Sustainable City Implementation Plan – Phase 1
Draft
February 18, 2016
Table of Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................... 1
2. Executive Summary ....................................................................................... 2
3. Priority Goal Areas for Implementation .......................................................... 2
4. Recommended Implementation Measures .................................................... 4
A. Community Sustainability Liaison ............................................................... 5
B. Expert Forums............................................................................................ 6
C. Developing a Sustainable Local Economy ................................................. 6
5. Future Plans .................................................................................................. 9
A. Reporting and Monitoring ........................................................................... 9
B. Implementation Measures for Remaining Goal Areas ................................ 9
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1. Introduction
The City Council appointed 11 members to the Sustainable City Task Force
(SCTF) in 2004 and charged them with developing an implementation program to
achieve the goals set forth in the Sustainable City Plan (SCP).
The SCTF developed an integrated two-track model to address their charge.
(Figure 1). The first track is enlisting support among community stakeholders for
the SCP and to encourage adoption of sustainable practices to help the
community reach its goals. . The second track is the identification and
development of specific policies programs and incentives necessary to achieve
SCP goals.
The two tracks work together. The SCTF Community Engagement Subcommittee leads the efforts in track one to engage a diverse group of
stakeholders to develop a strategy for achieving the SCP goals. The SCTF
Policy Sub-committee leads the efforts in track 2 and interfaces between policy
experts and community groups to identify the community practices that will lead
to the achievement of the SCP goals and the barriers encountered by the
community in implementing sustainable practices. Figure 1 below describes the
Sustainable City Task Force’s model for implementing the Sustainable City Plan.
Community
Groups
Santa Monica Sustainable City Plan (SCP)
Implementation Plan (IP) Model
Stakeholder
Groups
- Outreach activities
Community Engagement Sub-Committee
Community
Behavior
SCTF meetings
- Constituency
for sustainability
Policy Sub-Committee
Experts
City Staff
(Sustainability Advisory Team)
IP
(documented
commitments
and policy tool
kit )
Execute
- Incentives,
etc.
City Boards
&
Commissions
City
Policy
Revise
Figure 1: SCP Implementation Model
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Goals
Achieved
- Monitor
&
evaluate
The SCTF has used this model to develop this implementation plan to achieve
the goals set forth in the SCP. This document identifies the priority goal areas the
SCTF has identified and recommends implementation measures to ensure the
City of Santa Monica continues to enhance its resources, prevent harm to the
natural environment and human health, and benefit the social and economic wellbeing of the community for the sake of current and future generations.
Executive Summary
The Sustainable City Task Force (SCTF) finds that initial strategies to achieve
the Sustainable City Plan (SCP) goals should be focused in three goal areas –
Resource Conservation, Environmental & Public Health, and Economic
Development. The SCTF chose these three areas based on a detailed analysis
of progress to date on meeting the SCP goals and review of current efforts in
these areas by the City and in the community. These goal areas represent
opportunities for the City of Santa Monica to continue to pursue a leadership role
in urban sustainability and they offer opportunities to foster collaborative efforts
that engage a number of community stakeholders.
The SCTF recommends three implementation measures focused in the three
priority goal areas that will assist the City of Santa Monica in realizing the goals
set forth in the SCP. These measures are 1)the creation of a Community
Sustainability Liaison: 2)the production of Expert Forums to address innovations
in sustainability; and 3)the creation of an Economic Development Strategy to
promote sustainable practices and attract sustainable businesses to Santa
Monica.
The Community Sustainability Liaison will facilitate the adoption of sustainable
practices in the community and engage diverse stakeholders, the Expert Forums
will draw attention to innovations in sustainable practices and provide strategic
tools to be utilized in Santa Monica, and the Economic Development Strategy will
identify the necessary elements of a sustainable local economy for Santa Monica
and provide a plan to develop it. Together, these three implementation
measures will help the City of Santa Monica to realize the goals set forth in the
Council adopted Sustainable City Plan.
