As the Coronado City Council wrestles with how far and how fast to push the city’s climate goals, it must weigh action against the practical limits of staff time, resources, and measurable outcomes.
The City Council on Nov. 18 considered whether to update its Climate Action Plan (CAP) after an update on its current progress. After nearly an hour of discussion, the council decided to delay a full CAP overhaul and to focus on high-impact projects and review peer cities’ approaches.
An update to the CAP is not required by law, and would cost an estimated $100,000. The plan was adopted in 2022 and aims to reduce the city’s emissions by 40 percent (based on a 2016 baseline) by 2030. Most reductions in the plan rely on state actions, with 26 percent relying on the city’s reduction measures.
Since implementation, many of the CAP’s projects have been completed: The city has so far evaluated electric public transit options and piloted the Island Express mini shuttle service as part of its climate goals. The city is currently soliciting proposals to determine whether the electric shuttle could become permanent, a decision which hinges on financial feasibility.
Coronado has also streamlined its permitting for rooftop solar and electric vehicle charging stations. It has launched a green energy incentive program that grants free and expedited permitting for green energy projects and launched free tree events. In 2024, the city gave 369 trees to 150 residents over the course of two events.
Also included in the plan was electrification and expansion of the ferry service. Flagship Cruises & Events, which operates Coronado’s ferry service, is expected to launch two electric ferries next year.
Pending projects include increasing the supply of bike parking (the initial assessment is complete), installing rooftop solar on city buildings, and increasing the number of electric and hybrid vehicles in the city’s fleet. Coronado opted to replace its vehicles as its current ones age out, and the city has purchased two electric and seven hybrid vehicles since 2022.
A goal of recognizing green buildings and green businesses has not yet been initiated. The city also applied for grant funding for electric vehicle charging stations, which has been delayed multiple times, raising concerns that the funds may not ever come to fruition.
Some council members and residents questioned whether updating the CAP was the best use of funds.
“It’s not urgent or required right now,” said Karen Rogers, a board member of the environmental action nonprofit Emerald Keepers, during public comment, “and I see it as expensive and it doesn’t take any action.”
She instead suggested that the city use its money to assess more urgent, impact-focused goals.
The council’s discussion underscored a common theme in government meetings: Resources versus goals. Although council members held different priorities, they all agreed that spending money on consultants to update the CAP was not the right move.
Councilmember Amy Steward said she does not think Coronado has done enough yet, and pointed to peer cities like La Mesa, Carlsbad, and Encinitas, which topped the latest annual Climate Action Plan Report Card.
“They did things that really made a huge difference, and by doing so, their carbon emissions were significantly reduced,” Steward said.
Steward suggested the city focus on its most impactful options and advocated for the formation of a sustainability and coastal resiliency commission to marshal community expertise and focus efforts on issues such as sea level rise and energy transition.
“For me, it’s about the magnitude of impact,” she said. “What are you going to do that really makes a difference here in Coronado, so that we can be on the top of the list?”
Councilmember Kelly Purvis said that she was intrigued by the idea of a climate action commission, but said she would need more time to research it before making a decision.
“I believe we need to take action at this point,” Purvis said. “We have a plan, we’re not required by law to update it at this time, and we have some really good things in the pipeline at this time that I’d like to see be finished.”
Other council members struck a more measured tone about the city’s current trajectory and capacity to take on new initiatives.
“We have a finite amount of time and resources with our staff,” said Mayor John Duncan, adding that he believes Coronado has done a lot as a city to support the environment and that he would hesitate to create a new commission at this time. “Every single thing that we approve in the next year, we really need to ask ourselves: is this something that’s more important than things we’ve already approved?”
Councilmember Mark Fleming echoed this sentiment, noting that Coronado already has a lot of capital improvement projects in the pipeline and cautioning against attempting too many concurrently. He also urged discernment on which projects carry the most impact.
“I don’t want to go out and, at the expense of the city and the expense of the taxpayers, install electric vehicle charging stations just to say that we did,” he said. “First, I want to see that there’s an actual need.”
Councilmember Carrie Downey pointed out the limitations of local governments.
“Some things we cannot do in Coronado, because of the state building code,” she said. Downey called for continued work on achievable goals with measurable impact, such as installing solar panels on city buildings.
City Manager Tina Friend said a proposed library roof replacement project, which will include solar panels, is expected to come before the council in January.
Ultimately, the council chose not to approve hiring a consultant for a CAP update at this time. Instead, staff will continue ongoing sustainability projects while reviewing best practices from other regional climate plans and identifying new, high-impact opportunities to return to the council in the coming year.
A potential sustainability commission remains on the table for future discussion, pending more research and policy proposals.
The city will also consider joining a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) for its energy procurement next year, a notion that was discussed earlier this year and is being explored in via subcommittee by Purvis and Downey. In the meantime, the focus will be on high-impact projects that are achievable now.
“If we can find things to do that actually make a difference, let’s do them,” Downey said. “Let’s get results.”
