Mayor, Vice Mayor, and City Councilmembers,

As the Vice Chair of the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) I am writing regarding item J1 for the May 9, 2023 Special Meeting in support of the Capital Improvement Plan budget put forth by staff. There are four line items Id like to highlight as aligning with actions the EQC has taken.

1) CPE002 Electric Vehicle Chargers at City Facilities - The request for EV charging infrastructure for the citys fleet is essential to fund so that we can meet our 2030 Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals, specifically CAP #5 - eliminate the use of fossil fuels from municipal operations. The EQC reaffirmed its commitment to the 2030 CAP in its 2023 work plan approved by City Council on February 14, 2023.

2) STE001 Sea Level Rise Resiliency Plan - Funding the citys membership in OneShoreline is important as we plan for climate resilience and adaptation, a priority in our CAP and reaffirmed in the EQC 2023 work plan.

3) Burgess Microgrid and Campus Electrification - This is another essential program to fund to meet our CAP #5 goals as outlined above. The current gas system is nearing the end of its life and its essential that we electrify this heating source so that we can eliminate this large source of emissions.

4) Urban Forest Master Plan aligns with the EQCs 2023 work plan as well. Creating a long-term plan - with community engagement in the process - is essential to ensure that our urban forest is preserved and expanded, and is equitable across all districts. Having a healthy urban forest will positively impact the climate through increased carbon sequestration, will improve air quality, and will increase shade and cooling to counteract extreme heat.

The investment requested for #1 and #3 above is significant, and Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) will be discussing providing additional financial support to municipal governments at their upcoming Citizen Advisory Committee this Thursday. This would help us meet our CAP goals and reduce trading-off other community CIP projects.

Thank you for your service,

Nancy Larocca Hedley
Vice Chair, Environmental Quality Commission