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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReg 2007-11-05 Item 5A - Resolution - US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement to Curb Global Warming COUNCIL AGENDA SYNOPSIS k r y Initialr ITEM NO. Q t, i I t1 reetini Date Prepared y n 1 Mayor's review 1 Council review "Y's .d� 1 10/22/07 B �1' H Jv 1, �jp 11/05/07 BM 1 ,A,Ac-1- I M--- 7908 \I 1 ITEM INFORMATION CAS NUMBER: 07-123 I ORIGLNAL AGENDA DA FE: 10/22/07 AGENDA ITEM TI [LE Climate Change Resolution regarding City Operations CATEGORY Discussion Motion Resolution Ordinance Bid Award Public Hearing Other Mtg Date 10/22/07 Mtg Date Mtg Date 11/5/07 Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date Mtg Date SPONSOR Council Mayor Adm Svcs DCD Finance Fire Legal P&R Police PW SPONSOR'S The Department of Community Development, in conjunction with other City Departments SUMMARY has inventoried greenhouse gases that are produced by City Operations. The attached resolution sets goals for the City in reducing greenhouse gases and authorizes the Mayor to sign the U.S. Mayors' Climate Change Agreement. REV IEWED BY COW Mtg. CA &P Cmte F &S Cmte Transportation Cmte Utilities Cmte Arts Comm. Parks Comm. Planning Comm. DA .E: 9/25/07 RECOMMENDATIONS: SPONSOR /ADMLN. Review and Approval COMMTrII E Unanimous Approval; Forward to Committee of the Whole COST IMPACT FUND SOURCE EXPENDITURE REQUIRED AMOUNT BUDGETED APPROPRIATION REQUIRED $N /A $N /A $N /A Fund Source: N/A Comments: N/A MTG. DATE RECORD OF COUNCIL ACTION I 10/22/07 Forward to next Regular Meeting MTG. DATE ATTACHMENTS 10/22/07 Informational Memo dated 10/16/07 Resolution in Draft Form US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement Minutes from the Community Affairs Parks Committee Meeting of 9/25/07 11/5/07 Resolution in final forms 1 f J�.d ea y G v/l 2i -,r, /90B C ity of Tukwila Washington Resolution No. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING; SETTING NUMERIC GOALS TO REDUCE MUNICIPAL EMISSIONS; AND CALLING FOR A BASELINE STUDY AND SETTING OF NUMERIC GOALS FOR THE REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GASES FROM THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. WHEREAS, international scientific consensus exists that human activity, particularly the release of carbon dioxide, is causing significant global climate change; and WHEREAS, the University of Washington's Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Oceans projects significant harm to the Pacific Northwest due to changes in weather patterns attributable to global warming, including forest decline, deteriorating air quality, sea level rise and, most alarmingly, disruption of the water cycle on which the region's water, power and agricultural systems depend; and WHEREAS, climate change threatens the quality of life enjoyed by residents of the City of Tukwila and the Pacific Northwest; and WHEREAS, the United States was instrumental in the creation of the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for developed nations to reduce carbon dioxide by 5% from 1990 levels by the year 2012; and WHEREAS, over 169 countries and other governmental entities have ratified the agreement, with the United States being a notable exception; and WHEREAS, as of May 15, 2007, 514 mayors from cities across the nation representing over 65 million Americans have accepted the challenge of Seattle's Mayor Greg Nickels and have signed the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, embracing the need to reduce greenhouse gases; and WHEREAS, the City already has in place many programs that reduce greenhouse gases, including the Commute Trip Reduction Program, Tree Retention Requirements, Wetland and Watercourse Protection, Salmon Enhancement Projects, and a City -wide recycling program; and WHEREAS, in addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, greenhouse emission reduction strategies offer other tangible benefits, to include reducing the City's fuel usage, reducing power consumption, and streamlining City operations; and WHEREAS, the City recognizes that more can be done to reduce the release of greenhouse gases from City operations and the community as a whole; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINGTON, HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The Mayor is authorized to sign the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. C:\Documents and Settinp,'All Users 1Des} top' Ke llvlMSDATA \Resolutions\.Global Warmingdoc BM:I n 1031/7007 Page 1 of 1 Section 2. A. Municipal emissions of carbon dioxide shall be reduced 50% by the year 2020. B. The creation of an "Executive Team" "Team is hereby authorized to study and examine procedures, policies and City operations, identifying methods to reduce the City's carbon dioxide emissions. The Team shall be comprised of representatives from the following Departments: Community Development, Public Works, Administrative Services, Mayor's Office, Fire, and Finance. The Team shall report back to the City Council no later than September 15, 2008 on methods to reduce the City's carbon dioxide emissions. Section 3. A. The Department of Community Development "The Department working with other City departments, Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, shall inventory all greenhouse gas emissions released by the community as a whole for the baseline year of 2006. The Department shall report back to the City Council no later than September 15, 2008. B. The Department is directed to identify current development ordinances that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases. The Department is further directed to identify those existing ordinances that could be strengthened to assist in the reduction of greenhouse gases. C. The Department is further directed to amend and update the City's Comprehensive Plan to include climate change and sustainability goals as an element within the Plan. D. The Department shall solicit input regarding reduction strategies from various stakeholders, including property owners, businesses and residents. Section 4. The City of Tukwila shall take a leading role in South King County to reduce greenhouse gases and to create a more sustainable community. The City recognizes that it must lead by example and take the necessary steps to reduce greenhouse emissions created by City operations. The City further acknowledges that it must take necessary actions and steps to protect the earth and global community that all humans occupy. Section 5. The City of Tukwila shall re- examine its operations and ordinances on a regular basis to ensure that the City will meet its 2020 goal and continue to be a leading advocate for climate change reduction strategies. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUKWILA, WASHINNGTON, at a Regular Meeting thereof this day of 2007. ATTEST /AUTHENTICATED: Verna Griffin, Council President Jane E. Cantu, CMC, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM BY: Filed with the City Clerk: Passed by the City Council: Office of the City Attorney Resolution Number: Attachment A: U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement C:\Documents and Seuinn\All User`. DesMop\Kelli,MSDATA\ Resolutions \Global WarminTdoc BM:ksn 101312007 Page 2 of 2 ENDORSING THE U.S. MAYORS CLIMATE PROTECTION AGREEMENT WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has previously adopted strong policy resolutions calling for cities, communities and the federal government to take actions to reduce global warming pollution; and WHEREAS, the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international community's most respected assemblage of scientists, has found that climate disruption is a reality and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global warming pollution; and WHEREAS, recent, well documented impacts of climate disruption include average global sea level increases of four to eight inches during the 20th century; a 40 percent decline in Arctic sea -ice thickness; and nine of the ten hottest years on record occurring in the past decade; and WHEREAS, climate disruption of the magnitude now predicted by the scientific community will cause extremely costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world including: increased risk of floods or droughts; sea -level rises that interact with coastal storms to erode beaches, inundate land, and damage structures; more frequent and extreme heat waves; more frequent and greater concentrations of smog; and WHEREAS, on February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to address climate disruption, went into effect in the 141 countries that have ratified it to date; 38 of those countries are now legally required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on average 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2012; and WHEREAS, the United States of America, with less than five percent of the world's population, is responsible for producing approximately 25 percent of the world's global warming pollutants; and WHEREAS, the Kyoto Protocol emissions reduction target for the U.S. would have been 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012; and WHEREAS, many leading US companies that have adopted greenhouse gas reduction programs to demonstrate corporate social responsibility have also publicly expressed preference for the US to adopt precise and mandatory emissions targets and timetables as a means by which to remain competitive in the international marketplace, to mitigate financial risk and to promote sound investment decisions; and WHEREAS, state and local governments throughout the United States are adopting emission reduction targets and programs and that this leadership is bipartisan, coming from Republican and Democratic governors and mayors alike; and WHEREAS, many cities throughout the nation, both large and small, are reducing global warming pollutants through programs that provide economic and quality of life benefits such as reduced energy bills, green space preservation, air quality improvements, reduced traffic congestion, improved transportation choices, and economic development and job creation through energy conservation and new energy technologies; and WHEREAS, mayors from around the nation have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement which, as amended at the 73 Annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting, reads: The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement A. We urge the federal government and state governments to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the target of reducing global warming pollution levels to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, including efforts to: reduce the United States' dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the development of clean, economical energy resources and fuel- efficient technologies such as conservation, methane recovery for energy generation, waste to energy, wind and solar energy, fuel cells, efficient motor vehicles, and biofuels; B. We urge the U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation that includes 1) clear timetables and emissions limits and 2) a flexible, market -based system of tradable allowances among emitting industries; and C.We will strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing global warming pollution by taking actions in our own operations and communities such as: 1. Inventory global warming emissions in City operations and in the community, set reduction targets and create an action plan. 2. Adopt and enforce land -use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space, and create compact, walkable urban communities; 3. Promote transportation options such as bicycle trails, commute trip reduction programs, incentives for car pooling and public transit; 4. Increase the use of clean, alternative energy by, for example, investing in "green tags advocating for the development of renewable energy resources, recovering landfill methane for energy production, and supporting the use of waste to energy technology; 5. Make energy efficiency a priority through building code improvements, retrofitting city facilities with energy efficient lighting and urging employees to conserve energy and save money; 6. Purchase only Energy Star equipment and appliances for City use; 7. Practice and promote sustainable building practices using the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program or a similar system; 8. Increase the average fuel efficiency of municipal fleet vehicles; reduce the number of vehicles; launch an employee education program including anti idling messages; convert diesel vehicles to bio- diesel; 9. Evaluate opportunities to increase pump efficiency in water and wastewater systems; recover wastewater treatment methane for energy production; 10. Increase recycling rates in City operations and in the community; 11.Maintain healthy urban forests; promote tree planting to increase shading and to absorb 002; and 12.Help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations, business and industry about reducing global warming pollution. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors endorses the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement as amended by the 73 annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting and urges mayors from around the nation to join this effort. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, The U.S. Conference of Mayors will work in conjunction with ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and other appropriate organizations to track progress and implementation of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement as amended by the 73 annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting. 4ff c Aitc 9N Pt The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement Signature Page You have my support for the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Date: Mayor: Signature: Address: City: State: Zip: Mayor's e -mail: Staff Contact Name: Staff Contact Title: Staff Phone: Staff e -mail: Please add my comments in support of the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. We will add these to the Website (optional): Please return completed form at your earliest convenience to: The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Center By Mail: By Fax (202) 429 -0422 1620 I Street, NW Washington, DC 20006 By e -mail: brosenber20,usmavors.or2 For more information: (202) 861 -6782