Agenda - Council - 06/23/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CC Regular Session Meeting Date: 06/23/2026 Primary Strategic Plan Initiative: Not Applicable 5. 14. Title: Adopt Resolution #26-154 Approving MCES Water Efficiency Grant, Accepting Funds and Entering Agreement Purpose/Background: On March 26, 2026, the City Council authorized staff to apply for water efficiency grant funding through the Metropolitan Council. On May 19, 2026, staff received notice that the City of Ramsey was awarded $11,000 in grant funds for the 2026-2028 Water Efficiency Grant Program (the "Program"). On June 4, 2026, staff received the letter to accept the funds. As the name implies, the purpose of the Program is to encourage residents to replace older, less efficient water -using devices with more efficient technologies to reduce demand on the municipal water supply. The Program would run from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028. There are two primary financial requirements of the Program. First, the municipality must contribute twenty percent (20%) of the grant award, which equates to $2,750. Second, rebate recipients must also provide a financial contribution; in other words, the grant funds and the City contribution cannot entirely cover the cost of the purchase. This requirement is met by having the recipient pay the sales tax. Other important eligibility requirements include: the rebate recipient must be a Ramsey municipal water customer (those on private wells are not eligible); the rebate applies only to replacement devices (new construction is not eligible); and the rebate applies only to the cost of the device and its installation, excluding any owner labor costs. Similar to the past three cycles (2020-2022, 2022-2024, and 2024-2026) of the Water Efficiency Grant Program, the City must enter into a Clean Water Fund Grant Agreement with the Metropolitan Council to accept the grant award for the 2026-2028 cycle. The agreement is attached to this case. Notification: Notification is not required. Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: The rebate program will be designed very similarly to the current rebate program. Rebates will be available for the purchase and installation of any eligible device (per the grant guidelines), which includes U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense® labeled toilets, irrigation controllers, water faucets and shower heads, as well as Energy Star® labeled dishwashers and washing machines. Administration of the rebate program will be coordinated by the Engineering Department. Finance Staff will also be involved with the issuance of the rebates. Per the required Grant Agreement, the City will have to provide quarterly reporting to the Metropolitan Council. Reporting forms will be provided by Metropolitan Council staff and are assumed to include: property address, property type (residential/commercial), device replaced, number of devices, grant amount per device, estimated annual water savings, municipal contribution, and eligible grant amount (rebate amount per device minus municipal contribution). Funding Source: Funding for this program would consist of three sources: $11,000 from the Water Efficiency Grant from the Metropolitan Council, $2,750 from the City's Water Fund (this is equivalent to the required 20% municipal contribution), and any rebate participant would cover the sales tax on the purchase of the device (thus satisfying the requirement for the rebate participant to have a financial contribution in the program).