Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sustainable City Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Middleton committee launches update to Sustainable City Plan and sets priorities for climate roadmap, EV chargers and building guidelines
Summary
At a meeting to orient new members, Middleton’s Sustainability Committee heard a staff presentation on updating the Sustainable City Plan for 2027–29, prioritized a city‑government climate roadmap and discussed EV charging, street‑light conversions and sustainable purchasing; the committee also elected its chair and vice chair and approved funding for plant ID markers pending parks signoff.
The Middleton Sustainability Committee opened its meeting by welcoming new members and moved quickly into a staff presentation about updating the city’s Sustainable City Plan.
"We have been tasked by the mayor and council to update our sustainable city plan," said Kelly Hillyard, the city’s sustainability coordinator, explaining the committee will revise the plan to cover 2027–29 and then solicit public feedback. Hillyard told the committee the city government has a 2040 target for 100% renewable energy for municipal operations and the broader community goal is 2050, though the committee has discussed moving the community target closer to 2040.
Why it matters: Hillyard said the update will feed into an upcoming climate roadmap intended to prioritize projects and phasing for reaching municipal energy goals. "We plan to hire a firm to help us create a climate roadmap," she said, noting the roadmap work would start in 2026–27 and will focus on city government operations rather than the entire community.
Committee members pressed for clearer near‑term benchmarks. "I thought we had city goals...2030 is a goal that feels more like something we should put right more in front of us," said committee member Dick Leup, reflecting concern that interim targets and measurable progress reporting are needed to track momentum toward longer‑term goals.
Major projects and priorities described by staff included: - Affordable‑housing decarbonization: Completed work on a six‑unit townhome project with solar and all‑electric heat pumps and energy improvements in 32 rental units to lower tenant bills and emissions. - EV charging and fleet electrification: Continued installation of public and municipal charging infrastructure with support from MGE and a Charge Up Dane County grant; staff said the initiative could add roughly 28–32 new charging stalls over the next two years. - Street‑light conversion: A program to convert about 800 city‑owned street lights to LED, with approximately 500 targeted for this year. - Sustainable purchasing: Rollout of a newly adopted sustainable purchasing policy, plus guidance and training materials to help departments implement life‑cycle procurement requirements. - Community campus: Hillyard noted the council has greenlighted a large community campus project (she referenced a planning budget figure “up to $100 million”) and said energy goals are embedded in that effort.
On fuels for heavy vehicles, members discussed renewable natural gas and biodiesel as near‑term options. Hillyard said some regional experience favors biodiesel pilots for heavy municipal trucks because they can be used without engine retrofits and because nearby municipalities have identified practical supply solutions.
Budget and operations: The committee reviewed its $10,000 annual operating budget (which does not roll over). Hillyard said the committee had spent about $8,000 by early June, including roughly $3,600 for a summer intern who is already assisting with sustainable‑purchasing guidance and other projects. Members flagged two proposed membership purchases (about $1,200 and $750) that could nearly exhaust remaining funds and discussed prioritizing some purchases for the next fiscal year.
Events and outreach: Hillyard highlighted an EV‑101 event on July 16 that will be advertised via a summer utility‑bill insert and discussed parade participation and other community outreach. Committee intern projects include research and homeowner templates for resilient landscape and pollinator gardens.
Committee action: The committee re‑elected Christie as chair and appointed Sue Hansen as vice chair; both nominations passed by voice vote. The committee also approved funding for small plant identification markers for the City Hall plantings, subject to coordination with the parks division. "I will make a motion to approve the funds pending response from the parks division," a committee member said; the motion carried unanimously.
What’s next: Staff plans to circulate a draft plan update in August, run a public survey and listening sessions, and return to the committee for review and revisions before presenting an update to the common council later in the year. The city will also pursue the climate roadmap procurement and continue implementing EV charging, street‑light conversions and the sustainable purchasing rollout.
