HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06102003 - SD3 r:; e Contra
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS '-;
`� Costa
FROM: Dennis M. Barry, AICP �'„,. -- County
Community Development Director
DATE: June 10, 2003
SUBJECT: RESIDENTIAL GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM CONCEPTUAL PLAN
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONS
ACCEPT the "Residential Green Building Program Conceptual Plan” that was jointly
developed by the City of San Ramon and the Contra Costa County Green Building
Development Team and reviewed and approved by the City and County Residential Green
Building Program Advisory Committee.
FISCAL IMPACT
No impact to the general fund to accept this Conceptual Plan. Staff will return to the Board of
Supervisors with an Implementation Plan in late 2003 at which time potential costs to
implement a Green Building Program for Contra Costa County will be identified.
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND
In November 2002,the County Board of Supervisors authorized execution of an agreement
with Frontier Associates(hereafter referred to as Frontier)to assist in the development and
implementation a Green Building Program. Frontier received funding from the California
Public Utility Commission (PUC) to assist five jurisdictions in the Bay Area in the
development of green building programs. The funding from the PUC was granted to
Frontier for the provision of up to 600 hours of consulting services per selected jurisdiction,
through December 31,2003, at no cost to the selected jurisdictions. Two of the jurisdictions
that have been selected by Frontier are the City of San Ramon and the County.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT. _2L YES SIGNATURE: !L1.
✓RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COM ' ITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
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ACTION OF B7 ON I)N f /C4 4-00 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
UNANIMOUS (ABSENT1.L. I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS ATRUE AND
AYES: NOES: CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ONTHEDATE SHOWN.
+Contact: Deldra Dingman(925)335-1227 ATTESTED t + -
cc: Community Development Department JOHN SWEET N,CLERK OF THE
County Administrator's Office BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND
Building Inspection Department(C. Baltad'ano) COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
GSD-Architectural.Division (Steve Jordan)
City of San Ramon(Kevin Carunchio) BY: ' , DEPUTY
Residential Green Building Program Conceptual Plan
June 10,2003
Page-2 of 2
REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONIBACKGROUND (cont'dl
The County green building program being developed in conjunction with Frontier
Associates has two components. The first component involves incorporating green
building techniques into County building projects;the Architectural Division of the General
Services Department in conjunction with the County Administrator's Office is coordinating
this effort. The second component involves the incorporation of green building techniques
into private "residential buildings on a voluntary basis; the Community Development
Department(CDD)is coordinating this effort. Of the 600 hours of service to be provided to
the County under our contract with Frontier, 200 hours will be allocated to the County
building effort and 400 hours will be allocated to the private residential building effort.
Successful green building programs are comprehensive and can be used across city and
county boundaries due to the fact that builders and developers regularly do business in
both the incorporated and unincorporated areas. Staff from the City and County has
combined efforts in the development of the voluntary private residential component of the
green building program. By doing so,the combined effort will benefit the City and County
because we can pool the City's 600 hours and the County's 400 hours for a total of 1000
hours of free consulting services from Frontier through December 31, 2003.
The City and County started having monthly joint meetings in January 2003. These
monthly Development Team meetings include multiple stakeholders that are working
together to develop a Residential Green Building Program. The Development Team
consists City and County staff as well as representatives from the private building industry.
To oversee the work of the Development Team, an Advisory Committee has been formed
that meets every other month. The Advisory Committee includes some City and County
staff,commission members., private building industry representatives,and a variety of other
potential stakeholders including members of the general public.
The first effort of the Development Team has been the development of the Conceptual
Plan. It was reviewed and approved by the Advisory Committee at the May 2003 meeting.
It is scheduled for consideration at the San Ramon City Council's meeting on ,lune 10,
2003. The Conception Plan includes the following items;
➢ Background on green building
➢ Program Structure -- how the Program is intended to be developed and
implemented
➢ Deliverables—Green Building guidelines, rating system,training program,website,
methods to verify Green homes, technical and marketing services, local
government support mechanisms, local building industry support, and program
evaluation
Long Term Plan
The purpose of this Conceptual 'Plan is to introduce the concepts of a green building
program, indicate the community stakeholder benefits, and explain the structure of the
development and implementation process. It is not intended to describe the finest details of
a green building program development and implementation process,but only to explain the
broad concepts. If accepted by the County Board of Supervisors and the San Ramon City
Council,the Green Building Development Team will use the Conceptual Plan to formulate
an Implementation Plan that details the pathways to implementing the program over the
next few years. Staff expects to present the Implementation Plan to the Board in October
2003.
