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finns, dozens of construction fimas, utilities, etc. There are thirteen sectors of membership including manufacturers, environmental groups, cities, states, federal governmental agencies, universities, schools, etc. The collective constituency of the 2,000 organizational members would be in the millions. The Green Building Council concept and LEED system is now being accepted overseas and is soon to be licensed in Canada and Australia. The LEED system is being used in hundreds of cities and states. New York and Oregon have a tax credit related to LEED. He also noted LEED is being used in over 70 million square feet of space through projects that have registered and as a design tool for projects that have not registered. He believed this has impacted at least ten percent of the commercial market place. He said the Council is spending about $4 million a year on LEED without counting voluntary staff time. There are dozens of committees. Many cities are using LEED for their own buildings. Seattle was the first several years ago and it is now in Austin, Santa Monica, and San Diego. Regarding the silver level, in Seattle, with the greatest experience, they are now bringing first costs down towards zero, having done twenty LEED buildings. The industry is getting to it as a design element and those costs are also coming down towards zero. Pleasanton is starting at the certified level. There is also a gold and platinum level. Pleasanton's process is practical from a business standpoint. It has removed the requirement to be certified by the Green Building Council, which saves costs. It has also removed the commissioning requirement. He was previously a developer and contractor and over the last decade has been consultant on hundreds of projects, includ'mg the State of California, Starbucks, etc. He believed a LEED certified building will insure lower energy bills, water bills, higher building value, ultimately higher rent, higher appraised value, higher loan amounts, and higher return on invesmaent. He urged Council to proceed with this ordinance. He felt the silver level was more appropriate for city facilities and cextified level for private development. Ms. Ayala believed some are opposed to this because it adds another layer of bureaucracy and slows the process. She asked for Mr. Gottfried's thoughts. Mr. Gottfried indicated the ordinance as drafted does not require certification through the Green Building Council, because some think that is expensive. A new version of LEED 2.1 has been released to make the documentation one half of the requirement, however that is not required in Pleasanton. The City staffhas assumed the responsibility for certification. That will make it less expensive for the business community. Matt Sullivan, 7882 Flagstone Drive, felt there was some misunderstanding regarding the proposed green building ordinance. Two years ago the Planning Commission began asking developers to incorporate green building measures into their projects. The Commission did this because it recognized that the construction and operation of buildings has a major impact on the community and environment in terms of land use, resource use, energy and waste. Green building combines design, material selection, construction techniques, building operation and other processes to minimize these impacts. Sustainable design or building green is an opportunity to use resources efficiently while creating healthier buildings. It provides cost savings to all Californians through improved human health and productivity, lower cost building operations and resource efficiency. It moves us closer to a sustainable future. These green build'rog measures have been applied as conditions of approval which come near the end of the approval process, after developers have invested considerable time and money into their projects. Pleasanton City Council 13 10/15/02 Minutes