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Menlo Park Environmental Quality Commission finalizes fiscal-year work plan, forms subcommittees on building codes and resiliency
Summary
The commission approved a fiscal-year work plan July 15 that prioritizes building emissions (including nonresidential AC-to-heat-pump codes), sea-level resilience, tree planting in Belle Haven, and outreach/education; members set ad hoc subcommittees and scheduled informational presentations for fall.
The Menlo Park Environmental Quality Commission on July 15 approved its fiscal-year work plan and formed ad hoc subcommittees to focus on building emissions and performance standards, sea-level resilience, tree planting in Belle Haven, and community education and engagement.
Commissioner John McKenna, speaking for the ad hoc subcommittee, urged prioritizing building-related ordinances — including a building performance standard and nonresidential AC-to-heat-pump measures — as an efficient path to emissions reductions. “Getting a BESO on our books,” McKenna said, listing building codes and electrification as top work-plan priorities.
Members also recommended presentations and possible partnerships with external groups: a presentation from the U.S. Green Building Council on its Lead for Cities program, follow-up work with the Stanford Sustainable Cities partnership to quantify climate-action opportunities, and a look at cool pavement technologies to reduce urban heat islands. Several commissioners flagged sea-level rise work (Safer Bay) and tree-planting in lower-income neighborhoods as priorities that intersect with environmental justice.
Public commenter Brian Schmidt (Endless Spark) supported the ambitious agenda and suggested forming a subcommittee to respond to the climate-action-plan update in November and consider an anti-idling policy for school zones and other priorities.
The commission moved to set the fiscal-year work plan, continue the work-plan ad hoc subcommittee through September to finalize scheduling, and approve the ad hoc subcommittee assignments discussed at the meeting; the motion passed on roll call. Commissioners agreed to seek informational presentations in September or October and to recruit subcommittee participants ahead of formal subcommittee work in the fall.
Staff also announced operational updates: Westlight Energy (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy) completed full solar systems on city properties July 1 and the city’s ebike voucher and EV rebate programs are active; commissioners encouraged public outreach to maximize uptake of rebates.
