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Stoughton committee explores Focus on Energy grant to fund a sustainability coordinator, seeks partners and funding plan
Summary
Committee members reviewed a Focus on Energy offer that would cover about 80% of a sustainability coordinator’s salary in year one (roughly $60,000) but only 20% in year two, prompting calls for partner commitments, clearer HR terms and a funding plan before recommending formal approval.
The Stoughton City Finance Committee discussed applying for a Focus on Energy subsidy to fund a municipal sustainability coordinator, with staff laying out a short timetable and funding uncertainties.
Staff said Focus on Energy would cover roughly 80% of the coordinator cost in the first year (reported in committee materials as about $60,000) and only about 20% in the second year, which members said creates a significant question about whether the position could be sustained after the grant. Staff also said the program’s population threshold and deadline had been relaxed, allowing smaller municipalities to partner; the committee was asked whether Stoughton should pursue the application and seek cost‑sharing partners among neighboring villages and towns.
Committee members repeatedly pressed for clearer funding options and human resources details before committing. Members asked whether the position could be hired as a limited‑term employee, whether benefits and retirement status (WRS/unemployment) would apply, and whether the coordinator could be structured to support grant applications that would help fund the role. One member pointed to Sun Prairie’s approach — a coordinator who offsets the position by including the role’s cost in successful grant applications — as a possible model.
Staff noted other practical issues: the request would come mid‑fiscal year, complicating budgeting because Stoughton’s fiscal year is the calendar year; some municipalities approached about partnering were hesitant to commit funds mid‑year. Staff said a likely next step is outreach to potential partners and to Focus on Energy for a detailed HR/contracting briefing, then a return to the committee with a plan A/B/C for how the position could be funded if the second‑year subsidy is not guaranteed.
The committee did not take a final vote on the grant application at this meeting; members directed staff to continue outreach, gather HR and finance details, and report back so the committee and council can consider a fully specified recommendation.
Why it matters: The sustainability coordinator role is intended to move Stoughton’s existing sustainability plan from planning to implementation and to help the city win and manage grants; members said the position could accelerate projects (fleet efficiency, building upgrades, recycling outreach) but that a reliable multi‑year funding strategy is essential before creating a new permanent staff position.
