MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 10,
2007 MEETING OF THE
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
SUSTAINABLE CITY TASK FORCE
The meeting was
convened at 7:30pm.
Sustainable City Task Force members in attendance: Jim
Ries, Dennis Woods, Al Rosen, Carol Rosskam, Leonard Mitchell, Genevieve
Bertone, Christina Erikson, Jennifer Wolch and Laura Berland Shane. City staff in attendance: Shannon Parry and Dean Kubani. Members of the public in attendance: Community Sustainability Liaison Traci Reitz,
Santa Monica College Professor Amber Katherine, a student from Santa Monica College and Louisa Fish.
Public
Input on Agenda Items
There was no public input on agenda items.
Approval of
Minutes from the August 13, 2007
meeting
Leonard Mitchell made a motion to approve the minutes
from the August 13, 2007 meeting. This motion was seconded by Carol
Rosskam. Dennis Woods and Al Rosen
requested changes to the minutes. Staff acknowledged the requested
changes. The minutes were unanimously
approved with the requested changes. Genevieve Bertone and Christina Erickson
abstained from the vote.
Discussion
and Recommendations Regarding Santa
Monica Land
Use And Circulation Element
Eileen Fogarty introduced the item and provided the
Task Force with a presentation on the Land Use and Circulation Elements update
process. After
the presentation, the Task Force reiterated their support for the inclusion of
sustainability in the Land Use and Circulation Elements. Genevieve Bertone commented on Santa Monica College’s commitment to sustainability
and encouraged the city to keep the college involved and engaged in the
dialogue around this important issue. Eileen
Fogarty responded that representation at the community meetings is important
and also noted the need to meet with representatives from Santa Monica College
independently. Amber Katherine
reiterated that such a meeting would be very welcome at Santa Monica College. Genevieve Bertone agreed to convene a meeting
with representatives from Santa
Monica College
and staff from the city’s Planning and Community Development Department.
Dennis Woods commented on the history of the Land Use
and Circulation Elements update process and highlighted the role the
Sustainable City Task Force has played. He thinks it is important to note that
Task Force members have been present at each of the community workshops the
city has hosted and have provided feedback on opportunities to incorporating
the goals of the Sustainable City Plan into the Land Use and Circulation
Elements. Eileen Fogarty thanked the Task Force for their participation in the
update process and said that city staff was beginning to develop principles as
a way to express consistency with the Sustainable City Plan. Shannon Parry agreed to work with Eileen Fogarty
to develop principles that reflect the community’s commitment to
sustainability.
Christina Erickson questioned the need to develop additional
principles to express a vision for Santa
Monica. The
community has already identified sustainability as a community priority and the
Sustainable City Plan reflects 18 months of community input. Eileen
Fogarty agreed that the Sustainable City Plan captures the community’s vision
for sustainability, but noted that it is her responsibility and that of her
staff to engage the community in a robust discussion around the update of the
Land Use and Circulation Elements.
The economic development subcommittee asked how
Planning and Community Development’s economic development strategy and the Task
Force’s strategy for a sustainable local economy would work together. Eileen Fogarty and Shannon Parry agreed to
work together to sufficiently differentiate the projects such that they are
clearly distinct, but offer complimentary analysis.
Jim Ries requested that the PowerPoint presentation
be updated to include the Sustainable City Plan in the graphics used to
illustrate the update process. After further discussion on the need to
integrate Sustainable City Plan throughout the city, Jim Ries made the
following motion:
Motion 1
The
Sustainable City Task Force recommends that all city staff reports include
quantitative and/or qualitative analysis demonstrating the proposed program,
project or policies consistency with the Sustainable City Plan. Analysis of the
consistency with the Sustainable City Plan should be done in relationship to
the relevant Sustainable City Plan goal areas: resource conservation,
environmental and public health, transportation, housing, open space and land
use, economic development, community education and civic participation and
human dignity.
The motion was unanimously approved.
Update on
the Sustainability Advisory Team
Shannon Parry provided the input. The Sustainability Advisory Team met on
Monday, August 27, 2007 to review the preliminary findings for the 2007
Sustainable City Report Card and Sustainable City Progress Report. They provided input on the findings and
identified opportunities to further enhance sustainable practices within
municipal operations. The Sustainability Advisory Team will address reporting
mechanisms to enhance annual Sustainable City Progress Report data collection
as well as the introduction of a Sustainable City Plan staff training at their
next meeting.
Update from
the Community Sustainability Liaison
Traci Reitz provided the update. She reviewed her
work plan with the Task Force and reported on her progress. Traci Reitz is developing outreach tools
which include a website, postcards and a sustainable Santa Monica guide. She is also pursuing
press, developing partnerships and working to further integrate the Sustainable
City Plan in the community. She met with
the Convention and Visitors Bureau and is working on green tourism.
Laura Berland Shane commented on the need to make a
concerted effort to contact and engage the neighborhood associations and the
business improvement districts. Traci Reitz agreed to contact both the
neighborhood associations and the business improvement districts and begin to
attend their meetings. Traci Reitz
requested that Task Force members forward her contacts in the neighborhood associations,
business improvement districts, hospitals and schools as she is having limited
success in meeting with these groups.
Discussion
and Recommendations Regarding Sustainable City Plan Implementation Measures
Jim Ries commented on the vacant tree holes in the
city and identified this as a possible opportunity to develop a local carbon
offset program. Al Rosen commented on
the importance of creating a local carbon offset program and recommended both solar
and trees as possible projects. The Task Force agreed that any carbon offset
program would need to be reliable and certified. Shannon Parry agreed to include a summary of
the Task Force on the Environment’s proposed voluntary carbon offset program in
the October meeting packet.
Liaison
Updates
Al Rosen provided the Solar Santa Monica update.
Solar Santa Monica is working on a number of initiatives,
including the development of a letter to lobby the California State
legislatures, to make significant changes to the current solar rebate programs. He
will be bringing the letter to the Task Force in the future for possible
endorsement.
Shannon Parry provided the Convention and Visitors
Bureau update. The Convention and Visitors Bureau Education Committee continues
to work on the “I Know Santa Monica” professional development program. The
Convention and Visitors Bureau Beach Summit will be held on September 25th
from 10;00am – 1:00pm.
Public
Input on Non-Agendized Items
Louisa Fish commented on the need to develop
standards for the local dry cleaning industry. Many dry cleaners are using
words such as ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ in their signage and advertising, but
there is very little information available on the actually environmental and
human health impacts of their particular cleaning process. She feels that this
is misleading and confusing to consumers. Louisa Fish also thinks that the city
needs to develop a green lifestyles listing for residents. Dean Kubani reminded Louisa Fish about
Greenopia and the city’s Environmental Directory as useful resources in this
area.
Comments
and Announcements
Shannon Parry announced the schedule of events for the
Sustainability Month. The September 2007 events include:
·
Green Building Resource Center Open House, September 18th
·
Green Business
Mixer, September 19th
·
Sustainable City
Report Card Launch, September 20th
·
Green Prize for
Sustainable Literature, September 29th
Adjourn
The meeting was adjourned at 9:45pm.
