The Nevada Irrigation District is a water resource management Special District supplying residents and farmers in Nevada, Placer and Yuba Counties, and in northeastern California. The district is organized primarily to supply water for irrigation, municipal, domestic and industrial purposes within its 287,000 acre boundary. The district collects water from the mountain tops of the Sierra Nevada, and utilizes nine reservoirs, seven water treatment plants, seven hydropower facilities, and 425 miles of canals as the water travels through storage and distribution to residents of the region.

The Nevada Irrigation District seeks Fellows to support priority, special projects that are part of the district’s watershed stewardship, forest management, education and outreach, and clean energy production goals. The Fellows will help the district improve its practices and operations as they develop and advance their programs in response to regional trends and climate change, water resource needs, and future challenges.

The ideal Fellows will be familiar with environmental, natural resource management, and watershed science concepts, as well as with water resource planning, computer operation and standard use of software, strong organizational and tracking skills, and some project management experience is preferred.

The Sierra Business Council is the manager of the the Gold Country Broadband Consortium (GCBC). The goal of the GCBC is to increase access to broadband for rural communities to a minimum of 98% of homes, businesses and agencies. This increased capacity will ensure that residents have adequate broadband service to build resilience in preparation for emergency situations, conduct business in the home, participate in online education opportunities and take advantage of tele-medicine services. Currently, the five counties in the consortium have multiple communities that are unserved.

The Fellow will work with project staff to prove the business case for connection through fixed wireline or wireless technology and assist in community outreach efforts within the communities. The Fellow will work with the the GCBC project team to identify feasible solutions for “unserved” and “underserved” communities within the beneficiary counties as defined by the California Public Utilities Commission and assist with implementation. The Fellow dedicated to broadband will help build new capacity for the program by increasing “boots on the ground”, deepening impact in speed test data collection and analytics, task force leadership, program outreach and solutions development.

The Fellow’s role will include researching best practices and new technologies applicable to remote, geographically challenging regions. Perform feasibility analysis of project plans. Update the regional broadband implementation plan. Present to community groups and civic leaders on proposed projects.

The most important traits/skills Sierra Business Council is looking for in a Fellow is a positive attitude, willingness to learn and ability to work in a team. This is a dynamic and fast changing area requiring flexibility and problem solving skills.

Placer County, similar to the rest of California, has a shortage of housing. Especially for low to middle income residents. The Placer County Board of Supervisors has prioritized the development of an inclusive and all-around approach to addressing the County’s affordable housing needs.

Legislation enacted in 2017 (SB 2) established a new ongoing funding source available to local governments for a variety of affordable housing program activities, which will benefit many disadvantaged and other communities. Implementing SB2 will involve considering alternative methods of administration and allocation of these new funds, how allocation methodology can leverage existing affordable housing resources, and how permit streamlining will accelerate housing production and preservation. In order for local governments to effectively utilize and apply these funds a strong program design tailored to the experiences, practices, and preferences of local governments is needed.

The Fellow will work with Placer County and State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), on research, outreach and input for the guideline development process and a variety of other activities related to accelerating housing production on SB 2 Implementation. The Fellow will be coordinating activities with the SB2 project Fellows at HCD and in the Bay Area. The Fellow will spend most of their time in Placer County offices in Roseville, but will travel often to HCD offices in Sacramento.

The Sierra Business Council (SBC) is seeking an enthusiastic and passionate individual to support SBC’s two climate change programs working with local governments and public agencies in the Sierra Nevada. SBC pioneers and demonstrates innovative approaches and solutions to increase community vitality, economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social fairness in the Sierra Nevada.

Through SBC’s two climate change programs, Climate Planning and the Sierra Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership (CAMP), the Fellow will have the opportunity to engage in the following activities: 1) Support the development, education/outreach, and implementation of regional resilience strategies, guidelines, and actions; 2) engage with Sierra leaders in government, business, academia and community groups to share best practices, identify critical needs, and strategies that benefit a broad range of local and downstream constituencies, and conduct research, education, and outreach around regional-specific local adaptation strategies towards climate change; 3) engage with other California climate collaborative organizations to build and strengthen connections within downstream cities that rely on rural resource areas, as a means of building a stronger collective voice for investment in community and resource resilience; 4) the opportunity to support Sierra jurisdictions in the implementation and advancement of their newly-established Energy/Climate Action Plans through the facilitation of working group meetings, coordination of outreach events, educational activities, and community trainings, assisting with tracking of current plan progress and Beacon Program reporting, among others tasks.

The Fellow will also assist the City of Grass Valley with the development of their Energy Action Plan through researching existing codes/ordinances/general plans for energy efficiency, water efficiency, and renewable energy actions and opportunities; stakeholder engagement, community outreach, and education; and assist with the re-inventory of community and municipal operations GHG emissions.

The ideal Fellow will have strong written and oral communication skills, and have some experience with both grassroots and grasstops community engagement. The Fellow will be co-leading webinars, conducting outreach, and presenting in front of groups, thus they must be strong written and oral communicators. Community outreach and coordinating with diverse sets of stakeholders is key to effective planning and implementation activities – a strong understanding of how to identify and communicate common goals, inspire the motivation to take action, and balance diverse perspectives is key to the success of these projects. The Fellow will also be detail – oriented, have strong interpersonal skills,  and the ability to work independently. SBC is a fast-moving environment and a Fellow who can meet with supervisors and then perform the tasks independently will thrive. Experience with climate and energy policy, data analysis and technical report writing are a plus.

Lake Tahoe has long been a leader in environmental protection, and as they move into the future, mobilizing their long history to face the challenges of climate change is critical. The Sierra Nevada Alliance and its many partners must act as one to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation practices to meet regional goals. This includes updating greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and moving toward renewable energy goals. The Fellows would work across the region with multiple agencies to coordinate climate change actions and build capacity for each agency to implement solutions.

This project will directly benefit several California agencies, both state and local, including the City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, Placer County, California State Parks, and the California Tahoe Conservancy. One deliverable will be an updated Regional GHG inventory that will help local jurisdictions track progress toward climate change goals. The Fellows would also work on 100% renewable energy goals set by the city of South Lake Tahoe. Capacity building for these agencies is critical since they lack staff with specific skills sets and understanding around climate change.

The ideal Fellows would have the ability to work in a complex environment and have technical knowledge for GHG and renewable energy.

Placer County is located in both the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada regions, in what is known as the Gold Country. It stretches from the suburbs of Sacramento to Lake Tahoe and the Nevada border. The Placer County Planning Division is seeking a Fellow with an interest in long range planning and climate protection, to assist County staff with completing its first Sustainability Plan. The Fellow would assist with development of the Plan in close collaboration with staff, and gain a wide range of experience which may include: 1) Collecting and analyzing data for forecasting GHG emissions; 2) Researching feasible GHG mitigation strategies and mitigation benefits to support land use development review under CEQA; 3) Assisting staff in coordination with local municipal advisory councils and key stakeholders to develop and identify possible GHG mitigation strategies; 4) Assisting in implementation of a public outreach strategy; 5) Researching legislative requirements related to GHG emission reductions; 6) Providing climate protection policy recommendations; 7) Conducting research of emerging successful strategies in this relatively new field; 8) Assisting with development of an implementation strategy, including CEQA streamlining checklists; 9) Preparation of an Adaptation Plan; and 10) Assisting with workshops and public presentations. The Fellow may gain additional experience by utilizing various CAP resources including Cool California, ICLEI, and the California Natural Resources Agency documents, Implementation Action Plans and Climate Adaptation Planning Guide.

The ideal Fellow will have broad knowledge of the current state climate change policies and a general understanding of GHG emission inventories, and computer skills to apply models for quantifying GHG mitigation strategies. Strong communication skills and outreach experience are also desired skills, as the Fellow would join staff to participate at public workshops and meetings to promote the Plan.

