MINUTES
JULY 18, 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, Erik Neandross, Sandy Grant, Matt Petersen, David
Hertz, Susan Mearns and Mark Gold. Santa Monica City staff in attendance: Craig Perkins, Brian Johnson, Greg Reitz and Dean Kubani. Others: MWD Board Member Judy Abdo,
Laurel Roennau, Marty Rubin, Jerry Rubin, Stacy Brown, and 4 additional members
of the public.
Public Input on Agenda Items
Laurel Roennau recommended that the Task Force include the
Land Use and Circulation Element Updates in its list of priorities for 2005-06,
and made recommendations regarding changes to the way the city should conduct
its traffic analysis and review criteria for significant impacts from
development projects.
Marty Rubin recommended that the Task Force include Santa
Monica Airport Air Quality in its list of priorities for 2005-06.
Jerry Rubin discussed a feasibility study for construction
of a dedicated bus lane on Lincoln Blvd and suggested that the Task Force
consider writing a letter of support for this.
Minutes
The minutes from the meeting of June
20, 2005 were unanimously approved.
Discussion and Recommendations
Regarding Task Force Priorities for FY 2005-06
Following discussion about a
draft list of priorities for 2005-06, the Task Force agreed to add the Land Use
and Circulation Element Updates and Santa Monica Airport Air Quality to the
list. The Task Force agreed on the following list of priorities (in no
particular order) for FY 2005-06:
1.
Santa Monica Urban Watershed Management Plan
2.
Santa Monica Energy Initiative and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy
3.
A modification of the green building ordinance to include all new and
major redevelopment in the City.
4.
The need for a new, more modern waste transfer station to help the City
reach its Sustainable City solid waste diversion goals. Commercial recycling
and plastic packaging (beyond polystyrene) reduction ordinance.
5.
Green schools program at SMMUSD and SMC – the need for green building
standards for construction, Integrated Pest Management, and toxics use
reduction.
6.
Civic Center development (including Santa Monica Place) – ensuring the
Sustainable City Plan is implemented throughout this development.
7.
Land Use and Circulation Element Updates – ensure that they are
consistent with environmental goals of the Sustainable City Plan.
8.
Santa Monica Airport Air Quality.
Mark Gold and Brian Johnson agreed to draft outcomes and objectives for each of these priorities and report
back at the August 15 meeting.
Discussion and Recommendations
Regarding Draft Precautionary Principle Policy
Brian Johnson provided background
and presented drafts of Precautionary Principle language to recommend for
inclusion as a guiding principle for the Sustainable City Plan. Following
discussion the Task Force unanimously adopted the following motion:
“The Task Force on the
Environment recommends that City Council add the following language as a Guiding
Principle to the Sustainable City Plan:
The
Precautionary Principle provides a complimentary framework to help guide City
decision-makers in the pursuit of sustainability, and is applicable to a wide
range of policy decisions, operations and practices. The Precautionary
Principle requires a thorough exploration and careful analysis of a wide range
of alternatives, and a full cost accounting beyond short-term and monetary
transaction costs. Based on the best available science, the Precautionary
Principle requires the selection of alternatives that present the least potential
threat to human health and the City’s natural systems. Where threats of
serious or irreversible damage to people or nature exist, lack of full
scientific certainty about cause and effect shall not be viewed as sufficient
reason for the City to not adopt mitigating measures to prevent the degradation
of the environment or protect the health of its citizens. Public participation
and an open and transparent decision making process are critical to finding and
selecting alternatives.”
Discussion Regarding World
Environment Day Accords
Brian Johnson provided background
on this item. Mayor Pam O’Connor signed the World Environment Day Urban
Environmental Accords (UEA) on behalf of the City in June 2005. By signing the
UEA the City committed to implementing as many of the 21 environmental actions
as possible by June 2012. To date the City has already completed 11 of the
actions and will achieve several more of the actions within the next year.
Following additional discussion about the UEA, the Task Force unanimously
adopted the following motion: “The Santa Monica Task Force on the Environment
recommends that the Urban Environmental Accords be updated to include a
discussion/action item regarding avoiding environmental impacts to areas
outside of the boundaries of the cities signing the Accords.” Mark Gold and
Matt Petersen agreed to write a letter to the San Francisco Mayor and United
Nations representative Klaus Topfer relaying this suggestion.
Update Regarding Task Force
Vacancy
Dean Kubani reported on the
schedule for advertising the vacancy and the deadline for submitting
applications to fill the vacancy. Completed applications are due August 10,
2005 which will allow the Task Force to review them at their August 15, 2005
meeting.
Update on SCAQMD Air Quality
Study at Van Nuys and Santa Monica Airports
Susan Mearns provided the
update. The group met last on July 14th. Air sampling is slated to
begin at Van Nuys Airport between October 2005 and January 2006 and in Santa Monica between February and May 2006. Additional sampling will take place in Van
Nuys between June and September 2006 and in Santa Monica between October 2006
and January 2007. Sampling locations have not yet been chosen in Santa Monica. Marty Rubin noted that newly elected Los Angeles Council member Bill
Rosendal is planning to commission a health study around Santa Monica Airport and is seeking experts to participate in the design of the study. Interested experts
should contact Marty. The next meeting of the Air Quality Study group is
scheduled for November in Van Nuys.
Update on Sustainable City
Task Force
Sandy Grant provided the update.
She noted that SCTF members are currently working with members of the SMMUSD
Board and members of the PTA to obtain endorsements for the Sustainable City
Plan. She asked for input and assistance from Task Force members in
identifying priority areas that need to be addressed at SMMUSD. Task Force
members recommended green building, integrated pest management and toxics use
reduction as the priority areas that should be addressed at the schools. Task
Force members asked to be notified before this item is agendized for discussion
at the SMMUSD Board meeting.
Metropolitan Water District
Update
MWD Board Member Judy Abdo
provided the update. She noted that the new CEO is very ill but hasn’t stepped
down. She also noted that LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will make 4
appointments to the MWD Board in the near future, which could significantly
change the board make up. She will follow up with more information in August.
Public input on Non-Agendized
Matters
Marty Rubin noted that Bill
Rosendal will address the Santa Monica City Council on July 26 and he urged
people to attend.
Laurel Roennau applauded the Task
Force priority setting process. She expressed concern regarding limited follow
up by City Council regarding Task Force motions. She also recommended that the
Task Force letter regarding the Urban Environmental Accords also be sent to the
Santa Monica Mirror.
The meeting was adjourned at
9:30pm
