August 7, 2018 Item # 10.c Page 1 of 1

VILLAGE OF BISCAYNE PARK Village Commission Agenda Report Item # 10.c REGULAR MEETING

TO: Honorable Mayor & Members of the Village Commission

FROM: Rox Ross DATE: July 10, 2018 TITLE: Waiver of Village Permit Fees for Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Recommendation Approval of the attached resolution providing for waiver of Village permit fees in connection with the installation of solar photovoltaic systems. Background In August 2013, Biscayne Park joined Bay Harbor Islands and Surfside in an interlocal agreement to create the Clean Energy Coastal Corridor pursuant to the requirements of Florida Statute 163.08 for the creation of a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program in order to provide the upfront financing of energy conservation and renewable energy projects. Ygrene was designated to act as the administrator for that PACE Program. From the start to May 31, 2018, Ygrene has processed 83 applications and funded 60 of those in the combined amount of $1,461,107, according to Ygrene Senior Director of Government Affairs Kate Wesner. These home improvement projects include conservation by retiring old units for new energy efficient HVAC’s, and also provide for hurricane mitigation with shutters, high-impact doors and windows and wind-resistant roofing. However, permit applications for installation of a solar system are very infrequent. In order to provide an incentive for renewable energy, the attached resolution propose that the Village waive permit fees in connection with solar photovoltaic systems. Resource Impact The Building Department ran the through numbers for a hypothetical $15,000 solar panel installation that would result in permit fees of approximately $420 to the Village ($67 to the County).

Attachment Resolution # 2018-22 Coral Gables Step Into Solar informational flyer

Prepared by: Rox Ross

Resolution No. 2018-22

Page 1 of 2

1

2 RESOLUTION NO. 2018-22 3

4 A RESOLUTION OF THE VILLAGE COMMISSION OF THE 5 VILLAGE OF BISCAYNE PARK, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING 6 RENEWABLE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS AND WAIVING 7 PERMIT FEES FOR SUCH INSTALLATIONS FOR A PERIOD NOT 8

TO EXCEED ONE YEAR; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE 9 DATE 10

11 12 WHEREAS, in August 2013, the Village of Biscayne Park joined the Towns of 13 Bay Harbor Islands and Surfside in creating the Clean Energy Coastal Corridor, a Property 14 Assessed Clean Energy Program (the “PACE Program”), to provide upfront financing for 15 Qualifying Improvements, pursuant to § 163.08, Florida Statutes; and 16 17 WHEREAS, since inception of the PACE Program, the program administrator 18 Ygrene reports that 60 home improvement projects have been funded in the combined 19 amount of $1,461,107. These funded projects include energy conservation by retiring old 20 units for new energy efficient HVAC’s, and hurricane mitigation improvements with 21 shutters, high-impact doors and windows and wind-resistant roofing; and 22 23 WHEREAS, a primary motivation for entering into the PACE Program, expanding 24 the use of renewable energy, has yet to be realized; and 25 26 WHEREAS, the Village of Biscayne Park considers it in the interests of its 27 residents to support the use of renewable energy such a solar power, and wishes to provide 28 an incentive by waiving building permit and other fees for renewable energy home 29 improvement projects; and 30 31 WHEREAS, the Village of Biscayne Park’s Code of Ordinances, as amended on 32 October 7, 2014 (Ord. 2014-8), provides that all administrative and user fees are 33 established or modified by resolution and kept by the Village Clerk in one central location 34 at the Master Fee Schedule. 35 36 37 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE VILLAGE 38 COMMISSION OF THE VILLAGE OF BISCAYNE PARK, FLORIDA, THAT: 39 40 41

Section 1. The foregoing "Whereas" clauses are true and correct and hereby 42 ratified and confirmed by the Village Commission. 43

44 Section 2. Village Commission of the Village of Biscayne Park authorizes the 45

waiver of building permit and other fees related to PACE Program qualified renewable 46 energy installations for a period not to exceed one year, subject to renewal by further 47 resolution of the Commission. 48

49 Section 3. This fee waiver shall be incorporated into the Master Fee Schedule 50

and promoted in communications to Village property owners. 51 52 Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective upon adoption. 53

