Sonoma County will hold a virtual “town hall” meeting on Tuesday, April 6, to allow residents to weigh in on the county’s efforts to reach its climate goals, including becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
“Bold countywide actions are needed to combat our new climate reality,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, said in a county press release. “We invite the community to join us in advancing the County’s plan to tackle climate change head-on.”
Sonoma County has been ahead of the curve in setting ambitious goals to reduce emissions, but will no doubt face great challenges in meeting those goals in the coming years.
Last month, Petaluma grabbed national headlines when its city council voted not to permit any new gas stations.
On March 8, the county’s Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) adopted the Sonoma County Climate Mobilization Strategy, which sets a goal for the county to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Also this month, Rohnert Park’s City Council unanimously signed a “climate emergency resolution,” making the city the last in the county to sign such a pledge. Sonoma County is the first county in the country where all of the cities have signed such a pledge which, although non-binding, does acknowledge the unfolding and projected impacts of climate change.
The April 6 meeting will serve as a Special Meeting of the full Board of Supervisors, and was organized by the Board’s Climate Ad Hoc Committee, which consists of Hopkins and First District Supervisor Susan Gorin.
“After presentations about current climate initiatives in the County, particularly related to transportation, vegetation management, energy & built environment, zero waste and adaptation and social resilience, participants will be invited to give feedback, voice concerns, identify priorities and brainstorm future initiatives,” according to a county press release.
The public comments at the April 6 meeting will be presented at a meeting of the full Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 20.
The April 6 meeting will start at 5pm and end at 6:30pm. Participants who would like to speak during the meeting are encouraged to register here. The meeting will also be streamed live on Facebook. Spanish interpretation will be provided in Zoom, and a Spanish live stream will be posted on the county’s YouTube channel.