2. Priority Goal Areas for Implementation
City staff prepared a Gap Analysis (Attachment 1) to evaluate current progress
towards meeting the goals of the Sustainable City Plan and to give the SCTF
direction in developing an implementation strategy. The Gap Analysis includes
information on program and policy status, a summary of the most current
indicator data, and a discussion of gaps and opportunities for each of the 8 Goal
Areas in the SCP.
Based on the Gap Analysis and discussions with community stakeholders and
policy experts, the Sustainable City Task Force (SCTF) recommends that initial
strategies to achieve Sustainable City Plan (SCP) goals be focused in three goal
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areas – Resource Conservation, Environmental & Public Health, and Economic
Development. These three goal areas comprise Phase 1 of the implementation
plan for the SCP; the remaining goal areas comprise Phase II of the
implementation plan.
Priority Goal Areas – Phase 1
Resource Conservation, Environmental & Public Health, and Economic
Development
Although the City of Santa Monica is rightly seen as a nationwide leader in
addressing environmental sustainability issues, the Resource Conservation and
Environmental & Public Health goal areas were chosen for initial action because
in order to meet the SCP goals in these areas, much more commitment and
participation is needed on the part of the community (including businesses, major
institutions and residents). While the city government has demonstrated that
actions to reduce resource use and safeguard environmental and public health
are effective, replicable and cost effective over the long term, the SCTF believes
it is essential that all community stakeholder groups begin working together and
learning from each other to identify and implement effective actions to achieve
these goals.
The Economic Development goal area was chosen as the third area of focus
because Santa Monica currently lacks a coordinated, forward-looking economic
development strategy necessary to maintain our strong and diverse economy
and meet our other economic goals. A collaborative effort between the local
business community (including the Chamber of Commerce, Convention and
Visitors Bureau and Business Improvement Districts), the city government, and
other community stakeholders such as Santa Monica College is essential if we
are to meet the SCP goals and ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of
our local economy.
Remaining Goal Areas – Phase II
Transportation, Housing, Land Use & Open Space, Community Education &
Civic Participation, and Human Dignity
Because the implementation of the Transportation and Land Use & Open Space
goals has begun with the ongoing process to update the Circulation and Land
Use Elements of the City’s General Plan, these goal areas are not identified as a
priorities for the SCTF. However, the SCTF is currently participating in the
update process and making recommendations to staff and the Council on the
policies necessary to achieve these SCP goals.
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For the Housing goal area, the City of Santa Monica has historically and
continues to provided significant resources to address these goals. While the
city can do much more to facilitate the private development of housing of all
types (for example, by improving/streamlining the development approval process
for housing) in Santa Monica, it is anticipated that this issue will also be
addressed during the update of the Land Use Element. Therefore, this goal area
is not identified as a priority for the SCTF. However, as part of Phase II, the
SCTF will consult with the Housing Commission along with the City’s Housing
Division and Rent Control Department, who have primary responsibility for
achieving the goals in this area, to develop further policy recommendations to the
Council for achieving the housing goals.
For the Community Education & Civic Participation goal area, initial indicator data
shows that, in general, Santa Monica has an informed and engaged populace, so
this goal area is not identified as a priority. However, there is insufficient data for
assessing progress for the civic participation and community involvement
indicators for this goal area, so the SCTF will make recommendations to the
Council and staff for collecting data. Based on the data, the SCTF will make
recommendations to the Council for closing any remaining gaps in this goal area.
For the Human Dignity goal area, the City has historically been very proactive in
supporting the ability of its residents to meet their basic needs and live with
dignity. However, the city faces ongoing challenges to meeting the goals in this
area, particularly in the areas of homelessness and gang related violence among
at-risk youth. Most of the indicator data in this goal area is very recent, so trends
can not accurately be determined regarding progress in meeting the goals. For
this reason, this goal area is not identified as a priority. The SCTF recommends
that the City continue with its level of services to address these goals and that
the indicators be re-evaluated in future years to determine implementation
measures to achieve these goals.
For all of the Phase II goal areas above, the SCTF will monitor policy and
planning proposals that emerge out of city or community led initiatives and
assess the extent to which they are consistent with or promote SCP goals. The
SCTF will engage the community, City Council and staff as needed to further
these goals and promote changes seen to be critical to them.
