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City Council Meeting: May 14, 2019 Santa Monica, California
RESOLUTION NUMBER 11174 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA ADOPTING THE NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR
THE CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN
WHEREAS, the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) issued a
report in 2018, finding that human activities are estimated to have caused approximately
1.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels, with a likely range of 0.8°C to
1.2°C; and that global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it
continues to increase at the current rate; and that climate-related risks for natural and
human systems are higher for global warming of 1.5°C than at present, but lower than
at 2°C; and that pathways to limiting global warming to 1.5°C with no or limited
overshoot would require rapid and far-reaching transitions in energy, land, urban and
infrastructure (including transport and buildings), and industrial systems; and that these
systems transitions are unprecedented in terms of scale, but not necessarily in terms of
speed, and imply deep emissions reductions in all sectors, a wide portfolio of mitigation
options and a significant upscaling of investments in those options; and
WHEREAS, the federal government issued the Fourth National Climate
Assessment, finding that climate change creates new risks and exacerbates existing
vulnerabilities in communities across the United States, presenting growing challenges
to human health and safety, quality of life, and the rate of economic growth; and that
without substantial and sustained global mitigation and regional adaptation efforts,
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climate change is expected to cause growing losses to American infrastructure and
property and impede the rate of economic growth over this century; and that
communities, governments, and businesses are working to reduce risks and costs
associated with climate change by taking action to lower greenhouse gas emissions and
implement adaptation strategies; and that while mitigation and adaptation efforts have
expanded substantially in the last four years, they do not yet approach the scale
considered necessary to avoid substantial damages to the economy, environment, and
human health over the coming decades; and
WHEREAS, the State of California issued California’s Fourth Climate
Assessment, finding that by 2100: average annual maximum daily temperature is
projected to increase by 5.6-8.8°, with heat waves in cities causing 2-3 times more heat-
related deaths (by 2050), and hotter temperatures increasing electrical demand; water
supply from snowpack is projected to decline by two -thirds potentially causing water
shortages up to 16% (by 2050); the average area burned by wildfires could increase by
77%; 31-67% of Southern California beaches may completely erode and make
hundreds of miles of coastal highways susceptible to flooding; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica prepared a Vulnerability Assessment to
Climate Change finding that the number of extreme heat days (above 87°) could reach
22 days by 2100 (up from 4 days between 1961-1990); and that the projected trends in
heavy precipitation and drought years in California will continue to swing widely; that
local air pollution will increase as a result of high temperatures and increased local
wildfires; that coastal storm flooding augmented by sea level rise could impact public
and private property along the beach; and that vulnerable populations like seniors,
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isolated adults, pregnant women and young children, outdoor workers, people for whom
English is not their primary language, people of color, people with disabilities, people
that are on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum and homeless individuals will
be impacted the most by climate change hazards, exacerbating their vulnerabilities,
health and safety; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, 196 State Parties at the 21st Conference of the Parties of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 21) in
Paris, France, adopted by consensus the Paris Climate Agreement, a historic
international agreement dealing with carbon emissions mitigation, adaptation, and
finance; and
WHEREAS, the Paris Climate Agreement will enter into force starting in the year
2020, requiring all parties to put forward their best efforts through nationally determined
contributions (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead; including
requiring that all parties report regularly on their emissions and on their implementation
efforts; and
WHEREAS, the Paris Climate Agreement's long-term goal is to keep the
increase in global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels;
and to limit the increase to 1.5 °C, since this would substantially reduce the risks and
effects of climate change; and as February 2019, 195 UNFCCC members have signed
the agreement while 185 have become party to it; and
WHEREAS, on June 1, 2017, President Trump announced his intention to
withdraw the United States from the agreement with November 4, 2020 as the earliest
possible effective withdrawal date by the United States; and
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WHEREAS, in the wake of the federal government announcing its intention to
withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, many states, counties and cities, including
the City of Santa Monica, announced their commitment to uphold the Paris Climate
Agreement through local actions and carbon reductions; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica desires to uphold the Paris Climate
Agreement as a subnational government through the Bonn-Fiji Commitment, the Global
