The Scottsdale City Council voted Oct. 21 to authorize a design‑build construction contract to install a high‑canopy solar parasol over part of the City Hall parking lot, adopting a resolution to contract with Ameresco Inc. for a guaranteed maximum price of $1,977,360.

The structure, part of the voter‑approved 2019 bond package (bond project 58), is designed to create shaded parking and an event area while hosting photovoltaic panels to offset municipal electricity use. City staff told council the installation is projected to offset roughly 75% of City Hall’s utility usage and produce an estimated $3 million in energy savings over a 25‑year life span, roughly $46,000 annually.

Why it matters: The project marries shade and solar generation on a civic campus used for offices, public events and the farmers market. Council debate highlighted competing priorities: honoring bond language and long‑term energy savings versus near‑term spending priorities and preservation of civic aesthetics.

Council discussion and key points
- Bond authority and scope: Staff said the 2019 voter‑approved bond specifically listed a PV parasol/high canopy solar system for the City Hall parking lot. City Engineer Lisonbee Timkew told council the project sits in an area of the lot that has limited natural tree shade and that APS restrictions limited total PV capacity, reducing the initially projected panel area compared with the 2019 plan.
- Cost and funding: The design‑build manager construction phase contract with Ameresco is for $1,977,360; the original bond budget for the project was $4.6 million and staff said remaining bond savings will be reviewed by the bond oversight committee for reallocation to other projects.
- Energy and operations: Timkew said the project is projected to offset about 75% of City Hall’s utility usage and to yield about $3 million in avoided energy costs across a 25‑year expected panel life. She also said a pre‑construction contract of $280,000 had already been authorized.
- Aesthetics and neighbors: Several council members and members of the public questioned the visual impact of metal shade structures on the historic civic campus; staff said the structure’s height was reduced from 20 feet to 16 feet after neighbor concerns and coordination with fire and solid‑waste departments to preserve operational clearances.
- Opposition and support: Some council members and public commenters urged postponement or reallocation to higher‑priority needs such as road repairs; other council members cited the voter mandate, energy savings and event functionality (electric hookups for farmers market) in support.

Vote and outcome
Council adopted the resolution and authorized contract 2025‑151‑COS with Ameresco Inc. The motion passed following debate. At least two council members stated they would not support the item during discussion; staff and supporting council members emphasized bond authorization and projected long‑term savings as rationale for approval.

Next steps and implementation
Staff said Ameresco will proceed under the design‑build manager contract. City staff will present project savings and any recommended reallocations from bond project underspending to the bond oversight committee and return to council for any required approvals.

Quotations from the meeting
- City Engineer Lisonbee Timkew: “The project… is projected to offset 75% of the utility usage at City Hall… and it's actually projected to offset 75% of the utility usage at City Hall. It is projected to offset about $46,000 a year, or about $3,000,000 over 25 years.”
- Public commenter Steve Sutton: “What would be an appropriate use for that $1,977,360? … I found that answer … spend that $1,977,360 filling all the potholes in Scottsdale.”