CCMIN120373 - Laserfiche WebLink

139 spite of a rather confused and incomplete picture at the National, State, and local levels, it would appear that it would at least be prudent for the City at this point to institute a strong conservation program, eliminate as many non-essential uses as possible and to prepare for emergency shortages of fuels and emergency reductions of non-critical electric loads. Mr. Campbell recommended that the City Council take the following actions: -- 1. Adopt a positive conservation policy and urge all City employees and residents of the City to adopt recommended practices for conserving gasoline, natural gas and electricity. 2. Adopt as a specific goal a 10% reduction in City government use of electricity each month beginning with December, 1973, as compared to the same month of the previous year. (It is recognized that with limited growth that has occurred and normal annual fluctuations this may amount to a 20% cutback or more in some areas in some months and may be difficult to achieve.) 3. Ratify the administrative order to forego lighted Christmas decorations on Main Street and on the exterior or interior of all City Buildings. · -~ 4. Approve and adopt the Emergency Load Reduction Plan for Electricity as suggested (~ by P~G~& E., and authorize the staff to continue with the necessary in-depth ~') survey using additional temporary help if necessary. 5. Authorize the City staff to hire a consultant to make a street light survey and provide the City with recommendations for temporarily disconnecting those lights which can be eliminated without endangering the public safety. An alternative might be to authorize staff overtime pay since it must be done mostly at night. 6. Authorize the staff to turn off the Pleasanton sign and the two pole top lights in front of City Hall and the two building mounted lights if this does not create any hazard. 7oSeriously consider action with respect to the following non-essential uses: a. Reduce or eliminate out of town field trips. b. Reduce or eliminate night lighting of ball fields and tennis courts. c. Close Amador Swim Center for the remainder of the winter. d. Consolidate, eliminate or reduce the number and length of night meetings, programs and classes in buildings that would otherwise be unlighted and unh~ated. 8. Adopt a water conservation policy and authorize an information program for the coming Spring urging all residents to conserve water, particularly during the Summer, not only for the sake of conserving water but in order to conserve electricity. All of our water is pumped at least once, some 2 or 3 times, and our electric bills for pumping water in the Summer are significantly higher than in the Winter. Councilman Mori stated he felt City staff should be authorized to make the street light survey rather than hire a consultant, and that the closing of programs and classes in buildings that would otherwise be unlighted and unheated was dis- crimination against certain people and that the energy cutback should affect all people. Councilman Reid stated the energy cutback places a greater responsibility on the City to provide facilities and services to the citizens of the community rather than have them go out of town, especially for recreation purposes° Councilman Kinney asked about the possibility of P.G.& E. having resources to conduct the street light survey. 2. 12/3/73