Nestled amongst the Mayacama mountains of Northern California, Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District (HVLCSD) provides water and wastewater services to the rural community of Hidden Valley Lake. Groundwater wells under the influence of underflow from Putah Creek supply drinking water to less than 7500 residents and businesses. As a small agency, large projects to conserve and/or better manage water delivery can be challenging.

Fellows would be serving on two separate but related programs: the Advanced Metering Infrastructure project (AMI), and the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) project. Fellows will help get the AMI project off the ground, with close monitoring of project timelines, and gathering of project metrics. HVLCSD customers will have the opportunity to monitor and take ownership of their own water use, and Fellows will help train them on these tools. Fellows will also have the opportunity to conduct community outreach to help train interested participants. The GIS platform does integrate into the AMI project, but also has improvement opportunities that far surpass the mapping of water meters. A geometric network is the first milestone towards a robust GIS platform, which a Fellow will help create! Tools to help field operations efficiently and resolve issues will need to be vetted, purchased, tested, and installed. These tools may include Collector, Survey 123, and Workforce. Training and quality assurance of internal staff will also be performed by the Fellows.

The ideal Fellows will have an interest in ArcGIS, specifically, ArcGIS for Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, Collector for ArcGIS, Survey 123, and Workforce. They will also have an interest in organizing a project to conserve water, as well as have data collection and analysis skills.

The City of Mt. Shasta is a small, rural community situated at the base of Mount Shasta and Headwaters of the Sacramento River. The City’s Planning and Public Works Departments are the leading departments for infrastructure projects, and they operate on minimal staff to provide first-class services like water, wastewater, and storm water. The City services pose unique challenges to the City due to the untreated nature of the City water and aging infrastructure. The community prides itself on clean air and water, which means the City must continue to meet state drinking water standards without the use of chemicals or additives. This presents an opportunity to use natural systems and new technology to maintain the water’s pristine quality. In addition to untreated water supply, the City has insufficient data on its water systems. The systems are known to have outdated piping materials and infiltration problems, although the location and extent of the issues are not known. The City is in need of assistance to map and catalog the systems to ensure improvements are made to the highest priority areas.

The CivicSpark Water Fellows would map and catalog the status of the city’s water, wastewater, and storm water systems. Once the data is collected, the Fellows would assist the Planning and Public Works Departments to develop goals, policies, implementation measures, and capital improvement projects to be included in the City’s Water Resource Element. This would involve working with the public and outside agencies, like the Upper Sacramento Regional Watershed Action Group, Native Tribes, etc., to create collaborative solutions. The Fellows are encouraged to bring their interest areas related to infrastructure, water, wastewater, and storm water management into this project.

The ideal Fellows would have skills in Geographic Information System (GIS), Microsoft Excel, STATA, SPSS or comparable database software; the ability and willingness to walk the city infrastructure for cataloging; have written and verbal communication skills, and a constant curiosity and willingness to explore new techniques and technology around water systems.

Located on the west shore of Clear Lake, Lakeport is the oldest incorporated (1888) community in Lake County and provides a wide variety of services to its population of just over 5,100 residents. Known for its access to recreational water sports such as kayaking, boating, wakeboarding, and swimming, the City prides itself on protecting and maintaining its water supply for residents. Over the past two years, the region has experienced record-setting rainfall, and as a result, the City seeks the support of a Fellow to create greater resiliency around the City’s water management efforts. They seek the support of a Fellow to assist the City’s Public Works Division in its efforts to identify and mitigate Intrusion and Infiltration in its collection system. This critical project will support the City’s broader resiliency efforts around water management. The Fellow will also assist the City in its community engagement efforts specifically, educating residents and visitors on the wide array of initiatives the City has undergone to increase local sustainability and resiliency.

The ideal Fellow would exhibit a willingness and ability to travel (driving and walking) to collect data via GIS mapping tools and engage local community members. Microsoft Office skills are needed to document and track project data and schedules.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is developing a comprehensive resource for innovative housing solutions that could be utilized to support housing needs following disasters. The Northern California wildfires in 2017 were among the deadliest and most destructive fires in California’s history. In total, the October fires destroyed 6,511 homes and damaged 643, leaving many displaced survivors in need of housing. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared the incident a federal disaster and granted direct housing to support recovery efforts. FEMA and Cal OES utilized mostly traditional housing options including placing manufactured housing units (MHUs) and recreational vehicles (RVs) on commercially available spaces to house survivors. However, space was limited and MHUs and RVs are often intended to be only temporary in nature and are not appropriate for larger households and those with access and functional needs. MHUs and RVs also do not help communities build a stronger, more resilient future.

Therefore, Cal OES would like to develop innovative housing solutions that deviate from the traditional disaster housing solutions and may potentially build long-term housing capacity. The Fellow will coordinate with affected and non-affected local counties, state and federal agencies (e.g. FEMA), non-governmental organizations, and academia to create a living database of innovative solutions so that in future disasters California can work with FEMA to place disaster survivors in novel housing solutions. The innovative housing solution will incorporate the following attributes to the highest extent possible: 1) Cost less than an MHU (~$70,000/unit); 2) Take less time to manufacture and install than an MHU (less than 3 months); 3) Allow for scalable production to meet the housing needs; 4) Be multi-hazard resistant to natural disasters; 5) Maximize energy efficiency and reduce harm to the environment; 6) Be viable for long-term occupancy; and 7) Be able to accommodate access and functional needs and/or large families. The innovative housing database and can also be utilized in non-federally declared disasters to enable counties to identify housing solutions that meet their specific needs.

The ideal Fellow will have strong program management skills. They must be able to meet self-imposed deadlines, work in a highly collaborative environment as well as independently, and they must be resourceful in using tools to keep project elements organized and running smoothly. Research skills will be critical to ensuring that the Fellow can integrate themselves into the project quickly and conduct a thorough gap assessment with the county beneficiaries.

The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is a state agency whose mission is to “provide leadership, policies, and programs to preserve and expand safe and affordable housing opportunities and promote strong communities for all Californians.” HCD serves California’s housing and community development needs through a range of functions including research, planning and analysis of state housing issues review and certification of general plan housing elements, administration of loan and grant programs, developing state building codes, titling, registration and inspection of of mobilehomes and parks.

HCD fellows will be assigned to one of three project areas: Planning for SB 2 Housing Implementation, Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recover Mitigation Funding Implementation, and the Mobilehome Park Research Analysis Project.

Across all three projects, desirable traits include ability to meet self-imposed deadlines, work in a highly collaborative environment as well as independently, and be resourceful in using tools to keep project elements organized and running smoothly. Fellows will have the opportunity to travel within the State for these projects.

Planning for SB 2 Housing Implementation
Openings: 0 of 2

Legislation enacted in 2017 (SB 2) established a new ongoing funding source available to local governments for a variety of affordable housing program activities, which will benefit many disadvantaged and other communities. Implementing SB2 will involve considering alternative methods of administration and allocation of these new funds, how allocation methodology can leverage existing affordable housing resources, and how permit streamlining will accelerate housing production and preservation. In order for local governments to effectively utilize and apply these funds a strong program design tailored to the experiences, practices, and preferences of local governments is needed.

Fellows will work with HCD and partner local governments on research, outreach and input for the guideline development process and a variety of other activities related to accelerating housing production. The Fellows will be coordinating activities with the SB2 project Fellows in the Bay Area and Placer County.

Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Mitigation Funding Implementation
Openings: 0 of 2

In 2017 54 of California’s 58 counties had a federal declaration of disaster from wildfire, flooding and mudslide damage. HCD will be administering $88 million in federal funding to address disasters in California. The guidelines for this funding are currently under development by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In order to support effective disaster mitigation at a local level, there are significant data and research needs required within disaster-impacted counties in Southern and Northern California.

Fellows will assist with local hazard mitigation outreach, research of eligible needs of the local governments, and data collection and reporting to support long-term disaster recovery and resiliency efforts. This opportunity is suited for Fellows with interest in climate change, disaster recovery, resilience, and community engagement.

