Number
241215
Version
SUBSTITUTE 1
Reference
221233, 240297, 230995
Sponsor
ALD. DIMITRIJEVIC
Title
Substitute resolution relative to acceptance and funding of a grant agreement through the United States Department of Energy for Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards Policy Development and Implementation as outlined in the Climate and Equity Plan.
Analysis
This resolution authorizes the Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) to accept up to $9 million in funding from the United States Department of Energy (US DOE) for implementation of Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards policies in the City of Milwaukee. Funding will be used to implement the City’s existing benchmarking policy and develop and implement building performance standards for large commercial buildings as described in Council file 240297. The Milwaukee Climate and Equity Plan features “10 Big Ideas” to strategically reduce the city’s carbon footprint, one of which is Commercial Buildings Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards. This idea focuses on requiring large commercial building owners to annually track and report on their energy use and develop longer-term building performance standards to gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions from commercial buildings. Project funding will be used to hire city programmatic staff as well as contractors that will help commercial building owners measure and report their energy use, understand the technologies to cut greenhouse gases, get connected to energy efficiency contractors and financing, and more. The funding supports three existing positions in ECO plus four new, grant-funded positions in ECO. The new Environmental Sustainability Program Manager will be responsible for ECO metrics and milestone management. One Program Coordinator will support data management and contracts associated with commercial building energy policies. One Program Coordinator will support community engagement and one new Program Coordinator will support regional energy policy and programs.
Body
Whereas, the City of Milwaukee adopted a Climate and Equity Plan in June 2023 with goals of reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 while creating good-paying green jobs that pay at least $40,000 per year with a focus on recruiting workers of color into these green jobs; and
Whereas, “Commercial Buildings Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards” is one of the Ten Big Ideas in the Climate and Equity Plan; and
Whereas, the Milwaukee Common Council adopted the benchmarking policy requiring property owners of commercial buildings that are 50,000-square-feet or larger and owners of government buildings 10,000-square-feet or larger to annually input their building’s energy consumption usage into the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool and share it with ECO staff by a required compliance deadline of June 30th, 2025; and
Whereas, at the urging of the Whitehouse Council on Environmental Quality, the City of Milwaukee joined the national Building Performance Standards Coalition; and
Whereas, using building energy use intensity data collected through the benchmarking ordinance, and following 6-12 months of comprehensive stakeholder engagement, the Environmental Collaboration Office intends to propose a Building Performance Standard ordinance by early 2027 that achieves equivalent or greater energy savings as compared to ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2019 for commercial buildings and IECC 2021 for residential multifamily buildings; and
Whereas, an initial period of voluntary compliance with the Building Performance Standards ordinance is planned for the first quarter of 2028 to the fourth quarter of 2029, with required compliance by the first quarter of 2030; and
Whereas, the Environmental Collaboration Office submitted a grant plan to the US DOE to 1) Cover the costs of a help desk and virtual commercial buildings resource center to help building owners understand how to comply with the City’s benchmarking and prospective building performance standards, interactive trainings about the Building Performance Standard and offer guidance on how to comply; 2) Establish an online resource hub with answers to frequently asked questions, a compliance guide, on-demand videos along with instructions on how to comply, checklists and pathway selection tools, technical guidance for retrofitting major building systems and implementing strategies to decrease energy-related operating costs, plus information on existing rebates, incentives, financing and other funding opportunities; 3) Procure best-in-class software for managing building energy data, tracking communications with building owners and managers, and administer alternative compliance applications; and
Whereas, the Environmental Collaboration Office will also help neighboring communities in Milwaukee County get started on their path to climate action and build from discussions started as part of some of the regional climate planning work started with SEWRPC’s regional climate plan grant; and
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office has been notified of selection for a $9 million funding opportunity from the US DOE; and
Whereas, the funding has been announced but not yet formally awarded;
Whereas, the estimated period of performance for this grant is estimated to be six years from contract execution; now therefore be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Environmental Collaboration Office shall accept this funding without further approval, unless the terms change as indicated in Section 304-81 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances; and, be it
Further Resolved that the City Comptroller is authorized to:
1. Commit funds within the Project/Grant Parent of the 2024 Special Revenue-Grant and Aid Projects the following amount for the project titled: Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards Policy Development and Implementation:
Project/Grant GR0002500000
Fund 0150
Org 9990
Program 0001
Budget Year 0000
Sub Class R999
Account 000600
Project Grantor Share
Amount $9,000,000
2. Create the necessary Grant and Aid Project/Grant and Project/Grant levels; budget against these Project/Grant values the amount required under the grant agreement;
3. Establish the necessary City Share Project Values; and, be it
Further Resolved, that these funds are budgeted for the Department of Administration- Environmental Collaboration Office which is authorized to expend from the amount budgeted for specified purposes as indicated in the grant budget and incur costs consistent with the award date once a federal grant agreement has been executed; and be it
Further Resolved, That the 2025 Positions Ordinance shall be amended as follows:
Under:
The Department of Administration
Environmental Collaboration Office
Add one FTE position of ‘Environmental Sustainability Program Manager (BPS), and
Add three FTE positions of ‘Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator (BPS), and
Add footnote BPS as follows:
(BPS) United States Department of Energy funding Position Authority for the Environmental Sustainability Program Manager and three Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator positions will not be hired until the grant is formally awarded and expire at the end of the grant period, expected to be 2031, unless the agreement is extended. The Environmental Sustainability Program Manager will be responsible for ECO metrics and milestone management. One Program Coordinator will support data management and contracts associated with commercial building energy policies. One Program Coordinator will support community engagement and One Program Coordinator will support regional energy policy and programs.
Requestor
Department of Administration - Environmental Collaboration Office
Drafter
Erick Shambarger
12/2/2024