SR-510-002 (13)
. .-
~ City of
Santa Monica~
City Council Report
24
City Council Meeting: October 1-6';' 2006
Agenda Item: ~
To:
Mayor and City Council
From:
Craig Perkins, Director - Environmental and Public Works Management
Subject:
Recommendation to Adopt the Sustainable City Plan Implementation Plan
Developed by the Sustainable City Task Force and to Adopt Various
Amendments to the Sustainable City Plan
Recommended Action
It is recommended that the City Council:
1) adopt the Sustainable City Plan Implementation Plan (Implementation Plan)
developed by the Sustainable City Task Force;
2) adopt Task Force on the Environment recommendations to amend the
Sustainable City Plan; and
3) adopt amendments to the Sustainable City Plan and update the indicators and
targets, including the adoption of a target for greenhouse gas emission
reductions.
Executive Summary
On February 11. 2003, City Council unanimously adopted the Santa Monica
Sustainable City Plan, which is a comprehensive update and expansion of the
Sustainable City Program adopted by Council in 1994.
This report provides
recommendations from City staff and the Task Force on the Environment to update the
1
Sustainable City Plan guiding principles, goals, indicators and targets, and
recommendations from the Sustainable City Task Force for specific implementation
actions to help the City meet its Sustainable City Plan goals. The staff
recommendations update the introductory language, targets and indicators in the
existing Sustainable City Plan. The Task Force on the Environment recommendations
expand the guiding principles to include the Precautionary Principle and recommend
expansion of the solid waste diversion target beyond the current goal of 70% by 2010.
The Sustainable City Task Force recommendations are presented in the Sustainable
City Plan - Implementation Plan (Implementation Plan) and include the creation of a
Community Sustainability Liaison, the production of Expert Forums to address
sustainable practices, and the development of an Economic Development Strategy to
promote sustainable practices and attract sustainable businesses to Santa Monica.
The financial impacts associated with the Sustainable City Task Force's Implementation
Plan recommendations include a one-time funding allocation of $135,000 for the
creation of a Sustainable Economic Development Strategy and two-year funding in the
amount of $100,000 each year for the Community Sustainability Liaison and $10,000 to
$20,000 for Expert Forums. These funds were already allocated by Council on June 20,
2006 ($150,000 for FY 2006-07 and $160,000 the following fiscal year) as an
enhancement to the FY 2006-07 City budget; however, Council has not formally acted
to adopt the Implementation Plan. There are no financial impacts associated with the
Task Force on the Environment and staff recommendations.
2
Discussion
Backqround
In September 1994 City Council adopted the Santa Monica Sustainable City Program
which set long-term internal and Citywide goals for sustainability. In February 2003 City
Council adopted an updated and expanded version of the program called the
Sustainable City Plan.
On October 28. 2003, City Council adopted a motion to create a Sustainable City Task
Force to provide leadership and guidance for implementation of the Sustainable City
Plan. The Sustainable City Task Force held its first meeting on June 9, 2004.
The Sustainable City Task Force was directed by City Council to develop
implementation recommendations to help the City better achieve its Sustainable City
Plan goals. Since that time, the Sustainable City Task Force has been working to
prepare a Sustainable City Plan - Implementation Plan. The Sustainable City Task
Force presented a draft version of the Implementation Plan to Council on June 20,
2006. The Sustainable City Task Force adopted a final version of the Implementation
Plan on July 10, 2006, which is included as Attachment 1 to this report. In developing
the Implementation Plan, the Sustainable City Task Force reviewed an evaluation of
current progress towards meeting the goals in each of the eight Sustainable City Plan
goal areas based on indicator data. Based on this evaluation and on discussions with
community stakeholders and policy experts, the Sustainable City Task Force chose to
3
focus initial implementation actions in three goal areas - Resource Conservation,
Environmental and Public Health, and Economic Development. The Implementation Plan
includes three Recommended Implementation Measures that are designed to help the
City to better achieve the goals in the priority goal areas. The Implementation Plan
recommends: 1) the creation of a Community Sustainability Liaison; 2) the production of
Expert Forums to address innovations in sustainability; and 3) the creation of an
Economic Development Strategy to promote sustainable practices and attract
sustainable businesses to Santa Monica. A complete discussion of the priority goal
areas and the recommended implementation measures can be found in the
Implementation Plan in Attachment 1.
Since the adoption of the updated Sustainable City Plan in 2003, the Task Force on the
Environment has remained involved in monitoring the Resource Conservation and
Environmental and Public Health goal areas in the Sustainable City Plan and continues
to make recommendations to Council on environmental policy issues. At their meeting
on July 18, 2005, the Task Force on the Environment adopted a motion recommending
that a Guiding Principle be added to the Sustainable City Plan that reflects the City's
commitment to the Precautionary Principle. The Task Force on the Environment
recommended text is consistent with existing guiding principles in the Sustainable City
Plan and with current City policy. On March 20, 2006, following a review of the City's
progress towards meeting its Resource Conservation and Environmental and Public
Health goals, the Task Force on the Environment adopted a motion requesting that City
Council direct staff to review the Sustainable City Plan solid waste diversion target and
4
return with a recommendation for increasing the target beyond the current 70%
diversion rate by 2010. By 2004, the City had achieved a 67% waste diversion rate and
the Task Force on the Environment recommendation is intended to set a more
aggressive goal for 2010. The full text of the recommendations can be found in
Attachment 2.
City Environmental Programs Division staff have overseen Sustainable City Plan
monitoring, reporting and implementation since adoption of the Sustainable City
Program in 1994. With the adoption of the updated Sustainable City Plan in 2003, the
number of indicators increased from 18 to 120. Staff has successfully identified data
sources and collected data for the majority of these new indicators; however, data for
some of the indicators has been difficult, and sometimes impossible, to obtain. Also, at
the time the updated Sustainable City Plan wa~ adopted, some of the new indicators
and targets had not been completely defined. Staff is recommending a number of minor
changes to the Sustainable City Plan in order to 1) update language to capture changes
in the past three years, 2) update the timeline for developing indicators and targets in
situations where the indicator and/or target have been difficult to define, and 3) update
indicators and targets for which data is not currently available or to reflect new data and
community priorities.
In addition to these changes, staff is recommending that City Council formally adopt
targets for the Greenhouse Gas Emissions indicator which had not previously been set
(Table 1). The targets are based on an analysis of the City's Greenhouse Gas
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emissions since 1990, emission reduction efforts since 1990, and planned future efforts,
both within City operations and within the community.
Table 1.
Indicator
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
· Total Citywide emissions (also report
per capita, by source and by sector)
Taraet
At least 30% reduction below 1990
levels by 2015 for City Operations
The Kyoto protocol target for the United States is a 7% reduction below 1990 levels.
Staff feels that the recommended targets of a 15% reduction in citywide emissions and
a 30% reduction in emissions from City operations are realistically achievable by 2015.
The full text of staff's recommended changes to the Sustainable City Plan are included
in Attachment 3.
Policv Alternatives
The policy alternatives and implications are unique for each of the recommendations to
Council.
1) Adopt the Recommendations of the Implementation Plan developed by the
Sustainable City Task Force - Alternatives to the recommended action include 1)
taking no action to adopt the Sustainable City Plan Implementation Plan; and 2)
adopting some, but not all, of the recommendations in the Implementation Plan.
Option 1 would avoid the financial impacts of implementing the Implementation
6
Plan, however, this would significantly impair the ability of the City to reach many
of its Sustainable City Plan goals.
2) Adopt Task Force on the Environment recommendations to amend the
Sustainable City Plan - Alternatives to the recommended action include; 1) taking
no action; and 2) adopting one but not both of the Task Force on the
Environment recommendations. Neither of these options would have a
significant financial impact nor would they provide cost savings, and the Task
Force on the Environment recommendations are consistent with current City
policy.
3) Adopt staff recommendations to update the Sustainable City Plan indicators
and targets, including the adoption of a target for greenhouse gas emission
reductions - Alternatives to the recommended action include; 1) taking no action
to update the text, indicators and targets; and 2) adopting some, but not all, of
the recommendations. Neither of these options would have a significant financial
impact or provide cost savings and updating the timeline for developing
indicators and targets, and updating the indicators and targets to reflect new data
and community priorities are seen as complimentary and necessary endeavors.
Previous Council Actions
. September 20, 1994 - Council adopted the original Sustainable City Program.
7
. February 11, 2003 - Council adopted the updated and expanded Sustainable City
Plan.
. October 28, 2003 - Council passed a motion to create the Sustainable City Task
Force.
. March 23, 2004 - Council appointed the 11 members of the Sustainable City
Task Force and charged them with developing an implementation program to
achieve the goals set forth in the PLAN.
. June 20, 2006 - Council allocated $310,000 over two years to the Environmental
Programs Division for implementation of the Sustainable City Task Force's
Sustainable City Plan Implementation Plan.
Board and Commission Action
Recent actions taken by the Sustainable City Task Force related to the
recommendations presented in this staff report include:
. January 9, 2006 - Adopted the Sustainable City Plan Implementation Plan in
concept and endeavored to work out the details of the implementation measures.
