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Committee reviews Sustainability Framework Fund spending and recommends energy-efficiency home pilot for next year
Summary
Sustainability staff reported program expenditures from the FY24-25 Sustainability Framework Fund, updated uptake on EV, e-bike and lawn-equipment rebates, and proposed prioritizing a home energy-efficiency pilot with Community Development for FY25-26.
Captain (Catherine) Barnett, sustainability manager, told the Sustainability Framework Advisory Committee on Aug. 22 that staff programmed about $600,000 in 2024–25 projects from the Sustainability Framework Fund and reviewed expenditures and uptake across incentive programs.
Barnett said several programs performed well and recommended continuing successful incentives while prioritizing a new home energy-efficiency pilot with Community Development for FY25–26.
Why it matters: The fund supports local projects that reduce energy use, advance sustainability goals and help meet the city's climate targets. Committee direction will shape which programs receive funding in the next budget year.
What staff reported Barnett said the FY24–25 program package was programmed at about $600,000 and that several incentive programs were undersubscribed or funded elsewhere: water-conservation incentives were instead funded by Denton Water Utilities, while EV rebates, e-bike rebates and a lawn-equipment rebate all showed strong uptake.
As of the meeting staff reported roughly $44,000 spent on e-bike rebates, about $79,000 on EV rebates and substantial demand for the lawn-equipment rebate (about 287 applicants to date, with some partial or repeat purchases). Barnett said the parks department expected to seek council approval to replace some mowers with electric robotic mowers (about $52,500 programmed) and that the city's fleet electrification requests were handled within department budgets rather than by sustainability fund support.
Recommendation and proposed priorities for FY25–26 Barnett proposed prioritizing a three-part package for FY25–26: 1) a home energy-efficiency pilot partnering with Community Development to retrofit 30–50 homes per year with insulation and higher-efficiency HVAC (average city contribution about $7,000 per home), 2) continuation of transportation-related incentives (EV/e-bike/lawn-equipment), and 3) $200,000 for land-use and nature-based projects including low-water landscaping, tree planting and shade canopies.
Committee feedback and next steps Committee members favored the home energy-efficiency pilot as a top priority and suggested adding school-area safe-routes and pedestrian/bike connectivity projects. Members also asked for more detail on program balances and the fund's remaining unspent dollars; staff said final year-end accounting would be provided later and noted the city expects roughly $1.75 million in available funds for the coming cycle as part of broader budget planning.
Ending: Staff will close out FY24–25 project accounting, prepare a FY25–26 framework plan reflecting committee priorities, and return with program details (eligibility, procurement and implementation timing) for committee review.
