CC WS PACKET 07222025 - Laserfiche WebLink

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MEMORANDUM To:Saint Anthony Village City Council From:Minette Saulog, Sustainability Coordinator Date:July 22, 2025 Request: Review Updates and Staff Recommendations – Climate Plan Items BACKGROUND The City has made progress on the Energy and Transportation areas of the Climate Plan this year. All Climate Plan actions included in the attached document are specifically Policy-oriented, which City Council and both Commissions have been identified as key stakeholders for implementation. This document does not include the actions that are Education and Operations-oriented, which are primarily for staff consideration and implementation. In addition to the mid-year update, a select number of Climate Plan items are further highlighted for Council discussion: •Address financial barriers for low-to-moderate-income residents by reducing or waiving permit submission fees for solar panels. (Energy focus area) •Consider adopting a policy on publicly-facing charging infrastructure. Determine the most effective locations for EV charging stations at public facilities in SAV. (Transportation focus area) •Review multi-family EV charging ordinance (Transportation focus area) •Consider adopting a sustainable building policy for all new and remodeled construction projects. (Energy focus area) RECOMMENDATIONS Waive permit fees for solar panels Update Staff investigated current permitting processes and fees for solar projects. Building permits are required for all solar projects, costs vary depending on the size of the project and other factors. Permit fees cover the administrative and staff costs of processing the permit, and do not contribute to City revenue. Staff Recommendation (no action needed) Staff recommends keeping building (solar) permitting fees as is for the following reasons: ·There is no precedent for fee waivers based on income for any other permits issued by the City. ·Administrative costs must be covered by collection of fees. ·The cost of a solar array system and installation outweighs the cost of a permit and there may be alternative ways to better address financial barriers and equitable access to solar.