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Planning staff wrap up Phase 1 of climate planning, release vulnerability index and prepare Phase 2 grant application
Summary
Planning staff told the committee they are completing Phase 1 of city climate planning, publishing a climate vulnerability index and vulnerability assessment, and preparing a Phase 2 grant application to the state Department of Commerce to fund policy and action development tied to the comprehensive plan update.
Maren Murphy, planning staff, and Logan Callan presented an update on the city’s climate planning work and said Phase 1 — foundational analyses and initial engagement — is wrapping up.
Murphy reviewed materials already posted to the project website (memo assessments, engagement summaries and a spatial Climate Vulnerability Index built from more than 30 indicators). She said the index and associated interactive story maps will be published and that a climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA) document will conclude Phase 1.
"We are finishing up what we call phase 1...and wrapping that up this month and next month," Murphy said. She added staff will apply for Phase 2 funding through the Department of Commerce to continue the work, with the goal of aligning further policy development with the comprehensive plan update due June 2026.
Logan Callan summarized greenhouse‑gas inventory findings and said transportation, natural gas and aviation are the largest remaining sources to address toward long‑term city goals. He reiterated that existing state and federal policies (for example, clean energy and building standards) will reduce some emissions automatically, and local policy discussions should focus on the remaining emissions that are locally addressable.
Council members asked detailed questions about equity, household costs and energy reliability, and staff pointed to Avista’s integrated resource planning and state law requiring electric sector decarbonization as context for long‑term shifts away from fossil fuels. Staff emphasized Phase 2 will focus on policy options, cost and equity analyses, and community engagement to identify measures that are feasible and locally appropriate.
No formal action was taken; staff said they would continue engagement events, including a Climate Planning Workshop scheduled for Earth Day evening and additional outreach while Phase 2 funding is sought.
