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SC 02-20-20 PacketCITY OF CUPERTINO SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION AGENDA Environmental Education Center, 22221 McClellan Road Thursday, February 20, 2020 4:00 PM Special Meeting NOTICE AND CALL FOR A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CUPERTINO SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a special meeting of the Sustainability Commission is hereby called for Thursday, February 20, 2020 commencing at 4:00 p.m. in the Environmental Education Center, 22221 McClellan Road, Cupertino, California 95014. Said special meeting shall be for the purpose of conducting business on the subject matters listed below under the heading, “Special Meeting." SPECIAL MEETING PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1.Subject: Minutes from January 16, 2020 Recommended Action: Approve minutes from January 16, 2020 A - Draft Minutes POSTPONEMENTS ORAL COMMUNICATIONS This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the commission on any matter not on the agenda. Speakers are limited to three (3) minutes. In most cases, State law will prohibit the commission from making any decisions with respect to a matter not listed on the agenda WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS OLD BUSINESS 2.Subject: Letter in support of efforts to restore the Arctic Recommended Action: Discuss and decide if this subject is of interest to the Commission for future discussion Page 1 02/20/20 1 of 17 Sustainability Commission Agenda February 20, 2020 A - Sample Resolution Regarding Arctic Sea Ice 3.Subject: Sustainability Speaker Series planning Recommended Action: Discuss and decide next steps for planning next event A - Written Communications NEW BUSINESS 4.Subject: Welcome new Commissioner Ram Mohan, Thank you outgoing Commissioner Angela Chen Recommended Action: Introduce and welcome new Commissioner, and acknowledge service of outgoing Commissioner 5.Subject: Update from Public Works Environmental Programs Division staff on plans for a new franchise agreement with Recology Recommended Action: Receive update and provide any feedback 6.Subject: Chair and Vice Chair Elections Recommended Action: Elect Chair and Vice Chair for term ending January 30, 2021 7.Subject: Earth & Arbor Day tabling and planning Recommended Action: Discuss ideas for tabling and outreach for Earth & Arbor Day Festival on April 18, 2020 STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS FUTURE AGENDA SETTING ADJOURNMENT In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), anyone who is planning to attend the next meeting who is visually or hearing impaired or has any disability that needs special assistance should call the City Clerk's Office at 408-777-3223, 48 hours in advance of the meeting to arrange for assistance. Upon request, in advance, by a person with a disability, meeting agendas and writings distributed for the meeting that are public records will be made available in the appropriate alternative format. Also upon request, in advance, an assistive listening device can be made available for use during the meeting. Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the members after publication of the agenda will be made available for public inspection. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office in City Hall located at 10300 Torre Avenue during normal business hours. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be advised that pursuant to Cupertino Municipal Code 2.08.100 Page 2 02/20/20 2 of 17 Sustainability Commission Agenda February 20, 2020 written communications sent to the Cupertino City Council, Commissioners or City staff concerning a matter on the agenda are included as supplemental material to the agendized item. These written communications are accessible to the public through the City’s website and kept in packet archives. You are hereby admonished not to include any personal or private information in written communications to the City that you do not wish to make public; doing so shall constitute a waiver of any privacy rights you may have on the information provided to the City. Members of the public are entitled to address the members concerning any item that is described in the notice or agenda for this meeting, before or during consideration of that item. If you wish to address the members on any other item not on the agenda, you may do so during the public comment. Page 3 02/20/20 3 of 17 CITY OF CUPERTINO Legislation Text Subject: Minutes from January 16, 2020 Approve minutes from January 16, 2020 File #:20-7015,Version:1 CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 10/16/2020Page 1 of 1 powered by Legistar™ 02/20/20 4 of 17 1 CITY OF CUPERTINO SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION Environmental Education Center, 22221 McClellan Road Thursday, January 16, 2020 4:00 p.m. SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE At 4:20 p.m. Chair Weber called the meeting to order and led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Anna Weber, Gary Latshaw, Angela Chen, Meera Ramanathan (arrived @ 5:07 p.m.). Absent: Vignesh Swaminathan. Staff: André Duurvoort, Sustainability Manager; Gilee Corral, Climate and Utilities Analyst; Vanessa Shin, CivicSpark AmeriCorps Fellow. Guests: Member of the public. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Draft minutes of December 19, 2019 meeting were reviewed. Vice Chair Latshaw moved and Commissioner Chen seconded to approve the minutes. The motion carried unanimously with Commissioners Ramanathan and Swaminathan absent. POSTPONEMENTS - None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS – None. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS Chair Weber noted the Written Communications attached to the agenda related to item #4. OLD BUSINESS 2. Subject: Sustainability Speaker Series planning Staff reviewed the Sunnyvale Sustainability Commission’s ideas on collaborating on an event for FY 2020/21: California’s Carbon Neutral Future (proposed speaker Jared Blumenfield, CalEPA) and What Moves You - Active, Shared and Electric Transportation (proposed speaker Jeff Tumlin, Nelson Nygaard Consulting). The Commission asked clarifying questions. Chair Weber opened public comment and the following individual spoke: Eric (Cupertino resident) talked about inviting a speaker from a corporation that has pledged carbon neutrality, i.e. Sam Arons. He offered to connect the Commission with contacts. Commissioners asked clarifying questions. Chair Weber closed public comment and the Commission discussed the topic; issues / ideas included: 02/20/20 5 of 17 2 - Preference for the Carbon Neutral Future idea (Weber). - Transform CA, nonprofit promoting transit, will be speaking on Feb. 12th at 7:00 pm at San José Library, West Valley Branch (Latshaw). - Various suggestions: meatless diets, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction policy, arctic threats, etc. (Latshaw, distributed written comments). - Staff noted that the Speaker Series Work Program item was fulfilled for FY20 and the Commission could opt to skip a second event. The Commission briefly discussed this option. - Tie to reach code, i.e. induction cooking, electrification and transportation (Weber). - Link to Cupertino lifestyle: electric cars, reach code, garbage reduction / Recology contract; short presentations by different speakers on sustainability the Cupertino way (Chen). Sustainability Manager André Duurvoort suggested involving staff to speak on topics related to Cupertino. General agreement on this approach. Chair Weber nominated Commissioner Chen, and Commissioner Chen nominated Vice Chair Latshaw to serve on a subcommittee to plan the event. Commissioner Chen moved and Chair Weber seconded to form a subcommittee to plan the second Sustainability Speaker Series event for FY20 with the theme of “Sustainability the Cupertino Way,” with Vice Chair Latshaw and Commissioner Chen as subcommittee members. The motion carried unanimously with Commissioners Ramanathan and Swaminathan absent. The Sustainability Speaker Series Subcommittee will bring ideas for discussion at the next Commission meeting. 3. Subject: Green Building Ordinance and options for addressing emissions impact of concrete in construction Duurvoort gave a presentation on Cupertino’s Green Building Ordinance (GBO), building electrification reach code progression, and next steps with the GBO Commission Work Program item; topics covered included: - Reach code expected to be adopted on Jan. 21 with enforcement estimated to begin March 1. - Council expressed a desire to have a discussion on the GBO specifically. - Staff requests that the Commission discuss the GBO and give a specific recommendation to Council, considering whether to keep the GBO as is or suggest policy alterations. - (Commissioner Ramanathan arrived at 5:07). - Staff’s position is to keep the GBO as is, noting that it is currently strong and addresses multiple items by requiring third-party rating, i.e. LEED for commercial buildings and Green Point Rated for multifamily. Duurvoort noted one option could be to require single family and small commercial to meet a higher CALGreen standard or third-party certification, as these two sectors are currently only required to meet CALGreen minimum code. - Reviewed neighboring cities’s green building policies, i.e. Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Oakland. - Staff will bring the item back to the Commission at a later date for discussion and request a formal recommendation at this time. Duurvoort recommended the Commission establish a subcommittee to address the topic in the meantime. 02/20/20 6 of 17 3 Commissioners asked clarifying questions on the subcommittee formation, permitting process / LEED certification process, cost implications and GHG impact of increasing LEED requirement to higher levels, how embedded carbon is addressed. Chair Weber opened public comment and the following individual spoke: Eric (Cupertino resident) talked about his concern of increasing stringency of the code vs benefit and his desire for an incentive-based approach rather than new requirements for new buildings. Chair Weber closed public comment. Commissioner Ramanathan moved to form a subcommittee to study the Green Building Ordinance topic. The Commissioners briefly discussed the motion. The motion was seconded by Vice Chair Latshaw and carried unanimously with Commissioner Swaminathan absent. A brief discussion followed on selecting the members of the subcommittee, with general agreement on Commissioners Ramanathan and Swaminathan, pending Swaminathan’s consent. Vice Chair Latshaw moved and Commissioner Chen seconded