HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2312-2384CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, February 05, 2024
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
15.Quarterly Informational Report on Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP)
Implementation; CEQA status – Not a Project
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: February 5, 2024
Report #:2312-2384
TITLE
Quarterly Informational Report on Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP)
Implementation; CEQA status – Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
No Council action is required. This is an update on Sustainability and Climate Action Plan
(S/CAP) Implementation Progress through the fourth quarter of calendar year 2023.
This report provides a status update of numerous S/CAP Workplan items. It is provided to give
the City Council and public an initial overview of this work since the S/CAP was adopted by
Council in June of 2023.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Consistent with Council’s adoption of “Climate Change & Natural Environment: Protection and
Adaptation” as one of the four priorities for calendar year 2023, staff updated the Sustainability
and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) to help the city meet its sustainability goals, including its goals
of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 (the “80 x
30” goal) and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
This is the second quarterly S/CAP Implementation update. The first S/CAP implementation
update included progress through Q3 2023 and was introduced in November.1 Highlights of Q4
2023 progress include:
•Climate Action
o As of December 14, 2023, 208 residents had signed contracts to participate in
the full-service Heat Pump Water Heater Pilot Program. In addition, 44 residents
installed heat pump water heaters on their own, receiving a rebate from the city.
o Design of the first neighborhood upgrade for grid modernization is underway,
1 City Council, November 13, 2023; Agenda Item #11; SR # 2308-1901,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/sustainability/reports/cy2023-q3-informational-report-on-
sustianability-and-climate-action-plan-scap.pdf
with construction expected to start in the beginning of the second quarter of
2024.
o Staff presented a draft Reliability and Resiliency strategic plan to the Utilities
Advisory Commission (UAC) in December 2023. The UAC recommended it to
Council for approval. Staff intends to seek Council acceptance of the plan in early
2024.
o The City held five Electric Vehicle (EV) and one e-bike workshops.
o As of December 2023, nine multi-family (MF) properties representing 415
housing units (about 4% of all multi-family units in Palo Alto) have installed EV
chargers facilitated through the City's EV programs, with another 17 active MF
sites in the pipeline representing 955 units, or 8% of Palo Alto multi-family units.
o Between October 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023, Palo Alto Link, the city’s eco-
friendly rideshare service, provided 12,722 completed rides, averaging 196
completed rides per service day.
o The City is recruiting staff to support evaluation of micro-mobility options,
including piloting bike/scooter share programs and neighborhood mobility hubs
to provide last-mile connections.
o The City received delivery of 15 new electric vehicles, including 13 new Chevy
Bolt Electric Vehicles, one new electric van for the Airport, and one electric
transit van, which replaced internal combustion engine fleet vehicles. There are
now 27 EVs in the city fleet, or about 15% of the passenger vehicles and light
duty trucks and vans.
•Sustainability
o Since Q3, the percentage of customers who have accessed the WaterSmart
portal, a water management tool which provides residents information about
their water consumption and personalized water conservation measures, has
increased from 15% to 17%.
o Two key updates may affect the scope and direction of Palo Alto’s Sea Level Rise
Adaptation Plan. In Q3, a memo from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
about shoreline levee improvements was received, potentially impacting
funding. Palo Alto and involved entities involved sent a letter to USCAE seeking
clarification, with USACE’s response expected in Q1 2024. Additionally, new state
legislation, SB272, passed in late 2023, may significantly impact planning efforts.
As part of SB 272 implementation, the Bay Conservation and Development
Commission will identify subregions and required plan components by the end of
2024.
o The City is working to increase the co-benefits of a thriving urban tree canopy,
including carbon sequestration, water quality improvements, stormwater
capture, and urban heat island reduction. In addition, the effort to establish a
baseline for carbon storage of Palo Alto’s urban tree canopy is on track to be
completed in 2024.
o Work to develop waste prevention outreach tools and technical assistance for
the commercial sector is ongoing. The outreach tools and technical assistance
program are expected to launch in 2024.
BACKGROUND
In April 2016, the City Council adopted the goal of reducing GHG emissions 80 percent below
1990 levels by 2030 (the “80 x 30” goal),2 and in October 2022 Council adopted the ambitious
goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.3 Staff, with community and Council input, referred
to the 2016 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) Framework and 2018-2020
Sustainability Implementation Plan to create a comprehensive S/CAP and Three- Year S/CAP
Workplan.
