3A Public Hearing 2010 0201 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

State Energy Program Grants/CaliforniaFIRST 2 February 1, 2010 1) Resolution Authorizing the City of San Leandro Participation in the CaliforniaFIRST Program for Financing of Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Water Efficiency Projects 2) Resolution Authorizing Sacramento County to Act as Lead Applicant for a Municipal Financing Program Grant on Behalf of the City of San Leandro 3) Resolution Authorizing the Association of Bay Area Governments to Act as Lead Applicant for a California Comprehensive Residential Building Retrofit Grant on Behalf of the City of San Leandro BACKGROUND CaliforniaFIRST Program CSCDA is a joint powers authority sponsored by the League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties. The member agencies of CSCDA include approximately 337 cities, including the City of San Leandro, and all 58 counties throughout California. The CaliforniaFIRST Program is being instituted by CSCDA to facilitate financing of renewable energy, energy efficiency and water efficiency improvements by property owners in participating cities and counties. If a property owner chooses to participate, the improvements to their property will be financed by the issuance of bonds by California Communities. California Communities will levy "contractual assessments" on the owner's property to repay the portion of the bonds issued to finance the improvements on that property. The "contractual assessment" proceedings will be undertaken by California Communities under the authority granted under Chapter 29 of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Streets & Highways Code, as amended in 2008 by Assembly Bill 811 and as further amended in 2009 by Assembly Bill 474, to allow the financing of renewable energy, energy efficiency and water efficiency improvements on private property. Pursuant to Streets and Highways Code Section 5898.12.(a), assessments may only be levied to finance these types of enviromnentally sound improvements with the "free and willing consent of the owner of each lot or parcel on which an assessment is levied at the time the assessment is levied." Property owners show their consent to the assessments, which become liens against their property, by executing a contract with California Communities that allows bonds to be sold to finance the improvements. State Energy Program (SEP) The State of California has allocated $95 million of its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funds for the State Energy Program (SEP), which will provide competitive grants to promote residential and commercial building energy efficiency (and water efficiency) retrofits. The two SEP grants are: Municipal Financing Program (SEPl): This grant program will fund implementation of financing programs for energy efficiency improvements in residential and commercial buildings where building owners contractually agree