Mobilehome Park Research and Analysis Project
Openings: 0 of 1

Through the Mobilehome Parks Act HCD has oversight of mobilhomes and mobilehome parks including health and safety enforcement. Approximately 1.2 million California residents reside in manufactured homes, many of which are located in one of over 4,000 mobilehome parks throughout the state. This is a critical portion of California’s diminishing affordable housing stock. Much of this housing stock is aging and many of the residents are elderly, with high maintenance needs. There is need for more information available about this population, including housing satisfaction, preferences or the condition of the homes in which they reside.

Using HCD data related to the location and condition of mobilehome parks, Fellows will have the opportunity to work with HCD staff to conduct targeted outreach and assistance to local governments with disadvantaged communities, by developing surveys related to demographics, housing conditions and housing preferences, including affordability and overcrowding, incidence of disadvantaged communities, proximity to climate adaptation hazards (e.g., flood, fire, sea level rise), resident housing preferences and satisfaction related to mobilehome living, access to services and environmental justice. Ultimately the goal is to provide assistance to local governments with disadvantaged communities for implementing planning requirements of local general plan updates with analysis of water, wastewater, stormwater drainage, and structural fire protection needs or deficiencies.

The CSU Chico Research Foundation – Geographical Information Center (GIC) facilitates the Northeastern California Connect Consortium (NECCC) which consists of counties, cities, non-governmental organizations, anchor institutions and internet service providers (ISPs), among other partners in the rural northern California region. The GIC has a wide portfolio of broadband projects, providing service to both the local governments in the region and directly to the California Public Utilities Commission. The focus of the CivicSpark position will be addressing the rural digital divide through policy and planning.

The Fellow will work as part of a multi-discipline team on a variety of projects to support rural broadband access. S/he will work hand-in-hand with a planner, an economic development specialist and the consortia manager, who is a PhD telecommunications engineer. The planner and economic development specialist also serve as grant funding support to the program. As an active participant with the local government staff in policy development, the Fellow will learn to organize working and public outreach meetings and analyze and propose changes to general plan policy. Under the guidance of the consortia manager, s/he will write sections of master broadband plans, with attributed authorship. As part of this team, the Fellow will have the opportunity to participate in strategy meetings, develop an understanding of rural broadband issues and be mentored in policy and grant proposal development.

The ideal Fellow would be committed to follow through and exhibit attention to detail. In the rural communities of the NECCC, local government staffs are very limited and their willingness to collaborate on policy and planning for broadband infrastructure must be sustained by effective and efficient responses. The Fellow will be responsible for producing written material that is grounded in the local jurisdictions’ existing policies and community needs. Careful attention to this framework and the proposed changes will be needed.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) is a leader in addressing climate change in the Sacramento Region, working with partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support public health and air quality, and build climate resilience. Extreme heat is a growing concern for the Capital Region, especially for vulnerable communities, and the transportation sector is a major source of urban heat. The Air District is launching a new program to analyze the regional urban heat island (UHI) effect and develop plans and recommendations to cool the community, boost transportation infrastructure resilience, and improve public health and transportation access. The Fellow will play a key role in the project through both technical analysis and through community engagement. They will help compile and analyze existing transportation plans, guidelines, projects, and codes in the Sacramento Region, to identify opportunities for UHI reduction. The Fellow will also research current and future plans for electric vehicle deployment and infrastructure siting. This research will help build a database and map to identify opportunities for incorporating cool pavements, urban trees, cool roofs, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Combined with UHI modeling and community input, this work will help identify priority strategies for regional heat mitigation. Because extreme heat has the most severe impacts for vulnerable populations, community outreach is another key component of the UHI project. Fellows will help engage disadvantaged, low-income, and under-resourced communities and build understanding of their needs and improvements for active transportation, transportation access, and neighborhood infrastructure, and also provide education on the health threats from extreme heat and air pollution. Fellows will help organize and host workshops, and analyze and understand community input.

In a second project, the Fellow will help the Air District with the planning and implementation of programs to help expand ZEV access in disadvantaged and low-income communities. Currently, ZEV access is limited to high- and middle-income residents. The Fellow will help to expand new ZEV programs to provide funding and ZEV car share. Activities may include providing community engagement, education, and training, preparing for workshops, public speaking, and providing assistance directly to community members. The goal will be to help increase community access to ZEVs and low-carbon transportation. For both projects, the Fellow will work collaboratively with a diverse range of professionals from the Air District and our project partners, public agencies, community groups, companies, and other organizations.

The ideal Fellow will have a strong interest in and experience with transportation planning and urban design, including transportation infrastructure, active transportation, electric vehicles, green infrastructure, cool roofs and pavements, and urban forestry. The Fellow will be analyzing transportation plans and projects of local agencies in the Sacramento area, and should ideally possess strong technical and analytic skills, including GIS and database/Excel skills. In addition, the Fellow should ideally be motivated to address climate change impacts on disadvantaged, vulnerable, and under-resources communities. They would ideally have strong communication skills and be interested in collaborating with other community groups and stakeholders to help communities reduce their exposure to extreme heat, improve their neighborhood and transportation opportunities, and expand access to zero-carbon transportation.

The Adaptation Plan Guide (APG) is a set of four complementary documents; provides guidance to support communities in addressing the unavoidable consequences of climate change. The original APG was developed by the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and published in 2012 to provide guidance and support to all levels of government to address the unavoidable consequences of climate change.

As part of the update process, the Cal OES will coordinate with the Natural Resources Agency, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and relevant public and private entities in public meetings in the northern, southern and central regions of the state to obtain input from the public and leaders in local and regional climate preparedness. The APG update will consider the nexus between climate adaptation, community resiliency, public safety, security, and provide information and planning support for assessing climate vulnerabilities across impact sectors and regions. The APG will help integrate climate adaptation actions with state-mandated Regional Sustainable Growth Plans, general plan Safety Elements, and Local Coastal Plans, as well as federally-funded Local Hazard Mitigation Plans. The Cal OES does not have full-time dedicated sustainability staff to research, track and monitor climate adaptation actions, data and strategies required to update and maintain the APG and seeks a Fellow to implement and complete this update process.

The Fellow will require skills and traits related to research, identification and assessment of existing data for climate vulnerabilities and impacts to sectors and regions. The Fellow will utilize and coordinate data and research within the Safeguarding CA, ICARP, 4th Climate Change Assessment efforts, etc. to maintain overall state consistency. Technical writing skills are required to assist Cal OES, in consultation with the OPR, Natural Resources Agency and, as needed, with the advisory council to update the APGs and assist in holding public meetings in the northern, southern, and central regions of the state to obtain/document input from the public and leaders in local and regional climate preparedness. Under the direction of the Cal OES, the Fellow will assist in the overall research, assessments and writing of the updated Climate Adaptation Policy Guides and related handouts reflecting key policy and action recommendations from stakeholders.

The position will be responsible for supporting with Utilities’ Carbon neutrality and energy efficiency improvement planning efforts and projects. Fellows will report to the Sustainability Manager of the Department of Utilities. A key priority for this role is to assist and support with the implementation of Sustainability Plan for Utilities. The plan includes 2 main activities – 1) Energy Management Plan implementation efforts and help with evaluation of new and innovative technologies in energy management that will improve the DOU operations and maintenance. 2) Inventorying, benchmarking and reporting efforts of indirect and direct greenhouse gas emission to help create a roadmap to achieve Carbon Neutrality. In addition, this position will also support inter-departmental sustainability initiatives and Climate Action plan updates.

Responsibilities may include development of presentations, reporting of sustainability metrics, coordinating sustainability outreach and marketing efforts, develop communication materials such as social media posts, blogs and other resources.

1) Energy Management Plan Implementation – Assist with research and evaluation of ISO 500001 energy management standard for Sacramento Treatment Plants. The efforts will include assessment of the requirements, collecting data from diverse groups, hold meetings with different stakeholders and implementation of measures identified by ISO 50001. Other efforts include review of annual energy use and consumption of Utilities; plan and help prioritize energy efficiency improvement projects with Engineering Division.

2) Carbon neutrality roadmap: Inventory, benchmark and assess the current GHG emissions. Assist with planning efforts with different stakeholders to identify the road map to Carbon neutrality.

The Fellows need to be motivated, energetic and passionate individuals with project management and analytical skill sets. Tasks need collaboration with multiple units and departments; facilitating meetings, presentations and workshops to guide discussions, identifying roadblocks and challenges as well as ability to prioritize tasks to accomplish the projects in determined timelines.

Desired qualifications range from knowledge of energy and water efficiency projects, greenhouse gas inventories and forecasting to general knowledge of sustainability principles, concepts and practices.

The City of Chico‘s Climate Action Plan (CAP) outlines strategies, organized within a flexible ten-year framework, for a significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that are directly and indirectly generated by local activities. The CAP identifies broad-ranging areas vulnerable to climate change, including impacts on agriculture, water resources, air quality, public infrastructure, sensitive habitats, public health and safety, and, as a result, multiple economic sectors. The CAP directs the development of a Climate Change Adaptation Plan to outline long-term strategies for mitigating local impacts of climate change. To achieve this goal and be consistent with recent State sustainability legislation, Chico and Butte County had a CivicSpark Fellow during the 2017-18 year to coordinate with California State University, Chico and utilize tools developed by the State to initiate development of a Draft Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment that identifies risks climate change poses to the community, and to draft adaptation and resiliency goals, policies, and objectives for incorporation into local planning documents.

The next step is to start implementing high priority adaption and resiliency actions, including: 1) development of a local Extreme Heat Action Plan; 2) identifying City infrastructure susceptible to increased heat and flooding; and 3) developing preliminary plans to protect infrastructure. Further, drafting of the City’s CAP began 10 years ago, and most of the actions included are outdated or have been implemented. The new Fellow will conduct research to identify the latest best practices communities are utilizing to reduce GHG emissions, which will assist the City’s Sustainability Task Force to prioritize future actions.

The ideal Fellow will have research and writing skills, and the ability to project manage and coordinate with individuals at other agencies and organizations in developing a plan.

As the capital of California, the City of Sacramento has prime opportunity to showcase new and innovative zero emission vehicle (ZEV) programs in the heart of California. Activities will build on the City’s early leadership in clean transportation and sustainability. The City is a participant in the Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition, and recently worked with other agency and community partners to develop a countywide EV readiness and infrastructure plan. Sacramento adopted the City’s first EV Strategy in December 2017. The City was previously hailed in 2015 as the #1 Green Fleet in North America, with 50% alternative fuels and ongoing investments in electrification. Sacramento has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, marked by adoption of its first Sustainability Master Plan in 2007, followed by municipal and community wide climate action plans.

The position will be responsible for supporting with the implementation of ZEV readiness initiatives. The Fellow will report to the Sustainability Manager of the Department of Public Works. A key priority for this role is conducting research and assisting with the development of new programs for emerging ZEV issues. Primary activities are anticipated to include implementation of curbside electric vehicle (EV) charging, support for electric car share, educational and marketing initiatives, and the expansion of EV infrastructure to underserved areas. Other responsibilities will include general support for other City sustainability initiatives, including the City’s climate action plan update. Tasks may include preparation of reports for climate action monitoring and reporting, awards submissions, and updates to sustainability content on the City website.

Project outcomes and key tasks are anticipated to include the following: ZEV-related tasks (70-80% of workload), curbside charging implementation, EV toolkits, support for developing plans to upgrade workplace and public charging, report on ZEV and shared mobility models for multi-family and underserved areas, other sustainability duties as assigned (30-20% of workload), support for climate action plan update, monitoring and reporting of energy efficiency and climate project outcomes, and website updates.

Tasks will be highly collaborative, but preferred candidates will be motivated individuals with the ability to organize and analyze a diverse array of issues while succeeding in a team environment. Preferred candidates will identify with core values and mission of the Department of Public Works. As established in the recent 2016-2019 Strategic Plan, the department’s mission and vision are to provide innovative and sustainable infrastructure public infrastructure and services to preserve and enhance the quality of life. Core values of the Department are teamwork, integrity, accountability, and dedication.

Desired qualifications for the Fellow include: experience working for local government, or studies in public administration, city and regional planning, or a similar field; analytical experience with greenhouse gas emissions inventories and forecasting; knowledge of ZEV or clean transportation technologies; and a foundation in general sustainability topics.

The City of Woodland, located 20 miles northwest of Sacramento, combines a strong historic heritage in its downtown, neighborhoods, and identity as a traditional agricultural hub with increasing importance as a manufacturing and distribution center supported by its proximity to major transportation nodes and regional population centers. The City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) was adopted in May 2017 and provides community-generated strategies to guide Woodland in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in six focus areas: energy, transportation and land use, urban forest and open space, water and waste, public involvement, and municipal operations.

To support implementation of the CAP, a mechanism for tracking progress toward achieving CAP goals is needed to generate regular public reports on CAP progress. They envision this public reporting to be fully integrated with the City’s Web pages related to the CAP, including providing some form of overview or “dashboard.” Such regular reporting will enable the City to evolve its policies, program needs, and courses of action to further the success of initiatives that reduce GHG emissions. A second broad climate priority that may be included in the Fellow’s work is assisting with early thinking about the development of a climate adaptation and resiliency plan for the City.

The Fellow will work with the City’s Environmental Services Division to establish a system to maintain Climate Action Plan (CAP) progress tracking and facilitate regular public reporting. The project will involve performing extensive research, working with outside agencies and city staff in several departments to obtain data and information and establish lines of communication, analysis of existing data, and development of a framework for ongoing data gathering and progress reporting.

While this project will initially support the work of the Environmental Services Division, its anticipated outcomes will benefit all City administrative units with responsibility for addressing CAP goals, as well as the general public. Specific outcomes that will benefit City departments include defining evaluation criteria and metrics, identifying data sources and analysis methodologies, developing templates for reporting progress, and establishing a central repository for information related to tracking progress toward CAP goals. Development of such a procedural framework for reporting CAP progress will streamline the efforts of City staff and result in more consistent information being available to decision-makers and the public.

The City has a strong policy-level commitment to climate action and sustainability, having supported two rounds of climate action planning. However, there are currently no full-time staff dedicated to CAP implementation or monitoring, and already financially constrained departments have few available resources to devote to these tasks. The Fellow’s work on this project will have a lasting effect by developing critical infrastructure to support ongoing assessment and reporting of CAP progress

Conceptually, they envision this project, and the Fellow’s work, to operate partly as a consultant to various city departments. This will include helping them understand how the CAP and its goals apply to them, as well as how CAP reporting data and implementation mechanisms can help them. As part of this, they can imagine the Fellow assisting with smaller projects that improve departments capacity to implement the CAP. An example might be development of a development checklist that could help planning staff evaluate a project’s consistency with the CAP and eligibility for CEQA streamlining.

The Fellow should have strong analytical and communication skills. The project requires data analysis and communication by phone, email, and in-person with outside agencies and internal city staff in several departments to obtain data and information and to establish lasting lines of communication for ongoing CAP progress tracking. Applied research skills and an understanding of decision-making processes and program evaluation are a plus – ideally, connecting these through understanding how to present specific information critical to decision makers.

The Yolo Resiliency Planning Group is an ad-hoc group of staff from public jurisdictions in Yolo County working to develop a collaborative inter-jurisdictional resiliency planning process. The Group seeks a Fellow to build capacity in support of local efforts to address increased heat effects and extreme heat events due to long-term changes in climate.

