heckeroth

November 15, 2008
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and
The County of Mendocino Planning Team
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1204
Ukiah, CA 95482
FAX 707-467-6424
"mailto:planningteam@co.mendocino.ca.us"

Supervisor and Planning Team Member:

As a member of the General Plane CAC from 1977-1979 I drafted an Energy Element that included policies that could have moved county to energy independence from clean renewable resources. I also served a term as a Mendocino County Planning Commissioner and drove the EV I built in my garage to every meeting. I founded and the Energy Working Group (EWG) that identified the Issues, documented the Findings and then suggested Goals and made Policy recommendations to this General Plan Update (GPU). Most important my home and transportation is proof that energy independence from clean renewable resources is feasible and cost effective.

The greatest shortcoming of the draft GPU is that the 30 year old Issues and findings were never updated before new policies were proposed. The EWG provided the necessary Issue and finding statements in the area of energy and some of the EWGs work is included in the GUP but the Policies suggested by the EWG have been stripped of their time-lines. The policies that are included are not Action Items and include few Implementation Measures to assure that the most critically important of the proposed policies in all Elements of the Plan will be put into effect in the shortest possible time. The few Action Items the GPU specifies are weak because they fail to prioritize tasks, establish timelines, or identify who will be responsible for carrying them out. The draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) fails to identify this absence of action items and implementation measures and by that failure has not identified significant impacts of the GPU and feasible mitigation measures that could be adopted.

The physical, financial, and political climate in Mendocino County and the US as a whole has changed substantially since the GPU process was started and the realities of ìPeak Oilî and Climate Change are becoming more apparent every day. The 30 year old assumptions that are the basis of the plan are no longer adequate. I believe that the process should stopped and reviewed by the new Board using current Issues and Findings as a basis for new policies.

At a very minimum the GPU should incorporate clear, detailed Action Items or Implementation Measures as outlined below, and the DEIR should identify these measures as necessary mitigations to a plan based on 30 year old assumptions:

RRENEWABLE ENERGY

Establish a County Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to reach 20% total generation from renewables in the County by 2015, 40% by 2020 and by 2030 all the electricity in Mendocino County will be generated from renewable sources.
By 2010 Create a County renewable energy access data base that maps wind speeds and direction; micro-hydro sites; solar access, etc. and make it available on the County website as an aid in the location and orientation of the built environment
Adopt a local 100% surcharge on electricity produced by coal fired power plants and a 50% surcharge on electricity produced by natural gas fired power plants by 2010. Adopt a local 100% surcharge on the sale of diesel and gas that is delivered to fuel generators. Use the generated funds for job creation in the deployment of renewable energy.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Adopt the Architecture 2030 HYPERLINK "http://www.architecture2030.org" www.architecture2030.org target of reducing energy consumption in new buildings and retrofits by 50% to become a carbon-neutral County by 2030. Establish a minimum County energy building standard that exceeds state guidelines as a prerequisite for receiving a building permit.
Require by 2010 that curriculum on energy efficiency and solar design as part of the tests given Architects, building designers, planners, building code officials and building contractors as a prerequisite for receiving a County Business License.
Require by 2010 that energy efficiency and solar design education is included as a duty of all County Planning and Building Departments of equal importance to plan check and enforcement.
By 2010 adopt PLACE3S (PLAnning for Community Energy, Economic and Environmental Sustainability) as a national planning tool and require that the County use the tool for making land use planning decisions. PLACE3S is a planning tool that uses energy as a yard stick for making land use decisions. It was developed by the California Energy Commission and can be found at: HYPERLINK "http://www.energy.ca.gov/places" http://www.energy.ca.gov/places
By 2015 create a County data base that maps the location, type and quality of Jobs, schools, services, infrastructure and all environmental determinants (see Design with Nature) as a guide to planners, builders and the general public on where to locate infrastructure.

By 2015 create a comprehensive water plan for groundwater and surface water, including timelines and identification of responsible departments, personnel, and funding sources. Tasks should include:
Prioritizing watersheds
Conducting groundwater assessments
Assessing existing surface water resources, water quality, fish habitat and instream flow
Creating and maintaining a centralized database of water related permits approved and pending by local, state, and federal agencies that affect water quality and allocation
Providing a centralized source of information for residents and contractors about water-related programs and permit requirements
Identifying responsible departments and personnel to work closely with state and federal agencies to ensure Mendocino Countyís water quality, habitat, and supply needs are met and permit programs are coordinated whenever possible

TRANSPORTATION
Electric transport (with the ultimate goal of electricity being generated 100% from renewable energy) should be the cornerstone of transportation policy in the GUP. Individual policies outlined below follow from this goal. These include a suite of policies that address all forms of transportation:
Personal transportation and mass transportation;
Transportation of mainly goods and services, including use of heavy duty vehicles, rail, shipping, and air; and
Other land-based usage including off-road vehicle, agriculture, construction, and small equipment operations

By 2010 a county wide data base that maps the location, type and quality of available housing, jobs, schools, services, infrastructure and all environmental determinants as a guide to general public on where they can locate to limit commuting distance should be created and available on the County website to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
By 2015 adopt an action plan for increasing bike pathways throughout the County for use by visitors and residents alike. This is epically important along Hwy 1 which was declared a bicentennial bike rout over 40 years ago and remains unsafe for bike use.

By 2010 require bicycle parking or storage space and changing facilities for employees who bike as a condition for a building permit. By 2020 require bicycle parking or storage space and changing adjacent to all commercial and industrial facilities.

By 2010 require preferential parking privileges similar to handicapped spaces in all employee parking lots for ZEVs, and ULEV carpool and vanpool vehicles.

By 2010 require that 2% of the County light-duty vehicle fleet to be zero emissions for the first 40 miles of travel. Increase to 20% and 50 miles of ZEV travel by 2015 and 50% and 60 miles of ZEV travel by 2020. By 2030 the entire County light-duty vehicle fleet will produce no emissions in the first 80 miles of travel.
By 2010 require that 2% of the County heavy-duty vehicle fleet to be zero emissions for the first mile traveled or the first 10 minutes of use. These hybrid vehicles should utilize regenerative braking, as well as engine shut off during stops. Increase the percentage of heavy-duty ZE hybrid vehicles County fleet to 20% and 2 miles of ZEV travel by 2015 and 50% and 5 miles of ZEV travel by 2020. By 2030 the entire County heavy-duty vehicle fleet will produce no emissions for the first 10 miles of travel or the first hour of use.
By 2010 require that all new truck stops install hookups for zero emission sleepers and fast recharging. By 2015 require that all existing truck stops be retrofitted with hookups.
Starting in 2009 require the standardization of conductive plug-in vehicle 120volt, 20amp and 240volt, 50amp charging infrastructure. Starting in 2010 require that all new construction include vehicle accessible, grid interactive, conductive 120volt, 20amp and 240volt, 50amp charging plugs to every parking space. By 2020 require the retrofitting of standardized 120volt, 20amp and 240volt, 50amp, grid interactive, charging plugs to all existing parking spaces and garages. Starting in 2012 require the installation of 1kW of grid interactive, TOU net-smart-metered clean renewable electricity capacity for every new parking space constructed. By 2030 require the retrofitting of 1kW of grid interactive, TOU net-smart-metered clean renewable electricity capacity for every existing parking space.
By 2010 fund a study to identify high traffic transportation corridors in the county with large enough populations to support the deployment of a Personal Rapid Transit (ìPRTî or ìPodcarî) system.

Starting in 2010 require that the median strip on all new and existing divided highways be set aside for Personal Rapid Transit (see description of PRT below).
PRT is solar/electric transportation that is based on computer controlled (driverless) vehicles that run on an elevated guideway suspended over existing highways and other rights-of-way. The podcar does not require on-board batteries or liquid fuels and can be powered from clean renewable sources of energy.   When combined with neighborhood electric vehicles for short trips on county roads a solar/electric transportation system is orders of magnitude more efficient and much less costly to operate than 2 ton vehicles. In addition a solar/electric transportation system can operate using locally produced zero emission electricity, very little material is used in the production ultra-light podcars and neighborhood vehicles compared to conventional vehicles, the system is considerably safer than the current highway system and costs a fraction of what roads cost to build and maintain.
By 2020 make the use of pleasure boats that produce emissions illegal on all county waterways

By 2020 all harbors should be equipped with infrastructure that allow all boats to shut down there engines for the duration of there stay in the harbor and be powered from renewable sources of energy.
Require that 2% of produce available in Grocery stores be grown within 100 mile radius of the store by 2010. Increase the local produce available to 20% by 2015, 50% by 2020 and 80% by 2030.
By 2020 require that all construction and agricultural vehicles in the County be able to operate with zero emissions for the first mile of travel or the first 10 minutes of use.
By 2020 make the use of internal combustion equipment (lawnmowers, leaf blowers, cement mixers, etc.) that produce emissions illegal in the County
After more than 30 years of involvement in the Mendocino County Planning process I hope you will consider my suggestions and include them in both the draft General Plan Update and its draft Environmental Impact Report.

Sincerely,

Steve Heckeroth
Albion