Title
Resolution to Accept Grant and Appropriate Funds from the Home Depot Foundation ($95,000.00) (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
The attached resolution authorizes a grant agreement with the Home Depot Foundation and acceptance of a $95,000.00 Sustainability Planning Grant for the City of Ann Arbor to (1) create a sustainability framework and (2) develop a sustainability action plan based on the sustainability framework.
The Home Depot Foundation developed a sustainability scan for the City of Ann Arbor based on a review of city planning efforts and actions coupled with a two-day site visit and on that basis, along with review of the City's grant proposal, has decide to award this grant to the City, subject to the City's acceptance of the terms of the grant agreement;
The goal of this project is to develop a framework of goals, objectives, and indicators that serve as the overarching sustainability framework for the city.
This framework will guide future planning and make explicit the City's commitment to becoming a sustainable community. The project has been designed to encourage public involvement and interaction among the city's service areas and different governments in the region.
Key Measures of Success:
The success of this framework depends on its ability to expand on current efforts and go beyond the practicality of a static planning document.
To succeed, the sustainability framework needs to:
· Expand the current set of ten environmental goals to include goals related to the economy and social equity
· Reflect the goals of the city, community and community partners
· Create one document that integrates all planning efforts into a framework that is web-based and publicly accessible
· Guide and educate the decision-making process through an institutionalized review process (e.g., checklist)
· Integrate these planning goals into city decision-making (e.g., Capital Improvement Plan metrics)
· Serve as the core of a sustainability action plan that informs the city's two-year budgeting process
· Produce metrics to communicate the progress of sustainability goals to both city staff and the community (e.g., release a State of Our Sustainability Report)
This grant will fund a temporary employee to perform grant tasks, technical assistance used to complete the project, and a student intern or master's project. No match is required. Some Systems Planning Unit and Planning and Development staff time will be invested in this project, primarily to guide and direct the temporary employee hired for this grant.
Staff
Prepared By: Matthew Naud, Environmental Coordinator
Reviewed By: Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Administrator
Approved By: Roger W. Fraser, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City of Ann Arbor is committed to providing city services in a sustainable fashion;
Whereas, The Home Depot Foundation is granting the City of Ann Arbor $95,000.00 to develop a Sustainability Framework for city planning efforts and a Sustainability Action Plan based on this framework;
Whereas, This grant advances the attainment of Ann Arbor's environmental goals and seeks to organize broader sustainability goals into one document;
Whereas, No match is required for this grant; and
Whereas, The Environmental Coordinator, Systems Planning Unit, will provide grant management services for this grant.
RESOLVED, That the City accept the Home Depot Foundation grant of $95,000.00 effective January 18, 2011;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk be authorized and directed to sign the grant agreement after approval as to substance by the City Administrator and approval as to form by the City Attorney;
RESOLVED, That the grant funds be appropriated to the Energy Office Grant Fund (Fund 00MG) for the life of the project, regardless of fiscal year; and
RESOLVED, The City Administrator be authorized and directed to take the necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution.