[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6670854,"mediaKeyId","2171881-203e9515549bcc7f1e9a1efb9494128b","parentId",2171881,"title","Oakland County seeks $1 million energy study to map campus infrastructure upgrades; commissioners debate scope and funding","audioSeconds",3693,"startMs",1723000,"endMs",5416000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171881-203e9515549bcc7f1e9a1efb9494128b&start=1723&end=5416","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171881-203e9515549bcc7f1e9a1efb9494128b/thumbnail_1723000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6670854/Oakland-County/Michigan/Oakland-County-seeks-1-million-energy-study-to-map-campus-infrastructure-upgrades-commissioners-debate-scope-and-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670854-e3de45481f1c41a760decf2d26505400/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174983&Signature=CgZU2SGY7ELSZfsnFQHqQnSgHbDULDwFhSFhcu0bQzyCgjK1sHMWO4k6Pz-29xumuzBMrSO~Hn0RhDq42FrB-hThhfwndzMik1FPwHN3uRkmtnIJDKdURflZiDHbBkSLXElZbGHd2PvQrt-Bfy-mh77SkxCBPVxSitoLi7DZlVslA26nzLfT1gfp75pethq-bw2dx-tGcGRZSFozKyNfVZi1xl0OyW4kf60EFu42qfuKcBmFVX1pb~Tyqj8H3JI9wbqX7YlnB3K6e8H~79qWpWpA1qryPzlEXt-o2KYVxvEukNJ56CUcZR8munTXdS~8KJ8deIliResgscGkWbh1xw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oakland County","date","2025-01-01T05:16:14.85Z","article","Oakland County’s Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 13 voted to forward a proposal to finance for an energy study of the county campus that staff estimate could cost roughly $1 million.

County sustainability staff said the study would identify aging electrical feeders, evaluate capacity for electrification and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and recommend prioritized capital improvements so the county can plan for future decarbonization and resilience. \"A lot of what the study aims to do is understand critical infrastructure that we need to upgrade now, help us with the capital improvement planning process,\" the presenter said, outlining concerns about aging feeders and repeated outages on campus.

The study would not include the new Pontiac buildings themselves but would assess how the county’s move to Pontiac affects remaining campus facilities, staff said. \"It includes the implications and impact that everything of the move to Pontiac,\" a sustainability staff member said, adding that the scope would be adjusted to avoid studies of buildings slated for disposition.

Why it matters: Committee members said the technical analysis is necessary to make grant applications, plan future EV charging, and estimate costs for any sale or repurposing of buildings. Several commissioners pressed staff for more detail on scope, phasing and how the county would pay for the work.

Discussion and staff responses

Commissioner questions focused on three areas: what the study would physically assess; whether it could be phased to reduce immediate county costs; and whether the study should be coordinated with the larger Pontiac relocation plan. County staff said the study will examine campus-level electrical capacity (two main feeders), building energy use and HVAC/steam-plant interactions, redundancy and resilience needs, and siting for future EV infrastructure. \"We have two electrical feeders coming into campus. They are aging. We need to improve them,\" staff said, adding that replacing feeders without anticipating future electrification would risk undersizing new feeders.

On phasing and funding, staff said the Office of Sustainability has identified potential federal grant funding (an estimated $434,190 via an EECBG-like allocation and additional program funds) but had not yet executed a contract from the granting agency. Finance staff said those grant amounts and other sustainability budget funds brought the near-term available total to about $600,000, but a binding grant agreement was not in hand at the time of the meeting. County finance staff advised that per board rules the county cannot record an incoming grant until a contract is in hand, but also noted that if the grant is later received, the county can apply those funds to eligible activities and there are mechanisms (reimbursement and bond counsel guidance) to link earlier general-fund spending to later grant proceeds where appropriate.

