Council delays decision on $150,000 climate action plan contract after extended debate
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Summary
After a lengthy discussion about scope, local capacity, costs and implementation, Warren City Council on Oct. 28 voted 5–2 to table awarding a contract for a $150,000 climate action plan to Blue Scribe Environmental. Council members asked for local references, a phased discovery option and an in‑person presentation before approving any award.
Council on Oct. 28 tabled consideration of awarding an RFP for a climate action plan to Blue Scribe Environmental, Inc., after more than an hour of discussion about what the city would receive for $150,000 and how the plan would be implemented.
Councilman Tom Noonan, who served on the RFP committee, introduced the recommendation and described services the consultant proposed: an action plan, a dashboard, training and a year of follow‑up services at locked‑in rates. Several council members pressed for more detail about what the firm had achieved in other jurisdictions, whether the work could be phased (a smaller discovery study followed by a larger implementation contract), and what the city’s capacity would be to implement the recommendations.
Critics on council emphasized concerns shared by other staff: whether the project would return net savings to the city, whether the mayor and department heads have set measurable climate goals, and whether the city has sufficient staff to administer another multi‑department initiative. Supporters said the plan could identify near‑term energy efficiency opportunities and avoid costly future damage tied to climate risks.
After discussion, Councilman Noonan moved to table the award and request additional due diligence including local references and a presentation; the motion passed 5–2 (No on the motion from Councilwoman Moore and Councilman Boiecki). Councilmembers agreed staff could invite Blue Scribe to present at a committee meeting or at the kickoff meeting if the contract is reintroduced.
Vote: motion to table passed 5–2 (Noonan, McGee, Lafferty, Dwyer and Grogan voted to table; Moore and Boiecki voted no).
Next steps: staff was asked to obtain direct references from jurisdictions that used Blue Scribe’s services, to request a presentation, and to consider a phased (discovery) work plan prior to awarding a full contract.
