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EVERETT <br /> WASHINGTON April 17,2019 <br /> To:PSRC Executive Board <br /> Josh Brown,PSRC Executive Director <br /> From: Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin and the Everett City Council <br /> RE: Request to include a climate change element in the Vision 2050 plan <br /> Dear Executive Board members and Executive Director Brown: <br /> Thank you for the opportunity to comment regarding the Vision 2050 Regional <br /> Growth Strategy Draft Supplemental Impact Statement.This communication <br /> represents the City of Everett's(City Council and Mayor) comments regarding <br /> the overarching issues associated with climate change and the structure of the <br /> Vision 2050 plan.More detailed comments regarding Vision 2050 will be <br /> provided under separate communication from Everett Planning Director Allan <br /> Giffen. <br /> We appreciate PSRC's recognition that"Climate change is of growing urgency <br /> ..."in the Regional Growth Strategy.Moreover,we appreciate and generally <br /> support and encourage policies supporting cleaner transportation,electric vehicle <br /> technology,transit oriented development,growing transit communities, and <br /> improving green infrastructure. <br /> The elected leaders of the City of Everett recommend PSRC consider climate <br /> change as a stand-alone element in the Regional Growth Strategy,Vision 2050. <br /> Given the seriousness and"growing urgency"of climate change and climate <br /> impacts,we believe a regional growth strategy looking to the year 2050 should <br /> include a climate change element that addresses mitigation(reducing greenhouse <br /> gas [GHG] emissions),adaptation(responding to the consequences of a <br /> changing climate,including in the area of emergency services)and green <br /> economic development(building the green economy). Such an action would <br /> underscore the seriousness of this issue,establish a framework for long range <br /> planning, and elevate the importance of responding to climate change issues as <br /> part of a regional strategy. <br /> To that end,we recommend PSRC adopt a standard metric for measuring GHG, <br /> develop a region-wide strategy for electric vehicle infrastructure,and a blueprint <br /> for developing the green economy.There is a well-recognized standard metric <br /> for measuring GHG emissions that is used by the Puget Sound Clean Air <br /> 9 2930 Wetmore Avenue Agency,King County and its cities(K4C Group),the City of Everett, <br /> Everett,WA 98201 Snohomish County and others,known as the carbon wedge analysis.This <br /> structure should be adopted for the region to measure and monitor GHG <br /> 0 425.257.7115 emissions over time.Also,the"Economy Chapter"does not appear to recognize <br /> the green economy or green economic development as an economic <br /> everettwa.gov development opportunity. This should be added to the Economy Chapter. <br />