Sacramento County Climate Emergency Resolution, BOS Item on 7/11

On July 11, 2023, the Sacramento County Planning and Environmental Review staff presented a recommendation to the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to amend the Climate Emergency Resolution to be consistent with the State’s 2045 carbon neutrality goal.

You can watch a recording of the July 11, 2023 Sac County Board of Supervisors meeting here: https://agendanet.saccounty.gov/BoardOfSupervisors/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=7961&doctype=1. The Climate Emergency Resolution Update presentation (Item 72) starts at 6 hours into the video.

Watch Live Online

The meeting is videotaped and cablecast live on Metrocable 14 on the Comcast, Consolidated Communications and AT&T U-Verse Systems. It is closed captioned and webcast live at http://metro14live.saccounty.gov. There will be a rebroadcast of this meeting on Friday at 6:00 p.m.

Give Comments

In-Person public comment

Speakers will be required to complete and submit a speaker request form to Clerk staff.  Each individual will be invited to the podium to make a comment.

Telephonic public comment

Dial (916) 875-2500 on the day of the meeting to make a comment. Follow the prompts for instructions and refer to the agenda and/or listen to the live meeting to determine when is the best time to call to be placed in queue for a specific agenda/off agenda item. Each caller will be transferred from the queue into the meeting to make a comment accordingly. Please be prepared for an extended waiting period.

Written public comment

Members of the public may send a written comment which is distributed to Board members and filed in the record. Contact information is optional and should include the meeting date and agenda/off agenda item number to be sent as follows:

Sacramento County Climate Emergency Resolution

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors declared a climate emergency in December 2020 and adopted a climate emergency resolution that identified the County’s existing and future actions to reduce communitywide greenhouse gas emissions. The resolution specified several commitments and goals, including an ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

Sacramento County’s Sustainability Manager has been implementing the actions specified in the Climate Emergency Resolution over the last two years through coordination and collaboration with the Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force, other jurisdictions in the Sacramento metropolitan area, and local organizations and interest groups. Planning and Environmental Review staff have continued refining the County’s Communitywide Climate Action Plan as a result of feedback received on multiple public draft versions.

The California Air Resources Board adopted the 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan in late 2022, and Assembly Bill 1279 became law in September 2022. Both the Scoping Plan and AB 1279 establish a statewide goal of achieving carbon neutrality as soon as possible but no later than 2045.

On July 11, 2023, Planning and Environmental Review staff will present a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to amend the Climate Emergency Resolution to be consistent with the State’s 2045 carbon neutrality goal. This recommendation does not change the actions of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force or their timeline and commitment to working with the Sustainability Manager to prepare a Climate Emergency Response Plan. All County staff will continue to be ambitious and aggressive in reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the Climate Emergency Resolution and Planning and Environmental Review staff will continue their diligent work to finalize the Communitywide Climate Action Plan.

More details on the status and next steps on the Communitywide Climate Action Plan will be available in mid-July.

ECOS Climate Committee Meeting

August 11, 2022, 6 PM

Sacramento’s Transportation Priorities Plan (TPP) Phase 2

What are the City of Sacramento’s priorities to control the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions?

Jennifer Donlon Wyant, Transportation Planning Manager, City of Sacramento, will review TPP Phase 1 (which compiled a list of Transportation Values based on community input), and present Phase 2 — which applied these values to over 700 city planned projects. The final prioritization will guide City investments in transportation.

The City’s Transportation Planning team develops mobility and corridor/area plans and manages micro-mobility and transportation demand. www.SacTransportation.org

Plus Updates:

Sacramento County Climate Action Plan
Todd Smith, County Planning Director, will update us on the final draft to be released soon.

Sacramento County Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force
On August 8, the Board of Supervisors is scheduled to appoint 13 members to the task force.
John Lundgren, County Sustainability Manager

City of Sacramento Preliminary Climate Action Plan
Comments were due July 31, with a full draft plan (and General Plan) expected this Fall.
Jennifer Venema, City Climate Action Lead

Letter to City of Sac – ECOS support for Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant

On October 27, 2021, ECOS sent a letter to the City of Sacramento in support of its application for a Sustainable
Transportation Planning Grant for its 15-Minute Neighborhoods Plan.

Dear Mr. Chan,

The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) supports the City of Sacramento in its application for Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant for its 15-Minute Neighborhoods Plan.

We served on the Mayors’ Climate Change Commission’s Transportation Technical Advisory Committee. As you know, the prioritization of active transportation, then transit and shared mobility, and then zero-emission vehicles was unanimously adopted. This prioritization, coupled with housing around transit, would reduce GHG emissions, increase affordable housing with good local and regional access to shops and jobsites, improve air quality, and improve physical safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

Over half of Sacramento’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are from the transportation sector. The City’s proposed 15-Minute Neighborhoods Plan will set the stage for increased transit use, walking and biking — travel modes that are essential to reduce GHG and meet our climate goals.

Sacramento’s topography is relatively flat and its neighborhoods are interconnected – these are two necessary but not sufficient preconditions for a large shift to walking and biking for daily errands and for job commutes. Neighborhood studies show that slowing driving is a big concern.

The City’s 15-Minute Neighborhoods Plan will calm the entire network of neighborhood streets to make comfortable places to walk, bike, and scoot. Calmer streets will encourage more trips by active transportation, helping the city to meet its goals around sustainability, speed reduction for cars and trucks, community health, and thriving local businesses. The City’s 15-minute Neighborhoods Plan will further the following:

• The City’s Climate Action Plan;
• The City’s commitment to equitable processes by engaging neighborhood communities about their needs;
• Economic vitality of our retail and restaurants within and next to neighborhoods;
• Affordable and efficient access to jobsites, parks, and schools.

Sincerely,

Ralph Propper
ECOS President

Click here to view the letter.

Press release re American River bridge lawsuit by ECOS

April 6, 2021

On March 29, 2021, the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) filed a Petition for Writ of Mandate with the Sacramento County Superior Court challenging Caltrans’ approval of the Initial Study/Environmental Assessment with a Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for a project to widen the Capital City Freeway (SR 51) bridge over the American River.

The IS/MND does not provide adequate environmental review under CEQA, in that it fails to provide an adequate project description and piecemeals environmental review of further planned widening of SR 51. Furthermore, this project may have significant impacts to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and climate change. ECOS seeks a determination from the Superior Court that Caltrans’ approval of the project is invalid and void and that the Mitigated Negative Declaration fails to satisfy the requirements of CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, California Code of Regulations, section 15000 et seq.).

Since 1966, the bridge has had three lanes in each direction…. [read more]


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Sacramento Climate Action Plan: draft ready for public review!

March 12, 2021

Sacramento County’s draft Communitywide Climate Action Plan (CAP), which addresses greenhouse gas reductions and climate change adaptation, is now available for public review.

An online workshop on the draft CAP will take place via Zoom at the Sacramento County Environmental Commission (SEC) meeting on Monday, March 15, at 6 p.m. The workshop will be an opportunity for the public and the SEC to provide feedback on the draft CAP.

Learn more


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