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Agenda Item: G.7 <br /> <br />CITY OF HUGO <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Bryan Bear, City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: Emily Weber, Community Development Assistant <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Approval to submit the Metropolitan Council Water Efficiency Grant <br />Application <br /> <br />DATE: March 17, 2022 for the City Council Meeting on March 21, 2022 <br /> <br /> <br />1. OVERVIEW: <br /> <br />The Metropolitan Council will implement a water efficiency grant program effective July 1, 2022 <br />to June 30, 2024. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to municipalities that manage <br />municipal water systems. The Council will provide 80% of the program cost while the <br />municipality would be responsible for the remaining 20%. Municipalities will use the combined <br />Metropolitan Council funds to run their own grant or rebate programs. Grants from the <br />Metropolitan Council will be made available in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. <br />Grantees will be required to provide estimated water savings achieved through this program for <br />Clean Water, Land & Legacy Amendment reporting purposes. <br /> <br />The goal of the water efficiency grant program is to support technical and behavioral changes <br />that improve municipal water use efficiency. Grants are only for water efficiency programs <br />offering rebates or grants to property owners who are customers of the municipal water supply <br />system and must be a replacement of a specified water using device with approved devices that <br />use substantially less water. For example, replacing an old toilet or irrigation controller with a <br />newer, more water efficient device. <br /> <br />2. BACKGROUND: <br /> <br />The City of Hugo has participated in the Metropolitan Council water efficiency grant programs <br />previously in the past. In 2016, the City of Hugo was awarded money from the Clean Water Fund <br />and offered a rebate program to residents who purchased WaterSense labeled toilets, irrigation <br />controllers, or clothes washing machines and replaced old, inefficient products. In 2019, the City <br />of Hugo used the funds to purchase 309 Rachio 3 Smart Irrigation Controllers and offered them <br />to residents at a discounted price of $30. <br />