '�0,000 and sold the following year ��;�, �� ould make a trip to the hospital, fill��11Y',ith gas. It was a pilot program ecor�tr��n'ded Action T 20 in the plan; for emergency alternative fuel vehicles if they were agreeable to deleting agreed. that the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) has eads "thank you for saving 41 percent." what fhe 41 percent is based upon. He feels CVWD needs to t to look for in their statements. Member "'��Ntter��;;��ji'��'htioned to be careful to use the last month statement as your baseline. Cr�,��ella 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 G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015\Minutes\8-24-15 min.docx PRELIMINARY 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) h�lp��,d him establish an education/outreach program for students at Abraham Li��fpin Elementary school. Ms. Figueroa shared that the educational series is �(;��f��Ji�-mj�anth program, and once a month there would be a presentation related to isus��inabi��t� �he provided details of the program. �� " lli) �) � �� ili i �' ii � Mr. Bagato commented if anyone on th ,;,��'��mmittee had any idea�'i��r resources to lease let him '"'��'ow. He not�d that the Pa�rr1'Desert Youth include in the program, p � � Committee would be involved in the progr'�i'i7� too. ,, �;;��'� ' Chair Rosenberg inquired if two new Youth Committee li izens' Su��l�,�b � � �ii�,�� ;III�� , ��, � , � ent ��'�� h�N�t�t, res ,, � ,� .xt Y��#�1i��Ih�n Ms. Deborah Glickman, Manag� �,�,,: continue to attend,, and at the another member��4�':�tttei�d.the Su Member G;,�ti��$ educationa� ��p�: G, �;�' Ms Ayla�an, res� A�i�a�iarn' Lif�coln �� s�'upting th'�' �'€�g , VII '' �DNTINUED BU �� Non�� ' %�;i� , '''��I�� ; ��IJ� I � VIII. OLD BU�I,�ESS ; �� i� � ��IH�� C None IX. asked whv Abra El�rn�ntary, and lar �Ur�iculum. REPORTS AND REMARKS A. Committee Members Comments lity Committee would be getting d that Ms. Sieberg would meeting they will appoint Lincoln Elementary was chosen for the ntributes to the after school program at have an audience that is ready without Pertaining to single-use plastic bags, Member Gatons asked what is potentially going back to the City Council. 7 G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015\Minutes\8-24-15 min.docx PRELIMINARY MINUTES CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE e City 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 ��, n,,editor that at the same Walmart, they were charging 10 cents for the regular plast�' �' bags. He reiterated that the confusion factor continues. ��iiu�i�� " Mr. Bagato explained that Palm Desert's ordi City exempts retailers from charging 10 ce stores have introduced thicker plastic bagst � the thicker durable bags. He also mentic�r�'��d'' do not have to charge; however, the}�',��;V�i`'�; �nt Bagato informed the Committee that on D��a (less than 10,000 square feet) could no longet Member Guinaw commentei�� i'�� i ii� �� ordinance and stores are now ��uc� reimbursed for. �.;; ��I�� ,,�,�� , li��,;�. Member Gatons ctat'�tm�'k��i�d the C Avenue and Fr;�d ��l/aring�'��rive. In communitie� ��' are conv� 1�q to c X. AUGUST 24, 2015 uld k��;,�onfusing because the ��s i; He mention�� that some grocery �'��i " ��i �� 1ti they are chargir�g ,,,, p or 50 cents for a lot of the business' ��s' know that they to recoup their cost o�,,,,��e bags. Mr. �er 1 �,�� the smaller ��ocery stores '��o�j'd��single-use plastic bags. ngton Beach rescinded the �s, which they are not getting ,,;: alm Desu�k for the realignment of Portola ion, he said it would be nice to recognize landscape. �=agreed to move the regularly scheduled ue to the Thanksgiving holiday. renc�,�i�Chair Rosenberg adjourned the meeting at 3:30 p.m. Monica O'Reilly, Recording Secretary 8 G:\Planning\Monica OReilly\Sustainability Committee�2015\Minutes\8-24•15 min.docx Last, the Citize'W�S';ii�Sust 0 CITY OF PALM DESERT � DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CITIZENS' SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE STAFF REPORT REQUEST: CONSIDERATION OF A RECOMMENDATION FOR ADOPTION OF CALIFORNIAFIRST PACE PROGRAM FOR PROPERTIES WITHIN THE CITY OF PALM DESERT SUBMITTED BY: Tony Bagato, Acting Director of Community Development DATE: November 16, 2016 CONTENTS: Attachments Recommendation Recommend that the City Council approve CaliforniaFIRST as the third Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program provider for properties within the City of Palm Desert. � Executive Summary The CaliforniaFIRST Program provides a mechanism by which residential and commercial property owners