. July 10, 2006 - Formally adopted the Sustainable City Plan Implementation Plan.
Recent actions taken by the Task Force on the Environment related to the
recommendations presented in this staff report include:
. July 18, 2005 - Recommended that City Council add a Guiding Principle to the
Sustainable City Plan based on the Precautionary Principle.
8
. March 20, 2006 - Recommended that City Council direct City staff to review the
Sustainable City Plan solid waste diversion target and return with a
recommendation for increasing the target beyond the current 70% diversion rate.
BudaetlFinanciallmpact
The recommendations presented in this report do not have any additional budget
impacts for FY 2006-07 as funding has already been included in the Adopted Budget.
Implementation of any future efforts that address the goals of the Sustainable City Plan
may have budgetary and financial impacts. There is no way to assess the entirety of
those impacts at this time due to the comprehensive nature of the Sustainable City
Plan; however, when individual programs, projects and policies related to the
Sustainable City Plan are advanced, Council will be presented with a full assessment of
budget and financial impacts of those activities as part of the approval process.
9
Prepared by:
Dean Kubani, Environmental Programs Manager
Approved:
Forwarded to Council:
Craig Perki
Director, vironmental and Public
Works Management Department
Attachment 1: Implementation Plan
Attachment 2: Task Force on the Environment Recommendations
Attachment 3: Sustainable City Plan
10
Sustainable City Implementation Plan - Phase 1
July 10, 2006
Attachment 1
Table of Contents
1. Introduction .......... ............... .................. ........... ............. ...................... .... Pg. 1
2. Executive Summary ................................................................................ Pg. 2
3. Priority Goal Areas for Implementation................................................... Pg. 2
4. Recommended Implementation Measures.............................................. Pg. 5
A. Community Sustainability Liaison........................................................ Pg. 5
B. Expert Forums.. ....... .... .... ............ ............... ............. ........ ..... ...... ......... Pg. 6
C. Developing a Sustainable Local Economy.......................................... Pg. 7
5. Future Plans.......................................... ............................... ................... Pg. 8
1. Introduction
The City Council appointed 11 members to the Sustainable City Task Force
(SCTF) in 2004 and charged them with developing an implementation program to
achieve the goals set forth in the Sustainable City Plan (SCP).
The SCTF developed an integrated two-track model to address their charge.
(Figure 1). The first track is enlisting support among community stakeholders for
the SCP and to encourage adoption of sustainable practices to help the
, community reach its goals. The second track is the identification and
development of specific policies programs and incentives necessary to achieve
SCP goals.
The two tracks work together. The SCTF Community Engagement Sub-
committee leads the efforts in track one to engage a diverse group of
stakeholders to develop a strategy for achieving the SCP goals. The SCTF
Policy Sub-committee leads the efforts in track 2 and interfaces between policy
experts and community groups to identify the community practices that will lead
to the achievement of the SCP goals and the barriers encountered by the
community in implementing sustainable practices. Figure 1 below describes the
Sustainable City Task Force's model for implementing the Sustainable City Plan.
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan (SCP)
Implementation Plan (IP) Model
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Figure 1: SCP Implementation Model
1
The SCTF has used this model to develop this implementation plan to achieve
the goals set forth' in the SCPo This document identifies the priority goal areas the
SCTF has identified and recommends implementation measures to ensure the
City of Santa Monica continues to enhance its resources, prevent harm to the
natural environment and human health, and benefit the social and economic well-
being of the community for the sake of current and future generations.
The implementation plan includes two main components. The first component,
Priority Goal Areas for Implementation, provides an analysis of the Sustainable
City Plan and identifies the priority goal areas the Sustainable City Task Force
has chosen to address in developing a phase one implementation strategy. The
second component, Recommended Implementation Measures, details the
specific implementation strategies the Sustainable City Task Force has
developed.
Executive Summary
The Sustainable City Task Force (SCTF) finds that initial strategies to achieve
the Sustainable City Plan (SCP) goals should be focused in three goal areas -
Resource Conservation, Environmental & Public Health, and Economic
Development. The SCTF chose these three areas based on a detailed analysis
of progress to date on meeting the SCP goals and review of current efforts in
these areas by the City and in the community. These goal areas represent
opportunities for the City of Santa Monica to continue to pursue a leadership role
in urban sustainability and they offer opportunities to foster collaborative efforts
that engage a number of community stakeholders.
The SCTF recommends three implementation measures. They are focused in the
three priority goal areas that will assist the City of Santa Monica in realizing the
goals set forth in the SCP. These measures are 1) the creation of a Community
Sustainability Liaison: 2) the production of Expert Forums to address innovations
in sustainability; and 3) the creation of an Economic Development Strategy to
promote sustainable practices and attract sustainable businesses to Santa
Monica.
The Community Sustainability Liaison will facilitate the adoption of sustainable
practices in the community and engage diverse stakeholders, the Expert Forums
will draw attention to innovations in sustainable practices and provide strategic
tools to be utilized in Santa Monica, and the Economic Development Strategy will
identify the necessary elements of a sustainable local economy for Santa Monica
and provide a plan to develop it. Together, these three implementation
measures will help the City of Santa Monica to realize the goals set forth in the
Council adopted Sustainable City Plan.
2. Priority Goal Areas for Implementation
City staff prepared a Gap Analysis (Attachment 1) to evaluate current progress
towards meeting the goals of the Sustainable City Plan and to give the SCTF
2
direction in developing an implementation strategy. The Gap Analysis includes
information on program and policy status, a summary of the most current
indicator data, and a discussion of gaps and opportunities for each of the 8 Goal
Areas in the SCP.
Based on the Gap Analysis and discussions with community stakeholders and
policy experts, the Sustainable City Task Force (SCTF) recommends that initial
strategies to achieve Sustainable City Plan (SCP) goals be focused in three goal
areas - Resource Conservation, Environmental & Public Health, and Economic
Development. These three goal areas comprise Phase 1 of the implementation
plan for the SCP; the remaining goal areas comprise Phase" of the
implementation plan.
Priority Goal Areas - Phase 1
Resource Conservation, Environmental & Public Health, and Economic
Development
Although the City of Santa Monica is a nationwide leader in addressing
environmental sustainability issues, the Resource Conservation and
Environmental & Public Health goal areas were chosen for initial action because
participation is needed on the part of the community (including businesses, major
institutions and residents) in order to meet the SCP goals in these areas. While
the city government has demonstrated that actions to reduce resource use and
safeguard environmental and public health are effective, replicable and cost
effective over the long term, the SCTF believes it is essential that all community
stakeholder groups begin working together and learning from each other to
identify and implement effective actions to achieve these goals.
The Economic Development goal area was chosen as the third area of focus
because Santa Monica currently lacks a coordinated, forward-looking economic
development strategy necessary to maintain our strong and diverse economy
and meet our other economic goals. A collaborative effort between the local
business community (including the Chamber of Commerce, Convention and
Visitors Bureau and Business Improvement Districts), the city government, and
other community stakeholders such as Santa Monica College is essential if we
are to meet the SCP goals and ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of
our local economy.
Remainino Goal Areas - Phase"
Transportation, Housing, Land Use & Open Space, Community Education &
Civic Participation, and Human Dignity
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Since the implementation of the Transportation and land Use & Open Space
goals has begun with the ongoing process to update the Circulation and land
Use Elements of the City's General Plan, these goal areas are not identified as
priorities for the SCTF. However, the SCTF is currently participating in the
process and making recommendations to staff and the Council on the policies
necessary to achieve these SCP goals.
For the Housing goal area, the City of Santa Monica has historically and
continues to provide significant resources to address these goals. While the city
can do much more to facilitate the private development of housing of all types
(for example, by improving/streamlining the development approval process for
housing) in Santa Monica, it is anticipated that this issue will also be addressed
during the update of the land Use Element. Therefore, this goal area is not
identified as a priority'for the SCTF. However, as part of Phase II, the SeTF will
consult with the Housing Commission along with the City's Housing Division and
Rent Control Department, who have primary responsibility for achieving the goals
in this area, to develop further policy recommendations to the Council for
achieving the housing goals.
For the Community Education & Civic Participation goal area, initial indicator data
shows that, in general, Santa Monica has an informed and engaged populace, so
this goal area is not identified as a priority. However, there is insufficient data for
assessing progress for the civic participation and community involvement
indicators for this goal area, so the SCTF will make recommendations to the
Council and staff for collecting data. Based on the data, the SeTF will make
recommendations to the Council for closing any remaining gaps in this goal area.
For the Human Dignity goal area, the City has historically been very proactive in
supporting the ability of its residents to meet their basic needs and live with
dignity. However, the City faces ongoing challenges to meeting the goals in this
area, particularly in the areas of homelessness and gang related violence among
at-risk youth. Most of the indicator data in this goal area is very recent, so trends
can not accurately be determined regarding progress in meeting the goals. In
the past six months the city has demonstrated its leadership in addressing
homelessness in Santa Monica and on a regional basis and has taken proactive
steps to address gang related violence throughout the city. The SCTF
recommends that the City continue with this increased level of commitment and
service to address these goals. The SeTF recommends that the indicators be re-
evaluated in future years to determine implementation measures to achieve
these goals.
