- Goal SUS-1: Balance the environment, economy and social equity, as defined in the General Plan, to create a sustainable Chico.
- Goal SUS-2: Increase effective citizen participation in local government.
- Goal SUS-3: Lead the way to a sustainable Chico by reducing the environmental impacts of City operations.
- Goal SUS-4: Promote green development.
- Goal SUS-5: Increase energy efficiency and reduce non-renewable energy and resource consumption Citywide.
- Goal SUS-6: Reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions Citywide.
- Goal SUS-7: Support local food systems in Chico.
Goal SUS-1: Balance the environment, economy and social equity, as defined in the General Plan, to create a sustainable Chico.
- Policy SUS-1.1 (General Plan Consistency) – Ensure proposed development projects, policies, and programs are consistent with the General Plan.
- Policy SUS-1.2 (Sustainability Assessment) – Assess the City’s progress toward meeting its sustainability goals.
- Action SUS-1.2.1 (Sustainability Indicators) – Develop broad and measurable sustainability indicators for the economy, environment, and social equity to be assessed in General Plan Annual Reports and Five Year Reviews as a measure of the City’s progress toward sustainability. Revise the indicators as necessary to best evaluate the City’s progress.
- Policy SUS-1.3 (Sustainable City) – Coordinate the City’s sustainability efforts.
- Action SUS-1.3.1 (Sustainability Programs) – Identify and develop programs and initiatives that advance Chico’s sustainability goals.
- Action SUS-1.3.2 (Sustainability Materials) – Develop sustainability training materials to educate City staff and the community on the City’s sustainability goals and efforts.
- Action SUS-1.3.3 (Sustainability Coordinator) – Assign the title and tasks of Sustainability Coordinator to a City staff member.
- Policy SUS-1.4 (Support Diversity) – Strengthen ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity by supporting programs that celebrate cultural differences and similarities and promote tolerance.
- Action SUS-1.4.1 (Community Building Programs) – Continue to support and promote special community events and programs at City and public facilities that foster community pride, celebrate local culture and history, and promote social equity and tolerance.
- Action SUS-1.4.2 (Diversity Action Plan) – Update the City’s Diversity Action Plan as necessary, and develop and implement a diversity scorecard.
- Policy SUS-1.5 (Sustainability Partnerships) – Participate in local, regional, and statewide sustainability efforts.
- Action SUS-1.5.1 (Sustainability Webpage) – Create a webpage that describes the City’s sustainability efforts, identifies partnerships, and provides educational resources and opportunities for community members.
- Action SUS-1.5.2 (Sustainable Partnerships) – Participate in conferences and meetings that promote sustainability.
- Action SUS-1.5.3 (Green Business Program) – Work with local partners to develop a Chico Green Business certification program to recognize local businesses that implement measures to conserve energy and water, minimize waste, and prevent pollution.
- Policy SUS-1.6 (Public Health) - Emphasize the importance of public health in land use planning, infrastructure planning, and implementing City policies and programs.
Goal SUS-2: Increase effective citizen participation in local government.
- Policy SUS-2.1 (Public Participation) – Continue to encourage public participation in municipal decision-making.
- Action SUS-2.1.1 (Communication Technology) – Utilize new technology, as available, to improve communication with residents, including alternative ways to share information, notice hearings, and solicit or receive public input on local issues.
- Action SUS-2.1.2 (Neighborhoods and Planning) – Facilitate participation by neighborhood organizations in local decision-making.
- Policy SUS-2.2 (Outside Agencies) – Increase awareness and encourage community participation in local decisions made by entities other than the City, such as Butte County, Butte County Association
of Governments, Chico Area Recreation District, and CSU Chico.
- Action SUS-2.2.1 (Agency Website Links) – Maintain links from the City website to other agencies that make decisions about local matters.
Goal SUS-3: Lead the way to a sustainable Chico by reducing the environmental impacts of City operations.
- Policy SUS-3.1 (Sustainable Products and Services) – Promote the use of environmentally-friendly and local products and services.
- Action SUS-3.1.1 (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program) – Develop and implement an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program that directs the purchase of products and services for municipal operations that are environmentally preferable (e.g., renewable, recyclable, non-toxic) and sold locally to the maximum extent economically and legally feasible.
- Policy SUS-3.2 (Municipal Energy Use) – Reduce energy and water use in municipal operations.
- Action SUS-3.2.1 (Municipal Operations) – Perform energy audits of existing City operations and maintenance practices every four years to identify and implement energy savings measures.
- Action SUS-3.2.2 (Energy Generation) – Continue to explore opportunities to generate energy on City properties.
- Policy SUS-3.3 (Municipal Waste Reduction) – Reduce consumption and increase recycling and reuse of materials in City operations.
- Action SUS-3.3.1 (Municipal Recycling) – Promote the use of recycling bins at municipal facilities, public parks, and recreational spaces, and as necessary, increase the size, durability, and number of recycling bins as well as the range of materials accepted.
- Action SUS-3.3.2 (Materials Reduction and Reuse) - Explore opportunities to reduce consumption and increase reuse of materials, vehicles and equipment in City operations.
- Action SUS-3.3.3 (Sustainable Departments) – Monitor each City department’s progress toward reducing the environmental impact of City operations.
- Policy SUS-3.4 (Sustainable Fleet) – Support sustainable City vehicles and equipment.
- Action SUS-3.4.1 (Fuel-Efficient Fleet) – As needed, purchase new municipal fleet vehicles and equipment that are highly fuel-efficient, use alternative-fuel, or electricity, allowing flexibility for maintenance, safety, and other special use vehicles.
Goal SUS-4: Promote green development.
- Policy SUS-4.1 (Green Public Facilities) – Incorporate green building techniques in the site design, construction, and renovation of public projects.
