Climate Change: Local Action. City Bonds. Innovation. Frederick, Maryland aldermen to consider climate agreement, $55M bond sale

 

https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/economy_and_business/real_estate_and_development/frederick-aldermen-to-consider-climate-agreement-55m-bond-sale/article_4e41c47d-810d-54e5-8d0f-0fd28d631210.html Frederick aldermen to consider climate agreement, $55M bond sale ·        By Ryan Marshall rmarshall@newspost.com Frederick's aldermen are expected to vote Thursday on authorizing a $55 million bond sale for the city and on joining Frederick County in a community climate plan. The bond sale scheduled for December would fund a variety of capital projects for the city, including helping to fund the redevelopment of the future home of the Frederick Police Department. The Community Climate Action Plan would join the city with the county and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments in an agreement outlining actions to reduce the city and county's carbon footprints, improve air and water quality, and help create climate mitigation and adaptation strategies The aldermen are scheduled to vote on both items during their meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday in City Hall. The climate agreement builds on several previous plans, including a city plan for dealing with the effects of climate change on its own facilities, said Jenny Willoughby, Frederick's sustainability manager. The plan identifies specific actions to help the city's most vulnerable communities, which will be among the most exposed to the impacts of climate change, Willoughby said. The city will use its equity emphasis areas to help identify vulnerable communities for direct action, but the efforts will also help other communities, as well, she said. Equity emphasis areas are census tracts with large numbers of low-income or traditionally disadvantaged populations or groups, used by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The work will include finding potential sites for installing solar facilities, looking for potential locations for cooling centers to help residents deal with extreme heat, and conducting an air-quality study, she said. Once the agreement is approved, the city's Sustainability Department will coordinate with the county's Department of Energy and Environment and the Council of Governments to start the planning work. County environmental officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Some parts of the study will help provide data that could lead to further actions later, Willoughby said. “We want to operate as much as we can with data that's specific to Frederick,” she said. Bond sale Another vote on Thursday night would approve an ordinance allowing the sale of up to $55 million in general obligation bonds to fund capital projects in the city. The city has various projects in its long-term Capital Improvements Program in various stages of development, from planning to design or construction, said Katie Barkdoll, director of budget and administration. It usually tries to borrow money when a series of projects is close to start construction, so the money can be put to use quickly once it's borrowed, she said. Once the aldermen authorize the bond sale, the city must wait at least 20 days before it can take place, Barkdoll said. The bond sale is currently scheduled for Dec. 6. More than $26 million from the sale is slated to go toward the renovation of a new home for the Frederick Police Department at 100 E. All Saints St. Other projects expected to receive funding include: improvements to the intersections of Yellow Springs Road and Tuscanney Drive and Rosemont Avenue and Baughman's Lane upgrades to the city's water distribution system identifying and developing potential new sources of water for the city stream restoration projects stormwater management in the area around Motter Avenue flood control in the area around Carroll Creek. Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP