Has Appendix 9 finally appeared? After the City and project team scrubbed reference to it from the "draft Climate Action Plan," and several days after the comment period on that draft closed, the City now has published "Recommended Priorities Strategies for Early Implementation." In the sidebar to the draft plan, it's not identified as Appendix 9, however, and I suppose it's possible there will be a further document. But this appears to correspond to the implementation strategy Appendix 9 was going to show.
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| And even worse in British Columbia |
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| Earlier this month here |
At any rate, this or something like it should have been the center of the draft Climate Action Plan. It, unlike the other document, is the start of an actual plan.
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| Parking reform is prominent |
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| More on reporting |
While it calls for the City to "begin reporting community greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis," the list does not contain any estimate of the total greenhouse gas reductions if everything on the list were accomplished. How far would this take us to a 50% reduction by 2035? Which of these proposed actions are the most important? The public still has no idea.
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| Better coordination with Cherriots on parking |
It also is not very responsive to one of the central comments our 350.org chapter made:
The task descriptions come off as good ideas rather than actions. Tasks need to be rewritten to identify specific actions the city will take, when they will be completed, and what city department or official is responsible for getting them done. Otherwise, these are just general recommendations that are the responsibility of no one, with no accountability for follow-through.
It is a real start, but it is far from complete. The list as published still lacks shape. It's just a subset of the big list, and lacks context and explanation.
Another of the comments our 350.org chapter made touched on this:
Please connect the five or six most high-impact strategies for reducing GHG emissions to each of the seven sections. Wherever you can quantify goals or likely emission reductions, that would be appreciated.
So this is a substantive start, but it is only a start and needs further revision and connection with the "plan" document to round into shape.
There will certainly be more to say after the revised plan is published, supposedly on Friday.
Meanwhile, down in Eugene, even though they have stalled on bicycling, and continue to throw up roadblocks against middle housing, last night Eugene City Council voted to transition to all electric new housing - that would be a ban on new fossil and fracked gas hookups. Progress is uneven, but that is a substantial step. Salem should try to meet it, and not postpone the transition to some distant future.
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And the "final" draft is published. Just on first glance, the changes to do not seem very substantial and responsive to the 350.org comments. Perhaps a closer reading will alter this initial impression. The team has helpfully published a key to changes between the first version and revised one. They are also keeping comment open, and have deferred a Public Hearing.
"Due to the number of public comments received so far and the newly updated version of the plan, it has been decided that more time is needed for both the Salem City Council and the community to review the plan and provide additional comments. Therefore, the public comment period remains open and there will be an informational report provided at the December 6 council meeting. The staff report for the December 6 meeting will include recommended strategies for early implementation. There will not be a public hearing about the climate action plan on December 6."
Greenhouse gas forecasts were revised "with new data from NW Natural" and that just does not seem like an impartial and reliable source. There may be more to say about that later.
Appendix 9 has a totally new name and subject, and I am sorry I did not clip the description before it was scrubbed last month. So its disappearance remains a little odd.
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