Several commissioners urged splitting the study or phasing certain components (for example, electrical feed evaluation vs. HVAC/workstream analysis) if that would make the request more acceptable in the short term. Others argued the campus complexity and the pending relocation make a comprehensive assessment preferable. \"There are pros and cons to what would happen if we decided to do it in phases,\" county staff said, but recommended proceeding with the full scope so the county gets a complete picture.

Technical additions and staffing

The committee used the meeting to introduce Jill Deliberti, the county’s new energy manager in Facilities Management, who described prior work managing a consortium of K–12 districts to track and manage energy use and who said similar tracking could identify savings for county facilities. Commissioners and staff cited prior examples where energy-management programs produced multi‑million-dollar savings for institutions as evidence that a detailed study could unlock future savings and stronger grant applications.

Outcome

After discussion, the committee voted to forward the study request to the finance committee for further review and possible funding. The committee asked staff to provide: a) a clearer scope and example deliverables, b) an explanation of which buildings on campus would be included or excluded because of pending relocation to Pontiac, and c) an analysis of pros and cons of phasing the study. Finance staff indicated those items would be useful for budget-level decisions.

Context

Committee members said the county’s campus is unusual because it is served by only a handful of parcels and shared utility feeds rather than individual building feeds, making a campus-level assessment particularly important for decisions about disposition, retrofit or repurposing. Staff said the study would support future grant applications by producing the technical data grantors expect.

Ending

Staff said they would return with a refined scope and funding plan when the item goes to the finance committee. Commissioners also asked for examples of comparable projects in other jurisdictions so the board can compare costs and scopes. No external legal or statutory citations were introduced during the discussion.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee Meeting 12-4-24","oneSentenceSummary","Oakland County’s Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 13 voted to forward a proposal to finance for an energy study of the county campus that staff estimate could cost roughly $1 million.","taxTitle","Oakland County, Michigan","taxId",2835,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6670849,"Votes at a glance: Committee forwards energy study and multiple grants, lease and facility items to finance or board",0,3771000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2171881-203e9515549bcc7f1e9a1efb9494128b&start=3771&end=3771","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2171881-203e9515549bcc7f1e9a1efb9494128b/thumbnail_3771000.jpg","/articles/6670849/Oakland-County/Michigan/Votes-at-a-glance-Committee-forwards-energy-study-and-multiple-grants-lease-and-facility-items-to-finance-or-board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6670849-ec7bbc267c44bddd380ad367e8e8e22c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174983&Signature=YICvvzdoWrsUZ4GbDEo49TifMBb5jG7MgeV3t0WtUWwMyIDKC9r-OJ~MK1SUTS8ok5~Yjlp~w45075sY5jIDJOc4ZC6m8~h4m8tZhDEqHT8oJBZ7VdeQVgdiKWkppQ3ne8IVNTlLAUpUU4oLu732VnkBfSNlDilJmh4Z5zjCDTTCXC003JWY2aXrVUFbKBp8T0m8SpLrgsI4azA~Fbt~Ku01kmMizsRZeZnDnqMr-Zg5NQO6Kb0ZrT2065tiEdL9V8snqYCILvwZXl1-2m63sQQoxUQlqDEF~RAihmeCPE5nyTN2h-dz3mA9kZBp5tQshqQBbmgOUrSGg4UO7Lmdiw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oakland County Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 13 took action or recommended action on a series of grants, appointments, agreements and facility projects. Most items were forwarded to the finance committee or to the full board for final consideration.

Key actions and outcomes (motions, movers/second, and committee direction):

- Appointment of Dom Holmes as Economic Development Director: The committee moved to recommend the appointment (moved by Commissioner Markham; seconded by Commissioner Smith). The motion carried (vote recorded as 6 yeas, 0 nays in the meeting transcript). Dom Holmes introduced himself and summarized his work leading federal and local grant administration and the county’s economic development strategic plan.

- Grant acceptance: Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, FY25 County Veterans Service Fund Grant ($530,893): Staff requested acceptance of a FY25 grant totaling $530,893 to support Veterans Services, including resource payers, marketing and transportation. The motion to recommend acceptance to finance was made (moved by Mister Whiteboard; seconded by Commissioner Raman). Committee members discussed marketing effectiveness and the transportation program; staff confirmed allocations of roughly $364,500 for resource payers, $116,393 for marketing and $50,000 for transportation. Committee recommended the grant acceptance to finance (vote tally not specified in transcript).

- Interlocal agreement with SMART for veterans transportation (FY25): The committee moved to recommend an intent to enter an interlocal agreement with Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) to administer a veterans transportation program (moved by Commissioner Robin; seconded by Commissioner Weidberg). Staff said the $50,000 transportation line is expected to cover approximately 25,000 rides at an estimated reimbursement of about $2 per ride. The motion was recommended to the board/finance (vote tally not specified).

- MDOT grant acceptance for runway lighting rehabilitation at Oakland Troy Airport: Staff presented a Phase 2 grant funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law covering 90% of the $143,790 project, with 5% state and 5% local match from airport funds. The committee recommended forwarding the grant acceptance to the board (moved by Commissioner Markham; seconded by Commissioner Long). Staff noted the airport will be closed for an estimated two-week period during construction and tenants will receive relocation options.

- Termination and replacement of a long-term land lease at Oakland County International Airport (items 10d and 10e): The committee recommended forwarding a paired set of items to terminate a long-term land lease with WLA Holdings after a building sale and to enter a new hangar lease with Boardwalk, a flight school tenant. Committee recommended forwarding both items to the board (moved by Commissioner Robin; seconded by Commissioner Smith).

- Central garage roof replacement (capital project, $656,829): Planning and engineering staff presented a full roof replacement (31,500 square feet) using EPDM rubber membrane and thicker insulation to meet current energy codes. The proposed contract to Royal Roofing was described as the best-value responsive bid, with funding available in the capital improvement program. The committee moved to recommend forwarding the item to finance (motion moved by Commissioner Smith; seconded by Commissioner Weifert). Discussion included confirmation that the building will remain in county use; committee vote forwarded the item to finance (final committee vote reported: 4 yeas, 3 nays when item was reconsidered and forwarded).

- Joint project agreement (JPA) renewal with the U.S. Department of Commerce for office space in Annex 1: Staff presented a one-year renewal (fiscal years 24–25) with a rent increase tied to building cost increases and a 90-day termination clause in either direction. The committee recommended forwarding the JPA modification to the board (motion moved by Commissioner Spitz; seconded by Commissioner Weidberg). Discussion noted the rent rose from roughly $9,000 to about $17,000 and commissioners asked for continued attention to county rental rates.

- MOUs to receive Department of Energy technical assistance (Voucher 3) with EnergyWorks and 5 Lakes: The committee recommended entering memoranda of understanding with EnergyWorks and 5 Lakes to receive pro bono technical assistance through DOE’s voucher program on renewable-siting and battery-storage issues. Staff said the MOUs will let Oakland County communities access technical assistance to plan renewables and storage siting and permitting. The committee recommended forwarding the MOUs to the board.

Other procedural and closed-session matters

The committee held one or more closed sessions to discuss potential property purchase or lease matters and, on return to open session, authorized staff to proceed consistent with closed-session directives. Public comment was not offered on these items at the meeting.

Ending

Most items were recommended to finance or the full board for final action. Staff will return with required grant documents or refined scopes where applicable before final board-level approvals.","The Economic Development & Infrastructure Committee recommended several funding and administrative actions — including the appointment of an economic development director, veterans grants and transportation agreements, airport lighting grant, and facility projects — sending most items to finance or the full board for final approval.","actionData","errors"]

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Oakland County seeks $1 million energy study to map campus infrastructure upgrades; commissioners debate scope and funding

Votes at a glance: Committee forwards energy study and multiple grants, lease and facility items to finance or board