HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2412-3930CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, March 10, 2025
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
9.Quarterly Information Report on Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP)
Implementation; CEQA Status - Not a Project
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: INFORMATION REPORTS
Lead Department: Public Works
Meeting Date: March 10, 2025
Report #:2412-3930
TITLE
Quarterly Information 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 2024. It is
provided to give the City Council and public an overview of S/CAP workplan items status since
adopted by Council in June of 2023.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City is implementing 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% below 1990 levels by 2030 (the “80 x 30” goal) and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
Since the S/CAP was adopted in June 2023, staff has provided implementation updates covering
progress in Q3 2023, Q4 2023, Q1 2024, Q2 2024 and Q3 2024. This update covers progress
through the fourth quarter of 2024. Highlights of Q4 2024 progress include:
Climate Action
•As of December 19, 2024, 498 residents had either completed installations or signed
contracts to get a new heat pump water heater (HPWH) through the full-service HPWH
program or rebate program, with 84 projects applying for on-bill financing.
•As of December 31, 2024, 17 multi-family properties representing 814 housing units
(about 7.4% of all multifamily units in Palo Alto) installed a total of 263 EV charging
ports facilitated through the City's EV programs, with another 14 multi-family
projects in progress representing an additional 779 residential units (7.1% of
multifamily units) and 211 charging ports. Notable in Q4 2024 was the installation of
6 Level 2 chargers at Alta Housing’s 65-unit Arastradero Park Apartments, which is
the first dedicated affordable housing property in Palo Alto to install chargers
through the EV Rebate Program.
•Ten customers participated in the City’s Residential Energy Assistance Program
(REAP) to receive energy and water efficiency improvements at no cost.
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•As of December 31, 2024, the Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Program
(CIEEP) completed 15 major energy efficiency projects with projected energy savings
of 2,454,865 kWh. Twelve projects are currently being installed, with a projected
savings of 2,706,636 kWh.
•The final draft of the Palo Alto Safety Action Plan, a comprehensive roadway safety
plan focused on improving safety for vulnerable road users which will reduce vehicle
miles traveled and encourage walking and cycling, is complete and will be presented
to Council for review in early 2025.
•On December 16, 2024, the City Council approved the grant agreement with the
Federal Highway Administration for the South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration
Project to improve bikeways and crossings on East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way.
•The City received delivery of two electric vehicles - a Tesla Model 3 and a Rivian R1S
- for the Palo Alto Police Department. There are now 35 EVs in the City fleet, or
about 15% of the passenger vehicles and light duty trucks and vans.
•There are currently 111 City-owned EV chargers, with a total of 146 charging ports, an
increase of 6 EV chargers and 15 charging ports from last quarter. Twenty-five of those
chargers are dedicated to City vehicles, while the rest are primarily for public use.
•The Climate Protection Ad Hoc Committee held four Working Group meetings to
discuss the Whole Home Electrification Program Proposal, Funding Study Policy, EV
Charger Needs Assessment Study, and S/CAP Funding Study preliminary Results.
•The inaugural Youth Climate Advisory Board (YCAB), comprised of 11 high school
students attending schools in Palo Alto, met monthly and appointed three leadership
positions.
Sustainability
•As of December 19, 2024, the percentage of customers who accessed the WaterSmart
portal, an online water management tool, increased to 29%. Last quarter 24% of
customers accessed the portal.
•On October 18, 2024, the City provided feedback on the Bay Conservation Development
Commission’s Draft Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan. The Regional Shoreline
Adaptation Plan (RSAP) guidance for Bay Area was approved at the December 5, 2024
Bay Area Conservation and Development Commission. The City will coordinate the
development of its Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan to align with this and other regional
planning efforts.
•On October 7, 2024, City Council adopted a resolution approving the Palo Alto Local
Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), including Volume I of the 2023 County of Santa Clara
Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and Volume II of the Palo Alto
Jurisdictional Annex.
•The City developed a new innovative outreach tool for businesses offering waste
reduction resources. This initiative is the first of its kind and provides tips and best
practices for waste prevention in daily operations and procurements.
•As part of the new Zero Waste Living outreach campaign, the City published fourteen
Zero Waste Minute weekly e-newsletters in Q4 2024, providing the community with
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reduce, reuse, and repair tips, and essential tools to tackle the complex waste
challenges our community is dedicated to solving.
BACKGROUND
In April 2016, the City Council adopted the goal of reducing GHG emissions 80% below 1990
levels by 2030 (the “80 x 30” goal),1 and in October 2022 the City Council adopted the ambitious
goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.2 Staff, with community and City 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,3 certified the
Comprehensive Plan Environmental Impact Report Addendum: Update to the Sustainability and
Climate Action Plan,4 and accepted the 2023-2025 S/CAP Workplan.5 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 S/CAP
aligns with several goals of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan Implementation Plan.
All previous S/CAP Implementation updates can be found in the Sustainability and Climate
Action Plan (S/CAP) Program Reports section of the Sustainability Actions and Accomplishments
page of the City website6.
The 2022 S/CAP and 2023-2025 S/CAP Work Plan align with one of the four Council Priorities for
CY 2024: “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 2024 Council Priority Objectives Q4 Report.7 This report references the Council Priority
Objectives in parentheses where applicable.
1 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
2 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
3 2022 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan;
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/sustainability/reports/2022-scap-report_final.pdf
4 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
5 2023-2025 S/CAP Workplan, 2023;
https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/files/assets/public/v/1/sustainability/reports/2023-2025-scap-work-plan_final.pdf
6 Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) Progress Reports, https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/City-
Hall/Sustainability/Goals-and-Progress/Sustainability-Actions-and-Accomplishments
7 City Council, January 21, 2025: Agenda Item #13; SR #2501-3968,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=1d9f9f98-3d09-44e0-84d3-3ffb71def84c
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ANALYSIS
The City is 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.
