April 22, 2024

An Earth Day Update from the Sausalito Sustainability Commission

The Sustainability Commission advises the City Council on critical priorities to advance our town’s sustainability, equity, and resilience. As we celebrate Earth Day, the Commission reflects on the City of Sausalito’s sustainability successes from the past year and updates our community on what’s planned for 2024.

In March, Chairperson Greg Thompson concluded his two terms on the Commission and passed the Chair seat to Vice-Chair Mark Palmer. During the meeting, incoming Chair Palmer extended a heartfelt tribute to outgoing Chair Thomson, whose efforts over the last six years have shaped a more sustainable future. “Greg’s leadership in promoting electric vehicles and advancing charging infrastructure has given Sausalito a compelling vision of eco-friendly transportation options. We also credit Greg for instigating the drive for charging, cooling, and emergency resource hubs, which will contribute to a safer and more resilient community. Greg's skills in liaising with our county partners have strengthened collaborative initiatives, fostering a broader impact beyond Sausalito. We sincerely thank Greg for his many contributions, which have elevated the Commission’s impact and inspired positive change.”

David Cooper was voted in as Vice-Chair. Commissioners Michelle Orr, Kimery Wiltshire, Lauren Wylie,Nick Stevenson, and Mark Moore will continue. There is one  Alternate position open, as well as a 94965 liaison position that is open to those residing in the zip code but outside Sausalito city limits.Interested residents are encouraged to apply.

The Commission is thrilled to work alongside the City of Sausalito's Resiliency and Sustainability Manager, Catie Thow Garcia. “In her first year, Catie has had a catalytic effect on the City’s sustainability goals”, says Commissioner Lauren Wylie. “She has advanced action in every one of our focus areas and her work sourcing and coordinating grants from multiple sources has proven that the investment in a sustainability manager is not only necessary to advance the City’s climate goals, but good for the City’s bottom line as well.”

Here are some updates from the past year and the plans developing within our key priority areas: Energy, Transportation, Reuse & Waste, and Resilience.

• Transportation: According to the latest Marin Climate & Energy Partnership inventory report, transportation accounts for 64% of Sausalito's greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, transportation is the City’s number one area for improvement.
  
  
  • To advance clean transportation in Sausalito, the Commission’s direction to the city has included EV charging as essential city infrastructure, eventually targeting enough chargers to support over 2,600 EVs, equaling 30% of vehicle registrations. Based on this, the city plans to install public EV charging ports at Lot 2, Dunphy Park, and City Hall. The City also plans to migrate appropriate city-owned vehicles to hybrid/electric ones. The Commission also informs citizens and businesses about solutions that help accelerate clean transportation through convenient online tools and third-party services. This includes Ride & Drive Clean, a Marin-based non-profit trusted source for helping people find the right EV or E-bike while saving them money. In addition, the Commission is actively supporting an initiative to advance the electrification of marine vessels in Sausalito.
    
    
  • Additional public EV charging opportunities will be identified through the Climatec Infrastructure Modernization, Utility Savings, and SustainabilityProgram.
    
    
  • The police department has explored possibly incorporating electric vehicles into its fleet.
    
    
• Energy: Natural gas combustion in buildings is Sausalito’s next highest source of greenhouse gas emissions, at 28%, making it another critical strategic priority for the City to address.
  
  
  • Climatec will provide comprehensive energy analysis and subsequently plan, design, and install energy conservation services for the city’s owned buildings. Climatec's key priorities are high-efficiency windows, insulation, air sealing, building automation controls, battery storage, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
    
    
  • The Commission and City are working on the codes for new construction; we are helping residents become aware of the many options and incentives available to switch to electricity at home. Voluntary Single-Family Home Efficiency Retrofits and Electrification Appliance Swaps are eligible for significant Rebates and Tax Incentives.
    
    
  • The commission will prioritize strategies for coordinating with PG&E on electric load capacity planning, resiliency, faster interconnection timelines, and neighborhood-scale electrification planning projects.
    
    
• Waste, Reuse, and Recycling: Key state bills and county ordinances went into effect in 2023, cascading into action in Sausalito.
  
  
  • California is implementing a groundbreaking law to cut single-use plastic and packaging waste. In 2024, Californians can redeem empty wine and liquor containers for cash to reduce waste and pollution.
    
    
  • The state is also investing $130 million to help communities recycle 7.7 million tons of food and yard waste, equivalent to taking half a million cars off the road.
    
    
  • The Marin County Reusable Foodware Ordinance was adopted in May 2022 and will go into effect in November 2023. The ordinance aims to reduce plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from single-use plastics. The critical points of this ordinance are:
    
    • Bans single-use plastic foodware in unincorporated parts of Marin County, including containers, cups, straws, and utensils.
      
      
  • Businesses will be required to use reusable or compostable fiber-based foodware instead.
    
    
  • There will be a 25-cent fee for disposable cups to encourage the use of reusable cups.

• Water: Do you know Sausalito and Marin City have many perennial (year-round) streams? And that many properties have old wells? The Water sub-committee is developing an ambitious work plan looking at funding opportunities to assess how much local water we have and how we could access that water for irrigation and emergency use.
  
  
  • The City contracted Climatec to analyze and recommend water-saving changes to indoor fixtures and landscape irrigation water usage for the city’s facilities.
    
    
  • The commission prioritizes using our native water sources and is working with the Department of Public Works to improve our existing infrastructure.
    • Spring Creek storm drain capture devices
    • Marinship rainwater storage tanks for irrigation
    • Permeable paving to reduce rainwater runoff
    • Promote residential and commercial rainwater capture for irrigation
    • Advise and make recommendations for greywater capture for irrigation

• Resilience: The Commission is liaising with the City’s Sea Level Rise Task Force, advising on the development of Resilience Hubs at Bayside MLK Academy (funded by MCE) and City Hall featuring full electrification, and working with other towns in Marin to share best practices. Resilience Hubs are community-serving facilities that are augmented to support residents, coordinate communication, distribute resources, and reduce carbon pollution while enhancing the quality of life.
  
  
  • Resilience Hubs for Public Safety Power Shutoffs and Disaster Preparedness
    • Community Serving Facilities for resident support
    • Communication Coordination
    • Resource Distribution
    • Cooling Center
    • Device and EV Charging

The Sustainability Commission webpage features resources to help residents learn about available incentives, educational tools, and simple daily tips for contributing to our collective sustainability.

The global theme of Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs Plastics.” The Sausalito Sustainability Commission thanks you for investing your time in reading this update, and we hope that you will join us and pledge to help change at least one behavior this year to be more sustainable. Learn to compost, switch from gas to electric, buy or lease an EV rather than a gas-powered vehicle for your next car, use a bike when possible, conserve water, or simply bring reusable drinkware to your favorite local take-out spot. And when you take action, tell a friend…we are all in this together.