Submitted By
Ahmad M. Zayyad, Deputy Village Manager
Reviewed By
KJ
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Resolution Adopting the 2022 Community Sustainability, Climate Action, and Resiliency Plan for Oak Park, titled “Climate Ready Oak Park” and Declaring a Climate Crisis
End
Overview
Overview
This is a resolution to adopt “Climate Ready Oak Park” as the long-range community sustainability, climate action and resiliency plan for Oak Park, Illinois.
End
Recommendation
Recommendation
Adopt the Climate Ready Oak Park plan.
Fiscal Impact
N/A
Background
Climate Ready Oak Park is a long-range community sustainability, climate action and resiliency plan for Oak Park. Climate Ready Oak Park is the culmination of an eight-month community engagement and technical planning process that began in November 2021.
The Climate Ready Oak Park Commitments
1. Decrease community-wide greenhouse emissions by 60% by 2030, relative to 2019 emission levels. Achieve community-wide net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
2. Establish 30% of Oak Park’s land as green infrastructure or enhanced park management for native plants, wildlife, and people.
3. Direct 40% of public dollars earmarked for climate and sustainability initiatives to the most vulnerable and impacted community members.
4. Partner with frontline organizations and the most impacted community members to co-design and implement climate and sustainability policies and programs.
The Climate Ready Oak Park Principles
1. Flexibly adapt to changing future conditions, and generate the systemic changes needed to achieve ambitious and impactful goals.
2. Design strategies that are science-based; advance equity, diversity and inclusion; and vetted by the community. Develop strategies that deliver multiple benefits for human health, community affordability, and ecosystems; greenhouse gas mitigation and climate adaptation goals; and current and future environmental, economic and social priorities.
3. Implement the plan through the combined community-wide effort of intergovernmental partners; local institutions, organizations and businesses; and community members. Collaborate with underrepresented community members, and prioritize investments to benefit those who need them the most. Apply multiple innovative financing mechanisms and internal and external funding sources.
The Climate Ready Oak Park Components
1. Community greenhouse gas inventory for the years 2017 through 2020. Municipal greenhouse gas inventory for the year 2020. Forecast of community greenhouse gases emitted by Oak Park in the year 2050, under a “business as usual” scenario. This information is included in the linked Oak Park Existing Conditions and Vulnerability Assessment.
2. Climate and social vulnerability assessment of Oak Park’s current conditions. This information is included in the Oak Park Existing Conditions and Vulnerability Assessment.
3. Greenhouse gas emissions reductions scenarios to achieve the 2030 and 2050 climate action goals. Goals, strategies, and actions to support community climate action, climate resilience, and sustainability priorities. Timeline, priority, cost category, and lead implementer for each action. This information is included in the linked Climate Ready Oak Park full plan. An Executive Summary for Climate Ready Oak Park is also attached.
4. Staff-facing implementation workbook, including phasing, cost opinion, co-benefits, key performance indicators, greenhouse gas reductions potential, lead department, and community partners.
5. Public-facing implementation web page, to communicate plan implementation progress and opportunities for involvement, and receive continuous community input. This web page will be developed in coordination with the redesign of the Village’s website.
Implementing Climate Ready Oak Park
Climate Ready Oak Park is a community-wide plan that will require the effort and talent of all Oak Park community members, businesses, organizations, and governmental bodies. The plan will also require collaboration with regional partners, innovation in policy and financing, and the pursuit and allocation of funding from both internal and external sources.
The Village’s role in implementing Climate Ready Oak Park will require mainstreaming climate and sustainability standards into all Village departments. Climate and sustainability are not an “add-on” to essential Village services. Rather, the plan is based on the basic functions of a community. Climate Ready Oak Park provides concrete actions to improve Village services, so it provides predictable performance under the unpredictable circumstances of climate change.
The investments recommended by Climate Ready Oak Park can increase the affordability, livability, and resiliency of Oak Park’s neighborhoods. The recommended climate and sustainability actions are designed to help protect Oak Park from the impacts of catastrophic (e.g. major storm) and systemic (e.g., water leaks) risks.
By adopting and implementing Climate Ready Oak Park, the Village can reduce climate risks for community members, and ensure that tax dollars are well-spent on high-performing systems.
Climate Ready Oak Park actions are phased to align with best practices, including:
1. Shift from “special purpose” projects to mainstreaming climate and sustainability into ongoing Village services. Integrate climate considerations into projects that simultaneously address routine facilities and infrastructure work, development and permitting practices, and community health and equity. See Implementation Plan.
2. Begin with cost-saving measures, such as efficiency improvements. Use a step process to roll cost savings into subsequent deeper performance improvements, to reduce cost impact. Allocate dedicated sustainability and climate funds for catalytic purposes, such as researching and diffusing new standards and approaches, developing local capacity, and collaborating with the private sector to develop new financial instruments. See attached Budget Scenario.
3. Shift from “single purpose” investments to “multipurpose” and multiple benefit enhancements. For example, sewer pipes provide stormwater management function, while green stormwater infrastructure provides stormwater management, biodiversity, heat risk reduction, and climate action functions. See attached Goals and Co-Benefits Matrix.
4. Bundle sustainability and climate funds with other public and private funding financing, within projects that broadly improve existing conditions and performance for community members, users, and investors. See attached External Funding and Innovative Financing.
Attachments:
1. Climate Ready Oak Park full plan (Weblink)
2. Oak Park Existing Conditions and Vulnerability Assessment (Weblink)
3. Executive Summary for Climate Ready Oak Park (PDF)
4. Implementation Plan for Climate Ready Oak Park (PDF)
5. 2023 - 2027 Budget Scenario (PDF)
6. External Funding and Innovative Financing (PDF)
7. Climate Crisis Declaration
Alternatives
• Seek additional revisions to the plan document.
Previous Board Action
• On October 19, 2020, the Village Board received a report on the Greenhouse Gas Inventory update (ID 20-284).
• On February 8, 2021, the Village Board discussed staff recommendations for a community engagement process to develop a Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Resiliency Plan aligned with the ICLEI ClearPath platform (ID 21-74).
• On March 22, 2021, the Village Board approved a motion for the use of sustainability funds and directed staff to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consultant services for the preparation of a sustainability and climate action plan (MOT 21-45).
• On April 19, 2021, the Village Board approved a budget amendment for this project. (ORD 21-36)
• On June 28, 2021, the Village Board received a staff report of the 2021 Sustainability Initiatives, including the RFP for Comprehensive Sustainability, Climate Action, and Resiliency Plan (S/CARP) consultant services (ID 21-171).
• On September 20, 2021, the Village Board approved a motion to select GRAEF to perform the Village’s S/CARP consulting services (MOT 21-89).
• On October 18, 2021, the Village Board approved a resolution to approve a professional services agreement with GRAEF and authorize its execution (RES 21-250).
• On December 6, 2021, the Village Board approved a resolution to approve a first amendment to the professional services agreement with GRAEF and authorize its execution (RES 21-323).
• On February 28, 2022, the Village Board received a report providing the draft results of the 2020 Greenhouse Gas Inventory for the Village of Oak Park. (ID 22-65).
• On May 9, 2022, the Village Board received a report providing the draft impact areas, goals, and actions of the Draft 2022 Comprehensive Sustainability, Climate Action, and Resiliency Plan for the Village of Oak Park (ID-22-136).
• On June 27, 2022, the Village Board received a presentation of the final draft of Climate Ready Oak Park and provided input (ID-22-204).
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
• On August 24, 2021, the Environment and Energy Commission received a report from staff concerning the bid selection process for the Comprehensive Sustainability and Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (“Oak Park Climate Plan”) consultant and provided feedback.
• Beginning in October 2021, the Environment and Energy Commission has received monthly written updates tracking the Climate Plan project progress.
• On October 5, 2021, the Environment and Energy Commission received a presentation from GRAEF concerning the draft scope of work and provided feedback during a facilitated discussion.
• In November 2021, Staff solicited and integrated feedback from the Environment and Energy Commission and Community Relations Commission regarding the community engagement process and deliverables.
• On January 12, 2022, the Environment and Energy Commission discussed the role of commissioners as Climate Plan Ambassadors, in support of the community engagement process.
• On February 8, 2022, the Environment and Energy Commission received a presentation from ERG concerning the draft community greenhouse gas inventory and provided feedback.
• On March 8, 2022, the Environment and Energy Commission received a presentation concerning the update to the draft community greenhouse gas inventory. The EEC also discussed options to support the Climate Plan outreach efforts.
• On April 5, 2022, the Environmental and Energy Commission participated in a facilitated discussion to provide input on the Climate Plan.
• On April 7, 2022, the Plan Commission participated in a facilitated discussion to provide input on the Climate Plan.
• On April 12, 2022, the Transportation Commission participated in a facilitated discussion to provide input on the Climate Plan.
• On April 13, 2022, members of the Historic Preservation Commission participated in a facilitated discussion to provide input on the Climate Plan.
• On April 20, 2022, members of the Civic Information Systems Commission provided input on the Climate Plan.
• On May 3, 2022, members of the Environment & Energy, Building Codes, Civic Information, Community Relations, Plan, and Transportation commissions provided feedback on the draft plan goals and actions (no quorums were present).
• On May 12, 2022, members of the Environment & Energy, Ageing In Place, Health, Citizens Involvement, Disability Access, Plan, Building Codes, and Farmers Market commissions provided feedback on the draft plan goals and actions (no quorums were present).
• On June 14, 2022, the Environment and Energy Commission received a presentation from GRAEF concerning the second draft of the plan and vulnerability assessment.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
Direct staff to develop workplans and budgets to implement the short-term actions identified in Climate Ready Oak Park.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
Climate Ready Oak Park will be implemented through a community-wide effort that includes the intergovernmental partners.