For all of the Phase \I goal areas above, the SCTF will monitor policy and
planning proposals that emerge out of city or community led initiatives and
assess the extent to which they are consistent with or promote sep goals. The
SCTF will engage the community, City Council and staff as needed to further
these goals and promote changes seen to be critical to them.
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3. Recommended Implementation Measures
The SCTF recommends three implementation measures that will assist the City
of Santa Monica in realizing the goals set forth in the Sustainable City Plan.
These three measures will set the stage for a renewed presence for sustainability
in the community and grow the influence of the Sustainable City Plan. The three
implementation measures include the creation of a Community Sustainability
Liaison, the production of Expert Forums to address sustainable practices, and
the development of an Economic Development Strategy to promote sustainable
practices and attract sustainable businesses to Santa Monica.
The Community Sustainability Liaison will facilitate the adoption of sustainable
practices in the community and engage diverse stakeholders, the Expert Forums
will draw attention to innovations in sustainable practices and provide strategic
tools to be utilized in Santa Monica, and the Economic Development Strategy will
identify the necessary elements of a sustainable local economy for Santa Monica
and provide a plan to develop it.
A. Community Sustainability Liaison
Members of the Sustainable City Task Force have spent significant
amounts of time in the first year of the task force meeting with community
stakeholders to obtain input and recommendations on how to best further
Santa Monica's sustainability goals and to gain endorsements of the SCP.
The SCTF finds that it is not able to continue this necessary level of
community engagement in a consistent and efficient manner using only
their volunteer. In order to continue engaging community stakeholders in
sustainable practices, and to work with experts to identify and recommend
implementation tools for the City to employ, the SCTF requests that the
Council provide grant funding to a local non-profit organization or contract
with a professional services firm or individual to act as a Community
Sustainability Liaison (CSL). The CSL would work closely with the SCTF
and city staff to conduct outreach and engage for community stakeholders
around the Sustainable City Plan and provide education and technical
assistance to these groups.
The CSL will:
1. provide a consistent point of contact for activities related to and
participants involved in achieving the SCP goals
2. educate stakeholders about the goals of the SCP and the benefits of
adopting sustainable practices
3. provide stakeholders with information on sustainable principles and
practices
4. engage the community in the City's effort to implement the SCP and
solicit their feedback
l;.
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5. conduct outreach activities for target populations to identify sustainable
practices specific to their needs
6. develop and host roundtables, focus groups, workshops, and
charrettes to develop strategic tools to implement sustainable practices
7. research and assist with funding opportunities for stakeholders to
identify and institutionalize sustainable practices into their operations.
8. create tracking and record keeping mechanisms for implementation
activities adopted by stakeholder groups
9. identify and secure experts to participate in expert forums
1 D. identify and coordinate experts to participate in creation of Sustainable
Economic Development Strategy
11. identify and secure additional funding for full-time, permanent CSl at
the conclusion of grant funding cycle.
The SCTF recommends funding be in the form of a City grant for two
years. The goal is for this position to be self-funded within this two year
period. The City funds could potentially be replaced with outside
fundraising or with cost savings from the implementation of sustainable
practices. The City's Sustainable City Coordinator (or the City Manager's
designee) would direct the CSL's activities and oversee the City's contract
with the CSL. The CSl would be required as part of the terms of the grant
funding to provide regular reports to the SCTF and participate in regular
monthly SCTF meetings.
Estimated annual funding for one full time position plus overhead=
$100,000
B. Expert Forums
The SCTF recommends that the Council provide funding to bring in
experts to provide technical assistance to the City of Santa Monica and
community stakeholders to identify and overcome barriers to achieving the
goals of the SCPo The outside experts will:
1. participate in charrettes, symposia and roundtable discussions
2. identify solutions to barriers encountered to better achieve the goals of
the SCP
3. assist in the creation of a 'toolkit' of best practices and innovative ideas
for achieving the SCP goals
4. evaluate existing SCP indicators to determine if they are meeting their
intended purpose and make recommendations for improvements
5. evaluate tracking and record keeping mechanisms for implementation
activities and make recommendations to improve effectiveness
6. prepare technical papers and provide consultation.
Estimated annual funding = $10,000 - $20,000
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c. Developing a Sustainable Local Economy
The economic development goal of the SCP is "to nurture a stable, local
economy that supports the basic needs of all segments of the community."
A stable, local economy produces many of the goods needed and desired
locally, minimizes resource use, provides quality and diverse jobs 1, allows
people to walk or bike to shop and work, and produces minimal pollution.
In order to meet these goals, the City needs to develop a forward-looking
economic development strategy that addresses plans to maintain the
diversity of Santa Monica's economy, increase the creation of high quality
jobs, and actively attract susta!nable businesses to the locate in the
community.
There are limited models for planning a sustainable local economy in a
metropolitan area. Therefore, the SCTF recommends the following
strategy for achieving the economic development goals of the SCPo
Based on the outcomes of this strategy, the SCTF will make
recommendations to the Council on revisions and additions to city policies
and programs necessary to achieve the SCP economic development
goals.
The SCTF recommends that the City hire a consultant to:
1) evaluate the current economic make-up of the city including all
business sectors, as well as land use taxes, per capita funds the City
receives, and state and federal sources for consistency with the
Sustainable Local Economic Development Principles defined in the
SCP (Attachment 2).
2) identify and coordinate a small group of persons with expertise in
domestic and international sustainable economic development
strategies to participate in an intensive workshop with members of the
Sustainable City Task Force and staff to examine policies and
programs for achieving a sustainable local economy.
3) work with staff and CSL to engage the community in the City's effort to
develop a strategy for achieving the SCP economic development
goals.
4) using the sustainable economic development principles in the SCP and
the input and analysis from above, conduct the following analysis:
. Identify the types of businesses and business sectors that will best
contribute to the long term sustainability of Santa Monica
. Conduct a quantitative analysis of the benefits and tradeoffs of
potential policies and programs
. Assess the feasibility of implementing the potential policies and
programs, including the potential barriers
1 Pay greater than or equal to the Santa Monica cost of living index (SMeOL!). See footnote 5.
7
. Identify analytic tools to monitor progress of the implementation of
the potential polices and programs
5) prepare an Economic Development Strategy that reports all the
analysis above and lays out an optimal mix of strategies to achieve a
more sustainable local economy. The development of the Strategy
should take into account the following current, parallel City efforts and
any other future relevant efforts:
. The update to the Land Use and Circulation Elements of the
General Plan;
. The update to the zoning ordinance; and
. The implementation of the relevant Action Strategies from the
Community Workshop on Gang Violence.
6} solicit feedback from appropriate stakeholders.
7) based on the community input, finalize the overall strategy.
Estimated one time funding = $135,000
Step (1): Evaluation of current economy
Step (2): Experts workshop
Steps (3) & (6): Stakeholder engagement
Step (4): Analysis
Steps (5) & (7): Report preparation
$25,000
$20,000
$10,000
$75,000
$5,000
D. Other Recommendations
Sustainability Assessment
The first Guiding Principle in the SCP says that "the concept of
sustainability guides city policy." The Guiding Principle states that "Santa
Monica is committed to meeting its existing needs without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" and that "the
long term impacts of policy choices will be considered to ensure a
sustainable legacy." Given this commitment to sustainability as a guiding
principle in the SCP and the inclusion of sustainability as one of the City
Council's 5 main budget priorities, the SCTF recommends the integration
of a sustainability assessment be completed for all major city policy
initiatives. Sustainability assessments should look at proposed actions in
terms of their impacts on the goals and targets set out in the SCP.
4. Future Plans
Future plans include developing implementation measures for the remaining goal
areas and monitoring the effects of the current strategies.
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Attachment 2
Task Force on the Environment Recommendations
The Task Force on the Environment recommendations reflect the need to expand
the Sustainable City Plan to address issues of community concern and to capture
emerging best management practices. The Task Force on the Environment
recommendations include 1) The addition of a guiding principle that reflects the
Precautionary Principle, and 2) Updating the Solid Waste Diversion Target.
1 ) Add an additional Guiding Principle
On July 18, 2005, the Task Force on the Environment passed the following motion,
"The Task Force on the Environment recommends that City Council add the
following language as a Guiding Principle to the Sustainable City Plan:
The Precautionary Principle provides a complimentary framework to help
guide City decision-makers in the pursuit of sustainability, and is applicable to
a wide range of policy decisions, operations and practices. The
Precautionary Principle requires a thorough exploration and careful analysis
of a wide range of alternatives, and a full cost accounting beyond short-term
and monetary transaction costs. Based on the best available science, the
Precautionary Principle requires the selection of alternatives that present the
least potential threat to human health and the City's natural systems. Where
threats of serious or irreversible damage to people or nature exist, lack of full
scientific certainty about cause and effect shall not be viewed as sufficient
reason for the City to not adopt mitigating measures to prevent the
degradation of the environment or protect the health of its citizens. Public
1
participation and an open and transparent decision making process are
,
critical to finding and selecting alternatives."
The adoption of this text would expand the guiding principles and reflects growing
national and international commitment to the Precautionary Principles. The text is
consistent with existing guiding principles in the Sustainable City Plan.
2) Update the Solid Waste Diversion Target
On March 20,2006, the Task Force on the Environment passed the following motion:
"Council should direct city staff to review the Sustainable City Plan solid waste diversion
target and return with a recommendation for increasing the target beyond the current 70%
diversion rate."
The adoption of this recommendation recognizes the city's successful waste
diversion strategies and identifies opportunities to continue to exhibit leadership by
pursuing ever more aggressive, but achievable targets in the Sustainable City Plan.
2
Attachment 3
SANTA MONICA SUSTAINABLE CITY PLAN
Adopted September 20 1994
Update Adopted February 11, 2003
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Santa lUonica
A Sustainable Community
Introduction
We live in a time in which increased population growth, high levels of consumption and
the desire to feed growing economies have created escalating demands on our resources -
natural, human and social - on a local, regional, and global scale. These demands
negatively impact the natural environment, our communities and the quality of our lives.
In the face ofthese challenges, people worldwide have developed a growing concern for
the environment and a desire to live sustainably.
In 1994 the Santa Monica City Council took steps to address these pressures locally by
adopting the Santa Monica Sustainable City Program. The Sustainable City Program was
initially proposed in 1992 by the City's Task Force on the Environment to ensure that
Santa Monica can continue to meet its current needs - environmental, economic and
social - without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. It is
designed to help us as a community begin to think, plan and act more sustainably - to
help us address the root causes of problems rather than the symptoms of those problems,
and to provide criteria for evaluating the long-term rather than the short-term impacts of
our decisions - in short, to help us think about the future when we are making decisions
about the present.
The program includes goals and strategies, for the City government and all sectors of the
community, to conserve and enhance our local resources, safeguard human health and the
environment, maintain a healthy and diverse economy, and improve the livability and
quality of life for all community members in Santa Monica. To check our progress
toward meeting these goals, numerical indicators were developed and specific targets
were set for the city to achieve by the year 2000 in four goal areas - 1) Resource
Conservation, 2) Transportation, 3) Pollution Prevention and Public Health Protection,
and 4) Community and Economic Development.
1
Following eleven years of implementation the Santa Monica Sustainable City Program
has achieved much success. Many of the initial targets have been met or exceeded and
Santa Monica is now recognized as worldwide role model for sustainability. However,
we are not "there" yet. While we have made progress in the right direction, Santa
Monica's economy and the activities of its residents, businesses, institutions and visitors
continue to negatively impact human health and the environment. And our community
does not yet provide for the basic needs of all its members. Many challenges remain
before Santa Monica can truly call itself a Sustainable City.
Sustainable City Update Process
In reviewing the progress made since the 1994 adoption of the program, the Task Force
on the Environment recognized the need to update and expand the Sustainable City goals
and indicators to provide a more complete picture of community sustainability, and to
develop new indicator targets for 2010. The Task Force felt that a comprehensive update
would allow Santa Monica to build on its initial success and to better address the
challenges to sustainability that remain.
The update process began in July 2001 with the formation of the Sustainable City
Working Group - a large group of community stakeholders that included elected and
appointed officials, City staff, and representatives of neighborhood organizations,
schools, the business community and other community groups. The Working Group met
numerous times over the course of 15 months to discuss the myriad issues related to the
sustainability of the community. They evaluated the long-term sustainability of Santa
Monica using a framework comprised of three forms of community capital that need to
be managed with care in order to ensure that the community does not deteriorate. These
include natural capital - the natural environment and natural resources of the community;
human and social capital - the connectedness among people in the community and the
education, skills and health of the population; and financial and built capital -
manufactured goods, buildings, infrastructure, information resources, credit and debt.
The group proposed significant changes to the initial Sustainable City goals and
indicators, and assisted with the creation of new indicator targets. Early drafts of the
proposed update were revised based on a large amount of public input received during the
summer of2002.
The result of this process is this updated Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan, which
represents the community's vision of Santa Monica as a sustainable city. The change in
name from Sustainable City Program to Sustainable City Plan was made to better reflect
the long-term comprehensive nature of Santa Monica's vision and the community's
efforts to become a sustainable city.
Sustainable City Plan Structure
The Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan is founded on nine Guiding Principles that
provide the basis from which effective and sustainable decisions can be made. These
Guiding Principles have been revised and updated from the versions initially adopted in
1994.
2
The Plan has also been expanded to include eight Goal Areas:
. Resource Conservation
. Environmental and Public Health
. Transportation
. Economic Development
. Open Space and Land Use
. Housing
. Community Education and Civic Participation
. Human Dignity
Within each Goal Area are specific Goals which comprise the core of the community
vision and represent what Santa Monica must achieve in order become a sustainable city.
For each goal specific Indicators have been developed to measure progress toward
meeting the goals. Indicators are tools that help to determine the condition of a system,
or the impact of a program, policy or action. When tracked over time indicators tell us if
we are moving toward sustainability and provide us with useful information to assist with
decision-making. Two types of indicators are tracked as part of the Sustainable City
Plan. System level indicators measure the state, condition or pressures on a community-
wide basis for each respective goal area. Program level indicators measure the
performance or effectiveness of specific programs, policies or actions taken by the City
government or other stakeholders in the community.
Many of the goals and indicators measure more than one area of sustainability. A Goal I
Indicator Matrix has been included to demonstrate the linkages between these areas.
The amount of overlap shown by the matrix demonstrates the interconnectedness of our
community and the far ranging impact of our decisions across environmental, economic
and social boundaries.
Specific Targets have been created for many of the indicators. The targets represent
aggressive yet achievable milestones for the community. Unless otherwise noted, the
targets are for the year 2010 using 2000 as a baseline. For some indicators no specific
numerical targets have been assigned. This was done where development of a numerical
target was determined to be not feasible or where limits on data type and availability
made it difficult to set a numerical target. In many of these cases a trend direction was
substituted for a numerical target.
Tenns throughout this document that may be unfamiliar to the general reader are defined
in a Glossary. Words or phrases defined in the glossary are shown in italics the first time
they appear in the document.
Leadership, Guidance and Implementation of the Sustainable City Plan
The City's Task Force on the Environment assumed the initial leadership role on behalf
of the community for the Sustainable City Program. With the update and expansion of
the Sustainable City Plan into new and more diverse goal areas, the Task Force on the
Environment recommended the creation of a Sustainable City Task Force (SCTF) that
includes broad representation from community stakeholders with expertise in all of the
3
SCP goal areas The Sustainable City Task Force was created in 2003 to provide
leadership and guidance for implementation of the SCP.
At the City staff level, an interdepartmental Sustainability Advisory Team (SAT) was
created to coordinate existing City activities so they are consistent with the Sustainable
City goals and facilitate the future implementation of innovative programs and policies to
achieve the goals. Members of this group serve as Sustainable City liaisons to their
respective departments.
Between them, the SCTF and the SAT are responsible for developing a comprehensive
implementation plan for meeting Sustainable City goals and targets, and for coordinating
implementation, both interdepartmentally and between the City and community
stakeholder groups.
Reporting
Following the City Council adoption of the Sustainable City Plan, the SCTF , SAT and
city staffwill present Council with a baseline indicators report and a Sustainable City
Implementation Plan. The indicators report will be updated and presented to Council
annually. The report is intended to provide useful information to City Council, City staff
and community members on progress being made toward meeting goals and targets of the
Plan, and will provide a basis for decision-making about policies and actions that
influence the City's ability to meet the goals and targets.
4
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. The Concept of Sustain ability Guides City Policy
Santa Monica is committed to meeting its existing needs without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The long-term impacts of policy
choices will be considered to ensure a sustainable legacy.
2. Protection, Preservation, and Restoration of the Natural Environment is a High
Priority of the City
Santa Monica is committed to protecting, preserving and restoring the natural
environment. City decision-making will be guided by a mandate to maximize
environmental benefits and reduce or eliminate negative environmental impacts. The
City will lead by example and encourage other community stakeholders to make a
similar commitment to the environment.
3. Environmental Quality, Economic Health and Social Equity are Mutually
Dependent
Sustainability requires that our collective decisions as a city allow our economy and
community members to continue to thrive without destroying the natural environment
upon which we all depend. A healthy environment is integral to the city's long-term
economic and societal interests. In achieving a healthy environment, we must ensure
that inequitable burdens are not placed on anyone geographic or socioeconomic
sector of the population and that the benefits of a sustainable community are
accessible to all members of the community.
4. All Decisions Have Implications to the Long-term Sustainability of Santa
Monica
The City will ensure that each of its policy decisions and programs are interconnected
through the common bond of sustainability as expressed in these guiding principles.
The policy and decision-making processes of the City will reflect our sustainability
objectives. The City will lead by example and encourage other community
stakeholders to use sustainability principles to guide their decisions and actions.
