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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 10-22-2001-5ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 22, 2001 Action Agenda Item No. ~~ SUBJECT: SuetainabiliN Indicatam Report for Orang e County end Demopra phic Chang e Report DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inepectiona PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Cmig N. Benedict, ext. 2592 PowerPOint Hantlout Excerpt hom Report TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough T32-8181 Chapel HIII 966-0501 Durham 888•]331 Mebane (336j22T-2031 PURPOSE: To set a basis of comprehensive plan goals, objec[Nea antl policy tlevebpment by illus[rabng neatl for regional eustainability. BACKGROUND: A'Suatalnability lntlica[prs for Orange Counry'report was preparetlin conlunc[ion with the Economic Oeveiopmenl Department, the Environment antl Resourw Conservation Department end the Planning Deparbment. This report serves as an Intlez by which comprehensive lend use policy can be fashioned to achieve certain positive goals. A PowerPoint presentation will be given. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None at this tlme, RECOMMENDATION(Sj: The Manager recommends that the DOaN receive the report. ~ i TM1ese six nntlplea are applied wi0 ~ % ppcH p gm O w Di xy Xl~n xama ^w ~ ~r~ ~\- -PauWas mY ~~ _ my 0 ntluu seumes ~u~ble tlltl enNre entl --a ~ z" -FmceM mliya@Impa%a " - -reaaootlalelerylooaevn i ~ . - I = A I ~ 8wlalnahletleviB^a vn n ~ Peoperu~n tlwiB~ pmm m ~NF/ N/AON))G1 Eeuelo enebtr e~goebb Ee wG n elfine lo¢eul TR k~~P~ oWle aemuam iy lerels o(ttr Ax 2 4 eaim. veee=ma, a.a a~w~•+sa.. unerore. e~m~on.mu ' om>.m~afirs E_. N 3 . ~ f ~ m N aea~r~o~ mwa~mem.oa ~mnemo'm wmer iowo.vaee~am rom:.oe iaM~. m.~m.eeo« mn: mr re:@~voire oeor.aaoa.mo~monev,~~i io:.. mmsm gazer mntannM eea nianermmn.m vmomh a~seaimem m mmam em n..~ a.aa eimmi.nm m. a:K or iawi yea nooaing seaimom a~a emnemmmmi pmmom: Imo b,a~ 9o..mm~, ~m a aw. e,~.M p~e~ ae~nmio W~e_a.m e..em . ,~a om.~ ~. or loml9owmm N6ena uew mnirolan o Bem^pamary e. a.n a~a aaa.a. ,mom. momvxnomb of iarom~m. e.m, ea ~ e..a.ua.a „n~A mev~oa~y= co.mvm m~ ea~wioomam`By Su4atnabilily Jmsfa nmlony¢m @veWpumtsdgmwiA uwbNw PA¢Iplmlun bwea soppoX cw~: ~m a.n~mra.nmom xro~ ~~~rwue~a~. riw era wrmm^srmmi~. For neat morM'e puµlic M1eenne '.~) ~sem~eircimm m.m;na a~n~wa ~ / -eia~oim osm@~~~eEi~ima~~m, -Peo inpuM1twm ~~,~--~ eo„amr,a,e.~m ~ont.. era~~~abn~ry _ = 1 A Report on Sustainabiiity Indicators for Orange County Prepared for Orange Counfy Economic Development, Environment and Resource Conservation and Planning Departments by Pam McIntosh 5ustalnablllty Consultant October 15, 2000 i Table of Contents Introtluctlon Sustainablllty: AGlobal Concept antl Context of Taking Local Action 2 Indicators of Sustainability of Orenge County q Economy: Creating and Maintaining Liveability 6 Economic Development antl Prosperity o Business Diversity end Flexibility g o Composkion of Tax Base ip o Ewnomic SeR guFCiency p o Chiltlren and Povady ip Transportation o Automobile Uae antl Dependence [q o Out COmmutin9 16 o Alternatively Fueled VehiGes 1] Housing o Housing Affordability [g v Housing Problems tg Environment: Respecting Environmental Limits 20 Preserving the Integrity of the Nafural Landacepe o Permanently Protected Land 21 o Prime Forests 22 Efficient Use of Natural Resources o Waste Generation pg Po/lugon Prevengon antl Mitigation o Air Quality pq Equity: Creating antl Maintaining antl Equitable Community 26 Equity- the Welleeing o(All o Come pg o Inwme Dis[dbution p] o Class Size pg o Vouth Involvement pg Summary of County Progress Toward SUrtainabillty 31 Using the lntlicMOrs Toward aCOUnty SUateinability Plan 33 Appentllx A: Status ofPreliminary Set of 441ndicatore from SOCF 3] Appentllx 6: Satus of Intlleatore for which Research Has Noi Been Contluded 43 Appendix C: Origins of the Current 4Z Intlicatore qg Appendix D: Using a Sa[ of Criteria to Measure Relative Sustainabllity of Development Projects gt Introduction This report builds on work tlone by the Shaping Orange County's Future (SOCF) Task Force antl Its Suslalnability Committee. The SOCF Sustainability Committee report definetl principles of sus[ainablllty antl identfied a preliminary sal cf 44 indicators to measure counTy progress regartling sustainability. The SOCF report was followed