Finance Committee to seek solar-credit reports, will track credits prospectively if needed

A constituent's yearlong request for reporting on the city's solar array credit program prompted the Finance Committee to try one more time to obtain the original reports and otherwise to begin tracking credits prospectively.

Sarah Devlin, speaking for Councilor Charlie Pierce, told the committee that the constituent sought pre‑ and post‑installation predictions and the reporting company and the consultant hold the historical data. "It's kind of an onion that needs to be unpeeled a little bit," Devlin said, adding that staff originally reached out to the company and did not receive a response.

Committee members discussed options. Staff said the simplest outcome would be for the credit company to supply the historic reports. If the company does not respond, staff would have to reconstruct the credits by reviewing monthly utility bills and accounting records, which is far more time consuming. "If they do not respond and we have to go the route of compiling all this information with our team and the help of a consultant, that will be more time consuming," Devlin said.

A committee member expressed skepticism about a previously touted 26% savings figure for the project. The same member noted the consultant rate discussed at a prior meeting was $340 per hour. "That's a lot of money for something we can't change," the member said, while acknowledging that constituents deserve an answer.

Members agreed to recontact the reporting company and the original consultant (identified in the discussion as George Wood). If the company does not provide the documents, staff will either reconstruct the historical credits or begin a prospective tracking approach. One proposal the committee discussed was to track credits from the present date for six months and report those results rather than undertake a costly retrospective reconstruction.

Devlin said staff will set a date that is practical for city staff and any consultants and will communicate that target to the constituent so expectations are clear. There was no formal vote recorded in the transcript.

Next steps: staff will reattempt contact with the credit company and the consultant, decide on a feasible schedule, and notify the constituent of an estimated completion date.