The Minneapolis City Council will do their final mark up on the City Budget this Friday December 6 before their vote on Mon Dec 9. Please support full funding for climate programming 2.8 million dollars (from our clean energy franchise fee annual income) in the City’s 2020 Budget —- What you can do
- Call your city council member 612-673-2244
- Submit a comment http://www.minneapolismn.gov/budget/budget-comments
- Join us tonight Wed 12/4 at 6 at City Hall
Support full funding for Climate Programming at the Budget Hearing, Wednesday December 4 @ 6pm at City Hall 350 South 5th Street Room 317, Minneapolis, MN (Sign up to speak preferably about 15 minutes before 6 PM)
On Dec. 2nd, the Minneapolis City Council voted declare a “climate emergency” and we are asking our City Council to
- Maintain full funding for climate programming by preserving our clean energy franchise fee enabled programs at 2.8 million dollars in the city’s 2020 Budget – including green cost share grants for businesses, low cost home energy audits and zero interest home weatherization loans, green work force development and and an inclusive financing pilot project.
Why
- We need to take action to address the Climate Emergency our Council voted to declare on Dec 2.
- Resident and business demand for city supported energy efficiency programs will greatly increase in 2020 city- wide as our new Truth in Sale of Housing ordinance begins requiring energy audits when you are selling your home. Staff expect energy audits city wide to jump from 500 in 2019 up to 5,000 in 2020.
- Two years ago, the city council voted to raise the franchise fee on electric and gas utility bills to fund equitable climate work. For example, the city’s Green Cost Share program has leveraged $28 million in private spending to reduce energy bills of Minneapolis residents and businesses by a projected $40 million. That’s a 10:1 savings compared to the less than $4 million in city funds spent over the past several years.
What you can do:
Call your city council member http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/index.htm
Submit a comment to the budget process. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/budget/budget-comments
You can find your ward and CM’s phone # here: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/maps/about_maps_ward-finder
Sample Script:
Hi, my name is —- and I’m a constituent in the — neighborhood.
I wanted to ask Councilmember — to restore full funding to the sustainability and climate work to fulfill the city’s commitment to climate action work that saves Minneapolis residents and businesses money and energy.
Maintain full funding for climate programming by preserving our clean energy franchise fee enabled programs at 2.8 million dollars in the city’s 2020 Budget – including green cost share grants for businesses, low cost home energy audits and zero interest home weatherization loans, green work force development and and an inclusive financing pilot project.
Kyle Samejima, Executive Director Minneapolis Climate Action 612-849-0725 kyle@mplsclimate.org She/Her/Hers
Sean Gosiewski, Executive Director Alliance for Sustainability 612 250-0389 sean@afors.org He/Him/His