click to enlarge Sanford Nowlin
Ron Nirenberg addresses the press at a recent event.
After once delaying a vote on San Antonio’s controversial climate action plan, Mayor Ron Nirenberg is hinting he wants to push back the deadline yet again.
“Action and adaptation to a changing climate is too important not to get it right," the mayor said written statement provided to the
Current. "We’re getting inundated with public and stakeholder input. We’ll take an assessment [this] week of how that will impact the timeline moving forward.”
A vote on the plan is scheduled for May 16, shortly after the city's May 4 general election. Last month, city officials announced the date would be pushed back from its original target of April 11.
The plan been a point of contention between Nirenberg, who's championed efforts to transition from fossil fuels by 2050, and mayoral hopeful Greg Brockhouse, who's dismissed the plan as expensive and wasteful.
In addition to Nirenberg, all 10 council seats are up for reelection in May.
Work on the climate plan has drawn input from environmental groups, business interests and the general public.
While conservation groups have praised the city's efforts, they also warn delays could endanger its prospects. Business groups, on the other hand, have been increasingly skeptical, saying the ultimate costs to manufacturers, utilities and residents are still unclear.
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