Dear Mayor Combs and City Council Members,
Thank you for your excellent work on the proposed city budget for fiscal year 2020-21 to maintain and add services and staff.
This is to urge approval of at least one additional staff person to assist in implementing core measures of the Climate Action Plan. It is critical that the city's climate action have adequate staffing. The CAP adopted last year calls for at least six staff additions to successfully achieve our climate goals. One additional staffer would be a good start. Please also continue to budget for additional sustainability staff and prioritize reducing climate risks to our residents and businesses.
Our city faces multiple impacts from climate change, including drought, wildfires, water shortages and sea level rise. We must take strong action to reduce these risks, and in doing so serve as a role model for other cities on how to do it. However, this cannot be done with only one sustainability staff member. Our residents deserve to have this effort adequately staffed. Indeed, it is a matter of health, life and death.
The impacts of unchecked carbon emissions and climate change will affect our low-income residents and BIPOC communities first and worst. How will we tell residents of Belle Haven that we failed to implement our Climate Action Plan, and so did nothing to reduce the risk that the land they live on will be flooded due to sea level rise, and they will have to move to higher ground? How can we tell our low-income residents that we failed to implement our Climate Action Plan, and so did nothing to reduce the risk that they must continue to breathe ever more polluted air from vehicle emissions and wildfires, suffer through unbearable heat, and curb their water usage due to drought?
That's not who we are as a city. Menlo Park has declared a climate emergency, and we can't let that declaration be empty words. We must act. Action will require staff.
Please allocate funds for additional sustainability staff to implement the Climate Action Plan. Other cities are watching and will follow our lead. Our residents and businesses are counting on the city to take appropriate action to reduce climate risks. It's urgent.
Thank you for your continued leadership on climate.
Sincerely,
Janelle London