3. Recommended Implementation Measures
The SCTF recommends three implementation measures that will assist the City
of Santa Monica in realizing the goals set forth in the Sustainable City Plan.
These three measures will set the stage for a renewed presence for sustainability
in the community and grow the influence of the Sustainable City Plan. The three
implementation measures include the creation of a Community Sustainability
Liaison, the production of Expert Forums to address sustainable practices, and
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the development of an Economic Development Strategy to promote sustainable
practices and attract sustainable businesses to Santa Monica.
The Community Sustainability Liaison will facilitate the adoption of sustainable
practices in the community and engage diverse stakeholders, the Expert Forums
will draw attention to innovations in sustainable practices and provide strategic
tools to be utilized in Santa Monica, and the Economic Development Strategy will
identify the necessary elements of a sustainable local economy for Santa Monica
and provide a plan to develop it.
A. Community Sustainability Liaison
Members of the Sustainable City Task Force have spent significant
amounts of time in the first year of the TF meeting with community
stakeholders to obtain input and recommendations on how to best further
Santa Monica’s sustainability goals and to gain endorsements of the SCP.
The SCTF finds that it is not able to continue this necessary level of
community engagement in a consistent and efficient manner using only
their volunteer. In order to continue engaging community stakeholders in
sustainable practices, and to work with experts to identify and recommend
implementation tools for the City to employ, the SCTF requests that the
Council provide grant funding to a local non-profit organization or contract
with a professional services firm or individual to act as a Community
Sustainability Liaison (CSL). The CSL would work closely with the SCTF
and city staff to conduct outreach and engage for community stakeholders
around the Sustainable City Plan and provide education and technical
assistance to these groups.
The CSL will:
1. Provide a consistent point of contact for activities related to and
participants involved in achieving the SCP goals
2. Educate stakeholders about the goals of the SCP and the benefits of
adopting sustainable practices
3. Provide stakeholders with information on sustainable principles and
practices
4. Engage the community in the City’s effort to implement the SCP and
solicit their feedback
5. Conduct outreach activities for target populations to identify
sustainable practices specific to their needs
6. Develop and host roundtables, focus groups, workshops, and
charrettes to develop strategic tools to implement sustainable practices
7. Research and assist with funding opportunities for stakeholders to
identify and institutionalize sustainable practices into their operations.
8. Create tracking and record keeping mechanisms for implementation
activities adopted by stakeholder groups
9. Identify and secure experts to participate in expert forums
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10. Identify and coordinate experts to participate in creation of Sustainable
Economic Development Strategy
11. Identify and secure additional funding for full-time, permanent CSL at
the conclusion of grant funding cycle
The SCTF recommends funding be in the form of a City grant for a
maximum of two years to be replaced with outside fundraising following
the initial two year grant period. The City’s Sustainable City Coordinator
(or the City Manager’s designee) would direct the CSL’s activities and
oversee the City’s contract with the CSL. The CSL would be required as
part of the terms of the grant funding to provide regular reports to the
SCTF and participate in regular monthly SCTF meetings.
Estimated annual funding for one full time position plus overhead=
$100,000
B. Expert Forums
The SCTF recommends that the Council provide funding to bring in
experts to provide technical assistance to the City of Santa Monica and
community stakeholders to identify and overcome barriers to achieving the
goals of the SCP. The outside experts will:
1. Participate in charrettes, symposia and roundtable discussions
2. Identify solutions to barriers encountered to better achieve the goals of
the SCP
3. Assist in the creation of a ‘toolkit’ of best practices and innovative ideas
for achieving the SCP goals
4. Evaluate existing SCP indicators to determine if they are meeting their
intended purpose and make recommendations for improvements
5. Evaluate tracking and record keeping mechanisms for implementation
activities and make recommendations to improve effectiveness
6. Prepare technical papers and provide consultation
Estimated annual funding = $10,000 - $20,000
C. Developing a Sustainable Local Economy
The economic development goal of the SCP is “to nurture a stable, local
economy that supports the basic needs of all segments of the community.”
A stable, local economy produces many of the goods needed and desired
locally, minimizes resource use, provides quality and diverse jobs1, allows
people to walk or bike to shop and work, and produces minimal pollution.
