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Agenda Item - 2010-11-03 CITY OF LAKE OSWEGO LAKE OSWEGO Centennial 1910-2010 380 A Avenue PO Box 369 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 -+rr 5-0270 MEMORANDUM www.ci.osweg.oswego.or.us TO: Sustainability Advisory Board FROM: Susan Millhauser, Sustainability Coordinator SUBJECT: Progress on Goals DATE: October 15, 2010 To assist the Board with reviewing and setting goals and developing a work plan, this memo outlines past Board focus areas, goals recommended to the City Council, and status of each to date. The information included below summarizes the documents sent to the Board on October 12 and October 15, 2010, followed by a brief listing of related actions, progress, or outcomes. This summary is meant to serve as a starting point for the Board's discussion on October 18th, as Board members likely will have additional input and thoughts about the items listed below. A. SAB Focus Areas 2010, March 2010 (from LOSAB Focus Areas 2010 97-03.doc and SAB 3-8-10 Work Session Summary for 03-15 mtg.pdf). The following topics were identified by the Board during two meetings in March 2010. 1) Water Conservation—Support City's ongoing program to reduce water consumption (see memos for details). Progress/Actions Taken: • Board chairs met with City staff and participated in Council study session on water and water conservation to encourage increased investment in the water conservation program, rebates, education and outreach, etc. (potentially through increased water revenue due to new tiered rate structure). • Low flow toilet/urinal rebate funding was continued into this fiscal year(July 1, 2010 start). • Beat the Peak community water conservation campaign launched in summer 2010. Information about Beat the Peak and other current water conservation programs, including free water audits and free water saving devices, can be found here: http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/wtp/conservation.htm • Other recommended programs, such as low flow shower head rebate program and Rainwater Harvesting rebate program have not been implemented. Page 2 • Staff continue to push connection between water consumption and energy, and shared results of operational greenhouse gas inventory with City Council in spring 2010 (results clearly show this connection). Community-facing water conservation efforts do not specifically make this connection. • Bruce Brown participated on Lake Oswego-Tigard Water Partnership (water treatment plant (WTP) expansion project) citizen sounding board. Information about renewable energy/solar PV options at an expanded WTP have been provided to project staff; unknown if the project management team is considering/exploring further. More information about the LO-Tigard Water project can be found here: http://www.lotigardwater.org/. 2) Land Use/Zoning—Several topics for SAB focus were listed under this action area (see memos for details), including: • Move City land use in a direction where our traditionally mono-use neighborhoods (residential) will allow the introduction of some level of commercial activity. • Encourage neighborhood stores with living arrangements above/defined mixed use, particularly along arterials. • Land use density needs to be revisited. • Urban Farming and food security is rapidly coming into the limelight. • Expand the use of schools in neighborhoods. • Consider the West End Building (WEB) and site as a proto-typical eco-district. Foothills district also potential eco-district. Progress/Actions Taken: • SAB members attended infill code update meetings and provided feedback on the Community Development Code (CDC) audit. The purpose of the CDC audit was to identify problems with the organization, readability, and use of the code and to flag substantive issues for future consideration. Initial recommendations also address organization and where new sustainable development standards would fit. More information about updates to the CDC can be found here: Infill-http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/plan/Land Use App/2008/LU 08- 0053 CDC Comp Plan Infill/LU08-0053 CDC Comp-Plan Infill.htm ; CDC audit— http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/plan/Planning Projects/PP09-0007 Code Audit/Code Audit PP09- 0007.ht m • SAB submitted a memo to the Council regarding the eco-district concept and potentially applicability to City facility planning, highlighting long-term, cost savings, land and resource efficiencies, etc. • Initial recommendations regarding the WEB, from the Council sub-committee, were presented to Council on September 28. All options include consolidating City functions at WEB property and selling the City Hall site. Additional information can be found here: http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/calendar/councilmtgs/documents/WEB092810.pdf and here: http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/calendar/councilmtgs/documents/092810packet.pdf. • A recent briefing on eco-districts with staff from the Portland Sustainability Institute,the Mayor, City staff leading the Foothills framework planning process, project consultant team member, and Ron Gronowski (former SAB member who now serves on the Foothills Citizen Advisory Committee), was set up by Councilor Moncrieff. More information about planning for Foothills can be found here: http://www.lakeoswegobusiness.com/index.php?option=com content&view=article&id=37&Itemi d=81 Page 3 3) City Codes—Several topics for SAB focus were listed under this action area (see memos for details), including: • Encourage development of a