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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012/05/22 Additional Information~~,~t~N ~~a-~:~ May 14, 2012 Honorable Mayor and Council Chula Vista, CA. Madam Mayor, Members of the Council, The Charter Review Commission is authorized by city ordinance to "Constitute a forum for City-wide discussions, research and analysis of matters relating to current or proposed provisions of the City Charter, and amendments thereto." As a Commission comprised of volunteer citizens appointed by the Mayor and Council, we are concerned about the expedited process the council went through in order to place a proposed charter amendment regarding the city attorney's office on the June 2012 ballot. The process by which this most recent charter amendment was approved by the council for placement on the June ballot has taken the commission by surprise and has created some question as to the value the council places on our work. We have difficulty in understanding the urgency the council felt in placing this amendment on the June ballot. It is our belief that proposed changes or revisions to our city's charter deserve thorough vetting and scrutiny prior to offering such changes up to the voters for a decision. Given a window of time to work within, our commission could have given the council a recommendation that would have included much more input from the public and thoughtful conclusions from our commission. We take our responsibility seriously and do our best to respond to the council's requests in a timely manner. Going forward, we sincerely hope that the council will look to our commission for broader analysis and opinion prior to putting an amendment to our city charter up for a public vote. Respectfully, Randy Bellamy Commission Chair On behalf of the Charter Review Commission ~~; a~ d~~ City of Chula Vista 2Q12 ENERGY CHAMPION -LOCAL GOVERNMENT SAGE connected A ~Sempra Energy ~t~llty°' s=_=,~,,-ice.r~~~~errrrrsrrrorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Annual Savings: 770,000 kWh; 18,800 therms SDG&E® Incentives: $303,000 Highlights "The new LEDs provide energy savings, reduced long-term maintenance costs and a public safety component of better light quality." BRENDAN REED ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE MANAGER, CITY OF CHULA VISTA • LED street lights • Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels • Chiller plant upgrade • Exterior lighting upgrade • Boiler upgrade • Variable frequency drives (VFDs) • Economizer • On-Bill Financing (OBF) A city built on green initiatives As an environmental leader in local government, the City of Chula Vista has successfully implemented numerous energy efficiency initiatives citywide. Gordon Day, Building Project Manager for the City of Chula Vista explains, "Our City Council and leaders have established sustainability as a priority, which helps move energy-saving projects forward and benefits everyone involved." The city's long-term goal is to reduce operating costs, so that every dollar saved can be invested in areas that residehts enjoy, such as parks and libraries. Welcoming energy efficiencies to the neighborhood One of the city's most recent new measures was the installation of LED street lights. The effort included replacing 4,300 fixtures throughout residential neighborhoods, migrating from 100 (continued on back) The PV installation represented aseven-fold increase in the Clty of Chula Vlsta s on-site renewable energy generation, and allowed the city to qualify for the EPA Green Power Parfnership® •~ ~~ • • *.. 4 > .~...,.~~isr G:e^v«~:~&~~,6@O@Q4@•®@i!!!•~+lii!lili!!!!ii!!1ili!!!!•i!!!ii!!li6iililOii~ About the City of Chuia Vista The City of Chula Vista is located at the center of one of the richest cultural, economic and environmentally diverse zones in the United States. It is the second- largest City in San Diego County with a population of Hearty 250,000. Chula Vista boasts more than 50 square miles of coastal landscape, canyons, rolling hills, mountains, and a variety of natural resources and quality infrastructure. Established neighborhoods, contemporary communities, start-up firms, corporations, nationally recognized entertainment venues, and the nation's only warm weather Olympic Training Center all contribute to Chuia Vista's attraction. watt lamps to 53 watt LEDs. Brendan Reed, Environmental Resource Manager for the City of Chula Vista explains, "The new LEDs provide energy savings, reduced long-term maintenance costs and a public safety component of better light quality." The city also installed approximately 500 kW of photovoltaic (PV) solar power at 11 of its municipal facilities. "The PV installation represented aseven-fold increase in the city's on-site renewable energy generation, and allowed us to qualify for the EPA Green Power Partnership° which is something we're extremely proud of," Reed notes. A unique part of Chula Vista's energy-efficiency approach is the integration of a local economic development component into its sourcing process. "Our RFP for the lighting and PV installations requested that materials be purchased from a Chula Vista business, to help generate sales tax, and create a local green economy. All fixtures for the lighting upgrade were sourced from a local vendor," Reed points out. Chula Vista's comprehensive energy-efficiency initiatives also included upgraded chiller plants along with an exterior lighting upgrade that was conducted at more than 50 municipal sites. And, the city installed a variety of energy- efficiency measures at its swimming pool locations, including boiler upgrades, solar hot water panels, solar pool cover blankets, and variable frequency drives (VFDs) on cooling towers. "The VFDs on our cooling towers are a great example of a low cost improvement that has a short payback period. We've already experienced solid savings," states Day. The city also benefits from more efficient cooling because of new rooftop economizers. Generating savings through collaboration One of the keys to Chula Vista's success is the creation of a design build team as part of the planning and budgeting process. According to Day, "As part of the RFP process, we collaborate with contractors to establish designs, budgets, and timelines. By doing this, we rarely have a cost overrun and projects are completed as scheduled. Both are huge benefits for the city." To maximize savings, the city actively participates in many of SDG&E's programs. SDG&E's Energy-Efficiency Business Incentives (EEBI) program helps to reduce the payback period and net project costs of many of Chula Vista's energy-saving initiatives. From its most recent efforts, the city received over $303,000 in SDG&E incentives. In addition, with SDG&E's On-Bill Financing (OBF) program, Chula Vista is able to fund projects with a 0% interest rate and repayment is built into its utility bill, streamlining the payback process. SDG&E Account Executive Kraig Akers comments on the savings the city has yielded from its recent energy-efficiency measures, "Chula Vista's efforts have resulted in annual energy savings of over 770,000 kWh and 18,800 therms. And, the projects significantly helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal facilities." For more information To learn which SDG&E program is right for your business, contact your SDG&E Account Executive, call the Energy Savings Center at: 1-800-644-6133 or email ESCC~semprautilities.com. connected These programs are funded by California utility customers and administered by SDGSE~ under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Rebates and incentives are provided on a first-come, first-served basis until program funds are no longer available. P.O. Box 129831 I San Diego, CA 92112-9831 I Connect at sdge.com A ~$eMpra Energy utiiity° ©2012 San Diego Gas S Electric Company. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved. Some materials used under license, with all rights reserved by licensor. (continued from front)