City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 28, 2019
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
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Second Reading, and Final Passage of the Environmental Action Plan (EAP) 2040. (Public Hearing Completed)
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ISSUE: Second Reading, and Final Passage of the Environmental Action Plan (EAP) 2040, which also incorporates goals, targets, and actions adopted as Phase One on October 13, 2018.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council adopt the EAP 2040.
BACKGROUND: The EAP is a foundational document of the Eco-City Alexandria initiative and a sustainability road map in alignment with existing, approved City plans. The EAP 2040 will replace the 10-year old original EAP which included 363 actions targeted for completion by 2030, most of which were completed or became on-going programs and policies.
The EAP 2040 covers the same ten topic areas: Climate Change, Energy, Green Buildings, Land Use and Open Space, Water Resources, Transportation, Environmental Health, Air Quality, and Implementation, Education, and Outreach. It includes 101 short-, mid-, and long-term actions, with actions yet to be added from a Green Building policy update and Open Space Study. The plan development process has been a collaboration with Environmental Policy Commission (EPC), the public, and staff from multiple departments with guidance and leadership from the Eco-City Steering Committee.
DISCUSSION: EAP 2040 is heavily focused on actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Significant advances in knowledge, technology, global impacts, and best practices related to sustainability and climate change have occurred since the EAP’s adoption in 2009.
Still, many targets and timelines in the EAP 2040 are aggressive and aspirational.
Joint Council and EPC work sessions (in addition to joint EPC meetings with Planning Commission and Park and Recreation Commission) have facilitated better understanding of citywide priorities. The EPC and staff have collaborated in regular meetings with small working groups to address specific elements of the EAP. Public input has been considerable including open houses (Eco-City Café and Eco-City Summit) and remote participation through social media and online feedback forms. Among the comments received from the community was an overarching request for greater outreach and education.
FISCAL IMPACT: Operating and capital cost estimates are preliminary (order of magnitude) up to $103 million, not counting the highest cost projects that are already in the City’s CIP (total costs of $1.2 billion for the Potomac Yard Metro Station, Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) remediation, and rapid transit with dedicated lanes). Additionally, many of the action items reflect costs that are already captured within the CIP. However, each action requiring additional resources will have to compete for resources annually in the City’s operating budget and CIP consideration and approval processes. Cost estimates provided are order of magnitude estimates. Costs do not reflect savings from energy efficiency investments for projects such as LED streetlight replacements.
Adoption of the EAP 2040 is not a fiscal commitment to implement recommended actions. Each implementation decision requiring additional funding would be determined through the annual budgeting processes. In addition, action items for which staff planning efforts are envisioned will need to be considered as part of the annual Long-Range Interdepartmental Planning Work Program and the annual operating budget.
ATTACHMENT: Environmental Action Plan 2040
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Yon Lambert, Director, T&ES
Karl Moritz, Director, P&Z
Jeremy McPike, Director, General Services
James Spengler, Director, RPCA
William Skrabak, Deputy Director, T&ES/Infrastructure and Environmental Quality
Ellen Eggerton, Sustainability Coordinator, T&ES/Office of Environmental Quality