SUBJECT:
Title
A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Erie Approving an Agreement for Services with Lotus Sustainability and Engineering to Develop a Climate and Sustainability Action Plan for the Town
Body
DEPARTMENT: Environmental Services
Department
PRESENTER(S): Eryka Thorley, Sustainability Manager
David Frank, Director of Environmental Services
First Name Last Name, Title
TIME ESTIMATE: 30 minutes
only required for non-consent items
FISCAL SUMMARY:
Cost as Recommended: $117,013.50
Balance Available: $85,000
Budget Line Item Number: 100-25-780-560100-000000
New Appropriation Required: No, as additional funds will be supported by the Boulder County Environmental Sustainability Matching Grant ($30,506.00) and existing Sustainability Division 2025 Budget ($85,000.00 Consultation Services and $1,507.50 Special Events).
POLICY ISSUES:
This contract will assist staff in updating the Town’s 2019 Sustainability Plan and integrating into that Plan the Town’s first Climate Action Plan using data from the first two townwide greenhouse gas inventories (2021 & 2023). This resolution supports prior Town commitments to updating the Sustainability Plan every five years and supports Erie’s commitment to environmental stewardship, fiscal responsibility, general sustainability and climate change preparedness, and overall resilience.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Approve Resolution 25-007.
End
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
In 2019, the Board of Trustees adopted the Town’s first Sustainability Plan (attached for reference and review), including strong emissions reduction goals such as renewable energy adoption, transportation electrification and efficiencies, waste diversion, related education and outreach. At the time Erie did not yet have a townwide greenhouse gas inventory to develop specific emission reduction targets. In 2019, the Board committed to updating the Sustainability Plan every five years.
The current effort will update the current Sustainability Plan and also integrate into the Plan the Town’s first climate action emissions-based targets to create the Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. This work will be based on the Town’s greenhouse gas emissions inventories for 2021 and 2023 to set realistic and data driven climate action targets. The work will also involve and incorporate feedback from community partners to ensure there is community support for the Plan. This Plan will guide Erie’s climate mitigation and sustainability strategies and targets for years to come.
The total plan cost is $117,013, with $85,000 of the funds from the Sustainability Division’s 2025 budget, $30,506 from Boulder County’s Environmental Sustainability Matching Grant (awards announced in mid-January), and the remaining $1,507 from the Sustainability Division’s Special Events budget. This plan will enable Erie to target additional grant funds such as the Department of Local Affairs recent Climate Resilience Challenge which allows only communities with a Climate Action or Resilience Plan to apply for Project Implementation funds (up to $2M) and other similar grant funding opportunities.
After posting a project Request for Proposal (RFP) in late 2024, the Sustainability Division identified Lotus Engineering and Sustainability’s proposal (attached) as the most robust and comprehensive proposal and recommend contracting with them, launching Feb. 1, 2025. The Town has worked with Lotus on numerous projects including the first Sustainability Plan in 2019 and the recent EV Fleet Procurement Policy and Sustainable Purchasing Best Management Practice Guide to support Town sustainable procurement.
COUNCIL PRIORITY(S) ADDRESSED:
ü Attractive Community Amenities
ü Engaged and Diverse Community
ü Prosperous Economy
ü Well-Maintained Transportation Infrastructure
ü Small Town Feel
ü Safe and Healthy Community
ü Effective Governance
ü Environmentally Sustainable
ü Fiscally Responsible
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Resolution 25-007
2. Response to RFP P24-1008
3. 2019 Sustainability Plan
4. Presentation