City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 02/08/10 Item Number: _D-1
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: Discussion of an Upcoming SCAG Sustainable
Communities Strategy Roundtable on the Requirements of Senate Bill 375
(California’s Sustainable Communities Strategy and Climate Protection Act).
Contact Person/Dept.: Jose Mendivil and
Susan Yun/CDD
Phone Number: 310-253-5757 and
310-253-5755
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: N/A
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas – City Council (02/03/10).
Department Approval:
Sol Blumenfeld (01/28/10)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (02/03/10)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Mark Scott (by M. Noller) (02/03/10)
City Manager Approval:
Mark Scott (02/03/10)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss the upcoming Southern California
Association of Governments Sustainable Communities Strategy Roundtable
Listening Session on SB 375 and direct the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND:
On Thursday, February 25, 2010, the Southern California Association of
Governments (SCAG) will hold a roundtable listening session (“roundtable”)
regarding the Sustainable Communities Strategy for the SCAG region as it relates to
State Senate Bill (SB) 375 (Steinberg), also known as California’s Sustainable
Communities Strategy and Climate Protection Act. According to SCAG, the primary
goal of the roundtable is to solicit input and engage in a dialogue with decision
makers of the Westside Cities subregion on potential strategies to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
The driving force for the February 25
th
roundtable date is the California Air
Resources Board (CARB) request for input from SCAG on potential Greenhouse
Gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies which CARB must consider as it
calculates emission reduction targets for the SCAG region.
SB 375 requires SCAG to prepare a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) which
will be incorporated into the 2012 Regional Transportation Plan with intent of
complying with a State-determined regional GHG emissions reduction target.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
This roundtable is a first step in the “collaborative” process. Culver City, along with
other Westside Cities, decided to participate in the collaborative process with SCAG
in the development of a region-wide SCS with SCAG. Several other subregions
within the SCAG region have also opted to work with SCAG through the
collaborative process.
DISCUSSION:
The roundtable- is tentatively scheduled to be held at Greystone Park in Beverly
Hills on February 25, 2010 from 1:30 AM to 1:30 PM (SCAG will be sending out
invitations with input from City staff with the exact time, location, and additional
workshop information). This roundtable, which will be the first in a series of
discussions that SCAG will hold, is intended for elected officials serving on the
Westside Cities COG Board and the region’s City Councils and interested planning,
transportation and public works staff.
SCAG is still drafting the roundtable materials. According to SCAG the structure of
the roundtable is intended to be a "listening session" to gather valuable input from
local jurisdictions and the subregion. The roundtable will begin with a brief staff
presentation on:
• The regional target setting process for the reduction of GHG emissions; and
• A range of potential approaches (to reduce GHG emissions) for
consideration.
This will lead into a facilitated group dialogue focused on hearing the local
jurisdictions’ thoughts and recommendations and ways in which SCAG can further
work with the subregion to develop next steps. Input from the roundtable will be
shared with the SCAG Regional Council prior to making a final target
recommendation to CARB. However, the roundtable discussion is not intended to
reflect the official position of the Westside Cities subregion or member jurisdictions
of the subregion.
The range of potential approaches to reduce GHG emissions will likely address the
integration of transportation, land use, and housing planning. Some approaches
could also touch upon mixed-use and multi-dwelling housing along commercial
corridors and Transit Oriented Development areas such as the Expo Light Rail
station area. Other approaches may include discussions on energy efficiency,
sustainability plans, and Transportation Demand Management.
In addition to the SCAG region-wide SCS effort discussed above, Culver City, along
with many local governments in California, has taken various steps to address GHG
emission reduction initiatives.|1010|
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
The February 25
th
roundtable represents the first in a series of actions intended to
address the objectives of SB 375 and the reduction of GHG emissions. As stated
above, Culver City is already engaged in or is developing local initiatives and
programs with the purpose of addressing GHG emission reductions and
sustainability in general. Some of these initiatives include staff and City Council
subcommittees focused on sustainability, city ordinances that address conservation
and energy efficiency, and staff level review and research of State laws and local
development projects as they relate to GHG emissions and sustainability.|1010|FISCAL ANALYSIS:
Because SCAG is responsible for organizing the roundtable including notification,
the City will incur no direct costs. Participation of elected officials or city staff will not
result in a fiscal impact to the City (other than staff time in attending event).
ATTACHMENTS:
None
MOTION:
That the City Council:
Discuss the upcoming Southern California Association of Governments Sustainable
Communities Strategy Roundtable Listening Session Workshop on SB 375 and
direct the City Manager as deemed appropriate.
|1010|
• Assembly Bill 32 (AB32), the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. AB 32 requires the California Air
Resources Board (ARB) to establish regulations to reduce California’s GHG emissions to a 1990 level by the
year 2020, with the long-term goal of reducing GHG emissions below 1990 levels by 2050 (an 80 percent
reduction). ARB adopted a Scoping Plan in December 2008, detailing strategies and measures that will
achieve that goal through a set of actions designed to reduce overall GHG emissions. The legislation is
intended to address both stationary and mobile sources of GHG emissions.
• Senate Bill 375 (SB 375), 2007. SB 375 was passed as a means of implementing a portion of AB 32,
specifically the reduction of tail pipe emissions from passenger vehicles and small to midsize trucks. Through
the integration of transportation, land use, and housing planning, that is, encouraging more compact, complete
and efficient communities for the future, SB 375 hopes to reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT) thereby reducing
carbon emissions. A SCAG region wide SCS will include strategies that result in integrated planning as
described above with the goal of reducing GHG emissions.
• Senate Bill 97 (SB 97), 2009. Senate Bill 97 (SB 97) addresses the analysis of GHG emissions in CEQA
documents. Pursuant to SB 97, amendments to the State CEQA guidelines have been recently adopted by the
State which requires analysis of the potential effects of GHG emissions and corresponding mitigations in the
CEQA documents. Activities in local jurisdictions that meet the CEQA definition of “project” such as site plans
and use permits may result in GHG emissions.
|1010| City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
• Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance that addresses state mandates;
• Outreach and education on the City’s Water Conservation Ordinance;
• Monitoring of AB 811 Loan Program that provides loans to homeowners with the goal of making homes more
energy efficient;
• Staff training on the City’s carbon footprint;
• Monitoring and review of grant opportunities to develop a Sustainable Community Plan for the City (this could
incorporate a Climate Action Plan);
• Negotiations with energy service providers on City facilities with the goal of installing energy efficient lighting
including City street lights;
• Residential and commercial solid waste recycling;
• Incorporation of recyclable materials collection and storage facilities within new developments;
• Development of the Green Building Ordinance that mandates environmental requirements for qualifying tenant
improvements and new construction – such requirements include energy efficiency in heating and gas, roofing,
glazing, interior and exterior lighting, water usage; incorporation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) certified performance levels; and conservation of on-site and off-site trees;
• Development of a Solar Photovoltaics Ordinance that mandates incorporation of solar photovoltaics for
qualifying tenant improvements and new construction;
• Environmental review of development projects as they relate to GHG emissions pursuant to SB 97 legislation;
and
• On-going staff level review of State mandates that could potentially lead to a City-wide Sustainability and/or
Climate Action Plan that would address at the local level such issues as reduction of transportation-related
GHG emissions, energy efficiency, promotion of renewable energy sources, reduction of water usage, and
enhancement/preservation of open space.