Resolution 16261 CITY OF ALAMEDA RESOLUTION NO. 16261
ADOPTING THE 2025 CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCY PLAN
(CARP) MID-CYCLE UPDATE AND ACCEPT THE 2024 ANNUAL
REPORT.
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda adopted its award winning Climate Action and
Resiliency Plan in 2019; and
WHEREAS, the City has made great progress implementing CARP in its first five
years; and
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WHEREAS, between 2005 and 2022, Alameda's total emissions decreased by
approximately 29% despite population and service population growth; and
WHEREAS, Alameda is over halfway to achieving its goal of reducing emissions
by 50% by 2030; and
WHEREAS, this reduction has mainly been driven by Alameda Municipal Power's
(AMP) shift to providing 100% clean energy in 2020 and lower transportation emissions
(by about 25%) due to cleaner vehicles, reduced vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and more
efficient off-road equipment, as well as a 6% decrease in natural gas emissions due to
reduced residential natural gas usage; and
WHEREAS, emissions are expected to continue to decrease because of State
policies, but not enough to meet CARP targets without also implementing additional local
measures; and
WHEREAS, the 2025 CARP update includes revised vision, goals and strategies
to achieve the plan's 2030 goals; and
WHEREAS, some members of the community will be more significantly impacted
by natural disasters and may have a more difficult time recovering than others due to lack
of stable housing, financial resources, and by zoning laws that have historically
disproportionately placed people of color into areas of the city more vulnerable to natural
hazards; and
WHEREAS, climate change is exacerbating the frequency, duration, extent, and
consequences of many of the hazards Alameda faces; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda adopted its Climate Adaptation and Hazard
Mitigation Plan in 2022 and was approved by FEMA as the City's Local Hazard Mitigation
Plan on June 16, 2022; and
WHEREAS, the CARP update incorporates updates to the City's Climate Adaptation
and Hazard Mitigation Plan, which will be approved by FEMA as the City's Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City of Alameda seeks to be prepared for future hazards and climate
impacts by reducing the potential loss of life, property damage, and environmental
degradation from natural disasters, while accelerating equitable economic recovery from
those disasters; and
WHEREAS, given the interconnectedness of our ecosystems and the shared
watershed of San Leandro Bay and the Oakland-Alameda Estuary, the City must work
collaboratively with key stakeholders across the region to help ensure uniform protections for
all communities, especially for under resourced communities, and speak with a unified voice
to expedite collective hazard mitigation and climate adaptation goals; and
WHEREAS, the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) requires all cities
counties, and special districts to have adopted a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) to
receive disaster mitigation funding from FEMA; and
WHEREAS, the LHMP for the City of Alameda planning area was developed in
accordance with DMA 2000 and followed FEMA's 2011 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
guidance; and
WHEREAS, the LHMP incorporates a process where hazards are identified and
profiled, the people and facilities at risk are analyzed, and mitigation actions are developed
to reduce or eliminate hazard risk; and
WHEREAS, the implementation of these mitigation actions, which include both short
and long-term strategies, involve planning, policy changes, programs, projects, and other
activities.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Alameda adopts the Climate
Action and Resiliency Plan Mid-cycle Update; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Alameda directs
staff to forward the approved LHMP to CalOES and FEMA for review and will take action to
adopt the plan and incorporate into the City of Alameda General Plan Safety Element by
reference following FEMA approval; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council finds that
on this project is categorically exempt from further environmental review pursuant to CEQA
Guidelines Section 15308 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the
Environment). The CARP update and annual report are intended to guide the City in the
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, thus protecting the environment. Individual actions
and projects to be implemented will complete environmental review under CEQA as these
projects are defined.
Exhibit 1:
The Conservation and Climate Action Element policies shall be amended as follows:
CC-16
Water Efficiency and Conservation. Minimize water use in existing and new construction
and landscaped areas to make Alameda more resilient to drought and generate less
wastewater.