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 and Sea Level Rise, Natural Environment, and Zero Waste). The Work Plan is
similarly divided between climate-focused and sustainability-focused priorities.
There are 23 Council Priority Objectives in the 2024 Council Priority Area Climate Change and
The Natural Environment: Protection & Adaptation (CC&NE). This report addresses 18 of those
Council Priority Objectives, as well as 2 in Council Priority Area Community Health, Safety,
Wellness, and Belonging (CHSW&B), as shown in Table 1.
Table 1: 2024 Council Priority Objectives Addressed in the S/CAP Quarterly Report
Number Council Priority Objective
Climate Change and the Natural Environment: Protection & Adaptation (CC&NE)
Climate Change Protection
CC&NE 14 Conduct community engagement and data collection and analysis to develop a
Safe Streets for All (SS4A) Safety Action Plan for Council approval in 2024
CC&NE 15
Continue community engagement efforts to inform the update and receive
Council feedback on the 2025 Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP)
characteristics in preparation for next steps including environmental review and
adoption in 2025
CC&NE 16 Complete initial pilot area of electric grid modernization
CC&NE 18 Continue to improve the Advanced Heat Pump Water Heater Pilot Program in
preparation for a full-scale program
CC&NE 19 Adopt a residential whole home electrification pilot program
CC&NE 20
Refine existing HVAC pilot program to encourage participation as a next step
toward a 2025 Council approved commercial rooftop HVAC electrification
advanced pilot program
CC&NE 21 Develop and approve an Electric Vehicle Strategic Plan
CC&NE 22 Develop an EV Replacement Program for the City Fleet
CC&NE 23 Develop and initiate implementation of a Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan
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CC&NE 24 Develop draft S/CAP funding study with Council input
CC&NE 25 Evaluate and report out Palo Alto Link pilot performance and consider
continuation and/or expansion of future services
CC&NE 26
Begin community engagement to consider parking policy updates that enhance
customer satisfaction, improve program sustainability, and aligns with S/CAP
mobility goals
CC&NE 27 Amend local building regulations to establish a "One Margin" energy efficiency
standard, to allow installation of natural gas plumbing while imposing more
stringent energy efficiency and all-electric readiness requirements to all new
buildings
CC&NE 28 Initiate the 2026 California Building Standards Code update, including the
California Green Building Standards Code
CC&NE 29
Complete community engagement for the Airport’s Long-Range Facilities &
Sustainability Plan in accordance with Federal requirements and hold a study
session with Council on the draft plan
Climate Change Adaptation: Flood Protection
CC&NE 31 Advocate for the San Francisquito Creek Flood Protection capital project (Reach
2) through Council’s JPA representation and any Council approvals involved
CC&NE 32
Complete design and right-of-way acquisition, obtain regulatory permits,
finalize project funding needs including potential Council advocacy with State
legislators, and approve construction contract for the Newell Road Bridge
Replacement project
CC&NE 33 Coordinate with Federal and regional partners on a path forward exploring the
development of a Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan
Community Health, Safety, Wellness, and Belonging (CHSW&B)
Invest in Reliable Safety Infrastructure and Systems
CHSW&B 70 Approve updated Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and Community Wildfire
Protection Plan
CHSW&B 71 Update Foothills Fire Management Plan
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. This
includes five priorities with various work items under each priority. This report notes where
these work items have been designated as Council priority objectives.
P1. Grid Modernization
P2. Launch Programs
P2.1 Residential Emissions Reduction
P2.2 Non-Residential Emissions Reduction
P2.3 Citywide Mobility
P2.4 Municipal Electrification
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P2.5 EV Strategic Plan
P3. Build Awareness and Confidence
P4. Additional Emissions Reductions
P5. Funding Needs and Sources
Separately from the work plan updates, there are two 2024 S/CAP-related Council priority
objectives that did not appear in the Work Plan. The first (CC&NE 27) was to adopt local
amendments to the State’s Energy Code to replace all-electric new construction
requirements which had been placed under an enforcement moratorium in February 2024.8
Council adopted replacement local amendments that became effective October 4, 2024.
The second (CC&NE 28) is to begin planning for the next building code cycle, 2026-2028. The
City has already started the planning process, forming a staff team and completing an RFP
for professional services to assist with the process.
P1. Grid Modernization
Electric grid reliability and resilience will be important to inspiring confidence in electrified
homes and vehicles. The focus of Priority 1 is to preserve and enhance reliability, modernize
the electric grid and replace aging infrastructure, increase electric grid capacity to
accommodate electrification, and explore ways to enhance resiliency.
Grid Modernization (Work Plan Item 1A, Council Priority Objective CC&NE 16): As of November
2024, the engineering design work was completed, and project construction began. The City
continues to work with vendors and distributors of poles, transformers, and secondary wire to
ensure a continuous supply of materials, and to ensure the Pilot Project is completed in a timely
manner and on budget. To date, 55 out of 75 poles (73%) have been replaced, 36 new
transformers have been hung, and a significant portion of the planned tree trimming work has
been completed. Additionally, 428 (47%) out of 908 residences in the Pilot Area now have
sufficient electrical capacity for electrification. The Pilot Area remains on track for completion
by the end of March 2025.
Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan (Work Plan Items 1B, 1C, Council Priority Objective
CC&NE 23): In April 2024, the City Council accepted the Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan
(RRSP).9 A status report on implementation was included in a report to the Utilities Advisory
Commission on September 4, 2024.10 This status update summarized various City efforts to
improve reliability and resiliency, including utility workforce planning, tree trimming,
undergrounding in the Foothills, and grid modernization. In addition, three studies are currently
in progress to help understand the costs and benefits of flexible energy technologies, efficient
electrification, and microgrids on City electric supply and distribution costs and on community
8 City Council, February 26, 2024; Agenda Item #14; SR #2402-2644,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=8ac11983-10ba-4a79-a823-3693203c22d7
9 City Council, April 15, 2024; Agenda Item #4; SR #2401-2496,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=ada33d0c-c1a6-490c-8978-4107b43e6ab5
10 Utilities Advisory Commission, September 4, 2024, Agenda Item 4, Attachment B,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=13500
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member resiliency (RRSP Strategy 4). Potential reliability and resiliency programs are being
developed for staff, UAC, and Council consideration.
