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City staff update: SolSmart review, EV grant submissions, smart meters and active-transport draft
Summary
City staff told the Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee they are pursuing SolSmart designation, applying for state grants for electric vehicles and trails, updating the greenhouse-gas inventory, and preparing to launch smart-meter customer tools once meter installs complete.
City staff provided a status update to the Farmers Branch Sustainability Committee covering SolSmart ordinance changes, grant applications, a greenhouse-gas inventory update, an active-transportation plan draft and a near-term smart-meter customer rollout.
Alex, a city staff member who presented the update, said changes to the city ordinance have been drafted to meet SolSmart gold-level prerequisites and are under legal review; after legal review the changes would move through planning-and-zoning and then to city council. He said the city is updating a greenhouse-gas inventory (previous inventory used 2019 data and staff are updating to 2023), and that an active-transportation plan first draft had been returned with many staff comments and will be revised before a council study session and approval vote are scheduled.
On grants, staff reported submitting multiple applications: an urban-heat measurement grant (decision expected at the end of the month), potential TxDOT trail funding for an Inwood-area easement project, and a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) application for three electric vehicles that would cover about $69,000 in purchase cost if awarded (TCEQ cited as $23,000 per vehicle). Alex said many state grant schedules remain uncertain but the city will present total-cost-of-ownership analyses to council when vehicle purchases are considered.
Staff noted building-code appendices for solar- and EV-ready design were presented to council in 2023 but the building-inspections group recommended against adoption because some developers and staff said appendices not required by the International Code could create competitive or administrative burdens. Staff said the code language will be provided as guidelines for developers unless council provides different direction.
On metering, staff reported roughly 98 percent of residential smart meters have been installed and that the city will wait to launch the customer-facing platform until final meter installs are complete to avoid an additional software initiation fee. The city also discussed Power Switch enrollment (a % renewable electricity opt-in program) and is accepting sign-ups through March 1 for a municipal group buy.
Other items in the staff update: a draft active-transportation plan must be timed around the May election for council consideration; Sellers Field property status was reported as transferred to the Farmers Branch Local Government Corporation and may be offered for sale through that entity; and staff shared an infographic summarizing city sustainability work for broader outreach.
Committee members asked about contingency planning if grant funding is reduced; staff replied that for most vehicle replacements the grants reduce upfront costs but the city also prepares total-cost-of-ownership information to guide council decisions.
The meeting record shows no formal committee vote tied to the staff update; a separate motion earlier in the meeting approved the January 8 minutes by voice vote.
