2022-09 - SolSmart Designation - Laserfiche WebLink

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Referred to HPD 3/21/22 Baker, Bullock, Kepple, Litten, RESOLUTION NO. 2022-09 0' Malley, Rader, Shachner A RESOLUTION to take effect immediately provided it receives the vote of at least two thirds of the members of Council, or otherwise to take effect at the earliest period allowed by law, expressing the City's intention to become a SolSmart-designated community to improve solar market conditions, making it faster, easier, and more affordable for J the City's residents and businesses to install solar energy systems. WHEREAS, SolSmart is a national technical assistance and designation program designed to recognize local communities for encouraging solar energy growth and addressing barriers to solar energy; and WHEREAS, SolSmart has assisted over 400 communities nationwide achieve SolSmart designations at either the bronze, silver, and gold designation levels, including communities in Ohio, such as Cleveland, Franklin County, Athens County, Somerset, Amesville, Oberlin, and Athens; and WHEREAS, upon adoption of this Resolution, SolSmart will provide technical assistance in planning, zoning, permitting, inspections, installation, safety, financing options, and best practices for solar installation at no cost (through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy) to the City so long as the City commits staff time and demonstrates a commitment to achieving a SolSmart designation; and WHEREAS, these efforts will demonstrate that the City is committed to driving continual improvement in our nascent solar market, and in the process of doing so, all the related areas identified as community priorities in our under development Climate Action Plan as well as other plans adopted by the City such as the Community Vision (adopted by Council and the Lakewood Planning Commission in 2012 and updated in 2017 and 2019) and the 2019 Resiliency Task Force Action Guide that was incorporated into the 2019 Community Vision Update by the Lakewood Planning Commission and Council; and WHEREAS, one of the Action Items from the 2019 Resiliency Task Force Action Guide discussed options for streamlining "alternative or green power sources" and it is in line with all of this previous work that Council brings forward this opportunity to continue pushing Lakewood forward as a leader in sustainability and environmental consciousness; and WHEREAS, as set forth in Section 2.12 of the Third Amended Charter of the City of Lakewood, this Council by a vote of at least two thirds of its members determines that this resolution is an emergency measure and that it shall take effect immediately, and that it is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public property, health, and safety and to provide for the usual daily operation of municipal departments in that expressing this interest immediately will allow Lakewood to access technical assistance; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO: