Notes of Special Meeting of Commission of June 22

On June 22nd, the City Commission held a Special Commission Meeting to cover a single item:

RESOLUTION NO. 09R-06-132: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF LAUDERHILL APPROVING THE CITY OF LAUDERHILL’S ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT STRATEGY PLAN AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF LAUDERHILL TO APPLY FOR THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSERVATION BLOCK GRANT FOR ALLOCATION OF FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $595,200.00; PROVIDING THAT NO MATCHING FUNDS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS GRANT

This item was required since by June 25 the city must submit to the Federal Government its plan on distribution of the funds. The Resolution passed 5-0. After submitted, it is expected the to take 60 days for the Department of Energy to review and approve, and then our first installment of funds will be distributed to us.

These funds will be used to:

1) $10,000 to purchase 10,000 CFL bulbs to be distributed free to city residents. These bulbs are 13 watt bulbs and are equivalent to the traditional 60 watt bulb normally used. Obviously, a bulb using only approximately 20% of the energy to use will save residents a significant amount in energy costs. It is planned to distribute 2000 bulbs each month in each sector of the city (north, northwest, central, south and southwest), over a 5 month period. First come, first serve.

2) $70,200 to create an Interest Free Revolving Loan for city residents the Lauderhill Housing Authority and Lauderhill CRA, to help them purchase appliances that holds an Energy Star rating or qualifies for the Federal Energy Tax Credit. While details are not complete yet, the amount of the loan will depend upon the item being purchased, probably from $300 to $1200/item. The more expensive the item is, the more that can be applied for. Repayment schedules will be from 1 to 2 years, and are likely to be added to your water bill for monthly repayment. Items to be included are expected to be: refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, air conditioners, solar water heaters and solar panels. These funds can be leveraged with other manufacture/store/installer rebates, tax credits or loans.

3) $440,000 to create a Lauderhill Climate Neutral Public Facility Project. This facility will include installation of a solar PV system to generate electricity, solar thermal heating, energy efficient HVAC system, energy efficient track lighting and all Energy Star products. We hope to leverage these funds for another $5 million grant to build a Fire Station on 31st Avenue that is in our 2009 Capital Improvement Projects Program, though it is not required to go to the Fire Station. The building is expected to be carbon neutral and essentially create its own energy to fully support itself.