In June 2023, Council adopted the 2022 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan,4 certified the
Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report Addendum: Update to the Sustainability and
Climate Action Plan,5 and accepted the 2023-2025 S/CAP Workplan.6 The S/CAP is an ambitious
plan to reduce the city and community’s GHG emissions, while also guiding how Palo Alto uses
land and natural resources in ways that ensure quality of life for future generations.
The 2022 S/CAP and 2023-2025 S/CAP Work Plan align with one of the four Council Priorities for
CY 2023: “Climate Change & Natural Environment: Protection and Adaptation”. In addition,
there are several overlapping Council Priority Objectives, the status of which can be found in
the 2023 Council Priority Objectives Q4 Report.7 This report references the Council Priority
Objectives in parentheses where applicable.
ANALYSIS
The City is fully committed to a sustainable future. The City owns, operates, and maintains a
full-service utilities portfolio that provides electric, natural gas, fiber, water, refuse, and
wastewater services to residents and businesses in Palo Alto. Palo Alto’s continued leadership
in advancing sustainability commitments has succeeded mainly because of the continued
collaboration of community stakeholders, City departments, and the leadership of the City
Council.
2 City Council, April 18, 2016; Agenda Item #10; SR #6754,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/reports/city-manager-reports-
cmrs/year-archive/2016/id-6754.pdf
3 City Council, October 3, 2022; Agenda Item #9; SR #14720,
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-minutes/city-council-
agendas-minutes/2022/20221003/20221003accsm-amended-presentations.pdf#page=131
4 2022 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan;
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/sustainability/reports/2022-scap-report_final.pdf
5 Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report Addendum: Update to the Sustainability and Climate Action
Plan, 2023; https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/agendas-minutes-reports/agendas-
minutes/city-council-agendas-minutes/2023/2023comprehensive-plan-environmental-impact-report-addendum-
update-to-the-scap.pdf
6 2023-2025 S/CAP Workplan, 2023;
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/sustainability/reports/2023-2025-scap-work-plan_final.pdf
7 City Council, January 29, 2024; Agenda Item #2A; SR #2401-2526,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=e2acdc3b-a774-4838-8157-4429fee07577
The S/CAP Goals and Key Actions are divided into eight areas, four of which are climate-focused
and include actions to achieve the city’s 80 x 30 and carbon neutrality by 2030 goals (Climate
Action, Energy, Electric Vehicles, and Mobility) and four of which are focused on actions that
create a sustainable natural environment and adapting to a warming climate (Water, Climate
Adaptation & Sea Level Rise, Natural Environment, and Zero Waste). The Work Plan is similarly
divided between climate-focused and sustainability-focused priorities.
There are twenty Council Priority Objectives in Council Priority Area Climate Change and The
Natural Environment (CC&NE), with 13 in Climate Change Protection, 3 in Climate Change
Adaptation: Flood Protection, and 4 in Natural Environment. This report addresses eleven of
those Council Priority Objectives, as well as one in Council Priority Area Community Health &
Safety (CH&S):
Climate Change and the Natural Environment (CC&NE)
Climate Change Protection
•CC&NE m: Approve consultant to update Bike and Pedestrian Transportation Plan
•CC&NE p: Begin first phase construction for grid modernization and consultant
resources to plan for gas transition.
•CC&NE q: Install first 1,000 heat pump water heaters through the advanced pilot
program and approve expanded full-scale program
•CC&NE r: Approve advanced pilot program for whole residential home electrification by
the end of 2023 (targeted areas)
•CC&NE s: Approve commercial rooftop HVAC electrification advanced pilot program
•CC&NE t: Accept Electric Vehicle Strategic Plan
•CC&NE u: Accept Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan
•CC&NE v: Review preliminary draft S/CAP study discussing workplan resource needs and
project funding opportunities
•CC&NE 2: Engage youth in implementation of climate change initiatives, objectives, and
goals
Climate Change Adaptation: Flood Protection
•CC&NE 5: Determine next steps for sea level rise and adaptation plan
Natural Environment
•CC&NE z: Adopt appropriate changes to the revised Tree Protection Ordinance
Community Health & Safety (CH&S)
Invest in Reliable Safety Infrastructure and Systems
•CH&S bbb: Implement Foothills Fire Management Plan (CHS3)
Climate Action
Covering the S/CAP Areas of Climate Action, Energy, Electric Vehicles, and Mobility, this section
reports on progress based on the Work Plan Climate Action Priority areas.
