TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Keith Stahley, City Manager
FROM: Brian D. Martin, PE, Public Works Director
Kristin Retherford, Community and Urban Development Director
SUBJECT:
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Work program for regional scenario planning as required by the new State Climate Friendly and Equitable Community rules.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Natural Environment Stewardship; Safe, Reliable and Efficient Infrastructure; Strong and Diverse Economy; Welcoming and Livable Community.
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SUMMARY:
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The City is required by new State rules to conduct regional scenario planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from light vehicle travel and to meet the State’s climate pollution reduction targets. To start this work, the City is required to submit to the State by June 30, 2023, a work program that includes a scope of work, schedule, estimated budget, and proposed governance structure for how the regional partners will work together to conduct scenario planning.
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ISSUE:
Information only.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
On July 21, 2022, the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) adopted administrative rules that had been developed through a rulemaking project called Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC). The CFEC rules aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation-related sources while simultaneously increasing housing choices and creating more equitable outcomes for Oregonians.
Regional Scenario Planning
One major component of the CFEC rules requires Salem to conduct scenario planning with regional partners. Scenario planning involves computer simulation to model various strategies that are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from light vehicle travel. The model estimates the GHG reductions and the degree to which these reductions will meet the State’s climate pollution reduction targets. Regional scenario planning partners include Marion County and the City of Keizer. Polk County and the City of Turner are eligible to request an exemption from participating in the regional scenario planning. For the Salem-Keizer region, the target GHG reduction is a 20 percent reduction from 2005 emission levels of per capita GHG emissions from travel in light vehicles by 2040 and a 30 percent reduction by 2050 and beyond.
In 2020, the City adopted its own targets for reducing citywide GHG emissions. There are two GHG targets adopted by City Council: A 50 percent reduction in GHG emissions from the baseline year of 2016 by 2035 and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Overview of Scenario Planning Process
The regional scenario planning process requires the Salem-Keizer metropolitan area planning partners to evaluate and determine what changes are needed to land use and transportation plans and programs to meet the State’s GHG reduction targets. The process is similar to the scenario planning work that was done with the Our Salem project to evaluate potential impacts of proposed land use changes. Staff anticipates that the new regional scenario planning work will focus on transportation changes, including current and future investments in active transportation, fleet and fuels, transit, pricing, parking management, education and marketing, and roads. Specifically, the planning process will establish regional performance targets and local performance measures that Salem will incorporate into its Transportation System Plan.
The planning process, which will be supported by a consultant funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), is expected to start summer or fall of 2023. It is expected to take roughly 18 months to complete. The City is required to submit the regional scenario plan to the director of the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) for approval. The director of DLCD can either approve the plan or refer it to LCDC. If referred, LCDC will hold a hearing prior to either approving or remanding the regional scenario plan.
Once a regional scenario plan is approved by the State, the City will be required to amend its comprehensive plan, land use regulations, and Transportation System Plan to implement the measures contained in the regional scenario plan. Developing the regional scenario plan will therefore set the framework for updating the Salem Transportation System Plan (TSP), which is expected to start next year. Any future amendments to Salem’s Comprehensive Plan, land use regulations, and Transportation System Plan would also need to be consistent with the regional scenario plan.
Work Program for Scenario Planning
To initiate this regional scenario planning process, Salem and its regional partners are each required to submit to DLCD a work program to develop and implement the regional scenario plan. That work program, due June 30, 2023, must include a proposed governance structure for regional cooperation, scope of work, community engagement plan, funding estimate, and schedule. The components are included in Attachments 1 and 2 and are described below.
• Proposed governance structure: A regional advisory committee - referred to by the State as a “governance structure” - will be formed to make key decisions during the scenario planning process. The City has worked with staff and elected officials from the City of Keizer and Marion County to propose the following composition of the committee of elected or appointed members: three Salem members, two Keizer members, two Marion County members, and one member from Cherriots. The committee will make decisions by consensus.
• Scope of work: The work program includes a high-level scope of work for the regional scenario planning process; the scope has already been provided by ODOT. As mentioned above, ODOT is expected to fund a consultant team to help Salem, Keizer, and Marion County jointly develop the scenario plan.
• Community engagement plan: The community engagement plan (Attachment 2) provides a toolkit of strategies that Salem and Keizer can use to engage the broader community in the regional scenario planning process as well as implementation of other portions of the CFEC rules. DLCD funded a consultant to help Salem and Keizer develop the community engagement plan.
• Funding estimate: The City has developed an estimate for the funding needed to adopt local land use and transportation amendments to implement the regional scenario plan. This preliminary estimate, which ranges between $1 million and $2 million, is based on the City’s current understanding of the rule requirements. ODOT is expected to provide a share of the funds for consultants to assist with required transportation plan amendments.
• Schedule: The City and its regional partners have developed a schedule for completing the regional scenario plan, updating TSPs in Salem and Keizer, updating local land use regulations, and other work required by the CFEC rules. Developing the regional scenario plan is the only element that is required to be done concurrently.
Following submittal of the regional scenario plan, DLCD will review the work program in consultation with ODOT. If it is found to be acceptable, it will be approved by the Director of DLCD or referred to LCDC for either remand or approval.
BACKGROUND:
The requirements to conduct regional scenario planning are part of a larger package of amendments to Oregon’s Transportation Planning Rule and other administrative rules developed through the CFEC rulemaking. The CFEC rulemaking project came in response to Governor Kate Brown’s March 10, 2020, Executive Order 20-04, which directed State agencies to reduce climate pollution. In response, LCDC launched the CFEC rulemaking project in September 2020. The rulemaking project amended rules governing Oregon’s planning system for communities in Oregon’s eight most populated areas.
Many of the CFEC rules align with the work already accomplished through the Our Salem project as well as the ongoing work to implement the Climate Action Plan and future work to update the Salem Transportation System Plan. Beyond the scenario planning work, the CFEC rules require that the City undertake additional planning work, including parking reform; the designation of walkable, mixed-use areas; and other land use changes. Attachment 3 describes the relationships between Our Salem, CFEC rules, and other long-range planning efforts underway or anticipated for the next two to five years.
Robert D. Chandler, PhD, PE
Assistant Public Works Director
Attachments:
1. Scenario Planning Work Program
2. Community Engagement Plan (Exhibit A to Scenario Planning Work Program)
3. Your Guide to Planning for Our Future, June 2023