The Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners authorized county staff to apply for a non‑competitive $900,000 subaward tied to a Colorado building‑decarbonization initiative funded through the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program administered by the state.

County staff said the funding is one of several subaward streams created by a statewide initiative led by a regional collaborative (referred to in the briefing as the Doctor. COG collaborative). The state initiative has approximately $199.7 million in federal funds and the county’s subaward would be $900,000 as part of the collaborative’s building policy work stream. Staff explained the grant is non‑competitive for jurisdictions that join the collaborative and meet application requirements.

Staff briefed the board on eligible uses for the subaward, which focus on building‑sector activities: staff capacity and technical training, permitting and inspection support, technical assistance for building‑code adoption and community engagement and measurement systems to track emissions reductions from buildings. The state energy office recently released a model Colorado low‑energy and carbon code; the collaborative’s stated goal is to accelerate policies and codes that exceed state minimum energy requirements and reduce building‑sector emissions.

Commissioners discussed alternatives. Staff proposed three options: (1) accept the collaborative invitation, sign a commitment letter and apply for the $900,000 subaward now; (2) not participate; or (3) skip the non‑competitive round and pursue funding in a future competitive round. Staff recommended applying in the non‑competitive round and said further details would be worked out in an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) if awarded. The proposed scope of work for the grant in staff materials included a county building‑sector climate component (a partial climate action plan focused on buildings), incorporation of decarbonization considerations into the county comprehensive plan, hire of an energy/code specialist in the building division, staff training and public engagement.

After discussion, the board directed staff to proceed with the application and to bring back a detailed scope and IGA for final review before any funds or program obligations are accepted by the county. The motion to pursue the application passed by consensus with the commissioners present.