Utility Rates and Fees (Work Plan Item 1D): The City is on track to complete the advanced
metering infrastructure (AMI) project by March of 2025, with time of use rates planned to
follow with a limited pilot program. The City is pursuing a study to modify its transformer
upgrade fees to avoid situations where the resident who triggers a transformer upgrade pays
the entire cost of that upgrade. The study is partially completed but has been delayed due to
staff turnover.
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 goals for residential emissions reduction embodied in the Work Plan include
encouraging EV adoption for all residents, helping multi-family residents access EV charging,
and facilitating building electrification of single-family homes and multi-family affordable
housing.
Advanced Heat Pump Water Heater Pilot (Work Plan Items 2.1D, 2.1E, Council Priority
Objective CC&NE 18): The City launched the Advanced Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) Pilot
Program in March 2023. The pilot’s goal is 1,000 heat pump water heater installations. It
includes both a full-service option (where residents can use the City’s prescreened contractor
to complete the install at a discount) and a rebate option (where residents can hire their own
contractor and receive a rebate), with a new emergency replacement option launched in
September 2024. As of December 19, 2024, 498 residents had either completed installations
or signed contracts to get a heat pump water heater installed through the City’s programs,
with 84 of these projects applying for on-bill financing. With the current pace of new HPWH
program signups, the City is on a pace to complete around 250 water heater conversions per
year through the Advanced HPWH Pilot Program, equivalent to about 20 percent of the water
heaters estimated to be replaced each year. In addition, the City and State Energy Reach
Codes encourage new construction and major renovations to be built all-electric, which adds
to this total.
The City is working on various efforts to increase signups for the Advanced HPWH Pilot
Program. In 2024 the City worked to improve the program and increase signups through:
•Innovative outreach: targeted online and social media advertisements, community
canvassing, in-person events, and mailers in addition to traditional outreach. Mailers were
the most effective.
•Customer outreach: a customer feedback outreach effort to improve customer
satisfaction was completed in early 2024, and several program improvements were
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implemented based on the feedback received. On average, customer satisfaction surveys
consistently show 8.1/10 rating on "likeliness to recommend the program"
•Keeping pricing low: used Council-approved budget (April 2024) after State incentive
expired
•Expanded outreach: increased outreach to income-qualified residents
•Additional programs: launched emergency replacement program (September 2024)
•More technical expertise: established an electrification expert program to help with
complex installations.
The installation rate has stayed at about five installations per week (about 250 per year),
about 150-200 per year through the full-service program and 50-100 through the rebate
program. This is about 20% of the estimated annual turnover of HPWH in Palo Alto and 5-10
times the rate of installation at other top HPWH programs in the State, adjusted for
population. If the emergency replacement program were to add another 100 installations per
year, that could increase the percentage of estimated annual turnover to about 30%.
Counting new construction and major remodels, which represent 100-200 new heat pump
water heaters per year, the City may be reaching as much as 35% or more of the estimated
annual water heater turnover.
Whole Home Electrification (Work Plan Items 2.1G, 2.1H, Council Priority Objective CC&NE
19): The City is launching its whole home electrification program in two phases. In the first
phase, launching in January 2025, the City is establishing a program to help people hire their
own contractor to do home electrification projects. The first phase includes new rebates, an
online home electrification assessment tool, a free phone consultation with an electrification
expert, a contractor directory, and financing.
In a second phase, scheduled for summer of 2025, the City will look to add a full service,
turnkey program to help people with home electrification upgrades using a City-prescreened
contractor. Rebates will continue to be available for customers who choose to work with their
own contractor. An initial Whole Home Pilot for 100 homes could have various incentives for
electrifying at least one major appliance. Spending authority for Phase 1 is included in the
Adopted FY 2025 Budget, but additional Council approvals will be needed for Phase 2.
Electric Vehicles and Charging (Work Plan Items 2.1A, 2.1C, 2.1J): The City’s promotion of
electric vehicle (EV) adoption and expansion of multi-family EV infrastructure continued. In
Q4 2024, the City offered four in-person EV showcases, four EV webinars, and three EV
discount campaigns (one for new EVs, one for used EVs, and one for e-bikes). Three of the
four EV showcase events in Q4 took place at multifamily properties with recent EV charging
installations at 101 Alma (market rate condos), Arastradero Park Apartments (income-
qualified apartments), and University Terrace (Stanford staff and faculty housing). An
additional “Frunk-or-Treat” EV showcase took place at Mitchell Park during Halloween with
approximately 250 attendees and included e-bike test rides. In 2025, the City plans to support
at least five EV and e-bike discount campaigns and workshops, three large community-facing
EV showcases, and up to 18 resident-focused mini EV showcases at or near multifamily
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properties.
As of December 31, 2024, 17 multi-family properties representing 814 housing units (about
7.4% of all multifamily units in Palo Alto) installed a total of 263 EV charging ports (including
make-ready spaces) facilitated through the City's EV programs, with another 14 multi-family
projects in progress representing an additional 779 residential units (7.1% of multifamily
units) and 211 charging ports. Notable in Q4 2024 was the installation of 6 Level 2 chargers
at Alta Housing’s 65-unit Arastradero Park Apartments, which is the first dedicated
affordable housing property in Palo Alto to install chargers through the EV Rebate Program.
The City is evaluating designs for an expanded version of the City’s multi-family EV
program, and is also considering adding incentives for the purchase of e-bikes and new or
used EVs specifically for income-qualified households.
