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Report regarding a resolution authorizing the mayor to provide a letter in support of Senate Bill 272 (Laird). (Christina Fernandez, Deputy City Manager)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the mayor to provide a letter in support of Senate Bill 272 (Laird).
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In the last 100 years, sea level in the Bay Area has risen over eight inches. San Mateo County recently released a vulnerability assessment that projects a mid-level end of century scenario with about 77 inches of sea level rise. The City is already seeing annual impacts of sea level rise with 1-foot King Tides at Oyster Point. Sea Level Rise continues to threaten the economic vitality of our City, especially east of highway 101 as well as our most vulnerable neighborhoods.
Senate Bill 272 from Senator John Laird would require a local government in the coastal zone or within the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) to implement sea level rise (SLR) planning and adaptation. It would also prioritize funding for local government projects that meet the state’s goal for approval of the required plans, among other things.
In greater detail, this bill seeks to:
1. Require the sea level rise planning and adaptation to include, at a minimum, all of the following:
a. Use of the best available science.
b. A vulnerability assessment that includes efforts to ensure equity for at-risk communities.
c. A sea level rise adaptation plan.
d. Identification of lead planning and implementation agencies.
e. A timeline for updates, as needed, based on conditions and projections, and as determined by the local government in agreement with the Coastal Commission or BCDC for the aforementioned sea level rise planning and adaptation elements.
2. Require the mandated timeline for sea level rise planning and adaptation updates include, to the maximum extent practicable, applicable implementation approaches that build upon the sea level rise adaptation plan, and economic analyses of critical public infrastructure.
3. Establish the state's goal to implement these requirements by January 1, 2029.
4. Require all local governments to comply with these requirements by January 1, 2034.
5. Authorize, upon an appropriation by the Legislature, the Coastal Commission and BCDC to award funding to a local government that has received approval for sea level rise planning and adaptation to implement projects contained in that local government's sea level rise adaptation plan.
6. Require the Coastal Commission and BCDC to prioritize funding projects of local governments that received approval on or before January 1, 2029.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact the City’s General Fund.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
Supporting Senate Bill 272 meets the City’s strategic planning goals of building and maintaining a sustainable city.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the mayor to provide a letter in support of Senate Bill 272 (Laird).
Attachments:
1- Draft Letter of Support