Staff present five‑year Climate Action impact report to Climate Action Commission

City sustainability staff presented a five‑year Climate Action impact report to the Climate Action Commission, summarizing community programs, grant outcomes and near‑term next steps. Staff said they will present the report to city council the following day and asked commissioners for any missing items to include.

The report showed a suite of engagement and investment results: staff said the commission has funded more than $360,000 in climate action grants over the last five years and that Root for Trees has planted more than 1,700 trees with vouchers expected to push the total past 2,000. "We have funded more than $360,000 in climate action grants in the last 5 years, which is amazing," Staff member said. Staff also noted energy audits have reached more than 1,200 households and that the city’s insulation grant work has saved participating homes roughly $100 per year on utility bills, on average.

Staff reviewed pilot programs aimed at rental housing and whole‑home retrofits. "We actually have 4 landlords and 5 participating properties, and our fifth landlord is in the process of signing up," Staff member said, describing a single‑family rental pilot that seeks to improve efficiency without driving up rents. Commissioners and staff discussed bringing a neutral home energy rater into future rounds to identify the highest‑value measures for properties.

On transportation and electrification, staff said the Eastern Iowa EV readiness plan target of 46 publicly available charging plugs has been met. They described efforts to support EV charging in condos and apartments — including funding changes from level‑2 toward also supporting level‑1 installations — and said the city recently increased per‑installation support to $10,000 to address rising costs. Staff noted landlord concerns about managing charging access and enforcement (for example, towing and reserved spaces) and warned of vendor software lock‑in risks when equipment and software are bundled.

Staff highlighted several resilience and data projects: the city has planted more than 4,000 trees on public land and created nearly 15,000 bike and pedestrian observations during a traffic‑count effort, which staff have already shared with engineers working on the Burlington Bridge project. Staff described volunteer science and data programs — including a proposal to pilot National Phenology Network participation tied to recently planted redbuds — and noted the city will begin a new climate vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan in the coming year.

The report also covered internal, low‑cost efficiency work: staff described replacing unsafe space heaters with tested heating pads across city departments, a pilot that replaced 36 of 40 space heaters and reduced HVAC cycling. Facilities projects highlighted included heat pump water heaters planned for the City Park pool (completion later this summer) and a biodigester methane capture system at the wastewater plant.

Commissioners asked several procedural and programmatic questions about ordinance hurdles for private‑property programs, how grant funding timing will be reconciled with LOST (local option sales tax) revenue flows, and how landlords and HOAs will be engaged on charging and resilience programs. Staff said Daniel Bissell will contact grant applicants about awards, that staff would contract grantees before fiscal year end where possible to pull funds forward, and that they will reach out to county partners for HOA engagement plans.

The commission did not take formal policy actions during the presentation; the meeting closed after staff reviewed action items (distribution of event information, a New York Times article link, and a county inquiry about HOAs) and the commission adjourned.