Title
Resolution to Accept Grant Funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Pollution Prevention at Food-Focused Businesses Program and Appropriate Funds to the Office of Sustainability and Innovations ($150,360.00) (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
Attached for review and consideration is a resolution to authorize acceptance and appropriation of grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") to support a pollution prevention strategy and support systems at local food-focused businesses. This grant application seeks to address two major market challenges:
1. Gaps in technical knowledge regarding more sustainable refrigeration systems; and
2. A dearth of funding to implement more sustainable refrigeration practices.
The purpose of the Office of Sustainability and Innovations' ("OSI") grant application to the U.S. EPA was to address these challenges. To address the first challenge, OSI will launch a customized, one-on-one technical assistance program for small retail food businesses. Technical assistance will be provided by a qualified technician who will go to each business site, conduct an on-site refrigerant assessment, and guide folk through appropriate promising practices as outlined in the GreenChill Best Practices Guideline: Commercial Refrigeration Leak Prevention & Repairs.
To address the second challenge, OSI will create a competitive grant program to provide small retail food businesses with funds to upgrade or retrofit high-GWP refrigeration systems with low-GWP alternatives. Grantees will be required to provide a cash match for their project. Specific match requirements and criteria for the scoring of proposals will be created during the scope of this program and in tandem with small businesses - thereby ensuring project buy-in from those the program is targeting.
By program completion, the City strives to have reduced refrigeration emissions from at least 25 businesses by a total of 6,915.9 metric tons of ca...
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