City Council Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Dockets #0670-0678 and #0687-0688, FY25 Budget: Environment Department, Office of Food Justice and Revolving Funds

Orders for the FY25 Operating Budget, including annual appropriations for departmental operations, for the School Department, and for other post-employment benefits (OPEB).

Orders for capital fund transfer appropriations.

Orders for the Capital Budget, including loan orders and lease-purchase agreements.

Message and order authorizing a limit for the Distributed Energy Resource Revolving Fund for Fiscal Year 2025 to facilitate the purchase of offsets of greenhouse gas emissions which shall be associated with a portion of the electricity consumed by the City annually; and to operate, maintain, monitor and expand the City's existing solar arrays and Boston Public Schools' combined heat and power facilities. This revolving fund shall be credited with any and all receipts from the sale of renewable and alternative energy certificates and demand response program revenues produced by combined heat and power units located at Boston Public Schools sites and solar renewable energy certificates produced by the City's photovoltaic arrays. Receipts and resulting expenditures from this fund shall not exceed One Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($175,000.00).

Message and order authorizing a limit for the Environment Conservation Commission revolving fund for the Fiscal Year 2025 for the purpose of securing outside consultants including engineers, wetlands scientists, wildlife biologists or other experts in order to aid in the review of proposed projects to the Commission, per the city’s ordinance protecting local wetland and promoting climate change adaptation. The revolving fund shall be funded by receipts from fees imposed by the Commission for the purpose of securing outside consultants. The Environment Department will be the only department authorized to expend from the fund and such expenditures shall be capped at Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00).

These matters were sponsored by Mayor Michelle Wu and referred to the Committee on April 10, 2024. 

NOTICE:  The Boston City Council may have a quorum in attendance due to standing committees of the City Council consisting of both voting and non-voting members.  However, members attending this duly posted meeting are participating and deliberating only in conjunction with the business of the standing committee.

PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Public testimony is integral to the Council’s budget review process. Members of the public may submit written testimony, videos, or testify live in person (for in-person hearings) or via videoconference (for all hearings). All forms of testimony will be made a part of the record and available to all Councilors. Additional information is available at: boston.gov/council-budget.

Staff Contact: Shane Pac

Committee Email:  ccc.wm@boston.gov 

Staff Email:  shane.pac@boston.gov | Staff Telephone: 617-635-3040

Broadcast Live on Xfinity 8/RCN 82/ Fios 964 and streamed at: boston.gov/city-council-tv