Mayor Kandel and members of the Lafayette City Council heard public comment Oct. 14 from a longtime resident urging the city to endorse a proposed state “climate superfund” bill.

Eric Vonstein, a 28‑year Lafayette resident and former member of the city’s environmental task force, asked the council to adopt a resolution or authorize the mayor to submit a letter supporting legislation that would “impose a fee on the largest fossil fuel polluters” and require them to pay for climate‑related damages. Vonstein told the council the bill would shift some costs away from taxpayers and could generate large sums to fund “affordable, climate resilient, and sustainable infrastructure at the municipal level.”

Vonstein described the request as time‑sensitive because the bill was expected to be heard in legislative committees in mid‑January; he listed Bay Area jurisdictions that had already passed resolutions or letters of support, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose, Santa Cruz, Albany and Alameda. He said Lafayette’s environmental task force had voiced “strong support” for the measure.

Council members did not vote on the request at the meeting. Mayor Kandel asked Vonstein to email the council the draft resolution text, the bill name and other supporting materials so staff and the legislative committee could review the request. The council did not take formal action that evening; staff said the matter could be considered through the city’s legislative committee and any formal endorsement would come back to council for approval.