HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 10-22 In Support of Bay Adapt: Regional Strategy for a Rising Bay
Reso. No. 10-22, Item 4.7, Adopted 02/01/2022 Page 1 of 3
RESOLUTION NO. 10 - 22
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN
IN SUPPORT OF BAY ADAPT:
REGIONAL STRATEGY FOR A RISING BAY
WHEREAS, climate change is accelerating rising sea levels, increasing storm frequency
and intensity, and moving groundwater toward the surface. The confluence of more intense
winter storms, extreme high tides, and higher runoff, with higher sea levels, will increase the
frequency and duration of shoreline flooding long before areas are permanently inundated by
sea level rise alone; and
WHEREAS, a major storm within the next decade in the Bay Area could result in
temporary flooding impacts to 13,000 existing housing units and 70,000 planned housing units,
28,000 socially vulnerable residents, 104,000 existing jobs and 85,000 planned jobs, and 20,000
acres of wetlands habitat that may become permanently inundated within 40 years; and
WHEREAS, there are multiple local, regional, state, and federal government agencies
with authority over the Bay and its shoreline, and while local governments have broad authority
over shoreline land use they have limited resources to address climate change adaptation; and
WHEREAS, the San Francisco Bay Area is a vibrant, diverse, ecologically unique,
innovative, and pioneering region that will be deeply and deleteriously affected by climate
change without tremendous effort and investments to adapt to a constantly changing shoreline.
The San Francisco Bay shoreline constitutes approximately one-third of the California coastline,
but the Bay Area is estimated to experience two-thirds of the negative economic impacts due to
the flooding that would occur absent adequate measures to adapt and protect people, places,
and habitat; and
WHEREAS, the Bay Area region’s most socioeconomically vulnerable frontline
communities are at the greatest risk of exposure to climate threats, and the impacts of historic
and ongoing social and economic marginalization will compound the risks posed by flooding to
those communities by reducing a community’s or individual’s ability to prepare for, respond to,
and/or recover from a flood event; and
WHEREAS, the Bay ecosystem is already stressed by human activities that have
drastically lowered its adaptive capacity, and climate change will further alter that ecosyst em by
inundating or eroding remaining wetlands, changing sediment dynamics, altering species
composition, increasing the acidity of Bay waters, changing freshwater flows and/or salinity,
altering the food web, and impairing water quality. Moreover, further loss of tidal wetlands will
increase the risk of shoreline flooding; and
WHEREAS, flood damage to vital shoreline development, public infrastructure, and
facilities such as neighborhoods, commercial centers, airports, seaports, regional transportation
facilities, landfills, contaminated lands, and wastewater treatment facilities absent adaptation will
require costly repairs and likely will result in the interruption or loss of vital services, large-scale
social dislocation, and degraded environmental quality; and
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Reso. No. 10-22, Item 4.7, Adopted 02/01/2022 Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS, the increasingly frequent and severe impacts of climate change in the Bay
Area do not conform to jurisdictional boundaries or the planning and regulato ry authorities of
any one agency or organization; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, BCDC, in collaboration with a Leadership Advisory Group
consisting of 35 Bay Area public, private, and non -profit leaders, embarked on the development
of “Bay Adapt,” a consensus-driven strategy for regional sea level rise adaptation. The
Leadership Advisory Group includes representatives from numerous public agencies, including
the Association of Bay Area Governments/Metropolitan Transportation Commission
(MTC/ABAG), San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, State Coastal
Conservancy, Caltrans, BARC, BART, East Bay Regional Parks, US Army Corps of Engineers,
San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, San Francisco Public Utility Commission, Marin
County, and BCDC, as well as environmental justice, environmental, business, scientific, civic,
organizations, local government and flood manager networks, and academia; and
WHEREAS, in 2020 and 2021, hundreds of stakeholders participated in the creation of
the “Bay Adapt Joint Platform” through nine Leadership Advisory Group meetings, two public
forums, many expert Working Group meetings, ten community and stakeholder focus groups,
over 50 presentations to local governments around the region, and a month -long public
feedback opportunity; and
WHEREAS, the Bay Adapt Joint Platform lays out a set of guiding principles , priority
actions, and vital tasks whose implementation will enable the region, and most notably local
governments, to adapt faster, better, and more equitably to a rising San Francisco Bay. If
fulfilled, it will reduce flood risks for communities, businesses, infrastructure, and habitat;
increase technical assistance for local governments and funding for adaptation; protect natural
areas and wildlife; recognize and equitably support low-income, frontline communities; robustly
integrate adaptation into community-focused local plans; and accelerate permitting and project
construction of local adaptation projects; and
WHEREAS, the Bay Adapt Leadership Advisory Group support s the Joint Platform and
many members agreed to help implement it at its October 2021 meeting, the BARC Governing
Board endorsed it on September 17th 2021, and BCDC adopted the Joint Platform on October
21st 2021; and
WHEREAS, implementing the Joint Platform’s many and varied actions and tasks goes
beyond the capacity of any single organization or jurisdiction, requires strong and diverse
leadership and participation in all aspects of its implementation, and a broad coalition of
stakeholders share responsibility for the success of the tasks outlined in the Joint Platform.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin hereby
supports the Bay Adapt Joint Platform, a regional strategy for a rising Bay, including the guiding
principles, actions, and tasks contained within.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council looks forward to championing and
supporting the implementation of Bay Adapt to ensure that it serves the City of Dublin and the
larger Bay Area in achieving resilient and equitable adaption to sea level rise.
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Reso. No. 10-22, Item 4.7, Adopted 02/01/2022 Page 3 of 3
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 1st day of February 2022, by the following
vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Hu, Josey, Kumagai, McCorriston and Mayor Hernandez
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
______________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________________
City Clerk
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