Affordable Housing Electrification (Work Plan Item 2.1I): The City continues to engage with
multi-family affordable housing providers in Palo Alto on building electrification and vehicle
charging. To-date, the City has collaborated with multiple affordable housing providers on
potential EV charging projects and is engaging in conversations and site assessments
regarding facility energy upgrade needs and electrification opportunities. In addition to Alta
Housing’s Arastradero Park Apartments that completed an EV charging installation in Q4
2024, there are two additional affordable housing projects that have been permitted and five
more that are in either the scoping or bidding phase that are expected in install projects in
2025, which will result in 74 new EV chargers and 24 EV ready parking spaces serving 522
affordable multifamily residential units.
The City’s Residential Energy Assistance Program (REAP) for income-qualified customers
continues to reach the City’s most vulnerable population, offering energy and water efficiency
improvements at no cost to the customer. In Q4 2024, 10 customers participated in the REAP
program. Four received a HPWH at no cost, and two additional REAP customer received a site
assessment for a heat pump water heater and is awaiting installation. Three received energy
and water efficiency upgrades. Some customers received both efficiency upgrades and a
HPWH.
P2.2. Non-Residential Emissions Reduction
The goals for non-residential emissions reduction embodied in the Work Plan include
encouraging electrification of rooftop packaged HVAC units in commercial buildings,
developing custom partnerships with major employers, and developing strategies to promote
lower emissions commuting.
Rooftop Packaged HVAC (Work Plan Items 2.2A, 2.2B, Council Priority Objective CC&NE 20): In
September 2024 the City launched an update to the rooftop packaged HVAC pilot with the goal
of collecting additional data to inform the design of an advanced pilot program. To achieve this,
the City is offering enhanced incentives to a limited group of 10 customers. In return, these
customers are required to gather and provide detailed cost and project information to the City.
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Businesses that prefer not to collect this data can still participate in the program at the original
incentive level.
Outreach efforts are ongoing through various channels to encourage participation. So far,
seven building owners have applied to join the program, with two permits issued and one
project successfully completed.11
Major Employer Partnerships (Work Plan Item 2.2C): This work plan item involves developing
customer partnerships for emissions reduction with major employers, including assistance
for City facility projects and the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). Staffing changes
slowed progress on this item. The City has been in talks with multiple major employers and
completed a project to install EV charging in partnership with Stanford Health Care. The City
coordinated with PAUSD on its HVAC improvements to various schools and the City is
exploring potential City facility electrification projects.
As of December 31, 2024, the Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Program (CIEEP)
achieved 2,454,865 kWh in actualized savings from fifteen completed projects. An additional
twelve projects currently being installed are expected to generate 2,706,636 kWh in savings,
bringing the total projected and actualized savings to 5,161,501 kwh. Thirteen projects are
currently undergoing onsite assessments which will result in an “Initial Investigation” report.
This report will identify and quantify potential energy-efficiency measures with the goal of
converting them into actual installations.
Commuter / Visitor Emissions Reduction (Work Plan Items 2.2D, 2.2E): These work plan items
have been lower priority pending completion of the Electric Vehicle Strategic Plan (renamed
“E-Mobility Strategic Plan” - see Priority 2.5, below).
P2.3. Citywide Mobility
The goals for citywide mobility embodied in the Work Plan include both transportation-
focused and land-use focused actions.
Transportation and Land Use Policies and Programs (Work Plan Item 2.3A): The Safe Routes
to School (SRTS) program continues to grow, with the anticipated addition of a youth-
focused coordinator for programs at the middle and high schools. This year is the 30th
anniversary of the SRTS program, and a celebration is being planned for Bike Month in May
2025.
The Downtown Housing Plan began in March 2024 with the goal of increasing housing
production while ensuring that the downtown area continues to be an attractive local and
regional destination. The Plan will help implement programs of the Housing Element by
establishing policies and development standards, and plan for the public infrastructure
necessary to support increased housing. The project is in the needs assessment phase
11 Program rebate amounts and guidelines; http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/commercialhvac
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which includes stakeholder engagement. A Community Advisory Group was formed in
December 2024.
The San Antonio Road Area Plan envisions creating cohesive mixed-use neighborhoods with
improved mobility and interconnectivity through an integrated transportation network that
reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the use of single-occupancy motor vehicles. The Plan
will implement a program in the Housing Element to redevelop a portion of the Bayshore
Alma San Antonio Priority Development Area (BASA PDA). An RFP was issued in June 2024
for a consultant to develop the Plan and staff is working on finalizing the contract for the
Council to review in early 2025.
Housing Element Adoption and Implementation (Work Plan Items 2.3B, 2.3C): In a joint session
on April 15, 2024, the Planning & Transportation Commission and the City Council readopted
the sixth cycle 2023-2031 Housing Element. On August 20, 2024, the City accomplished the
milestone of receiving Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD)
certification of the Housing Element.12 Following adoption and HCD certification, the City has
made considerable progress in implementing the 110 program objectives in the 2023-2031
Housing Element.
Last Mile Solutions (Work Plan Items 2.3D, 2.3E and Council Priority Objective CC&NE 25):
During the budget adoption process, the City Council reduced its General Fund allocation to
the Palo Alto Link on-demand transit service pilot program and directed staff to make fare
and coverage changes to the service. These changes went to Council for adoption in October
2024.
On October 30, 2024, the Office of Transportation presented issues for consideration
regarding micromobility to the Planning and Transportation Commission.13 The Commission
provided feedback and suggested the development of a feasibility study to understand local
demand for micromobility and to identify if a micromobility program would be financially
sustainable for the City. The City began conducting research and will work with an on-call
transportation planning firm to do data analysis. The feasibility study is scheduled to be
completed in the late spring of 2025.
Bicycling Improvements (Work Plan Items 2.3F, 2.3G and Council Priority Objectives CC&NE 14
and CC&NE 15):
The City worked with transportation planning firm Fehr & Peers to develop a final draft of the
Palo Alto Safety Action Plan. This comprehensive roadway safety plan is critical to reaching
S/CAP goals because improving safety for vulnerable road users will reduce vehicle miles
traveled and encourage walking and cycling. The final draft was reviewed by an internal staff
12 City of Palo Alto, 6th Cycle 2023-2030 Housing Element, Adopted April 15, 2024, Certified August 20, 2024,
https://paloaltohousingelement.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Palo-Alto-Housing-Element.pdf.