can install permanently fixed renewable energy, energy and water efficiency improvements, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure on their properties through PACE financing. Participation in the program is 100 percent voluntary, and is similar to the Ygrene Energy Fund and HERO programs that have already been approved by the City of Palm Desert. Staff is seeking a recommendation from Citizens' Sustainability Committee because the other programs (Ygrene and HERO) were approved by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) before the City of Palm Desert approved them. In this case, CVAG is not approving CaliforniaFIRST at this time. Staff believes that the community members of Palm Desert are best served by having multiple PACE programs because it allows competition that could provide lower interest rates and different services. Backqround Assembly Bill (AB) 811 was signed into law on July 21, 2008, and AB 474, effective January 1, 2010, amended Chapter 29 of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Streets & Highways Staff Report CaliforniaFlRST Program Page 2 of 3 November 16, 2015 � Code of the State of California ("Chapter 29",) and authorizes a legislative body to designate an area within which authorized public officials and free and willing property owners may enter into voluntary contractual assessments to finance the installation of distributed generation renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and/or water conservation improvements that are permanently fixed to real property. The financing for these improvements has come to be known as PACE. In April 2013, the CVAG Executive Committee directed their staff to initiate a Regional PACE program for member agencies. At the time the decision to offer a PACE program was made, the Executive Committee directed their staff to explore the option of encouraging competition by offering PACE programs provided by both Ygrene Energy Fund and the HERO program. The CVAG Executive Committee established criteria for any PACE program, at that time, only Ygrene Energy Fund was able to meet the criteria. The Ygrene Energy Fund was approved by the City of Palm Desert shortly after CVAG selected them to be the first PACE program as part of the Clean Energy Coachella Valley upgrade program that was launched in December 2013. On December 1, 2014, the CVAG Executive Committee approved an agreement with the representatives of the HERO program, and on December 11, 2014, the City of Palm Desert approved a resolution for the HERO program to allow competition between the two (2) programs. � Staff has now been approached by CaliforniaFIRST to provide another PACE program within the City of Palm Desert. If approved by the City Council, CaliforniaFIRST will be the third program in the City of Palm Desert, and will provide additional competition and financing options to the community. CaliforniaFIRST is now approved in 38 counties and 320 cities. The benefits associated with CaliforniaFIRST are detailed below: The benefits to the propertv owner include: • 100 percent voluntary. • Lower utility and water bills. • Does not affect the ability to borrow in the future and other flexible lending terms offered. • The property owner can choose to pay off the assessments at any time. • Additional PACE program in Palm Desert may produce lower borrowing cost. • Include the installation of common improvements such as solar panels, windows, HVAC and artificial turf. The benefits to the Citv include: • Increase local jobs. • An increase in property values (energy efficient homes and buildings are worth � more money). 2 Staff Report CaliforniaFIRST Program Page 3 of 3 November 16, 2015 �. • An increase in sales, payroll and property tax revenue • As in conventional assessment financing, the City is not obligated to repay the bonds or to pay any delinquent assessments levied on the participating properties. • All CaliforniaFIRST Program and assessment administration, bond issuance and bond administration functions are handled by CaliforniaFIRST. Little, if any, City staff time is needed to participate in the program. CaliforniaFIRST is a turnkey program that is administered by them. By leveraging the already successful CaliforniaFIRST Program, the City can make energy and water efficiency financing immediately available to property owners. Additional information about CaliforniaFIRST and their partnerships are provided as attachments to the staff report. Submitted By: _ � Tony Bagato, Acting Director of Community Development � � 3 � �� '\rr�' v. 11/4/15 Alameda • Alameda • Albany • Berkeley • Dublin • Emeryville • Fremont • Hayward • Livermore • Newark • Oakland • Piedmont • Pleasanton • San Leandro • Union City • Unincorporated County Butte • Chico • Unincorporated County Contre Costa • Antioch • Brentwood • Clayton • Concord • Danville • EI Cerrito • Lafayette • Martinez • Oakley • Pinole • Pittsburg • Pleasant Hill • Richmond • San Pablo • San Ramon • Walnut Creek EI Dorado • Placerville • South Lake Tahoe • Unincorporated County Fresno • Clovis • Firebaugh • Fowler • Fresno • Huron • Kerman • Kingsburg • Orange Cove • Reedley • SanJoaquin • Sanger • Selma • Unincorporated County /� CaliforniaFIRST EFFICIENCY FINANCING PARTICIPATING COUNTIES AND CITIES Humboldt • Arcata • Eureka • Unincorporated County Imperial • Unincorporated County Kern • Arvin • Bakersfield • Ridgecrest • Shafter • Taft • Wasco • Unincorporated County Kings • Hanford Los Angeles See poge 2 for the list of eligible areas in LA County Madere • Unincorporated County Marin • Belvedere • Corte Madera • Fairfax • Larkspur • Mill Valley • Novato • Ross • San Anselmo • San Rafael • Tiburon • Unincorporated County Mendocino • Fort Bragg • Point Arena • Unincorporated County Merced • Unincorporated County Monterey • Carmel-By-The-Sea • Del Rey Oaks • Gonzales • Greenfield • King City • Marina • Monterey • Pacific Grove • Salinas • Sand City • Seaside • Soledad • Unincorporated County Napa • American Canyon • Calistoga • Napa • St. Helena • Yountville • Unincorporated County Nevada • Nevada City Orenge • Aliso Viejo • Anaheim • Brea • Costa Mesa • Fountain Valley • La Habra • Laguna Beach • Lake Forest • Mission Viejo • Newport Beach • San Clemente • Santa Ana • Westminster Riverside • Beaumont Sacremento • Citrus Heights • Elk Grove • Galt • Rancho Cordova • Unincorporated County San Benito • Hollister • San Juan Bautista • Unincorp. County San Bernardino • Chino • Colton • Montclair • Rialto San Diego • Carlsbad • Chula Vista • Coronado • Del Mar • EI Cajon • Encinitas • Escondido • Imperial Beach • la Mesa • Lemon Grove • National City • Oceanside • Poway • San Diego • San Marcos • Santee • Solana Beach • Vista • Unincorp. County San Francisco • San Francisco San Joaquin • Lodi • Manteca • Stockton • Tracy San Luis Obispo • Arroyo Grande • Atascadero • EI Paso De Robles • GroverBeach • Morro Bay • San Luis Obispo • Unincorporated County * San Mateo • Atherton • Belmont • Brisbane • Burlingame • Colma • Daly City • East Palo Alto • Foster City • Half Moon Bay • Hillsborough • Menlo Park • Millbrae • Pacifica • Portola Valley • Redwood City • San Bruno • San Carlos • San Mateo • South San Francisco • Woodside • Unincorporated County Santa Clara • Campbell • Cupertino • Gilroy • Los Altos • Los Altos Hills • Los Gatos • Milpitas • Monte Sereno • Morgan Hill • Mountain View • Palo Alto • San Jose • Santa Clara • Saratoga • Sunnyvale • Unincorporated County * Santa Cruz • Capitola • Santa Cruz • Scotts Valley • Watsonville • Unincorp. County Shasta • Anderson • Unincorporated County Solano • Benicia • Dixon • Fairfield • Suisun City • Vacaville • Vallejo • Unincorporated County Sonoma • Cloverdale • Healdsburg • Petaluma • Rohnert Park • Sebastopol • Sonoma • Windsor • Unincorporated County Stanislaus • Modesto • Turlock • Waterford Sutter • Live Oak • Yuba City Tulare • Porterville • Visalia • Unincorporated County Venture • Camarillo • Fillmore • Moorpark • Ojai • Oxnard • Port Hueneme • San Buenaventura • Santa Paula • Simi Valley • Thousand Oaks • Unincorporated County Yolo • Davis • West Sacramento • Winters • Woodland • Unincorporated County * Coming Soon v. 11/n/15 /\ CaliforniaFIRST EFFICIENCY FINANCING PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY � � . . . . . . . . Agoura Hills Alhambra Arcadia Artesia Avalon Azusa Baldwin Park eell Bell Gardens Bellflower Beverly Hills Bradbury Burbank Calabasas Carson Cerritos Claremont Commerce Com pton Covina Cudahy Culver City Diamond Bar Downey . . . . . . Duarte EI Monte EI Segundo Gardena Glendale Glendora Hawaiian Gardens Hawthorne Hermosa Beach Hidden Hills Huntington Park Industry Inglewood Irwindale La Canada-Flintridge La Habra Heights La Mirada La Verne La Puente Lakewood Lancaster Lawndale Lomita Long Beach . . . . . . . . . Los Angeles Lynwood Malibu Manhattan Beach Monrovia Montebello Monterey Park Norwalk Palmdale Palos Verdes Estates Paramount Pasadena Pico Rivera Pomona Rancho Palos Verdes Redondo Beach Rolling Hills Rolling Hills Estates Rosemead San Dimas San Fernando San Gabriel San Marino Santa Clarita . . . . . . Santa Fe Springs Santa Monica Sierra Madre Signal Hill South EI Monte