Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Eugene has a commitment to being the most sustainable community possible. We know that with finite resources and growing climate change challenges, we must scale up this commitment as a matter of both City policy and in the consciousness and actions of the larger community. This past year, we hired the City’s first sustainability manager and the members of the new Sustainability Commission have now been appointed. We will update our community greenhouse gas inventory in April. We know that over the last eight years, through the purchase of hybrids and bio diesel, City government has decreased its CO2 emissions by 10 %. The methane we capture at our wastewater plant provides half the power it needs. Through LED lighting, recycling, wind power purchase, bus passes, bike programs, e- communications, and a whole range of other strategies, Eugene has taken strides toward carbon neutrality and zero waste. We still have a long way to go. Large reductions in building and transportation emissions are the only way we can seriously impact climate change. I have enjoyed working hand in hand with mayors across this country (now over 800) in support of the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement, using our mutual power to push for changes at the Congressional level. While the situation we face as a planet is serious, I see major cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago combining their purchasing powers for green solutions and to create green jobs at home - jobs that help put sustainable practices in place, are built on social equity, and pay well. In Oregon, Governor Kulongoski has embraced sustainable jobs and practices as the basis for Oregon’s economy, much as we have been doing here. He hopes that Oregon can offer leadership on a number of fronts and I want Eugene to be a significant part of this work. It is no coincidence that Sequential BioFuels is located here, and that the largest solar panel display in the state is on one of our industrial roofs. The governor has also required every state department including ODOT to do their part to reduce carbon emissions. As we approach all new regional planning efforts in transportation and land use, the state requirements give me hope. Necessity is the mother of invention and may help ODOT respond to climate change and finite resources, allowing it to be more creative and energy-conscious, rather than simply laying more roads. The challenges are great and so are the possibilities. I know 2008 will be a very challenging year at every level. We must continue to build on the momentum we have to address the major issues nationally and locally. We have the talent, the heart and the chutzpah. We are, after all, Eugene. Thus, my to-do list for 2008 includes the following goals: • Eugene leads in sustainable practices and supports the growth of sustainable businesses as a key to strengthening our economy; • Eugene continues to implement the Sustainable Business Initiative recommendations, moving toward carbon neutrality and zero waste; • Eugene develops a climate protection strategic plan; MINUTES—State of the City January 7, 2008 Page 8