(File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Reducing emissions

City hoping to start Fleet Optimization and Emissions Study

Nov 30, 2021 | 5:28 PM

The City of North Battleford is looking at more green energy ventures in the future.

It plans to seek support through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund program to complete a Fleet Optimization and Emissions Study.

Seton Winterholt, the city’s fleet and maintenance manager, submitted his report on the matter at council’s recent meeting.

The city’s originally budgeted $50,000 for its share in 2021 for the completion of the Fleet Optimization Study. In April 2021, a pre-application was submitted to the FCM to access grant funding under the Green Municipal Fund for fleet optimization and emissions reductions. The pre-application was approved by FCM in September and the city began working with Eco West Canada to complete the main application.

If approved through the program, the city would receive matching funds up to $50,000 for the completion of the total $100,000 budgeted study amount.

Skilled Trade and Technology Week

Importance of trades and technology among young Canadians

10h ago

New cabinet

Cockrill and Harrison take on new responsibilities as Premier appoints cabinet

14h ago

Warm weather continues

Warmer-than-normal weather continues through the weekend

16h ago

Winterholt said the FCM “expressed interest and excitement in the project,” based on the initial application, “as this project takes a new and innovative approach to emissions reduction through the examination of the usage, right fit and electric/hybrid integration of equipment.”

“With the application submitted, and subject to council’s authorization, work can begin on the request for proposals for the study,” he stated.

While the Fleet Optimization Study was planned for 2021, the costs for the project will not be realized until 2022. As a result, administration proposed the city move the funds earmarked from the 2021 budget to the 2022 budget instead.

Council authorized administration to carry over $50,000 from the city’s operations budget (Operations Dept.) in 2021 to next year’s budget. It also gave the go ahead for administration to submit a grant application to the FCM under the “Green Municipal Fund” program, to include the commitment of $10,000 of the city’s $50,000 budgeted funds from 2021, which represents 10 per cent of the study’s total cost to conduct the Fleet Optimization Study.

Winterholt noted FCM requires 10 per cent, or $10,000, be set aside of the total $100,000 cost for the project.

The city should have an answer from FCM on whether it has been accepted for the program within six months from its application date.

According to the FCM website, the Green Municipal Fund is a $1 billion program across Canada, delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the federal government to help municipalities implement innovative and proven sustainability practices.

Mayor David Gillan was excited about the city’s proposed venture to reduce emissions.

He pointed out the high uptake of electric vehicles in many places around the world.

Gillan noted in the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), one of the communities highlighted was the City of Dundee in Scotland, which in the process of converting its fleet to zero-emission electric vehicles.

–

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow