Maywood City Council on May 28 discussed whether to pursue a qualified Climate Action and Resilience Plan (CARP) and signaled support for moving forward with a qualified plan, with the city’s consultant presenting likely measures and staff committing to monitor workload implications.

Staff presented a proposal from Environmental Science Associates (ESA) for additional work required to make the city’s draft CARP a CEQA‑qualified plan, including preparation of a programmatic initial study/mitigated negative declaration, a greenhouse‑gas tracking tool and related CEQA checklist materials. The consultant’s not‑to‑exceed cost for the qualifying work was shown in staff materials; staff said a final agreement would be brought to council for approval in June if council directs the qualified path.

ESA principal Jeff Keaton told council a qualified plan commonly requires aggressive measures to meet state targets: near‑term increases in zero‑emission vehicle adoption, procurement of carbon‑free electricity (e.g., via Clean Power Alliance), and building electrification or other building‑energy measures. Keaton cited earlier phase work that estimated a need for close to 100% carbon‑free electricity and a sizable share of building electrification to reach state‑consistent targets by 2030, and he noted alternatives and tradeoffs among transportation, buildings and waste measures.

Council discussion emphasized two themes: (1) the value of a qualified plan for long‑term alignment with state targets and potential CEQA streamlining, and (2) the practical staff workload and enforcement implications. Staff said they would remain the day‑to‑day stewards of qualified‑plan implementation but that additional consultant or limited‑term support could be recommended if implementation workload demands exceed staff capacity. Council members also asked that equity and mobility‑focused measures — child‑friendly design, mobility justice and targeted investments in disadvantaged areas — be included in plan measures and implementation strategies.

Council did not take a final adoption vote at the study session; staff said a formal agreement with ESA would be brought back for council approval in June.