[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: Response to CAC question regarding Consent Agenda Item 3G

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Cowles, Macon

Elizabeth, I am having trouble understanding the contributions and disbursements of City and County money. So I have some followup questions for you.


The staff memo says that $150,000 is to be added to "to commercial EnergySmart rebates funds designed to support Boulder businesses and property owners in implementing energy efficiency upgrades." Packet p. 257. The memo does not say how much the City
 and the County will each contribute to arrive at the $150,000 added to the fund.


The ¶ 1 of the Amendment to the IGA attached to the staff memo mentions two contributions to the fund, implying that both such contributions are in the future. One such contribution is $100,000 and the second contribution is $330,000 that the City will
 pay after "City Applicants have received $60,000 in EnergySmart Commercial Rebates paid from County Funds." Packet p. 261.


Your Hotline mentions a different figure: $150,000, and seems to indicated that the City and County each will pay $150,000 into the fund, though I don't see that in the Amendment to the IGA.


I may be missing something here, but the figures in the staff memo and in your Hotline seem to be different from what is in the Amendment to the IGA.


It would be helpful to my understanding if I knew:


How much the City has contributed to commercial EnergySmart rebates funds for 2014?
How much the County has contributed to commercial EnergySmart rebates funds for 2014?
How much each entity will contribute to commercial EnergySmart rebates funds as a consequence of the IGA?
What is the total amount of money either paid out or reserved from the commercial EnergySmart rebates funds for 2014?
How much of the money either paid out or reserved from the commercial EnergySmart rebates funds for 2014 was done so in as a consequence of City Applicants?


Thanks very much.












Macon Cowles
Boulder City Council Member





1726 Mapleton Ave.








Boulder, Colorado 80304
CowlesM at bouldercolorado.gov
(303) 447-3062
(303) 638-6884









On Jul 22, 2014, at 11:52 AM, Vasatka, Elizabeth <VasatkaE at bouldercolorado.gov> wrote:





I was asked to follow-up on an item that was raised at CAC this morning regarding the July 22 Consent Agenda Item 3G: an amendment to the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the City of Boulder and Boulder County for additional funding for commercial
 energy efficiency rebates,  The question asked was: Why does adding city CAP tax to the Commercial EnergySmart program involve amending the IGA?

The City of Boulder is requesting an amendment to the existing, approved 2014 IGA for
 the administration of Commercial EnergySmart rebates by Boulder County.  The City wants to increase the funding amount for commercial rebates received through the EnergySmart program, so we can meet the demand of our Boulder business customers making energy
 efficiency improvements.  

The main goal of the original  intergovernmental agreement between the City of Boulder and Boulder County regarding the Better Buildings grant award was to create a framework for the city/county partnership that outlines how the residential and commercial EnergySmart
 programs would be administered.  Now that the Federal grant has sunset, and the county has built-out the EnergySmart program infrastructure, and contributes to contribute approximately $1.2 million for supporting county-wide residential and commercial EnergySmart
 services and rebates.  Much of these resources are received by city residents, property owners and businesses.

Key to achieving this goal was the development of one point of contact for residents and businesses seeking out EnergySmart services, to help both manage the delivery of these services county-wide and to also provide increased ability to manage multiple program
 funding sources.

 

Currently, Commercial EnergySmart rebates are funded through city CAP tax dollars ($280,000 in approved IGA, adding another $150,000 in this amendment) and the county general fund ($150,000 county-wide allocation). Rebates are distributed by a county-hired
 and contracted third party processing firm. The city’s CAP Tax contribution to the rebates is allocated through the IGA. On a monthly basis, the Boulder County Finance Department invoices the city for the amount of rebates provided the previous month to Boulder
 businesses, and that invoice is paid with CAP tax funds.

 

The city cannot distribute any portion of the Commercial EnergySmart rebates outside of the IGA.  Later this year, LEAD staff will be working with the City Attorney’s
 Office and the purchasing division to develop a more efficient way to add funding to the Commercial EnergySmart program.

 

Please let me know if you have any further questions regarding the City/County IGA amendment. 

Thank you,

Elizabeth

 

Elizabeth Vasatka

 

Business Sustainability Coordinator

Local Environmental Action Division (LEAD)

City of Boulder, Community Planning + Sustainability

 

office: 303.441.1964

vasatkae at bouldercolorado.gov

www.bouldercolorado.gov/LEAD

 

 <image001.png> <image002.png> <image003.png> <image004.png>

 

 

 

Elizabeth Vasatka

 

Business Sustainability Coordinator

Local Environmental Action Division (LEAD)

City of Boulder, Community Planning + Sustainability

 

office: 303.441.1964

vasatkae at bouldercolorado.gov

www.bouldercolorado.gov/LEAD

 

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