P1. Grid Modernization (CC&NE p)
The focus of Priority 1 is to complete the grid modernization plan and begin construction to
increase reliability and transformer capacity for electrification. The City’s grid modernization
project is meant to prepare the grid for widespread electrification in support of the S/CAP 80 x
30 goal, as well as to improve reliability, replace aging infrastructure, and modernize the grid to
accommodate higher penetration of solar, storage, and other technologies. The first phase of
the grid modernization project will be an upgrade of the neighborhood bounded by Highway
101, Embarcadero, Louis, and Amarillo. Design of the first neighborhood upgrade for grid
modernization is continuing, with construction expected to start in the beginning of the second
quarter of 2024. To gain efficiencies in construction, the fiber to home and the grid
modernization project design and construction are being coordinated so they can be
constructed in parallel to minimize community disruption.
The City also began development of a Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan (CC&NE u). Staff
presented a draft plan to the Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) in December 2023. The UAC
recommended it to Council for approval. Staff intends to seek Council acceptance of the plan in
early 2024.
P2. Launch Programs
The focus of Priority 2 is to launch effective programs for emissions reductions with the highest
impact and lowest cost such as single-family electrification, strategic promotion of EVs,
commercial rooftop HVAC, and expanded transportation alternatives.
P2.1. Residential Emissions Reduction
•The City launched the Full-Service Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) Pilot Program in
March 2023 (CC&NE q). As of December 14, 2023, 208 residents had signed contracts to
get a heat pump water heater installed through the full-service HPWH program. In
addition, 44 residents had installed heat pump water heaters on their own, receiving a
rebate from the City. New interest in the program is 5-15 new signups per week, but a
significantly higher rate of new signups is needed to generate 20 installations per week,
the amount needed to reach 1,000 HPWH installations in a single year. The City
continues to expand outreach. Staff engaged with the S/CAP Ad Hoc Committee and
Working Group on potential program improvements and has started a program
improvement effort. Slower turnaround times for projects and communication gaps that
early participants experienced have been largely resolved and staff intends to introduce
additional improvements to enhance the program, such as an emergency water heater
replacement program.
•The City held five Electric Vehicle workshops and one E-bike workshop in Q4, for a total
of 32 Electric Vehicle (EV) and e-bike workshops and events in 2023. Events have
included twelve EV Expos, three financial incentive clinics in multiple languages
(Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese), a month-long EV discount
campaign, two e-bike workshops, an e-bike test ride event, and two e-bike discount
campaigns.
•The City continues to build out EV infrastructure and expand access in affordable
housing and multi-family buildings. As of December 2023, nine multi-family properties
representing 415 housing units (about 4% of all multi-family units in Palo Alto) have
installed EV chargers facilitated through the City's EV programs. There are another 17
multi-family sites in the pipeline - representing 955 units or 8% of all MF in Palo Alto -
working their way through completing projects. These properties have either selected a
contractor or are in the permitting phase and are projected to install 288 new EV ports.
Two of these sites, Palo Alto Gardens (650 San Antonio) and Arastradero Park (574
Arastradero), are affordable housing properties. Staff is also working towards extending
the CLEAResult EV Technical Assistance Program contract for another 3 years until April
2027 to ensure the goals of the Program that were delayed as a result of COVID are
fulfilled. The extension will allow more time to move projects currently in the pipeline to
a successful completion.
•Council approved participation in the State’s GoGreen Financing Program to provide
financing for residential electrification programs. Staff will work with the S/CAP Ad Hoc
Committee and Working Group in 2024 to design a more comprehensive full-service
whole home electrification program (CC&NE r).
P2.2. Non-Residential Emissions Reduction (CC&NE s)
•A business pilot program for electrification of commercial kitchens and heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units is currently underway and early projects
are being evaluated. The results will be used to inform a future larger scale advanced
pilot program for rooftop HVAC. Twenty-six customer assessments have been
performed, with two projects moving forward and one completed. The City has
researched and analyzed options to prepare for an advanced pilot program. Staff
intends to seek Council approval of program design guidelines by the end of 2023 and
issue an RFP for an operator for the new program design, with additional Council
approvals and program implementation in 2024.
P2.3. Citywide Mobility
•Between October 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023, Palo Alto Link, the city’s eco-friendly
rideshare service, provided 12,722 completed rides, averaging 196 completed rides per
service day.
•On September 18, 2023, the City Council adopted the new Bayshore Alma San Antonio
Priority Development Area (PDA), which will pave the way for grant funding
opportunities supporting land use and transportation connectivity planning initiatives.
