TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Keith Stahley, City Manager
FROM: Peter Fernandez, PE, Public Works Director
SUBJECT:
title
Status of Salem Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Recommended Early Implementation Priorities
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Safe Community
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SUMMARY:
summary
The Salem Climate Action Plan (CAP) was accepted by City Council on February 14, 2022. This is a long-term plan (30+ years) designed to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and increase Salem’s resiliency to climate change. This information report provides a summary of the details that have been provided to the CAP Committee to date, and an overall summary of the CAP efforts that are now underway.
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ISSUE:
To provide a summary of the details that have been provided to the CAP Committee to date, and an overall summary of the CAP efforts that are now underway.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information Only.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
In May 2022, a Mayor-appointed Climate Action Plan Committee began monthly meetings to review the list of early implementation priorities recommended by staff (Attachment 1). These monthly meetings have provided an opportunity for presentations and discussions on the status and anticipated next steps for several of the early implementation strategies. To supplement these discussions, staff have drafted individual “Summary Sheets” for each of the 55 strategies included on the early list. These summary sheets provide status updates, an outline of potential steps forward, and are included with each monthly Committee agenda packet.
The Climate Action Plan contains 183 different strategies designed to achieve progress on Council-established GHG emission goals and to guide City activities and partnerships with other agencies, all over the next 30 years. The strategies in the CAP have been organized into seven different category types: Transportation and Land Use, Energy; Economic Development; Natural Resources; Community; Food System; and Materials and Waste. Each strategy is further categorized by the following:
• GHG Reduction Potential (High, Medium, and Low)
• Cost (Rough cost to City to implement)
• Lead Agency (City and/or Partnering Agency)
• Co-Benefits (Community benefits that extend beyond GHG reductions)
• Suggested Timeframe to Begin (from now to beyond the next 5 years)
To facilitate initial steps forward under the Plan, a list of 55 strategies were identified by staff for early implementation. This early list has been the primary focus of the CAP Committee meetings to date, with some additional discussion on closely related strategies, other strategies already underway, and strategies suggested for Committee discussion through public comment.
The complete list of 55 early implementation priorities is included as Attachment 1. To date, information on 38 strategies has been provided to the CAP Committee. Many of these strategies are already underway. A few will require new ordinances, additional analysis, or extensive public outreach as part of moving forward, and most require coordination with local, state, and regional partners. Each of the 55 strategies requires staff time to implement. Continued implementation of the CAP strategies will depend upon staffing and budgetary constraints. One of the recommendations for early action is to hire a new staff position to manage and coordinate the implementation of the CAP. To date, existing Public Works staff have coordinated CAP Committee meetings and initial implementation efforts.
Highlights of the many CAP efforts that are underway are provided below. Attachment 2 includes the complete set of “Summary Sheets” with the information that has been provided to the CAP Committee. These sheets provide a closer look at the status and anticipated next steps for each CAP strategy.
Transportation and Land Use Strategies
The 2019 Inventory of GHG emissions in Salem identified Transportation as the highest source of emissions in Salem. Fifteen strategies on the early implementation list pertain to transportation. Staff from Cherriots joined the August CAP Committee meeting to provide updates on the Long-Range Transit Plan. The following transportation related strategies have been identified as having a high to medium potential for GHG reductions through implementation:
• Strategy #TL 30: Electrification of City-owned Fleet
o Efforts are underway to purchase and install dedicated charging infrastructure to support EV’s for continued City use.
o Four stations will be installed at the new Public Works Building.
o Fleet and Engineering are investigating Portland General Electric Fleet Partner Program for 20 additional charging stations. If this moves forward, it is estimated that the City’s obligation would be $110,243 for the charging infrastructure, and an additional $92,000 for the installation.
o Light-duty vehicles will be prioritized for electric replacement first. A large portion of the City’s fleet (e.g., dump trucks, vac trucks, heavy-duty pick-ups, sweepers, etc.) still do not have an electric alternative.
o Note: Fleet has been using 99% renewable diesel fuel for the last two years. This has resulted in reduced GHG emissions and maintenance costs associated with the City’s Fleet.
• Strategy #TL 24: Charging for City-controlled Parking
o Focus of this activity is on-street parking in the central business district.
o Financial analysis is needed to determine feasibility of converting free parking district model to paid on-street system.
o Effort will require an extensive public education and outreach campaign, and revisions to multiple chapters within Salem Revised Code.
o Purchase and installation of paid parking equipment and signage would be needed.
o Council direction will be needed for staff to prepare an implementation strategy/plan.
• Strategy #TL 34: Implement Telecommuting & Flexible Work Hour Policies
o A new Administrative Policy and Procedure (APP #4.8 - Remote Work Policy) was approved by the City Manager in 2021.
o This policy establishes procedures for City employees that are eligible to work from a remote worksite. Department Director’s then approve remote work options based on individual Department need.
o A new Department of Environmental Quality Rule is under development (Commute Trip Reduction Program) and may further impact City policies.
o Final Rulemaking anticipated in 2023.
• Strategy #TL 40: Amend City Code to Eliminate Parking Minimums
o The City has already eliminated parking minimums for multi-family housing along the Cherriots’ core network and for middle housing (e.g., townhouses, two family, three family, four family, and cottage clusters).
o Through Our Salem, parking minimums are proposed to be further reduced for mixed-use development that contains multifamily housing along the core network.
o The City will need to make policy decisions related to parking regulations and parking management to comply with the new Climate Friendly & Equitable Community Rulemaking. Staff will be providing potential parking changes to the CAP Committee in October and anticipate bringing the recommended policy decisions to Council within the next 12 months.