by a slaH report assessing the feasibility of collecting tlata for these Intllcelore. This staff report shows where the2 are gaps between tlata availability end what the wmmunity woultl like to meeaure to assess sustainablllty. The present report adempls to measure soma of those indicators (or which data is reatlily avalleble, antl suggests some alternative intlicamrs m fll gaps, partlculady where tlata is unavailable for the original intlicators. Tha report wntains three sections. The first section, Sustainability: aGlobal Ccncept and Conte#for Local Action, reviews the SOCF sustalnability deflnirion end principles, antl provides a context for understanding sustainabilRy, what can be done on a local level, antl [he purpose of using sus+ainability indicators. The secontl section provides brief assessments for indlca[ora For which tlata was reatlily available and ccllectable wRhin the [imefmme for completion of this report. The intlicators are grouped into three major clusters, Economy: Creating antl Maintaining Liveability, Environment: RespeGing Environmental Limits, and Equity: Creating and Maintaining an Equitable Community. For some indicators where tlata is not available, alternatives have been auggesled, and data wllected on these as feasible. There ere also some intlicalors from the original 44 that shoultl still be consitleretl though tlata collection for these Is heyond the scope of [his report. It is also suggestetl Net a few of the 64 indicators be tlroppetl, where tlate are lacking and the same aspect is covered by another intlicator or the intlicator does not appear to be key to wunty Sustainability. AppendixAlists the original44 intliwtors and indicates the status of each (i.e. indicator status sheet completed, same tlata collected, more feasible alternative suggested, etc.) In a few cases, new Intlice[crs for which tlata is avalleble have been suggested fo supplement the original set of indicators. The antl result is a rewmmendetl set of 42 indlcatore for which data wultl be colledad on a regular basis loprovide a comprehensive view of the county's progresstoward Sustainability. This section ends wkh a brief synopsis of what the measurable indicators tell us about where Orange County is heatletl regeNing sustalnability. The final section conGUtles the report with recammandetlons cnways to use the sustalnabllhy intlicatore towartl an Orange County Sus[ainebllity Plan. Sustainability: AGlobal Concept and Context for Taking Local Action Globalization of the economy antl the interconnectetl nature of natwal systems make sustainability a global issue. In the 198] report Our Common Future the Uni[etl Nations' World Commission on Environment antl Development, more commonly known as the Bmntlantl Commission, createtl the now commonly used deSnRion of sustainable development. It defnes sustainable tlevelopmenl as "Development which meets fhe needs of fhe present without compromising fhe ebiltty of future generations fo meet their own needs'. The Shaping Orange County's Future (SOCF) project adoptetl this brief definRion of sustainability, supported by a set of four principles that tlescribe basic troths and contlttions regartling life on earth. These four principles are: 1. A natural rescume will be depleted, unless it is used no fester than it is replaced. To live sustainebly humans must avoid taking more from the biosphere Phan can be replenished by naturl systems 2. The earth's ecosystems cannot wi[hstantl the systematic builtl-up of harmful substances antl wastes- Human activity protlucing harmful substances antl wastes must be mediated to maintain balance in natural systems. 3. Earth's ecosystems (ot which humans end other living beings are a part), are inteNepentlent antl most stable when they include a diversity of species. 