5. Community Awareness, Responsibility, Participation and Education are Key
Elements of a Sustainable Community
All community members, including individual citizens, community-based groups,
businesses, schools and other institutions must be aware of their impacts on the
environmental, economic and social health of Santa Monica, must take responsibility
for reducing or eliminating those impacts, and must take an active part in community
efforts to address sustainability concerns. The City will therefore be a leader in the
creation and sponsorship of education opportunities to support community awareness,
responsibility and participation in cooperation with schools, colleges and other
organizations in the community.
5
6. Santa Monica Recognizes Its Linkage with the Regional, National, and Global
Community
Local environmental, economic and social issues cannot be separated from their
broader context. This relationship between local issues and regional, national and
global issues will be recognized and acted upon in the City's programs and policies.
The City's programs and policies should therefore be developed as models that can be
emulated by other communities. The City will also act as a strong advocate for the
development and implementation of model programs and innovative approaches by
regional, state and federal government that embody the goals of sustainability.
7. Those Sustainability Issues Most Important to the Community WiD be
Addressed First, and the Most Cost-Effective Programs and Policies Will be
Selected
The financial and human resources which are available to the City are limited. The
City and the community will reevaluate its priorities and its programs and policies
annually to ensure that the best possible investments in the future are being made.
The evaluation of a program's cost-effectiveness will be based on a complete analysis
of the associated costs and benefits, including environmental and social costs and
benefits.
8. The City is Committed to Procurement Decisions which Minimize Negative
Environmental and Social Impacts
The procurement of products and services by the City and Santa Monica residents,
businesses and institutions results in environmental, social and economic impacts
both in this country and in other areas of the world. The City will develop and abide
by an environmentally and socially responsible procurement policy that emphasizes
long-term values and will become a model for other public as well as private
organizations. The City will advocate for and assist other local agencies, businesses
and residents in adopting sustainable purchasing practices.
9. Cross-sector Partnerships Are Necessary to Achieve Sustainable Goals
Threats to the long-term sustainability of Santa Monica are multi-sector in their
causes and require multi-sector solutions. Partnerships among the City government,
businesses, residents and all community stakeholders are necessary to achieve a
sustainable community.
6
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan
GOALS, INDICA TORS AND TARGETS
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
Goals
Across all segments of the community:
1. Significantly decrease overall community consumption, specifically the
consumption of non-local, non-renewable, non-recyclable and non-recycled
materials, water, and energy and fuels. The City should take a leadership role in
encouraging sustainable procurement, extended producer responsibility and
should explore innovative strategies to become a zero waste city.
2. Within renewable limits, encourage the use oflocal, non-polluting, renewable and
recycled resources (water, energy - wind, solar and geothermal- and material
resources)
Indicators - System Level
Tal"2ets
Solid waste generation Generation: Do not exceed year 2000
· Total citywide generation (also report per levels by 2010
capita andby sector)
· Amount landfilled Diversion: Increase amount diverted to
· Amount diverted (recycled, composted, 7()o,Io of total by 2010
etc) from landfill
Water use
· Total citywide use (also report per capita Reduce overall water use by 20% by 2010.
and by sector) Of the total water used, non-potable water
· Percent local vs. imported use should be maximized
· Potable vs. non-potable
Increase percentage of locally-obtained
potable water to 7()o,Io of total by 2010
Energy use
· Total citywide use (also report per capita (Target pending completion of
and by sector) Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
Strategy in 2003)
7
Renewable Energy use
Percent of citywide 'energy use from By 201025% of all electricity use in Santa
renewable and more efficient sources Monica should come from renewable
· Total renewable energy use (also report sources
by sector)
By 2010 1 % of all electricity use should
· Total energy use from clean distributed come from clean distributed generation
generation sources in SM (also report by sources in Santa Monica
sector)
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
· Total citywide emissions (also report per Atleast 30010 below 1990 levels by 2015 for
capita, by source and ,by sector) City Operations
Atleast 15% below 1990 levels by 2015
citywide
Ecological Footprint for Santa Monica downward trend
Indicator of Sustainable Procurement Indicator and target to be developed by
2007
Indicators - Proe:ram Level
Tanets
"Green" Construction
Total number of LEEDTM certified
buildings in Santa Monica as a percent of
new construction
100% of all buildings* greater than 10,000
square feet eligible for LEED™ .
certification constructed in Santa Monica
in the year 2010 shall achieve LEED TM
certification or its equivalent. Of these,
20% should attain LEED TM Silver, 10%
LEED ™ Gold and 2% LEED TM Platinum
certification or equivalent. In addition,
50% of all new, eligible buildings* less
than 10,000 square feet constructed in
2010 shall achieve LEED™ certification
or its equivalent.
*including all municipal construction
8
ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH
Goals
1. Protect and enhance environmental health and public health by minimizing and where
possible eliminating:
. The use of hazardous or toxic materials, in particular POPs (persistent organic
pollutants) and PBTs (persistent bioaccumulative & toxic chemicals), by
residents, businesses and City operations;
. The levels of pollutants entering the air, soil and water; and
. The risks that environmental problems pose to human and ecological health.
2. Ensure that no one geographic or socioeconomic group in the City is being unfairly
impacted by environmental pollution.
3. Increase consumption of fresh, locally produced, organic produce to promote public
health and to minimize resource consumption and negative environmental impacts.
Indicators - System Level
Santa Monica Bay
Number of days Santa Monica beaches are
posted with health warnings or closed.
Measure for both:
· Dry weather months (April -October)
· Wet weather months (November-March)
Wastewater (sewage) generation
/ · Total citywide generation (also report per
capita, and by sector).
Vehicle miles traveled
· Total
· Local vs. drive-throll h
Air Quality
Percent and demographic profile of Santa
Monica residents who live within a Y:z mile
radius of si i lcant emissions sources
Tal1!ets
o warnings and closures at any Santa
Monica beach location during dry weather
months
No more than 3 days with warnings or
closures at any Santa Monica beach
location on non-rainy days during wet
weather months (a target for rainy days
during these months will be determined in
2003)
Reduce wastewater flows 15% below 2000
levels by 2010
Downward trend
(no tar et for local vs. drive throu h
By 2007 all significant emissions sources
in Santa Monica should be identified
9
Indicaton - Proi!ram Level
Tal"2ets
Residential household hazardous waste
. Total volume of household hazardous 50% cumulative participation rate at the
waste (HHW) collected from Santa City's IffiW collection facility by S.M.
Monica residents households by 2010 (i.e. by 201050% of
. Number and Percent of Santa Monica all households in the city will have
households using the City's HHW delivered lllIW to the facility since 2000)
collection facility
. Cumulative number and percent of
Santa Monica households using the
City's HHW collection facility since
2000
City purchases of hazardous materials
Volume and toxicity of hazardous material (Target to be developed by City staffby
(including POP & PBT containing 2007)
materials) purchased by the City
Toxic air contaminant (TAC) releases
. Number of facilities in SM permitted to Complete feasibility study for data
release TACs availability and collection by 2007
. Total volume ofTACs emitted in SM
annually
Urban Runoff Reduction
Percent of permeable land area in the City Upward trend
Fresh, Local, Organic Produce
Percent of fresh, locally-produced, organic Annual increase over baseline
produce that is served at City facilities and
other Santa Monica institutions (including
hospitals, schools, Santa Monica College,
and City-sponsored food programs)
Organic Produce - Farmen Markets
Total annual produce sales at Santa Monica Annual increase in percent of organically
farmers'markets grown and low-chemical produce sales
. Percent organically grown over baseline
. Percent grown using low-chemical
methods
. Percent conventionally grown
Restaurant produce purchases
Percent of Santa Monica restaurants that Annual increase over baseline
purchase ingredients at Santa Monica
farmers' markets
Food choices
Percent of Santa Monica residents who Annual increase over baseline
report that vegetable-based protein is the
primary protein source for at least half of
their meals
10
TRANSPORTA TION
<rl>>als
1. Create a multi-modal transportation system that minimizes and, where possible,
eliminates pollution and motor vehicle congestion while ensuring safe mobility and
access for all without compromising our ability to protect public health and safety.
2. Facilitate a reduction in automobile dependency in favor of affordable alternative,
sustainable modes of travel.
Indicators - System Level
Modal split
· Number of trips by type, citywide
· Average vehicle ridership (AVR) of
Santa Monica businesses with more
than 50 employees
Residential use of sustainable
transportation options
Percent of residents who have intentionally
not used their car but have instead used a
sustainable mode of transportation in the
past month
Sufficiency of transportation options
Percent of residents who perceive that the
available sustainable modes of
transportation in Santa Monica meet their
needs
Bicycle lanes and paths
· Percent of total miles of city arterial
streets with bike lanes
· Total miles of bike paths in Santa
Monica
Vehicle ownership
Average number of vehicles per person of
driving age in Santa Monica
· total number of vehicles per person
· percent of total that are qualified low
emission / alternative fuel vehicles
Tal"2ets
An upward trend in the use of sustainable
(bus, bike, pedestrian, rail) modes of
transportation
A VR of 1.5 by 2010 for Santa Monica
businesses with more than 50 employees
Upward trend
Upward trend
35% by 2010
No net decrease
10% reduction in the average number of
vehicles per person by 2010
Upward trend in % of qualified low
emission / alternative fuel vehicles
11
Indicators - Pr02ram Level
Tal"2ets
Bus ridership
. Annual ridership on Santa Monica Upward trend
Big Blue Bus (BBB)
. Percent of residents who have ridden Upward trend
the BBB in the past year
. Percent of residents who have ridden Upward trend
the Tide shuttle in the past year
. Annual ridership on MT A routes Upward trend
originating in Santa Monica
Alternative fueled vehicles
Percent of the City's non-emergency fleet (City staff to develop target by 2007)
vehicles using alternative fuels
. Public works vehicles
. BBB vehicles
. Non emergency police and fire
vehicles
Traffic congestion
. Number of signalized intersections with Downward trend
unacceptable motor vehicle congestion
(LOS D, E or F) during peak hours
. Level of service (LOS) for sustainable Upward trend
modes of transportation at impacted
intersections
. Locally classified streets that exceed Downward trend
City thresholds for traffic levels
Pedestrian and bicycle safety
Number of bicycle and pedestrian Downward trend
collisions involving motor vehicles
Traffic impacts to emergency response
Average emergency response times for No upward trend
public safety vehicles
. Police
. Fire
12
ECONONUCDEVELOPMENT
Goals
1. Nurture a diverse, stable, local economy that supports basic needs of all segments of
the community.
2. Businesses, organizations and local government agencies within Santa Monica
continue to increase the efficiency oftheir use of resources through the adoption of
sustainable business practices. The City takes a leadership role by developing a plan
by 2005 to increase the adoption of sustainable practices by Santa Monica businesses
and encouraging sustainable businesses to locate in Santa Monica.
Indicators - System Level
Tan!ets
Economic Diversity
Percent of total economic activity/output No single sector shall be greater than 25%
by business sector (expressed as a percent of total economic activity/output; and the
oftotal wages) top three sectors shall not be greater than
50010 of total economic activity/output.
Business reinvestment in the community Annual increase in reinvestment by
(indicator to be developed by 2007) businesses
Jobs / Housing Balance
· Ratio of the number of jobs in Santa Ratio should approach 1
Monica to the amount of housing
· Percent of Santa Monica residents Increasing trend
employed in Santa Monica
Cost of Living
Santa Monica household incomes in (no target)
relation to Santa Monica cost of living
index (SMeOLI)
Quality Job Creation
Number of net new jobs created in Santa Increasing trend
Monica that pay greater than or equal to
the SMCOLI as a percent of total new jobs
created
13
Income Disparity
· Percent of Santa Monica households (no target)
earning less than $25,OOO/year
· Percent of households earning more
than $lOO,OOO/year
Resource efficiency of local businesses
· Ratio of energy use to total economic Downward trend
activity by business sector
· Ratio of total water use to total Downward trend
economic activity by business sector
Indicators - Proeram Level Tal"2ets
Local employment of City staff
· Percent of City employees who live in (no target)
SM
· Distance Cit em 10 ees travel to work
14
OPEN SPACE AND LAND USE
Goals
1. Develop and maintain a sufficient open space system so that it is diverse in uses and
opportunities and includes natural functionlwildlife habitat as well as passive and
active recreation with an equitable distribution of parks, trees and pathways
throughout the community.
2. Implement land use and transportation planning and policies to create compact,
mixed-use projects, forming urban villages designed to maximize affordable housing
and encourage walking, bicycling and the use of existing and future public transit
systems.
3. Residents recognize that they share the local ecosystem with other living things that
warrant respect and responsible stewardship.
Indicators - System Level
Tal1!ets
Open Space
. Number of acres of public open space Upward trend
by type (including beaches, parks,
public gathering places, gardens, and
other public lands utilized as open
space)
. Percent of open space that is Upward trend
permeable
Trees
. Percent of tree canopy coverage by Upward trend
neighborhood
. Percent of newly planted and total Target to be developed by 2007
trees that meet defined sustainability
criteria*
*to be developed by 2007
Parks - Accessibility
Percent of households and population Upward trend in park accessibility for
within y" and ~ mile of a park by Santa Monica residents
neighborhood
Land Use and Development
Percent of residential, mixed-use projects Upward trend
that are within y" mile of transit nodes and
are otherwise consistent with Sustainable
City Program goals
Regionally Appropriate Vegetation
Percent of new or replaced, non-turf, Target to be developed in 2007
public landscaped area and non-
recreational turf area planted with
regionally appropriate plants
15
HOUSING
Gilals
1. Achieve and maintain a mix of affordable, livable and green housing types throughout
the city for people of all socio-economic / cultural / household groups (including
seniors, families, singles, and disabled).
Indicators - System Level Tal"2ets
Availability of Affordable Housing
Percent of all existing and new housing in (Target to be developed by City staffin
Santa Monica affordable to very low, low, 2008 with the next update of the City's
moderate, and upper income households Housing Element)
Distribution of Affordable Housing
Distribution of low income housing by (no target)
neighborhood
Indicators - Pro2ram Level Tal"2ets
Affordable Housing for Special Needs
Groups
Number of new or rehabilitated affordable Upward trend
housing units for families, seniors, the
disabled and other special needs groups as
a percentage of all new or rehabilitated
affordable housing development
Production of "Livable" Housing
· Number of new housing units in non- Upward trend
residential zone districts as a percentage
of the total new housing
· Percent of new units within If4 mile of: Upward trend
. transit stop
. open space
. grocery store
Production of "Green" Housing
Percent of new and substantially- Upward trend
rehabilitated housing that complies with
Green Building Ordinance #1995 as a
percentage of the total new and
rehabilitated housing
16
COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND CMC PARTICIPATION
Goals
1. Community members of all ages participate actively and effectively in civic affairs
and community improvement efforts.
2. Community members of all ages understand the basic principles of sustainability and
use them to guide their decisions and actions - both personal and collective.
Indicators - System Level
Tan!ets
Voter Participation
Percent of registered Santa Monica voters Increase SM voter participation to 500.10 in
who vote in scheduled elections. Compare off year elections by 2010
to voter participation rates at the regional
and national levels.
Participation in Civic Affairs
Percent of Santa Monica residents who Upward trend
have attended a city-sponsored meeting of
any kind in the past year, including City
Council meetings, City Commission
meetings, or special-topic workshops
Empowerment
Percent of Santa Monica residents who feel Upward trend
that they have the opportunity to voice
their concerns in the city on major
community decisions that affect their lives
Community Involvement
Percent of Santa Monica residents who Upward trend
attend community events such as the Santa
Monica Festival, a summer concert at the
Pier, an event at Virginia A venue Park, a
neighborhood block party, a weekly
farmers' market
Volunteering
Percent of Santa Monica residents Upward trend
volunteering and total hours volunteered in
selected City funded public benefit
programs
17
Participation in Neighborhood
Organizations Upward trend
Percent of Santa Monica residents that are
active members in recognized
neighborhood organizations (by
neighborhood)
Sustainable Cominunity Involvement
Percent of Santa Monica residents who are 25% by 2010
aware of the Ecological Footprint for Santa
Monica and understand their contribution
to it
Sustainable Community Involvement
Percent of Santa Monica residents who Upward trend
have an understanding of how each
Sustainable City goal area is a component
of a sustainable community and the extent
to which this affects their decisions
18
HUMAN DIGNITY
Goals
Santa Monica will be a community in which:
1. All its members are able to meet their basic needs and are empowered to enhance the
quality of their lives; and
2. There is access among community members to housing, health services, education,
economic opportunity, and cultural and recreational resources; and
3. There is respect for .and appreciation of the value added to the community by
differences among its members in race, religion, gender, age, economic status, sexual
orientation, disabilities, immigration status and other special needs.
Indicaton - System Level
Tamets
Basic Needs - Shelter
· Number of homeless living in Santa (no target) .
Monica
· Percent of Santa Monica homeless Upward trend
population served by the city shelter
that transition to permanent housing
Basic Needs - Health Care
· Percent of residents with health Upward trend
insurance
· Capacity of local health service Upward trend
providers to meet the basic health care
needs of Santa Monica residents
Basic Needs - Economic Opportunity
Percent of Santa Monica residents who Downward trend
work more than 40 hours per week in order
to meet their basic needs
Basic Needs - Public Safety
Crime rate per capita - report by Downward trend
neighborhood/reporting district, and by
type (property, violent, hate)
19
Residents' perception of safety
Percent of residents who feel that Santa
Monica is a safe place to live and work
Incidents of Abuse
· Number of reported incidents of abuse
(domestic, child, and elder abuse)
· Percent of cases prosecuted
Incidents of Discrimination
· Number of reports regarding
Employment and housing
discrimination
· Number of cases prosecuted
Education/Y outh
· SMMUSD student drop-out rates
· SMMUSD student suspension rates
· SMMUSD student substance abuse
rates
· Percent of SMMUSD students who
feel safe at school
· Percent of SMMUSD students that
enroll in college or university
· SMMUSD students enrolled in
advanced placement courses and
percent that receive passing grades
Empowerment
Women, minorities and people with
disabilities in leadership positions
· business
· local government
· non-profit organizations
Ability to Meet Basic Needs
Percent of residents who perceive that
needs are not being met for:
· Individual and family counseling
· Emergency food, clothing, shelter
· Employment services and job training
· Recreation and services for youth
· Health care
· Substance abuse treatment I prevention
· Affordable housing
· Seniors and people with disabilities
· Transportation and mobility
Upward trend
Downward trend
Upward trend
Downward trend
Upward trend
Downward trend
Downward trend
Downward trend
Upward trend
Upward trend
Upward trend
Upward trend
Downward trend in all areas
20
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan
GOAL / INDICA TOR MATRIX
The matrix below lists all of the Sustainable City indicators down the left side and the eight
Sustainable City goal areas across the top. For each indicator dots are shown for every goal area
that the indicator provides information about. While each indicator was developed to measure
progress toward meeting goals in one goal area, this matrix shows that many of the indicators
measure the conditions, impacts or effectiveness of our actions in several goal areas. This
demonstrates the linkages between each of the goal areas and the impact of our decisions across
environmental, economic and social boundaries.
