MEMORANDUM

AGENDA #12

MEMORANDUM

TO: Mayor and Town Council

FROM: Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Committee

Council Member Bill Strom

Council Member Dorothy Verkerk

Council Member Jim Ward

SUBJECT: Interim Report on Discussions

DATE: February 24, 2003

This memorandum requests Town Council consideration of:

Adopting a budget ordinance amendment to allocate $1,750 from the Council’s contingency fund for a work session to bring David Konkle of Ann Arbor, Michigan to Chapel Hill to discuss establishing an energy office;

Requesting the Mayor to send a letter to Orange County asking that it place consideration of funding a joint county-wide emissions study on the April 2003 Assembly of Governments meeting; and

Changing the name of the Committee from “Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Committee’ to “Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Committee.”

BACKGROUND

On April 22, 2002, the Town Council established a Committee to develop a charge for creating an Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Committee. The Council appointed Council Members Bill Strom, Dorothy Verkerk, and Jim Ward to the Committee. The Committee has met twice, on February 7, 2003, and on February 13, 2003.

The Council Committee has begun discussing the best means for achieving the goal of taking a leadership role in increasing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as identified in the Council’s resolution of August 23, 1999 (please see Attachment 1). This Council resolution called for the development of a local action plan, consisting of:

an analysis of greenhouse gas emissions;
a forecast of emissions growth;
a reduction target;
a local action plan to achieve the reduction target; and
an implementation/monitoring plan.

1. REQUEST FOR WORK SESSION

In order to help determine the viability of creating an Energy Office, the Committee recommends that the Council meet with a leading expert in this field. Mr. David Konkle, the Energy Coordinator for Ann Arbor, Michigan can meet with the Council on March 19, 2003. The Committee requests that the Council provide funds not to exceed $1,750 for travel, lodging, food, a token honorarium, and contingency.

Tentative Budget

· Air flight $250 to $700

· Lodging $150

· Lunches for Work Session $250

· Dinner $100

· Honorarium $350

· Contingency $200

Recommendation: We recommend that the Council consider adopting the attached Budget Ordinance amendment appropriating up to $1,750 from the Council’s Contingency funds for a Work Session with Mr. David Konkle.

2. COUNTY-WIDE EMISSIONS STUDY

On August 23, 1999 the Council adopted a resolution to join the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and develop a local action plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contingent on securing grant funds (please see Attachment 1). On October 22, 2001, the Council adopted a resolution requesting the Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen to authorize their Managers to work jointly with Chapel Hill staff to obtain a funding source and prepare a countywide emissions reduction plan once funding becomes available (please see Attachment 2).

At this time no grants have become available to fund the development of an action plan.

On February 13, 2003, we discussed proposing a jointly-sponsored budget among jurisdictions in Orange County to conduct a County-wide emissions study. The Committee decided to ask the Council to set aside an amount in the upcoming budget deliberations and to make the use of it contingent upon the participation of the other jurisdictions.

At a minimum, funding could be considered to conduct a community-wide baseline emissions inventory. Some communities which have completed this step have paid interns to complete this step. If additional funds were available, it would also be desirable to set a greenhouse gas reduction target and develop an action plan to meet the target, work that likely would require the services of a professional consultant. The Committee also noted the possibility of an Orange County-Durham County study, and asking for transportation planning funding from the Durham-Chapel Hill Transportation Advisory Committee for a portion of the costs. Development of an Action Plan could cost in the range of $25,000 to $50,000. We will be in the position to provide firm cost estimates at a later date.

We propose that the Council request the Mayor to write a letter asking Orange County to place the topic of conducting a County-wide emissions inventory and greenhouse gas reduction plan on the agenda of the April 2003 Orange County Assembly of Governments meeting.

Recommendation: We recommend that the Council adopt the attached Resolution A requesting the Mayor to ask Orange County to place the topic of jointly funding a County-wide emissions inventory and greenhouse gas reduction plan on the April, 2003 agenda of the Orange County Assembly of Governments.

3. COMMITTEE NAME

We request that the Council change the Committee name from “Energy, Environment, and Sustainability Committee’ to “Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Committee.”

RECOMMENDATION

We recommend that the Council adopt the attached Resolution B concerning the name change.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Memorandum to Town Council, Participation in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, August 23, 1999 (p.7).

2. Memorandum to Town Council, Proposal for Cooperative Effort for Working on International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, October 22, 2001 (p. 12).

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND “THE ORDINANCE CONCERNING APPROPRIATIONS AND THE RAISING OF REVENUE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JULY 1, 2002” (2003-02-24/O-1)

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Budget Ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Concerning Appropriations and the Raising of Revenue for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 2002” as duly adopted on July 26, 2002, be and the same is hereby amended as follows:

ARTICLE I

APPROPRIATIONS	Current Budget	Increase	Decrease	Revised Budget

GENERAL FUND

Non-Departmental
Contingency	10,829		1,750	9,079

Mayor/Council	250,297	1,750		250,297

This the 24^th day of February, 2003.

RESOLUTION A

A RESOLUTION SEEKING ORANGE COUNTY ASSEMBLY OF GOVERNMENTS DISCUSSIONS ON COUNTY-WIDE EMISSIONS INVENTORY / ACTION PlAN (2003-02-24/R-14)

WHEREAS, on August 23, 1999, the Town Council adopted a resolution to join the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and develop a local action plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contingent on securing grant funds; and

WHEREAS, on October 22, 2001, the Council adopted a resolution requesting the Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Carrboro Board of Aldermen to authorize their Managers to work jointly with Chapel Hill staff to obtain a funding source and prepare a countywide emissions reduction plan once funding becomes available; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council requests that the Mayor ask Orange County to place the topic of conducting a County-wide emissions inventory and greenhouse gas reduction plan on the agenda of the April 2003 Orange County Assembly of Governments meeting.

This the 24^th day of February, 2003.

RESOLUTION B

A Resolution changing the name of the proposed energy, environment, and sustainability committee (2003-02-24/R-15)

WHEREAS, the Council on April 22, 2002, established a Council committee to develop a charge for an Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee; and

WHEREAS, the Council Committee recommends changing the name of the committee to “Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Committee,”

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Town of Chapel Hill that the Council Committee and any future citizen’s committee be called the Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Committee.

This the 24^th day of February, 2003.