Yolo County has a strong, positive history of people acting together to face challenges, protect their resources, and improve their collective well-being. Designing their response to climate change impacts is another opportunity to work together to meet challenges that are daunting to face alone.

The Group has started its efforts with an initial focus on increased heat effects and extreme heat events, understanding that most of the likely effects of climate change in Yolo County will stem from increased heat. Additionally, the Group has quickly realized that there is less research, policy, and planning about heat impacts than for other climate change impacts like sea level rise or flooding.

Through a county-wide workshop, the Group has identified a widespread need among local jurisdictions for assistance in understanding how key local planning documents can address the likelihood of increased heat effects and extreme heat events. Consequently, a particular focus of their initial efforts, and the Fellow’s work, will be creation and dissemination of sample language for key planning documents (such as general plans, climate adaptation and resiliency plans, and local hazard mitigation plans) in order to facilitate developing local resiliency in preparation for the likelihood of increased heat effects and extreme heat events.

The Fellow’s work on this project will likely include a significant amount of research, needs assessment, and, especially, communication. As a collaborative, the Yolo Resiliency Planning Group envisions this project to be inclusive, engaging, and transparent. The Group expects that a significant portion of the Fellow’s work will involve communication, both verbally and in writing, with a wide range of local agencies and stakeholder groups to facilitate participation. The successful Fellow will be highly organized, willing to take ownership of project goals, and comfortable coordinating busy people with competing priorities.

The Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) is a state agency. Their mission is to advance two equal goals: to provide a more reliable water supply for California and to restore the Delta ecosystem. They do this in ways that protect and enhance the unique cultural, recreational, natural resource, and agricultural values of the Delta as an evolving place. The DSC developed and carries out the Delta Plan by working with all stakeholders to provide a strategic vision for the Delta and the tools and mechanisms to implement that vision.

The DSC is developing a comprehensive climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan for the Delta. The assessment will involve the use of the best available science available and the application of that science to quantify and describe the potential impacts to local communities and resources. Adaptation strategies will provide direction for federal, state, and local government authorities to make investments in the Delta that are consistent with the Delta Plan, robust in the face of climate changes, and provide increased protection and resilience to future changes.

The Fellow will work to ensure that existing county government information is incorporated into the vulnerability assessment and that the vulnerability assessment provides information and tools that are useful for county governments throughout the Delta. The Fellow will also help provide for the DSC with information about potential strategies for climate change adaptation that are implementable by county governments within the Delta.

The ideal Fellow would have excellent interpersonal skills and be able to adapt and think creatively within the scope of broadly defined goals to produce products that are useful to stakeholders and the host agency. Demonstrated analytical skills and the ability to use GIS and database tools are strongly desired.

The City of Antioch, in East Contra Costa County, has some of the most affordable housing in the Bay area but also the highest concentration of unhoused persons in the county, as well as a sizeable population of lower income, disabled and elderly persons all who need deeply affordable housing. To address these issues, the city has three critical projects that would be undertaken by the chosen Fellow. Each teaches and builds upon important community building, research, analytical, writing and presentation skills. Each project also exposes the Fellow to increasingly deep levels of City and County government.

Project 1: Effects of Antioch Code Enforcement efforts in lower income neighborhoods – After receiving training in housing condition identification and municipal codes, Fellow and Code Enforcement officer will conduct a driving survey of lower income census tracts to visually assess housing conditions and municipal code violations. Fellow will compare with two previous surveys to identify neighborhood trends, then help identify services needed to improve the living environment of these areas and an outreach strategy. Finally, Fellow will write up findings, and present to City Council.

Project 2: ADA Self-Evaluation & Transition Plan Update, Accessibility to government services for all members of public – Fellow will receive training in various disabilities and how they affect access to services. Using an existing survey, fellow will interview key staff in each City department to document all programs and services offered, accommodations made for persons with disabilities, and policies developed to ensure access. They will design and implement public outreach strategies, including conducting community meetings and working with disability advocates and groups. Fellow will analyze all data and assist in preparation of the Self-Analysis and ADA Transition Plan for services.

Project 3: Inventory of deed-restricted affordable housing units, by income range, in all cities in Contra Costa County – Fellow will receive training in the basics of affordable housing development and sustainability. They will work with planning and affordable housing staff at County, Concord, Pittsburg, Walnut Creek, and Richmond to produce an accurate inventory of all affordable units in County, and current levels of affordability. Fellow will summarize data in Excel, analyze and compare to need, prepare a written summary, and orally present findings at the Countywide CDBG/HOME Consortium meeting and Homeless Continuum of Care Board meeting.

The ideal Fellow will be curious, empathetic, and open to learning. They will have or develop an interest in the challenges and issues faced by disabled and lower income residents and communities. They possess basic Excel skills and good writing and analytical skills. They have, or wish to learn, the skills required to conduct good public meetings and make oral presentations. They will develop their work plan and work with staff to create the structure they need to accomplish their goals, stick to schedules and deliverables, and mutually assess their performance at regular intervals. By working with the passionate staff at the City of Antioch, the Fellow will learn the satisfaction of making real contributions to better the lives of thousands of residents for many years to come.

In 1961, the Bay Area’s local governments came together to form ABAG as a response to state legislation that would have supplanted local control over all bridges, ports, and transit operations in the Bay Area. ABAG’s mission ever since has been to strengthen cooperation and collaboration among local governments to provide innovative and cost effective solutions to common problems that they face. The ABAG Planning and Research Department works with local governments and stakeholders to develop and implement innovative solutions for issues involving land use planning, housing, transportation, environmental climate change, earthquakes and disaster resilience, and economic equity.

Legislation enacted in 2017 (SB 2) established a new ongoing funding source available to local governments for a variety of affordable housing program activities, which will benefit many disadvantaged and other communities. Implementing SB2 will involve considering alternative methods of administration and allocation of these new funds, how allocation methodology can leverage existing affordable housing resources, and how permit streamlining will accelerate housing production and preservation. In order for local governments to effectively utilize and apply these funds a strong program design tailored to the experiences, practices, and preferences of local governments is needed.

The Fellow will work with the Association of Bay Area Governments and State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), on research, outreach and input for the guideline development process and a variety of other activities related to accelerating housing production on SB 2 Implementation. The Fellow will be coordinating activities with the SB2 project Fellows at HCD and in Placer County. The Fellow will spend most of their time in ABAG offices in San Francisco, but will travel often to HCD offices in Sacramento.

The City of Emeryville is looking for a Fellow that will assist the City in creating a comprehensive municipal facilities Energy Resilience Plan. Through this project, the Fellow will: 1) Develop a roadmap for electrification of the City’s municipal fleet and building stock, specifically including battery storage and microgrid opportunities as applicable; 2) Analyze the potential for solar on three City buildings and make recommendations on next steps for inclusion in the Capital Improvement Program; 3) Integrate energy resilience metrics into current and future Capital Improvement Program projects; 4) Collaborate on an upcoming parking study to include electric vehicle (EV) charging and GHG targets for consideration; and 5) Recommend Environmental Program priorities for achieving municipal GHG reduction goals.

Emeryville’s Public Works, Planning, and Building Departments, as well as their emergency services (Police and Fire Departments) all benefit from the creation of this plan through increased energy resilience for emergency services, which is a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan goal. Public Works and Community Development will benefit from the GHG-focused review of the parking study and imminent paid parking project.  Furthermore, this work will provide the City eligibility for future funding for energy-related projects.

The ideal Fellow will have a technical interest in energy systems and strong data analysis skills; in addition, an interest in/capacity to learn about public outreach would be valuable.

The City of Antioch, as the Gateway to the Delta, enjoys a river shoreline and foothills that back up to Mt Diablo while still being a part of the San Francisco Bay Area. Antioch’s climate goals and climate action plans were adopted in 2010 and to reach their goals, they need more participation in existing programs as well as public interest in creating new projects. Staffing reductions that occurred in the Environmental Resources department during the Great Recession resulted in a severe cut backs on resources dedicated to participation in local events and other outreach opportunities. The City is entering it’s fourth year with CivicSpark, and efforts from previous Fellows have brought them up to speed on their monitoring and inventories and have identified the need to focus on building back up their public education and outreach opportunities. Additionally, the City continues to work on municipal energy conservation projects and needs project management assistance to keep these moving forward.

This year’s Fellow will be working to assist the City of Antioch’s Environmental Resource Division and the Housing program with increasing participation in existing program as well as working with the Recreation and Public Works Departments on finalizing and implementing the energy efficiency improvement plan currently in progress.   

The ideal Fellow will be willing to take ownership of their programs and be proactive. The Fellow should be comfortable working with the public and speaking to groups, as well as be an independent worker and creative thinker with social media and outreach experience. Strong writing and verbal communication skills are a must as the primary focus of the program year will be interacting with the general public and reaching out to community groups.

The City of Richmond is looking for a creative problem solver to help develop and implement energy upgrades in city facilities, and integrate energy metrics with the city’s climate action plan dashboard. The City of Richmond provides Fellows an opportunity to complete projects within an 11-month time frame and to significantly contribute to advancing the City’s Climate Action Plan and Health in All Policy goals. Specifically, the city is aiming to undertake comprehensive energy upgrades in city facilities that demonstrate best practices in building energy performance, and reduce the city’s greenhouse gas footprint and operating costs. The project will expand existing energy management systems, identify and implement energy efficiency measures, and electrification demonstration measures. The project will interface with the public and decision makers by leveraging and integrating the city’s existing utility accounting and management software with the City’s Climate Action Plan dashboard utilizing application programming interface tools.

The ideal Fellow should be a creative problem solver that’s eager to take on a variety of roles and contribute to the City’s Climate Action Plan implementation. The most important characteristic is a disposition to serve the public with good customer service. Desired qualifications include strong writing skills, quantitative analysis, software, and/or design.

The City of Dublin has just begun the process of creating a new Climate Action Plan (CAP) to address the State of California Air Resources Board (CARB) guidelines for new reductions targets. Dublin’s current CAP, adopted in 2013, has greenhouse gas reduction targets through 2020 which the City is on track to meet. The Fellow will be assisting the City’s effort to update its reductions goals to the new horizon years of 2030 and 2050 by engaging in public outreach efforts to create stakeholder momentum behind climate action. The Fellow will take a lead role in community engagement and education as Dublin develops and adopts the new CAP. Once adopted, the Fellow will educate the public on the City’s new CAP with the goal of engaging the community in actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Dublin. This will involve leading workshops and providing presentations to community organizations. Additionally, the Fellow will update the City’s electronic and printed material related to CAP implementation programs to make them easy to understand and motivational.

The ideal Fellow will be outgoing, well spoken, and excited to motive the community around climate action. The Fellow will have knowledge and skills in stakeholder engagement, public speaking, and professional writing. The Fellow should also be comfortable working somewhat independently. Experience specifically with the principles of Community Based Social Marketing (CBSM) is a plus.

The County of Contra Costa is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The County’s physical geography is dominated by its extensive waterfront on the San Francisco and San Pablo Bays and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. These waterfront areas are home to heavy industry, including active oil refineries and power plants. The eastern part of Contra Costa County has a robust agriculture industry which is important to the County’s economy and identity. Emissions from stationary source facilities and from the energy used by those facilities and other major industrial sites are the major source emissions within the unincorporated County. After stationary sources, the next largest source of emissions is the transportation sector. There are many “disadvantaged communities” in Contra Costa County, and many vulnerable populations. Climate change will disproportionately impact these vulnerable populations, for example, those that are low income, people of color, medically compromised, very young, very old, socially and linguistically isolated, and outdoor workers. These populations already suffer disproportionately poor health outcomes, and often live in housing that is substandard in many ways that impact their health.

The County and community-based organizations (CBOs) provide a number of services to these populations that are not coordinated in any substantial way.  Some of these services offer assistance in addressing these problems, which can also reduce the generation of GHGs and help residents adapt to the impacts of climate change (weatherization, energy efficiency, lead poisoning prevention, pest management assistance, etc). Many County programs and CBOs also send staff to the homes of vulnerable populations to provide other services (Public Health Nursing, AIDS case managers, Head Start, WIC, etc). The CivicSpark Fellow will be instrumental in connecting and cross-training these programs about the services each provide and how they can help residents take advantage of these programs in the most effective and efficient ways, with many cross-over benefits. The Fellow’s work will lay the foundation for a robust healthy home approach.

The ideal Fellow will be a motivated person with strong research, analysis, and oral and written communication skills.  The Fellow must be comfortable in a variety of settings and working with individuals from different disciplines and socioeconomic backgrounds. Ability to organize information and establish processes is helpful.

The City of San Leandro’s Sustainability Office and the Water Pollution Control Plant are embarking on a new and exciting collaborative to build a demonstration project with the wetlands restoration and nutrient removal “living levee”.  The Fellow will work with the city’s design and engineering consultant to create an array of conceptual designs for presentation to the public to obtain their interest and feedback on this unique green infrastructure project. The resilience engagement will also include collaboration with local and regional environmental advocacy groups to conduct tree planting and other volunteer green infrastructure projects as a way to engage the public.

The Fellow’s work on public engagement to help develop the City’s first Climate Resilience and Adaptation Plan and to update the Climate Action Plan (CAP) will build much needed community leadership around climate resilience. Currently, San Leandro has no robust community activism around climate, so such efforts are hampered by the lack of public interest and input. The Fellow will coordinate with the East Bay Energy Watch (EBEW) Policy and Regulatory Subcommittee and regional partners within the EBEW network to ensure that EBEW’s energy-related climate mitigation strategies incorporated into the CAP Update.

The ideal Fellow will have general knowledge of climate mitigation and adaptation, and be broadly versed in the sustainability topic to be able to quickly take on engagement with the general public. The Fellow should be able to speak with a wide variety of people including technical experts in the area of green infrastructure as well as the general public, city staff and regional partners in climate mitigation and adaptation. The Fellow will act as a liaison with the Planning, Engineering, Police, Fire and other related staff to form an internal Climate Action Planning team to ensure that the climate mitigation measures are fully vetted with other city departments in their respective roles and responsibilities.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is one of the leading agencies focused on responding to the threats posed by climate change. SFPUC’s senior management early on recognized their potential vulnerability to climate change and devoted resources to addressing it. One of the first water agencies in the country with dedicated climate staff, the SFPUC has developed new modeling capabilities, built extensive relationships in the climate science community, invested substantial resources in evaluating its capital investments in light of climate change, helped lead City and County efforts to evaluate the threat of sea level rise, and participated in local, state, and national forums on behalf of both the City specifically and adaptation planners in general.

With this active portfolio comes multiple opportunities to make a difference. A Fellow would add significant value in a number of areas where the SFPUC can be more effective. In particular, networking and collaboration opportunities abound; these can enhance the SFPUC’s (and the Fellow’s) exposure to people displaying leadership, programs at the bleeding edge of adaptation, technical approaches for building resilience, and interactions with others facing challenges similar to the SFPUC.

The Fellow will support the Climate Program Director in putting together a small workshop with a goal of identifying the best and most appropriate climate projections for the SFPUC’s drinking water system. The Fellow will support outreach and organizing in support of a newly launched Bay Area Climate Adaptation Network (BayCAN). The Fellow will also support The SFPUC’s Water Utility Climate Alliance initiatives and assist in the SFPUC’s Climate Collaboration and Coordination Committee meet its goal of increasing internal coordination between staff working on adaptation and mitigation issues.

The ideal Fellow will have strong research and analysis skills and starting knowledge of the causes and effects of climate change. The Fellow would be someone who enjoys working in a collaborative team environment.

