Posted on May 15, 2008

Green Goals Take Hiring, City Advised

By Katherine Tam
STAFF WRITER

Richmond needs to hire more staff dedicated to creating and developing environmental programs if it wants to be as green as it says it wants to be, a consultant told the city.

A new environmental manager came on board in January, but one person isn't enough, said Sara Minor-Massy of the Goldman School of Public Policy. Officials should fill the city's energy-conservation manager position, which has been vacant for four years and could pay for itself through cost savings, and hire someone dedicated to reducing waste, she said. A city "green team" consisting of someone from every department should meet regularly. And the city must set specific goals and develop specific programs to move those goals forward, she said.

The recommendations come amid a continuing slump in the housing market, a sluggish economy and state budget cuts. Last month, the City Council enacted a hiring freeze for the rest of this fiscal year, except in public safety, summer youth programs and positions funded by something other than the general fund.

Despite the financial constraints, City Manager Bill Lindsay said the green recommendations are doable. "It does need to be a cultural change," Lindsay said. "With a change in the culture in an organization, you don't need in all cases more staff and, with some of the recommendations here, you don't always need more money. But you do need to have a concentrated approach and a value system that says promoting and implementing environmental policies is an important policy."

The City Council is slated to begin budget deliberations Tuesday and adopt a budget June 17. The council Finance Committee, meanwhile, is looking at which environmental recommendations the city can afford.

Richmond has made some strides to be more environmentally friendly, including reducing fees for residential solar panel installation and looking at alternatives to toxins and pesticides at parks. But consultants and officials agree it's not enough.

Among the steps the city can take, Minor-Massy said, are:

Establishing a "zero waste" goal. Berkeley and Oakland, for example, have set benchmarks to reuse, recycle or compost everything people use by 2020.

Increasing recycling and composting by 20 percent.

Developing an energy-saving plan at City Hall with such strategies as lowering the thermostat and turning off computer monitors at night and working with the Association of Bay Area Governments to explore other ways to conserve energy.

Partnering with the International Council for Local and Environmental Initiatives to create a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gases.

Creating a Web site to tell the public about services the city provides, rebates and tips for what residents can do.

Developing a green purchasing policy in which the city pledges to buy more recycled, less-toxic products.

Asking the East Bay Municipal Utility District to help the city assess its water usage and identify where it can save water, and encouraging the public to conserve water.

Applying to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for grants to buy low-emission vehicles and equipment or retrofit existing ones so they pollute less, and encouraging people to carpool and use public transit more.

Councilman Harpreet Sandhu and Councilwoman Ludmyrna Lopez proposed partnering with the Goldman School to perform the analysis for the city. Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, who has made green policies the focal point of her administration, said adopting more environmental practices will bring jobs and strengthen the economy. [emphasis added]

"How can we afford not to?" she said. "The environment and the economy are intrinsically linked. ... Environmental damage always comes back and bites us, by way of creating future costs in terms of repairing the damage." [emphasis added]

Reach Katherine Tam at 510-262-2787 or ktam@bayareanewsgroup.com.