•The 6th Cycle 2023-2031 Housing Element was adopted by the City Council on May 8,
2023 and submitted to the state Housing and Community Development Department
(HCD) on June 7, 2023. The City is currently preparing responses to additional HCD
comments on the adopted Housing Element. The updated Housing Element may include
additional program clarifications beyond what Council previously adopted. The Planning
and Transportation Commission and Council will review and take action to adopt the
revised Housing Element in early 2024 and aims for HCD certification of the new
Housing Element in late Spring of 2024.
•On November 13, 2023, the City undertook a key milestone ahead of 6th Cycle Housing
Element Implementation, before the State’s January 31, 2024 deadline. This involved
adopting Municipal Code amendments to rezone and adjust development standards for
identified Housing Opportunity sites in order to meet Regional Housing Needs Allocation
(RHNA) requirements. Additionally, amendments to the City’s Comprehensive Plan Land
Use Element to allow multi-family land uses and adjust housing densities increase
consistency between the Comprehensive Plan and the Municipal Code.
•The Office of Transportation is recruiting staff to support evaluation of micro-mobility
options, including piloting bike/scooter share programs and neighborhood mobility hubs
to provide last-mile connections.
•Efforts to maintain and modernize current traffic signals and central management
systems are ongoing. The Dumbarton Express Transit Signal Priority Project is in
progress. Implementation of Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures will begin
in Q1 or Q2 of 2024.
•Earlier this year, the City initiated updates to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation
Plan, “Active Palo Alto,” (CC&NE m) and began development of a road safety plan,
“Safer Palo Alto”, funded by a Safe Streets for All grant. Coordinated community
engagement for both Active Palo Alto and Safer Palo Alto is in progress, including a road
safety survey and interactive map, which are running through December 2023. Safer
Palo Alto plan development is anticipated to be finalized by late 2024, while Active Palo
Alto is slated for completed in 2025.
P2.4. Municipal Electrification
•On December 5, 2023, the City installed a new heat pump water heater in Palo Alto
City Hall that runs on 100% clean energy. This technology is cleaner, safer, and smarter
than an old gas water heater, and gets us one step closer to meeting our ambitious
climate goals.
•On December 1, 2023, the City received delivery of 13 new Chevy Bolt Electric Vehicles,
which replaced internal combustion engine fleet vehicles. The City also received
delivery of one new electric van for the airport and one electric transit van. There are
now 27 EVs in the City fleet, or about 15% of the passenger vehicles and light duty
trucks and vans.
•There are currently 92 City-owned EV chargers, with a total of 127 charging ports. Only
6 of those chargers are dedicated to City vehicles, while the rest are primarily for public
use. The City is currently testing a low-cost EV charger solution that could be used for
future employee charging locations.
P2.5. EV Strategic Plan (CC&NE t)
•In June 2023, Council approved policy guidelines for an Electric Vehicle Strategic Plan.
Staff discussed the scope of the study with the S/CAP Ad Hoc Committee and S/CAP
Working Group in August 2023 and released a consultant RFP soon after. The goal is to
get a consulting contract approved by Council in early 2024. This plan is part of the
S/CAP Funding Study (see P5. Funding Needs and Sources).
P3. Build Awareness and Confidence
The focus of Priority 3 is to build community awareness and confidence in electrification
through engagement, addressing concerns, and program results.
•The City finalized a contract with a new consultant to calculate the 2022 Greenhouse
Gas Inventory with a target of including the inventory in the April 2024 Earth Day
Report.
•Earlier in 2023, the City reported data on the City’s climate goals and progress to the
environmental non-profit CDP. Palo Alto was recognized as an “A List” city, which
recognizes leadership on climate action, ambition, and transparency. Of the almost
1,000 local governments scored worldwide, just 119 received an A.
•Staff continues to publish a monthly Climate Action Blog and a Quarterly Sustainability
Newsletter. In Q4 we published an October8, November9, and December10 Climate
Action Blog; and an October11 and November12 Sustainability Newsletter. The
Sustainability Newsletter has a 50% open rate, which is the percentage of readers that
open the e-mail you send them. The average open rate for electronic newsletters is
21%.
•In Q4, the City held five Electric Vehicle workshops, one E-bike workshop, an edible
gardening webinar, compost workshop, grid modernization webinar, and succulent
container gardening workshop. The City also cosponsored the Electric Home Tour,
featuring over ten Palo Alto homes who have made the switch to electric appliances.
The 270 Palo Alto residents who attended the tour were able to see all-electric
technology in action and gain valuable insight from homeowners on appliance selection,
the installation process, cost-saving benefits, and more.
