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San Jose outlines timeline for climate adaptation and resilience plan; committee accepts status update
Summary
City staff described progress on a state-funded climate adaptation and resiliency plan, including a vulnerability assessment and community engagement plan. Committee accepted the interim status report 4-0 and staff said public workshops will run through late 2025 before a draft plan returns for committee and council consideration in early 2026.
Julie Benavente, deputy director for the Climate Smart Division in the Environmental Services Department, told the Transportation and Environment Committee that the city has secured approximately $650,000 in state funding to develop a Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan that will complement San Jose’s 2018 Climate Smart plan by addressing physical climate risks and vulnerabilities.
Benavente said the city’s Environmental Services Department took over the work from the city manager’s office in December 2024, has secured a consultant through procurement, formed a climate-ready working group that includes Valley Water, completed a technical vulnerability assessment and prepared a vision framework and community engagement plan attached to the committee memo. The vulnerability assessment identified risks from rising temperatures, flooding and wildfire and noted that flooding could disrupt critical facilities such as fire stations and hospitals and that transit, roads and EV charging infrastructure are vulnerable to extreme weather. The assessment also flagged disproportionate risks to low-income households, mobile-home residents and people with health sensitivities.
Benavente outlined a timeline tied to the grant term: continued work with the consultant and initial community engagement through June 2025; a public review and a series of multilingual workshops from July through October 2025; and presentation of a proposed plan to the Transportation and Environment Committee and to City Council in winter 2025–26 (staff said January–February 2026 is likely) with an online dashboard to track adaptation metrics if council approves the plan.
Public commentators and advisory groups requested early engagement with bicycle and pedestrian stakeholders and urged planning for extreme events beyond historical “100-year” standards. Diane Solomon, representing the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, asked staff to coordinate small-group briefings with BPAC and to prioritize pedestrian and cyclist resilience across trails and underpasses. Jordan Bridal, a new BPAC member and District 3 resident, urged that active-transportation infrastructure be designed to remain safe and usable during heat waves and floods and recommended e-bike subsidies and expanded bike-share options for underserved areas.
Committee members pressed staff for details on planned small-group outreach to frontline communities; Benavente said specific meeting lists and timing are still being finalized and encouraged council offices to submit suggestions. Council Member Ortiz and others asked for mid-process briefings to the committee; staff agreed to provide additional briefings and to coordinate outreach with council offices.
Council Member Campos moved to accept the status report; a second was not specified on the record. The committee recorded a 4-0 vote to accept the update.
