The Davis City Council will meet tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers at 23 Russell Blvd. The following are brief descriptions of selected topics that will be discussed at the meeting. The full agenda can be viewed online at cityofdavis.org/meetings.
Bike Hall of Fame
The council will receive a letter from the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame officially establishing Davis as the hall’s new home. The council will also direct staff to develop the agreements necessary to locate the hall in Davis.
The cost of staff time to negotiate the agreements is estimated at $10,000. The city expects to spend $250,000 from the current year budget and $250,000 from a previously established five-year implementation plan to help pay for development and initial startup of the project, according to a staff report.
Energy efficiency financing
The council will review and approve conceptual plans for a Davis Energy Efficiency, Solar Energy and Water Conservation Financing Program. The program would be a city-sponsored financing mechanism that would help community members get funding for energy efficiency improvements, solar installations and water conservation projects in the city.
The program is expected to be revenue neutral, according to a report prepared by Assistant City Manager Paul Navazio. Inspired by a similar program in Berkeley, the city has the authority to create the financing program through the enactment of AB811, a law that allows general law cities like Davis to use a financing mechanism that is normally reserved for charter cities.
Greenhouse gas thresholds
The council will vote on whether to adopt a new set of greenhouse gas emissions standards that would regulate new housing developments in the city.
New home developers would be required to build homes to meet certain specifications to minimize the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted as a result of their existence.
“[City] staff recognizes that this framework exists within the context of a rapidly evolving economic and policy landscape that creates challenges in identifying the most ambitious and achievable GHG emission reductions possible,“ wrote Donna Silva, parks and general services department director, in a staff report.
Grant distribution
The council will vote on how to distribute an estimated $797,863 in community development block grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The city will also receive $216,403 in community development block grant funding from the federal stimulus bill known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Numerous local organizations put in bids to receive the grant funding, and recommended allocations include: $26,142 to Davis Community Meals, $21,000 to Communicare Health, $14,718 to the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (S.T.E.A.C.), $10,000 to People Resources and $9,000 to Yolo Family Service Agency.
The bulk of the funding – $513,676 – will be allocated to pay for the special city projects related to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
JEREMY OGUL can be reached at city@theaggie.org.
