El Cerrito Accomplishments:

General Plan Update

• General Plan will be updated in the coming years to incorporate climate, active transportation, urban greening, healthy living and sustainable community strategies.
• Housing Element will be updated to create a diverse mix of equitable housing types and incentivize innovative urban infill development, in response to Plan Bay Area and Regional Housing Needs Allocations.

Climate Action Planning

• Climate Action Plan adopted May 21, 2013.
• Held community workshops to involve community in Climate Action Planning process.
• City Environmental Services Division adopted Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Targets of a 15% reduction of the 2005 level emission by the year 2020 and 30% reduction from the 2005 levels by 2035.
• Approved participation in Institute for Local Government’s (ILG) ‘Beacon Award Program’ for local leadership towards solving climate change.
• Together with surrounding cities of Albany, Piedmont and San Pablo received grant money through the EPA Climate Showcase Communities Program. Funding goes towards activities that establish and implement climate change initiatives.
• Adopted an Urban Forest Plan to manage trees around the city.
• In their support of local food production, El Cerrito updated their Animal Ordinance for hobby level sustainable food production of certain animals.
• Council appointed Environmental Quality Committee comprised of residents and businesses that work to raise awareness and encourage involvement in reducing the entire community’s environmental impact.
• Presented GHG Inventory PowerPoint to City Council on May 5, 2008.
• Signed the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in July, 2006
• Joined ICLEI‘s Cities for Climate Protection Campaign.

Energy

•  Participated in a Neighborhood Publicity Campaign to promote comprehensive audits services for small commercial businesses.
• Applied for and accepted EECBG Funding to retrofit all City building lighting and install LED lighting along the Ohlone Greenway
• El Cerrito created Energy and Water Efficiency Program (EWEP) to generate funding options for energy and water efficiency upgrades in the city.
• Replaced all street lights along San Pablo Ave. with LED lamps as part of Streetscape Upgrades.
• Participating in an East Bay Green Corridor regional solar permit streamlining study funded by the Department of Energy SunShot Initiative

Waste Reduction

• Completing construction of a Platinum LEED certified Recycling and Environmental Resource Center.
• Adopted a citywide ban on plastic grocery bags.
• Offering curbside pick-up of residential compostable food scraps.

Water Conservation

• Retrofitted 400 feet of San Pablo Ave. storm drain system with low impact storm water rain gardens.
• In partnership with East Bay Municipal Utility District the city replaced median landscaping along San Pablo Avenue with water efficient landscaping and awarded WaterSmart certification for reducing irrigation needs by 7 million gallons.
• Planted almost 200 trees and water wise landscaping along San Pablo Ave.

Transportation

• Developing a San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets Plan to catalyze mode shift away from the private automobile.
• Updating the 2007 Circulation Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians into an Active Transportation Plan.
• Installed Electronic Bike Lockers and Bike Racks near transit.
• Constructed bike lanes on Moeser Avenue and Central Avenue and bicycle routes on Ashbury Avenue and Fairmount Avenue.
• Constructed Ohlone Greenway improvements in coordination with BART to improve circulation conditions and safety.
•  Hosts an Energizer Station on the annual “Bike to Work Day”.
• Held a “No Car Challenge’ for city workers and residents in 2010 to reduce reliance on vehicle transportation.

Open Space

• Established an Urban Forest Plan to manage public trees in the city.
• Developing an Urban Greening Plan to evaluate and redesign existing open spaces and incentivize new, privately-owned spaces designed to maximize environmental and community development benefits.
• Developed and adopted the Ohlone Greenway Urban Greening Project, to improve open space amenities along El Cerrito’s 2.7 mile stretch of the Ohlone Greenway.  Also includes vision and goals of the Ohlone Green Master Plan.

Community Support

•  Environmental Quality Committee
•  Created “A Greener El Cerrito” Newsletter with local news and ways to get involved for their interested residents.
•  El Cerrito Green Teams
• Tree Committee
• Friends of five creeks

City of El Cerrito Website

Last updated June 2014

 As elected officials we must do our part to protect the environment. It’s past the time to debate whether climate change is occurring. It’s time to act.  As elected officials we need to develop programs to change our practices to reduce the activities that have a negative impact on our local community and to increase practices that have a position impact. We can make a difference.

Janet Abelson, Councilmember, City of El Cerrito, CA