policy that all new construction, including but not limited to commercial, institutional and residential, meet a minimum of LEED Silver standard or equivalent. • Institute solar easement policies. • Urge and support City to update Community Development Code with sustainable goals and practices as primary focus. • Continue SAB efforts on Comprehensive Plan. Progress/Actions Taken: • SAB has representation on the Comp Plan Citizen Advisory Committee (Dorothy), which will likely incorporate policies to address many of the topics listed under sections 2 and 3, above. SAB members participated in Comp Plan update kick-off visioning sessions. More information about the Comp Plan update, aka We Love LO, can be found here: http://welovelakeoswego.com/ • SAB members have assisted with developing sustainability screening tool that is being used to guide the Comp Plan update and will be refined for additional City implementation. • Bullets under item 2 address recent updates and/or recommendations to the Community Development Code, which guides development as well as land use, and is one of the implementing codes of the Comprehensive Plan. 4) Transportation—The City should make every effort to help people leave their cars at home. See memos for details. Action items included: • Support adoption and implementation of the Trails and Pathways Master Plan. • Support long term planning and funding strategy for LO small bus transit system. • Work with Tri-met for improved service. • Continued support of the City's electric vehicle power station program. • Insist that the Street Car extension include a bikeway easement with connection to the Willamette trail along Macadam Progress/Actions Taken: • Information about Parks planning efforts, including the Trails and Pathways Master Plan, the Parks Plan 2025 process that just kicked-off, and Luscher Farm area master plan that is also just starting, can be found here: http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/parksrec/parkplan.htm. • The SAB sponsored an electric vehicle expo in August 2010, which was well attended and provided an opportunity for vendors and manufacturers to show case this emerging technology. No current plans to install additional charging stations in the public right-of-way. Opportunities to install charging stations at Lakeview Village parking structure and the Municipal Golf Course are being explored. Staff are working to promote the installation of electric vehicle charging stations by other entities. • Information about the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project, which includes an analysis of streetcar, can be found here: http://www.lakeoswegobusiness.com/index.php?option=com content&view=article&id=44&Itemi d=34 . A draft environmental impact study has been completed. That project no longer includes a multi-use pathway component which was separated from this project due to timelines and different funding sources. A separate trail project has been proposed for further study Page 4 http://Iibrary.oregonmetro.gov/files/2 lo-pdx at081409.pdf ). I am checking on the status of this project. • An additional transportation and land use related project is the Boones Ferry Road Refinement Plan; Phase 2 kicked-off this fall. The Boones Ferry Road refinement plan is a planning and engineering project to better define the set of street and pedestrian improvements needed to help transform the Lake Grove Village Center into a pedestrian-friendly mixed use center, and will include green street elements. This project is part of the implementation of the Lake Grove Village Center Plan, adopted in 2008. More information about the Boones Ferry Road project can be found here: http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/plan/Planning Projects/PP10- 0011 Boones Ferry Rd Refinement Phase-2/BFR Refinement Phase-II PP 10-0011.htm 5) Neighborhood Action Plans—Council will hopefully approve adoption of the Neighborhood Action Plan program in April. Progress/Actions Taken: • Council took action on the neighborhood action planning program, but I am unsure of status. Will bring an update to the Board on Monday night. 6) Carbon Footprint Reduction—A variety of potential implementation strategies and projects were noted, including: • Benchmark L.O. carbon footprint. This is critical to measuring progress. • Continue Green Power sign-up program with and annual target of an addition 5% of total LO homes and businesses • City weatherization program targeting all buildings in L.O. This program could be linked to weatherization training for both HS kids and through adult ed. • Green Angel Bond Fund: create a bond pool for energy and weatherization improvements that are paid off with $$ from energy savings. • Adopt Clean Diesel Program • Earth Hour: Everyone in LO turns off their lights for 1 hour on March 27th at 8:30 pm. • Create Solar Panel Bulk Purchase Program based on "Solarize" programs currently in place in Portland. • Tour of Green Homes (early educational effort) Progress/Actions Taken: • Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funds have been earmarked to conduct a community-wide GHG emissions inventory. It is hoped to complete this by spring 2011. • The City recently joined the launch of a nation-wide community green power challenge. More information can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/gpcchallenge.htm PGE is interested in once again doing targeted outreach in Lake Oswego, perhaps in conjunction with Sustainability Action Month. • The City will be participating in Clean Energy Works Oregon in a limited/focused capacity, using EECBG funds. Clean