Title
Accepting and allocating a McKnight Foundation Climate and Energy Program Grant extension and $50,000 of additional funds.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has a Climate Action and Resilience Plan that includes the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions in Saint Paul by 2050; and
WHEREAS, the McKnight Foundation’s Midwest Climate and Energy Program aims to foster and support climate and energy leadership in the Midwest, making the region a model for the world by reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, the McKnight Foundation has awarded the City of Saint Paul $50,000 as an amendment to a previous 2019 grant for similar purposes; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has launched a new EV Spot network and Evie Carshare project that offers electric carshare and EV public charging in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods that have not had these services previously, and to maximize the success of this project, the City needs assistance with communications and marketing about the new services; and
WHEREAS, the grant funds will support the goals in the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Climate Action and Resilience Plan of making it easier and safer for people to use transit, carpooling, biking, and walking for as many trip types as possible; and
WHEREAS, the grant funds will also support the City’s work to analyze options for making City facilities for energy efficiency and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are by the heating and other needs in facilities, consistent with several goals and priorities laid out in the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan; and
WHEREAS, the grant funds will also support some of the initial work to create a City of Saint Paul Climate Action Dashboard, so that the City can better track and communicate its efforts to make progress toward the goals in the Climate Action and Resilience Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Climate Action and Resilience Plan identifies the need to continue deeply engaging the Saint Paul community on the subject of Our Climate Crisis on an ongoing basis; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council finds that these funds have a public purpose; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor, pursuant to Section 10.07.1 of the City Charter, does certify that there are available for appropriation total funds of $50,000 in excess of those estimated in the 2022 Mayor's Office and Public Works special fund grant budgets; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council, upon recommendation of the Mayor that $50,000 is available for appropriation, hereby accepts the additional $50,000 in grant funds from the McKnight Foundation to further the City’s work to address climate change; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, by the City Council, as follows:
1. The Office of Financial Services is authorized to amend the spending and financing plans in the grant funds of the Departments that are leading the funded projects.
2. The 2022 budget, as heretofore adopted and amended by this Council, is hereby amended as outlined in the attached financial analysis.