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Resource Conservation Indicators
Solid waste generation . .
Water use . . . .
Energy use . . . . .
Renewable energy use . . . .
Greenhouse gas emissions . . . . . .
Ecological Footprint for Santa Monica . . . . . .
Indicator of sustainable procurement . . .
"Green" construction . . . .
Environmental and Public Health Indicators
Santa Monica Bay - beach closures . .
Wastewater (sewage) generation . . .
Vehicle miles traveled . . . . .
Air quality . . . .
Residential household hazardous waste .
City purchases of hazardous materials .
Toxic air contaminant releases .
Urban runoff reduction . . . .
Fresh, local, organic produce . . .
Organic produce - Farmer's markets . . .
Restaurant produce purchases . . .
Food choices . . . .
Transportation Indicators
Modal split . . . .
Residential use of sustainable trans. options . . . . .
Sufficiency of transportation options .
Bicycle lanes and paths . .
Vehicle ownership . . . .
21
n:;:d "t:Im ~ om t""'o ::c nmn ::c
o (1) s::: ::s "'1 (1) (') ~'e 0 -.0.0 s:::
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Bus ridership . . .
Alternative fueled vehicles - City fleet . . .
Traffic congestion . . .
Pedestrian and bicycle safety .
Traffic impacts to emergency response . . .
Economic Development Indicators
Economic diversity .
Business reinvestment in the community . .
Jobs / Housing balance . . . .
Cost of living . . .
Quality Job Creation . .
Income disparity . .
Resource efficiency of local businesses . . .
Local employment of City staff . . .
Open Space and Land Use Indicators
Open Space . .
Trees . . .
Parks - Accessibility . . . .
Land Use and Development . . .
Regionally appropriate vegetation . .
Housing Indicators
Availability of affordable housing . I . I '.
Distribution of affordable housing . . . .
Affordable housing for special needs groups . .
Production of "livable" housing . . . . .
Production of "green" housing . . .
Community Education and Civic Participation Indicators
Voter participation .
Participation in civic affairs .
Empowerment . .
Community involvement .
Volunteering .
Participation in neighborhood organizations .
Sustainable community involvement I . . . .
Sustainable community involvement 2 . . . . . . . .
Human Di~nity Indicators
Basic Needs - Shelter . .
22
n~ 1-dtT1 .., OtT1 ~o ~ ntT1n iF
o CD C ~ ""1 CD ('"l 1I)"t:l g -. 0.. 0
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::re. - ~
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Basic Needs - Health Care .
Basic Needs - Economic Opportunity . .
Basic Needs - Public Safety .
Residents' perception of safety .
Incidents of abuse .
Incidents of discrimination . . .
Education / Youth .
Empowerment . .
Ability to meet basic needs . . . .
23
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan
GLOSSARY
active recreation: recreational opportunities including sports and other activities that
typically require playing fields, facilities or equipment.
affordable housing: any housing that is deed restricted for, and occupied by, households
earning less than 120% of the Los Angeles County median family income.
alternative fuel vehicles: vehicles that operate on fuels other than gasoline or diesel.
Alternative fuel vehicles include those that operate using compressed natural gas (CNG),
liquid natural gas (LNG), propane, electricity, hybrid of gasoline and electricity, and
hydrogen.
alternative (and/or sustainable) modes of transportation: for the purpose ofthis
document altemative (and/or sustainable) modes of transportation include transportation
by public transit (bus or rail), bicycle, walking, or alternative fuel vehicles.
average vehicle ridership (A VR): a measurement of vehicle occupancy indicating the
average number of persons traveling in a measured number of vehicles. A VR is an
indicator of the effectiveness of and participation in ride sharing programs
bike lane/path/route: As defined in the City's Bicycle Master Plan, a bike lane is a
signed and striped lane along a roadway for use by bicycles. Other types of bicycle ways
in the city are bike paths and bike routes. A bike path is a dedicated bicycle way that
completely separates bicycles from motor vehicles. Bike routes are signed routes which
bicyclists share with motor vehicles. Bike routes differ from bike lanes in that routes do
not include any striping on the roadway - they are only designated by signage.
community: for the purpose of this document, whenever the term community is used it
is meant to include the following groups: individuals of all ages, races and abilities;
organizations; government agencies; businesses; employers; employees; residents;
property owners; renters; visitors; schools; students; public and private service agencies;
faith communities; and local media.
companion animals: animals kept by residents in their homes, yards, or other properties,
for purposes of providing mutual companionship.
clean distributed generation: distributed generation refers to generation of electricity at
or near the location where that electricity will be used. This differs from traditional
electricity generation, which occurs at centralized power plants and is distributed over
hundreds of miles to millions of customers through the electricity "grid". For the purpose
of this document, clean. distributed generation (in order of preferred technology type)
refers to 1) renewable distributed generation, including electricity generated by solar
photovoltaic systems, fuel cells (powered by hydrogen generated from solar, wind, or
24
other non-fossil fuel, renewable energy technologies), and small wind generators; 2)
electricity generated by high efficiency (i.e., meeting or exceeding efficiency of large
natural gas power plants) natural gas generators and fuel cells using hydrogen generated
through a natural gas catalyst; and 3) medium scale, high-efficiency co-generation
systems (powered by natural gas) serving many properties located within close proximity
of each other. Clean distributed generation does not include electricity generated by
gasoline or diesel powered generators.
diversion: in reference to solid waste, diversion refers to all waste that is kept out of a
landfill through recycling, beneficial reuse, compo sting, or other means.
ecological footprint: The ecological footprint is a tool to help measure human impacts
on local and global ecosystems. The ecological footprint of a given population
(household, community, country) is the total area of ecologically productive land and
water used exclusively to produce all the resources (including food, fuel, and fiber)
consumed and to assimilate all the wastes generated by that population. Since we use
resources from allover the world and affect far away places with our wastes, the footprint
is a sum of these ecological areas - wherever that land and water may be on the planet.
Thus the ecological footprint of Santa Monica is that area of productive land inside and
outside its borders that is appropriated for its resource consumption or waste assimilation.
There is a finite area of ecologically productive land and water on the Earth, which must
be shared among 6 billion people as well as all of the planet's other species. The amount
of ecologically productive land available globally at today's current population is
approximately 5 acres per person. The ecological footprint of the average American is
approximately 25 acres, far exceeding the "fair earthshare". The ecological footprint is an
excellent tool for illustrating the magnitude of the change necessary for our world to
become sustainable. It is also useful for evaluating and comparing the total environmental
impact of specific activities and in this way, helpful for decision-making.
environmentally preferable: a product, service, activity or process that has a lesser or
reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to other products,
services, activities or processes that serve the same purpose.
extended producer responsibility: responsibility of producers or manufacturers across
the entire life cycle of their products, particularly to the post-consumer stage (after
products are discarded and become waste). Typically once a product is sold to a
consumer the responsibility of disposing of that product becomes the responsibility of the
consumer. Extended producer responsibility requires that the producer of the product
maintain responsibility for recycling or proper disposal of the product once it has
surpassed its useful life.
green: for the purpose of this document, green is used as shorthand to refer to any
environmentally preferable product, activity, service or process.
25
green housing: housing that meets or exceeds the requirements of the City's Green
Building Design and Construction Guidelines.
greenhouse gas (GHG): greenhouse gases are natural and manmade gases in the earth's
atmosphere that allow incoming solar radiation to pass through the atmosphere and
warm the earth but trap radiant heat given off by the earth. The radiant heat absorbed by
these gases heats the atmosphere. This is a natural process known as the "greenhouse
effect" that keeps the earth habitable. The four primary greenhouse gases are carbon
dioxide (C02), methane (C~), nitrous oxide (N20) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Since the onset of the industrial period, human activities have lead to sharp increases in
the levels of GHGs in the atmosphere, enhancing the greenhouse effect and contributing
to rising global temperatures.
hazardous material: a material that, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical
or chemical characteristics, poses a significant present or potential hazard to human
health and safety or to the environment if released into the workplace or the environment.
hazardous waste: a waste or combination of wastes which, because of its quantity,
concentration, or physica~ chemical or infectious characteristics, may cause or
significantly contribute to an increase in serious, irreversible, or incapacitating reversible
illness or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health, safety, welfare or
to the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, used or disposed of, or
otherwise managed.
household hazardous waste (HHW): hazardous waste that is generated by residents
through the use of hazardous or potentially hazardous products in the home. Typical
household hazardous wastes include spent batteries, cleaning products, pesticides, paints
and solvents.
HHW collection facility: a permanent facility maintained by the City for the collection
and proper recycling or disposal of hazardous waste generated by Santa Monica residents
and small quantities of hazardous waste generated by Santa Monica businesses. This is
provided as a free service to Santa Monica residents. The facility is located at 2500
Michigan Avenue. Call (310) 458-8255 for more information.
Income levels: With respect to the indicators of housing affordability the following are
definitions of the income levels mentioned in this document:
Very low income: annual earnings between 0 and 50% of the Los Angeles County
Median Family income (MFI)
Low income: annual earnings between 51 and 80% MFI
Moderate income: annual earnings between 81 and 120% MFI
Upper income: annual earnings above 120% MFI
26
LEEDTM certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design): A rating
system developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) that sets
definitive standards for what constitutes a green or environmentally preferable building.
The certification system is self-assessing and is designed for rating new and existing
commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings. It evaluates environmental
perrormance of the entire building over the building's life cycle. LEED certifications are
awarded at various levels (certified, silver, gold, and platinum) according to a point-based
scoring system.
level of service (LOS): a concept used to describe street intersection operating
conditions. It is based on average vehicle delay measurements and/or the
volume/capacity ratio of the intersection in question. LOS grades range from A to F with
A representing excellent (free-flow) conditions and F representing extreme traffic
congestion. For the purpose of this document, LOS grade D represents marginally
acceptable levels of traffic and grades E and F represent unacceptable levels. A
definition of level of service for sustainable modes of transportation will be developed as
part of the update of the Circulation Element of the City's General Plan scheduled for
adoption in 2003.
livable housing: housing that is within close proximity to neighborhood serving
commercial areas, transit stops and community resources such as parks and open space.
local: the term local has different definitions depending upon the context in which it is
used in this document. These are described below:
1) Where local is used in reference to the economy ("local economy" or "local
businesses") it refers to Santa Monica's economy or businesses located within
Santa Monica.
2) Local government agencies refer to any agencies or departments of the Santa
Monica city government.
3) Where local refers to food production ("locally produced") it refers to food grown
in the southern half of the state of California
4) Where local refers to resources, it refers to resources obtained or impacted within
a SOO-mile radius of Santa Monica.
mixed-use projects: developments which incorporate both residential and commercial
uses.
modal split: the split in use of various transportation modes including: single passenger
vehicles; carpools of more than one passenger; bus; rail; bicycle; and pedestrian modes.
multi-modal transportation system: a transportation system that includes affordable,
alternative modes of transportation such as public transit, and infrastructure and access
for alternative fueled vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians, in addition to standard vehicular
transportation.
27
native species: plant or animal species native to the southern California bioregion.
natural function/wildlife habitat: geographic areas that provide life-supportive
functions associated with atmospheric, biological, biochemical and hydrological
processes that keep our air and water clean, process waste and support survival and
reproduction of plant and animal life.
non-renewable resources: natural resources that have a finite availability worldwide.
Examples include coal, oil and other petroleum products.
open space: for the purpose of this document open space refers to all land uses defined as
open space in the Open Space Element of the City of Santa Monica's General Plan.
These include beaches, 'parks, public gathering places, usable green open space in street
medians, scenic highway corridors, gardens, and other publicly accessible land.
passive recreation: recreational opportunities that occur in a natural setting which
require minimal development or facilities, and the importance of the environment or
setting for the activities is greater than in developed or active recreation settings.
PBTs (persistent bioaccumulative toxics): chemicals that are toxic, persist in the
environment and bioaccumulate in food chains and, thus, pose risks to human health and
the environment. The term PBT is used primarily by the US Environmental Protection
Agency (EP A), as part of its preparation of a list of such chemicals that will receive
special regulatory emphasis in the United States.
POPs (persistent organic pollutants): Organic chemical substances that persist in the
environment and bioaccumulate in food chains and pose a risk of causing adverse effects
to human health and the environment. The term POPs is commonly used in the context
of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and are subject to international
negotiations aiming toward their global elimination.
Note: The primary difference between the PBTs and POPs is that the list of PBTs
includes non-organic toxins that are not included on the list of pOPs.
potable: suitable for drinking
qualified low emission / alternative fuel vehicles : Vehicles recognized by the State of
California as being low emission andlor alternative fuel vehicles. These vehicles exceed
the basic standards all new vehicles must meet to be sold in California and include low
emission vehicles (LEVs), ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs), super ultra low
emission vehicles (SULEVs) and zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). Additional information
about these vehicle designations can be found on the internet at
http://\\T\vwarb.ca.gav/msprag/ ccbg/ ccbg. htm
rainy day: for the purpose of this document, a rainy day is any day with recorded
precipitation greater than . 1" in 24 hours.
28
recognized neighborhood organization: Tax-exempt, non-profit organization
representing a commonly recognized neighborhood in Santa Monica.
regionally appropriate vegetation: plant and tree species that are environmentally
appropriate for the Southern California region and that do not negatively impact native
plants or animals. A specific list of regionally appropriate vegetation for Santa Monica
will be developed in 2003.
rehabilitated housing: rehabilitation that increases by 25% or more the after-rehab value
of the property; or a rehabilitation in which at least fifty percent of exterior walls have
been removed or relocated for any duration of time.
renewable limits: harvesting resources within renewable limits refers to harvesting a
renewable resource at a rate that is lower than the rate the resource can replace itself (e.g.
catching fish at a rate that will allow the fish population to be maintained over time. If
too many fish are caught, exceeding renewable limits, the fish population will decline).
The teons renewable limits and sustainable limits are synonymous.
renewable resources: natural resources that have an unlimited supply (such as solar
radiation) or that can be renewed indefinitely if ecosystem health is maintained (e.g.
fisheries or forests).
routine: for the purpose of this document, routine, when describing generation of
hazardous waste by City government operations, refers to regular and consistent
operational practices such as vehicle maintenance, regular cleaning procedures, etc. Non-
routine refers to hazardous waste generated during unanticipated events such as chemical
spills or leaks.
Santa Monica cost ofliving index (SMCOLI): Los Angeles County cost ofliving for a
two-person household adjusted for the cost of housing in Santa Monica. SMCOLI for
2000 is $21,800 (LA County cost ofliving) x 1.46 = $31,828. The 1.46 multiplication
factor refers to the relative cost of housing in Santa Monica as compared to the average
for Los Angeles County, based on the Housing Authority Survey of Rents.
significant emissions source: sources of toxic air contaminants and other air emissions
that pose a threat to human health and the environment. A specific list of significant
emission sources within Santa Monica will be developed in the course of tracking this
indicator.
SMMUSD: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District
special needs groups: with respect to affordable housing, special needs groups refers to
the elderly, disabled persons, large families, female-headed families, and the homeless.
29
sustainable: sustainable can mean slightly different things depending on the context in
which it is used. For the purpose of this document, the following definitions are used: .
sustainable (in reference to resource use): a method of harvesting or using a resource
so that resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.
sustainable business: for the purpose of this document, sustainable business refers to
a business that provides goods and services, and/or has incorporated into its daily
operations practices that result in cleaner air and water, less waste and pollution,
conservation of energy and natural resources, less traffic, improved quality of life for
residents and workers, and contribute to a strong and viable local economy.
sustainable community/city: a community or city that meets its present needs
without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. More
specifically, a sustainable community is one that improves and enhances its natural,
social and economic resources in ways that allow current and future members of the
community to lead healthy, productive and satisfying lives.
sustainable modes of transportation/travel: same as alternative modes of
transportation above
sustainable procurement: procurement of environmentally preferable goods and
services in a way that also takes into consideration social responsibility and
sustainable economic development issues in the manufacture, transportation, sale and
use of those goods and services.
toxic material: a substance that causes illness, injury or death by chemical means. A
pOlson.
toxic air contaminants (TACs): air pollutants which may cause or contribute to an
increase in mortality or serious illness, or which may pose a present or potential hazard to
human health.
transit node: a station for public transportation along a regional transit corridor (usually
rail or rapid bus) with access routes for buses, taxis, automobiles, bicycles and
pedestrians.
urban villages: mixed-use developments in walkable, livable and transit-oriented
districts that balance the need for sufficient density to support convenient, high-frequency
transit service within the scale of the adjacent community.
vehicle miles traveled (VMT): one vehicle traveling one mile constitutes a vehicle mile.
VMT is primarily an indicator of automobile use. Increasing VMT typically corresponds
with increases in traffic and vehicle-related pollution.
zero emissions vehicle (ZEV): motor vehicle that produces neither tailpipe nor
evaporative pollutant emissions.
zero waste: recycling or reuse of all natural and man made materials back into nature or
the marketplace rather than sending those materials landfills or similar disposal options.
30