HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-06-17 City Council (11)TO:
FROM:
DATE:
City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office
June 17, 2002 CMR: 271:02
SUBJECT:ONE-YEAR REVIEW OF CITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND RECOMMENDATION TO REVISE
CITYWIDE SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council approve revisions to the City’s sustainability policy-to
reflect a balance between the elements of environment, social equity and economics.
BACKGROUND
On April 2, 2001, the City Council adopted the first citywide sustainability policy:
"It is the intent of the City Of Palo Alto to be a sustainable community -one which
meets its current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. In .adopting this policy, the City of Palo Alto accepts its
responsibility through its programs and services to:
¯Ensure the city’s continued economic, social and environmental vitality
¯Protect the quality of the.air, water, land and other natural resources
¯Promote and support the conservation of native vegetation, fish, wildlife
habitat and other ecosystems
¯ " Minimize human impacts on local and worldwide ecosystems..."
The purpose of this report is to summarize the accomplishments of the first year of the
sustainability policy’s implementation, . and to propose reviSions to the policy to sharpen
its focus on issues of social equity and economics, in additionto environmental goals.
DISCUSSION
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Sustainability Policy Implementation Accomplishments
2001-02 Water and Energy Management Plan for City Facilities: Begunin May 2001,
the Water and Energy Management Plan (WEMP) for City facilities was a critical
~ndertaking for the newly f0r~med Sustainability Committee. Prompted by the California
energy crisis,, multiple departments became involved for the first time in what has
become a multi-year effort to identify and implement .sho~t- and long-term water and
energy-saving strategies. Accomplishments include:
¯A retrofit of the City’s traffic signal system from incandescent lamps to light emitting
diodes (LEDs) in 89 intersections (CMR: 110:01). This reduced-the average
intersection watt~tge by 80% or more depending on site configuration and conditions.
Annual energy savings are 1;410,000 kWh, which translates into energy cost savings
of $120,000 per year. Maintenance savings will accrue as .well due to the longevity of
the LEDs (seven years versus seven months for the typical incandescent lamp).
¯A retrofit of the lighting systems in 60 City buildings (CMR: 235:01). This $780,000
project replaced 10,809 inefficient lamps with more efficient designs for annual
savings of 1,500,000 kWh, which translates to cost savings of $109,625 per year plus
$8,000 in annual maintenance savings.
¯A new, state-of-the-art energy .management system (EMS) for City Hall. Funded by
the Utilities Department as a technology, demonstration for commercial and industrial
customers, this LAN-based system allows for the control of energy sYstems from the
City intranet, and allows for turn-on/turn-off control, manipulation of temperature and
control-set points and manual o~ automated load shedding capability. The system was
able to reduce electric demand from 10-15% in City Hall during peak demand periods
last summer, and allowed for the control of systems without prior controls, or
manually controlled operation.
Additional measures addressed under the Plan include creation of an energy and water
use and cost tracking system and recommendations for potable and irrigation water use.
The next iteration of the Plan will be the 2002-03 Water, Energy and Environmental
Management Plan (WEEMP). This Plan will continue the work begun by its predecessor.
Computer Energy Savings: Working with the Sustainability staff, the Information
Technology Division implemented "EZ Save," a software program which automatically
switches all Windows-running computers in the City to "sleep". after 10 minutes of
nonuse. When Windows 2000 is. installed citywide (December 2002), savings will
increase to 210,000 kWh and $17,500/year, or enough power 35 Palo Alto homes for one
CMR:271:02 Page 2 of 8
year. The program, unlike the feature installed in Windows, is centrally controlled by IT
and tracks energy and computer use, and associated energy and cost reductions.
Incorporation of Sustainability into the Cityworks ’Infrastructure Program: If Council
approves the 2002-03 Budget proposed by the City Manager, it will include
establishment of a "Sustainability Contingency" in the Capital Improvement Program, In
the design phase of a capital project, opportunities for incorporation of sustainable
elements become apparent, although often the project budget is insufficient to incorporate
those alternatives. Guidelines for use of the Sustainability Contingency include using a
"life cycle,’ economic calculation....
Green Buildings: The various community facility projects Currently under study for a
possible November bond measure (Mitchell Park Library and Mitchell Park Community
Center, Main Library, Art Center and Children’s Library) and the Police Building all will
incorporate sustainable elements. Staff is working to achieve LEED certification for the
Mitchell Park Center.
