HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAC Input Re City of PT 2026 Work Plan_0626
To: City Council
From: Climate Action Committee Chair, Cindy Jayne
Date: June 26, 2025
Subject: CAC Status and Recommendations on 2026 Work plan
Thank you for once again giving us the opportunity to provide input and make suggestions regarding your work plan for the coming year. Below is input from myself, as chair, based on
previous CAC meeting discussions. Unfortunately the CAC was not able to review and approve this at its June meeting due to technical difficulties.
We realize that you are already working on some of these, and we hope you can incorporate others into your future work plans whenever possible.
Partner with the CAC's VMT Reduction group to research, develop, and implement a managed parking strategy including paid parking downtown as a way to reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled and
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). (See CAC recommendation from March 2022 below for more details.)
Revise the Tree Ordinance to encourage retaining standing trees as practical, consistent with an Urban Growth area. Trees both absorb greenhouse gases and help cool the city during heatwaves,
absorb heavy winter rains, mitigate stormwater flows, and provide wildlife habitat. They help in both reducing net GHG emissions as well as reducing projected climate change impacts.
Additionally, create an urban forest management plan for the city to best balance the needs of development and the ecosystem benefits of forest and trees. The CAC Forest Work group
is happy to continue to provide volunteer to help provide input on the Urban Forestry Plan and
Tree Ordinance work that is under way at the city as part of the current USDA grant, as well as to assist with outreach efforts if desired.
Support community forests and other forest conservation projects, as well as consider protecting city-owned older forests. Same rationale and reference as for #2.
Increase enforcement of traffic laws (speeding, parking inappropriately, etc.) to make walking and bicycling safer and more inviting, hence reducing vehicle miles traveled, as recommended
by CAC’s Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Redux group. (See for example, https://www.pedbikeinfo.org/topics/speed.php)
Pilot the use of a Climate checklist, such as the CAC Climate Risk Screening Tool, as a way to consider both projected GHG emissions and climate change impacts for projects or policies
implemented by the city. The goal would be to update the tool as needed after the pilot and then define a policy to make it part of the approval process for applicable projects and
policies. (See cover letter and screening tool below.)
Continue to support expanding EV infrastructure in the City for the public, as well as within the city fleet.
Continue to have a representative on the CAC VMT work group. See 2020 Greenhouse Gas Community Emissions Reduction Opportunities (based on 2018 inventory) which notes that reducing
VMT is a key opportunity to reduce emissions.
Review and plan to implement the climate elements described in the updated Comprehensive Plan, including adapting to more frequent flooding due to increased intense precipitation, sea
level rise (see #9), hotter and drier summers, etc., as well as elements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Plan for sea level rise adaptation. Define a plan for implementing the temporary measures summarized in the Technical Memorandum “City of Port Townsend Sea Level Rise Resiliency”, and
define the next steps for selecting and designing the longer term strategies outlined in that memo.
Partner with the CAC in doing outreach to the community through providing review and approval of CAC generated materials, and leveraging the City communications venues and support staff
where feasible.
Engage the CAC in the development of the active transportation plan.
Continue to implement, and update for 2026-27, the City CAC goals (attached).