In order to meet these goals, the City needs to develop a forward-looking
economic development strategy that addresses plans to maintain the
1
Pay greater than or equal to the Santa Monica cost of living index (SMCOLI). See footnote 5.
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diversity of Santa Monica’s economy, increase the creation of high quality
jobs, and actively attract sustainable businesses to the locate in the
community.
There are limited models for planning a sustainable local economy in a
metropolitan area. Therefore, the SCTF recommends the following
strategy for achieving the economic development goals of the SCP.
Based on the outcomes of this strategy, the SCTF will make
recommendations to the Council on revisions and additions to city policies
and programs necessary to achieve the SCP economic development
goals.
The SCTF recommends that the City hire a consultant to:
1) Evaluate the current economic make-up of the city including all
business sectors, as well as land use taxes, per capita funds the City
receives, and state and federal sources for consistency with the
Sustainable Local Economic Development Principles defined in the
SCP (Attachment 2).
2) Identify and coordinate a small group of persons with expertise in
domestic and international sustainable economic development
strategies to participate in an intensive workshop with members of the
Sustainable City Task Force and staff to examine policies and
programs for achieving a sustainable local economy.
3) Work with staff and CSL to engage the community in the City’s effort to
develop a strategy for achieving the SCP economic development
goals.
4) Using the sustainable economic development principles in the SCP
and the input and analysis from above, conduct the following analysis:
 Identify the types of businesses and business sectors that will best
contribute to the long term sustainability of Santa Monica
 Conduct a quantitative analysis of the benefits and tradeoffs of
potential policies and programs
 Assess the feasibility of implementing the potential policies and
programs, including the potential barriers
 Identify analytic tools to monitor progress of the implementation of
the potential polices and programs
5) Prepare a White Paper on "Building a Sustainable Local Economy for
Santa Monica" that reports all the analysis above and lays out an
optimal mix of strategies. The development of the white paper should
take into account the following current, parallel City efforts and any
other future relevant efforts:
 The update to the Land Use and Circulation Elements of the
General Plan;
 The update to the zoning ordinance; and
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
The implementation of the relevant Action Strategies from the
Community Workshop on Gang Violence.
6) Solicit feedback from appropriate stakeholders.
7) Based on the community input, finalize the overall strategy.
Estimated one time funding = $135,000
Step (1):
Evaluation of current economy
Step (2):
Experts workshop
Steps (3) & (6): Stakeholder engagement
Step (4):
Analysis
Steps (5) & (7): White Paper
$25,000
$20,000
$10,000
$75,000
$5,000
D. Other Recommendations
Sustainable Business Practices
The SCP has an Economic Development goal that “businesses,
organizations and local government agencies within Santa Monica
continue to increase the efficiency of their use of natural resources
through the adoption of sustainable business practices.” In addition, the
goal states that “the City takes a leadership role by developing a plan by
2005 to increase the adoption of sustainable practices by Santa Monica
businesses and encouraging sustainable business to locate in Santa
Monica.”
Outside of the Sustainable Works Business Greening Program and the
Chamber of Commerce Sustainable Quality Awards program, there is
limited effort to promote sustainability among existing businesses. As the
economic development goal indicates, efforts are needed on the part of
the City to promote sustainable business practices on a much wider scale.
The SCTF recommends a coordinated effort to increase the adoption of
sustainable business practices and to promote the environmental and
economic benefits of such activities.
Staff Reports
The first Guiding Principle in the SCP says that “the concept of
sustainability guides city policy.” The Guiding Principle states that “Santa
Monica is committed to meeting its existing needs without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” and that “the
long term impacts of policy choices will be considered to ensure a
sustainable legacy.” Given this commitment to sustainability as a guiding
principle in the SCP and the inclusion of sustainability as one of the City
Council’s 5 main budget priorities, the SCTF recommends the integration
of a sustainability element to all staff reports. This section should look at
proposed actions in terms of their impacts on the goals and targets set out
in the SCP.
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4. Future Plans
A. Reporting and Monitoring
B. Implementation Measures for Remaining Goal Areas
(To be written by Sandy Grant)
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