City of Sunnyvale

Meeting Minutes

Sustainability Commission

Monday, April 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Online and Redwood Conference Room,

City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale,

CA 94086

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Veitch called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Redwood Conference

Room (Room 140) at City Hall.

SALUTE TO THE FLAG

Chair Veitch led the salute to the flag.

ROLL CALL

Present: 6 -

Chair Tonya Veitch

Vice Chair Jeffery Nabhan

Commissioner Cortney Jansen

Commissioner Douglas Kunz

Commissioner Richard Parenteau

Commissioner Kristina Pistone

Council Liaison - Councilmember Chang (present)

STUDY SESSION

25-0556

Climate Action Playbook: Game Plan 2028 Progress

Christina Raby, Environmental Engineering Coordinator, presented an annual

update on Climate Action Playbook Game Plan 2028 Moves scheduled for Fiscal

Year 2023/24. Commissioners asked questions and staff provided answers.

ORAL COMMUNICATIONS

None.

CONSENT CALENDAR

25-0555

Approve the Sustainability Commission Meeting Minutes of

March 17, 2025

Commissioner Parenteau moved, and Commissioner Kunz seconded, a motion to

approve the consent calendar.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Yes: 6 -

Chair Veitch

Vice Chair Nabhan

Commissioner Jansen

Commissioner Kunz

Commissioner Parenteau

Commissioner Pistone

No: 0

PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS

25-0557

Sustainability Speakers Series Proposal for FY 2025/26

The Sustainability Speaker Series Subcommittee, composed of Commissioners

Jansen and Pistone, and Vice Chair Nabhan presented the Draft Fiscal Year (FY)

2025/26 Sustainability Speaker Series Proposal. The theme for this series is “Game

Time: Sunnyvale’s Playbook for Climate Action,” and includes the following seven

proposed topics, for up to four events to be hosted in FY 2025/26:

(1) Decarbonizing Buildings: The Next Level; (2) Cool Blocks (empowering

community); (3) Resilience Hubs; (4) SMART station and solid waste reduction; (5)

Active Transportation Plan; (6) Reducing offroad emissions from landscaping;

(7)The intersection of climate change and disability rights. The Subcommittee also

presented potential speakers for each topic and potential talk titles. The

Commission discussed the pros and cons of each topic and clarified differences

between topics.

Commissioners individually ranked each topic. Staff tabulated the rankings and

provided the following ranked list of topics: (1) The intersection of climate change

and disability rights; (2) Resilience Hubs; (3) SMART Station and solid waste

reduction; (4) Decarbonizing Buildings: The Next Level; (5) Reducing off-road

emissions from landscaping; (6) Cool Blocks (empowering community); (7) Active

Transportation Plan.

Commissioner Parenteau moved, and Vice Chair Nabhan seconded, a motion to

approve the FY 2025/26 Sustainability Speaker Series topics as prioritized and

authorize staff to finalize it.

The motion carried by the following vote:

Yes: 6 -

Chair Veitch

Vice Chair Nabhan

Commissioner Jansen

Commissioner Kunz

Commissioner Parenteau

Commissioner Pistone

No: 0

STANDING ITEM: CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL STUDY ISSUES

None.

NON-AGENDA ITEMS AND COMMENTS

-Commissioner Comments

Commissioner Parenteau noted the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent

changed position on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and sewer sludge

and inquired about the disposal of sewer sludge in Sunnyvale.

Commissioner Pistone shared information about wetland solidarity and encouraged

Commissioners to participate in the New Federal Guidance on Waters of the United

States (WOTUS) public comment period.

Commissioner Jansen promoted the May 7, Livable Sunnyvale general meeting

where a topic of discussion at that meeting will be on climate action update.

Commissioner Jansen shared there is an online survey for the Las Palmas Park

Renovation.

Councilmember Chang made a suggestion on one of the Sustainability Speaker

Series topics and shared items on the upcoming City Council agenda that would be

of interest to the Sustainability Commission.

Chair Veitch thanked Environmental Services staff for hosting a successful Earth

Day event and for making it a low waste event. Chair Veitch noted that April 20 is

Earth Day.

Commissioner Parenteau recognized the Fremont Union High School Robotics

Team for winning an International Championship Robotics event that was hosted in