South Gate South Pasadena Temple City Torrance Walnut West Covina West Hollywood Westlake Village Whittier Unincorporated County * Coming Soon Help bring lower-cost power to small and medium businesses. � SolarCity and CaliforniaFIRST have joined together to empower small and medium businesses (SMBs) to go solar without the high upfront cost. Utilizing the PACE program, businesses can lease a system that produces clean solar power at a lower cost than power sourced from the grid. Utility rates can rise unpredictably, but now SMBs can secure predictable electricity rates with solar and save on energy costs from day one. Customers don't pay for their solar equipment, design or installation—only the power generated from their new solar system. What is PACE? PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) is an innovative way for commercial property owners to pay for on-site renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects. Private sources of capital provide funding for PACE, and is repaid with an assessment on a property's tax bill over a term of up to 20 years. PACE is enabled by state law. However, the law requires that, for a property owner to be able to take advantage of a PACE program, the local government in which the property is located must opt into the program. Adopt the PACE program for your community. Solar projects for SMBs have been difficult to finance because there's a gap in traditional credit evaluation. SMBs generally don't have the formal investment-grade credit ratings of large corporations, nor the commercial equivalent to the FICO scores that are often the basis of consumer financing. PACE financing, with underwriting �focused on the property as opposed to the cash position of the business, overcomes the credit rating challenge for SMBs and allows them to take advantage of solar savings. SolarCity Immediate savings on energy bills. Low, predictable rates. Financing billed as tax assessments with property. Assessment transfers with the property. No price escalation over the life of the contract. 20-year energy production guarantee. Without SolarCity With SolarCity *lllustrative example, not actual savings. � Local businesses can get lower-cost, clean energy with no Solar leasing at a glance. capitai expense required. • Zero upfront investment. How it works for the customer. � _ .....> � � BILI � .......3 � ........' � SolarCity monitors the After 20 years, the owner system to ensure can sign a new lease or have performance while the the system removed. owner saves on energy costs. The property owner SolarCity custom-designs. Through the PACE signs a SolarLease. installs and connects the program, the owner pays a solar power system to the fixed assessment along with utility grid. property taxes over the next 20 years. How much can businesses save with solar? Savings can vary greatly depending on a business' energy load, current cost of power and roof space available for solar. SolarCity offers businesses a free analysis of their energy bilis to estimate the amount of potential savings and to determine whether solar is an economically viable option for them. � What type of businesses are suitable for solar? SolarCity has identified buildings with flat rooftop space in the range of 5,000 to 50,000 square feet as the initial target market for this opportunity. Rooftops of this size can hold from 30 kilowatts to 500 kilowatts of solar panels. What if the property is being leased? A SolarLease requires an agreement from the property owner. Most property owners, however, realize the value a solar system can add to their property. Businesses in leased properties should talk to their landlord and let them know they can save on their energy bill with no capital costs. What if the owner decides to sell the property during the contract? No problem. Solar leases are line-itemed as an assessment on the property tax bill. Should a business owner choose to sell their building, they may prepay the assessment or the assessment will transfer to the new owner. SolarCity ,r E a�;E°�nF NF �RST" About SolarCity SolarCityO WASDAQ: SCTY) is America's'�1 solar energy provider. The company has disrupted the century-old energy industry by providing renewable electricity directly to homeowners, businesses and government organizations for less than they spend on utility bills. SolarCity gives customers control of their energy costs to protect them from rising rates. The company makes solar energy easy by taking care of everything from design and permitting to monitoring and maintenance. About CaliforniaFIRST CaliforniaFIRST is one of the largest PACE financing providers in California, whose founder came up with the PACE concept and was the first to implement a PACE program in the United States. � fizP ��[as;7t/aot [1.