Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Resolution 15114 (Grand Jury Report on Electrifying Marin's Buildings) RESOLUTION NO. 15114 A RESOLUTION APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL’S RESPONSE TO THE 2021-2022 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY REPORT ENTITLED “ELECTRIFYING MARIN’S BUILDINGS: A COUNTYWIDE APPROACH” WHEREAS, pursuant to Penal Code section 933(c), a public agency which receives a final grand jury report addressing aspects of the public agency’s operations must, within ninety (90) days, provide a written response to the presiding judge of the Superior Court, with a copy to the foreperson of the grand jury, responding to the report’s findings and recommendations; and WHEREAS, Penal Code section 933(c) specifically requires that the “governing body” of the public agency provide said response and, in order to lawfully comply, the governing body must consider and adopt the response at a noticed public meeting pursuant to the Brown Act; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael has received and reviewed the Marin County Grand Jury Report, dated June 6, 2022, entitled “Electrifying Marin’s Buildings: A Countywide Approach”, and has added the discussion of this report to the August 1, 2022 City Council meeting agenda to consider the City’s response. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby: 1. Approves and authorizes the Mayor to execute the City’s response to the Marin County Grand Jury’s June 6, 2022 report, entitled “Electrifying Marin’s Buildings: A Countywide Approach”, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference. 2. Directs the City Clerk to forward the City’s response forthwith to the presiding judge of the Marin County Superior Court and to the foreperson of the Marin County Grand Jury. I, Lindsay Lara, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the San Rafael City Council held on the 1st day of August 2022, by the following vote to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Hill, Kertz & Mayor Kate NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: Llorens Gulati LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY REPORT Report Title: ELECTRIFYING MARIN'S BUILDINGS: A COUNTYWIDE APPROACH Report Date: June 6, 2022 Response By: San Rafael City Council Title: Mayor and City Council FINDINGS: • We agree with the findings numbered F1. F2, F3. F4. F5. and F6 ■ We disagree wholly or partially with the findings numbered (See Attachment A) RECOMMENDATIONS: • Recommendations numbered have been implemented. • Recommendations numbered have not yet been implemented but will be implemented in the future. ■ Recommendations numbered R1. R2 and R3 require further analysis. (See Attachment A) Recommendations numbered will not be implemented because they are not warranted or are not reasonable. 1 207-2 Si� DATED: I I Signed. /61�1' " KAT COLIN, Mayor ATTEST: • �,.�i[�yw--f Lindsay Lara, City Clerk Number of pages attached: 3 ATTACHMENT A: RESPONSE OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL TO GRAND JURY REPORT "ELECTRIFYING MARIN'S BUILDINGS: A COUNTYWIDE APPROACH" FINDINGS AND RESPONSES F1. With the building sector accounting for approximately 34 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Marin County, it will be necessary to substantially reduce emissions from that sector if the county and its cities and towns are to meet their 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goals. Response: Agree F2. Reducing or eliminating natural gas as a fuel source in buildings will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Marin County's building sector. Response: Agree F3. The use of natural gas in buildings gives rise to health and safety risks, including adverse health effects attributed to exposure to natural gas, and safety risks posed by pipeline leaks, ruptures, and explosions. These health and safety risks serve as additional reasons to eliminate natural gas as a fuel source in new and existing buildings. Response: Agree F4. The timely reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from Marin County's building sector will require in-depth, comprehensive, and coordinated planning. A countywide planning process, coordinated by Marin Climate and Energy Partnership or the County's Sustainability Team, would be an effective and efficient means of sustaining focus and leveraging the resources needed for developing a Countywide Building Electrification Plan. Response: Agree F5. Underserved communities and lower income households have greater vulnerability to rising energy costs and will likely require extra financial support to mitigate those costs and reduce household greenhouse gas emissions through measures that require significant up -front investment. Response: Agree F6. The timely electrification of existing buildings will likely require one or more mandatory measures, supported where necessary by financial subsidies and rebates. Response: Agree RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESPONSES R1. On or before January 1, 2023, Marin County and each of its cities and towns that have not already done so should adopt a reach code banning natural gas connections in newly constructed buildings. Response: This recommendation requires further analysis. The City of San Rafael is undertaking an analysis of a potential all -electric reach code that will include public community engagement and input on the topic. This includes analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, economic/financial impacts, social equity, and resiliency. This analysis will be applied to a variety of building types, including single family and multi -family residential, accessory dwelling units, and various commercial building types common to San Rafael. The City is working with the County of Marin, Town of San Anselmo, and MCE Clean Energy as part of the Green Building Reach Codes Steering Committee to develop model reach codes and try to provide consistency across jurisdictions. However, there are significant differences amongst jurisdictions in terms of building stock and development as well as affordable housing and economic development goals that require different considerations. The City Council will consider a reach code ordinance later this fall and if adopted it would go into effect January 1, 2023. R2. On or before January 1, 2023, Marin County and each of its cities and towns that have not already done so should adopt a reach code requiring energy efficiency measures in connection with renovations of existing residential buildings. The reach code should specify the size of the renovation that will trigger the requirement and provide flexibility by allowing the applicant to choose from a list of energy efficiency measures, including electrification of gas appliances. Response: This recommendation requires further analysis. Like Recommendation 1, the City is conducting an analysis of reach codes for existing buildings among a variety of residential building types taking into account the same set of considerations for new construction: greenhouse gas reductions, economic impacts, equity, and resiliency. As part of this analysis, the City is considering a flexible path with a menu of energy efficiency measures that includes electrification of appliances which would specify the size of the renovation. The City is also considering the standard Tier 1 and Tier 2 options for reach codes as well as other options to eliminate or reduce natural (methane) gas use in existing buildings. R3. Marin County and each of its cities and towns, collaborating through the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership or otherwise, should develop a comprehensive Countywide Building Electrification Plan to be completed on or before January 1, 2024. The Plan should identify those strategies, programs, and concrete actions necessary to bring about an equitable, prompt, and material acceleration of building electrification throughout the county. Response: This recommendation requires further analysis. We agree that countywide collaboration is important in achieving significant timely reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from Marin County's building sector and should address all these factors. Collaboration is already underway through the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership (MCEP), County Sustainability Team, and Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN). In addition, the City of San Rafael has been working with the County, the Town of San Anselmo and MCE Clean Energy to try to align Green Building Reach Codes this year and accelerate building decarbonization efforts. A Countywide Building Electrification Plan may be effective and efficient, but care will need to be taken to not divert from existing programs and activities. All jurisdictions would need to agree and contribute to the plan, it would require additional resources, and our utility partners MCE and PG&E would need to participate and contribute to the effort as well. Though discussions are happening at this date no agreement has been made. More analysis will be required to determine the most effective and efficient route to take. Should all the jurisdictions agree to pursue a Countywide Building Electrification Plan in addition to the current collaborative efforts, the City would likely participate provided there was commitment to implementation and there were adequate resources to do so.