REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve the 2019 Sustainability Speaker Series
Report
BACKGROUND
In June 2016, City Council approved Budget Supplement No. 7 (Attachment 1), which provided $25,000 annually for five years for a total amount of $130,600 (budget is adjusted for inflation each year after the first), to create and conduct a Sustainability Speaker Series (Speaker Series). The Speaker Series is led by the Sustainability Commission, whose specific duties include advising Council on ways to drive community awareness, education and participating in best practices related to making Sunnyvale a more sustainable city. The approved budget supports two to four events each year. Staff provides logistical support for the events, such as coordinating speakers, identifying venues, and publicity and outreach for events. As specified in the Budget Supplement, City Council approves the series topics.
In March 2017, the Sustainability Commission formed an Ad Hoc Committee (hereafter referred to as the Subcommittee), comprised of Commissioners Kristel Wickham and Steven Zornetzer, to identify topics and plan the Speaker Series. In 2018, Commissioner Doug Kunz joined the Subcommittee.
The 2018 Sustainability Speaker Series (2018 Series) was approved by the City Council in October 2017 (RTC No. 17-0951) and included four events on the theme of "Climate Action," consistent with the Council Priority adopted in 2017. The 2018 Series events covered the following topics:
1. Drawdown (Chad Frischmann, Project Drawdown)
2. Hidden in Plain Bite (Katie Cantrell, Factory Farming Awareness Coalition)
3. The Power of Stuff (Annie Leonard, Greenpeace USA)
4. Home Energy-Taking Charge! (panel featuring Marianna Grossman, Minerva Ventures; Doug Kunz, Sunnyvale resident; Steve Schmidt, Home Energy Analytics; Tom Kabat, SunWork; Dave Edwards, Earth Bound Homes)
Events were held on weekday evenings between January and November 2018. All events were held in the City Council Cham...
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