Energy Works Oregon allows homeowners to make energy efficiency upgrades that are repaid through energy savings, with on bill financing. To best leverage limited resources, Lake Oswego's program will focus on retrofits for senior citizens living on fixed incomes (120% of median family income), and will retrofit up to 8 homes in the next two years. If additional funds become available, the program may expand. The City will also be participating on Energy Efficiency Page 5 on Main Street via Clackamas County, also using EECBG funds. This program provides technical assistance and grant funds to help small, main street businesses make energy efficiency upgrades. • Community members have been exploring a "solarize" project for Lake Oswego. The City has offered to provide outreach support and to work to identify and reduce potential permitting and development review barriers. • The City has used grant funds to retrofit heavy diesel equipment/vehicles to reduce diesel particulate matter. • A fall green home tour was discussed by the Planning Department Green Team last spring; however due to heavy workloads, was not organized. 7) Additional topics discussed by the Board during March 2010 include the following: • Create an over-arching Sustainability Policy. • The City should lead by example. Improve existing City Facilities and plan for new proposed facilities to be very high performing buildings with the possibility of attaining Living Building status. • Create a sustainability yardstick as a tool for the Board and the City as a whole. • Create a system of metrics to measure performance and improvement (the carbon baseline noted above is critical to this.) B. SAB 2010 Goals Submitted to Council, October 2009 (from SAB Council Memo 200ct09.doc) The following goals were shared with the City Council in late 2009, noting the SAB 2010 priorities as the following: 1) Move forward with a comprehensive, community-wide sustainability planning process, involving the City and a large number of community stakeholders. We do not expect to complete this process in 2010, but we do expect to make significant progress, laying the groundwork to complete the process by the end of 2011. Progress/Actions Taken:The Board agreed to roll this effort into the current Comprehensive Plan update, in light of timing, staff capacity, and funding constraints. 2) Develop a community-wide Climate Change Action Plan, which would provide quantitative greenhouse gas reduction goals and an implementation plan for achieving those goals. We would like to complete the planning process by the end of 2010, with implementation continuing into 2011. Progress/Actions Taken: Progress has not occurred. However, as noted above under A. 6., a community GHG emissions inventory will be conducted using EECBG funds. 3) Implement the 2nd annual Sustainability Action Month in May 2010. Our goal is to reach a significantly greater audience and to have an even greater impact than we had with the first Sustainability Action Month this year. The 2010 activities will interconnect with Centennial Celebration events,too. Progress/Actions Taken: Sustainability Action Month 2010 was very successful, engaging a range of Lake Oswegans in a variety of sustainability-related learning opportunities. The strategy for 2010 was to partner with other organizations and groups to promote sustainability during their regular events. The City was able to once again budget for and sponsor an AmeriCorps member to assist the Board with planning and implementing Sustainability Action Month 2011. The Board may want to consider a Page 6 focused message for Sustainability Action Month 2011 to compliment one or several of the Board's goals. 4) Support efforts to audit and make changes to development code and zoning practices so as to remove barriers to and encourage green building and sustainable development practices. Progress/Actions Taken: See above under A. 2. and A. 3. C. Board Mission and Duties. Finally, the Board should keep in mind its mission and duties as you work to develop goals and work plan for the coming year. SAB Mission & Duties The mission of the Sustainability Advisory Board shall be to promote the sustainability of the community as a whole, considering public and private actors and their effects on ecological, economic, and community systems. The Sustainability Advisory Board shall be guided by the Sustainable City Principles embodied in the City's 2007 Sustainability Plan. The Sustainability Advisory Board shall: The following actions, shown in italics, under each duty, were completed in 2009/ 2010 or are in progress: a. Advise and assist the City Council in efforts to make City operations more sustainable. Provide Council with yearly Goals and Priorities. Review and support distribution of sustainability related Stimulus Money b. Assist in the development of plans and policies to enhance the sustainability of the City as a whole. Integration of Sustainability into the Comp Plan c. Educate and support other Lake Oswego organizations to become more sustainable. Natural Step Training for Planning Dept., Council, and Department Directors Board Liaisons to other Boards and Commissions Presentation of Oregon Sustainability Center and Living Building Challenge to City Council City Staff LEED training d. Educate and engage the public in efforts to make the community of Lake Oswego, including residents, businesses, and institutions, more sustainable. Sustainability Action Month (includes a wide variety of education activities) Clean Power Sign-ups Water and Energy Audits Encourage letters to the editor by SAB members