•Staff is currently in the process of drafting an RFP to bring on an outreach consultant to
support citywide S/CAP marketing and communications. This contract will support
integration of all S/CAP programs under unified branding strategy, marketing and
outreach to drive community actions to achieve S/CAP goals, and building sustainability
as fundamental to the City’s identity.
8 Climate Action Blog: Clean Up With a New Water Heater, October 2023;
https://medium.com/paloaltoconnect/climate-action-blog-clean-up-with-a-new-water-heater-4d391c85742c
9 Climate Action Blog: Give Thanks, Help the Planet!, November 2023;
https://medium.com/paloaltoconnect/climate-action-blog-give-thanks-help-the-planet-0639f90194b0
10 Climate Action Blog: Have a Festive & Sustainable Holiday Season, December 2023;
https://medium.com/paloaltoconnect/climate-action-blog-have-a-festive-sustainable-holiday-season-
deab3d9c08cc
11 Sustainability Newsletter, October 2023; https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sustainability-eNewsletter-
October-2023.html?soid=1138677832922&aid=TzQk2sKYds8
12 Sustainability Newsletter, November 2023; https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sustainability-eNewsletter-
November-2023.html?soid=1138677832922&aid=GKzKrkcR0hc
•The City initiated a “Climate Action & Youth Engagement” special project to develop a
strategy to engage youth in implementation of the S/CAP and its associated initiatives,
and partner with Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) to develop a strategy to
educate PAUSD students about the benefits of climate action and the various City
programs supporting climate action (CC&NE 2). The Special Project is almost complete,
and staff will be meeting with PAUSD staff to share ideas.
•In November, the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) Ad Hoc Committee held
a public meeting discussing sustainability and climate action progress and the multiple
studies and projects City of Palo Alto Utilities (CPAU) is doing to facilitate the transition
to widespread electrification. Plus, the committee heard from Peninsula Clean Energy
(PCE) about their renewable energy targets and challenges reaching their 24/7
renewable energy goal.
P4. Additional Emissions Reductions (CC&NE v)
The focus of Priority 4 is to identify an additional 9% in emissions reduction opportunities to
achieve 80 x 30.
•The City is developing a comprehensive plan to gather ideas from community members
and experts about new technologies and potential approaches to additional emissions
reductions in Palo Alto. Staff has held several meetings with Stanford University and
more work will be done when the S/CAP Funding Study is completed.
•As part of the S/CAP Funding Study, the City plans on identifying potential building
electrification measures for commercial and multi-family buildings and to prioritize the
most cost-effective approaches to achieving the additional emissions reductions needed
to achieve 80 x 30.
P5. Funding Needs and Sources (CC&NE v)
The focus of Priority 5 is to identify, by 2024, funding needed and potential funding sources for
full scale implementation of the highest impact emissions reductions.
•An analysis of the funding needs for full scale implementation of the S/CAP Climate
Action Goals and Key Actions, including identifying and estimating costs for additional
emissions reductions to achieve the 80x30 goal, is needed. On June 19, 2023, Council
approved funding for an S/CAP study as part of the FY 2024 Budget. As part of this
study, the City will also develop a city resource needs assessments. The study will build
on the completed Affordability Study model, which was developed by a consultant for
city staff use. Staff discussed the scope of the study with the S/CAP Committee and
Working Group in August 2023 and released a consultant RFP soon after. Staff
anticipates Council consideration of a consulting contract in early 2024.
Sustainability
The Sustainability section of the work plan includes the following S/CAP Areas: Water, Climate
Adaptation & Sea Level Rise, Natural Environment, and Zero Waste.
Water: Further Water Conservation
The near-term focus for water is reducing water consumption while exploring ways to capture
and store water and increase the availability and use of recycled water.
•Since Q3, the percentage of customers who have accessed the WaterSmart portal, a
water management tool which provides residents information about their water
consumption and personalized water conservation measures, has increased from 15% to
17%.
Climate Adaptation and Sea Level Rise: Prepare for Climate Change (CC&NE 5)
The near-term focus for Climate Adaptation and Sea Level Rise is to develop and adopt a multi-
year Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan and minimize wildland fire hazards through Foothills Fire
Management Plan implementation, zoning, and collaborating with Fire agencies.
•The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan will be coordinated with the levee improvements
around Palo Alto’s Bay shoreline (known as the Shoreline II Project), and the Palo Alto
Flood Basin Tide Gate Replacement Project (CC&NE 5). In Q3, the City received a memo
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which could affect funding
opportunities. Valley Water sent a letter with combined feedback and clarification
requests from Valley Water, the Cities of Palo Alto and Mountain View, and CalTrans. A
subsequent response from USACE is expected in Q1 2024. The USCAE study may
influence the direction of Palo Alto’s Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan.
•In late 2023, new state legislation, SB272 Sea Level Rise: Planning and Adaptation
(Laird), was passed which may significantly alter the direction and scope of Palo Alto’s
sea level rise adaptation plan development (CC&NE 5). The legislation, coordinated by
Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), requires a Bay Area-wide plan
and harmonized sub-regional plans. Subregions and required plan components will be
defined by BCDC by the end of 2024. The City is participating in these regional
discussions.
•The City is working to continue progress where possible for sea level rise planning
(CC&NE 5). City departments met during summer and fall to provide feedback about sea
level rise and shallow groundwater mapping tools for City planning use. Staff anticipates
that this feedback will be incorporated into the City’s suite of online GIS maps in Q1
2024.
•Staff prepared a professional services agreement to update the Palo Alto Foothills Fire
Management Plan and Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) (CH&S bbb). These
two documents are very similar in nature, one being more internal facing, and the other
being more outward facing. This update will combine both plans into one document to
integrate the wildfire mitigation efforts among the Palo Alto community. Part of this
update is confirming wildfire protection projects the City conducts routinely. The City
will award this agreement in Q1 2024 and anticipates completion of the update in Q2
2024.
•City departments met with two wildfire sensor vendors to assess and evaluate the
feasibility of these sensors in the Palo Alto community (CH&S bbb). These meetings
were held in conjunction with other agencies including Stanford University, Santa Clara
County FireSafe Council, and Woodside Fire Protection District. The City has not reached
conclusions about their use in Palo Alto, but will monitor their use in other agencies.
Natural Environment: Enhance Biodiversity
The near-term focus for Natural Environment is to increase Palo Alto’s Tree Canopy, reduce
pesticide usage in parks and open space preserves, and support the Green Stormwater
Infrastructure Plan and incorporate it in municipal projects.
•Ongoing tree planting efforts to increase tree canopy will be integrated with traditional
tree planting programs and Green Stormwater Infrastructure to provide co-benefits
including carbon sequestration, improve water quality, capture stormwater when
feasible, and reduce the urban heat island (CC&NE z). An effort to establish a baseline
for carbon storage of Palo Alto’s urban tree canopy is on-track to be completed in 2024.
Zero Waste: Support Waste Reduction
The near-term focus for Zero Waste is to encourage food waste reduction, prevention, and
recovery and provide waste prevention technical assistance; eliminate single-use disposable
containers; and prioritize domestic processing of recyclable materials.
• The City launched a new Zero Waste Living outreach campaign in Q3. The campaign
continues with the latest launch focusing on waste reduction tips for “the garden.” Staff
is in the process of finalizing design and concepts for printed and media deliverables for
waste reduction steps “at work” and “around the house.”
• Work to develop waste prevention outreach tools and technical assistance for the
commercial sector is ongoing and expected to launch in 2024.
• The effort to eliminate single-use disposable containers by expanding the Disposable
Foodware Ordinance has been put on hold until further clarification is received through
SB 54 final regulations and changes on what will be considered recyclable and
compostable. Staffing vacancies are also contributing to the delay.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Initiatives will be managed and funded across various departments and funds. The Fiscal Year
2024 work items in the 2023-2025 draft S/CAP Work Plan can proceed with the actions
approved in the Fiscal Year 2024 Adopted Budget. Staff expects to submit additional resource
requests as part of the annual budget process in subsequent years as the work plan proceeds.
Some items in other work plans are also relevant to the S/CAP Work Plan. The Utilities Strategic
Plan, for example, includes workforce development and advanced metering infrastructure
(AMI) work items that are directly relevant to the S/CAP. Some of these may involve future
budget requests as well.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Stakeholder engagement on S/CAP implementation is wide-reaching and coordinated with
multiple departments. Efforts include direct engagement, webinars, social media and other
digital marketing/outreach, website updates, public signage, Ad Hoc Committee meeting
participation, leveraging the city’s communication platforms, and more. Stakeholder
engagement efforts were described in the Analysis section, under P3. Build Awareness and
Confidence.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This report is for informational purposes only with no action required by the Council, and
therefore it is not a project subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA).
APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer