6a) Discussion and Possible Action Including Presenting Results of an Energy Audit of County Owned Facilities and Recommended Energy Efficiency Projects and Programs for Consideration
(Sponsors: Supervisor Gjerde and General Services Agency)
Comment from Margo Frank, a Ukiah resident and member of Climate Action Mendocino. I strongly support the projects recommended by the recent Energy Audit. While the County cannot mandate these same kinds of audits and retrofits on every building in our county, you can commit to better energy efficiency and lowered greenhouse gas emissions on all County buildings. I especially want to encourage you to switch the charging stations that are recommended into fast charging ones. This is the future of transportation and as more and more vehicles switch to EV, the demand for quick charging will explode. I also want to stress the importance of replacing the inefficient HVAC system on the Social Services building. I have a family member who works there and cannot escape the smokey air that is pulled into her office during times of poor air quality. This puts our county workers and vulnerable clients at great risk.
I want to make two points regarding the energy audit: 1) I feel that the emphasis of any actions or decisions taken by the Board of Supervisors should be towards reducing carbon emissions, ahead of reducing energy costs; 2) The audit does not address the use of propane and fuel oil in the coastal areas of Mendocino County where natural gas is not available. This omission renders the report inaccurate, and could result in an inequitable dispersion of funds/resources to coastal areas if decisions are made based on this report alone. Thank you.
Comment from Margo Frank, a Ukiah resident and member of Climate Action Mendocino. I strongly support the projects recommended by the recent Energy Audit. While the County cannot mandate these same kinds of audits and retrofits on every building in our county, you can commit to better energy efficiency and lowered greenhouse gas emissions on all County buildings. I especially want to encourage you to switch the charging stations that are recommended into fast charging ones. This is the future of transportation and as more and more vehicles switch to EV, the demand for quick charging will explode. I also want to stress the importance of replacing the inefficient HVAC system on the Social Services building. I have a family member who works there and cannot escape the smokey air that is pulled into her office during times of poor air quality. This puts our county workers and vulnerable clients at great risk.
I want to make two points regarding the energy audit: 1) I feel that the emphasis of any actions or decisions taken by the Board of Supervisors should be towards reducing carbon emissions, ahead of reducing energy costs; 2) The audit does not address the use of propane and fuel oil in the coastal areas of Mendocino County where natural gas is not available. This omission renders the report inaccurate, and could result in an inequitable dispersion of funds/resources to coastal areas if decisions are made based on this report alone. Thank you.