G:\Conservation\Kae\Deidra\Green Building Bd Order\conceptual plan board orderjune 10 2003.doe
City of San Ramon
Contra Costa CountTAUL
y
Green Building Program
Conceptual Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
INTRODUCTION 3
BACKGROUND 3
What is Green Building? 3
Why a Green Building Program? 4
What are the Benefits? 4
The Green Building Marketplace 6
PROGRAMSTRUCTURE 7
How will the Program be Developed and Implemented?' 7
People and Organization 7
Program Planning g
DELIVERABLES g
Guidelines and Rating System 8
Resource Components g
Training g
Web Site 10
Verification of Green Homes 10
Technical and Marketing Services 10
Local Government Support Mechanisms 11
Local Building Industry Support 11
Program Evaluation 11
What is the Long-Term Plan? 12
CONCLUSION 12
For More Information 12
1
EXECUTIVE SL M 1ARY:
Due to the leadership of the San Ramon City Council and the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
(as well as their respective management and staff), a wide range of community stakeholders has been
planning the creation of a'Residential Green Building'Program for the past four months.
Green Building is the use of construction practices and materials that protect people and the environment.
Specifically, green buildings are designed, built and operated to deliver improved performance over
conventional building practices in the (following areas: conservation of energy and water, prevention of
waste generation and use of materials in a resource-efficient manner including recycled-content materials,
maintenance of good indoor air quality, durability and ease of maintenance, and integration with the site
and region. Such buildings can be more comfortable,more efficient, more cost-effective, and healthier than
conventionally designed and constructed buildings. The main focus of this Program is to encourage the use
of"green" concepts by the building industry and building owners and tenants through targeted voluntary
educational'efforts.
San Ramon and Contra Costa County would be joining an increasing number of Bay Area governments
and non-profits that have been working to improve local knowledge of green building over the last few
years. In fact, the Program will adopt residential green building guidelines developed by the Alameda
County Taste Management Authority (www.stoDwaste.orq) as a foundation upon which to add further
resources. The Counties of San Francisco and Marin have already printed and adopted those guidelines in
whole for their green building 'programs. The program will also develop additional'professional and
consumer resources such as brochures, case studies, fact sheets, resource lists, educational seminars,
and a green home" certification system. Promotion of the program and the educational effort will come
from marketing and outreach efforts conducted by the program via the internet,''media'advertising, trade
shows, and networking..
Prior to the end of 2003„a report will be presented by Program staff to the San 'Ramon City Council and
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors that identifies ;,the current status of the Program, presents
objectives to be met in;the next five years, and identifies options and makes recommendations for
achieving these objectives by examining issues related to administrative structure, staffing, contract
services,funding, and partnerships.
In order to flourish,a green building program requires political,economic and industry infrastructure. Time,
effort and continual support are necessary to establish and maintain that infrastructure.Nevertheless, it has
been proven repeatedly throughout the United States that when there is 'local support, this effort returns
many times its investment,to stakeholders throughout the community.
This document covers some of the vision and spirit of the future of this community's built;environment. The
membership of the Development Team and :,the Advisory Task Force consists of a broad community
stakeholder group that is committed to preserving and improving the high quality of life in San Ramon and
Contra Costa County. we ask that you also take time to learn about green building, embrace the benefits
that it can bring to you and to our community, and join'us supporting the development of our green building
program.
2 _'
INTRODUCTION
In late 2002, the San Ramon City Council and the Contra Costa County Board of 'Supervisors gave
direction to their staff to develop a residentialGreen Building Program. Since that time, a wide range of
community 'stakeholders have conducted monthly meetings and have been planning the creation of a
Residential'Green Building Program. This plan is the result of those meetings and serves as a springboard
for further Manning.
