Item:
Title
Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 27BCC038 Appropriating $34,000 of General Fund Fund Balance to the Engineering and Environmental Services Sustainability Office to Continue Support for the Community Energy Program Specialist Contract Position That Implements the Energy Burden and Emissions Reduction Program (EBERP)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: October 26, 2026
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to review and approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No.27BBCC038 appropriating $34,000 of General Fund Fund Balance to the Engineering and Environmental Services Sustainability Division to continue support for the Community Energy Program Specialist contract position that implements the Energy Burden and Emissions Reduction Program (EBERP).
EBERP is a Department of Energy grant-funded program to provide energy efficiency retrofits and limited home repair to low-to-moderate income households in Durham, Orange, and Granville Counties over a 3-year period. The goal is to retrofit at least 200 homes in the three-county area to reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy burden. In addition, staff are providing free, hands-on Do-It-Yourself workshops to anyone in the three-county area.
The Department of Energy provided a Community Energy Fellow for 18 months at no cost to the County to help with community outreach and program development. The position has been funded for an additional year at 80% time through $34,983.00 in grant funds and $35,000 from General Funds. That funding will be fully expended by January 2027, eight months before the grant period ends. The additional $34,000.00 requested will continue the contract period for approximately six additional months. This support is directly related to the success of this grant. Without this support, approximately a quarter of the two Sustainability FTEs will need to be redirected from other projects to this grant project. This work includes coordinating among several partners, subrecipients, and participants as each application is managed through the process; planning and executing the workshops; tracking data, and training and managing Neighborhood Ambassadors.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: This request aligns with Durham County Strategic Goal: Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment
Resource Persons: Tobin L. Freid, Sustainability Manager; Megan Pendell, Sustainability Specialist; Peri Manns, Deputy Director - Engineering and Environmental Services
County Manager’s Recommendation: The Manager’s recommendation is that the Board approve Budget Ordinance Amendment No.27BBCC038 appropriating $34,000 of General Fund Fund Balance to the Engineering and Environmental Services Sustainability Division to continue support for the Community Energy Program Specialist contract position that implements the Energy Burden and Emissions Reduction Program (EBERP).
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________