Title
Resolution to Recommend Restored Funding for Community-Facing Climate
Action Programs
Body
WHEREAS, City Council unanimously adopted the Climate Action Plan on December 17, 2012, committing the City to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050;
WHEREAS, The City of Ann Arbor is not on track to achieve the goals set out in the Climate Action Plan and will be further behind if we do not continue to invest in staffing and Community-Facing Climate Action Programs;
WHEREAS, City Council passed Resolution 14-095 directing staff to draft recommendations on Community Energy Efficiency;
WHEREAS, City Council received a recommendation from staff on May 5, 2014, detailing the resources necessary to make significant progress on creating and implementing additional community energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy programs that further the Climate Action Plan's adopted targets, reduce our community GHG emissions, provide economic benefit to our community and help to preserve our quality of life (“Community-Facing Climate Action Programs”);
WHEREAS, for FY2016 $165,000 was budgeted for 2015-16 Community-Facing Climate Action Programs, which was then allocated for sustainability associate staff, and for contractual services with the Clean Energy Coalition and Ecology Center;
WHEREAS, those efforts have attracted approximately $2 million in proposed PACE clean energy investments; and have begun development of a commercial energy benchmarking ordinance, a citywide energy concierge service, a Solar Group-Buy/Solarize Ann Arbor program, and a climate action community engagement program;
WHEREAS, the FY2017 budget submitted by the Interim City Administrator includes only $80,000 of the $165,000 allocated last year for 2016-17 Community-Facing Climate Action Programs;
WHEREAS, a non-recurring amendment of $85,000 would allow continuation of the current level of resources for the community-facing climate action programs;
RESOLVED, That the Energy Commission recommends that City Council direct that the $85,000 in funds be found to continue funding community-facing climate action programs at their current level through the 2016-17 budget year.