Known as the “Urban Village by the Bay,” the small City of Albany offers small town charm in a dense urban setting. Despite its density, Albany is home to a thriving natural environment, which includes 5,000 publicly owned trees, 5 creeks, 104 acres of research farmland, a sandy beach and wetlands, as well as 112 acres of parkland, including Albany Hill and the Bulb. The goal of the City of Albany’s Sustainability Division is to protect this critical habitat from the effects of climate change, while also ensuring social equity and maintaining a thriving local economy.

With Albany’s limited staff capacity and varied projects, the work of a Fellow is crucial to move climate action forward. Albany is especially vulnerable as a waterfront community and needs to evolve and adapt to a changing climate. The development of a Climate Mitigation and Adaption Plan will help Albany do this, but the task needs to include comprehensive community engagement in order to create an effective plan. The current project has a limited budget and scope, and much of the work will be done by city staff and the Fellow. The Fellow will increase staff capacity to engage Albany’s educated and diverse community in the process of developing a Climate Action and Mitigation Plan to ensure all voices are heard.

The Fellow will be intimately involved in the development of exciting and innovating new plans and programs. The Fellow will focus their time specifically on the planning and community engagement process for the Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Plan, now that the Request for Proposal has been approved by Council. Consultants will be selected before the Fellow’s service year begins and they will have a chance to hit the ground running as the planning process unfolds. The Fellow will have the opportunity to look at encouraging and/or requiring new city vehicles be zero or low emissions, with the ability to utilize the city’s new charging stations. Other potential projects also build on previous Fellows’ successes, including implementation and outreach of the new Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The ideal Fellow would have a demonstrated interest in sustainability. Coursework in environmental studies is a plus. The Fellow must possess excellent written and oral communication skills. Community outreach is a key component of the project, the Fellow should have an interest in working with people, and an interest in developing public speaking skills. The development of plans and policies takes a degree of creativity and problem solving. As a small city they are looking for an individual who can take initiative and work independently. This includes working on multiple projects, managing time and multiple deadlines. Project focus may shift over time, flexibility and a willingness to take on new responsibilities is key.

Pleasanton is a mid-sized city located in Alameda County. In 2017, Alameda County established East Bay Community Energy (EBCE), a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program. The city opted not to join EBCE in its inception but established a policy to reconsider, with “proof of concept,” following one year of operation. The city seeks a Fellow to investigate the feasibility of participating in EBCE as a means to gain more local control over Pleasanton’s energy supply portfolio in order to reduce our community’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. The Fellow will conduct in-depth research and analysis of EBCE’s organizational structure, financial health, product offerings, enrollment process, and long-term outlook to answer questions designed to inform each criterion. The goal is to assess EBCE’s viability as an energy provider and its ability to deliver on its promise of cleaner energy at lower cost. The Fellow will document findings and deliver a written assessment with recommendations for consideration.

The City of Pleasanton’s Energy and Sustainability Program (ESP) is charged with implementing and updating the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP), providing staff support to the City’s Committee on Energy and the Environment, and evaluating the operation of the newly formed CCA program in Alameda County for one year before making recommendations to City Council regarding possible enrollment in the CCA. The ESP does not have a staff person dedicated to providing the above functions full time. Instead, the city’s Environmental Services Manager, who oversees the Environmental Compliance, Water Conservation, and Recycled Water Programs, and the city’s lab also performs the day-to-day activities of the City’s Energy and Sustainability Program, without staff support. More can be done with additional resources. A Fellow will significantly expand the city’s capacity to execute the CAP by spearheading some CAP initiatives while being offered a valuable opportunity for project management. This individual’s active participation in East Bay Energy Watch’s Marketing and Outreach Subcommittee and the creation of the city’s new Sustainability webpage will also strengthen the city’s interface with the public to more effectively promote messages of sustainable living. Under supervision, the Fellow will perform independent research and critical analysis before arriving at recommendations that may have an immediate impact on the city’s electricity supply portfolio. The Fellow will provide technical and administrative support to the Environmental Services Manager and to the city’s Facility Maintenance Division and Engineering Department as needed to ensure the project’s successful and timely completion.

The ideal Fellow will have a technical background, such as a degree in science, engineering, or environmental studies. He/she will be a self-starter and capable of independent research, critical thinking, and data analysis. The Fellow will also be able to organize and communicate findings effectively in writing, while possessing good oral communication skills.

***Applicants required to use personal vehicle for work use (mileage reimbursement available)***

RecycleMore (West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority) is a joint powers authority (JPA) created in 1991 by the Cities of El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo, and Contra Costa County (“Member Agencies”). The Authority is responsible for monitoring and reporting to the State of California (CalRecycle) on all waste streams generated within its service area, as well as the diversion programs that are in place to reduce landfill bound waste and its climate impacts.

RecycleMore is targeting 800 new compost participants in the commercial and industrial sectors over the next 20 months. The account database creation and program planning will begin in September of 2018, with targeted outreach, education and program implementation following until complete. Developing a systematic process to effectively address this many accounts will be essential. As for the schools program, there are 35 target school sites that need some form of organics diversion program. The Fellow will work in conjunction with RecycleMore, their local waste hauler, and the school district to implement this important environmental and educational program.

RecycleMore proposes a capacity building project for the Fellow to assist the agency in gaining participation in the commercial composting program in West Contra Costa County. By diverting food scraps to a compost facility, they are reducing the methane generation that would occur if the organic materials were landfilled. RecycleMore oversees the recycling and compost processing in West Contra Costa County and manage compliance with state waste reduction and diversion laws, and more specifically, AB 1826, which requires all food generating businesses to separate their food waste for compost collection.

The Fellow would provide outreach, education, implementation and training to new commercial businesses that will be required to divert their organic waste for composting. RecycleMore will work with the Fellow to create a system to identify and engage the businesses that generate organic waste; create a database to track compliance; and assist with the actual on-site implementation of the program at targeted businesses. RecycleMore has the program infrastructure in place with collection and processing agreements, but lacks the staffing capacity to effectively reach and educate all the targeted businesses.

An additional aspect of this program will be to implement organics diversion programs at schools throughout the School District. Although commonplace in most Bay Area counties, the West Contra Costa Unified School District currently has only two schools participating in the composting program.

The ideal Fellow will have excellent communication skills in order to educate and provide outreach to a diverse community; assist in widespread implementation of the commercial compost program; and to work well with various stakeholders.

The City of Orinda is a small agency and does not have a Climate Action Plan (CAP), and is likely one of very few communities in the Bay Area without one. GHG inventories were taken in 2005 and 2010 with the assistance of PG&E and ICLEI, but the city has not taken next steps to analyze inventory data and formalize goals into a CAP. Recent local disasters (including a major sinkhole caused by a severe storm) not only re-focus the city’s attention on this matter, but they present a promising course of action to develop a CAP. The City Council is focused on the importance of avoiding natural disasters, and adopted a new Local Hazard Mitigation Plan with a goal to adopt a CAP by 2023.

Currently, city staff does not have capacity to complete the inventory or prepare the CAP without assistance. The Fellow’s primary role will be to manage data gathering and analysis for the new inventory, and then draft a CAP for review by staff, followed by City Council. The Fellow would coordinate CAP preparation with related initiatives such as the Public Works Department’s Green Infrastructure Plan (in progress), and the Planning Department’s Downtown Orinda Streetscape Master Plan (out to bid). The Fellow will help organize community meeting(s) in advance of City Council review, with staff assistance. Through PG&E’s East Bay Energy Watch, there may be opportunity for the Fellow to work with representatives from other agencies on a coordinated inventory.

The ideal Fellow would be a self-starter with a special interest in energy efficiency and GHG reduction strategies. The Fellow would have an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies or significant coursework in this area. To successfully manage the GHG inventory and prepare a CAP, the Fellow would be organized and able to work under minimal supervision. The Fellow would be ready and able to work with staff in multiple departments such as Planning, Public Works/Engineering, and Parks and Recreation. Also, since there is opportunity to help on the Green Infrastructure and Downtown Orinda Streetscape Master Plan in addition to the CAP, it is helpful if the Fellow has an interest in these areas as well.