to nominate Commissioners Ramanathan and Swaminathan for the Green Building Ordinance Subcommittee. The motion carried unanimously with Commissioner Swaminathan absent. Staff will connect with the Green Building Ordinance Subcommittee to begin discussion on the topic and plan to bring a consultant to review it with the Commission at a future meeting. NEW BUSINESS 4. Subject: Letter in support of efforts to restore the Arctic Vice Chair Latshaw gave an overview of the topic and context for the discussion; themes from his presentation included: - Scientists are discussing geoengineering and other options to restore the Arctic ice. - In about thirty years, nearly all of the Arctic ice will be lost. Warming increases when ice disappears. - Melting in tundra locations is producing unexpected bursts of methane release. - The draft resolution / letter would urge the U.S. government to aggressively implement an international program of research to restore the Arctic sea ice. Gilee Corral advised Commissioners to consider the purview and scope of the Commission, alignment with the Commission Work Program, and how the issue affects Cupertino when deciding whether or not to take this issue on as a Commission. The Commission discussed these and other related items, including: - Could re-draft the resolution to draw a clear line between the Commission’s recommendation and the County of Santa Clara’s work on this issue (Ramanathan). - Vice Chair Latshaw asked if he could approach Council directly on this issue; Corral answered this is always an option available as a private citizen. Vice Chair Latshaw moved and Commissioner Ramanathan seconded to continue the discussion on the Arctic sea ice issue to the next meeting. The motion carried unanimously with Commissioner Swaminathan absent. 02/20/20 7 of 17 4 STAFF AND COMMISSION REPORTS Staff updates: - Duurvoort will be on paternity leave from the end of February through most of March. - Earth & Arbor Day Festival is April 18; staff will email partner registration invite to Commissioners for distributing to their networks. The Festival was added to the next meeting’s agenda by consensus. - State of the City address on Wednesday, January 29, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Quinlan Community Center. - CREST Awards nominations are being accepted through Feb. 21; Commissioners may not nominate candidates but are encouraged to share the announcement with their networks. - Building reach codes 2nd Reading going to Council on Jan. 21; Commissioners encouraged to attend. Commission updates: - Chair Weber will be absent at the next meeting. She requested the Commission to consider rotating Commissioners to attend the Mayor’s Monthly Meeting instead of only sending the Chair. - Staff noted that Chair and Vice Chair elections would be held at the next meeting (pending completion of the appointment process). - Chair Weber and Commissioners Ramanathan and Swaminathan have applied for reappointment. Commissioner Chen has applied for the Audit Committee. ADJOURNMENT- 6:26 p.m. 02/20/20 8 of 17 CITY OF CUPERTINO Legislation Text Subject: Letter in support of efforts to restore the Arctic Discuss and decide if this subject is of interest to the Commission for future discussion File #:20-7016,Version:1 CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 10/16/2020Page 1 of 1 powered by Legistar™ 02/20/20 9 of 17 Draft of Resolution Requesting the Federal Government to Establish a Program to Restore the Arctic sea ice and Arctic Region Whereas, the City of Cupertino has made significant progress in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. We are acknowledging that the current levels of greenhouse gases have already put the collapse of the Arctic ice and Arctic Region in danger or collapse. Whereas, response of the global community has been tragically inadequate to the warnings of climate scientists to reduce and eliminate the emissions of greenhouse gases that increase global temperatures, causing sea level rise and melting of sea and land ice. Whereas, the increase in global temperatures has caused the decline of Arctic sea-ice cover by more than 75% over the last 40 years. This decline has resulted in major disruptions throughout the globe and threatens the future of mankind unless rectified. Whereas, Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change said has said at the 2019 COP25 conference: “This year, we have seen accelerating climate change impacts, including increased droughts, storms and heat waves, with dire consequences for poverty eradication, human health, migration and inequality. “The world’s small window of opportunity to address climate change is closing rapidly. We must urgently deploy all the tools of multilateral cooperation to make COP25 the launchpad for more climate ambition to put the world on a transformational path towards low carbon and resilience.” Whereas the decline of the Arctic sea-ice and snow cover will continue even under the most aggressive greenhouse-gas emission reduction targets. Whereas, the Arctic sea-ice and snow cover decline puts at risk several vital ocean and climate systems critical for the human race to produce adequate food, acquire clean water, avoid infectious diseases, and establish stable habitat. The following global systems are in jeopardy: • Arctic Sea-Ice & Snow Reflectivity