4. Human neetls span physical, economic, environmental, cultural, social antl spiritual dimensions. Human neetls can be met equitably, Justly, and with dignify without compromising the physical environment." ' The ewnomy tlepends on the environment bath for raw material Inputs antl to aIX as a "sink"for waste outputs. The following tliegram shows the relationship of the human economyto the earth's anvimnmen[. The human economy is a subsystem of the earth's environment antl must remain wdhin the environment's capacity tort resource regeneration antl waste absorption to be sustainable overthe long-term. Fw furtheralabpreb'on on pdnciples of susfainabilitytbe remeris related to The Naturel Step's websde, wwwnefurelsfep.org. The SOCF SUS(alnability principles ere basetl on and adapted lrom the lour system commons laid put by The Natural Step. io Diagram of the Relationship Batwean the Economy and the Environment GLOBAL ECOSYSTEM Inputso ECONOMY gOUfpu4 (raw materials (pmtluda,wutea, antl energy) antl energy( What tloes all this mean on a local level? And what can Orange County do to help achieve global susfainability? Three key foci for lccalwmmunity efforts are: • creating end melmaining en equkable, prosperous community where the basic needs of all are met antl community involvement Mrives; • preserving the ecological integrity of the natural lantlscape antl resources;antl • reducing consumption antl waste protluction by ueing fewer reaoumea antl using them mare effmiantly. Orange County can use means such as incentives, policies, regulations antl education to promote sustainablitty and preserve Its high quality of I'rfe. Setting policy goals, such ae a goal to seduce automobile tlependence, and establishing means to achieve those goals, such as expanding public tranatt, promoting carpooling antl builtling bicycle lanes, will move the county toward susfainability. The SOCF Susiainability Committee created a preliminary sal of 44 sustainability intlicatore after reviewing a range of indicator work done in various localities antl entities, and In some cases consultingwM local experts on appropriate indicators. Those intlicators measure the status antl trends for various aspects of susfainability. Taken together antl usetl overtime, the intlicators can provitle information on the overall health and sustainability of the community, antl whether it is headed towak or away from bawming sustainable. As a result, the development of Intllca[ors for the county becomes en Important component of Its overell suslainabllity. The final section of this report, Using Indicators TowaN a SustainaDllity Plen, tlescribes in more tletail the benefits of tracking indicators antl how they can be usetl in planning for sustalnabilHy. rr Indicators of sustainability for Orange County The following pages provide assessments for indicators for which tlate was reatlily available antl collectable within the timefreme forwmpletion cf this report. The indicators ere divitled Into three major dusters: 7. ECONOMY: Creating and Mafntaining liveability This cluster covers intlicators relating [c economic development antl prosperity, population growth and lantl tlevelopment, transportation, and housing. These are all major espeds determining the quality of life in the County. Developing antl maintaining a prosperous communRy that lives within the limps of the naturel environment is key to achieving long-term community sustainability. 2. ENVIkONMENT: Bespecbng Environmental Limits This duster comprises intliwtcrs relevant to preserving the integrity of the natural landscape, efficient use of natural resources, antl pollution prevention and mitigation. _ 3. EOUITY: Creab'ng antl Maintaining an Equitable Community Intliwtors in this cluster relate to equity and the well-being of all citzens, tlecreasing tlispari[ies antl ensuring the basic needs of all citizens are mat. It also atltlresses community/civic participaticn antl etlucaticn. Alt¢rnative Intllealars An effective sat of indicators points to problems or conditions that require change, helps tell the community how far M1 is from chosen goals, and is comprehensive eneugh to cover a 2nge of eapec[s of susiainebllity. For acme Intlicatore from the SOCF report, data is not presently available or Is tliffcult [e obtain. In Iheae cases antl in a few instances where gaps were idendfled, substitute intlicators were chosen. The following crtera were considered in choosing alternative indicators." • Intlicator is relevant to sustainability end focuses onalong range view; • Intlicator ie understandable to public antl tledsion-maker;; It makes a link between econemy, society, antl environment; e Reliable information is available. Taken together these criteria ensure that each indicator provides a¢urete information that is easily untlerstootl by dt¢ens antl pelicy makers regartling progress toward or away from sustainability. ' Htlaple0 horn HaR, Maureen Gultle to Sudalneble Community IntlicaNrs. QLF/Allen'IC Genterfor the Envucnment. May 1995