13 Planning and Transportation Commission, October 30, 2024; Agenda Item #3; SR #2410-3586,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/portal/viewer?id=5662&type=0
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working group and revised accordingly. The City issued a Public Review Draft in December
which is available to the Palo Alto community for comment. City staff are presenting the draft
plan for review at standing committees and Council in early 2025, with final plan adoption by
City Council in Spring 2025.
For the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update, the project team developed a
strategy for public engagement to present and get feedback on system development and
network priorities. This includes the project's draft recommendations for the updated bicycle
network and draft list of projects, as well as the draft project prioritization framework and
performance measures. Public engagement activities will occur in winter 2025 and extend
into spring 2025 and include meetings with the City's Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory
Committee, Planning and Transportation Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Rail
Committee, the City Council, focus groups, a community meeting, and online engagement.
The feedback received will help shape the draft and final plan. The draft plan is anticipated to
be released in fall 2025.
On December 16, 2024, the City Council approved the grant agreement with the Federal
Highway Administration for the South Palo Alto Bikeways Demonstration Project.14 The
$888,000 federal funds and $222,000 matching City funds will use quick-build infrastructure
to improve bikeways and crossings on East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way. The City will
begin procurement for a transportation planning firm to finalize the street design in January
2025 and is aiming for construction at the end of summer 2025.
Transportation Demand Management (Work Plan Item 2.3H): The Palo Alto Transportation
Management Association (PATMA) is conducting essential outreach to businesses on El
Camino Real regarding available transit, bike, and parking programs in advance of the parking
changes to the corridor as part of the Caltrans repaving project, as funded by a $25,000 VTA
Transit Oriented Communities Grant. Work on the City’s Transportation Demand Management
(TDM) Ordinance is on hold until staff capacity is available. The PATMA administered a
commute survey for 2024 and received 885 completed responses. The PATMA distributed 46
free transit passes to workers at businesses along El Camino Real in Q4, encouraging
sustainable commutes.
Parking (Work Plan Items 2.3I, 2.3J, Council Priority Objective CC&NE 26): The City initiated a
survey that closed in August to gauge customer satisfaction and support for future updates to
parking policies. The City is planning to continue community engagement efforts for proposed
enhancements to our parking policies and programs. The City will select a parking permit
vendor by January 2025 and work with the selected vendor to present improvement options.
Public Works contractors began work on installing Automated Parking Guidance Systems in four
Downtown garages. The systems, similar to the one installed at the 350 Sherman Avenue
garage in the California Avenue district, will display parking availability by level, enabling better
14 City Council, December 16, 2024; Agenda Item #9; SR #2411-3763,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/portal/viewer?id=5890&type=0
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efficiency of parking resources. Improvements will seek to limit the time that drivers spend
circulating to find parking and will offer opportunities to better align parking policies with TDM
efforts and more efficient usage of parking resources.
On October 15, 202415, Office of Transportation staff presented the Finance Committee with
several potential parking management strategies, such as eliminating the Color Zone system
and charging an hourly rate where parking demand is high, such as on-street parking. These
strategies would alleviate traffic congestion at high-demand locations and would encourage
travel modes alternative to driving.
Traffic Signals (Work Plan Item 2.3K):
The City continually monitors, maintains, and optimizes traffic signal operations, and
addresses concerns from the community daily. As funding and staffing allow, the City also
works on a variety of capital improvement program projects to update and upgrade the
current traffic signal network and keep up with changing standards, modernization, and
intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies. These improvements are a key
component to optimizing operations to reduce delays and GHG emissions.
In Q4 of 2024, the City completed upgrades to three intersections along Charleston Road. The
City also kicked-off a new capital project to upgrade systems at four intersections along
Quarry Road. The City is continuing to make progress on several projects including at the
intersection of Alma Road/Churchill Avenue. The City also began a significant update for its
centralized traffic signal management systems.
Included with the traffic signal program, the City programmed and plans to add or upgrade
several pedestrian-activated beacon crossings and will be installing the newest crossing at
University Avenue and East Crescent Drive in early 2025. These pedestrian crossing
improvements are essential in encouraging walking and alternative modes of transportation.
P2.4. Municipal Electrification (CC&NE 22)
The City’s municipal electrification efforts include both facility and fleet electrification and are
intended to show the community that the City will participate in the same electrification
efforts it is encouraging the community to undertake.
Facility Electrification (Work Plan Items 2.4A, 2.4B, 2.4C): In 2023, the City worked on a Facility
Electrification Assessment Plan. The City is evaluating the feasibility of electrifying equipment
at City Facilities each time aging equipment requires replacement. Completion of an
Electrification Plan for City Facilities has been delayed while a vacant staff position dedicated
to this effort is filled.
15 Finance Committee, October 15, 2024; Agenda Item #AA1; SR #2409-3537,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/portal/viewer?id=5580&type=0
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Fleet Electrification (Work Plan Items 2.4D, 2.4E and Council Priority Objective CC&NE 22): In
Q4 2024, the City received delivery of two electric vehicles - a Tesla Model 3 and a Rivian R1S,
both for the Palo Alto Police Department - which replaced internal combustion engine fleet
vehicles. There are 35 EVs in the City fleet, or about 15% of the passenger vehicles and light
duty trucks and vans. Six new EV chargers dedicated to the City fleet vehicles were placed in
service at City Hall in Q4 2024, for a total of 25.
As part of the Capital Budget, the City Council approved an all-electric FY 2025 vehicle
replacement program, except for Police pursuit vehicles. The City ordered the above-
mentioned Rivian R1S as a pilot EV Police pursuit vehicle.
