CONTRA COSTA COUNTY

Committee Meeting Minutes - Final

Sustainability Commission

Jamie Duran, Business Seat 1

Susan Hurl, Business Seat 2

Luz Gomez, Community Seat 1

Howdy Goudey, Community Seat 2

Shoshana Wechsler, District 1 Seat

Kim Jones, District 1 Alternate

Victoria Smith, District 2 Seat

Christopher Easter, District 2 Seat Alternate

Julie Haas-Wajdowicz, District 3 Seat

Vacant, District 3 Seat Alternate

Brandon Matson, District 4 Seat

Wesley Sullens, District 4 Seat Alternate

Solomon Belette, District 5 Seat

Reilly Kent, District 5 Seat Alternate

Devin Jackson, Education/Research Seat

Kiara Pereira, Environmental Justice Seat 1

Sarah Foster, Environmental Justice Seat 2

5:00 PM

Monday, February 24, 2025

1025 Escobar St., Martinez, Rm 110

ZOOM LINK

https://cccounty-us.zoom.us/j/85088039888

| Dial: 888-278-0254 US Toll-free |

ACCESS CODE: 841892

Agenda Items: Items may be taken out of order based on the business of the day and preference of the

Committee

Roll Call and Introductions

Staff Present: Demian Hardman-Saldana, Principal Planner, Dept. of Conservation and Development;

Jody London, Sustainability Coordinator, Dept. of Conservation and Development;

Jamar Stamps, Principal Planner, Dept. of Conservation and Development;

Emily Groth, Planner, Dept. of Conservation and Development;

Wade Finlinson, Integrated Pest Management Coordinator, Contra Costa Health Services;

Lia Bristol, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of Supervisor Carlson;

Carol Mascali, District Representative, Office of Supervisor Andersen

Attendees:

Devin Jackson, Kim Jones, Bruce Ohlson, Carol Weed, Louis Flores, Denice Dennis, Richard

Chair Gomez called the meeting to order and invited the Commissioners and staff present to introduce

themselves. Commissioners Fernandez-Lipp and Moore announced this would be their last meeting on the

Sustainability Commission. The Commission expressed their thanks to the outgoing Commissioners.

Incoming Commissioners, Devin Jackson and Kim Jones, introduced themselves to the full Commission.

Charles Davidson, Christopher Easter, Renee Fernandez-Lipp,

Sarah Foster, Luz Gomez, Howdy Goudey, Susan Hurl, Brandon

Matson, Michael Moore, Kiara Pereira, Victoria Smith, and

Shosana Wechsler

Present

Norman Cohen, Kimberly Hazard, Chuck Leonard, and Wesley

Sullens

Absent

Public comment on any item under the jurisdiction of the Commission and not on this agenda

(speakers may be limited to two minutes).

There was no public comment on items not on the agenda.

APPROVE Record of Action for December 9, 2024, meeting and Special March 25, 2024,

meeting

2024-12-09 Sustainability Commission Minutes_Draft Final

2024_03_25 Sustainability Commission Minutes_Draft Final

Attachments:

Moore moved to approve the Records of Action. Second: Smith. The Records of Action were

unanimously approved.

ELECT OFFICERS for the Sustainability Commission for 2025

The Commission deliberated over the election of Chair and Vice Chair for 2025. Gomez

nominated Wechsler for Chair and Foster for Vice Chair. Smith nominated Matson for Chair.

Gomez motioned to nominate Wechsler as Chair for 2025. Second: Davidson.

Gomez modified her motion for Wechsler as Chair and Matson as Vice Chair. Second: Moore.

The Commission voted unanimously in favor of Wechsler as Chair and Matson as Vice Chair.

There was no public comment on this item.

REVIEW and Possible ADOPTION of Draft 2024 Climate Action Plan Progress Report

Attachment A_2023-24 CAP Interim Work Plan - final

Attachment B_2024 Interim Climate Action Plan Progress

Report_2024-02-24 Draft

Attachments:

Emily Groth, Department of Conservation and Development Planner, presented the Draft 2024

Climate Action Plan Progress Report, which documented progress on the 2024 Interim Climate

Action Workplan.

Key accomplishments related to the clean and efficient built environment section included an

amendment to the 2022 Energy Code to require increased energy efficiency standards for new

construction projects, implementation of residential and commercial Bay Area Regional Energy

Network (BayREN) programs, administration of the Pinole Energy Enhancement Rebate

program, and award of three energy efficiency and all-electric-related grants. Groth highlighted

the County Administration Building and Jail Demolition and Redevelopment Project which

received Total Resource, Use, and Efficiency (TRUE) Gold certification, Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, and a California Green Building

Award.

Key accomplishments related to the resilient communities and natural infrastructure section

included implementation of the Healthy Lands, Healthy People study, award of a $750,000 grant

for the development of an urban forest management plan, and implementation of the Green

Infrastructure Plan.