Architectural Review Board Guidelines: Staff has been working with the ARB on the
development of information about green buildings and on .sustainability guidelines for
development. A Green Building Resources section of the ARB website has been
developed, which provides developers, landowners, builders and the general public with
comprehensive information and resources concerning the use of "green" materials and
processes, in development projects. As a result of this information, the development
community has become more sensitive to the issues of sustainability. A recent example of
this heightened sensitivity is the Ronald McDonald House project, developed by
Steinberg and Associates. The developer has addressed issues of water and energy
efficiency, green building materials, and indoor environmental quality. Sustainability
issues, as they relate to the built environment, will continue to evolve in Palo Alto over
the next year, as the ARB adopts specific sustainability guidelines and a tracking system
to assess the success of the guidelines.
Development Center Information: With the help of student interns at the Stanford
University Community Writing Program, staff completed the first in a series of
informational bulletins intended to help the community identify ways they can act to
preserve local and regional resources. The first brochure identifies a number of ways
residents can save money and preserve resources when remodeling or building their
home. The brochure is available at the Development Center and will be posted on the
new Internet web site. Two to four similar bulletins are planned for the next fiscal year.
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Green Business Certification - City Print Shop: The City’s Print Shop was certified as a
Green Business through the Santa Clara County Green Business Program at the end of
May 2002. It is the first City organization to be so recognized and staff is enormously
proud. To achieve this recognition, the Print Shop:
¯reduced energy use by 42%
¯increased waste diversion to 92%
¯switched to all soy inks "
¯switched four of its most toxic printing chemicals to less-toxic alternatives
¯imioroved hazardous waste storage
¯begun printing on 100%.recycled-content letterhead and copy paper processed
without chlorine
¯incorporated Green Business standards into staff training and evaluation
Citywide Green Business Certification: The City is approximately 50% complete with
the Green Business certification effort. Certification is expected by September 2002. It is
anticipated that energy, water, solid waste, pollution prevention and commute alternatives
be met by that date. Currently the City is focusing on quantifying its accomplishments
and demonstrating permit compliance. Palo Alto’s certification efforts are unprecedented
and the City may likely be the first in the Bay Area and in California to achieve Green
Business status.
New letterhead and copy paper: Sustainability staff coordinated with the Print Shop and
Purchasing Department to purchase 100 percent recycled paper processed without
chlorine for both letterhead and copy paper. The paper switch has resulted .in a savings of
511 trees and 209,285 gallons of water, and enough energy to power 30 Palo Alto homes
for one year (based on the City’s use of 17,000 reams of paper annually). It also reduces
emissions of dioxin, a chemical toxic to humans and wildlife. Palo Alto is probably the
first City in California to switch to this paper for citywide use.
Toxic Chemicals Reduction: The City now purchases 100 percent recycled-content
unbleached bathroom towels, 40 percent recycled-content toilet paper. Facilities switched
out seven of its most toxic cleaning chemicals, including a switch to a zinc-free floor
wax.
Pesticide Management Plan: A new reduced-risk pesticide management policy and plan
was designed and implemented by City staff. Integrated pest management (IPM)
encourages long-term pest prevention and suppression through a combination of
techniques such as: biological controls, habitat manipulation, use of resistant plant
CMR:271:02 Page 4 of 8
varieties, improved landscape and building hygiene, and structural repair and pest
barriers. IPM sanctions synthetic chemical pesticides only as a last resort, and only with
the least toxic chemicals available. The first annual report on the City’s pesticide use will
be released in July 2002. Reporting requirements of the policy allow staff to identify
exactly how much of which pesticides are used at each City facility, assess its relative
human and environmental toxicity, strategize for further pest management and pesticide
reduction improvements and allow for public input of City pesticide use.
Intranet/Internet:A City Intranet site for sustainability was created in December 2000,
which has been updated continually as a way to communicate and educate City staff on
the concepts of sustainabili.ty and the activities of the Sustainability Committee. The
Intranet site has additionally been used to identify upcoming speakers and to post articles
and press releases related to sustainability. During FY 01-02, development of a new
Intemet site to provide an info~n-nation resource for the community as a whole was
initiated. The Intemet site is scheduled to launch by the end of this fiscal year. When
completed, the site will provide the community with the concepts of sustainability, what
the City government is doing, and suggestions for community and personal activities that
can contribute to the city’s progress toward sustainability.
Other Publicity, Outreach and Marketing: Accomplishments included use of "In the
Loop" (the.employee newsletter), CityPages (the community newsletter) and CityBeat
(community cable television show) to educate on sustainability issues; incorporation of
sustainability into the new employee orientation programs; creation of a quarterly
speakers forum (nationally-known speakers this year included Alan AtKisson, William
McDonough; Jessica Fullmer, Cecile Andrews and Amory Lovins); outreach to
departments through their regular staff meetings; the .display in lobby on sustainability,
created by Councilmember Jim Butch; and the table .top stands in City Hall. cafeteria on
sustainability.
