The agenda for this week’s meeting of the Coronado City Council includes a report on the feasibility of the city joining a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) energy program, a public hearing for a reasonable accommodation on a single-family home, and the consideration of a new ordinance strengthening regulation related to discharge of fats, oils, and greases from food establishments. Public comment will be heard.

The meeting is at 4 p.m. on June 3 in the City Council Chamber at 1825 Strand Way, and will be broadcast here. The full agenda is here. A recording of the meeting will be posted here.

Coronado will consider joining a non-profit energy procurement program
As the city works to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, it will consider joining a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) energy program. Under these programs, groups of municipalities can form a non-profit entity for energy procurement.

When using a CCA, public utilities continue to deliver power and handle billing—SDG&E, in Coronado’s case—but a board determines where the energy comes from. These programs generally focus on choosing sustainable energy sources. Because they are non-profit entities, they must reinvest income after reserves into local energy programs, which is not the case with investor-owned utilities.

All municipalities in San Diego County have joined a CCA except for Coronado, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Poway, and Santee.

The Coronado City Council will hear a report about what joining such a program might entail and decide whether it would like to explore the matter further.

A staff report estimates that joining a CCA could reduce nearly 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually. For context, all the city’s combined local reduction strategies carry a 12,600 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent reduction.

The city adopted its Climate Action Plan in 2022 in effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A CCA was not included in the strategies outlined in the plan, but joining one may help the city transition faster to 100 percent renewable electricity, a staff report says. The electricity rates from CCAs are competitive with traditional energy procurement and are sometimes slightly lower.

Risks include that the city may have limited voting power on the board of a CCA. Coronado would have a maximum of one vote on a CCA board, and depending on its governing structure, may have only a rotating seat. Joining a program also requires energy market expertise and ongoing oversight to ensure the board is establishing cost-effective contracts. Rate fluctuations are also possible.

Coronado commissioned the University of San Diego Energy Policy Initiative Center (EPIC) evaluate two regional CCAs: San Diego Community Power (SDCP), and Clean Energy Alliance (CEA). Both historically deliver a lower average energy rate than SDG&E does. While SDCP serves southern San Diego County and has more customers, it also allows weighted voting, which could give San Diego a 49 percent vote share. The board has not called for a weighted vote before, however.

Two years ago, weighted voting caused a stir at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). At one point, leaders from smaller cities walked out of a board meeting, saying that small cities did not get fair representation on the board due to the weighted vote system.

If the council chooses to move forward, the next steps include selecting a CCA program, gather data and conduct a feasibility study. Coronado would likely be able to finalize membership in a CCA by 2027 or 2028.

Considering new rules on how restaurants dispose of fats, oils, and greases
Coronado will consider stricter rules for how restaurants manage fat, oil, and grease (FOG).

The California State Water Resources Control Board adopted new waste discharge requirements in 2022 that require cities to update their sewer system management plans to prevent sewage spills and blockages.

Coronado has until Aug. 2 of this year to update its plan. In preparation for this deadline, city staff identified ways Coronado could increase its oversight of FOG disposal and mitigate the risk of sewer blockages. The City Council will hold its first reading of a new ordinance amending the city’s municipal code during its June 3 meeting.

The amended ordinance requires that restaurants train staff on grease management upon hiring and each year following.

It also requires that great removal equipment (GREs) and bins must conform to state plumbing standards, and that they must be regularly cleaned to ensure that no more than 25 percent of the FOG/solid capacity is reached between servicing.

Under the new ordinance, only certified haulers would be allowed to service FOG removal systems, and any outdoor FOG receptacles would be required to have secondary containment systems and rain covers.

It also would allow the city to issue notices via email to expedite communication.

A public hearing on a reasonable accommodation request
The council will consider zoning waivers to allow for the installation of an elevator in a single-family home. This is a part of a reasonable accommodation request that will allow for enhanced mobility. The second-story addition for the elevator and its landing will displace one of two required garage parking spaces and will encroach 11 feet into the required setback area for a backyard. It will also add another 144 square feet to the dwelling, which already exceeds the maximum allowed floor area ratio. City staff is recommending that the council approve the waivers.

Coronado’s beaches closed over Memorial Day weekend due to the sewage from Tijuana that is dumped into the Pacific Ocean daily. .