The purpose of this Conceptual Plan is to introduce the concepts of a green building program, indicate the
community stakeholder benefits, and explain the structure of the development and implementation process.
This document is not intended to describe the finest details of a green building program developmentand
implementation process, but only to explain the broad, conceptual realities. Once the City and County
management approves this plan, the Development Team will expand it to create an Implementation Plan
(expected to be completed by Sept 2003)that fully details the pathways to implementing the program over
the next few years'.
BACKGROUND
What is Green Building?
Buildings have a large impact on the environment. In the United States, building construction, operation,
maintenance, and demolition consume roughly 40 percent of all our raw materials, 40 percent of our
energy, 25 percent of our water, 60 percent of our electricity, and 30 percent of our existing landfill space.
By rethinking the way buildings are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained, and by adopting the
practice of Green Building, we can significantly reduce the negative impacts to the environment while
offering positive benefits to society, building professionals, and consumers'.'
Green Building is the use of construction practices and materials that protect people and the environment.
Green Buildings are designed in an integrated manner to respond to the local climate and conditions, to
use environmental resources wisely, and to consider the long-term use of the building. Specifically, green
buildings are designed, built and operated to deliver improved performance over conventional building
practices in the following areas:
• conservation of energy and water (ie. climate-appropriate design, high performance windows
efficient mechanical equipment/appliances designAnstallation, sealed thermal envelope, efficient
indoor plumbing systems, rainwater collection, and drought-tolerant landscaping);and
• use of materials in a resource-efficient manner (i.e. efficient framing techniques, recycled-content
materials,and reduced waste); and
• maintenance of good indoor air quality(i.e. materials that don't offgas harmful chemicals, fresh air
ventilation/filtration/humidity controls, and less toxic pest control); and
• durability and ease of maintenance (i.e. long-lifespan roofing, masonry siding,concrete floors, and
composite no-maintenance deck lumber); and
• integration with the site and region (i.e tree and soil',protection, stormwater control, and proximity
to neighborhood services).
3
Conceptually, Green Building looks at a building as an integrated system, in which each part of the building
influences the other parts. This means that everyone involved in the design and construction process
should work as on integrated team from the beginning. This is a significant improvement over the typical
linear process, in which each professional works in isolation, missing the potential benefits of collaboration
and well-timed input.
Buildings designed, constructed, operated, and maintained using green building principles can be more
comfortable, more efficient, more cost-effective, .,and healthier than conventionally designed and
constructedbuildings.The value expected in green building projects includes not only appropriate levels of
performance, but also avoidance of future private and public costs from toxic by-products, pollution;and
greenhouse gas emissions, excessive energy and water consumption, and unnecessary waste in
manufacturing,transporting, assembling, using, and maintaining building systems and components.
Why a Green Building Program?
In response to our local and regional environmental, economic, and health concerns, including the need to
proactively address the stability of the state's energy situation, the;City of Ban Ramon and the County of
Contra Costa are jointly developing a green building program. The focus of this program'is to encourage a
market transformation by facilitating the use of "green" concepts by the building industry, including
homebuyers and homeowners planning to remodel or expand their residences. To succeed, this program
needs to address bath the supply side(building professionals) and the demand side (owners and tenants).
Wherefore the program has two key tasks:
1. Educate public-and private-sector building professionals on:
• the potential value of green building to their business;
• technical aspects;of green building;
• effective implementation of green building; and
• effective marketing of green building.
2. Educate building owners and occupants on:
• the value and benefits of green building;
• where to get services and products; and
• how to make sure they are getting the services and products that fulfill their particular needs.
What are the Benefits?
A Green Building Program offers many individual and shared benefits for its stakeholders: the community,
building industry, local utilities, local governments, environmental'organizations, and homeowners and
renters.
4
The Community benefits, because green buildings are designed and constructed to:
• conserve energy and,therefore, reduce power plant emissions;
• conserve water for both interior and exterior uses;
• use materials in a resource-efficient manner;
• reduce waste, saving landfill space;
• provide improved'indoor air quality and public health; and
• promote better land use and water quality concepts.
The Building Industry ndustry benefits by;
• berg able to use green building as a competitive marketing edge;
• accessing the program's unique educational resources;
• implementing green principles to deliver a higher quality product, reducing legal, exposure,
increasing,customer satisfaction; and
• enhancing;relationships with local government through a cooperative program.
