Committee Energy, Environmental Protection & Public Utilities and
Budget and Government Operations City Council Meeting June 8, 2011 Alderman Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward
Resolution
WHEREAS, the current economic environment and city budget crisis pose a number of challenges for the City of Chicago including its effort to meet several strategic goals set forth in the City of Chicago's Climate Action Plan (CCAP); and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago faces significant budget challenges in 2011 that may require current CCAP implementation plans to be reviewed to ensure they can be properly funded and aligned with the current budget challenges; and
WHEREAS, some have suggested restructuring the current alternate fuel supply agreement for E85 and accelerating the City of Chicago's Flex Fuel Vehicle Fleet using low-cost conversion kits and recycling retiring vehicles in conjunction with the city's regular purchase of new Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV); and city employees have experience utilizing FFV conversion technology and have installed Flex Fuel systems on 26 police vehicles; and
WHEREAS, converting city vehicles to Flex Fuel may offer a better cost savings and return on investment for taxpayers and could potentially achieve meaningful progress in meeting several goals set forth in the Climate Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, it may be prudent to amend the current Alternate Fuel Ordinance to specifically include E85 as an accepted alternative fuel and the concept of potentially incorporating FFVs into the private fleet policies (like taxi cabs) for alternate fuel vehicles should be explored; and
WHEREAS, there may be an opportunity to convert 200 existing city vehicles to Flex Fuel while leveraging state funding from the Illinois Green Fleet Rebate Program to significantly reduce those costs to Chicago taxpayers; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this eighth day of June 2011, do hereby request that the City Committee on Energy, Environmental Protection & Public Utilities and Budget and Government Operations hold hearings on whether the city should consider re-bidding the current E85 contract; leverage state rebates to subsidize the conversion of more existing city vehicles to Flex Fuel; discuss the potential inclusion of Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) and E85 in the Alternate Fuel ordinance; and consider other policies that may encourage FFV fleet conversion; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent to City Committee on Energy, Environmental Protection & Public Utilities and Budget and Government Operations.