Real OPPORTUNITY to Promote Green Building in Sonoma County!

[wildflower]

Action Alert from your SonomaCounty Democratic Party
Newly elected City Council to consider real action on climate change - your voice needed!
Tuesday, December 16th at 4:30pm or laterSanta RosaCity Hall, 100 Santa Rosa Avenue

Next Tuesday, the Santa Rosa City Council will consider a list of green building policy recommendations approved on a 12-5 vote by a diverse Council Advisory Committee after a year of deliberations. These actions are critical to fighting climate change, and they will also keep people healthier and more comfortable in their homes, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and provide a badly needed source of local economic stimulus.

So will Santa Rosa hand-pick the most politically expedient strategies, or show leadership by moving forward with the entire package?

You have the ability to impact that outcome. (Lest there be any doubt: read here about how a group of concerned environmentalists moved the Napa City Council last week to adopt a higher green building standard!)
Here are five things you can do to help ensure that Santa Rosa takes real action to cut our utility bills, preserve our environment, create green jobs and make our homes and businesses more healthy and comfortable:

1.Attend the City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 16th, either to speak in favor of the committee recommendations or simply show your support in the audience (we'll be wearing green stickers)
2.Forward this alert to your friends and colleagues
3.Email a note to the Santa Rosa City Council voicing your support for moving forward aggressively with the advisory committee's green building policy recommendations. You may send your comments to the City Clerk, Sue Stoneman ([email protected]) and ask that she forward your email to the City Council. (Or click here for individual Councilmember addresses)
4.Pen a letter to the Press Democrat (see the attached for details)
5.Learn more about the green building policy recommendations below, or download the full report at: https://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/doclib/agendas_packets_minutes/Documents/20081125_CC_Item11.1.pdf

Please contact me at (707) 321-1577 or [email protected] if you can help with any of the above! Thank you for all that you do for a more sustainable future, and I look forward to seeing you next Tuesday.

In solidarity -
Jessica

--
Jessica Diaz
Director, Accountable Development Coalition
PO Box 1862
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
(707) 321-1577
[email protected]

Summary of GreenBuilding Policy Recommendations

·A: Implement a comprehensive education and outreach program aimed at- among other things - achieving widespread, communitywide green retrofits of our homes and businesses
·B: Create a Sustainable Energy Financing District to allow property owners, on a voluntary basis, to finance energy efficiency, solar PV and solar water heaters over a period of time through an assessment on their property tax bills, such that the annual energy savings meet or exceed the annual payments on energy-saving improvements
·C: Create a communitywide program for home and business energy audits to place valuable information in the hands of Santa Rosa residents and prospective homebuyers, with an audit required when a property changes ownership
·D: Establish energy efficiency standards that properties would be required to meet when they change ownership or undergo a major renovation. Only cost-effective measures would be required, and these improvements could be funded by the newly established Sustainable Energy Financing District or Energy Efficiency Mortgages
·E: Increase Santa Rosa 's green building new construction standards to 100 Build it Green points and 26 LEED points (i.e. this is roughly comparable to what's already required by the City of Rohnert Park !)
·F: Reduce average daily vehicle trips through effectively encouraging core area development and use of transit
·G: Develop a system of large-scale renewables to offset Santa Rosa 's residential electricity demand

[sheepdog]

Did you see the Green Living pull-out section in the Sunday Press-Democrat? As a contractor who has been involved with greener building off and on for over 15 years, I am glad to see that these kinds of approaches are finally gaining acceptance with the general public.

Green Building is really just applied common sense: you can save money and help the planet by greening up your home or business. I address these issues in my blog www.tomtrentbuilders.blogspot.com and provide the building services that can make good intentions become reality.

Tom Trent
865-1250
www.tomtrentbuilders.com