HomeMy WebLinkAboutClimate Action Subcommittee Report 13 November 2024 1
Meeting Report:
Standing Subcommittee
on Climate Action
PRESENTED FOR COMMISSION MEETING DATE: 17 December
2024
SUBMITTED BY: Roy Clark, Chair
SUBCOMMITTEE NAME: Standing Subcommittee on Climate Action DATE SUBMITTED: 3 December 2024
SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS: Roy Clark (P), Kathy Cohn (P),
Bernard Rottner (P), Prema Walker (N), P = Present, N = Not Present
NEXT SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING: 11
December 2024
SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING DATE: 13 November 2024
Subcommittee Goal: Develop and recommend policies and plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the City of
Palm Springs by 40% from 1990 levels by 2030. (Reference: Palm Springs Climate Action Roadmap, dated 28 October
2021) and develop and recommend policies and plans to assist Palm Springs residents adapt to ongoing climate change.
Summary of meeting
Staff report:
• The kick-off date for the Heat and Shade study will be announced by CalTrans
• Acceptance of the Safe Streets grant will be by consent at the November 21 City Council meeting; the funding is
from the Inflation Reduction Act and should be obligated by the end of 2024
• There will be outreach sessions for road reconfiguration projects November 18 (South Palm Canyon), November
19 (Racquet Club east of Palm Canyon), and November 20 (Racquet Club west of Palm Canyon, Little Tuscany)
at 5:30 pm at the Demuth Community Center
• Sustainability Specialist Wheeler will attend an urban forestry meeting in Chicago the week of November 18
• The Office of Sustainability supported the artwork project in the crosswalk at Tramview and Granada in Desert
Highland Gateway Estates
Energy-Efficient Upgrade Ordinance
• Sustainability Fellow Juliet Shane Agtang summarized the results of a survey and outreach session at the
November ONE-PS meeting. Residents were asked the following questions: How old is your house?; What type
of building (single family, multi-family, mobile)?; Are you planning upgrades?; What triggered recent upgrades?
• Comments from attorneys on the ordinance were discussed. The ordinance may be difficult for homeowners to
understand; and project valuation is preferred over square footage as a trigger for the ordinance.
• The actual ordinance was not available for discussion at the subcommittee meeting. It should be available for the
November Commission meeting.
• Examples of fact sheets from two cities were presented and discussed. The consensus was that Palm Springs
should produce fact sheets,
• Tables 1 and 2 in the ordinance were illustrated for comments and discussion. Table 1 gives target points for
projects, based on valuation, and Table 2 shows points associated with energy-related upgrades. Homeowners
can choose upgrades to meet the required number of points.
• A vote on going ahead with the ordinance may be taken at the November Commission meeting. Otherwise it will
be taken in December.
2
Warehouse/Fulfillment Center
• At the Planning Commission meeting December 11 , a recommendation on developing a large
warehouse/fulfillment center in Palm Springs (N Indian Canyon and 19th Avenue) will be discussed.
• The Sustainability Commission Chair would like to make public comment in support of project but
recommending good sustainability practices in transportation and energy on behalf of Sustainability at the
Planning Commission meeting. At the November meeting the Sustainability Commission will be asked to
approve public comment.
Recommendations/Requests to Subcommittee
Continue to prioritize presentations to the subcommittee on organizations and on-going activities, internal and external to
the City
Airport expansion (Ref: Jan 25, 2024, City Council Meeting) (Airport General Manager)
Convention Center
Bicycle routes (Sustainability Specialist Wheeler and Engineering)
City fleet electrification (Director McCloy)
Sustainable transportation planning and EV charging
Parks Master Plan
New, as of March 13, 2024:
Energy-efficient construction, include LEED
Training to do energy audits, such as interface with the College of the Desert
Sustainability education program
Vehicle maintenance program with the College of the Desert
New as of May 8:
Commissioner Walker requested that the Office Sustainability look into potential community change grants under
the Inflation Reduction Act
Request To Commission Read this report and tell Subcommittee what you would like discussed
in more detail in Commission meeting
Request To Office of Sustainability Expand outreach and education to City Council, City staff, and other
commissions; meeting notices and written messaging; integrate
sustainability with other organizations
Support new activities:
Perform GHG inventory, 2020 update and new 2022 (CVAG and
PlaceWorks)
Identify the number of houses in the City with solar panels
Identify the number of electric vehicles registered in the City by
recent year
Survey how EV drivers in the City charge their vehicles
Investigate EV rideshare programs to serve disadvantaged areas
and Navigation Center
Potential Fiscal Impact/Request Unknown
Could be a lot of money required in the long term to implement
strategic activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions