TO: Napa County Climate Action Committee
FROM: David Morrison, Special Projects Director
REPORT BY: Ryan Melendez, Planner II - Sustainability
SUBJECT: May 2024: Staff update on the status of the Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) Development
RECOMMENDATION
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DISCUSSION: Staff recommends providing monthly updates to the status of the development of the RCAAP to the Climate Action Committee.
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BACKGROUND
At the October 6, 2022, meeting of the Napa County League of Governments (NCLOG), which includes representatives from all six jurisdictions, there was broad support for proceeding with a Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to provide a policy and implementation framework for reducing GHG emissions. There was also general agreement that each jurisdiction should consider the proposal for a Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan at a future Council/Board meeting, to guide Climate Action Committee (CAC) representatives as they move forward. Over the next five months, all six jurisdictions approved the idea of moving forward with the preparation of a Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
At their May 26, 2023, meeting, the CAC made the preparation of the RCAAP its top priority for the 2023-2024 Fiscal Year. Over the next three months, County staff worked with staff from the cities/town, the Napa Valley Transportation Authority, and the Napa County Resource Conservation District to prepare the RFP, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors on September 12, 2023.
The RFP was released on September 15, 2023. The submittal period ended on October 27, 2023. staff unanimously recommended Ascent Environmental as the preferred consultant. The CAC unanimously affirmed staff’s recommendation of Ascent Environmental in a special meeting held on November 27, 2023.
At their December 19, 2023 meeting, the Napa County Board of Supervisors approved Agreement No. 240241B with Ascent Environmental, Inc (Ascent). to prepare a RCAAP for a maximum of $599,600 for the term December 19, 2023 through December 31, 2025.
It should be noted that as a part of their scope of work, Ascent Environmental will evaluate the options that the jurisdictions have under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for adoption of the RCAAP. If an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required, Ascent and staff estimate that there would be an additional $250,000 to $400,000 in costs. The cost of an EIR would be borne by the member jurisdictions unless additional funding is secured.
On Thursday January 11, 2024, Napa County held a kickoff meeting for the RCAAP development. Participants included consultants from Ascent, staff from Napa County, Napa RCD, the cities of Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga. At this kickoff meeting, the RCAAP development team discussed the project overview, public outreach and engagement strategy, the data and document needs to help update GHG forecasts and targets, communication channels, and a standing meeting schedule to coordinate on plan development. The core development team decided to meet biweekly. Staff recommends giving regular updates to the CAC regarding the progress of the RCAAP development.
May 2024 Updates:
In early March 2024, Ascent began creating the Napa RCAAP project website (Napa County | Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) (konveio.com) <https://climateactionnapa.konveio.com/>), which will host project overview information and allow for the RCAAP team to publicly publish RCAAP supporting document. The website will also provide a platform for community engagement on the RCAAP development, including a “Contact Us” page and a survey designed to solicit public input on the importance of climate change and climate action and adaption. The website will be live to the public in May 2024 and will be available in multiple languages using an integrated Google Translate tool. A County email address has been created to serve as a central point of contact for questions and comments relating to the RCAAP (RCAAP@countyofnapa.org <mailto:RCAAP@countyofnapa.org>).
In early February 2024, Ascent began work on RCAAP initial tasks. These tasks include (1) an update to Napa County GHG Emissions Forecasts and Targets Memo, (2) a Community Engagement Plan for RCAAP development, and (3) a Climate Vulnerability Assessment. In March 2024, Ascent completed initial drafts of these documents, and in April 2024, the Napa County and City RCAAP team completed reviews of these documents. Ascent has completed a finalized Public Engagement Plan and Climate Vulnerability Assessment and is currently developing a final draft of the Napa County GHG Emissions Forecasts and Targets. Below are brief descriptions of each document.
