The Union City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to establish a Climate Action Plan (CAP) Task Force, signaling the city’s renewed commitment to sustainability and climate resilience.
The seven-member advisory group will play a key role in shaping the city’s updated Climate Action Plan, which hasn’t been revised since its original adoption in 2010. That earlier plan included a similar task force that brought together stakeholders from across the city to provide guidance on climate mitigation efforts.
The newly-approved task force will include two city council members, one representative each from the planning, human relations, and parks and recreation commissions, and two community members. City officials said this structure is designed to ensure both compliance with open meeting laws and a broad representation of perspectives.
“This task force will help us think critically and inclusively about how Union City can meet its climate goals in ways that reflect our community’s values,” said city manager Joan Malloy in the staff report.
The move follows a May 13 council meeting where staff first recommended forming an ad hoc committee. However, legal concerns about Brown Act compliance prompted a restructuring of the group as a formal task force instead.
Community members interested in joining the task force will be able to apply through the city’s outreach channels. Final appointments will be made by the mayor with council approval.
There is no fiscal impact to the city’s general fund for forming the task force, according to the report prepared by senior planner Mayank Patel.
The Climate Action Plan Update is listed as a priority under the city’s Strategic Plan Goal D, Strategy 8, which calls for aligning local sustainability efforts with regional goals.
