Honorable Mayor Taylor, Vice Mayor Combs, Councilmembers, and City Staff – my name is John McKenna. I serve as Vice Chair on the Environmental Quality Commission, but I am writing as an individual.
I want to thank City Staff for their work on the CAP scope of work for 2025-2030. While I appreciate that the City of Menlo Park has limited resources and that progress is being made, recognizing that climate action is a City and Council priority, I am disappointed that more of the EQC’s recommendations were not incorporated into the actions to be taken towards CAP strategy No. 1. I do believe that the EQC recommended dual coverage approach with an air quality based ordinance serving as the primary code and an energy performance code serving as a backup has real merit. Other jurisdictions have adopted air quality based ordinances for new construction and major remodels and at least one other local jurisdiction is a short step away from doing the same, with support from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. I would have liked to have seen Menlo Park move in this direction.
Nevertheless, with the options presented to Council, I urge the following:

• Adopt an energy performance code now (don’t wait for the state code in 2026) for new construction and major remodels. Peninsula Clean Energy has a model code for easy adoption and PCE can also offer technical assistance for any needed cost-effectiveness studies. Within this code, also include the requirement for electric cooking, clothes drying, and outdoor equipment.

• Add a provision that would require the installation of a heat pump when an air conditioner is being replaced.

• Add a provision that would require when an air conditioner is being installed in a building for the first time, that it be a heat pump.

• Prioritize City resources towards policies and programs that will address the electrification of existing buildings (residential and commercial).

• Prioritize City resources towards the adoption of Building Performance Standards that will create a pathway for owners of large (e.g. 20K SF and larger) residential and commercial buildings to decarbonize over a period of time as rapidly as possible.
While the above actions alone will very likely not allow the City to reach its CAP strategy No. 1 goal of decarbonizing 95% of existing buildings, it will allow the City to continue moving in the right direction.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

John McKenna
Menlo Park, CA
(650) 776-8548