Loading...
SC 01-19-23Sustainability Commission Agenda January 19, 2023 Page 1 SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING Final Minutes Thursday, January 19, 2023 4:00 PM Call the Meeting to Order: Chair Called meeting to order at 4:03 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Swaminathan, Poon, Weber, Padgaonkar (arrived at 4:05), Ramanathan (arrived at 4:08) Absent: none Staff: Andre D., Susan Michaels, Victoria M., Rina H., Gilee C. (No public attendees) APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1.Subject: October 20, 2022 Sustainability Commission minutes Recommended Action: Approve October 20, 2022 minutes A - Draft Minutes Commissioner Poon moved and Vice Chair Weber seconded to approve the minutes. Motion carried: Ayes: Poon, Weber, Swaminathan. Noes: None. Abstain: None. Absent: Padgaonkar, Ramanathan POSTPONEMENTS none ORAL COMMUNICATIONS none WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS Staff acknowledged email received regarding Mayor’s Water Challenge. STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS Corral’s reports: -Sustainability Commission regular and special meetings will be “in-person only,” i.e., not a hybrid format after end of February. Next regular meeting is April 20 at Community Hall, 10350 Torre. -Environmental Shredding and Recycling Event, Saturday, January 21 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at De Anza College Campus, Parking Lot A. -Corral displayed https://engagecupertino.org/memorial-park-specific-plan website and noted upcoming opportunities to participate in Revitalize Memorial Park Project: Community Survey opening on January 25; Open House at the Cupertino Senior Center on February 4, Community Webinar on February 9. -Status of the Economic Development Committee: study session was continued to a special meeting scheduled for January 25 -Staff have engaged a consultant to begin outreach on the Single Use Plastics ordinance roll out. The consultant will reach out to all food service businesses in Cupertino, beginning in May / June (mailer followed by direct outreach). -Victoria Morin reported on a grant received from SVCE for Virtual Reality engagement project (see recording for details) Minutes approved by majority vote at the March 16, 2023 Special Meeting. 07/28/23 Sustainability Commission Agenda January 19, 2023 Page 2 - NEW BUSINESS 2.Subject:Staff update on Capital Improvements Program Fiscal Year 2023 - 2028 planning process and projects related to the Climate Action Plan Recommended Action: Receive staff update and provide any input on Capital Improvements Program Fiscal Year 2023 - 2028 project priorities Andre Duurvoort gave presentation on CIP as they relate to the CAP. Susan Michael with CIP also attending to answer any questions from a Public Works perspective. Explained basics of the CIP program: -CIP projects are investments, not routine / operational projects -CAP serves to influence, justify, and / or prioritize CIP priorities and projects. -Overview of how the City prioritizes CIP in general, with Council priority projects and health and safety improvement on the top. -Gave examples of CIP projects and relation to master plans o Transportation division intending to add a Transportation Element to the Master Plan, this was influenced by the CAP 2.0 o Safety Element of the General Plan is due for an update. This should include climate adaptation elements. o CAP – Urban Forestry Master Plan is another special project that will be taken on in a near future year. -Example of the CIP status dashboard – bike lanes and transportation -Facilities: City Hall Annex, Golf Course, City Hall renovation, Memorial Park -Achieving CAP objectives will require CIP investments: Measures TR-1, TR-3, TR-4, CS-1, AR-1 Asked Commission for any feedback on these priorities – what are some CAP outcomes by 2030 we’d like to put forward related to CIP Commission questions: -Poon: how are we doing on those 2030 goals? Andre: the progress is noted in the CAP, Andre can email details to the Commission. Ongoing project to set up a dashboard to answer that question to increase visibility. -Padgaonkar: will capital investment include outside projects such as Vallco? But now understand it is the City’s own projects. (Swaminathan answered) -Swaminathan: does micromobility fall under active transportation priorities? This is great, good to see the layer of CAP over the CIP. -Padgaonkar: is there now a requirement to have an assessment from the Sustainability Commission before moving a project forward? Gilee, Swaminathan, Duurvoort, and Susan Michael provided clarification. CIP expanding to other commissions to get input on their priorities. Commission doesn’t have authority to approve or assess, but can advise Council on any projects that Council requests their input. Michael mentioned Memorial Park as an example. Go to Bike and Ped and Parks & Rec most regularly for feedback. -Chair: does staff present our input to Council? Michael, when time permits and it’s appropriate, yes. Also, if commissioners see a topic on the City Council agenda, please invite us to a Commission meeting to hear more about it. Commissioners are also welcome to show up at a Council meeting to support or otherwise comment on topics before the Council. Just identify yourself as “speaking on your own behalf” unless the whole Commission has voted to take a