Item 6-L

Council Meeting: July 13, 1999

Santa Monica, California

TO: Mayor and City Council

FROM: City Staff

SUBJECT: Recommendation for City Council to Approve City Participation in a Joint Project with Constructive Technologies Group, Inc. to Develop Various Systems and Services to be Used in the Implementation of the City’s Proposed Green Building Guidelines and Authorize the City Manager to Issue a Purchase Order Contract to CTG, Inc. in an Amount Not to Exceed $20,000

This report recommends that City Council approve City participation in a joint project with Constructive Technologies Group, Inc. to develop various systems and services which can be used in the implementation of the City’s proposed Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines (Exhibit 1). Funding for the $250,000 project will be provided by the Gas Company through a grant to CTG, Inc. under the state approved Local Government and Community Energy Efficiency Program for 1999.

BACKGROUND

On March 26, 1996, City Council authorized the development of guidelines incorporating the goals of the Santa Monica Sustainable City Program which would govern all construction and development projects occurring in Santa Monica. The guidelines are to encourage environmentally-preferable design and construction practices without creating onerous cost increases or other burdens to the builder. Sheltair Scientific Limited, a Vancouver, British Columbia-based building science research and design firm, was selected to serve as the primary consultant and team coordinator for the project.

The scope of work for the project was divided into two phases. Phase 1 of the project entailed all research, project coordination, identification and solicitation of input from an interdepartmental City staff stakeholder group, and completion of a framework for a set of guidelines. On June 24, 1997, Council received the proposed framework and approved a contract with Sheltair Scientific Limited for Phase 2 of the Sustainable Development Guidelines project. Council also appointed an eleven-member Technical Advisory Committee to assist Sheltair and City staff with an assessment of the feasibility of the specific design regulations. The Committee, comprised of seven professionals and four community members, met periodically throughout Phase 2 to provide guidance and technical oversight of the Guidelines.

A sustainable building, also referred to as a green building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in a more sustainable and resource-efficient manner.

Green buildings meet certain objectives over their lifetimes.

These objectives include:

protecting the health of building occupants;

improving employee productivity;

using energy, water and materials more efficiently;

incorporating recycled-content building materials;

creating sustainable landscapes by eliminating the use of pesticides and herbicides, using low water demand plants and recycling/composting green waste; and

increasing the durability, ease of maintenance, and economy of building operations.

The Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines will provide designers, developers, and builders with practical information on how to design and build green buildings as well as how to comply with the City’s current and proposed codes and requirements related to green building construction. The draft Guidelines which are attached are organized into twelve chapters by subject headings familiar to designers and builders. Three appendices provide technical information and additional resources. The introductory chapter addresses the City’s vision and goals for the Green Building Guidelines; discusses critical green building strategies and the importance of an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to design and construction; and explains how the draft guidelines should be used for maximum benefit. The remaining eleven chapters are comprised of specific Recommended and Required Practices for each subject area. Each Recommended and Required Practice is evaluated and rated by its environmental, health and resource conservation performance, how easily it can be implemented, and its impact on capital cost relative to current standard practice in the building industry.

To date, the draft Guidelines have been reviewed by the Task Force on the Environment, the Building and Safety Commission, and the Housing Commission, in addition to public workshops attended by citizens and members of the design community. Staff anticipates that the draft Guidelines will be presented to the Planning Commission in August and to the City Council, after incorporating any necessary modifications for the review process, in September.

The Gas Company recently awarded Constructive Technologies Group, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings, a $250,000 grant from the State-approved Local Government and Community Energy Efficiency Program for 1999. The State requires that all grant-funded work be completed and funds expended by December 31, 1999. The purpose of the grant is for the development of various work systems and services that can be used to promote and establish the City’s proposed Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines. The City’s participation match in the project will consist of a $20,000 purchase order contract with Constructive Technologies Group, Inc. using existing budgeted funds in the Environmental Programs Division.

The work products which will be developed by CTG, Inc. include:

providing access to the Guidelines via the internet, CD-ROM, and in printed form;

training of City staff to be sources of expertise to the design community on the Guidelines and its requirements; and

creating monitoring and verification systems to evaluate the bottom-line performance of buildings constructed in accordance with the guidelines.

City staff and consultants from Constructive Technologies Group, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and Sheltair Scientific will oversee the project.

Funding for the $20,000 purchase order contract with CTG, Inc. is available in Environmental Programs Division account #31662.555060.

This report recommends that City Council approve City participation in a joint project with Constructive Technologies Group, Inc. to develop various systems and services which can be used for implementation of the City’s proposed Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines and authorize the City Manager to issue a purchase order contract to CTG, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $20,000.

Prepared by:

Craig Perkins, Director of the Environmental and Public Works

Management Department

Susan Munves, Resource Efficiency Coordinator

Attachments: Draft Green Building Design and Construction Guidelines