which has been an important moderator of global warming, Containment of frozen methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) in the Arctic seabed, • Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (a probable stabilizing factor in global weather patterns and sea levels), • Prevention of the Melting of Tundra Permafrost causing the release greenhouse gases, • Containment of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and the 02/20/20 10 of 17 Draft of Resolution Requesting the Federal Government to Establish a Program to Restore the Arctic sea ice and Arctic Region • Stability of the Polar Jet Stream to inhibit extreme global weather events. Whereas, the above systems are critical to avoiding destructive storms, hurricanes, and cyclones; precipitous sea level rise; droughts; food sources; heat waves; spread of diseases; and other hazardous events. Whereas, this dramatic loss of Arctic sea-ice is a destabilizing force in the Arctic that threaten our national security in several ways: • Superiority of our presence in the Arctic Region • Valuable military installations due to sea level rise and intensified storms (including Norfolk Naval Base), • Weapons performance and munitions stability due to rising temperatures, and • Exceeding the capacity of our military establishment to address environmental and societal collapses throughout the world. Whereas, the United States has been a leader in scientific research in the Arctic region. Whereas, the United States has been a front-runner over the last century in the development, manufacturing, and implementing many life-improving innovations. These innovations include airplanes, electric lights, polio vaccines, antibiotics, television, internet, telecommunications, space exploration, and other innovations. Be it Resolved then, as urgently stated by the Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change, that the United States in concert with other countries embark on a sizeable program of research, prototyping, and eventually implementing measures to stabilize the Arctic sea-ice and Tundra Region. Such a program should consider, but not limit itself, to distribution on the sea-ice of highly reflective microspheres, marine cloud brightening, artificial enhancement of Arctic ice thickening, and others protective measures. 02/20/20 11 of 17 CITY OF CUPERTINO Legislation Text Subject: Sustainability Speaker Series planning Discuss and decide next steps for planning next event File #:20-7017,Version:1 CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 10/16/2020Page 1 of 1 powered by Legistar™ 02/20/20 12 of 17 From:Jerry Kroth To:City of Cupertino Sustainability Commission Subject:speaker series/please forward Date:Tuesday, February 11, 2020 7:51:17 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. I am a professor from Santa Clara University in California (and a resident of Cupertino) and just published Ecocide: why radical interventions are needed to stop climate apocalypse. I also made a video lecture on this subject going by the same name. What is bothering me is that if Trump is reelected, the U.S. will likely do nothing until 2024, and by that time it might simply be too late. The chances the planet will reach 1.5 degrees of warming are already excellent, but Trump’s reelection could make that all but inevitable. So the more people who can see this video or hear this talk before the election the better. The book and the video suggest both conventional and more radical solutions for achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gases in 10 years. I hope you can forward this to relevant parties who are sensitive enough to know that we are facing an even greater climate emergency than we already face if Trump reigns another four years. If there is any opportunity of delivering this lecture live in your speaker's series, I would be most interested. You can view the video lecture here https://youtu.be/C1F3sFsaBJg Jerry Kroth, Ph.D. Associate Professor Emeritus Santa Clara University website: collectivepsych.com PS. I do not charge any fees for my lecture. 02/20/20 13 of 17 CITY OF CUPERTINO Legislation Text Subject: Welcome new Commissioner Ram Mohan, Thank you outgoing Commissioner Angela Chen Introduce and welcome new Commissioner, and acknowledge service of outgoing Commissioner File #:20-7018,Version:1 CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 10/16/2020Page 1 of 1 powered by Legistar™ 02/20/20 14 of 17 CITY OF CUPERTINO Legislation Text Subject: Update from Public Works Environmental Programs Division staff on plans for a new franchise agreement with Recology Receive update and provide any feedback File #:20-7019,Version:1 CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 10/16/2020Page 1 of 1 powered by Legistar™ 02/20/20 15 of 17 CITY OF CUPERTINO Legislation Text Subject: Chair and Vice Chair Elections Elect Chair and Vice Chair for term ending January 30, 2021 File #:20-7020,Version:1 CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 10/16/2020Page 1 of 1 powered by Legistar™ 02/20/20 16 of 17 CITY OF CUPERTINO Legislation Text Subject: Earth & Arbor Day tabling and planning Discuss ideas for tabling and outreach for Earth & Arbor Day Festival on April 18, 2020 File #:20-7021,Version:1 CITY OF CUPERTINO Printed on 10/16/2020Page 1 of 1 powered by Legistar™ 02/20/20 17 of 17