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City wins $100,000 EGLE energy grant for Carnegie Building; council approves contract with conditions
Summary
Council approved a $100,000 EGLE Community Energy Management grant for a Level‑2 energy assessment and repairs at the Carnegie Building. Energy Sciences will administer the grant and perform the assessment; no city match is required. The vote passed 4–1 after a councilmember requested additional counsel review.
Petoskey City Council approved a grant agreement July 21 with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to fund energy assessment and improvements at the Carnegie Building.
The city won $100,000 through EGLE’s Community Energy Management program to finance a Level‑2 ASHRAE energy audit for the historic Carnegie structure, a community engagement and communications component, and an initial package of repairs. City Manager Shane Horn said the award will support a detailed technical assessment of heating, ventilation and building envelope systems and create a scope for future work, and that the city expects to prioritize historic‑appropriate repairs for windows and other building elements.
Energy Sciences, a consultant that assisted the city with the application, will serve as grant administrator under the agreement: the consultant will contract and invoice for assessment and community engagement services and the city will submit invoices to EGLE for reimbursement. Horn said the grant requires no local match.
Council discussion and vote Councilmembers questioned the scope and cost breakdown of the consultant work. Staff said the grant packages include roughly three components: assessment/technical work, a communications/outreach effort, and a repair allocation; staff estimated approximately $40,000 of the award would be directed to repairs, with the remainder covering the level‑2 assessment and outreach. Council asked staff to provide the consultant contract and a detailed budget and noted the state may require approval of subcontractors.
Council then voted to adopt the EGLE grant agreement. The motion passed, 4–1; Councilmember DeMoor cast the lone nay and said she wanted the city attorney to complete a due‑diligence review of the subcontract and grant documents before final execution. Staff said counsel would review the documents; the grant is otherwise time‑sensitive and the administration requested authority to execute the agreement pending routine counsel review.
Next steps Energy Sciences will proceed with the assessment work and community engagement described in the EGLE award, and staff will return contract documentation and any substantive subcontractor approvals to council or counsel as requested. The city will submit invoices to EGLE and receive reimbursement for eligible work.
