Commission on the Environment Resolution commending Director Melanie Nutter for her service to the Department of the Environment and to the City and County of San Francisco.

 [Commending Director Melanie Nutter, Department of the Environment]

Approval of Resolution commending Director Melanie Nutter for her service to the Department of the Environment and to the City and County of San Francisco.
WHEREAS, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Melanie Nutter director of the San Francisco Department of the Environment in August 2010; and,
WHEREAS, Melanie Nutter has continued to direct the Department of the Environment and provide San Francisco’s environmental leadership under Mayor Edwin M. Lee; and,
WHEREAS, Melanie Nutter directed the Department of the Environment of 110 staff for the past three and a half  years and helped to make San Francisco the ”Greenest City in North America”; and,
WHEREAS, Melanie Nutter helped champion urban environmental policy and program achievements in San Francisco, including such accomplishments as:
  Successful implementation of the mandatory composting and recycling policy that has helped move the City toward the goal of zero waste by 2020 with an 80 percent diversion rate;
  Successful implementation of the mandatory composting and recycling policy and expansion of the plastic bag ban to all retailers, both of which have helped move the City toward the goal of zero waste by 2020 with an 80 percent diversion rate;
  Worked with the America’s Cup Event Authority to develop the Cup’s Sustainability Plan and Zero Waste Plan which helped the Cup achieve an 85 percent diversion rate, the elimination of single use plastic bottles at the Cup and related events as well as carbon neutrality;
  Advanced San Francisco’s commitment to becoming the EV (electric vehicle) capitol of the United States with the installation of over 86 public charging stations and 78 charging stations on residential property;
  Supported the expansion of local distributed solar generation through innovative financing programs and other outreach tools that helped the City reach over 4,000 solar installations and 25 megawatts of renewable energy;
  Demonstrated leadership on the City’s climate change efforts by finalizing the 2012 carbon emission inventory for San Francisco that showed a 14.5 percent reduction in carbon emission below 1990 baseline levels and overseeing the four year process to access and document 35 updated climate action strategies for the City;
  Launched the SF Adapt Initiative, a multi-agency coordinating effort to address climate adaptation issues (such as sea level rise and flooding) and related impacts to the City’s infrastructure as well as the City’s neighborhoods and residents, especially those most vulnerable;
  Encouraged the expansion of the Department’s community outreach and education efforts and increased the access of multi-lingual residents to environmental public information and programs as well as integrated outreach campaigns on zero waste;
  Successful implementation of the Existing Commercial Building Ordinance with an 82 percent compliance rate;
  Initiated the first citywide drug take back program which has collected more than 16,000 pounds of unwanted medicine at more than two dozen sites to date;
  Supported the fledgling Ecodistricts movement and organized the kickoff meeting for City officials and staff which led to the development of an Ecodistrict framework for San Francisco and the integration of this planning tool into the Central SOMA project, among others;
  Led the move to a new office space built to LEED Platinum specifications;
  Secured significant resources for the Department including $250,000 in cash and in-kind sponsors for the Department’s move;
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  Planned the 2012 Green Economy Forum in partnership with Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) during which five community panels presented their climate action recommendations to the Mayor;
  Supported the Environment Now Green Jobs training program;
  Supported the launch of the City’s  Biodiversity initiative to protect and restore the City’s natural ecosystems;
  Demonstrated San Francisco’s sustainability progress through leadership in the Urban Sustainability Directors Network,C40 and the Urban Environmental Accords Secretariat through leadership positions; 
  Acted as an environmental ambassador and thought leader on sustainability for the City speaking at hundreds of events locally, nationally and internationally to promote the Department of the Environment and the City’s success while sharing best practices and policies and encouraging replication of those policies in other municipalities;
  Acted as one of the City’s main representatives on smart cities and supported pilot innovations that showcase technology as an additional, powerful tool that can be employed to help reduce carbon in cities.
WHEREAS, Melanie Nutter has led the Department in helping small businesses through the Energy Watch Program and the Green Business Program in reducing their energy use and in an array of toxic reduction programs; supporting the community through the Department’s public outreach and education program; creating jobs and opportunities through the Environment Now Green Jobs Program; and assisting larger businesses through the Department’s partnership with the Business Council on Climate Change; and,
WHEREAS, Melanie Nutter has changed the cultural and physical makeup of San Francisco in ways that will benefit the community and promote long term wellbeing; now, therefore, be it,
RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Commission on the Environment commends and thanks Melanie Nutter for her contributions to the City and County of San Francisco and to the environment; and, be it,
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the San Francisco Commission on the Environment wishes Melanie Nutter well on her future endeavors.
I hereby certify that this Resolution was adopted at the Commission on the Environment’s Meeting on January 28, 2014.

Monica Fish, Commission Secretary
VOTE:      6-0 Approved; 1 Absent
AYES:      Commissioners Arce, Gravanis, Josefowitz, Stephenson, Wald and Wan
NOES:     None
ABSENT:  Commissioner King