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Home My WebLink AboutCAC Minutes_10_10_23 Jefferson County/City of Port Townsend Climate Action Committee Special Meeting Minutes Tuesday, October 10, 2023, 3:00 - 5:00 PM Jefferson County Public Health 615 Sheridan Street; Pacific Room; Port Townsend or Online Members Present: Kees Kolff (JHC), Cindy Jayne, Laura Tucker (Jefferson County Public Health), Dave Seabrook, Dave Wilkinson, Nicole Gauthier and Sara Peck (Jefferson Transit); Carol Hasse (Port of PT), Micheal Clea (PTPC), Jeff Randall (PUD No. 1), Kate Chadwick And at 4:19: Kate Dean (BoCC) Absent: Owen Rowe (City Council) Staff: Judy Surber (City of Port Townsend); Laura Tucker (Jefferson County) Guests: Dahr Jamail, Josh Peters (Jefferson County DCD), Mary Purdy, Brent Butler (Jefferson County CSO) Scribe: Judy Surber Topic Recommendation/Action Follow Up Items Call to order Introductions Chair Kolff called the meeting to order at 3:00. Approval of Agenda & Minutes Motion to approve Agenda by Cindy Jayne, 2nd by Dave Seabrook, motion passed. Motion to approve minutes of 8/8/23 meeting as presented, by Nicole Gauthier, 2nd by Carol Hasse, motion passed. Laura to post Minutes on County Website Public Comment Mary Purdy is new to town and interested in food and agricultural sustainability. “Carrying the Fire” - Dahr Jamail Dahr shared his Podcast: “Indigenous Voices Around the World”. “Dahr Jamail discusses how he came to seek out Indigenous leaders for ideas on how to navigate the climate emergency and related environmental and social crises of our times. He highlights the importance of listening to Indigenous voices and introduces the people who will be sharing their wisdom in future episodes.” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/indigenous-voices-around-the- world/id1710638300?i=1000630352913 Q&A: What is your response to those who say, it’s too late, there’s nothing we can do? Dahr is inspired by those who ask, ‘what are my obligations no matter what?’ It’s about doing the right thing for future generations of all species. How do we find the right path? Kees: We all have to find our own path. Dahr: Each of us need to find the one thing we can do. Would you agree that although the problems are global, the solutions are hyper local? DJ: Yes. Food and water issues are critical. How do we welcome climate refugees? DJ: The community will have to contend with more and more people coming. Right now, it is those with means, but later, it will be those with lesser means. There was a round of introductions. Update Organizational Goals Kees reminded all to review your organizational goals and be prepared to discuss updates at our next meeting. Please send your updates to Judy and Laura. EV Working Group Update Cindy noted upcoming grant opportunity from WA Commerce. If interested in “workplace charging” or multifamily housing chargers contact Cindy. The working group includes Jefferson Transit, City Public Works, Jefferson PUD, the Chamber of Jefferson County, and OlyCAP, among others. Fast chargers at the Chamber should be installed in the next few months. Check out the EV car share at OlyCAP 7th Haven and the Chamber, and see ZEV.Coop for more information. Recent Grant award for fast chargers @ PT Community Center Uptown. Forestry Workshop Update Cindy Jayne reviewed the documents dated 9/18 previously sent out for review. She asked for comments on draft goals for the County. Cindy has also circulated the draft to several stakeholders. She has received some comments and is awaiting comment from others. Goal is to get these approved by the end of this year. Please email Cindy in next two weeks with any questions/comments. VMT Redux Working Group Update Cindy Jayne gave an overview of the draft letter that was circulated for review. Kees sent his suggested edits prior to the meeting which were forwarded to the full committee today. Motion by Carol Hasse, 2nd by Jeff Randall to approve VMT Recommendation regarding bike/ped/transit and forward to BOCC and City Council for consideration with the understanding that the letter will be sent barring any concerns raised by 10/17. Motion passed with Kate Dean abstaining. Please email Cindy by 10/17 with any concerns. If not concerns raised by 10/17, Cindy and Kees to finalize the letter and send to BoCC/CC. Upcoming Organizational Plans and Documents for Climate Review? Brent noted: 1) County Shoreline Management Plan update -on 10/18, the Planning Commission will deliberate and potentially reach a recommendation to be forwarded to BOCC for further consideration. 2) The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency (C- PACER) Program has been adopted! We are the sixth and least populous county in WA to adopt a program to reduce the stationary sector’s contribution to greenhouse gases. This affects all properties in the City and County. Watch for updates to the County website C-PACER Kate Dean noted County has a new draft on-site septic code. It includes the necessity for local health jurisdictions to assess how future SLR could impact the systems. A hearing is anticipated for mid-November with adoption planned for January 2024. Judy noted City has received/applied for several grants that have some overlap: Commerce grants (periodic update, climate, and middle housing if we receive the award), Urban Forestry Grant, Dept of Ecology Shorelands grant, Evans Vista affordable housing. Carol: Port has selected PFFF as the consultant on the Waterwalk & Sea Level Rise Project. She also noted Port has formed a committee to advise the Commissioners on the Short Family Farm. The first community meeting is scheduled for 10/18. She also noted that they are planning community meetings for the Sea Level Rise project. Carol asked for clarification on the Organizational Goals – does it require a formal list by the elected body? Cindy, Judy and Kees replied – No. Judy noted the City Manager has reviewed the city’s list in past. Jeff: The PUD is struggling with keeping up with the Broadband grants they have received along with filling vacancies. Costs have increased significantly since the grant application. Working with Mill and City on possible grant for installing a micro-hydro unit on the city’s water supply pipe. They are installing chargers at PUD offices and getting EV vehicles. David Seabrook: Working with County on the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. He provided a link to a survey. https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/9e0357df42e64d9d8b0314677e12c005 Jefferson Transit starting the process of a Climate Plan and will be asking for input. Public Comment None Other Updates Kees and Cindy signed up to attend a cohort group in six ICLEI sessions: Integrating Nature into Climate Planning. First session next week and the last in early January. They are from 8-9am on six Thursday mornings. Let Kees know if you are interested in joining. Local 20/20 is sponsoring a multimedia jazz concert on our changing climate on December 1 @ 7pm at QUUF. Kees and Cindy attended the Northwest Climate Conference last week. She noted a small city, Hailey, Idaho created a Category L “local” housing only for workers, and the Portland Water Bureau presented on adaptive planning of climate impacts on water supply. State Parks presented on their vulnerability assessment for all state parks re. impact of SLR and then offered 4 of us a private session several days later to look specifically at the results of their assessment of Fort Worden. Key issues were electrical, septic and stormwater infrastructure. It is not ready for public release since they need to add other aspects like frequency of use, costs, etc. Hopefully available sometime next year. Brent: County working on the public release of the County’s draft SLR study and linking it to flood insurance. Kees will report next year on key learnings. Kees will ask WSP to present to CAC when final report available. Next Steps and Agenda Planning Next Meeting December 12*. Possible Topics: - Organizational Climate Goals - Urban Wildland Interface - Funding for Agriculture - Climate Decision Tool and next steps: 2/2024 - Climate and Racial Justice presentation - Jefferson Land Trust - County’s SLR study (Donna Frostholm) - WSP Vulnerability Assessment Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 4:58 p.m.