Meet the New CEO of SACOG, James Corless

Join the Environmental Council of Sacramento – ECOS for our May ECOS Board Meeting! Everyone who is interested is welcome. Bring a friend!

Monday, May 15, 2017

Location: SEIU Local 1000, 1325 S St, Sacramento, CA 95811

5:30 pm Reception

Please come and meet and socialize with ECOS Board Members and guests. Light appetizers and refreshments served. Feel free to bring something to share.

6:00 pm Meeting Begins

Come meet James Corless, the new Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)!

Come meet the new chief executive of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) on Monday, May 15th with ECOS! James Corless is a public transit and smart growth advocate and the founding director of Transportation for America.

SACOG is the region’s chief transportation planning agency. Learn more about them here: http://www.sacog.org/

Transportation for America is an alliance of elected, business and civic leaders from communities across the country, united to ensure that states and the federal government step up to invest in smart, homegrown, locally-driven transportation solutions. Learn more about the organization here:http://www.t4america.org/

“James Corless is the founding director of Transportation for America, where he built an impressive national network of civic, elected, and business leaders who understand that strategic investments in infrastructure are crucial for attracting economic development.” – SACOG http://www.sacog.org/post/james-corless-begins-ceo-appointment

After the discussion, ECOS Committees will report on their current business. Announcements from members and attendees are welcome at the end, as time allows.

Click here for the full agenda. (PDF)

Support for Volkswagen Settlement California ZEV Investment Plan

April 10, 2017

ECOS supports Sacramento as the first recipient of funds from the Volkswagen settlement.

We are writing to express our support of the Volkswagen’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Investment Plan, including the designation of Sacramento as the first Green City with a proposed investment of $44 million. We believe that the City of Sacramento is a strong, capable partner that is ready to deliver on this important opportunity. The Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) has a history of working with the City to deliver ambitious projects and programs that benefit the region.

Read the full letter from ECOS by clicking here.

Stakeholder Meeting for the Downtown Specific Plan

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Hacker Lab, 1715 I St, Sacramento, CA 95811

The City of Sacramento is developing the Downtown Specific Plan.

The plan will focus primarily on:

* Identifying and evaluating a number of urban infill sites within the project area

* Removing barriers to housing development by streamlining the development and environmental review process

* Incentivizing Transit-Oriented Development throughout the Central City, including along the streetcar corridor

* Maintaining and improving the quality of life for Central City residents, and furthering neighborhood livability by including additional amenities and housing opportunities

The project team is hosting a focus group meeting to discuss community amenities, historic preservation, arts and culture, and public health as they relate to increasing Downtown’s housing supply. Take part in developing the plan, and find out the results of a recent community survey.

Please RSVP by March 24th by responding to Salvador Ramirez at sramirez[at]aimconsultingco[dot]com or calling 916-442-1168. If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact Gladys Cornell at gcornell[at]aimconsultingco[dot]com or at 916-442-1168.

City Light Impacts on Declining Salmon Populations

March 21, 2017

ECOS submitted the following letter with concerns about outdoor lighting on the Sacramento riverfront and its effects on local salmon populations, such as the endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, which are particularly important among California’s salmon runs because they exhibit a life-history strategy found nowhere else on the West Coast.

Read the full letter by clicking here.

The Arch Nexus building at 930 R St

By Mark Glover

March 1, 2017

The Sacramento Bee

A Sacramento architectural design firm will host formal grand opening ceremonies Thursday at its newly renovated building along the R Street corridor, with hopes that the structure will be certified a world leader in sustainability a year from now.

Glover, Mark. “Downtown Sacramento building aims for gold standard of green.” Sacbee. N.p., 01 Mar. 2017. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.

Downtown Specific Plan NOP

The City of Sacramento, Community Development Department, as Lead Agency, has issued a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown Specific Plan.

The comment period is from February 15, 2017 to March 17, 2017.

The issuance of the NOP is to inform all responsible agencies of the decision to prepare an EIR. The purpose of the NOP is to provide information describing the project and its potential environmental effects and to seek input from responsible agencies as defined by CEQA (PRC Section 21069) and the public. Agencies should comment on such information as it relates to their statutory responsibilities in connection with the project. The full NOP is attached here and is available at the City’s Community Development Department webpage at:
http://portal.cityofsacramento.org/Community-Development/Planning/Environmental/Impact-Reports

A public scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, March 2 2017, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Sacramento City Hall, 915 I Street, Room 1119, Sacramento, California 95814. Responsible agencies and members of the public are invited to attend and provide input on the scope of the EIR. Written comments regarding relevant issues may be submitted at the meeting.

Comments and suggestions as to the appropriate scope of analysis are invited from all interested parties. Written comments or questions concerning the proposed project should be submitted to the following address no later than March 17, 2017 (Public counter hours are between 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.):
Tom Buford, Senior Planner
Community Development Department
300 Richards Boulevard, Third Floor
Sacramento, CA 95811
Email: tbuford[at]cityofsacramento[dot]org