The City and County of San Francisco Department of the Environment (SFE) provides solutions that advance climate protection and enhance quality of life for all San Franciscans. SFE consists of nine programs, including Climate Change, Green Building, Energy, Zero Waste, Toxics Reduction and Integrated Pest Management, Environmental Justice, Clean Air Transportation, Urban Forest and Public Information. SFE’s cross-functional Climate Program engages a variety of partners and stakeholders, other City departments, community-based organizations, private sector and the public to mitigate climate change impacts, green the built environment, and enhance equitable access to services in San Francisco.

SFE is the steward of climate action in San Francisco and is tasked with leading mitigation efforts to meet the city’s GHG emission reduction targets and collaborates with other city departments on climate adaptation. Understanding the emissions reductions trends and opportunities by sector is critical for staying on track towards the city’s ambitious carbon reduction target of Net Zero Emissions by 2050. This requires ongoing maintenance of the city’s GHG inventory, critical analysis of sector emissions, and engagement with internal and external stakeholders. Through these efforts, the Fellow will learn how to use industry leading analytical tools and learn about the wide breadth of mitigation and adaptation policies unique to San Francisco’s climate action efforts. Specifically, the Fellow will work with SFE’s Climate Team to collect, process, analyze and visualize citywide and municipal emissions inventory data, maintain and improve the GHG inventory, and engage with local, regional and global climate practitioners to improve the city’s capacity to understand and address emissions. In addition, the Fellow will gather and analyze data and information needed to understand the potential impact of climate mitigation and adaption actions on citywide and municipal emissions, as well as to identify and communicate the broader and inclusive social, economic and environmental benefits of taking action.

The ideal Fellow would have a great enthusiasm for environmental sustainability, an understanding of the global carbon cycle and greenhouse gas sources and sinks, and a desire to learn about the evaluation and communication of climate action and adaptation benefits. The Fellow should be responsible, motivated, and able to work independently and in a team; have advanced knowledge of Excel; experience researching and analyzing data; excellent writing, time management, and organizational skills; and proficiency with word processing, database management, Google and Microsoft products. The Fellow should be comfortable working with individuals from different disciplines and backgrounds and effectively communicate with racially, ethnically, culturally and socioeconomically diverse audiences.

The Business Council on Climate Change (BC3) is a coalition of San Francisco Bay Area organizations dedicated to forging collaborative, local solutions to climate change. We work together across businesses, across government agencies, and across economic sectors to secure a vibrant future for our city and our planet. Through the SunShares program, cities and large employers pool the buying power of their residents to secure discounts from experienced solar firms on residential solar installations and vehicle dealerships on electric vehicle ownership, while also offering no-cost workshops and home solar assessments.

SunShares is an initiative that helps Bay Area municipalities meet their climate action goals by accelerating deployment of renewable energy and EVs among Bay Area residents. Homeowners want to save on their utility and driving costs while using more clean electricity. Often though they aren’t sure how to go about it and don’t have time to research all the options themselves, which leads to inaction. The Bay Area SunShares Program (SunShares) pools the buying power of 50 corporate and city Outreach Partners across the region to secure lower prices on residential solar and electric vehicles, while also providing free, third-party technical assistance and education to residents of participating communities.

The Fellow would help the listed municipal beneficiaries develop and implement comprehensive Outreach plans for the SunShares program; design improved educational materials for use across the program; and research new products (e.g. electric water heaters, EV charging, e-bikes, smart thermostats) for inclusion in the program. This position offers substantial responsibility and an excellent opportunity for a highly organized and entrepreneurial individual to have a tangible impact in advancing clean energy solutions. This position also offers a rare opportunity to work closely with sustainability teams at some of the country’s most forward thinking local governments. The ideal Fellow would have excellent writing skills; Strong attention to detail; Professionalism; Proven ability to develop and/or manage complex projects; Social media and online organizing experience; Video and/or graphics experience preferred; Knowledge of climate change, sustainable cities, and sustainable business issues; and an unshakeable positivity.

The City of San Pablo is located in the East San Francisco Bay Area near the City of Richmond and Wildcat Creek Canyon Regional Park. San Pablo is considered a small, diverse city with a population of 30,000 that is primarily Spanish speaking. Over the past year, the City has successfully received over 10 million dollars in grant funding for the implementation of transportation and environmental programs. However, implementing these numerous grant-funded projects has prevented the limited staff in the Public Works Department from pursuing other important projects to facilitate regional transportation and energy efficiency projects, as well as trash reduction in the creeks.

The Fellow will assist with the implementation of three major components of the City of San Pablo’s Climate Action Plan by reviewing, collecting, and analyzing data. Writing reports, informational handouts and other professional communications. Conduct outreach in the local community and with other agencies, which will include scheduling public and regional meetings, creating outreach materials and presentations to interagency groups. Reviewing constituent deliverables, including project designs and other plans. Direct the writing of the Draft Regional EV Charging and Creekside Beautification and Trash Reduction Plans.

The County of Merced overlays four groundwater subbasins and is participating in seven groundwater sustainability agencies (GSA). In these GSAs, the County represents the unincorporated areas not within a water district. There are challenges in educating and reaching these unincorporated areas and will require an innovative and strategic approach. The Fellow will be working to develop and implement a strategy to reach the unincorporated “white areas” with information on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and to solicit feedback. Outreach could involve newsletters, distribution lists, mailers, and website development to provide interactive information. The Merced Subbasin is the largest groundwater basin in Merced County and as such requires the most intensive Stakeholder outreach, so the Fellow will coordinate closely with Merced County and the Merced Subbasin GSA on Merced Subbasin Stakeholder Engagement Strategy implementation.

The San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority (Authority) is assisting in the coordination of 24 GSAs and the development of 6 coordinated GSPs to meet compliance with SGMA. This includes partnerships with approximately three-dozen various agencies including cities, water districts and irrigation districts, counties, private landowners, and other interests. The Authority is directly contracting with a consultant to develop and update the Northern and Central Delta-Mendota Region GSP.

The Fellow will assist Authority staff and its consultant with coordination and facilitation of various committee meetings, act as a liaison with the subbasin communication workgroup, and participate in or lead community engagement and outreach efforts within the region. The Fellow will work closely with regional subbasin representatives monitoring technical and policy level details and milestones to ensure adequate coordination. The Fellow will assist Authority staff in GIS mapping, valuable data input, and analysis of groundwater level hydrographs which will be used in GSP development and future planning.

The ideal Fellows will have good communication skills, as they will engage with the community and develop ways to reach stakeholders with information; web site development skills are a plus. Fellows must also have organizational and project management skills, and the ability to analyze and identify needs and solutions. Ability to manage data in excel, Microsoft Access, and GIS experience would be a plus.

The County of Merced‘s adopted General Plan calls for the development of a the County’s first Climate Action Plan (CAP) by the year 2020. The Merced County Planning Division is overseeing development of the plan, which will affect policy and land use development decisions at the County and regional levels. The Fellow would be expected to work closely with Planning staff to manage development of the Climate Action Plan, including completion of a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, identification of an emissions reduction target, and selection of reduction measures in collaboration with the community. The Fellow would plan and execute outreach initiatives, coordinate communication with internal and external stakeholders, and work directly with technical consultants to complete project-related analyses.

The ideal Fellow will have very strong organization/project management skills as planning/sequencing of deliverables, and responsiveness will be integral to success. Fundamental project management skills, project tracking, and organization are critical, as are strong communication skills. The Fellow will be expected to brief community members, stakeholders, County teammates, department heads, and elected officials on the details of the project, and experience with public speaking is important.

Fluency in spoken and written Spanish are encouraged.