Sustainability Commission Agenda January 19, 2023 Page 3 position. - Padgaonkar: list of bear minimum requirements for CIP projects? Andre: Sustainability is brought in to advise on certain projects. Chair: we had been pushing for an environmental review process for CIP projects. Generally, the City has good standards. Andre: a lot of this is already contained in the municipal code, this is a preferred approach. Example: the Green Building and All-Electric Ordinance. o Brief further comments - Chair: what is more use of natural infrastructure? Andre: this is for resiliency, preparing for floods and a changing climate. Broad topic – pervious pavement, wetland protection, etc. - Poon: Golf Course, if there is a decision to remodel it to save water, would this be a CIP project? Andre: no updates yet on this. Susan: item returning to Council for February 7 tentatively. o Follow up Q regarding building code if natural space is required. Andre: could be part of a conversation broadly related to the CAP as it relates to the green infrastructure or stormwater management objective.  Chair: there is some requirement for green space. Interested in the golf course conversation. 3. Subject: Earth and Arbor Day planning Recommended Action: Receive staff update on Earth and Arbor Day plans and provide any feedback Victoria Morin, Outreach Coordinator, gave a presentation covering a review of the 2022 Festival, plans for this year’s festival. Saturday April 22. Options for the Commission table activity and the giveaways. Asked Commission to confirm their availability to table, interests for the activity and giveaways. Commission discussion: - Weber: love tabling. Talked about combo of Jeopardy plus the water / carbon food game at Day & Night Fun Fest. Loved the hands on for the carbon / water game. Good conversations popped up. Hands on, allows for conversation and discussion, may not be Jeopardy since it is less interactive. Prefer not disposable items, something like the locks would be handy and useful and encourage biking. Long term sustainability. - Padgaonkar: confusion around sorting, don’t know where to put what. Troublesome products such as shoes and cosmetics. Game about how things can be sorted. How to tell if plastic is recyclable. Share table with Weber, really enjoyed this. Liked the Jeopardy game, the shower timer was popular. Likes the plant idea giveaway. - Chair: like the sorting trash idea, is engaging. Something more than the Jeopardy game. Something to take apart, like a package with mixed materials. Don’t want to make new buttons materials, but provide reusable bags, LED lights, aerators, maybe a sticker to put on their trash can to tell them what to separate out on their bins inside or outside. Advocates for clearing drains, some info on an iPad like a slide deck. Would be good to know what all is at the festival, a cheat sheet on where to direct people. - Padgaonkar: highlights of the CAP on the iPad, what the City is doing for sustainability, what we are trying to achieve. (Swaminathan supporting, what can we achieve in one year, what’s our goals, talk about low water use lawns) - Swaminathan, Poon, Ramanathan, Weber available to table. Padgaonkar to confirm. - Chair: rely on QR codes, reduce paper usage. - Sustainability Commission Agenda January 19, 2023 Page 4 4. Subject: Staff update on City of Cupertino being recognized on the 2022 CDP Cities “A List” for climate action Recommended Action: Receive staff update Rina Horie, Sustainability Program Intern III, gave a presentation on CDP and Cupertino being selected as one of 200 cities that made the A-List. - Gave an overview of CDP, the largest environmental database in the world. - Noted increasing climate hazards, how CDP promotes reporting on response to increasing risk. - Why the City reports, alignment with Climate Emergency Declaration and goals - City’s CDP Score – “A” – big distinction, took a lot of effort. SF, SJ, Santa Cruz, Sidney, Mumbai, Toronto also made A list. - We added CAP actions and goals. Effort is worth it to drive bold climate action. CAP written with this disclosure in mind. Overview of the CAP goals and how they applied to CDP reporting. Discussion: - Ramanathan: has submitted this report herself, knows how much an effort to get an A, congrats - Swaminathan: appreciate hard efforts and following sustainability, thank you. FUTURE AGENDA SETTING Ramanathan left at 5:21 p.m. Commission discussed edits to the future agenda setting list. Commission approved the edited list as follows: FUTURE AGENDA SETTING LIST  Sustainability Grants for Students / essay contest  Discuss hosting a public workshop on carbon reduction ideas  Discuss 2023 Earth & Arbor Day event ideas  Zero Emission Vehicles discussion  Building electrification discussion  Discussion on raising awareness of sustainability among youth  Discussion on raising awareness of climate change among adults  Challenges of bringing recycled water to Cupertino Vice Chair Weber moved and Commissioner Poon seconded to approve the updated Future Agenda Setting List. The motion carried with Commissioner Ramanathan absent. Chair Swaminathan noted his new appointment to the Economic Development Committee as the Sustainability Commission representative. He reminded the Commission that Chair and Vice Chair elections will be held at the next regular meeting, scheduled for April 20. ADJOURNMENT Time: 5:25 p.m.