Law and Legislation Committee Meeting – September 20, 2022
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Law and Legislation Committee Meeting – September 20, 2022
On Tuesday, September 20, 2022, the Sacramento City Law and Legislation Committee met in hybrid format at City Hall. The committee reviewed two major discussion items: a proposed Dual Plumbing Ordinance framework and an updated New Building Electrification Ordinance. After hearing public testimony and deliberation, the committee provided direction to staff on the dual plumbing framework and voted to forward the electrification ordinance to the full City Council. The consent calendar containing three administrative items was approved unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1 – Law and Legislation Log: Approved via motion. File ID: 2022-00196.
- Item 2 – Legislative Advocacy Correspondence: Received and filed. File ID: 2022-00198.
- Item 3 – Law and Legislation Committee Meeting Minutes: Approved for August 16 and August 30, 2022. File ID: 2022-01592.
Public Comments & Testimony
On Item 4 (Dual Plumbing Ordinance):
- Todd Schiavo (Business Manager, Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 447) urged support for the compromise agreement, emphasizing job transition needs from the electrification ordinance.
- Rob Fong supported the compromise, noting the water conservation benefits and the need to build infrastructure for multiple water uses.
- Tim Murphy (CEO, Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange) expressed no opposition to phase one but raised concerns about phase two costs and the need for regional consistency.
- Randy Young (Sheet Metal Workers) urged support for the compromise and referenced workforce standards.
- Frank Louie (Stockable Partnership) highlighted concerns about restaurant impacts and requested technology readiness extensions.
On Item 5 (New Building Electrification Ordinance):
- Chris Noram (North State Building Industry Association) requested clearer infeasibility criteria, especially regarding supply chain and grandfathering, while noting industry is moving toward all-electric.
- Matt Sutton (California Restaurant Association) acknowledged the technical panel’s work but asked for a longer appeal period (10 days was considered too short) and a firmer timeline for continuous improvement discussions.
Discussion Items
Item 4 – Dual Plumbing Ordinance Proposed Framework Staff presented a two-phase approach: Phase 1 required dual plumbing for gray water capture and outdoor irrigation in new non-residential buildings ≥50,000 sq ft (capturing 76% of commercial construction valuation), with an effective date of July 1, 2023. Phase 2 (2023-2026) would study indoor reuse and incentives. Local 447 proposed a tiered compromise: pre-plumbing for non-potable uses in buildings ≥50,000 sq ft, and simple gray water systems for buildings ≥10,000 sq ft with landscaping. Committee members expressed general support for the compromise, with concerns about state regulation timing. Chair Schenirer directed staff to draft an ordinance and resolution based on the compromise, continue stakeholder engagement (including with Regional San and builders), and return in November for another hearing. Councilmember Valenzuela also requested that staff meet with labor to design workforce benefits for pilot projects and include stormwater capture in Phase 2.
Item 5 – New Building Electrification Ordinance Staff presented an updated ordinance aligning with the 2022 California Building Standards Code. Key changes: adopted as a local amendment to CalGreen, simplified definitions, removed obsolete EV charging requirements (state now more stringent), and retained the limited exemption for water heating in regulated affordable housing. The ordinance phases in all-electric requirements: by Jan 1, 2023 for buildings ≤3 stories, and by Jan 1, 2026 for buildings ≥4 stories. Limited exemptions for restaurants and manufacturing last until 2026. Staff also developed an infeasibility waiver guidance document. Committee members discussed restaurant concerns, supply chain issues, and ensuring the timeline syncs with the dual plumbing ordinance. Chair Guerra offered a second motion with additional directions: extend the appeal period from 10 business days, meet with builders on infeasibility criteria, and address supply chain concerns.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar passed unanimously by voice vote (all members present).
- Dual Plumbing Ordinance: Staff directed to prepare an ordinance and resolution based on the compromise proposal, with a target return to the Law and Legislation Committee in November 2022. Staff will also engage with Regional San, builders, and labor on pilot projects and stormwater capture in Phase 2.
- New Building Electrification Ordinance: Motion to forward the ordinance to City Council for consideration passed 3-0 (Councilmember Schenirer absent). Additional directions: staff to meet with the restaurant association and builders to address appeal timeline, infeasibility criteria, and supply chain issues. The ordinance is scheduled for council adoption on November 15, 2022.
- Committee adjourned at 2:24 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
All right, let's uh go ahead and call this meeting the law and legislation committee to order. Please call the roll to establish a quorum. Councilmember Gatta? Here. Councilmember Harris. Here. Councilmember Valenzuela. Here. And Chair Shane. I am here. Let's go ahead and do the land acknowledgement and the pledge, I believe, Ms. Valenzuela. That's your role on this one. All right. Please rise for the opening acknowledgement in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands to the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains, Miwok, Petwin Wintoon peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the Native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in the active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples' history, contribution, and lives. Thank you. And now for the pledge, salute and pledge. I pledge allegiance. Thank you. Thank you very much, Councilwoman. Appreciate that. Let's go ahead on our consent calendar. We have the log, we have correspondence, and we have meeting minutes. Any comments on the consent calendar? I have a brief one on the log if that's okay. Yeah, go ahead. I just wanted to inquire about the status of the digital billboard item that I think we met Councilmember Garrett, Mayor Pro Tim Garrett has been working on. Um I've been getting outreach from Byrd and Lyme and a few other stakeholders who'd love to be a part of that process. So I don't know if you have any updates. Okay, we'll get Ms. Hernandez to uh let you know. Thank you. There you go. Yeah, I'm not sure of the um status, but I can get an update. Thank you. I did one, and you know, I had with our office has been in conversation with the departments, but um I I will express a bit of a frustration that we've been working at this for now a number of years and uh with the number with uh uh uh um experiences and information from other cities. So I I think we're we should be at a place where we we're ready to go. So I'd like to make sure that we get this scheduled and moving forward as soon as possible. All right, let's see if we can get a report back on that to the members of the committee. All right, with that, is there a motion on the consent calendar? Move consent. Those in favor signify by aye. Aye, aye, do we have to call the role or can we not do that anymore? Um, since you're all in person, we do not have to call the role. I do have one hand raised to make public comment on the consent calendar. Okay, so we'll hold the we'll hold the vote for one second. Who's that? Um Frank Lewis. We're taking public comment on the consent calendar.
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