For the city of Dearborn, a $50,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Energy means a plan.
A climate action plan, that is, to take an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions for both the community and the government and then plan for ways to reduce them, says Dearborn's sustainability coordinator, Dave Norwood. The specifics will depend on the city department -- legal will have different ways to be more energy-efficient than, say, the department of public works -- and the city hopes to work with large corporate partners around town, such as Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center, and AAA.
Among the things they'll be measuring include vehicle miles traveled and electricity consumed, Norwood says. "We're looking to save the taxpayers dollars, and be more efficient with taxpayer dollars," he says.
In all, the DNRE is awarding $246,547 in Community Pollution Prevention (P2) Grant funding to five municipalities for projects that focus on climate action planning. Dearborn, Hazel Park, Southgate, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor are all grant recipients, receiving about $50,000 each.
The grant requires municipalities to develop a greenhouse gas inventory and a plan that addresses emissions, climate, and energy challenges. The cities will be required to match the state funds by at least 25 percent.
Norwood says the city would also assess itself on bike-ability and walk-ability and look at the zoning ordinances to see how greenhouse gas emissions are affected through the development of neighborhoods. The city also hopes to form a mayor's environmental commission for information about ideas and trends.
The things that could be coming to Dearborn down the line include geothermal heat, solar panels, and boilers that need to be replaced, depending on what's most needed and has a quick payback. And
the city plans to utilize urban gardens and farms that
are already in place.
Norwood points out that when he started more than a year ago, he had no budget. "Now we can start doing more, leveraging dollars in a wiser fashion," he says. "This P2 grant is a great opportunity. This is going to be very good for the city."
Source: Dave Norwood, sustainability coordinator, city of Dearborn
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
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