REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Accept the Climate Action Plan Biennial Progress Report 2018 and Find that the Action is Exempt from Environmental Review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5)
Report
SUMMARY OF COMMISSION ACTION
The Sustainability Commission considered this item on June 18, 2018.
The Sustainability Commission voted to recommend that the City Council accept the Climate Action Plan Biennial Progress Report 2018 (2018 CAP Report) and find that the action is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5). The vote was 6-0.
Staff presented the report and responded to Sustainability Commission questions about the 2016 GHG inventory, CAP implementation, and the status of actions. The Commission’s key recommendations for improving the 2018 CAP Report, included: (1) highlighting the sense of urgency to address climate change and clarifying the connection between actions and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions; and (2) providing a detailed update on the implementation status of the 128 CAP 1.0 actions.
Staff has incorporated the Commission’s feedback into revisions to the 2018 CAP Report (Attachment 2). Staff has been collecting information on the status of CAP 1.0 actions with the goal of preparing recommendations for which actions will be included in CAP 2.0; thus, a complete update regarding status is not available at this time. Staff will provide a status update on CAP 1.0 actions to the Sustainability Commission prior to or concurrent with the presentation of CAP 2.0 later this year.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Senior Center, Community Center and Department of Public Safety; and by making the agenda and report available at the Sunnyvale Public Library, the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Accept the Climate Action Plan Biennial Progress Report 2018 (Attachment 2).
2. Accept the Climate Action Plan Biennial Progress Report 2018 (Attachment 2) with changes as directed by City Council.
3. Find that the action is exempt from environmental review under CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).
4. Other action as directed by the City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternatives 1 and 3: 1) Accept the Climate Action Plan Biennial Progress Report 2018 (Attachment 2 to the report); and 3) Find that the action is exempt from environmental review under California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5).
The 2018 CAP Report meets the requirement for biennial progress reporting as directed by the CAP 1.0 Work Plan 2020, adopted by City Council in November 2014. To prioritize the concurrent development of the CAP 2.0, the 2018 CAP Report is streamlined to focus on the status of the top priorities and achievements of CAP 1.0. In addition, staff believes that the new restyled format of the 2018 CAP Report improves the readability and accessibility of the report and aligns with the CAP 1.0 priority of enhancing community awareness of sustainability topics and efforts.
Staff
Prepared by: Melody Tovar, Regulatory Programs Divisions Manager
Reviewed by: Ramana Chinnakotla, Director of Environmental Services
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Report to Sustainability Commission [18-0430, June 18, 2018] (without attachments)
2. Climate Action Plan 2018 Biennial Progress Report
3. Excerpt of Draft Minutes of the Sustainability Commission Meeting of June 18, 2018