In a short Coronado City Council meeting on Oct. 3, the city heard from the council on interagency committee meetings involving the Tijuana sewage crisis, and from city staff on potentially adopting a resolution to authorize a Green Energy Incentive Program.
The program would waive permit fees for rooftop solar, electric vehicle charging stations and home battery systems among other green sources of energy, and the MTS and North County Transit District is holding a free ride day on Oct. 4.
Assemblyman Rivas backs call for additional funding
Mayor Richard Bailey updated the city on its whereabouts with the additional funding for the Tijuana sewage crisis.
Bailey and others in the California congressional delegation are seeking $310 million more for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant after engineers found that the plant was in need of massive rehabilitation before expansion begins.
MaryAnne Pintar, Congressman Scott Peters’ chief of staff, said now is the time to be asking for more money “because we’re at the stage of the federal budget process where legislators are considering what’s called emergency supplemental appropriations…so we are trying to get this as an emergency supplemental.”
Bailey, alongside City Manager Tina Friend and a close acquaintance in Santa Cruz, was able to arrange a meeting with 71st speaker of the California State Assembly, Assemblyman Robert Rivas.
Rivas was “encouraged on behalf of his office to ask for the entire California congressional delegation to support our efforts in requesting additional funds,” said Bailey, noting that Coronado will be continuing to work with his office moving forward.
Green Energy Incentive Plan is a go
The Green Energy Incentive Plan was a success, both Councilmembers Carrie Anne Downey and John Duncan commented their approval on this motion.
This program was designed to encourage the adoption and use of clean and sustainable energy sources. It offers a free local permitting process to incentivize property owners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing dependency on fossil fuel energy sources and installing green sources of energy such as solar panels.
“I agree that’s something we can do for our city that would be fantastic to move forward.”
Councilmember John Duncan
“I agree that’s something we can do for our city that would be fantastic to move forward,” Duncan said.
The motion was carried unanimously.
Free ride day
Lastly, Councilmember Mike Donovan informed the city that Oct. 4, was MTS and the North County Transit District’s free ride day, which was created in conjunction with the California Clean Air Day.
“Everyone is encouraged to use [public] transit, and if you haven’t tried it, it’s a good opportunity to try it out because you don’t have to pay any fees,” Donovan said.