• demonstrating its commitment to sustainable development.
• adopting practices that comply with jurisdictions'construction and demolition recycling ordinances.
Local Utilities benefit through:
• peak load reductions that allow'maximization.of power plant capacity and reduce the need to guild
new plants (note:'a green building program delivers this peak load reduction for less money than
the cost of building new power plants);
• reduced uncollectibles,due to the lower utility bills of green'buildings;
• compliance with regulations for public benefits programs and recognition as environmental
stewards;and
• a marketing edge over competitors that do not offer green building'programs.
Local Governments receive multiple benefits,because green building fosters:
• savings for taxpayers and occupants, because green civic and residential buildings cost less to
operate;
• local environmental solutions for air/water/land pollution, resource conservation, and public health;
• improved indoor air quality and consequently, public health and safety;
• efforts in reaching or maintaining compliance with state regulations such as the California
Integrated Waste Management Act;
• good interdepartmental cooperation on a program that integrates the goals of many civic
departments;
• increased local economic development in the sale/distribution/service"of new green building
5
services and products;
• an improvementin the quality of the housing stock, increased knowledge among building
professionals, and increased education among homeowners and renters;
• improved citizen satisfaction when local governments take action to improve the quality of life;and
• enhanced'relationships with the building industry.
EnvironmentalOrganizations benefit from:
• improved environmental conditions; and
• increased positive relationships'with both the government and the building industry.
Homeowners and Renters receive the benefits of:
• lower cost of operation;
• greater comfort;
• a healthier living environment;>
• a verification that'a home has been built to a green standard (green seal of approval); and
• increased value.
The Green Building Marketplace
The concept of green building has become significantly 'publicized in national trade journals, home
consumer magazines, newspapers, and on websites. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a'number of design
and construction professionals have become green building specialists over the last twenty years,and have
designed and built a number of excellent examples of residential and commercial' green' buildings.
Additionally, a number of government jurisdictions and non-profits have been working to improve local
knowledge of green building as evidenced by the fact that:
• green building resolutions and ordinances have been passed, resources have been allocated,and
dedicated staff have been appointed in the Counties of San Mateo, Marin, and Contra Costa, and
in the Cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley, San Ramon, Santa Rosa,
Pleasanton,and Livermore;
• Califomia has developed requirements that all state buildings be built green and has appointed
staff and developed resources within the California Integrated Waste Management Board to
support this directive;
• the Alameda County Waste Management Authority has invested significant staff time and funds to
promote green building in its region.'A Green Building Suppliers Council has been organized,
which seeks to educate the marketplace about green products and services;
• two non-profits, the Green Resource Center (GRC) and Architects/Designers/Planners for Social
Responsibility (ADPSR), have been educating the marketplace on green'building for a.:number of
years;
6
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a number of colleges and universities in the region have developed educational programs on
sustainable design, including Sonoma State University, which has built an Environmental
Technology Center to demonstrating green building designs and materials;
• local building professionals have formed the Redwood Empire and the Northern California chapters
of the US Green Building Council; and
• local market surveys have found that there is some knowledge about and definite interest in green
building.
With all of the aforementioned elements of green building underway in the Bay Area, the green building
marketplace is nevertheless still in its infancy. In generat, the majority of the building industry and the
buying public are still unaware of what green building is, what the benefits are, and how to go about
accomplishing it.There is a need for a strong network of green building educational efforts,more facilitating
organizational structures, and wider choices of available green products and services in the marketplace.
This effort can best be accomplished by local governments playing a strong role in helping develop this
market transformation further by institutionalizing local green building programs that can educate building
professionals and consumers, remove institutional and marketplace barriers, and support the true
development of a green building market transformation.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
How will the Program be Developed and Implemented?
