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April 28, 2026 St. Anthony Council Work Session - 4 initiatives more community-focused and smaller to meet community needs better while also promoting sustainable living. Councilmember Randle expressed concerns about using taxpayer dollars for these incentives. He stated that they need to receive community input before deciding how to use taxpayer dollars, particularly given current concerns about high taxes. Councilmember Doolan appreciated Councilmember Randle’s concerns about the inequity of taxpayer funding usage. However, she noted that there may be ways to incentivize Climate Plan action without the levy's impact. She highlighted investing in items that provide a high return on investment to the City, focusing investment on citizens who are particularly burdened by energy inefficiency, and looking into State and County funding for climate action that they can direct residents to. Councilmember Jenson noted that City buildings and residential buildings should be treated differently, as City buildings are obligated to be maintained, so these must be funded first before the City can assist on the residential side. This could also provide an opportunity to set an example for citizens on why energy efficiency would benefit their own homes. He also highlighted that Councilmember Elnagdy’s idea of prioritizing small actions that individuals can do to increase sustainability could be more realistic. Councilmember Randle expressed his support for using state and County funds but reiterated the need for community input when taxpayer dollars are used. He stated that he believed it was wrong to force individuals to subsidize other residents’ home improvements without their consent, but that he supported the City helping to distribute state or County grant money. Councilmember Doolan stated that the City needs to improve its ability to express why the Climate Plan goals are important. She provided an example of how impervious surface requirements reduce the watershed level and, therefore, lower the tax the City receives for excess watershed. If the City could quantify the profit that incentivizing changes could yield for taxpayers, there may be more support for using taxpayer money to fund these incentives. She asked whether the Council would support funding incentives that could deliver better ROI. Assistant City Manager Morello noted that she was hearing consensus to continue searching for and using grant money, but little support for directly funding incentives. Sustainability Coordinator Saulog highlighted the community support for the INI program. She noted that this is a program that required no financial match from the City, but asked if there would be interest in programs such as the Met Council Water Efficiency program, which requires a 20 percent match from the City. Mayor Webster stated that this is an important question and that she would be much more open to a match. Councilmember Doolan also highlighted that this is an opportunity for higher ROI. Councilmember Jenson also expressed interest in a match program, but noted the need for further discussion of the specifics. Councilmember Elnagdy asked how much it would cost the City to help subsidize programs such as hazardous waste disposal to make the process less expensive and less complicated for residents. 5