Sustainability committee recommends Lights Out Texas proclamation; staff reports on Solar, EV and other initiatives

The Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee voted to recommend that City Council issue a Lights Out Texas proclamation and discussed outreach approaches and follow-up sustainability work.

Committee members said Lights Out Texas — a migration-season dimming program — has been the committee’s annual proclamation for two years and that the timing for an April/Earth Day proclamation fits migration timing. The committee approved a motion to recommend that City Council issue a Lights Out Texas proclamation; the motion passed by voice vote.

Nut graf: The committee also received staff updates on several ongoing sustainability programs — including a pending code amendment to clarify solar installations, pending grants and vehicle electrification reimbursements, a near-finished greenhouse‑gas inventory and the active-transportation plan — giving members a timetable for council actions and outreach events.

Alex, a city staff member providing the update, said the city has submitted materials for a SoulSmart designation and "we have met all the prerequisite requirements and all the point requirements for the gold" pending a code change that must be adopted by council. Alex said if council does not adopt the ordinance language the city remains eligible for a silver designation.

Staff reported two recent Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) purchases: an F-150 Lightning used by solid waste and a second Equinox EV; reimbursement paperwork for the second EV has been submitted and the expected reimbursement is approximately $76,000 for the two EVs. Staff said an application for a TCEQ EV grant is pending (roughly $69,000 if awarded) and a carbon-heat-mapping grant application was not funded.

The active-transportation plan is expected to be delivered to the committee in April, with a council study session planned for June and adoption in July. Staff said the greenhouse-gas inventory using 2023 data is near completion and will update the city’s 2019 baseline.

The committee also discussed the city’s Tree City USA-related Arbor Day events and a tree giveaway; members suggested tabling at the library on Earth Day, adding more signage and recruiting businesses and residents to sign up for Lights Out participation. Staff said existing Lights Out Texas outreach materials and a city proclamation can be combined with a sign-up link so businesses and residents can register participation.

Ending: The committee made a formal recommendation to council on Lights Out Texas, agreed to revisit proclamation choices in January for future years, and received multiple staff updates on solar, EVs, grants and active-transportation efforts. The committee set follow-up items for outreach materials and a possible January agenda item to consider alternatives to Lights Out Texas.