Seaside updates climate action and adaptation plan; staff reports progress on trees, water and fleet planning

The Seaside City Council received an update on the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan on March 19, with senior planner Beth Rooke reporting progress on mitigation and adaptation strategies and next steps for implementation.

Rooke reviewed the plan’s scope (42 mitigation and 39 adaptation strategies), said the city is working in phases and expects full implementation to take 15 to 20 years, and highlighted several concrete items under way: an urban greening/tree-planting initiative (Friends of Seaside Parks has planted 45 trees and 180 shrubs from prior funding; the residential tree giveaway reached a goal of 100 trees in 2025 after planting 49 in its first year), water-saving strategies tied to ADU permitting and drought-tolerant landscaping, outreach about recycled-water and turf-replacement rebates through partner agencies, resilience-center planning in collaboration with AMBAG and regional partners, and a “Plan Your Fleet” study addressing electrification of mid- and heavy-duty vehicles to meet state requirements.

Council members asked about the regional climate working group (cited slide figure of $33 million in grants since 2022) and whether being a member affects Seaside’s ability to secure grants. Rooke said membership is on a sliding scale and that the city has been “looped in” on communications; she also said phase 1 implementation is proceeding and staff will return with refined carbon-savings data as it is quantified.

Rooke noted that some implementation items are being handled by engineering (resilience centers, fleet planning) and that additional measures will be phased in as staff capacity and funding allow. Council requested follow-up on member and grant eligibility and more detail on outreach strategies for low- and middle-income residents for water-efficiency programs.

Next steps: staff will finalize phase-1 implementation details, continue collaboration with the environmental commission and engineering, and return to council with updates as milestones are reached.