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Sustainability board narrows 2026 focus: permeable pavement, rainwater harvesting and volunteer restoration
Summary
Board members reviewed the 2026 goals list, finding several items already addressed and flagging low-cost priorities such as permeable pavement, rainwater harvesting pilots, and volunteer restoration as likely candidates for board action.
The Sustainability Advisory Board spent a substantial portion of its meeting reviewing items from the 2026 goals list and filtering for low-cost, actionable items. Members noted that several energy items (numbers 4, 5 and 6) had been incorporated into a prior city resolution and that items such as requiring invasive-species control (number 9) and green infrastructure (number 10) are partially addressed through existing codes and volunteer programs.
Board members highlighted permeable pavement and rainwater harvesting as simple, high-impact options that are feasible for public demonstration projects. One member said, "Permeable pavements was one of the things when I first joined that I had in my head to talk about because it's so easy, and it's so much better for the water table." Staff reported the city maintains an updated stormwater management manual (updated May 2025) that includes on-site stormwater management techniques and that many new developments already include rain gardens and infiltration facilities. The board decided to perform an offline review of the low-cost items and return to the list at the August meeting with recommendations for 3-4 priority actions for 2026.