Actions:
a. Water Efficient Landscape Requirements. Maintain up-to-date water-efficient
landscaping regulations and ordinances to reduce water use in both private and public
landscapes that include healthy, drought tolerant soils, diverse native plant species,
non-invasive drought tolerant/low water use plants, and high-efficiency irrigation
systems.
b. Water-Efficient Buildings. Require low-flow fixtures, such as low-flow toilets and
faucets in new construction.
c. Recycled and Reclaimed Water. Promote the production and usage of recycled and
reclaimed water(sometimes called "grey water") for potable and non-potable uses.
d. Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fertilizers. Limit the use of pesticides, herbicides, and
fertilizers throughout the city by fostering healthy soil practices, which include organic
carbon amendments (e.g. compost and mulch) on all non-turf planting areas.
e. Soil Health. Encourage soil health by promoting and educating the public about the
benefits of organic carbon soil amendments that improve water retention in local
landscapes.
f. EBMUD. Work with EBMUD to improve effectiveness of water conservation programs
and increase drought awareness.
g. City Buildings. Implement water-saving technologies at all City-owned buildings and
post visible signage to educate visitors.
CC-21
cmis„ions scenario of sea level rise in addition to a 100 year storm in the initial design and
groundwater increases abo„e-that-leyel(See o cies HS1G ttS 2 Adaptation
Pathway Master Plan. Develop an adaptation pathway master plan that includes updated
vulnerability studies, groundwater rise studies and other data collection as needed to identify
the range of shoreline protection, groundwater management and adaptation strategies over
time from short-to long-term as well as land use, building and infrastructure design standards
needed to help Alameda and the entire San Leandro Bay and Oakland-Alameda Estuary area
adapt to rising sea and groundwater levels. The plan should include economic analysis and
cost estimates to facilitate the development of funding_strategies and regional cooperation,
(See also Policies LU-14, CC-24, and HS-24).
CC-22
Critical Public Assets. Ensure resilience and lonq-term functionality of the-transportation
network. Implement improvements to move or protect critical public assets threatened by
earthquakes, sea level rise or rising groundwater. (See also Policy HS-127).
Actions:
a. Stormwater System. identify funding sources to improve the public stormwater
infrastructure and ensure it meets current needs and is prepared for the effects of sea
level rise and climate change.
b. Sewer System. Protect vulnerable wastewater systems and facilities to minimize
disruption to the systems following ground shaking and extreme weather events.
c. Electric System. Ensure electrical infrastructure is flood-proofed or elevated. Where
possible, move assets out of the hazard zone.
d. Transportation. Work with Caltrans and the Alameda County Transportation
Commission to identify funding to adapt the regional and local roadways in Alameda.
CC-23
Rising Groundwater. Prepare for the impacts of rising groundwater levels on private and
public property. (See also Policy HS-24).
Actions:
a. infrastructure and Access. Develop plans and strategies to protect and/or relocate
critical infrastructure and maintain access to impacted property.
b. Building Codes. Prepare and adopt revised zoning and building codes to increase
resilience of new buildings against the impacts of rising groundwater.
c. Annual Review. Annually monitor groundwater levels and progress on specific
strategies to mitigate impacts.
d. Data. Collect new data, add groundwater monitoring wells, analyze additional
contaminants and potential landfill risks, update liquefaction zones and continue to
refine the quality of the groundwater model.
SPOTLIGHT: BUILDING ELECTRIFICATION BENEFITS
Fiscal Responsibility and Inevitability: Key regional and state decision-makers, including
PG&E, have indicated the desire and intention to go all-electric and eventually discontinue
gas service.
Equity: As natural gas costs rise over time, customers will switch to all-electric appliances
and homes at faster and faster rates. Coordinating and subsidizing a timely and fair transition
for lower-income and more vulnerable residents is critical.
Healthy Air: Gas appliances emit pollutants and increase risk of respiratory illness,
cardiovascular disease, and other long-term illnesses. Children living in homes with qas
stoves are 40% more likely to develop asthma. According to the Rocky Mountain Institute,
r. ildren who grew up in buildings :":ith nab ral gas stoves •sere 42 me re likely-te-Elevelop
asthma.
Resilience and Safety: Buildings that depend on natural gas may have to wait up to 6 months
following severe earthquake events for service to return (compared to up to 1 week with
electric appliances). Removing gas infrastructure reduces the risk of fires in the event of an
earthquake.
Climate: Replacing gas appliances with electric appliances will reduce methane emissions
from natural gas use, which is 86 times stronger than carbon dioxide, having significant
impacts on climate change. Electrification transitions building energy use to clean energy
from a renewable grid and supports green jobs.
The Health and Safety Element policies and Spotlights shall be amended as follows:
NEW SPOTLIGHT
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) for the City of
Alameda was developed in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000)
and followed FEMA's 2011 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan guidance. The LHMP incorporates
a process where hazards are identified and profiled, the people and facilities at risk are
analyzed, and mitigation actions are developed to reduce or eliminate hazard risk. The
implementation of these mitigation actions, which include both short and long-term strategies,
involve planning, policy changes, programs, projects, and other activities. The LHMP is
available for review at }attics://wm-w.alarncdaca.2ovii farardMiti ationPlan
HS-3
Emergency Coordination Mutual Ai Teements. Coordinate local emergency
preparedness efforts with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, California Office of
Emergency Services, Coast Guard, United States Maritime Administration Ready Reserve
Fleet, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, Alameda
County, East Bay Municipal Utility District, the Port of Oakland, adjacent jurisdictions,
CaIWARN, the Alameda Unified School District, the various private schools in Alameda, local
hospitals, housing facilities for seniors or individuals with disabilities, and other local and
regional police, fire and public health agencies in preparation for natural and man-made
disasters, and ensure that the City's disaster response communication technologies are
compatible with other agency communication technologies. (See also Policy CC-3).
HS-4
Public Communication. Maintain and promote community programs to train volunteers,
support vulnerable community members like seniors and individuals with disabilities,
coordinate with food banks and other local aid organizations, and assist police, fire, and civil
defense personnel during and after a major earthquake, fire, or flood. (See also Policy CC-
1).
Actions:
a. Volunteers. Maintain community based emergency preparedness training programs
targeted to neighborhoods and business groups, such as Community Emergency
Response Teams and including outreach and coordination with Voluntary
Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) and other community based programs.
b. Education. Prepare and/or make available public education and awareness materials
in multiple languages on all aspects of emergency preparedness, including the type
and extent of hazards in the community, measures to reduce the likelihood of damage
and injury, provisions for emergency supplies, steps to take immediately after a
disaster, and the location of shelters and medical facilities.
c. Targeted Communication. Engage Alamedans using a wide range of tools,
languages and strategies to communicate about all types of threats and planning, with
a special emphasis on the most vulnerable people who are least likely to know about
or be able to adapt to various threats.
d. Resilience Hubs. Promote resilience hubs, community-serving facilities augmented
to support residents, coordinate resource distribution and services before, during, or
after a natural hazard event, and reduce carbon pollution while enhancing quality of
life.
7.2 SEISMIC + GEOLOGIC HAZARDS
Figure 7.2 illustrates Alameda's susceptibility to severe liquefaction in the event of ground
shaking. Climate change may increase the risk of liquefaction. Rising sea levels will cause
rising groundwater levels in Alameda. Liquefiable soils that become saturated with
groundwater are at increased risk of liquefaction. As the risks grow, so does the need for
Alameda to strengthen its requirements to make buildings safer and more resilient to severe
ground shaking and liquefaction.
