Sustainability and Energy Management Policy
I was proud to support the resolution unanimously adopted by the City Council in November 2020 for the City to transition to renewable energy, to help vulnerable communities reduce their energy costs and to increase neighborhoods’ environmental quality of living. To achieve these goals, I support the following:
1. We must maximize energy efficiency in the City’s buildings and operations.
2. We must immediately begin the process of transitioning the City’s vehicle fleet to zero emissions vehicles.
3. We must invest in renewable energy resources to power the City’s buildings and vehicles.
4. We must proactively evaluate emerging technologies for energy and cost savings in City operations, especially water treatment.
5. We must restructure the City’s public transit system to be user friendly and efficient.
6. We must take measures to make the City more pedestrian and cycling friendly.
7. We must nurture the City’s existing urban forest and support the planting of more native trees and shrubs particularly in areas with little or no tree canopy.
8. We must take steps to secure funding available to cities under the Inflation Reduction Act to develop and implement plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollutants.
9. We must assist City residents secure funding available under the Inflation Reduction Act to make their homes more energy efficient, especially in underserved communities.
10. We must ensure that existing and future public housing and City-supported affordable housing projects meet high standards for energy efficiency and sustainability.
11. We must work to attract and support businesses that are leading the transition to a clean energy economy and support workforce training in the trades that will be crucial to that transition.
12. We must identify and recruit community partner organizations to collaborate with the City on achieving these policy objectives.