Sustainability Inventory: During FY 01-02, staff began the development of a City
sustainability inventory, to provide a mechanism for annually identifying new priorities.
The inventory .consists of ten categories of sustainability, from affordable housing to
water quality. Within each category, indicators have been selected to provide a measure
of each category’s condition. The report is nearing completion and will be presented to
Council. early in FY 02/03. Annually thereafter, staff hopes to use the inventory process
to re-evaluate the priorities and plan for activities for the upcoming fiscal year. Staff has
been working with a committee of interested community members to solicit their
involvement in community efforts to leverage the City government’s sustainability efforts
with citizen and business commitments and participation.
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Community Participation: A committee of interested community members volunteered to
assist staff in its efforts. The informal committee recently developed a large display in the
lobby to the City Council Chambers to highlight City sustainability activities. Feedback
on the display has been so positive that plans are underway to make it mobile so that the
display can be shown to various community groups.
Separately, the City staff convened a group of citizens to assist staff in its efforts to make
the procurement process more sustainable. The mission of the Sustainable Purchasing
Committee, chaired by Susan Stansbury of the Foundation for Global Community and
Larry Hassett of Palo Alto Hardware, is to:
Research procurement practices and policies of other municipal organizations and
potential products and services that are environmentally superior to those currently
procured by the City of Palo Alto
" Facilitate the implementation of environmentally superior products and services
through:
,z Recommending ways to streamlining the procurement process as appropriate
¢" Identifying barriers to acceptance of alternative products and services
¢" Providing education to end users and Purchasing staff
" Working with City department staffto identify opportunities
Develop performance measurements for evaluatingenvironmentally
products, including:
superior
Track the implementation of recommended products, especially costs/benefits
Publicize successes
This year the SPA committee has reviewed other cities’ and agencies’ purchasing policies
and practices; recruited the printshop and janitorial group to find least toxic and
environmentally friendly products; worked with city staff to organize and publicize
speakers events; and started documenting the positive impacts of these changes.
The SPA committee is currently working with Facilities Management on long-term plans
for sustainable carpeting options; reviewing on-line ordering procedures .of sustainable
office products; preparing a-presentation on sustainable purchasing for a seminar at the
California Association of Purchasing and Procurement Officers (CAPPO) conference;
and drafting a letter for vendors about sustainable purchasing preferences.
CMR:271:02 Page 6 of 8
Included in this Council packet is the Annual Report on the Long-Term Goals for the
Regional Water Quality Control Plant. The report reflects the adoption by the. Plant of
the overall goals of The Natural Step, a leading force in the sustainability field. This is a
good example of how sustainability is being incorporated into all aspects of City
operations.
Proposed Revisions to City Sustainability Policy
The term."sustainability" has evolved over time as awareness of the related issues has
grown. True sustainability must focus not only on the environment, as has been
traditional, but must also incorporate elements of long-term economic viability and
overall social equity. These are termed the "three ’e’s" of sustainability. The City’s
originally adopted policy reflects the traditional, narrow focus on environmental factors,
Consequently, staff is proposing following revisions to the policy: ¯
It is the intent of the City of Palo Alto to be a sustainable community - one which
meets its current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. In adopting this policy, the City of Palo Alto accepts its
responsibility, through its programs and services, to:
Economy: Maintain a healthy, thriving and well-balanced economy comprised of
a blend of large and small business, which encourages the development of
independent businesses and is resilient to the economic changes common to
Califomia’s economy
Social Equi_ty: Continuously improve the quality of life for .all Palo Alto
community members
Environment."
¯ Reduce resource use andpollution in a cost-effective manner, while striving to
protect and enhance the quality of the air, water, land and other natural
resources
¯Promote and support the conservation of native vegetation, fish, wildlife
habitat and other ecosystems
Minimize human impacts on local and we, r!dwide regional ecosystems.
CMR:271:02 Page 7 of 8
In working toward these goals, the City will, when appropriate, align and partner
with commun groups, businesses and non-profits
RESOURCE IMPACT
An internship was created in the City Manager’s Office in FY 2001-02 to oversee staff
efforts to .carry out the City’s sustainability policy. However, to a significant degree the
accomplishments are due to volunteer efforts from City staff from a number of
departments, over and above their normal workload. A small budget was allocated in the
Manager’s Office ($66,173) for supporting the various staff efforts.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The recommended changes to the citywide Sustainability Policy are consistent with past
Council actions.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This recommendation does not constitute a policy un’der CEQA.
PREPARED BY:
Emily Harrison, Assistant City Manager
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
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