HS-9
Building and Infrastructure Standards. Maintain up-to-date building codes and encourage
or require new and existing buildings and infrastructure to be designed or retrofitted for timely
restoration of service (functional recovery) following an earthquake, with particular attention
on the effects of liquefaction on buildings and infrastructure.
HS-12
City Buildings and Infrastructure Continue to strengthen and rehabilitate city buildings and
infrastructure, including but not limited to waste water systems and pump stations, storm
water systems and pump stations, and electric systems and facilities to ensure that the City
can respond effectively to a seismic event and to provide resilience and long-term
functionality. (See also Policies CC-4, CC-5, CC-13, CC-14La d CC-16, and CC-22).
a. Stormwater System. Rehabilitate the existing storm system conveyances and pump
stations to increase capacity and resilience during storms, high tides, sea level rise,
seismic events, and power outages, thereby decreasing the chance of flooding of
nearby streets, utilities, and buildings.
b. Sewer System. Protect vulnerable wastewater system and facilities to minimize
disruption to the systems following ground shaking and extreme weather events and
consider the impact of rising groundwater levels and increasingsalinity on buried utility
infrastructure.
c. Electric System. Protect vulnerable electric systems and facilities. Ensure electrical
infrastructure is flood-proofed or elevated and strengthened for earthquakes. Where
possible, move assets out of the hazard zone, including elevating utility junction boxes
and other electrical infrastructure on scaffolding.
d. Transportation. Work with Caltrans and the Alameda County Transportation
Commission to identify funding to adapt and strengthen the regional and local
roadways in Alameda.
HS-13
Private Buildings. Require owners of vulnerable structures, to the extent feasible, to retrofit
existing structures to withstand earthquake ground shaking, and require retrofitting when
such structures are substantially rehabilitated or remodeled.
Actions:
a. Soft Story Program. Continue to implement and expand the City's Soft Story
Program, including mandatory requirements for substantially improving the seismic
performance of multi-family wood frame residential buildings with open ground floor
parking or commercial spaces known as soft stories.
b. Wood Framed Building Program. Continue to implement and expand the City's
Wood Framed Building Program, including voluntary requirements for substantially
improving the seismic performance of one- and two-story wood frame residential
buildings with vulnerable "cripple walls".
c. Non-ductile Concrete Buildings. Identify, evaluate and retrofit non-ductile concrete
residential and nonresidential buildings that are vulnerable to collapse in earthquakes.
d. Chimneys. Encourage owners to remove or rebuild masonry or stone chimneys
vulnerable to collapse in earthquakes.
e. Incentives. Develop incentives and assistance to help property owners make their
homes and businesses more earthquake-safe. Pursue a variety of funding sources,
such as grants, low-interest loans, tax credits and zoning waivers and density
bonuses, to assist residents and businesses with seismic upgrades. Provide
exemptions from City zoning requirements, such as off-street parking and/or common
open space to facilitate the retrofitting of vulnerable privately-owned buildings.
f. Shoreline Property Management. Require owners of shoreline properties, to the
extent feasible, to inspect, maintain, and repair the perimeter slopes to withstand
earthquake ground shaking, consolidation of underlying bay mud, and wave erosion.
g. Cool/Green Buildings. lncentivize and consider requiring the installation of cool
roofs, green roofs, and/or other energy-efficient cool building methods to mitigate heat
impacts and reduce runoff.
HS-14
Flood Insurance. Continue the City's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program
and the Community Rating System as a Class 8 community. Identify ways to increase
Alameda's Community Rating to reduce flood insurance costs.
HS-18
Prefcrrcd Adaptation Strategies. In the Adaptation Pathways Master Plan (see Policy CC-
21), develop sea level and groundwater rise adaptive strategies for different areas of the City
for public discussion and evaluation, including but not limited to: avoidance/planned retreat,
enhanced levees, setback levees to accommodate habitat transition zones, buffer zones,
beaches, expanded tidal prisms for enhanced natural scouring of channel sediments, raising
and flood-proofing structures, and/or provisions for additional flood water pumping stations,
and inland detention basins to reduce peak discharges. (See also Policies LU-14 and CC-
24).
a. Funding for Priority Flooding Mitigations. Design and approve "shovel-ready"
adaptation projects at areas of location-based priority flooding identified in the Local
Hazard Mitigation Plan.
