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recommended changes. He suggested that the city, NOPEC and other stakeholders work together <br />to help residents make the right consumer choices. <br />Councilmember Baker echoed Councilmember Bullock’s remarks that the Plan’s interventions <br />are not necessarily simple and straightforward for residents to understand. He suggested that the <br />city evaluate if it has enough building inspectors and educate building inspectors on new climate- <br />friendly technology, so that they may pass this information along to residents. He questioned <br />how the city can compelresidential landlords to make these large capital investments, when they <br />will not necessarily experience the saving in their energy bills. <br /> <br />Mr. Herbert shared a policy from Boulder, Colorado whereby the city requires landlords to meet <br />energy efficiency requirements to obtain a housing permit. <br /> <br />Director Leininger expressed open mindedness to exploring the use of CDBG and HOME funds <br />for energy efficient retrofits. He cautioned that without subsidies, it is likely that property <br />investments of this nature will result in increased housing costs for renters. <br /> <br />Councilmember Baker advocated that the County increase accessibility to the HELP loan, to <br />allow more families to get low-interest loans for home improvement. He emphasized the city’s <br />role in educating residents and contractors. <br /> <br />In response to question from the committee, Mr. Herbert offered ideas and suggestions piloted in <br />other communities such as a city-led residential retrofit program like one developed in Ithaca, <br />New York, and a zero-interest revolving loan fund for income eligible residents. <br /> <br />The committee and Director Leininger discussed a path forward and what that will look like. <br />Director Leininger stated the city’s intention to incorporate a climate lens into all future planning <br />across departments. He added that all departments will evaluate grant opportunities and look to <br />the report’s action items for guidance. He acknowledged that the effort will take time and that the <br />city has particular hurdles due to state-level policy. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kepple pointed to action item #44, which recommends that sustainability <br />become someone’s job. She questioned if the city needs a director of sustainability, a citizen <br />committee, or other staff support to lead this effort. <br /> <br />Director Leininger replied that sustainability is a shared responsibility and will be integrated into <br />all departments and initiatives. He added that his department will look at internal capacity to <br />ensure that it is sufficient. <br /> <br />Councilmember Marx remarked on the significance of this project and thanked all who brought it <br />to fruition. She proposed that the city’s first step could be educating residents to be invested. <br /> <br />*** <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br /> <br />