Covenant of Mayors, C40 Deadline 2020 Commitment, Chicago Climate Charter, and
We Are Still In Declaration; and
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Monica has already achieved a 20% reduction of
annual communitywide emissions 20% below 1990 levels in 2015, at the conclusion of
the 15x15 Climate Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, on September 13, 2016, Council directed staff to complete a
feasibility and financial impact analysis for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 or
sooner, and return to Council with recommendations; and
WHEREAS, on January 26, 2019, Council established “Climate Change” as a
Framework Priority for the Fiscal Years 2019-2021 biennial budget. Council also
established “Mobility and Access” as Framework Priority, which is important as vehicle
transportation contributes the majority of carbon emissions in Santa Monica; and
WHEREAS, City staff and consultants convened a steering committee comprised
of community stakeholders and City staff to estimate the emissions reductions
necessary to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and prioritize strategies and actions
for implementation; and
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WHEREAS, City staff and consultants engaged the community through a variety
of presentations, Climate Action Santa Monica’s Climate Corps program, events such
as the Community Climate Action Summit, Climate Fest, including a virtual reality
installation on sea level rise (the Owl on the Pier); and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) is a guiding
document that provides overarching policy direction to achieve the interim goal of an
80% reduction in emissions by 2030 and to increase Santa Monica's resilience to
climate change hazards and impacts; and the CAAP supports and enhances many
existing plans and initiatives within the City; and
WHEREAS, the CAAP also suggests new plans and actions to supplement
ongoing efforts and create new initiatives; and
WHEREAS, the CAAP is not an element of the City’s General Plan or a
regulatory document for the purposes of streamlining the California Environme ntal
Quality Act (CEQA) process, and any policy or ordinance described in the CAAP must
be developed and adopted through a public review process; and
WHEREAS, on February 25, 2019, the City published a Notice of Intent to Adopt
an Initial Study and Negative Declaration for the CAAP in the Santa Monica Daily Press
and on the City Planning Website in compliance with the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) and the City of Santa Monica CEQA Guidelines; and
WHEREAS, the Initial Study and Negative Declaration (IS/ND) was made
available for public comment for thirty days, beginning on February 25, 2019 and ending
on April 1, 2019; and
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WHEREAS, the IS/ND was prepared to evaluate the potential environmental
effects of the CAAP and the IS/ND addresses all environmental issues listed in
Appendix G of the CEQA Guidelines; and
WHEREAS, based on the analysis provided in the IS/ND, the City has concluded
that adoption of the CAAP would not result in significant effects on the environment; and
WHEREAS, the future individual projects identified in the CAAP would be subject
to review on a project-by-project basis to determine compliance with CEQA, and, if
necessary, project-level CEQA review will be required to determine project -specific
impacts before approval; and
WHEREAS, evaluation of future project-level impacts would be too speculative to
include in the IS/ND (CEQA Guidelines Section 15145); and
WHEREAS, the IS/ND identifies no potentially significant adverse environmental
impacts and therefore recommends no necessary mitigation measures regarding such
effects.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The above Recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 2. The City Council has reviewed and considered the Initial
Study/Negative Declaration for the CAAP, together with the comments received during
the public review process, prior to approving the CAAP.
SECTION 3. The City Council finds, based on the whole record before it,
including the Initial Study/Negative Declaration and any comments received during the
public review process, that there is no substantial evidence that the CAAP will have a
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significant effect on the environment, and that the Negative Declaration reflects the
City’s independent judgment and analysis. Therefore, the City Council hereby adopts
the Negative Declaration.
SECTION 4. Consistent with Public Resources Code Section 21081.6(a)(2), the
documents which constitute the record of proceedings for approving this project are
located in the Planning and Community Development Department, 1685 Main Street,
Room 212, Santa Monica, California. The custodian of these documents is Rachel
Kwok, Environmental Planner.
SECTION 5. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution, and
thenceforth and thereafter the same shall be in full force and effect.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________
LANE DILG
City Attorney
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Adopted and approved this 28th day of May, 2019.
__________________________
G l e a m D a v i s , M a y o r
I, Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby
certify that Resolution No. 11174 (CCS) was duly adopted at a meeting of the Santa
Monica City Council held on the 28th day of May, 2019, by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Himmelrich, Jara, Morena, Winterer
Mayor Pro Tem O’Day, Mayor Davis
NOES: None
ABSENT: Councilmember McKeown
A T T E S T :
_____________________________________
D e n i s e A n d e r s o n - W a r r e n , C i t y C l e r k
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