�.t�C.c�a ��B`�'r:i�J� �GECB-in�. -rw.� �.`::U' �1 'u:.oE `�11r��b(i t...--2.'v nu"�au�;rU E.r'io 4, ee�s r�„�d,r;i v_..�.;.Mlr�� c�-��i��E� ..-,MR.r FI•_ tt�9�?�iti�1;;5. N� dC S�, _,`J1- 6, tiV �d�1201i71,-; /Y/�i-,�'j'Trl.>/EC ti!17.,bdz+-. �:J 19Jh1 A 5'JH(,5!h_66J/34E1u1lS�/q[�'. Ntd tE95 57`�.,v�; pB �-91£,J4�� i�C:,6�. PA HI�FkGil��.,. R.I RC,.<,..i 1F��f�^/11. Ta TE��z%� �,G', VA E�_/ - ��.;�2'7Fs_ WA.S�LRK��'V19J�/S0� ARv'9Q�P/. Na5»u H�4v'777()�()G. G-_ =k-!�;(. $uf ;Ir 6:t„7��H, Put,ar� P�6pR1. R�cklor.d'r.-17h6 ,G-.,f3-0(7 Niec�ch_.,;or vJC� 26G9�S-H13. N Y C tt2J�1�E4-GCr=.- � VERENGO� ° , SQLAR � R�e� . /'�`� CaliforniaFIRST � EFFICIENCY FINANCING Verengo Solar Announces Partnership with CaliforniaFIRST Expands af fordable home solar financing to 40% more the number of Southern Cali fornia residents currently eligible Torrance, Ca. OCT. 8th — Verengo° Solar, Southern California's leading residential rooftop solar installer, today announced a partnership with CaliforniaFIRST that will increase by 40% the number of Southern California residents eligible for financing for home solar systems. CaliforniaFIRST is a public/ private PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) financing program administered by Renew Financial that offers homeowners affordable financing for renewable energy programs that they then repay on their property taxes. The partnership will extend financing for home solar systems to homeowners based on home equity, rather than credit scores, noted Verengo CEO Anders Dahl. "The Verengo Solar/CaliforniaFl RST PACE financing options allow Southern California homeowners without stellar credit scores to immediately start saving on their electricity bills by installing rooftop ,� solar without making up front payments;' Dahl said. "Our customers will own their solar system and be able to look forward to not only an increased home value, but also a day when their system is fully paid off and generating'free' power!" The new partnership allows homeowners to take control of their energy cost by going solar through low, fixed payments, even if they have bad credit. "The fact that more than 300 cities and counties across California, including Los Angeles and San Diego, have voted to join CaliforniaFIRST is a testimony to the popularity and simplicity of the PACE energy efficiency financing solutions," said Renew Financial CEO Cisco DeVries. "Verengo has been an industry leader in California rooftop solar since its founding in 2008 and we are delighted to be associated with Anders and his team:' To qualify, a home's total mortgage liens cannot exceed 90% of the property value (i.e. the homeowner must have 10%+ home equity). In addition, the homeowner must have paid property taxes on time for the past year, with no more than one late payment in the last three years. Homeowners are also required to have paid their mortgage on time for past 12 months, and have had no bankruptcies in the last two years. "The convenience of PACE loans gives our customers the ability to lock in lower utility rates and increase the value of their home with no out of pocket costs;' added Verengo Director of Marketing Chris Haynie. � About Verengo Verengo began installing Solar Panel Systems in 2008. Today, it is the largest Southern California-based ',�,, solar provider, with over 15,000 Photo-voltaic systems sold, designed, and installed. Verengo offers smarter, cleaner energy alternatives to power your home or business, and consistently maintains an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. For more information on Verengo, please visit us online at www.verengosolar.com About Renew Financial Renew Financial was founded in 2008 by Cisco DeVries, who originated the idea of the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing model. Endorsed by President Obama and named by Scientific American as one of the top 20 ideas that can change the world, PACE enables property owners to finance the entire cost of energy and water efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to their homes and businesses, and then repay those costs on their property tax bill. Renew Financial has a partnership with SolarCity targeted at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) utilizing PACE, and PACE is also a central component of a major White House clean energy initiative unveiled in August 2015. 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