POSTPONED: Climate Committee meeting with Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum

ECOS CLIMATE COMMITTEE
Postponed – Date TBD

Speaker: Sacramento City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum

We’re happy to host Phil, who joined the Sacramento City Council in December 2024. Phil represents Sacramento Council District 4, which includes downtown and East Sacramento.
Phil served for several years on the city’s Planning and Design Commission.

As city councilmember, he serves on its Law and Legislation Committee, Flood Control Agency (SAFCA), Sewer District (SacSewer) Lower American River Conservancy Advisory Committee; Sacramento Homeless Policy Council; alternate on our Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) and Sacramento Transportation Authority (STA); and others.

We look forward to hearing Phil’s plans for his new role, and to an exchange of ideas relating to ECOS priorities.

ECOS priorities include: transit-oriented infill development vs. sprawl; funding for transit, active transportation, bridges, Sac Valley station; implementation of city’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

6:00 PM: Social period (snacks and refreshments for attendees!)

6:30 PM: Welcome and Introductions

6:40 PM: Phil’s plans, and exchange of ideas

7:20 PM: Updates
• ECOS’ Earth Day, Southside Park, April 27 – Plan it for the Planet!
• SacRT starts 15-minute headway on Sacramento-Folsom rail line; new light rail stations (Horn Road, Dos Rios), Hydrogen-fueled bus fleet)
• Lawsuits over Caltrans’ plan to add lanes to I-80 in Yolo County
• Sacramento County County’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force – recommendations to Board of Supervisors in June
• Other? – your updates welcome!

Click here for the agenda in PDF.

ECOS LETTER re Sacramento County Climate Action Plan, 11/6/2024

On Nov 6, 2024, ECOS submitted to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors a comment letter on the County of Sacramento Climate Action Plan, Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR).

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) appreciates that County staff have developed a better Climate Action Plan than its 2022 version. However, we still have major concerns that must be addressed before we can support it.

Click here to read the letter.

ECOS Climate Committee Meeting feat. SACOG, 11/18/2024

SB 375 has been the “North Star” of regional climate action in California since Darrell Steinberg got it enacted sixteen years ago.
With half of State GHG emissions coming from vehicles, it requires State transportation funds to only go planning agencies (SACOG here) that show how they can fund transportation systems in a way that can achieve State-mandated GHG reductions.
This has been challenging, as we see Caltrans continue to expand freeways, and as Sacramento County supervisors continue to approve sprawl development.
After 16 years, a lot has changed — SACOG wants SB 375 to be paused until it can be revised.
On Monday, let’s hear why – from SACOG’s leader. And also – from an academic leader – should it be revised, and if so, how?

AGENDA

6 PM: Welcome and Introductions

6:10 PM: Why does SACOG want the State to pause its SB 375 target setting process?
CA Senate Bill 375 (Steinberg, 2008) provides the framework for reducing GHG emissions, requiring the Air Resources Board to set regional targets: for SACOG, 19% per capita vehicle GHG emission reduction, from 2018 to 2035. CARB is now working on establishing future targets for CA regions. In his last “State of the City” address, Sacramento Mayor Steinberg cited SB 375 as a notable legislative achievement.

  • James Corless, Executive Director, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) will explain why he (and other regional planning agencies) asked CARB to pause its SB 375 target. Link to letter: https://calcog.org/why-are-mpos-seeking-a-pause-on-sb-375-target-setting
  • Amy Lee, postdoctoral scholar at UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, will provide a perspective. Amy studied with UC Davis Prof. Susan Handy in Transportation Policy, including study of regional transportation planning and induced travel. Amy previously worked at SACOG.

7:20 PM: Q&A, Discussion

7:50 PM: Updates
• Lawsuits over Caltrans’ plan to add lanes to I-80 in Yolo County
• Sacramento County Climate Action Plan, & County’s Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force
• ECOS’ work with SacRT to highlight benefits of public transit
• Election Recap – Sacramento Region

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155

ECOS Climate Committee meeting, Oct 17, 2024

Topics: Air Pollution in Minority Communities; and SACOG Update

Link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6656164155
To phone in: 669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 665 616 4155

6:00 PM: Welcome and Introductions

6:10 PM: Need to reduce air pollution in minority communities – presented by Álvaro Alvarado, Cal/EPA’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

Álvaro will present his recently published findings (in collaboration with UC Berkeley) that Californians are breathing far less pollution from vehicles than we were 25 years ago. Exposure to fine particulate matter from traffic has dropped by 65%. Communities of color and low-income communities have seen the biggest improvements. The largest reductions in air pollution levels over the past two decades happened in Black, Hispanic, and Asian communities. However, they are still exposed to higher levels than white Californians – a relative gap that did not change much. Álvaro’s branch produces CalEnviroScreen maps, which help identify communities burdened by pollution.

7:00 PM: Work in progress at Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) – presented by Kacey Lizon, SACOG Deputy Director for Planning & Programs

Kacey will present the status of “Green Means Go”, their 2025 “Blueprint”, and their upcoming regional monitoring report. Green Means Go is a State-funded program to increase the capacity of storm, water, and sewer utilities to accelerate infill housing with lower greenhouse gas emissions than housing in greenfields. The Blueprint is SACOG’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy. SACOG’s monitoring report will consist of data on transportation, land use, housing, and demographic and economic factors.

In November, we hope to continue discussions with SACOG staff on how our 6-county region can meet the State’s target for a 19% reduction in GHG from vehicles by 2035, and possible changes to Statewide legislation (e.g., SB 375 – Sustainable Communities & Climate Protection Program, and SB 743).

7:50 PM: Updates

Click to view a PDF of this agenda.