The Dalles-Wasco County Joint Ad Hoc Climate Resiliency Committee presented the city council with their findings from the last year and gave their formal recommendations as to how the city should proceed in regards to climate change at The Dalles regular city council meeting on Monday, April 24.
The presentation was given by Debi Ferrer and Lisa Gambee, two members of the 10-person committee. Committee Chair and City Councilor Dan Richardson was also present and helped answer some of the council’s questions at the end of the presentation.
Ferrer started the presentation by giving examples of how climate change has already impacted The Dalles, referencing declining snowpack and increasingly frequent wildfires. Ferrer also mentioned summer 2021, when The Dalles hit a state record of 118 degrees, and pointed out that the number of days over 100 degrees has been increasing, with 20 in 2021 and 22 in 2022, whereas in the past it has been fewer than 10.
“The effects of climate change impact our health and our well-being,” Ferrer said. “They will stress both our people and our infrastructure. While this global problem is for sure too large for any community or even any country to resolve alone, responding to climate stresses at the local level can be and should be seen as an opportunity to build a healthier, more prosperous and more resilient community.”
Since their first meeting in June 2022, the climate resiliency committee had been working to create their “recommendations for action,” Ferrer said, a process that included researching what was already being done in The Dalles and Wasco County, as well as in other communities, drafting a list of possible actions, and then researching funding opportunities for those actions.
Gambee explained that in their recommendation for action, the committee had taken the approach of identifying individual problems and then determining potential solutions based on community values.
The first problem Gambee presented was greenhouse gas emissions, and the associated community value was “We value efficient use of energy.” For this, the committee recommended conducting energy audits of city and county facilities, as well as exploring a local incentive fund for residential and commercial solar installations.
There was an additional value, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which was accompanied by recommendations to develop a formal, technically-informed and community-wide action plan, as well as to direct staff to focus on funding opportunities for local climate action.
The next problem related to the issue of greenhouse gasses, which was fossil fuel use and the desired reduction thereof. The first value was “alternative fuel sources that can support a thriving community and economy,” and its recommendation was to provide strategically-placed recharging stations and priority parking for electric vehicles.
The second value was “encouraging multiple types of transportation to reduce fuel dependence and promote local air quality,” with a recommendation of prioritizing multi-modal transportation and links to trails and paths.
The third problem that Gambee presented was that the “built environment can both generate a large percentage of greenhouse gas emissions,” but she noted it could also offer opportunities to buffer climate impacts. The associated value was “a built environment that is both resilient to extreme weather and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions,” for which the committee recommended identifying solutions for reducing built environment emissions, starting with city and county facilities, as well as reviewing local codes and design standards to appropriately support and incentivize programs and actions.
The next problem, which Gambee noted was the one that is seen most visibly, was that climate change will result in increasing average temperatures, as well as erratic and extreme weather events. The first value was “safe places to congregate that will lower urban heat island effects,” and the committee recommended increasing the tree canopy throughout The Dalles to help with this.
Gambee said they also valued other opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and recommended partnering with utilities to provide education, as well as incentives for home energy audits, electrification and energy efficiency.
The final problem Gambee presented was ongoing changes, in Northwest climate patterns, natural resource concerns, state and national policies, and local priorities, that require continual attention. For this, the first value was “local governments and leaders being diligent on climate change,” which accompanied suggestions of forming a local stakeholder group to explore collaborative policies, outreach and action, as well as scheduling regular climate impacts and actions review, involving both staff and elected officials. The last value was following on critical issues, starting with water supply, for which the committee suggested prioritizing analysis and funding of water systems.
Following Gambee’s presentations of the problems, Ferrer showed some potential sources of funding for the suggested projects, including many state grants through organizations like the Oregon Department of Energy and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Ferrer said the committee considers available funding a “win-win-win” situation, with wins being extending taxpayer dollars, the ability of the recommendations to assist local government in becoming cleaner, more efficient and more resilient, as well as increasing quality of life in the community.
“The actions that we have recommended will make our community more resilient to future climate impacts,” Ferrer said. “The environmental benefits will also bring economic advantages to our community, save our citizens money and, hopefully, make our neighborhoods more livable and protect human health.”
The city will vote on whether they will adopt the committee’s report and begin acting on the recommendations at the next regular city council meeting in order to allow councilors time to review the plan, and allow community members to provide feedback.
The next city council meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. May 8 at City Hall. The meeting will also be available via Zoom, and will stream on YouTube.
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