Publicly Owned Charger Planning (Work Plan Item 2.4F): There are currently 111 City-owned
EV chargers, with a total of 146 charging ports, an increase of 6 EV chargers and 15 charging
ports from last quarter. Twenty-five of those chargers are dedicated to City vehicles, while
the rest are primarily for public use. Development of a plan for additional publicly owned
charging is awaiting completion of the E-Mobility Strategic Plan (P2.5, below)
P2.5. E-Mobility Strategic Plan (Council Priority Objective CC&NE 21)
In September 2024, staff presented a preliminary outline for the EV Strategic Plan—now titled
the E-Mobility Strategic Plan—to the Climate Protection Ad Hoc Committee. In early November,
staff also shared preliminary results of the EV Charger Needs Assessment, a key component for
finalizing the Strategic Plan. A review of electric grid impacts, EV charging benefits, mitigation
strategies, and opportunities has been incorporated into a consultant contract approved by
Council in September to support implementation of the Reliability and Resiliency Strategic Plan
(approved in April). Using insights from these studies and feedback from the Ad Hoc
Committee, staff aims to finalize the E-Mobility Strategic Plan for policymaker and stakeholder
review, with Council approval targeted for the first half of 2025.
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.
Building Awareness of the Need for and Benefits of Climate Action (Work Plan Item 3.1A): The
City continues to publish a monthly Climate Action Blog and a Quarterly Sustainability
Newsletter. In Q4 2024, the City published an October16 and November17 Climate Blog. The
City did not publish a Sustainability Newsletter in Q4. Historically, the Sustainability
Newsletters have an average 52% open rate, which is the percentage of readers that open the
e-mail you send them. The average open rate for electronic newsletters is 21.5%.
16 Climate Blog, October 2024: https://medium.com/paloaltoconnect/the-ultimate-palo-alto-halloween-
community-guide-37d958e9ac09
17 Climate Blog, November 2024: https://medium.com/paloaltoconnect/sustainability-for-a-greener-holiday-
season-c2409d03cf60
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In Q4 2024, the City held one Bike Palo Alto event, three electric vehicle webinars, one E-bike
webinar, one EV & E-bike Show: Frunk or Treat!, two gardening webinars, one SunShares
Webinar, one Pollinator Plants Walk and Talk, one rain garden workshop, one composting
workshop, and one Heating Solutions for Commercial Buildings webinar.
The City participated in the California Avenue Third Thursday “Sustainability Fun Fair” on
October 17, 2024.
The City co-sponsored Acterra’s 2024 Electric Home Tour18 on October 19, 2024, which engaged
Bay Area residents in a unique opportunity to explore sustainable home electrification. There
was a total of 403 participants, with 118 participants visiting homes in Palo Alto.
In Q4 2024, the Climate Protection Ad Hoc Committee19 held four Working Group meetings to
discuss the Whole Home Electrification Program Proposal, Funding Study Policy, EV Charger
Needs Assessment Study, and S/CAP Funding Study preliminary Results.
In Q4, 2024, the inaugural Youth Climate Advisory Board (YCAB), comprised of 11 high school
students attending schools in Palo Alto, met monthly and appointed three leadership
positions: Chair, Elsa Lagerblad, Junior, Palo Alto High School; Vice Chair, Caitlin Hopkins,
Junior, Castilleja School; and Vice Chair, Aiden Miao, Sophomore, Palo Alto High School.
YCAB formed issue-specific subcommittees and met with City staff to learn more about City
initiatives, programs, and policies, and discuss how YCAB can work with the City on various
policy issues.
Drive Community Actions to Achieve S/CAP Goals (Work Plan Item 3.1B): The City continued to
implement the Electrification Marketing Plan and the Heat Pump Water Heater Marketing
Plan. The City provided information on sustainability and climate action programs and
initiatives for residents and businesses at the Third Thursday Sustainability Fun Fair and at the
Electric Home Tour. The City published a November Blog20 on Heat Pump HVAC Systems.
S/CAP Reporting and Surveys (Work Plan Items 3.1C, 3.1D): The City continues to calculate
an annual GHG emissions inventory. In October, the City reported on the 2022 Citywide
GHG inventory to the CDP,21 an international non-profit that helps companies, cities,
states, regions, and public authorities disclose their environmental impact.
Build Confidence in City’s Electric Infrastructure (Work Plan Item 3.1E): The City continues
to provide updates and engagement around its electric infrastructure.
18 Acterra Electric Home Tour, October 2024; https://acterra.org/electrification/greenhome/electric-home-tour/
19 Climate Protection Ad Hoc Committee; https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/City-Clerk/City-
Council- Committees/Climate-Protection-Ad-Hoc-Committee
20 November Blog, https://medium.com/paloaltoconnect/save-big-for-a-limited-time-save-the-planet-install-a-
heat-pump-hvac-system-733aa93bfcd7
21 CDP, https://data.cdp.net/
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P4. Additional Emissions Reductions
The focus of Priority 4 is to identify an additional nine percent in emissions reduction
opportunities to achieve 80 x 30, primarily through a focus on studying multi-family and
commercial building equipment. The City is proceeding with studies of the multi-family and
commercial sectors in conjunction with the S/CAP Funding Study. These studies include
review of publicly available data sources and on-site surveys of building equipment at multi-
family and commercial buildings. The City’s consultant completed its review of publicly
available data and a number of on-site surveys of commercial and multi-family buildings and
is working to complete a summary report.
P5. Funding Needs and Sources (Council Priority Objective CC&NE 24)
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. Council approved a
contract with E3/Willdan in January 2024 to complete a study of funding needs and sources.
This S/CAP Funding Study continues. Completion of the Funding Study depends in part on
completion of other complementary studies, including an EV Charger Needs Assessment,
Building Sector Study, and the Funding Source Survey. All studies are being completed by the
same group of consultants and all are in progress in parallel. Preliminary results from all
studies were generated in Q4 2024. Staff discussed scenarios to model in the Funding Study
with the Climate Protection Ad Hoc Committee in October 2024. The consultant generated
preliminary results based on those scenarios and staff reviewed key insights and outputs with
the Ad Hoc Committee and Working Group in December.