The City of San Ramon and the County of Contra Costa are collaborating to develop a voluntary,
residential green building program during 2003. The program's focus will be on new residential homes and
remodeling. After 2003, the City and County will continue program implementation and administration
working in concert or independently, as appropriate. This government collaborative is assisted by Frontier
Associates and Austin Energy(FA/AE),who have been awarded funding from the California Public Utilities
Commission and pacific Gas &Electric ratepayers(through December 2003)to provide consulting services
that assist local governments in the Bay Area to develop green building programs. The cost of these
services to this collaborative is free, but to extract maximum program benefits, the City, County and other
participants will devote in-house staff time and resources to the development and implementation of this
program. This includes the commitment of funding to develop a marketing strategy encompassing the
creation of preliminary public education and outreach tools.
People and Organization
For 2003, the program development process has the following organizational structure:
• The Development Team consists of the appropriate County and City staff, representatives from key
organizations and leading builders and developers in the local building industry professionals,and
local stakeholders (other local government agencies, community1citizen groups, homeowner
associations, environmental organizations). The Team ranges in size from 10 to 20 members,
meets monthly and is the core group responsible for developing the program's design, tools, and
implementation strategies, as well as for implementing the eventual, daily 'nuts and bolts"
7
operation of the program. A roster of Development Team members is included as an Appendix to
this Plan,
• The Advisory Task Force consists of the County and City Green Building Program Managers(Kae
Ono of Contra Costa County and Phil Wong of San Ramon), representativesfrom key
organizations and leading builders and developers in the local building industry professionals,
community organizations, utility companies and other public agencies, committees and
commissions,and other local stakeholders.The Task Force ranges in size from 10 to 30 members,
meets bkmonthiy, and is responsible for reviewing the work of the Development Team and offering
quality feedback. The Task Force is also responsible for using their influence to spread a positive
message about the program within their networks to ensure success of the program. A roster of
Advisory Task Force members is included as an Appendix to this Plan.
• Frontier Associates / Austin Energy (under contract to the CA Public Utilities'Commission and
Pacific Gas and Electric) act as project consultants, dedicating 1€700' hours of staff time for
programmatic design and technical consulting through Dec 2003.
• Although this program is sponsored by the City and the County, it is expected that the other
participants will offer resources to the effort. Such resources include personal time, facilitation in
overcoming strategic barriers, strong and effective participation in the Program, as well as material,
financial or in-kind donations or sponsorships'as appropriate and feasible.
The 2003 team effort consists of public sector staff, private sector building professionals, and Frontier
Associates and Austin Energy (FA/AE) consultants. Active participation by government staff, local building
professionals and other members of the Program will maximize the benefits to each member and to the
Program as a whole. FA/AE will only be available to the program through December of 2003 After that
time, the program'must stand on it's own and provide its own resources, staffing and organization to
develop further.Aside from funding, the staff chosen to work on the program is probably the most important
decision to ensure program success. Each participating local government should have on staff at least one
specialist knowledgeable in green building methods.This person should be a dedicated change agent,with
passion and vision, and have solid field experience in construction. This person also needs to keep solid
footing on the realities of what it takes to conduct a strong,long-term market transformation program. Other
typical support staff includes an engineer, a marketing specialist, and administrative assistance.
Program Planning
The program will be initiated through the development of two plans`. The Conceptual Plan (this document)
describes the general concepts and benefits of the green building program. Once this plan is completed,
the Development Team will expand the Conceptual Plan and create an Implementation Plan that'detaiIs the
pathways to fully implementing the program over the next few years. Both the Conceptual Plan and the
Implementation Plan will be presented to the San Ramon City Council and the Contra Costa County Board
of Supervisors for endorsement.
DELIVERABLE
Once the Conceptual Plan and Implementation Plan have been approved, the Development)Team will
8
develop a set of green building resources and tools that are applicable within the City of San Ramon;and
Contra Costa County. The goal is not to duplicate many of the Bay area resources already developed, but
to use them as well as develop complementary resources. Partnerships across county and city lines are
encouraged. For example, many cities are distributing Alameda County'Waste ManagementAuthority's
residential green building construction guidelines to building permit applicants now or expanding the Green
Resource Center's outreach to Contra Costa County.
Guidelines and Rating System
The first tool to be adopted will be green building guidelines that provide a general education on green
building, its value, and the goals and measures used to design and build a green home. Following that, a
green building rating system synthesizes the complexity of the green building guidelines into an easy-to-
understand measurement system.
