Earth Day 2020 --
50th Anniversary
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Mountain View will be hosting its 2nd annual Earth Day festival on April 18 at the Community Center to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this special day.
The event will feature local organizations and community partners, an electric vehicle workshop and “Ride and Drive” event, kid’s activities, a plant-based lunch, presentations by City staff, and numerous raffle prizes! Additional details will be announced as plans are finalized.
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Cool Block Training --
Last Chance!
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Is Mountain View "cooler" than Palo Alto? (We think so!)
Palo Alto has launched Cool Block and already has
25
successful block teams,
soon to be more than 50
. Can we beat them?
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By popular demand, we are holding one
final
Cool Block training. If you're ready to start a Cool Block team in your neighborhood, please
RSVP for our last Cool Block Leader Training
to learn how to bring the program to your block.
- NEW! Sunday, March 15, 9am-3:30pm
Mountain View Community Center
201 S. Rengstorff Ave., Mountain View
Learn more about Cool Block
here.
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On November 12, 2019, the City Council approved updates to the Mountain View Building Code that included requirements for EV charger installation in new development and “Reach Codes” that exceed the State’s energy code.
These Reach Codes require all new buildings to be all-electric, and include rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.
T
he City is excited to announce that these Reach Codes were passed unanimously by the California Energy Commission on February 20, 2020. This was an important final milestone in Mountain View’s efforts to lead the region in setting building codes that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a significant way.
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Electric Vehicle Chargers --
More Coming Soon!
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City staff is working to install 43
new EV chargers at three City locations, including nine new chargers at the Community Center, which we hope to have operational by mid-April. Also, by late summer, we aim to install 24 new chargers at the 850 California St. parking structure (on top of the ten existing chargers), and ten new chargers at the 135 Bryant St. garage.
Considering the eight existing chargers in the Civic Center garage, this will result in a total of 61 City-owned chargers across Mountain View.
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Updated Electric Vehicle Charging Fees
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This week, the City Council approved an update to the fees for using the City’s electric vehicle chargers, switching from an hourly to a per-kWh rate. Effective on February 26, 2020, users of City-owned chargers will pay $0.20 per kWh while actively charging, and $3/hour after a 20-minute grace period once charging has ended.
This change in fees ensures that all drivers will pay the same price for the same amount of electricity dispensed by the chargers, while encouraging users to move their vehicles when they are done charging.
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Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE), the City’s electricity provider, recently completed a Building Baseline Study for Mountain View, to provide a detailed analysis of energy use by building type. It serves as the foundation for a regional Building Decarbonization Action Plan, which SVCE expects to complete by fall 2020. The study also provides the analysis to support development of several programs in
Sustainability Action Plan 4
.
You can read more about the Building Baseline Study on the City website
here
, and you can read the full report
here.
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Collaborate Mountain View
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We are excited to introduce you to
Collaborate Mountain View
,
a new engagement platform for the City’s sustainability efforts!
This new website gives community members an opportunity for quick, easy engagement with the City. Get updates on sustainability projects (e.g. buildings, energy, zero waste, transportation), provide input, share stories, answer surveys, & more.
New projects that you won't want to miss will be posted on
Collaborate Mountain View
in the coming months as we begin implementing Sustainability Action Plan 4.
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Income qualified residents who ow
n a model year 2004 or older vehicle can receive up to
$9,500
to retire their old vehicle and purchase or lease a new or used electric vehicle. Funding is available for electric vehicle charging equipment as well. You can also get a pre-loaded Clipper card (up to $7,500) for turning in your old vehicle. Incentive options vary depending on income and zip code.
Check if you are
eligible for the Clean Cars for All program and apply
here.
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This section will share program updates, upcoming events, and all news related to Zero Waste. Contact Recycling & Zero Waste staff with any questions about the Recycling & Zero Waste program at
recycle@mountainview.govor (650) 903-6311.
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Got a broken or used item that you no longer need or use? Don’t throw it out! There are many options for reuse or repair to prevent usable items from going to the landfill. In addition to Goodwill and Salvation Army, try these resources:
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1) The Citywide Garage Sale will be held May 2-3, 2020. Registration is now open
here
. Register items to sell or save the date to check out your neighbors’ sales!
2) Fix it free at the next Repair Café event in Mountain View on
March 22 at the Community Center
(201 Rengstorff Ave)
from
11 a.m. to 3 p.m
. Bring your small electronic devices, appliances, and household items to be repaired by a volunteer. Learn more
here
.
3) Offer your items for free or sale to nearby neighbors on
NextDoor.
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Updated Multilingual Recycling Resources
The
What Goes Where
and
How to Recycle & Set Out Cart
guides for single- and multi-family are
now available
in Spanish, Chinese, and Russian.
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Dirty Dozen Item of the Month: Frozen and Refrigerated Food Boxes
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The Dirty Dozen captures 12 types of items that can mislead anyone trying to recycle right. These items seem recyclable, but actually contaminate the recycling process. Keep these items out of your recycling cart.
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Frozen and refrigerated food boxes (such as ice cream containers, frozen pizza boxes, butter boxes) can’t be processed with other paper pulp at the mill because they are made to be moisture-resistant and do not break down when wet. Put frozen and refrigerated food boxes in the
trash.
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Upcoming Event: Confidential Paper Shredding
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Protect your privacy by shredding confidential papers such as bank statements, pay stubs, cancelled checks, and credit offers. This is a free event for residents of Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale, and proof of residency is required, but no appointment is needed. Limit of five bags or banker boxes per household. Learn more
here.
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- Saturday, March 14, 8am-12pm
- SMaRT Station, 301 Carl Rd., Sunnyvale
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Concerned about climate change? Want to learn how to make a REAL difference in lowering your carbon footprint, saving money, greening your food choices, transportation and finances, improving your health, increasing community, impacting policy, and more? This 3-part evening class takes the guesswork out of where to spend your precious time, and provides a supportive environment within which to affect real change. Learn more
here
.
- Wednesday, February 26, 6:30-8:30pm
- Wednesday, March 4, 6:30-8:30pm
- Wednesday, March 11, 6:30-8:30pm
- Stanford University (location provided upon registration)
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This class will be an in-depth look at the alternatives to using pesticides. The class will examine the insects you see in your garden and ask the question “To spray or not to spray?’’ Find out how to grow more veggies and care for your ornamental plants with beneficial insects, bio-rational pesticides, and good cultural management. Learn more
here.
- Saturday, March 7, 9am-12pm
- Sunnyvale Senior Center, 500 E Remington Dr.
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The San José Environmental Services Department invites you to
Pathways to Climate Smart Careers
, a FREE educational and workforce fair focused on environmental careers for high school students. Register
here
.
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- Saturday, March 7, 11am-5pm
- Fairmont San Jose, 170 S. Market St., San Jose
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This symposium will bring together diverse stakeholders to explore how to better design, fund, build, and maintain streets to optimize performance on many dimensions.
City council members and local elected officials, city staff leaders, sustainability coordinators, stormwater experts, complete street/transportation experts, citizen and environmental activists, and others are encouraged to attend. Find more information and RSVP
here
.
- Thursday, March 12, 8:30am-4pm
- Mountain View Community Center, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave.
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Mountain View's Arbor Day Celebration will be held on March 14 from 11am-1pm in Pioneer Park (1146 Church Street). Learn more
here.
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Want to stay updated on more Sustainability news and local events? Follow us on Facebook!
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Read previous newsletters
here.
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sustainability@mountainview.gov
www.mountainview.gov/sustainability
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