Key accomplishments related to the solid waste section included all four of the County’s solid

waste collection franchise agreements offering Senate Bill (SB) 1383-compliance services and

implementation of the County’s updated Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy.

Key accomplishments related to the water efficiency section included the retrofit of two County

facilities’ restrooms with motion-sensing faucets and toilets and continued monitoring of water

use through the water districts.

Key accomplishments related to the transportation section included grant awards totaling over

$2 million for complete streets, active transportation, and pedestrian infrastructure improvement

projects; the Building Healthy Communities Program’s bicycle and pedestrian education and

engagement programming; the addition of more electric vehicles (EV) within County fleets and

EV chargers at County facilities; and award of grants to continue EV charging installation at

County facilities.

Key accomplishments related to the equity section included, with the adoption of the Climate

Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) and General Plan, direction to develop a process to analyze

funds spent by County departments on energy efficiency and other services in impacted

communities; completion of the environmental review for the Just Transition Economic

Revitalization Plan; and continuation of support for the Green Empowerment Zone and

implementation of the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative.

Key accomplishments related to the leadership section included continued meetings of the

Interdepartmental Climate Action Task Force and its two reports to the Board, continued

meetings of the G3 (Green Government Group) Champions and their newly created low waste

office events checklist, the County’s Office of Communications and Media’s videos highlighting

the County’s climate action work, coordination with community groups, initiatives to increase

community familiarity with indication cooking, and a grant award to develop the Contra Costa

Resilient Shoreline Plan.

The Commission inquired about the scope of the urban forest management plan grant, how

grant dollar impact is evaluated, security of grant funds, how vehicle miles traveled is measured

and reduced, and the impact of EVs on vehicle miles traveled.

Smith moved to adopt the Draft 2024 Climate Action Plan Progress Report. Second: Gomez. The

motion passed unanimously.

RECEIVE presentation on 2024 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) and

CONSIDER specific CAAP topics to discuss in the future

2024 CAAP Strategies and Actions Table

2025_02_24 Contra Costa County CAAP Overview - Sustainability

Commission

Attachments:

Jody London, Department of Conservation and Development Sustainability Coordinator,

presented an overview of each Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) strategy and

provided a breakdown of the community-facing programs and County operations actions

included in each strategy. London highlighted the climate action strategies that directly

contribute to greenhouse gas reductions.

The Commission inquired about compost facilities in the County, the status of the County’s

building code amendment to modify energy efficiency standards for new construction,

greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, County staff’s ability to further categorize CAAP

strategies by greenhouse gas emissions reductions, pesticide and herbicide use, water and

stormwater management, the Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Plan’s connection to the Local

Hazard Mitigation Plan, and when the CAAP will be updated next. The Commission stated it

would be helpful to know which CAAP actions contribute most to greenhouse gas emissions

reductions; this would help inform its decision on which CAAP topics to focus on moving

forward. Jackson suggested inviting Project Drawdown to provide insight into actions that

contribute most to greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

Public comment stated the most important thing the County could do is create a connected

network of bicycle facilities.

RECEIVE Report on Staff Activities that Support Sustainability Goals

2025_02 Sust. Staff Report to Sust. CMSN

Attachments:

London shared the BayREN Spanish language induction cooking demonstration video. London

directed individuals to the staff report for more details about staff activities.

The Commission shared concerns about the closure of the grocery store in Rodeo and resulting

safety concerns for Rodeo residents walking to the next closest grocery store.

There was no public comment on this item.

RECEIVE Reports from Sustainability Commission members and alternates, and

PROVIDE DIRECTION as needed

The Commission thanked Gomez and Foster for their service as Chair and Co-Chair in 2024.

Gomez announced East Bay Municipal Utility District would be hosting a workshop on its

long-term water supply.

Moore announced the City of Oakley is preparing a Climate Action Plan.

There was no public comment on this item.

RECEIVE Report from Sustainability Commission Chair and IDENTIFY TOPICS for next

report to the Committee on Sustainability

Gomez noted the new Chair of the Sustainability Committee is Supervisor Carlson. Wechsler

confirmed she would be in attendance at the Sustainability Committee to provide an update as

the new Chair of the Sustainability Commission.

10.

11.

The next meeting is currently scheduled for April 28, 2025

Adjourn

The meeting was adjourned at 7 p.m.

The Commission will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities planning to

attend the Committee meetings. Contact the staff person listed below at least 72 hours before the

meeting. Any disclosable public records related to an open session item on a regular meeting agenda and

distributed by the County to a majority of members of the Committee less than 96 hours prior to that

meeting are available for public inspection at 30 Muir Rd, Martinez, during normal business hours. Staff

connection malfunctions for any reason, the meeting may be paused while a fix is attempted. If the

connection is not reestablished, the committee will continue the meeting in person without remote

access. Public comment may be submitted via electronic mail on agenda items at least one full work day

prior to the published meeting time.

For Additional Information Contact: Commission Staff, Demian Hardman-Saldana, 925-655-2816,

demian.hardman@dcd.cccounty.us