03 Staff Report - Green Building CollaborativepWN MEETING DATE: 6102108
/ ITEM NO.
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: APRIL 23, 2008
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION ADOPTING THREE NEAR-TERM POLICY
RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY CITIES
ASSOCIATION GREEN BUILDING COLLABORATIVE
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt resolution adopting three near-term policy recommendations from the Santa Clara County
Cities Association Green Building Collaborative.
BACKGROUND:
The Santa Clara County Cities Association (SCCCA) formed the Green Building Collaborative
(GBC) to facilitate the adoption of green building policies across jurisdictions and encourage all
cities to reduce environmental impacts through green building policy. GBC membership includes
representatives from local governments and the private sector. The GBC presented three near-term
policy recommendations to the SCCCA, The recommended policies were approved by the SCCCA
on November 8t1i, 2007 and are as follows:
1. Formally recognize and adopt the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Rating system and
Build It Green's GreenPoint Rated system (residential) as the official green building standards;
2. Require the submittal of a completed LEED or GreenPoint Rated checklist as part of a
planning application.
Adopt a policy for achieving LEED Silver certification or better for all new public construction
and renovation projects over 5,000 square feet.
P)C_-'A a
PREPARED BY: BUD N. L.ORT ,
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager Town Attorney Clerk__;::~5inance
_Community Development Revised: 5/22108 3:39 PM
Reformatted: 5/30/02 NADEVVENNIFER S 3recn BuildinWIVreport.doc
PAGE 2
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: SCCCA GBC POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
DISCUSSION:
The recommended policies are in line with the Town's current General Plan policy L.G.8.2., "to
promote a sustainable community by protecting environmental needs without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs." The recommendations will provide an immediate
first step for the Town of Los Gatos to address environmental sustainability and global warming
issues.
The LEED Rating system is recognized nationally as the standard for non-residential green building
design and evaluation, and the CneenPoint Rated system is recognized as the state-wide standard for
residential green building design and evaluation. Adopting the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED
Rating system and Build It Green's GreenPoint Rated system as the official green building standards
for the Town of Los Gatos will provide consistency across jurisdictions. Both rating systems provide
clear performance benchmarks and are familiar to many design and building professionals.
Requiring a checklist as part of a planning application does not require that the proposal incorporate
green building practices. However, it will enable the Town to track the current use of green building
practices and establish a baseline for future green building practices and requirements. The checklist
requirement will also draw the attention of design and building professionals to the possibility of
incorporating green building techniques into future projects.
Requiring LEED certification for new public construction and renovations will set an example and
encourage sustainable practices for private developments. The Town is working on plans for a new
police building and the budget has already been approved by Town Council. As such, the
requirement for LEED Silver certification will not be required. However, all future public
construction and renovation projects over 5,000 square feet will be required to obtain the LEED
Silver certification or better. The new library is in this category.
On December 3, 2007, a preliminary work plan for the General Plan Update was presented to the
Town Council. The preliininaty work plan included green building and sustainability as topics
previously identified by Council that should be reviewed during the general plan update. On
February 4, 2008, the Council approved the preliminary work plan for the General Plan Update.
Adopting these policies will help the Town move toward the goal of addressing the issues of green
building and sustainability. Additionally, consistency will be established between jurisdictions,
baseline information will be collected, and an example will be set through public construction
projects.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Membership with the U. S. Green Building Council and Build It Green is not required and the Town
will not incur any direct :Fiscal impacts from adopting the recommended policies. However, indirect
fiscal impacts may occur at the time of future public construction and renovation projects. Experts
have estimated that LEED Silver certification adds approximately 2% of costs to total construction
costs.4
' State of California Report http://www.tisghc.org/Docs(News/News477.pdf
PAGE3
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: SCCCA GBC POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Attachments:
1. Resolution adopting tluee near-term policy recommendations
Distribution:
SCCCA, 505 W. Olive Avenue, Suite #749, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
BNL:RT:3S:mdc
RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL
OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS
ADOPTING THREE NEAR-TERM POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY CITIES ASSOCIATION
GREEN BUILDING COLLABORATIVE
WHEREAS, the Santa Clara County Cities Association approved three-near term policy
recommendations from the Green Building Collaborative in November 2007; and
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Gatos, a member of the Santa Clara County Cities Association,
supports strategies to address environmental sustainability and global warming; and
WHEREAS, the Town Council recognizes the three near-term policy recommendations as an
immediate action to begin to address climate protection and global warming;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos:
Recognizes and adopts the LEED rating system for non-residential projects and the GreenPoint
Rated system for residential projects as the official green building standards for the Town of Los
Gatos;
2. Directs the Community Development Department to require the submittal of a completed LEED
or GreenPoint Rated checklist as part of all planning applications;
3. Adopts the standard that all future public construction and renovation projects over 5,000 square
feet meet or exceed LEED Silver certification.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Town Council held on the 2nd of June,
2008, by the following vote:
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
AYES:
NAYS :
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
SIGNED;
MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
ATTEST:
CLERK ADMINISTRATOR OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
ATTACMffiNT 1