In April 2012, Council voted to offer “on-bill financing” for home efficiency projects. I will ask for Council’s support to expand public awareness of this program through strategic marketing and delivery quality products.

 Finally, I support the development of an energy grading system for new buildings. The details of the grading and process should be made available to all builders and developers prior to starting a project. Some of the early ideas of this program recommend that any building that has not had an audit will automatically receive a grade of “F.” The approach is unfair and certainly does not provide any motivation to retrofit or improve the energy efficiency of existing structures.   I would work to develop an approach that is both fair and without undue penalties related to existing buildings.

A rigorous public engagement component will be necessary to genuinely incorporate what actions the community supports and thinks the City should implement. It will take time but it is worthwhile as it is crucial to get buy-in from the community at large.