Candidates at the Lafayette forum generally said the city’s sustainability and climate goals can be advanced while supporting small businesses, and they suggested targeted incentives and outreach to help owners adopt energy- and water‑efficiency measures.

Kyle Bollier and others pointed to local programs and county and state resources — including PACE-style financing and county-level technical assistance — as ways to lower businesses’ up-front costs for upgrades such as efficient HVAC, refrigeration or heat pumps. “We could consider financial support towards upgrades, maybe installation of heat pumps or solar because that will bring down their costs in the long term,” Bollier said.

Several candidates cited the city’s Climate Action Plan (developed in August 2024, as discussed at the forum) and the Sustainability and Resilience Advisory Committee as existing frameworks. Candidates proposed using grant programs and targeted incentives to help businesses retrofit equipment, encourage reuse of vacant spaces rather than new construction and expand recycling and composting education.

Some candidates emphasized resilience and emergency services alongside mitigation: several said resources should also go to fire protection and defensible-space measures given recent regional wildfires. No ordinance change or funding decision was made at the forum; candidates suggested exploring existing grant and county programs and expanding outreach to local businesses to match funding with likely return on investment.