1. Napa County GHG Emissions Forecast and Targets Memo updates the 2019 GHG Inventory to account for GHG emissions by sector and by jurisdiction for 2030, 2035 and 2045 under (A) Business As Usual conditions, (B) Legislative-Adjusted emissions forecasts - accounting for projected emissions reductions associated with implementation of adopted federal, State and regional legislation and regulations, and (C) Target GHG Emissions Reduction Targets (calculating specific emissions levels and reduction percentages for the county that demonstrate the county’s fair share towards meeting State reduction targets.
2. RCAAP Public Engagement Plan outlines a projected schedule, detailed descriptions of responsibilities, and targeted approaches to actively engage Napa County’s diverse populations and frontline communities (which are disproportionately affected by climate change). The plan identifies target audiences to engage with while emphasizing equity. The plan describes a flexible Public Engagement Schedule with four (4) distinct phases:
a. Phase 1: Education and Visioning (Spring 2024)
b. Phase 2: Strategy Development and Prioritization (Summer 2024)
c. Phase 3: Public Draft RCAAP (Fall 2024)
d. Phase 4: Final RCAAP (Winter 2024/2025).
Each phase involves several engagement activities: project website launch, RCAAP public survey, developing a GHG inventory fact sheet, sharing social media content, tabling events, public and focus group discussions, public town hall-style meetings, and Napa County Climate Action Committee (CAC) meeting presentations. The Napa County Resource Conservation District (Napa RCD) will take the lead on public engagement, with support from Ascent, City of Napa, and Napa County staff.
The plan also highlights several tools and resources which will be used during Public Engagement efforts.
3. Napa County Climate Vulnerability Assessment (VA) “identifies and analyzes climate change effects that will impact Napa County. The VA is the first step in the adaptation planning process as part of the Napa County Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP)… The purpose of the VA is to analyze countywide exposure to existing hazards, identify potential climate-related impacts from these hazards and sensitivities to these hazards and impacts, and determine the existing capacity of the County’s local jurisdictions and communities to prepare for and adapt to these impacts… The VA will inform the next steps in the RCAAP’s adaptation planning process, which include the development of climate adaptation and resilience strategies.”
The RCAAP team plans to publicly release the GHG Emissions Forecasts and Targets Memo and the Climate Vulnerability Assessment on the project website in June 2024.
In early February 2024, staff on the County and City RCAAP team considered the formation of an interagency staff-level working group to provide updates, coordinate on outreach messaging, and solicit feedback on the development of the RCAAP. This initiative will allow the RCAAP team to coordinate with key partnering agencies on how the RCAAP will be implemented. This working group will begin meeting on the 4th Thursday of each month through the end of 2024. The first meeting will be on May 23, 2024.
In late April 2024, Ascent completed a draft memo summarizing the proposed RCAAP Draft GHG Emissions Reduction Framework, along with an Excel attachment containing preliminary GHG measures (or actions). RCAAP team staff have provided initial comments for review by the Ascent team and follow up comments and discussions with CAC members and members of the public will take place through August 2024.
In early May, Ascent, City of Napa, Napa County, and Napa RCD staff coordinated to produce an RCAAP public survey. This survey will be used to help support the development of the RCAAP, gauge public concerns and interests regarding climate change and climate action and adaptation, prioritize actions, and guide local government actions. The survey is now available on the RCAAP project website (Napa RCAAP Community Survey | Napa County (konveio.com) <https://climateactionnapa.konveio.com/napa-rcaap-community-survey-0>).
Important upcoming RCAAP updates:
June 2024: Final Drafts of the GHG Emissions Forecast and Targets Memo and the Climate Vulnerability Assessment will be released publicly on the RCAAP project website.
July 2024: Public release of the Draft GHG Emissions Reduction Framework and accompanying measures (actions). Staff requests a working group session of the Climate Action Committee (CAC) members to discuss and provide direction on the proposed climate action measures. *These measures will be the nuts and bolts of the RCAAP, meaning these measures will directly influence how Napa County will achieve our GHG emissions reduction goals in the coming years.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.