Arcata City Council members approved an agreement Oct. 7 to establish the Redwood Coast Energy Authority as the host agency for a Regional Climate Committee and Climate Program Manager tasked with coordinating implementation of the Regional Climate Action Plan. The council also authorized the city manager to execute related documents, according to the recording of the meeting.
Under the proposed funding structure, Arcata’s share would be slightly less than $22,000 per fiscal year, or about $87,000 over the agreement’s term through fiscal year 2029-30. Staff said the contribution would help support the climate program manager, progress-tracking software and matching grant funding, with annual shares based on each jurisdiction’s population. RCEA would provide $145,000 annually as host support, staff said during the meeting.
The city currently has $10,000 in its energy activity budget for the work. Staff said Arcata would return at midyear to request the remaining roughly $11,000 for the current fiscal year.
The agreement is not effective immediately: It requires approval from governing bodies representing at least 85% of Humboldt County’s population. The meeting discussion indicated that several jurisdictions were considering the agreement, but the status of all participating approvals was not established in the available record. The final cost allocation and job scope also remain subject to the executed agreement.
