SUBJECT
Title
AMENDING BOARD OF SUPERVISORS POLICY A-72, BOARD OF SUPERVISORS' AGENDA AND RELATED PROCESSES, TO INCLUDE A SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
Over the last two years, the County of San Diego (County) has significantly enhanced its focus to prioritize sustainability- both externally, as a regional leader, and internally for its own operations. This includes the creation of the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice and the Regional Decarbonization Framework, as well as the development of individual sustainability plans for each County department and reviewing where and how greater collaboration can contribute to the County’s overarching sustainability goals. Part of that synergy includes the recognition that sustainability goes beyond the environment to build a sustainable County organization and future that also considers social, health, and economic factors through an equity lens.
Incorporating sustainability into organizational operations is an ongoing and long-term effort. Through a contract amendment approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on March 1, 2022 (16), the County continued its partnership with Arup U.S., Inc. (Arup) to assist departments with the implementation of their sustainability plans. This implementation phase includes strategies for achieving the short-, mid-, and long-term commitments departments included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Operational Plan, recommendations for strengthening internal policies for increased sustainability, and the creation of training modules for County staff. Arup’s scope of work also includes the identification of key performance indicators and metrics to track and report the organization’s progress and will be developed in collaboration with the Office of Evaluation, Performance and Analytics, the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice, the Regional Decarbonization Framework Team, and the Climate Action Plan team.
To further elevate sustainability across the enterprise, County leadership committed to including a Sustainability Impact Statement in every Board Letter beginning in FY 2022-23 in a memo submitted to the Board on February 22, 2022, similar to the Equity Impact Statement and Business Impact Statement that are currently included in Board Letters. A Sustainability Impact Statement will ensure sustainability is considered as a factor in all decisions made by the County.
Board Policy A-72, Board of Supervisors' Agenda and Related Processes, provides guidelines for certain sections of Board Letters, including what information should be considered for incorporation into the Recommendations, Fiscal Impact, Equity Impact Statement, and Business Impact Statement sections.
Today’s request is for the Board to approve amendments to Board Policy A-72 to add the Sustainability Impact Statement as a section to all Board Letters (Attachment A). Sustainability Impact Statements will be included in Board letters docketed for the September 27, 2022 and September 28, 2022 hearings.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. In accordance with the definitions in Section 15378(b)(5) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, find that actions to amend the County of San Diego (County) Board of Supervisors Policy A-72 does not constitute a project since it is an administrative action and will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment. Further, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3), find that it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the proposed actions may have a significant effect on the environment for the reasons stated in the Environmental Statement.
2. Approve the amendment to Board of Supervisors Policy A-72, Board of Supervisors' Agenda and Related Processes.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The County of San Diego’s (County) sustainability vision and goals are centered around the concepts of equity, justice, community, and a healthy built and natural environment. The addition of a Sustainability Impact Statement will ensure consideration for sustainability is at the forefront of all County decisions, including those impacting the community as well as operations, while contributing to the sustainability goals of the County and region.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with revising Board of Supervisors Policy A-72, Board of Supervisors' Agenda and Related Processes, to include a description for Sustainability Impact Statements. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
Over the last two years, the County of San Diego (County) has significantly enhanced its focus to prioritize sustainability- both externally, as a regional leader, and internally for its own operations. This includes the creation of the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice and the Regional Decarbonization Framework, as well as the development of individual sustainability plans for each County department and reviewing where and how greater collaboration can contribute to the County’s overarching sustainability goals. Part of that synergy includes the recognition that sustainability goes beyond the environment to build a sustainable County organization and future that also considers social, health, and economic factors through an equity lens.
Incorporating sustainability into organizational operations is an ongoing and long-term effort. Through a contract amendment approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on March 1, 2022 (16), the County continued its partnership with Arup U.S., Inc. (Arup) to assist departments with the implementation of their sustainability plans. This implementation phase includes strategies for achieving the short-, mid-, and long-term commitments departments included in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 Operational Plan, recommendations for strengthening internal policies for increased sustainability, and the creation of training modules for County staff. Arup’s scope of work also includes the identification of key performance indicators and metrics to track and report the organization’s progress and will be developed in collaboration with the Office of Evaluation, Performance and Analytics, the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice, the Regional Decarbonization Framework Team, and the Climate Action Plan team.
To further elevate sustainability across the enterprise, County leadership committed to including a Sustainability Impact Statement in every Board Letter beginning in FY 2022-23 in a memo submitted to the Board on February 22, 2022, similar to the Equity Impact Statement and Business Impact Statement that are currently included in Board Letters. The Sustainability Impact Statement will ensure sustainability is considered as a factor in all decisions made by the County to help the enterprise reach its sustainability goals.
To assist departments with crafting the new Sustainability Impact Statement, Arup collaborated with the steering committee for departmental sustainability plans to create guidelines for drafting the statements. The steering committee, which includes representatives from each County business group, first provided their perspectives on an initial framework for the guidance document and input on how to make it useful for their respective teams/departments. It was then socialized through a series of workshops (one for each business group) held by the consultant team where departmental staff worked through crafting Sustainability Impact Statements with past Board Letters examples. The steering committee was asked to share the guidelines with their executive and departmental leadership teams so that all feedback could be incorporated.
The guidelines are meant to assist departments with drafting Sustainability Impact Statements, including prompting questions and language to consider initiatives and recommendations through the social, health, environmental, and economic components of sustainability through an equity lens. They also encourage alignment with the County’s sustainability goals adopted by the Board on March 1, 2022 (16) and the short-, mid-, and long-term sustainability commitments made by departments in the FY 2022-23 Operational Plan. The guidelines are not meant to provide template or prescriptive language.
The guidelines outline what departments may consider when planning for initiatives and items that will be brought before the Board, including:
1. What are the sustainability opportunities associated with this initiative as it relates to social, health, environmental, and economic factors?
2. What are the limits or barriers to those opportunities? Can they be overcome? If so, how? If not, why?
3. Does a given opportunity have trade-offs between sustainability goals? How can these be further understood and resolved?
4. Why is this initiative important for the environmental, economic, health, and/or social aspects of the community?
5. Are aspects of the sustainability opportunity regulated (i.e., County health, public safety, or environmental policies, or other federal, State, or local requirements)?
The guidelines also outline what departments may consider when drafting Sustainability Impact Statements for Board Letters, including:
1. How does the item (i.e., a project, policy, initiative, program, contract, etc.) support sustainability measures across the County and consider the environmental, economic, health, and/or social aspects of the community to support overarching sustainability through an equity lens?
2. Does the initiative align with any of the seven County of San Diego Sustainability Goals? Does it align with sustainability commitments in the FY 2022-23 Operational Plan?
3. What data and resources support that claim?
4. Are there components built into the proposed initiative that detract from sustainability measures across the County?
5. If so, what alternatives were explored and was there a rationale that can be provided for this outcome?
The steering committee for the departmental sustainability plans will continue to collaborate and serve as a point of contact for sustainability initiatives on behalf of their departments and ensure communication to their respective leadership teams. Once staffed, the Office of Sustainability and Environmental Justice will be available as a resource for County departments, including review of Sustainability Impact Statements.
Board Policy A-72, Board of Supervisors' Agenda and Related Processes, provides guidelines for certain sections of Board Letters, including what information should be considered for incorporation into the Recommendations, Fiscal Impact, Equity Impact Statement, and Business Impact Statement sections.
Today’s request is for the Board to approve amendments to Board Policy A-72 to add the Sustainability Impact Statement as a section to all Board Letters (Attachment A). Sustainability Impact Statements will be included in Board letters docketed for the September 27, 2022 and September 28, 2022 hearings.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
The County’s commitment to sustainability is captured in the new vision of the County for its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: “a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all.” With sustainability as one of our core values as an enterprise, it is at the forefront of all the decisions we make to ensure we are laying a foundation for generations to come.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN N. ROBBINS-MEYER
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - Amended Board Policy A-72 (Clean)
Attachment B - Amended Board Policy A-72 (Strikeout/Underline)