West Hollywood City Council is scheduled to review a proposal tonight aimed at strengthening the city’s resilience in response to the increasing effects of climate change on the community. This action involves a detailed evaluation of the city’s existing plans and programs related to natural events such as heat waves, winds, floods, and fires. The council will likely give staff 120 days to return with findings on the city’s preparedness for these events.
The primary focus of this evaluation is to identify any gaps in the current resiliency strategies and to suggest improvements, including necessary resources to enhance the city’s ability to cope with and recover from natural disasters. Staff’s assessment will also determine if additional temporary personnel or consultants are needed and provide cost estimates for these resources.
In line with this directive staff will consider various nature-based solutions (NbS) that offer cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategies for disaster resilience. These include reforestation, afforestation, green roofs and walls, rain gardens, urban tree canopies, community-based tree planting, education and awareness programs, permeable surfaces, erosion control using natural materials, aquifer recharge, and promoting beekeeping and pollinator habitats.
The proposal also includes the development of heat action plans with early warning systems, outreach to vulnerable populations, and strategies for cooling centers during heatwaves. There’s a plan to expand the city’s Cooling Center program by identifying new locations that are accessible and well-equipped with air conditioning, comfortable seating, water stations, and restrooms.
New construction in West Hollywood will be required to meet certain environmental standards. The proposal calls for building codes and regulations that mandate energy-efficient designs, such as cool roofs and green roofs, and the installation of energy-efficient air conditioning.
Additionally, the city aims to identify opportunities for municipal solar and storage projects to ensure that critical facilities remain operational during emergencies. The potential for microgrid projects to enhance neighborhood resilience is also being considered.
In terms of partnerships, the city plans to collaborate with non-profit organizations specializing in climate and disaster resilience, such as Climate Resolve, Tree People, Global Cool Cities Alliance, ICLEI, The Nature Conservancy, and FEMA.
The staff analysis suggests that if approved, this directive will significantly impact existing work programs and may require additional staffing. The city has already made considerable progress through its Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP), which outlines a path to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 and adapt to the changing climate. The CAAP focuses on areas like city leadership, energy, transportation, waste management, and the natural environment, with most programs either on track or completed.
The city responded to extreme heat this past summer by opening Cooling Centers and providing information on combating heat-related health issues. This response was part of the CAAP’s strategy to implement heat preparation and response measures.
The city is also working on centralizing all resiliency efforts. The Community Development Department (CDD), in collaboration with the Community & Legislative Affairs (CLA) staff, is developing a centralized web page as a repository for all the city’s resiliency and sustainability initiatives, similar to the approach taken for projects like Metro’s K-line extension.
