Charter commission hears sustainability staff on department status, funding and multi‑million grants

The Lansing Charter Commission on March 25 heard a presentation from the city’s sustainability manager and Public Service staff about the Sustainability Office’s work and whether the office should be elevated to a department in the city charter.

The matter matters because the decision would change how the city funds and staffs sustainability efforts tied to climate goals, urban forestry, electric vehicle charging and city operations. Commissioners asked whether a charter change should require the city to create a department or whether a bureau/division inside Public Service — with clearer funding — would be preferable.

Lori Balch, who identified herself as the city’s sustainability manager, said the office implements both the citywide sustainability action plan and a separate municipal climate action plan for city operations. “The sustainability office is responsible for implementing the city's climate action and sustainability goals. We have an adopted, sustainability action plan right now for the entire city,” Balch told the commission. She said the work covers energy efficiency, renewable energy, clean transportation, land use and materials management.

Balch and Jeremiah Kilgore of Public Service described current projects tied to competitive grants. The city is administering a five‑year urban forestry program funded at $5,000,000 and a five‑year electric vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure grant funded at $8,000,000; Kilgore said the EV effort is regional and includes partner jurisdictions. Balch said the office also manages energy benchmarking and an energy‑efficiency contract with Johnson Controls and is pursuing sustainable purchasing policies.

Commissioners pressed staff about resources and structure. Balch said the office currently includes two full‑time city employees (the manager and a sustainability specialist), one full‑time contract employee and one part‑time intern; she stressed the office relies heavily on communications and administrative support from Public Service. “Without a funding source for a department, I would be concerned that I would lose some of those existing resources,” Balch said.

Several commissioners said they want sustainability to have higher profile and more capacity but differed on whether that means a department or a bureau/division inside an existing department. Commissioner Washington said the office needs more capacity and recommended a bureau inside Public Service so the sustainability function could share services while having more authority; Commissioner Dowd proposed a charter provision that would require creation of a sustainability department within a set time frame if the commission wanted to mandate it.

Commissioner Boyd, echoing public comments submitted earlier, said the office already delivers major projects and that the commission should weigh whether the charter needs to require a department or simply raise visibility through ordinance or budget decisions.

Commissioners also discussed funding options staff had raised: allocating a small percent of the general fund, directing a share of guaranteed energy savings from retrofits to sustain the program, or identifying other municipal revenue streams. Balch said many current projects use federal and state grant funds and that the office is looking for more stable, ongoing funding beyond project grants.

Public comment at the meeting and following remarks urged the commission to include a sustainability division in the charter and to consider adding a dedicated sustainability board. Local resident Randy Dykeis said a division in Public Service plus a sustainability board would raise visibility and resident engagement.

The commission did not make a final charter decision on the sustainability office at the March 25 meeting but directed staff and commissioners to return language options and additional cost and structure details at upcoming meetings.

Ending: The commission scheduled further consideration of how the charter should reference the Sustainability Office, including model language for a division or bureau and options for funding and board structure, for its next meeting.