The Times Require Decisive Action

Budgets are a true indication of priorities.  Sunnyvale's budget is now under consideration.  In this time of multiple environmental challenges, will the Sunnyvale Council choose decisive action to accelerate our progress toward its vision of sustainable city or will Council settle for incremental change?

Soon Sunnyvale's Council must determine the level of resources with which to back its strong environmental policies.  Council will choose whether to pursue our community's vision of a sustainable Sunnyvale aggressively or incrementally.  Specifically, Council must decide whether to hire a part-time or a full-time sustainability coordinator. 
 
The difference is not trivial. According to the proposed budget, a full-time coordinator will have time for many high-level tasks that a part-time coordinator would not. Only a full-time coordinator would be charged with "pro-actively" reviewing City policies and developing new policy to reflect our city's environmental vision.  Since elements of the general plan can take years to come up for regular review, pro-active review is significant. 
 
Only a full-time coordinator would be expected to "plan and implement internal efforts to affect organization culture change" within city staff. 
 
Only a full-time coordinator would conduct a community greenhouse gas audit to serve as a baseline and to inform a climate protection plan. Such an audit is needed to fulfill the spirit of the Mayors Climate Protection agreement, signed by three successive mayors and adopted formally by unanimous vote of the City Council last fall.   And, according to a recent city draft report, "The need to document current levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the community and the need to plan for GHG reduction is the most significant trend in planning for sustainability... "  (Nine Santa Clara and San Mateo cities have already completed such a community greenhouse gas audit; eight more cities are planning to conduct theirs this year.)
 
Significanlty, onlya full-time coordinator would "develop a strategic plan to guide the City's environmental sustainability efforts."  (emphasis added)  
 
Council will soon decide whether to fund one full-time person dedicated to planning and coordinating a strong and urgent effort to fulfill our vision of meeting our needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs. We urge Council to act with the decisiveness and urgency current conditions require and fund a full-time sustainability coordinator for Sunnyvale.