Number
191181
Version
Substitute 1
Reference
091061, 091147, 090376, 100007, 100769, 121139, 121591, 130576, 131139,140861
Sponsor
ALD JOHNSON and LEWIS
Title
Substitute resolution to repurpose funds related to the Me2 program
Analysis
In 2010, the Cities of Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine partnered with the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation and received grant funds from the US Department of Energy to facilitate energy efficiency improvements in residential and commercial buildings. In the original agreement, the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation was the Prime Recipient of these grant funds, with the respective cities acting as Sub-recipients. In the City of Milwaukee, these grant funds launched and supported the Milwaukee Energy Efficiency program, or Me2. After the grant period, the City executed a new Memorandum of Understanding with the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation granting the City of Milwaukee full control of the program, subject to US Department of Energy rules. Funds that had been expended in support of commercial energy loans through the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation are no longer needed for that purpose and are available to be reprogrammed by the City of Milwaukee for other eligible purposes. This resolution allows the City of Milwaukee to accept funds $234,129.62 from the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation and appropriates the funds to eligible energy efficiency programs operated by the Environmental Collaboration Office. This resolution further authorizes the Environmental Collaboration Office to contract with Slipstream Group, Inc. (formerly Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation) to implement Me2 customer incentives and outreach.
Body
Whereas, The Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (“WECC”) on behalf of the Partner Cities of Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine, Wisconsin, (“Partner Cities”) filed an Application for and received a grant award from the United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) in Funding Opportunity Announcement Number DE-FOA-0000148 Recovery Act: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant; Competitive Solicitation: Retrofit Ramp-up and General Innovation Fund Programs in the amount of $20 million; and
Whereas, The Wisconsin Energy Efficiency (“WE2”) Project is the common name given to the project across the Cities of Milwaukee, Madison and Racine as described in the Cooperation Agreement between WECC and the City of Milwaukee, dated July 27, 2010, including all amendments thereto (“WECC-Milwaukee Agreement 2010”); and
Whereas, The Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (“ME2”) Program represents the WE2 Project activities as they are carried out in the geographic limits of the City of Milwaukee; and
Whereas, WECC and Milwaukee jointly operated the Me2 program under a Cooperation Agreement with a term of July 27, 2010 to November 1, 2014; and
Whereas, WECC, at the direction of the City of Milwaukee, established a Loan Loss Reserve with Summit Credit Union to support affordable loans for energy efficiency projects and a related commercial loan program with the Milwaukee Economic Development Corporation; and
Whereas, Milwaukee and WECC entered into an agreement in the post-grant period giving Milwaukee control over the program going forward; and
Whereas, Consistent with US Department of Energy definitions, funds were “expended” and placed in a reserve account at MEDC to help secure commercial energy efficiency loans; and
Whereas, Those commercial loans were paid off and the reserve accounts are no longer needed; and
Whereas, Funds in the reserve account can be repurposed and are available to be re-spent in support of eligible energy efficiency initiatives; and
Whereas, The new activities will be executed before July 31, 2021; now therefore be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Department of Administration - Environmental Collaboration Office is authorized to repurpose $234,129.62 Department of Energy funds to support eligible activities under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EEBG) Program; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Environmental Collaboration Office shall accept this grant without further approval unless the terms of the grant change as indicated in Section 304-81, Milwaukee Code of Ordinances; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Environmental Collaboration Office is authorized to accept and allocate funding toward eligible activities as approved by the US Department of Energy; and be it,
Further Resolved, That the Environmental Collaboration Office is authorized to contract with Slipstream Group, Inc.to implement Me2 customer incentives and staff support for the Me2 and Better Buildings Challenge program; and be it
Further Resolved, That the City Comptroller is authorized to:
1. Commit funds within the Project/Grant Parent of the 2019 Special Revenue - Grant and Aid Projects Fund, the following amount for the project titled “Milwaukee Comprehensive Energy Plan”:
Project/Grant GR0001900000
Fund 0150
Org 9990
Program 0001
Budget Year 0000
Subclass R999
Account 000600
Project Grantor Share
Amount $234,129.62
2. Create the necessary Grant and Aid Project/Grant and Project/Grant levels and budget against these Project/Grant values the amount required under the cooperative agreement.
; and, be it
Further Resolved, That these funds are budgeted for the Department of Administration-Environmental Collaboration Office, which is authorized to:
1. Expend from the amount budgeted for specified purposes as indicated in the grant budget and incur costs consistent with the award date;
2. Establish the necessary city share project values.
; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Environmental Collaboration Office and its partners will comply with all federal regulations and reports associated with this program. .
Drafter
DOA-ECO
ES
11/8/2019