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

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Vasatka, Elizabeth


Hello Macon,

 
Thanks for your follow-up questions. I will do my best to answer your questions and explain in more detail the existing IGA information and how the requested amendment effects
 current city commercial EnergySmart rebates. 
 
Q:
How much the City has contributed to commercial EnergySmart rebates funds for 2014?

A: The approved 2014 IGA allocates a total of $280,000 in CAP tax funds for commercial EnergySmart rebates for City
 of Boulder customers. 
 
Q.
How much the County has contributed to commercial EnergySmart rebates funds for 2014?
A. County general funds contributed $150,000 in commercial rebates in 2014, which are completely
reserved or awarded.  
 
Q.
How much each entity will contribute to commercial EnergySmart rebates funds as a consequence of the IGA?
A. The 2014 county general fund budget allocated $150,000 in commercial EnergySmart rebates county-wide.  As of the June data,
 the rebate report 
states that city customers received ~57% (or $62,000) of county funds awarded. 

 
The city has allocated the initial $280,000 noted above (only $80,000 remaining in June) in the approved IGA, plus the requested $150,000 of additional funds to last the second half of the
 year. The total City of Boulder CAP tax rebate funds would be $430,000 for Boulder customers.  The
second highlighted number
below changed by taking the original IGA number of $180,000 and adding the requested
$150,000 increase for rebate funding in this amendment, for a new total of $330,000.
   
 
Pg. 261 of agenda packet- Amendment language
Section 3B shall be amended by the revision of increasing the rebate funds to the contributions noted in the paragraph, which shall read as follows:

In order to make County Funds for the EnergySmart Commercial Rebates available to the businesses of Boulder County in a fair and equitable manner, the County and the City agree on the following
  approach: the City agrees to provide 
$100,000 of the City Funds for EnergySmart Commercial Rebates from the commencement of the IGA. Once City Applicants have received $60,000 in EnergySmart Commercial Rebates paid from County Funds, the City shall contribute up to an additional
$330,000 of the City Funds for EnergySmart Commercial Rebates. All City rebate funds will be for the exclusive benefit of City Applicants. The City acknowledges that the EnergySmart Commercial Rebates
 will be processed through a third-party rebate processor and that the City shall pay to the County any processing fees charged to the County for EnergySmart Commercial Rebates that are funded by City Funds.

 
Q. What is the total amount of money either paid out or reserved from the commercial EnergySmart rebates funds for 2014?
A. 
As of June, the county’s entire $150,000 rebate funds were reserved or paid out and nearly $200,000 (of the $280,000) of the city’s Commercial EnergySmart funds were reserved or paid out.

 
Q. 
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?
A. 100% of the city’s CAP tax funds allocated to commercial Energysmart rebates went to city customers.  As noted above, 57% of county general funds awarded through June went to city customers. No other municipalities
 contributed to commercial EnergySmart rebates. Therefore, of the actual funds awarded, 85% percent of all commercial EnergySmart rebates have gone to Boulder businesses.

 
 
 


From: Cowles, Macon

Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 2:05 PM
To: Vasatka, Elizabeth; HOTLINE
Subject: Re: Response to CAC question regarding Consent Agenda Item 3G


 

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


 


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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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