HS-20
Tsunami Preparedness Strategy. Prepare Alameda for tsunamis and prepare for a timely
evacuation with a focus of access and functional needs populations. , including Assess
,
with a focus on access and functional needs.
Actions:
a. Awareness. Develop a public information campaign to educate the public about
tsunami risks and evacuation procedures, with special emphasis on access and
functional needs populations and maritime communities.
b. Evacuation Emergency Annex. include and maintain an Evacuation Emergency
Annex in the Emergency Operations Plan that includes a strategy for tsunami
evacuation.
c. Signs. Place tsunami inundation zone and evacuation route signs_
d. Vertical Evacuation. Assess vertical evacuation options.
e. Drills. Conduct tsunami evacuation training and drills with schools.
f. Partner. Partner with Caltrans, Alameda County, AC Transit, the City of Oakland and
Port of Oakland to plan for tsunami evacuation.
g. Tsunami Ready. Become recognized as a Tsunami Ready community by the National
Weather Service.
HS-22
New-Development. Design For Flooding Implement programs and amend regulations to
require and incentivize flood-proofing retrofits to existing buildings in flood-prone areas, and
require all new development to design for sea level and associated groundwater rise based
on the most current regional projections. (See also Polices LU-30 and CC-20).
Actions:
a. Waterfront Setbacks. Require new development to provide adequate setbacks along
waterfront areas for the future expansion of seawalls and levees to adapt to sea level
rise.
b. Data. Update maps and publish open data that display these risks clearly as soon as
new data or guidelines are created, such as a digital elevation model, sea level and
groundwater risks, or the latest risk tolerance guidance provided by the State of
California.
c. Building Codes. Amend local codes to require flood-proofing techniques in defined
flood hazard zones and adjacent areas to protect them from future sea level rise.
Consider incorporating sea level rise into the flood management section of the Building
Code to encourage, incentivize, or require compliance with base floor elevation and
flood-proofing requirements to mid-century sea levels.
d. Risk Prioritization. Inventory and prioritize highest at-risk buildings, including those
serving vulnerable populations, for resiliency upgrades.
e. Assistance. Adopt fee waiver or small grant programs to help low-income households
and other vulnerable residents pay for flood retrofits.
HS-35
Contaminated Sites Cleanup. Work with county, regional, state, and federal agencies and
private property owners to ensure that the necessary steps are taken to clean up residual
hazardous wastes on any contaminated sites.
Actions:
a. New Construction. Require that all new construction, including construction on
former industrial sites, has been cleared for residential, commercial or industrial uses
from the appropriate federal, state and local agencies and acts, including the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act(CERCLA)
Program, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the California
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the Regional Water Quality Control
Board (RWQCB) and the Alameda County Department of Environmental Health
(ACDEH), which is the Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA) responsible for
implementing state environmental regulations related to hazardous waste and
hazardous materials.
b. Groundwater Rise. Review remediation timelines for contaminated sites based on a
groundwater model with projected sea level rise impacts. Work with applicable
agencies to adjust remediation, as applicable.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly
adopted and passed by the Council of the City of Alameda in a regular meeting assembled
on the 1st day of April 2025, by the following vote to wit:
AYES: Councilmembers Boller, Daysog, Jensen, Pryor and Mayor Ezzy
Ashcraft— 5.
NOES: None.
ABSENT: None.
ABSTENTIONS: None.
IN WITNESS, WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of said
City this 2nd day of April 2025.
Lara Weisiger, City Clerk
City of Alameda
Yibin Shen, city ttorney
City of Alameda