Adams County seeks direction to update Sustainability 2030 plan with climate action goals; staff proposes limited consultant work and budget review

Amir Fakir, fleets and facilities, and Ariel Gerstein, sustainability administrator, briefed commissioners on the status of the Adams County Sustainability 2030 plan and proposed an updated sustainability and climate action plan to add greenhouse gas targets and emissions‑reduction strategies.

The staff presentation summarized accomplishments and ongoing work: the county reported more than 2,600 solar permits issued since 2016, nine EVs added to the county fleet in 2024 with eight more to be leased in 2025, and 29 charging stations across several county facilities. Staff said the current sustainability plan is about 59% complete against its 2030 goals and that the proposed climate component would add modeled greenhouse gas reduction targets and policy guidance for both government operations and community‑wide emissions.

Amanda Perkins, climate policy implementation specialist, said the county completed a greenhouse gas inventory using 2023 data to establish baselines for government operations and the community. The inventory showed the building sector is the largest source of county operations emissions; staff noted industrial sectors drive a large share of community emissions. Perkins said the climate action update would include modeling of a business‑as‑usual scenario and the emissions impact of proposed actions to support goal‑setting.

Staff described regulatory and compliance items affecting county operations: Regulation 20 Part G (large‑entity reporting requirements for fleet emissions) and Regulation 28 (benchmarking for buildings over 50,000 square feet). Staff reported that five of the county’s seven covered buildings meet the 2026 benchmarking target and three meet the 2030 target; an energy performance contract (EPC) underway is expected to address remaining gaps.

On near‑term regulatory action, staff noted a 2025 ozone‑area rule that restricted use of small internal‑combustion lawn and garden equipment between June 1 and August 31; facilities and contract landscapers complied and the county is acquiring electric landscaping equipment. Staff also described other programs and outreach including an Earth Day event that collected more than 150 gas‑powered lawn machines for voucher replacement.

Regarding the proposed plan update, staff recommended hiring a consultant to model emissions scenarios, help set achievable targets and help prepare a community engagement process. Staff estimated the consultant scope at roughly $150,000–$350,000 depending on outreach intensity. Board members asked for options that would protect implementation funding—commissioners said they prefer right‑sizing the consulting scope so the county can preserve the majority of its sustainability budget for on‑the‑ground measures.

Commissioners asked staff to present a clearer breakdown of how the county’s existing sustainability line (described in the meeting as a $1,000,000 annual base budget item within Facilities) would be programmed between plan development and implementation projects for the next budget cycle. Staff agreed to return with more detailed budget programming and a narrower scope for consultant work if the board wants to preserve funds for capital implementation.

Staff requested board feedback on moving forward with a scoped plan update; the board’s preliminary direction was to continue with planning but to right‑size consultant work and present budget options during the upcoming budget deliberations so the board can weigh implementation versus planning tradeoffs. No formal appropriation or contract award was made at the session.