HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/15/2022 13. Sustainability Committee Discussion t.tin •
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 13.
For Meeting of: February 15, 2022
ITEM TITLE: Sustainability Committee Discussion
SUBMITTED BY: Matthew"Selby", Interim Assistant City Manager
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
See attached memo regarding Sustainability& Climate Change Committee.
ITEM BUDGETED: No
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: NA
APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION:
Hold a study session to discuss the scope and membership of a Sustainability Committee as well
as the mission, the areas in which reporting is required, how frequently, and to whom.
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date Type
D Sustainability Committee Memo 1/14/2022 Corer Memo
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MEMORANDUM
To: Bob Harrison, City Manager
From: Matthew "Selby", Interim Assistant City Manager
Date: December 2, 2021
RE: Sustainability and Climate Change Committee
At its October 19, 2021 meeting, the Yakima City Council passed a motion to "direct staff to
plan a new City board to provide recommendations to Council and administration on ways to
improve the City's sustainability and the adverse effects of climate change."
Sustainability and Climate Change:
Sustainability and climate change are at the forefront of concerns for many municipalities and
the citizens that live in them, Yakima included.
On June 6, 2017, Resolution No. R-2017-071 adopted the 2040 Yakima Comprehensive Plan.
The comprehensive plan includes Goal 2.7 Resource Protection & Sustainable Design, Reinforce
and Enhance Yakima's Environmental Stewardship. While climate change is not specifically
addressed in the document, the issue of sustainability certainly is. The Natural Environment
section of the comprehensive plan includes goals to protect water resources, air quality, and
wildlife habitat, all tenets of sustainability.
On May 18, 2021,the Yakima City Council adopted Resolution No. R-2021-067 endorsing the
Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, a federal policy that will help reduce the country's
carbon pollution by 50% by 2030, putting the United States on track to reach net zero by 2050.
On June 1, the Yakima City Council adopted Resolution No. R-2021-080 supporting the Fossil
Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and committing the City to take a SAFE Cities climate change
stand. In this resolution,the City Council declared that a climate and ecological emergency
threatens the City, and resolved to address climate change issues through future policies and
legislation.
Washington Municipal Models:
Staff reached out to Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC) for
assistance in understanding which Washington municipalities have created boards or
committees to provide recommendations on ways to improve their sustainability efforts and
adverse effects of climate change. MRSC Legal Consultant Linda Gallagher provided examples of
city resources for sustainability in Washington.
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• The City of Bainbridge Island created a Climate Change Advisory Committee in 2017.
Ordinance No. 2017-13 created a new Chapter 2.37 of the Bainbridge Island Municipal
Code establishing a committee of seven resident experts in the areas of climate science,
atmospheric science, engineering, energy management, water conservation, planning,
policy, environmental law, economics, solid waste management,forestry, systems
analysis and communications. The committee's work over the course of three years
resulted in a Climate Action Plan that was adopted in November 2020.
• The City of Issaquah created a Sustainability Sounding Board in 2008, which was
comprised of 16 community leaders with diverse backgrounds charged with defining
what sustainability means to Issaquah, crafting a vision, and developing a set of
indicators to measure progress towards achieving that vision. The board identified eight
core sustainability themes and 26 sustainability indicators in a 2009 report presented to
the Mayor. The City most recently updated their Sustainable City Report in 2016.
• Seattle has an Office of Sustainability & Environment with 31.5 FTEs. Their work focuses
on climate change, buildings and energy, equity and environment, and food policy and
programs.
• In Spokane, the City Council has four standing committee meetings: Public Safety &
Community Health, Finance & Administration, Urban Experience, and Public
Infrastructure, Environment & Sustainability(PIES). The PIES committee includes a
variety of issues. All of Spokane's Public Works items (water, sewer, garbage, streets,
and capital projects) go through this committee. Environmental/sustainability type
items are also included on these committee agendas. Water conservation,for example,
has been a hot topic. The PIES committee has recently discussed smart water metering,
discharge permits for the wastewater treatment plant, stormwater facilities,
greenhouse gas emission evaluations, recycling, and electric fleet changes.
• City of Tacoma has an Infrastructure, Planning, and Sustainability Committee. Their
policies, issues, programs and services may include, but are not limited to: arterial
streets; open space habitat management; infrastructure funding programs and plans;
planning and development services (growth management, building codes, land use,
planning and zoning); environmental services (wastewater, stormwater and solid
waste); environmental and sustainability issues and plans; Local Improvement Districts;
public transit systems; transportation related matters; urban forestry and critical areas;
and environmental issues associated with public utilities.
Recommendation:
Hold a study session to discuss the scope and membership of a Sustainability Committee as well
as the mission,the areas in which reporting is required, how frequently and to whom.
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