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An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending ordinance 23-23-OR in order to extend the deadline for finalization of a climate action plan by the Allegheny County Department of Sustainability to July 1, 2025.
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Whereas, on September 1, 2023, former Chief Executive Fitzgerald signed Bill No. 12695-23 into law as ordinance 23-23-OR; and
Whereas, the terms of Section 2 of ordinance 23-23-OR required that “[t]he Allegheny County Department of Sustainability shall formulate, develop, and present to Council and the Chief Executive a Climate Action Plan for Allegheny County no later than July 1, 2024. Such plan shall be consistent with the goals established by the City of Pittsburgh and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Climate Action Plans to the extent practicable. Once presented to the Council and Chief Executive, the plan shall become effective via duly enacted ordinance of the County.”; and
Whereas, although current Chief Executive Innamorato has indicated through her staff that progress is being made toward formulation of the Climate Action Plan required by ordinance 23-23-OR, it is now established that the July 1, 2024 deadline will not be met; and
Whereas, it is the judgment of Council that this is not due to any intentional effort by the current administration to avoid formulation of a Climate Action Plan, but rather it is a function of the current administration’s desire to do so in a deliberative, thorough fashion; and
Whereas, it is accordingly the judgment of Council that the deadline should be extended to July 1, 2025 in order to provide sufficient time for these efforts;
The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:
SECTION 1. Incorporation of the Preamble.
The recitations contained within the Preamble to this Ordinance are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
SECTION 2. Amendment of Section 2 of ordinance 23-23-OR.
Section 2 of ordinance 23-23-OR is hereby amended as follows:
The Allegheny County Department of Sustainability shall formulate, develop, and present to Council and the Chief Executive a Climate Action Plan for Allegheny County no later than July 1, 2024 2025. Such plan shall be consistent with the goals established by the City of Pittsburgh and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Climate Action Plans and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to avoid “dangerous climate change” according to the definition as determined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to the extent practicable. Once presented to the Council and Chief Executive, the plan shall become effective via duly enacted ordinance of the County.
SECTION 3. - Effective Date.
The provisions of this Ordinance shall enter into effect immediately upon the date of final approval.
SECTION 4. - Severability.
If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance which shall be in full force and effect.
SECTION 5. - Repealer.
Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Ordinance.