Sustainability
The Sustainability section of the work plan includes the following S/CAP Areas: Water, Climate
Adaptation and Sea Level Rise, Natural Environment, and Zero Waste.
Maximize Water Conservation and Efficiency (Work Plan Item 8.A): 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. The WaterSmart customer portal, an
online water management tool, launched in November 2022. Through this program, home
water reports are sent to around 11,000 single-family customers on a monthly basis. A control
group of around 4,000 single-family customers currently do not get the reports. The average
open rate of home water report emails is 74%. As of December 19, 2024, 29% of all single-
family customers have accessed the portal – an increase from 24% last quarter - which
provides information about their water consumption and personalized water conservation
recommendations. Results from the efficiency study show that sending home water reports
results in water savings of 3.4%.
The City, in partnership with the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency
(BAWSCA), offers landscape education classes throughout the year to introduce residents to
the concepts of water-efficient and sustainable landscaping. In Q4 2024, the City held two
online and two in-person workshops.
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Design and build a salt removal facility for the Regional Water Quality Control Plant (Work
Plan Item 8.B): The City continues work on the Advanced Water Purification System, which
will reduce the salinity of treated water used for irrigation. In May, the City Council reviewed
Site and Design application for a proposed local advanced water purification system.22 The
design is complete, funding is secured, and staff anticipates Council approving a construction
contract in Spring 2025.
Develop a “One Water” Portfolio for Palo Alto (Work Plan Item 8.C): The final One Water Plan
is a 20-year trigger-based plan for implementing future water supply and conservation
portfolio alternatives. Staff presented this plan to the Utilities Advisory Commission in
January 2025 and will transmit the report to Council in 2025.
Develop a tool for dynamic water planning in the future (Work Plan Item 8.D): An excel-
based tool for water planning is part of the “One Water” Plan effort and final report tools
the City now has to assist in modeling and planning efforts.
Complete the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment (Work Plan Item 8.E): The City
completed a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment in the Fall of 2022. The Vulnerability
Assessment identified risks and hazards to the Palo Alto Baylands, City infrastructure, and
residential and business property. The Assessment considers high tide, 100-year coastal
storm event scenarios, and rising shallow groundwater impacts.
Develop a Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan (Work Plan Item 8.F and Council Priority Objective
CC&NE 33): The City will coordinate the development of its Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan
to align with SB272 (Laird): Sea Level Rise Planning and Adaptation requirements and other
regional planning efforts. On October 18, 2024, the City provided feedback on the Bay
Conservation Development Commission’s Draft Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan. The
Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan (RSAP) guidance for Bay Area was approved at the
December 5, 2024 Bay Area Conservation and Development Commission. The RSAP
requires subregional (e.g., County-wide, or City-wide) sea level rise plans. The Santa Clara
County Office of Sustainability is considering leading subregional plan development and
will provide a proposal to interested partners, including the City of Palo Alto, to collaborate
on elements of the RSAP guidance. Staff anticipates a proposal for this effort in Q1 2025.
Part of any long-term sea level rise adaptation plan will include Palo Alto shoreline levee
improvements which had been pursued most recently through the Shoreline II Project led by
Valley Water as the lead for a partnership with the United States Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE). In late 2023, a USACE cost/benefit analysis determined that there is no federal
interest in funding Palo Alto shoreline improvements at this time, and that improvements
would not be needed until approximately 2060. A Congressional letter encouraging another
22 City Council, May 13; Agenda Item #11; SR #2403-2760,
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review of this determination was sent to no avail. Valley Water and Shoreline II partners
(CalTrans and the cities of Palo Alto and Mountain View) developed an agency factsheet, and
other reference materials for public information and as a staff technical reference.
Despite longer-term regional planning horizons for sea level rise, the City is working on several
near-term goals. These efforts include publishing web-based GIS maps which depict future sea
level rise and shallow groundwater changes for use in City project planning (implementation
for use is estimated by July 1, 2025), and inclusion of sea level rise in long range facility plans
for the Regional Water Quality Control Plant and Palo Alto Airport—both of these are active
tasks.
Begin design process for levee projects (Work Plan Item 8.G): The City continues to advance
the Palo Alto Horizontal Levee Pilot Project (PAHLPP). The PAHLPP will be the first horizontal
levee to be built in the Bay Area to be both irrigated with treated wastewater and
hydrologically connected to San Francisco Bay. The project will provide much-needed data to
inform the design of future horizontal levees around the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Horizontal levees are nature-based sea level rise adaptations with multiple benefits over
traditional flood- control levees such as habitat enhancement, sea level rise adaptation, and
additional wastewater treatment. The City’s project partner, San Francisco Estuary
Partnership, is releasing a solicitation for construction in January 2025 with the goal to begin
construction during the first half of 2025. This was enabled by an additional $2 million
Coastal Conservancy grant that was approved in December 2024 to address escalating
construction costs. Staff is also working on interpretive signage with the Association of
Ramaytush Ohlone, and lining up required monitoring services and permit requirements.
Identify Protection Strategies from Significant Flood Events (Work Plan Items 8.H, 8.I, 8.J, and
Council Priority Objectives CC&NE 31 and 32): The City continues to work with the San
Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA) member agencies to coordinate the San
Francisquito Creek Flood Protection capital project (Reach 2) with the Newell Road Bridge
replacement project.
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (Council Priority Objective CHSW&B 70): The federal Disaster
Mitigation Act of 2000 requires all cities, counties, and special districts to adopt a Local
Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) to receive disaster mitigation funding from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The State of California and FEMA approved the
Santa Clara County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP), Volume I and the
associated Jurisdictional Annexes, Volume II. On October 7, 2024, City Council adopted a
resolution23 approving the Palo Alto LHMP, including Volume I of the 2023 County of Santa
Clara Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and Volume II of the Palo Alto Jurisdictional
Annex.
