Host: City of Elk Grove
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Adaptation (e.g.,sea level rise planning,environmental justice, climate migration planning), Climate Mitigation, Energy Efficiency, Transportation / Mobility
Skills Needed: Project Management, Relationship Management, Community Outreach, GIS Mapping,

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid

Service Needs & Plans

The City of Elk Grove is working to be a regional leader in addressing mobility, climate, and resilience. The Fellow will work with the Strategic Planning and Innovation (SPI) team on projects related to climate change and active transportation. SPI is responsible for the work related to active transportation and sustainability. With the active transportation work, the City has a Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Master Plan that includes a goal of creating a safe and accessible active transport network for all ages and abilities. The City would like to increase the population that uses walking or cycling as a safe alternative for short, local trips. This will provide many benefits for the community, including improving public health and air quality, reducing emissions and traffic congestion. The City currently has one Sr. Transportation Planner responsible for all active transportation and transit related activities. A Fellow would provide additional capacity to support high priority activities, move us closer to realizing the goal of increased active transportation users, and ensure equitable access to our active transportation network for all residents.

With the climate and resilience work, there are several projects that would be included, all with the overall goal of reducing GHG emissions, and mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The City adopted a CAP in 2019, an update to the first CAP the City adopted in 2013. The process for the next update to the CAP is in progress and expected to be adopted in late 2024. The City currently has one staff person that is part-time devoted to climate and resilience work. A Fellow would provide additional capacity to support this critical work, in particular supporting the transition from the CAP update work to implementation.

Project Description

One Fellow would be working with the SPI team within the City Manager’s Office. The SPI team focuses on the long-term future and high priority strategic objectives to support a vibrant, inclusive, attractive and sustainable community. Staff in SPI explores growth opportunities and innovative solutions, assist diverse teams to embrace new ideas, increase efficiency in government, and provide policy support for the City Manager, City Council, and the broader organization on a variety of topics including land use, sustainability, resiliency, economic development, transportation, technology and other related policy topics. The team works collaboratively across City Departments and with local and regional organizations. The Fellow would work as part of the SPI team, primarily with two staff members on work related to climate change and active transportation.

The active transportation work would include undertaking several distinct projects. First, the City received a SACOG grant to pilot an e-bike lending library with the goal of promoting e-bikes as a transportation option for a variety of local trips. The Fellow would support implementation of the lending library, including researching models, conducting community outreach, and data collection. Desired project outcome is a well-utilized lending library of e-bikes and e-scooters, available to Elk Grove residents. Second, the City is working to roll out an e-bike incentive program using EECBG funding. This program will stack with the State of California e-bike incentive for low-income residents, but will also provide incentives for residents of all incomes to promote greater bike usage. If successful, the program is expected to be continued with City funding. The Fellow will support the implementation of this program. Finally, the City is beginning the process of updating the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails Master Plan. This document is the roadmap for providing a safe, accessible, connected active transportation network to encourage greater non-vehicular transportation options. The Fellow would support the work around this update.

Related to climate change, the Fellow would work on several activities. One project would be to support the community outreach and engagement aspect of our CAP update. The City has a volunteer Climate Ambassadors network, and the Fellow will continue to manage and engage with these volunteers to provide greater reach for our CAP measures. A second activity would support CAP measure related to all-electric building requirements. The City is to develop a plan for the transition of existing building stock from mixed fuel to all-electric. The Fellow would support this work, including researching models, coordinating with local and regional stakeholders, and identifying feasible opportunities for moving forward. Finally, the City is working on heat resilience projects, including an implementation plan for a heat resilient transportation network. The Fellow would support this project.

Desired Skills

The City of Elk Grove is working to be a regional leader in addressing mobility, climate, and resilience. The Fellow will work with the Strategic Planning and Innovation (SPI) team on projects related to climate change and active transportation. SPI is responsible for the work related to active transportation and sustainability. With the active transportation work, the City has a Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Master Plan that includes a goal of creating a safe and accessible active transport network for all ages and abilities. The City would like to increase the population that uses walking or cycling as a safe alternative for short, local trips. This will provide many benefits for the community, including improving public health and air quality, reducing emissions and traffic congestion. The City currently has one Sr. Transportation Planner responsible for all active transportation and transit related activities. A Fellow would provide additional capacity to support high priority activities, move us closer to realizing the goal of increased active transportation users, and ensure equitable access to our active transportation network for all residents.

With the climate and resilience work, there are several projects that would be included, all with the overall goal of reducing GHG emissions, and mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The City adopted a CAP in 2019, an update to the first CAP the City adopted in 2013. The process for the next update to the CAP is in progress and expected to be adopted in late 2024. The City currently has one staff person that is part-time devoted to climate and resilience work. A Fellow would provide additional capacity to support this critical work, in particular supporting the transition from the CAP update work to implementation.

Organization & Workplace Highlights

The City of Elk Grove is a collaborative and welcoming organization that encourages innovation and creativity. The organization is both small enough to get to know staff across the organization, and large enough to have interesting and exciting activities to work on. The position would be a good fit for someone who is motivated and a self-starter. The staff who will support the work are looking for someone who can bring vision and creativity. While guidance will be provided, someone who is looking to run with an idea is welcome. This experience can provide professional development in project management, community engagement, and innovation.

Community Highlights

We would like to have Fellows who is motivated, flexible and detail-oriented. The degree field is flexible, but having a commitment to sustainability and equity is important. Good communication skills, people skills, understanding the value of listening, and the learning that can come from failure are all important traits. Skills with data and/or infographics is a bonus.