TASK FORCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

The meeting was convened at 7:10 p.m. Task Force members in attendance: Sandy Grant, Mark Gold, Bill Selby, Susan Mearns and Tom Nelson. Santa Monica City staff in attendance: Susan McCarthy, Craig Perkins, and Dean Kubani. Others: Council members Mike Feinstein and Kevin McKeown, MWD Board Member Judy Abdo, Craig Simmons, Elise Benjamin, John Zinner, Pro Se, Diana Meier, Dawn Meier and Laurel Roennau.

Minutes

Minutes from the meeting of October 2, 2000 were unanimously approved.

Indoor Air Quality Presentation

Members of the public Dawn and Diana Meier requested to present information to the Task Force regarding indoor air quality issues in Santa Monica housing. They indicated that there is a potentially significant public health problem due to mold in Santa Monica rental housing. The growth of mold in buildings is usually caused by water leaks and it can lead to sinusitis, bronchitis and asthma, among other things. Both Dawn and Diana indicated that they had experienced debilitating health problems due to mold in their Santa Monica apartments. They noted that City and County staff and elected officials were unable to provide them with assistance due to the nature of the problem, and that their only recourse to correct the problem was to sue their landlords. They attended this meeting to help raise awareness about potential problems related to mold and to offer their assistance to the Task Force and the City in addressing the problem.

Presentation by Craig Simmons on Sustainability Initiatives in the U.K.

Craig Simmons, Co-founder and Director of Best Foot Forward (a not-for-profit organization based England that focuses on environmental and sustainability issues) and member of the Oxfordshire County Council, presented information on the use of ecological footprinting (EF) as an indicator of sustainability. He indicated that EF is being used at the national, regional, municipal, sectoral and individual level in places such as the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, London and Toronto. In Oxfordshire, Craig’s organization developed a system called resource accounting, which is based on EF and evaluates inputs, useful outputs and useless outputs for various municipal services to help improve efficiency and reduce costs. A citizens sustainability task force is leading a process to set reduction targets for the Oxfordshire footprint.

Discussion on Updating Sustainable City Program Indicators and Targets

Task Force members discussed various options regarding how to proceed with updating the Sustainable City Program indicators and targets. These include: conducting a large community process prior to the update vs. an internal Task Force process; continuing to focus on primarily environmental issues vs. broadening the scope to address economic and social issues; and continuing to use individual indicators vs. using an ecological footprint approach. Mike Feinstein advised broadening the scope of the program to include economic and social issues. Susan McCarthy advised against broadening the scope of the program because it would likely dilute the program’s effectiveness and impact. Craig Simmons noted that a sustainable communities program in the UK separates environmental issues from quality of life (QOL) issues. The QOL issues have a separate set of indicators chosen and monitored by the community, with the assistance of City funding. The environmental indicators are developed and monitored by the City government. The Task Force decided to continue to focus primarily on environmental issues for the time being, and to look into incorporating ecological footprinting into the indicator process. Dean Kubani agreed to provide additional information about municipal use of ecological footprints and other sustainable indicator systems as the basis for further discussion at the December meeting.

Continuation of Sustainable City Outreach Discussion

The Task Force discussed how to best transmit a joint letter from the Task Force and the Chamber of Commerce to Council. The letter requests Council to convene a forum of local stakeholders to discuss local economic development and sustainability and ultimately develop an action plan for increasing the involvement of local businesses in the Sustainable City Program and the community. At issue is whether a City policy regarding joint mailings with “organizations which regularly take positions on electoral matters” would overshadow discussion by Council of the intent of the letter. Susan McCarthy suggested that rather than asking Council to convene a broad forum, the Task Force should focus first on businesses in the Pico neighborhood. She noted that several initiatives are underway to benefit small businesses along Pico and feels that the Task Force could help focus these efforts. The Task Force chose not to modify their request as it had already been approved by the Task Force and the Chamber Board of Directors, and decided to mail the letter directly to all members of City Council. Mike Feinstein recommended that instead of asking Council to agendize the letter as a discussion item, representatives of the Task Force and the Chamber should attend the January budget priority session and recommend that this request be made a budget priority.

Discussion of Proposed Green Building and Construction and Demolition Waste Ordinances

Craig Perkins discussed the ordinances, which are scheduled to go to Council for adoption on December 5. The target for implementation is February 2001. The ordinances address energy performance, use of recycled construction materials, mandatory efficiency measures for all buildings, and construction and demolition waste recycling, and will apply to all new buildings and existing buildings undergoing significant renovation, with the exception of one-and-two family dwellings and qualified historic buildings. Craig also noted that a ‘dark sky’ ordinance is currently being developed and will likely go to Council for approval during the first quarter of 2001. The Task Force unanimously approved the ordinances as written.

Update on Sustainable Schools Program Follow-up

Task Force members have not yet met to discuss Sustainable Schools issues with Council members. They agreed to schedule a meeting date as soon as possible.

Metropolitan Water District Update

MWD Board member Judy Abdo provided the update. She noted that the Board is scheduled to vote on adoption of the new MWD Strategic Plan in December. If adopted this will change the way MWD negotiates water rates with member agencies. Judy asked Craig Perkins and Gil Borboa, the City’s Utility Division Manager, to provide her with input regarding the City’s position on the Strategic Plan prior to the December board meeting. Judy also noted that chromium 6 standards for drinking water are currently under scrutiny and believes all water agencies will need to begin testing for it soon.

Public Input

Laurel Roennau noted that the Planning Department has begun forwarding proposed development projects outside of the central business districts to the neighborhood organizations for review. She noted that during a recent review of a project by OPCO that the project developer and a member of the City’s Architectural Review Board were unaware of the City’s Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines. She recommended that the City increase its outreach efforts for the Guidelines.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45pm