54

Resolution No. 2018-22

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PASSED AND ADOPTED this 7th

day of August, 2018. 1 2

The foregoing resolution upon being 3

put to a vote, the vote was as follows: 4

5 6 __________________________________ Mayor Truppman: 7 Tracy Truppman, Mayor Vice Mayor William Tudor: 8

Commissioner Bilt: 9

Commissioner Johnson-Sardella: 10 Commissioner Ross: 11

Attest: 12 13 14

______________________________________ 15 Roseann Prado, Village Clerk 16

17 Approved as to form: 18 19 20

______________________________________ 21 John R. Herin, Jr., Village Attorney 22

Step Into Solar!Step 1 Preliminary Self Assessment

ThePreliminarySelfAssessmentwilldeterminethehomeowner’sobjectivesforthePhotovoltaic(PV)system:

o Perform an energy audit and learn about your energy usage (energy.gov/energysaver/home-energy-audits).

o Determineifopportunitiesexistforenergyconservationorenergyefficiencyandimplementthem(energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver).

o Determine how much you would like to decrease your electric bill or how much clean energyyouwouldliketogeneratewithaPVsystem.UsetheFloridaSolarEnergyCenterwebsitetoassist(fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/solar_electricity).

o Determineyourbudgetandresearchpotentialincentivesandrebates.

• DatabaseofStateIncentivesforRenewables&Efficiency®(dsireusa.org).

• CoralGablesPropertyAssessedCleanEnergy(PACE)Program (coralgables.com/sustainability).

Step 2 ChooseaContractor Whenchoosingacontractor,focuson:

o Experienceininstallinggrid-connectedPVorgrid-independent(stand-alone)systems.

o Proper state and county licensing and insurance.

o A proposal should contain cost of system, components, scope of work, performance expectations,schedule,maintenancerequirementsandwarranty.

Step 3 Site Assessment SiteAssessmentisusuallydonebyacontractorforaproposal:

o Verifycustomerneedsandexpectations.

o Determinesolarequipmentsizeandtype,addressanyobstructions.

o Determinearraylocationwithadequatearea,tiltandazimuth,groundorroof.

o Determinetherooftype,age,condition,andtypeofsupportingstructureforaroofmountsystem.

o Verifytheelectricsystem,ratingsandyearlykWhusage.

o DeterminePVsystemcomponentlocations,andconnect/disconnectlocations.

Step 4 SignContractwithContractor

Solar!

Step 5 ObtainPermitsfromCity Yourcontractorisresponsibleforgettingthenecessarybuildingpermitsneededfor

yourinstallation.Permittingtimeandproceduresmayvarydependinguponthesizeandcomplexityofthesystem.TheprocessinvolvesreviewbytheCoralGablesBoardofArchitectsplusplanreviewsandsiteinspectionsbytheBuildingDivision.Citypermitfeesarewaivedforsolarpanelinstallations.

Step 6 InstallthePVsystem Oncepermitsareissued,andpanelsandothersystemcomponents(racks,inverters,

etc.)havebeendelivered,yourcontractorwillcommencewithinstallationofthesystem.Rememberthatabuildinginspectorwillcomeandinspecttheinstallationatdifferentstagesofcompletion.

Step 7 GetConnected CompletetheFPLNetmeteringagreement(Rule25-6.065).FPLwillinstallasmartmeter

andletyouknowwhenyoucanturnonyoursystem.Thismeterwillmeasurethedifferencebetween the energy used by your household and the energy that your solar system has produced.

Step 8 Enjoy Enjoybeinganenvironmentalstewardbyreducingyourcarbonfootprint.Also,enjoypaying

your electricity company less money each month.

FeelfreetoreviewMiami-Dade’sSolarSystemGuidelines,DisclosureForm,andRoofPermitFormsat: miamidade.gov/permits/forms-checklists.asp

Visitcoralgables.com/sustainabilityforadditionalinformationonSustainableCoralGables.

Coral Gables Public Works • 2800 S.W. 72nd Avenue • Miami, FL 33155 • 305 460-5008

Jim Cason, MayorFrank C. Quesada, Vice MayorPatricia Keon, CommissionerVince Lago, Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick, Commissioner

Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, City ManagerCraig E. Leen, City AttorneyWalter J. Foeman, City Clerk

Visit us online: www.coralgables.com