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ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT A ROUND 1 ADAPTATION PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $650,000
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution to:
1. Authorize the City Manager to execute a grant agreement in the amount of $650,000 with the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and;
2. Authorize the City Manager to appropriate grant revenues and expenditures in the amount of $650,000, and;
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute and manage sub-agreements with co-applicants in amounts consistent with the Grant Agreement.
It is also recommended that the City Council authorize the City Manager to take appropriate and necessary actions to carry out the purpose and intent of the resolution.
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Summary
The Adaptation Planning Grant Program (APGP) Round 1, administered by the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), funds integrated climate planning activities to build climate adaptation and resilience through planning, research and capacity building, restoration, and sustainable infrastructure. The APGP Grant Round 1 will provide funding needed to update the City of Stockton’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) which was initially developed in 2008 and implemented from 2014-2020. Staff is requesting City Council’s authorization to execute a grant agreement with the Office of Planning and Research in the amount of $650,000 to fund the development of a new Climate Action & Adaptation Plan.
DISCUSSION
Background
In 2008, the City of Stockton entered into a Memorandum of Agreement ("Agreement") with the California Attorney General's Office and the Sierra Club to address potential impacts of the 2035 General Plan adopted in 2007. After years of outreach, the City Council adopted the Stockton Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2014. The CAP outlines public and private efforts to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of the 2005 baseline year by 15% by 2020. The City of Stockton has implemented all phases of the 2014 CAP plan with Phase 3 actions completed in 2020.
Since the CAP's adoption, there have been numerous changes to State Law to reduce GHG emissions statewide and new "green" markets that emphasize energy efficiency and sustainable resources. In 2018, the 2040 General Plan was adopted, which satisfied the original Settlement Agreement's terms on climate change. While the new General Plan did not result in litigation like the 2007 plan, the 2040 General Plan does include direction to Update the City's Climate Action Plan.
The 2014 CAP has not been updated to reflect current legislation or State GHG reduction goals. As a result, new development projects reviewing potential GHG impacts cannot rely on CAP reduction measures to reduce emissions consistent with current State requirements. This results in project-specific analysis to avoid potential litigation on climate impacts from new development projects that are reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Furthermore, the 2040 General Plan specifically calls for a “New or updated implementation plan for the CAP” (Action CH-5.1B). The need for a new CAP is clear, and is already an objective of the City.
Present Situation
The mission of the APGP is to foster an integrated response to the impacts of climate change across California. The APGP Round 1 is also intended to support the development of climate resilient projects and prepare communities for future funding opportunities in programs that align with the APGP’s objectives. For these reasons, staff pursued the APGP grant opportunity to fund a new Climate Action & Adaptation Plan.
The City of Stockton was awarded a Round 1 APGP Grant on June 8th, 2023. This was a highly competitive grant, with 141 cities declaring intent to apply for APGP Round 1, yielding approximately $63 million worth of applications. Only $8 million was available for grant awards, and the City of Stockton was awarded the maximum amount of $650,000. Staff anticipate this amount will cover the full cost of developing a new Climate Action & Adaptation Plan.
The City’s proposed use for the grant funds include contracting with a firm that specializes in the development of Climate Action Plans, as well as supporting contracts with local non-profit partners to assist with robust community engagement efforts. These community engagement efforts will include direct mail campaigns to residents, town hall style meetings to present findings and solicit feedback from the community, workshops with key stakeholders to focus on critical issues (e.g., EV charging), and surveys to capture broad feedback on communitywide environmental priorities. The City will use a small portion of the grant (10-15%) to offset the cost of administering the grant, which includes overall project management, invoicing, progress reporting, and participating in all community engagement efforts. The new Climate Action & Adaptation Plan is scheduled to be completed and presented to City Council by October 31, 2025.
Additionally, Current State Law, General Plans: SB 379 (Jackson, 2015), which amended Government Code (GC) Section 65302(g)(4), requires that local governments address climate change adaptation and resilience in the safety element of all general plans in California.
The development of a new Climate Action & Adaptation Plan for post 2020 will identify new strategies to improve public health and evaluate the effectiveness of past actions to evolve future for:
• Garbage Truck Operations
• Organic Waste Processing
• Wastewater Treatment
• Upgraded Regional Wastewater Control Facility
• Installation of Solar Lights
• Economic Development
The new Climate Action & Adaptation Plan is intended to organize efforts in the improvement of public health, environmental efficiency, air quality and lessen the impact of commercial and residential operations through environmental planning activities and measures which will examine GHG reduction progress and respond to current climate impacts.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
There is no direct impact on the General Fund as a result of updating the CAP. All related costs will be supported by grant funding. The City of Stockton and its Partners will pay for project related expenses in full and then submit documentation for reimbursement through this grant. The City of Stockton will subsequently apply for grant funding for the succeeding rounds of the APGP as well as other funding opportunities in programs that align with the targeted objectives. As the CAP is finalized and strategies approach implementation and require city council action, these strategies will be reviewed for their potential fiscal impacts to the City.
To establish the program and grant funding, an appropriation of revenue and expenditures of $650,000 is necessary in the City Manager’s Special Grants Fund - Reimbursement, General Administration Division.
Attachment A - OPR APGP Round 1 Grant Agreement