Farmers Branch staff reports LEED certification push, greenhouse gas review and new EVs in city fleet
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Summary
City of Farmers Branch staff told the Sustainability Committee on July 9 they are preparing a preliminary LEED for Cities submission, reported a completed third‑party review of the greenhouse gas inventory and placed two electric vehicles into city service.
City of Farmers Branch staff told the Sustainability Committee on July 9 they are working toward LEED for Cities certification, have completed a third‑party technical review of the city’s greenhouse gas inventory and have placed two electric vehicles into municipal service.
Staff said the goal for LEED for Cities certification is to complete the water and energy categories and prepare a preliminary submission to the U.S. Green Building Council in late August or early September to allow time for review and a likely final submission before the end of 2025.
On greenhouse gases, staff reported the third‑party technical review is complete and that the version presented previously to the committee is essentially the final version.
Fleet and grants: Staff said the city purchased two electric vehicles with internal grant funds (referred to in the meeting as "ECG" money): a Ford F-150 Lightning and a Chevrolet Equinox EV. Both were reported to be in service. Staff also reported the city did not receive an EV grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and that a Department of Energy check was still pending.
Water programs and dashboards: Staff reported 116 toilet replacements and 14 irrigation checkup applications have been completed under the city’s water rebate programs. Staff said they may increase the irrigation-checkup rebate amount to boost participation and that marketing for water‑conservation programs will be pushed later in the summer as water use and bills rise. The committee was told staff will notify members when a smart‑meter dashboard pilot is available for committee members to test.
Why it matters: LEED certification and an accurate greenhouse gas inventory can affect city planning, grant competitiveness and public reporting. EVs in the fleet and water‑conservation rebates are direct operational steps that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water demand.
Discussion vs. decisions: These items were presented as staff updates; the committee did not take formal votes on LEED submission, the greenhouse gas inventory, fleet purchases or rebate amounts at the July 9 meeting. Staff indicated possible follow-up (e.g., changing rebate amounts or rolling out the smart‑meter dashboard) would come back to the committee or to council as appropriate.
At the meeting Alex (staff member) presented the update and answered committee questions about timing, grant results and program uptake.