23 City Council, October 7, 2024; Agenda Item #14; SR #2407-3313,
https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/viewer?id=0&type=7&uid=b90a63a1-e1cc-4b5f-934b-bee4486b2909
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Foothills Fire Management Plan and Collaboration on Reducing Wildfire Hazards (Work Plan
Items 8.K, 8.L, 8.M, 8.N, Council Priority Objective CHSW&B 71): The effort to combine the
Palo Alto Foothills Fire Management Plan and Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
into one document to integrate the wildfire mitigation efforts among the Palo Alto
community is underway. The updated plan is currently under environmental review and will
be open for public comment when the review is complete. The final plan is scheduled to be
completed in Q2 2025.
Increase Palo Alto’s Tree Canopy and Ensure No Net Tree Canopy Loss (Work Plan Items 8.O,
8.P): The City will use the iTree inventory to calculate a baseline and citywide public tree
inventory update. The current baseline, which needs to be updated, is 5,236,420 lbs CO2
sequestered for 35,570 calculated public trees. The inventory data points used to calculate
the current baseline (e.g. tree species) may be outdated (e.g. trees are larger than the data
shows, trees were replaced or removed without updating the data). An effort to establish a
baseline for carbon storage of Palo Alto’s urban tree canopy is on-track to be completed in
2024.
Reduce Pesticide Use in Parks and Open Space Preserves (Work Plan Item 8.Q): The City
continues to review the use of pesticides in all parks and open space preserves to identify
opportunities to further reduce both the amount and the toxicity of pesticides that are
used.
Coordinate Implementation of City Natural Environment-Related Plans (Work Plan Item 8.R):
The City is working on an update of the Tree and Landscape Technical Manual. In addition,
the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance process is currently under review and
should be completed soon.
Support the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plan and incorporate GSI in Municipal
Projects (Work Plan Item 8.S): This is an on-going effort to achieve a 10% increase in land
area that uses green stormwater infrastructure to treat urban water runoff.
Encourage Commercial Food Waste Prevention and Provide Technical Assistance (Work Plan
Items 8.T, 8.W): It is an on-going effort to encourage food waste prevention and require
edible food recovery for human consumption from commercial food generators, and to
provide technical assistance. The City developed a new innovative outreach tool for
businesses offering waste reduction resources. This initiative is the first of its kind and
provides tips and best practices for waste prevention in daily operations and procurements.
New outreach was created which included a new webpage, handouts and educational
content on social media.
Promote Residential Food Waste Reduction (Work Plan Item 8.U): The City developed
a new Zero Waste outreach community campaign to promote food waste reduction
and connect it to reducing GHGs and climate change with a call to action: Strategize,
Organize, Prioritize. New educational content was developed include a webpage,
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handouts, advertisements in the local newspapers, outreach signs for the collection
vehicles, and content for social media.
Champion Waste Prevention, Reduction, Reusables, and the Sharing Economy (Work
Plan Item 8.V): As part of the new Zero Waste Living outreach campaign, the City
published fourteen Zero Waste Minute weekly e-newsletters in Q4 2024 providing
the community with reduce, reuse, repair tips, and essential tools to tackle the
complex waste challenges our community is dedicated to solving. The weekly e-news
average an open rate of 52 to 54%.
In Q4 2024, the City held one compost workshop for residents to learn how easy it is to make
their own compost. Palo Alto residents receive a free compost bin or worm bin (one per
household) by attending a compost workshop. The City also continued the permanent
Compost Giveaway Station at Eleanor Pardee Park where residents can pick up compost for
their homes and landscape at no charge. Free mulch from tree removal operations is also
available at centralized stations throughout the City.
Prioritize Domestic Processing of Recyclable Materials (Work Plan Item 8.X): Domestic
processing for mixed paper and mixed rigid plastics began in April 2022. The City continues
to review processing efforts.
Eliminate Single-Use Disposable Containers (Work Plan Item 8.Y): The strategy and timeline
for expanding the Disposable Foodware Ordinance is on hold until further clarification is
received through SB 54 final regulations and changes on what will be considered recyclable
and compostable, which is expected by Q2 2025.
Expand the Deconstruction and Construction Materials Management Ordinance (Work Plan
Item 8.Z): The Deconstruction and Construction Material Management Ordinance requires all
residential and commercial projects undergoing a whole structure demolition to obtain a
deconstruction permit.24 Deconstruction is the careful disassembly of building components to
maximize reuse and recycling. Staff continued monitoring the Deconstruction Ordinance with
proactive collaboration and education to project managers, contractors and reuse
organizations. The ordinance was effective July 2020 and in the past 4 years, over 160
buildings went through the deconstruction process, which resulted in approximately 20,800
tons or 93% of building materials salvaged for reuse or recycle, and only 1,670 tons or 7% of
materials landfilled.
Implement the Reach Code Standard for Low Carbon Construction Materials (Work Plan Item
8.aa): The City Council approved a reach code standard for low carbon construction materials in
October 2022. Since adoption (effective 1/1/2023), all new construction and substantial
24 City Council, May 6, 2024; Agenda Item #18; SR #2312-2377,
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remodels are required to meet the low-carbon concrete requirements. Fire Station 4 (3600
Middlefield) is currently under building permit review, and the concrete mix will meet the low-
carbon requirements.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
Current and future initiatives will be managed and funded across various departments and
funds. The Fiscal Year 2025 work items in the 2023-2025 S/CAP Work Plan can proceed with
the actions approved in the Fiscal Year 2025 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 Stakeholder engagement efforts
were described in the Analysis section, under P3. Build Awareness and Confidence as well as
other Work Plan areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council’s review of this report is not a project subject to review under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
APPROVED BY:
Brad Eggleston, Director Public Works/City Engineer