The Napa County Board of Supervisors considered adoption of a proposed Climate Action Plan at their hearing of December 11, 2012 and sent planners back to the drawing board for more work. Specifically, the Board asked planning staff to consider ways that the plan could better address transportation-related green house gas emissions in the County, among other concerns.
The proposed plan was recommended for adoption by the Planning Commission in early 2012 and included a baseline inventory of green house gas emissions in unincorporated Napa County as well as strategies for reducing those emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. In addition to reducing Napa County’s green house gas emissions, the proposed plan was intended to address compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for projects reviewed by the County and to lay the foundation for development of a local offset program. With a local offset program, projects unable to meet the plan’s requirement for reducing “business as usual” emissions by 38% could pay into a fund to support local habitat restoration, measures to reduce traffic congestion, open space conservation, or energy conservation.
The Board of Supervisors acknowledged the plan’s objectives, but asked planners to reshape the plan to reduce requirements on new development and allow more time for establishment of a cost-effective local offset program. In the interim, the Board requested that the Planning Commission develop and apply “best management practices” to ensure that projects they review address the County’s policy goal related to reducing green house gas emissions. The Planning Commission will discuss the Board’s direction and next steps at their hearing on January 16, 2013. Planning Commission hearings are held on the first and third Wednesday of the month in Room 305 at 1195 Third Street in Napa, starting at 9:00 AM.
The Planning Commission will discuss next steps and best management practices at their January 16th, 2013 public hearing.
Return to Summary Page