MINUTES

DECEMBER 19, 2005 MEETING OF THE

CITY OF SANTA MONICA

TASK FORCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

 

The meeting was convened at 7:10 p.m.  Task Force members in attendance: Bill Selby, Mark Gold, Susan Mearns, and Matt Petersen.  Santa Monica City staff in attendance: Craig Perkins, Susan Munves, Greg Reitz and Dean Kubani.  Others: Council member Kevin McKeown, MWD Board member Judy Abdo, SCTF Liaison Sandy Grant, Louisa Fish, Samantha Martinez, Barbara Filet, Kent Strumpel, Pete Morris, Joe Malccioni, Alex Man, and four Santa Monica High School students representing the SAMOHI Solar Alliance.

 

Public Input on Agenda Items

There was no public input

 

 

Presentation by the Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition Regarding Proposal to Become a Certified Bicycle Friendly Community

 

Pete Morris, Kent Strumpel and Barbara, representing the LA Bicycle Coalition and Cycle Santa Monica, presented information regarding the League of America Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Community designation and encouraged Santa Monica to apply for certification.  Following discussion the Task Force unanimously adopted the following resolution:

“The Santa Monica Task Force on the Environment recommends that the City of Santa Monica apply to the League of American Bicyclists to be designated a Bicycle Friendly Community and that the City incorporate more bicycle-friendly planning in its future transportation and circulation planning.  Specifically, we recommend that the City Council direct staff to:

 

• Incorporate bicycle-friendly criteria into the update of the Circulation Element with the goal of achieving Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community status.
• Update the Santa Monica bicycle map.
• Develop and implement education programs to encourage more people to use bicycles in Santa Monica.”

 

Presentation and Request for Endorsement of SAMOHI Solar Alliance

Matt Petersen introduced the item and introduced four student members of the SAMOHI Solar Alliance (SSA).  The SSA is a group of students, teachers and parents with the goal of reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions at the Santa Monica High School campus through the installation of solar panels, energy efficiency and co-generation.  The group is currently seeking grant funding to help meet these goals and is seeking an endorsement to help facilitate fund raising efforts.  Following questions and discussion the Task Force unanimously adopted the following motion:

“The Santa Monica Task Force on the Environment endorses the SAMOHI Solar Alliance’s ‘Three-Tiered Sustainable Energy Design’ Project for the Santa Monica High School campus”

 

 

Minutes

The minutes of the November 21, 2005 were unanimously approved.

 

Discussion and Recommendations Regarding Proposed Polystyrene Ordinance

Dean Kubani provided a progress update on staff research on polystyrene and plastic food packaging and noted that a draft staff report will likely be completed in January.  Task Force members reiterated their previous recommendations that the City include all non-recyclable plastic food packaging in any ban that it adopts.

 

Discussion and Recommendations Regarding Draft Environmental Impact Report for 415 Pacific Coast Highway

 

Craig Perkins provided background on the project and noted that the Draft EIR is scheduled for Council review and approval at their January 24, 2006 meeting.  Susan Munves described the planned sustainable features of the project and noted that the City’s goal is to achieve a LEED Silver rating.  Resident Joe Malccioni noted that he lives adjacent to the site and expressed his concerns that development of a banquet facility at the site could potentially undermine existing development regulations governing the coastal zone established by Proposition S and lead to more development in the area.  Following discussion, the Task Force unanimously adopted a motion transmitting the following comments on the draft Environmental Impact Report:

 

Comments from the Task Force on the Environment Regarding

415 Pacific Coast Highway Draft Environmental Impact Report

Unanimously Adopted on December 19, 2005

 

1. As proposed, the current project described in the DEIR will become a community destination primarily accessible by automobile.  We recommend that the City make every effort to investigate and develop alternative transportation plans to encourage and facilitate community members to travel to the site via alternative transportation modes such as bus transit, shuttles, bicycles, and on foot. We also recommend that the City decrease the capacity of the parking lot to make it clear that the public should travel to the facility via alternative transportation.

 

2. We do not agree with the statement in the DEIR that the “No Project Alternative” should be considered environmentally superior. A separate environmentally superior alternative should be developed that includes a commitment to achieve a LEED silver rating for the project at a minimum (gold preferred) and that has the facility as an alternative transportation destination (bikes, shuttles, buses instead of cars).

 

3. We recommend that a Soil Management Plan be prepared to address the potential soil contamination, due to past site uses as identified in the DEIR, should such soils be discovered during the onsite grading and development activities.  The Soil Management Plan also shall include directives for the grading contractor to follow in the event an underground storage tank and associated appurtenances are discovered during site grading and development activities.

 

4. We recommend that the City strive to maximize the “green”/sustainable features of the project and to use them for educational purposes and for marketing the site as a destination for “green” meetings and events. 

 

5. An explanatory paragraph should be included in the Project Description regarding Proposition S and how this project is or is not consistent with the law.

 

6. We respectfully request to review the environmental features of the proposed project prior to final approval by City Council.

 

 

Follow-up Discussion and Recommendations Regarding Draft Green Building Ordinance Staff Report

 

Greg Reitz and Susan Munves provided background on the proposed changes to the Green Building Ordinance as outlined in the staff report.  Following questions and discussion the Task Force unanimously adopted the following motion:

“The Santa Monica Task Force on the Environment endorses the proposed amendments to the City’s Green Building Ordinance, Building Code Chapter 8.108 scheduled for Council review on January 10, 2006”

 

 

Discussion and Recommendations Regarding the Concept of Santa Monica Becoming an Energy Aggregator

 

Susan Munves provided background on the concept of community choice energy aggregation and discussed the potential benefits and drawbacks to the city if it chooses to pursue this.  She discussed a preliminary financial analysis regarding aggregation completed by staff a year ago and noted that the staff report regarding the Community Energy Independence Initiative which is scheduled to go to City Council in February will include a discussion regarding aggregation but will likely recommend that the decision be delayed pending clarification of state energy policy matters.

 

Discussion and Recommendations Regarding Green Business Certification Program

 

Dean Kubani provided an update on the Green Business Certification program timeline and presented information on the certification checklists used to evaluate businesses in the program.  Task Force members discussed the checklists and noted that they looked comprehensive and rigorous.  Mark Gold made recommendations to clarify the scoring for the pollution prevention section of the checklist.

 

Selection of Task Force Member to Serve as SCTF Liaison

Sustainable City Task Force Chair Sandy Grant requested that the Task Force appoint a liaison to the SCTF.  Following discussion the Task Force agreed that the liaison position will rotate among all members and that development of a rotation schedule will be agendized for the January meeting.  Mark Gold agreed to attend the January 9 SCTF meeting as liaison.

 

Sustainable City Task Force Update

This item was deferred until the January meeting due to time constraints.

 

Update on Air Quality Study at the Santa Monica Airport

Susan Mearns reported that the schedule for air sampling will likely be delayed by another month, but noted that sampling locations in Santa Monica are close to being finalized. 

 

Update on Airport Park Construction Timeline

Craig Perkins provided the update and noted that soil remediation has begun at the site and once it is completed (likely by January 2006) construction of the park will begin.

 

 

 

 

Metropolitan Water District Update

MWD Board member Judy Abdo provided the update.  She discussed the search process for a new General Manager at MWD and recent appointments to the MWD Board made by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

 

Public input on Non-Agendized Matters

There was no public input

 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00pm