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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 08162005 - C39 r. Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa FROM: Dennis M. Barry, AICP - --- County Community Development Director 0,,3 DATE: August 16, 2005 oil SUBJECT: LETTER T R OF SUPPORT TO THE CALIFORNIA INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARD TO ADOPT THE STATEWIDE MODEL RESIDENTIAL GREEN BUILDING GUIDELINES SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to sign a letter of support to the California Integrated Waste Management Board regarding their efforts to adopt the Statewide Model Residential Green Building Guidelines. FISCAL IMPACT No impact to the general fund. REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONIBACKGROUND The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) is in the process of establishing a set of comprehensive guidelines for environmentally sound residential construction practices in the State of California, which is called the Statewide Model Residential Green Building Guidelines. One of the main goals of establishing these Guidelines is to provide a standardized listing of green building measures that local government, green building consultants, and home builders can use for residential construction projects throughout the State. These Guidelines are not intended to be a mandate but rather a resource for those jurisdictions that want to use them. The CIWMB is expected to hold hearings to consider adopting these Guidelines sometime this fall. &00r�CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: __,�CECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMI EE _zeAPPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE S : ACTION OF Bo4U WL APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED �O ER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS {ABSENT I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS ISATRUE AND AYES: NOES: CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. / 00- Contact. Kae Ono (925)335-1230 ATTESTED G cc: Deidra Dingman,Community Development Department JOHN EETEN, CMERK OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY: , DEPUTY Letter of Support for Statewide Residential Green Building Guidelines August 16, 2005 Page 2of2 REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND (cont'd) These Guidelines were crafted carefully through collaborative work of local and state government agencies, nationally recognized green building experts and developers for the purpose of developing consistent standards for environmentally sustainable residential buildings in the State of California. Members of County staff from the Building Inspection and Community Development Departments have provided input regarding these Guidelines. Several State agencies, including, the Air Resources Board, Energy Commission, and Environmental Protection Agency, have also contributed to the development of these Guidelines. Additionally, Centex, which plans to build over one-hundred unit subdivision in the Unincorporated County this year, has provided input in the development of these Guidelines. These Guidelines are designed to balance the interests of government agencies to protect our environment with the interests of property owners and developers who desire to construct housing units. The current version of these State Guidelines is available at: http://www.ciwmb.ca.ciov/GreenBuilding/Residential/Guidelines/default.htm These Guidelines encourage construction of more energy efficient buildings that may include installation of solar panels which help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the power comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal or oil, which result in carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other emissions that can negatively impact our climate. These Guidelines also encourage people to build houses that exceed the State Energy Code (Title 24) standards. The County can use these Guidelines to encourage development that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which will greatly benefit the County, state and nation. The major benefits of adopting these State Guidelines are: 0 Consistency, because there will be a set of cohesive and practical green building measures that can be used throughout the State; • Efficiency, because it will reduce redundant work by local jurisdictions to develop their own green building guidelines; • Reliability, because it will minimize confusion about green building standards among local government, private industry, and homebuyers; and • Environmental protection, because it includes many energy and resource conservation measures, including reducing construction and demolition waste, reducing natural resource consumption, and improving air and water quality. The County Board of Supervisors adopted the County Residential Green Building Program Implementation Plan in June 2005, which included the voluntary usage of the New Construction Green Building Guidelines developed by the Alameda County Waste Management Authority (ACWMA). The Statewide Model Residential Green Building Guidelines is actually an adaptation of the Guidelines developed by the ACWMA. The County Community Development Department would begin utilizing the State Guidelines when they become available, as stated in the Implementation Plan. Staff from the Community Development Department has been working with other jurisdictions in the Bay Area that are also using the Guidelines developed by the ACWMA. The State Guidelines will be widely utilized by many jurisdictions in the State, as well as Bay Area jurisdictions when they become available. The CIWMB is expected to hold hearings to consider adoption of the Statewide Model Residential Green Building Guidelines sometime this fall; however, the exact date has notY et been determined. The letter of support from the Chair of the County Board of Supervisors should be drafted and signed after the hearing dates have been determined. The date of the first CIWMB hearing may occur as soon as September 13, 2005; therefore, staff is requesting authorization for this letter of support at this time because there will not be another County Board of Supervisors meeting until September 13, 2005. G:\Conservation\Kae\Deidra\Green Building Program\Contra Costa Efforts\goad Order-Letter of Support to CIWMB.doc