- Action SUS-4.1.1 (Green Facilities) – Construct new significant municipal facilities to at least the baseline certification level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), or its equivalent.
- Action SUS-4.1.2 (City-Funded Green Projects) – Incorporate green building materials and techniques in projects financed by the City, allowing flexibility for costs including long-term operating costs.
- Policy SUS-4.2 (Water Efficient Landscaping) – Promote drought tolerant landscaping.
- Action SUS-4.2.1 (Public Landscaping) – Install drought tolerant landscaping and water conserving irrigation systems at City facilities, medians, and parkway strips to reduce water use and maintenance costs.
- Policy SUS-4.3 (Green Development Practices) – Promote green development practices in private projects.
- Action SUS-4.3.1 (Green Development Checklist) – Include a Green Development Checklist and supporting materials with City planning and building applications and permits highlighting ways to incorporate green development principles into project design.
- Action SUS-4.3.2 (Green Staff Training) – Provide regular training to ensure that City employees are able to implement the State’s Green Building Code, conduct energy audits, and review or rate green building projects.
- Action SUS-4.3.3 (Reduce Heat Gain) – Establish standards for new nonresidential structures, such as reflective roofing or light colored pavement to reduce the heat gain associated with traditional urban development.
Goal SUS-5: Increase energy efficiency and reduce non-renewable energy resource consumption citywide.
- Policy SUS-5.1 (Energy Efficient Retrofits) – Promote energy efficient retrofit improvements in existing buildings.
- Action SUS-5.1.1 (Clean Energy Loan Program) – Explore implementation of a City-sponsored clean energy program to provide low-interest loans to property owners for the installation of energy efficiency improvements or renewable energy devices.
- Action SUS-5.1.2 (PG&E and Education) – Consult with PG&E to promote public education about energy efficiency and conservation methods, and encourage them to provide more energy from renewable sources.
- Action SUS-5.1.3 (Energy Efficiency Upgrades) – Monitor compliance with City requirements for energy conservation upgrades upon resale of homes and improve public awareness of the requirements.
- Policy SUS-5.2 (Energy Efficient Design) – Support the inclusion of energy efficient design and renewable energy technologies in public and private projects.
- Action SUS-5.2.1 (Integration of Energy Efficiency Technology) – Utilize City incentives identified in Action LU-2.3.1 to encourage the integration of energy efficiency measures and renewable energy devices, in addition to those required by the state, during early project review.
- Action SUS-5.2.2 (Educational Material) – Provide builders and homeowners with resources and information about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies at the Municipal Hall Planning and Building counters and on the City’s website.
- Action SUS-5.2.3 (Passive Solar) – Incorporate passive solar design principles (e.g., building materials, high-albedo roofs, eaves, window placement, landscaping, and building orientation) into the Design Guidelines Manual.
- Action SUS-5.2.4 (Remove Barriers to Renewable Energy) – Revise the Municipal Code to allow deviations from normal development standards such as height limits, setbacks, or screening when doing so is necessary to allow the efficient use of renewable energy devices.
- Policy SUS-5.3 (Facilities for Emerging Technologies) – Support the construction of facilities for emerging transportation technologies such as alternative fueling stations.
Goal SUS-6: Reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions Citywide.
- Policy SUS-6.1 (Greenhouse Gas Reduction Efforts) – Support local, regional, and statewide efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases linked to climate change.
- Policy SUS-6.2 (Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Climate Action Plan) – Maintain the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and implement the Climate Action Plan to make progress toward meeting the City’s greenhouse
gas emissions reduction goal.
- Action SUS-6.2.1 (Emission Reduction Actions) – Use the Climate Action Plan to guide the City’s actions to meet the City’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.
- Action SUS-6.2.2 (Greenhouse Gas Inventory) – Update the Citywide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory at least every five years, and compare the results with previous inventories to evaluate progress towards the City’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal.
- Action SUS-6.2.3 (Climate Action Plan) – Review and revise as necessary the Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the City’s 2020 emission reduction goal, and revisit the need for new goals beyond 2020.
- Policy SUS-6.3 (Greenhouse Gas Emissions and CEQA) – Analyze and mitigate potentially significant increases in greenhouse gas emissions during project review, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act.
- Policy SUS-6.4 (Community Trees) – Continue to support the planting and maintenance of trees in the community to increase carbon sequestration.
Goal SUS-7: Support local food systems in Chico.
- Policy SUS-7.1 (Community Food System) – Support a community food system that bolsters the economy, supports local agriculture, promotes healthy lifestyles, and connects Chico residents to local food
sources.
- Action SUS-7.1.1 (Farmers Markets) – Allow farmers markets to operate on City-owned properties, where consistent with other municipal uses.
- Action SUS-7.1.2 (Local Food Sales) – Amend the Municipal Code to allow farmers markets and other local food distribution centers as a permitted use in appropriate zoning districts, and establish standards for their use.
- Action SUS-7.1.3 (Small Animals) - Amend the Municipal Code to reduce barriers to small animal keeping in residential districts, with consideration for neighborhood compatibility.
- Policy SUS-7.2 (Support Community Gardens) – Support community gardens in appropriate locations in the City.
- Action SUS-7.2.1 (Community Gardens) – Amend the Municipal Code to allow community gardens as a permitted use in appropriate zoning districts, including multi-family residential, and establish standards for their use.
- Action SUS-7.2.2 (Identify Community Garden Locations) – Conduct an inventory of existing community gardens, and identify opportunities for community gardens on public properties.
- Action SUS-7.2.3 (Gardening as Recreation) – Request that the Chico Area Recreation and Parks District and other local gardening or agricultural organizations promote community gardens by offering classes such as gardening and composting and by allowing community gardens at their facilities.