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Climate Action Program manager: two‑year work plan largely underway; federal grant pause stalls charging actions
Summary
Climate Action Program Manager Amanda Watson told council the adopted Climate Action Plan has 119 actions and a two‑year work plan of 33 actions; staff report most items are complete or underway but several charging‑infrastructure actions are paused pending federal grant decisions.
Amanda Watson, the city’s Climate Action Program Manager, briefed the council on the community Climate Action Plan and an internally developed two‑year work plan during the April 13 work session. Watson said the community plan (adopted May 2024) contains seven focus areas, 28 strategies and 119 individual actions; staff selected 33 actions for the initial two‑year implementation plan through June 2026.
According to Watson’s presentation, 20 of those actions were already in progress at adoption, several actions have been completed or are ongoing, and about seven actions have not been started — five of which depend on a federal Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant that the consortium of cities won in August 2024 but which, according to Watson, has been paused by federal administrative action. Watson told the council consultants expect the funding will return eventually but that the timing is unknown, delaying several charging‑infrastructure items.
Watson highlighted examples across focus areas: park design standards tied to the Riverfront Park project to improve heat‑resilience (not yet started); a water management and conservation plan and a purple‑pipe recycled‑water pilot being advanced by Public Works; a micro‑hydro project nearing final stages; and ongoing programs such as curbside composting and low‑emissions construction materials pilots. She also noted the city received a SMART bronze designation for energy/solar practices and said staff will develop prioritization criteria and performance metrics to apply across the plan’s actions.
On funding, Watson outlined three new local sources adopted from a February 2025 report and approved in October 2025: an optional $0.99 monthly “pennies for climate action” program (reported opt‑outs ~534, under 5%), a 0.3% increase in the electric franchise fee (expected to appear on bills), and a 5% increase to building permit fees. Watson said staff are shaping a five‑year budget framework for implementing prioritized actions from 2026 to 2031 and will engage a staff work group, advisory committees and the public to finalize criteria and an implementation plan.
Council members asked about the legal status of the paused federal grant; Watson said plaintiffs in a federal case in Seattle, including state actors in Oregon, are seeking relief that could vacate the pause and potentially allow access to the funds. Councilors also requested baseline metrics to help prioritize actions that deliver measurable emissions and equity impacts.
Watson closed by saying she will convene work sessions with council and external partners as staff draft prioritization criteria and initial metrics. No formal vote occurred on the plan update during the work session.