A strong basis for some of the quality'resources already exists and is under further development by the
Alameda County Waste Management Authority (www.stopwaste.or ,). To maintain some uniformity across
the Bay Area, the Program will adopt ACWMA's new construction and remodeling guidelines as a
foundation 'upon which to develop a >.rating system and add further resources. The Counties of San
Francisco and Marin have already adopted those guidelines in whole for their green building programs.
Resource Components
The next step is to determine what additional resources will be needed and then make plans for developing
or obtaining them, Such resources will probably include:
• consumer outreach materials such as brochures,checklists;fact sheets,educational displays,case
studies,consumer manuals, and resource lists;
• building i professional educational materials such as a' sourcebook, model policies, model
specifications, model marketing materials, checklists,fact sheets, case studies, and resource lists;
• marketing and outreach'materials such as a logo, rating certificates, awards, yard signs, program
advertisements,and a trade show booth;
• program management tools and processes such as; program evaluation methodologies,
membership management policies, and model budget allocations;
• model residential preen;building policieslresolutionslprograms that provide builder incentives for
local government'customization and adoption;
• additional human resources such as a pool of experienced green building professionals who can
assist the government 'staff in conducting trainings, developing new program resources, and
offering technical consultations;
• partner green building organizations such as the US Green Building Council (USGBC) Northern
Califomia chapter
Training
Training typically includes a "green building basics" seminar required for all professionals participating in
the program. This training program explains what green building is what its value is, and how to achieve
9
the green measures.The session also explains the program requirements and how to comply with them, as
well as the available resources that the program offers and how to gest take advantage of them.
Green building programs typically offer monthly or bi-monthly lunch-time or evening in-depth, training
seminars to educate professional participants on elements of green building such as integrated pest
management, energy modeling, indoor air quality, water conservation, efficient framing techniques, climatic
design, HVAC systems, and a host of new green practices and products in the marketplace. Program
participantsmay also take advantage of additional 'training through other organizations that qualify for
program educational requirements.
To maintain active status, most green building programs.,require professional participants to attend a
certain number of seminars per year. This educational requirement adds value and credibility to the
program's goals and it offers educational opportunities to the participants that would be difficult and
expensive to find elsewhere. Specialized seminars will also be developed for other groups such as public
agency staff, Realtors, and suppliers, as well as homeowners and tenants.
Web'Site
The Program web site is a major tool in communicating program information and reducing paper use. A
model web site would be attractive,easy to navigate, and have pages for elements such as:
• an introduction to the Program, its history, staff, mission, purpose, benefits, goals, and
implementation activities;
• the program's conceptual plan, implementation plan, and related program reports;
• instructions on how professionals and consumers can participate in the program;
• answers to frequently asked questions;
• the green building guidelines and rating system;
• case studies highlighting the use of green designs, materials, and methods;
• single topic fact sheets for consumers and professionals;
• lists of participating building professionals with company descriptions and links to their web sites;
• lists of resources for purchasing green building products and services in the area; and
• web links to other green building resources.
Verification of Green Homes
As the program matures and green homes are built, inspections will be needed to verify compliance with
the rating system. This requires staff to do physical inspections and participants to submit their ratings.Our
goal is to have a rating program that is relatively easy to manage on the part of the program and relatively
flexible and easy for the building professional'to understand and participate in. The inspection staff may
consist of green building program staff, building inspection department staff, contracted third party home
energy raters,or some combination thereof.
Technical and Marketing Services
10
The Program staff would also typically provide professionals With additional services such as in-depth
technical consultation on the 'various green building practices and products. Marketing assistance might
come in the form of consultation, use of the program logo,web site listing,and co-op advertising, Staff may
organize annual green building tours to highlight participants'projects and to educate consumers on what is
available in the marketplace.
For consumers,staff will make presentations to groups explaining the program and educating them on the
basics of green building. Staff will also answer telephone and e-mail inquiries from consumers seeking
more detailed information on green building.
Local Government Support Mechanisms
Local government will support green building directly through the typical green building program services of
education, marketing, technical consultation, and resources. In addition, local government staff should
review its General Plan, land use ordinances, zoning regulations, parking regulations, building codes and
enforcement policies to identify barriers to implementation and opportunities for encouraging green
building. Governments may also wish to explore positive incentive options to promote green building such
as:
• construction and demolition recycling ordinance adoption;
• fee waivers or tax breaks for developers who build green;
• incentives for density,mixed use,adaptive reuse,second units,and transit-oriented development;
• expedited plan check or design review for developers who build green; and
• improved access to loans/rebates for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other green
measures.
FA/AE and the Development Team strongly discourage negative government policies such as ordinances
and codes mandating green building, to supposedly "promote" green building. It is our and the green
building industry's belief that voluntary programs that spur the industry to compete on 6 green basis will
deliver much higher levels of green building activity overall.
Local Building Industry Support
Support of the program from the local building industry is crucial. Support includes working on the
Development Team and Advisory Task Forces during the development period, promoting the program
during the implementation phase, and then designing, building, supplying and marketing green building
products and services during the implementation phase.
Program Evaluation
A tracking system should monitor a number of parameters related to program goals documenting both
outcomes (directfinancial and environmental savings in a building, number of participating buildings, new
green building firms or products formed) and processes (professional participation rates, educational
outreach, number of presentations, web site hits, articles printed, and information packets distributed).
Regular surveysand focus groups of building professionals and consumers will also offer regular feedback
on program effects..
...................
It will not be possible to evaluate all of the desired information, The Program will have to contend with
limitations of time, expertise and funding. Information such as utility costs and certain associated
environmental external ities such as waste diversion and material/labor expenses of green versus non-
green buildings are documentable with some effort. Other important attributes of green buildings such as
health improvements, comfort, and marketability are more difficult to isolate and quantify. To be cost
effective,the Program will need to refer to the research of other organizations to evaluatemany aspects of
green building.
What is the Long-Term Plan?
Prior to the end of 2003, FE/AE 411 work with the Development Team to develop a report to be presented
by Program staff to the San Ramon City Council and Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors which:
• identifies the current status of the Program, including the specific Implementation Plan objectives that
have been met,resources and tools developed,and trainings held to date;
• presents Program objectives to be met in the next six to 12-months, and in the next five years; and
• identifies options and makes recommendations for achieving these objectives by examining issues
related to administrative structure,staffing, contract services,funding,and partnerships;
• encourages similar programs throughout Contra Costa County
CONCLUSION
In order to flourish, a green building program requires political, economic and industry infrastructure. Time,
effort and continual support are necessary to establish and maintain that infrastructure.Nevertheless, it has
been proven repeatedly throughout the United States that when there is local support, this effort returns
many times its investment,to stakeholders throughout the community.
This document covers some of the vision and spirit of the future of this community's built environment.The
membership of the Development Team and the Advisory Task Force consists of a broad community
stakeholder group that is committed to preserving and improving the high quality of life in.San Ramon and
Contra Costa County. We ask that you also take time to learn about green building, embrace the benefits
that it can bring to you and to our community,and join us supporting the development of our green building
program.
For More Information
Phil Wong,Planning Division Manager,City of San Ramon, 2222 Camino Ramon,P.O.Box 5148, San
Ramon,CA 94583,(925)9732565,(925)806-0118 fax,pwong@sanramon.ca.gov
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Kae Ono, Contra Costa County, Community Development Department, 651 Pine Street, North Wing,4th
Floor,Martinez, CA 94553,9251335-1230, (925) 35-1300 fax, kono@cdco.contra-costa.ca.us
Marc Richmond,Austin Entergy,P.O. Box 1088,Austin, TX 78767, 512-505-3701, 512-565-8611 cell,512-
505-3711 fax,mare,richmond@austhenercly.com
The CPUC program proposal and implementation plan can be downloaded at
www.fro:nfierag.§,bc.com/GreenBuilding.shtml. For more information'about Austin Energy's Green Building
Program, visit www.ci.austin.tx,uslgreenbuilder/.
For residential construction guidelines, visit the Alameda County Waste Management Authority at
www.stogwaste.or lfsbuild.html or www.00.contra-costa.ca.us/depa!ycd/recycle/gbglindex.htm. Go to
www.0 gbc'.ofglpro-grams/leed.htm#ratingsystem for guidelines to green'buildings in the nonresidential
sector.
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