PARTICIPATE

Thank you for your interest in Emerald Tracy.  Your participation is a vital part of this process that will guide the City’s response to comprehensive sustainability.

On February 17, a community workshop was held. We asked the community for their priorities in making Tracy become more sustainable. After presenting a summary of the proposed measures, we asked everyone to rank the top sustainability projects and programs that they would like to see implemented in Tracy. We received a lot of great input on the proposed Draft Sustainability Measures as well as a variety of new ideas. These measures and input received at the workshop will be collectively used to develop Tracy's Sustainability Action Plan. A draft of this plan is expected to be published for public comment this Summer.

WORKSHOP SUMMARY

The City of Tracy held a Community Workshop on Wednesday, February 17 at the Tracy Transit Station, to discuss draft sustainability targets and measures for the City’s Sustainability Action Plan, as well as priorities for future funding opportunities.  At the outset of this workshop, City staff and the consultant team presented background and process information about the Sustainability Action Plan, and described the draft targets and measures that will be included in the Plan.  Following the presentation, community members asked questions of staff and consultants related to the following:

• Methodology for quantifying the benefits for each measure.
• Consideration of alternative energy generation.
• Market desirability of market-dependent measures.
• Applicability of measures to affordable housing.
• Affordability of and financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for homeowners.
• Schedule and costs to implement the Plan.

During this workshop, participants brainstormed other projects and measures that could be included in the Sustainability Action Plan, or that the City could pursue through future funding opportunities.  These suggestions include:

• Nuclear fusion and nuclear energy.
• Nuclear laser to manage garbage.
• Light rail from Tracy to Stockton.
• Desktop manufacturing.
• Small-scale biodiesel plant.
• Food conspiracy/cooperative.
• Enhanced Building Code enforcement.
• Continuation of allowing secondary residential ("in-law" or "granny") units.
• Enhanced City-School District collaboration, including multi-use of school campuses for social events and exchanges.
• Rewards for residents who identify energy cost savings.
• Support for home composting.
• Encouraging green manufacturing.
• Rainwater harvesting.
• Converting methane at wastewater treatment plant to energy.
• Graywater capture at individual homes.
• Time of sale energy retrofit requirements.

Following the brainstorming session, participants identified their top ten priorities among the draft measures and the new measures suggested at the workshop (listed above) through a dot exercise.  In this exercise, each participant was given ten dot stickers, and affixed one sticker to each of their top ten priorities.  The ten measures that received the highest number of dots are listed below.  Please note that the results listed below are slightly different from the results that were announced at the workshop because they account for dots that were affixed to the list of targets.  The targets were not intended to be a part of the dot exercise, but some of these targets are directly related to a measure, so the dots assigned to those targets were combined with the related measure, as indicated below. 

The following measures received the highest number of dots:

• E‑6, Financing for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects (17 dots)
• T‑12, Increased Transit to Bay Area Cities and San Joaquin Valley Employment Centers (13 dots)
• SW‑2, Increased Recycling (13 dots)
• E‑9, Solar Panel Installations on Municipal Facilities and Energy Target #2a, New municipal buildings powered by 10% using on-site solar panels (13 dots)
• AG‑2, Farmland Preservation Around Tracy and Agricultural Lands Target #1, No loss of Prime Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Significance, or Unique Farmland outside of the City’s Sphere of Influence (13 dots)
• T‑5, Pedestrian Safety and Walkable Neighborhoods (10 dots)
• SW‑3, Recycling Service for Multi-Family Housing (9 dots)
• E‑3, Green Building and Energy Efficiency in the Design Guidelines (8 dots)
• T‑3, Support for Bicycling (8 dots)
• ED‑13:  Green Business Program (8 dots)

The City will consider this input from the community as the plan is drafted and release a draft Sustainability Action Plan this spring for your review and comment.

YOUR SUSTAINABLE STORIES

Below are the stories submitted in the "TELL US YOUR STORY" survey accessed below.  Please feel free to submit your own story and tell us how you are helping Tracy become more sustainable.