• Strategy #TL 39: Continue to Minimize Setbacks to Allow for More Dense Development
o Setbacks were proposed to be minimized in mixed-use areas through the Our Salem project.
o The project includes map changes and code amendments that address this strategy.
o Our Salem was approved by Council on July 11, 2022.
• Strategy #TL 08: Increase Bus Service
o Cherriots Long Range Transit Plan (LRTP) is currently under development. This Plan will provide an outline for the continued expansion of services and funding priorities over the next 20 years.
o A Public Engagement Report was completed in February 2022. Feedback highlights desires for increased frequency of service, an increase in the number of geographic areas served, and interest in reduced and/or free bus fares for riders.
o The LRTP will be finalized by the end of the year and will help to inform updates to the Salem Keizer Area Transportation Study (SKATS), the City’s Salem Transportation System Plan, and prioritized improvements for all Cherriots services.
Energy Related Strategies
Electricity was identified as the second largest source of GHG emissions in Salem per the 2019 Inventory. Representatives from the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) joined the August CAP Committee meeting to provide information on two different strategies within the CAP that address energy efficiency in buildings. Staff from the Energy Trust of Oregon (ETO) and Portland General Electric (PGE) joined the September Committee meeting. The following energy related strategies have been discussed:
• Strategy #EN 12: Increase Energy Efficiency in Municipal Buildings
o Energy benchmarking measures a building’s energy use and compares it to the average for similar buildings. Benchmarking assesses current energy use (baseline) and compares it to similar building types.
o Standard practice for determining the baseline is to use Energy Star Portfolio Manager software for data input. This is a free online tool developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (Energy Star Portfolio Manager). Use of this tool requires some initial training and dedicated staff time for data entry.
o After baseline is established a qualified energy auditor would be needed to assess low-performance buildings for energy retrofits to improve performance. Costs and timelines will vary depending on the recommended retrofits.
o Staff are looking into staffing needs and possible next steps.
• Strategy #EN 20: Implement Ordinance Requiring Home Energy Score
o Introductory presentation provided by Oregon Department of Energy
o Portland, Milwaukie, and Hillsboro have adopted mandatory requirement for Home Energy Scores (HES). Corvallis, Eugene, and Bend are also in the process of new ordinances requiring or implementing voluntary HES.
o HES estimate energy use, associated costs, and energy solutions to cost-effectively improve the building’s energy efficiency. Each energy score is shown on a simple one-to-ten scale, where a ten represents the most efficient buildings. Energy assessments should be done by certified energy assessors.
o Some cities provide financial assistance or no-cost energy assessments for low-income residents.
• Strategy #EN 04: Begin Reporting GHG Emissions on a Regular Basis
o Latest Community Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory was completed in 2019 (Cascadia Partners) using data that was collected in 2016.
o It is recommended that an updated inventory be completed every couple of years.
o Staff have entered into an agreement with ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability USA) to complete an updated GHG Inventory using data from 2021.
o The updated inventory is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
• Strategy #EN 29: Work with PGE, Salem Electric, and ETO to Create a Network of Microgrids
o Staff worked with Portland General Electric and Energy Trust of Oregon to compile and submit an Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) Community Renewable Energy grant application in July (Council Resolution 2022-28).
o Grant program was established under HB 2021 and provides up to $1M for project construction.
o Project is for the construction of a microgrid adjacent to the new Public Works Building and connected to the Salem Smart Power Center on Oxford Street SE.
o Microgrid would allow PGE to maintain power to the Public Works Building and homes in the immediate vicinity during a power outage.
o Proposed project would be the first-ever “community microgrid” in Oregon.
o Decision from ODOE is anticipated in fall 2022.
Economic Development Strategies
• Strategy #EC 07: Conduct a Review of City Financial Assets
o Amendments to Council Policy C-7 (Investment Policy and Portfolio Guidelines) to include Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Parameters in scoring investments of City funds was approved by Council on February 28, 2022.
o To meet the requirements of the new ESG parameters of the investment policy, a company cannot be in the industries of energy services, oil and gas producers, or refiners and pipelines.
o Discussions with VOYA in process for potential of adding fossil-fuel free fund option for employees. Currently Employees can opt to pay $50/year to move funds into other investments outside of VOYA portfolio.
o Adding new fund options must be approved by Deferred Compensation Plan Committee.
Materials and Waste Strategies
• Strategy #MW 04: Write & Implement a Sustainable Purchasing Policy
o City has an existing Administrative Policy and Procedure for Sustainable Business Operations (APP #3.11) that was created in 2011.
o Purchasing staff have initiated a review process of this policy to ensure practices are in line with the City’s Climate Action Plan.
o The review and updated policy are anticipated to be completed in fall of 2022.
BACKGROUND:
On October 12, 2020, City Council adopted two goals for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in Salem: (1) By 2035, Salem’s GHG emissions shall be reduced to 50 percent of the citywide greenhouse gas emissions for the baseline year of 2016, and (2) By 2050, Salem should be carbon neutral. For 18 months, City staff worked with a consulting firm, a 33-member Task Force, and multiple stakeholders to produce a Climate Action Plan (CAP) for Salem with the strategies necessary to reduce GHG emissions and to achieve the two Council-adopted goals. The CAP also provides measures for creating a resilient community and for addressing issues related to equity and inclusion.
The CAP serves as a guide for actions over many years, actions that may include Council-directed implementation of new initiatives, programs, plans, partnerships, regulations, and projects.
The Salem CAP is available on the City website at: <https://www.cityofsalem.net/community/natural-environment-climate/climate-action-plan-for-salem>
The complete list of 183 strategies in the Salem CAP can be found in Appendix 8.
Heather Dimke
Management Analyst II
Attachments:
1. Early Implementation Strategy Review Schedule
2. CAP Strategy Summary Sheets