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Authorizing the Office of Financial Services- Fleet, in partnership with the Fire Department, to apply for the Heavy Duty On-road Replacement Grant program from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to remove older diesel vehicles from operation and partially fund the replacement of them with new, less polluting vehicles.
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WHEREAS, the Office of Financial Services- Fleet, in partnership with the Saint Paul Fire Department, would like to jointly apply to the Heavy Duty On-road Replacement Grant program from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which funds projects to remove older diesel vehicles from operation and replace them with new, less polluting vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul Climate Action and Resilience Plan adopted in December 2019 established the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in municipal operations by 2030; and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action and Resilience Plan also included a key action of identifying opportunities to convert heavy-duty vehicles to alternative fuels that reduce carbon emissions; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Financial Services - Fleet and the Saint Paul Fire Department have assessed the city's vehicle fleet to identify opportunities for electrifying, right-sizing, and improving overall efficiency of vehicles; and
WHEREAS, if successful, these grant funds will cover up to 25% of costs for the Office of Financial Services - Fleet to replace an older forestry log loader with a new, less-polluting model; and
WHEREAS, if successful, these grant funds will also cover up to 75% of costs for the Saint Paul Fire Department to replace an older fire truck with a new electric fire truck; and
WHEREAS, the grant amount requested is up to $1,457,382 with a grant term of 2025 - 2027; and
WHEREAS, the grant does not require matching funds, however, additional funding will be needed to fully fund the cost of the replacement. Both departments are strategizing appropriate supplemental funding sources such as Direct Pay and existing fleet replacement funds; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council authorize the Office of Financial Services - Fleet, in partnership with the Saint Paul Fire Department to apply for the Heavy Duty On-road Replacement Grant program.