Sustainability office requests $1.03M; aims to lock in solar projects and grow a $3M green revolving fund

The city’s sustainability team presented a FY27 operating budget of $1,030,526 and outlined shifting priorities toward decarbonization and resilience. Staff described title changes to better reflect duties, modest increases in discretionary spending for translation and outreach, and a reduction in grant‑match obligations tied to grants that are sunsetting.

“We are positioning the department to further the mission of implementing the climate justice plan,” the presenter said. Department staff told the committee they are analyzing about a dozen top solar projects that best align with available federal tax credits and roof suitability; staff said the municipal building portfolio could support roughly 10 megawatts of solar and that about 0.5 MW is already under contract with additional projects in negotiation.

Staff also described the proposed green revolving fund seed and management approach: a $3 million fund was discussed in the presentation to support clean‑energy projects and revolving investments that, over time, would finance further retrofits. Committee members asked how the fund would operate, whether administrative fees would be allowed and whether staff capacity is sufficient to manage the pipeline. Staff said they are working with outside partners (for example the Sustainable Endowment Institute and consultants) and expect to leverage grant and tax‑credit timing to maximize returns.

The presentation included a schedule for the Climate Justice Plan update: consultants have been onboarded and staff expect a community kickoff in June, a drafted update by year‑end, and revised plan adoption following community review.

What’s next: staff will return with more granular project lists, a plan for managing green revolving fund operations and a schedule for community engagement on the Climate Justice Plan update.