QUESTION
Why is the city cutting the budget for decarbonization projects, and what impact does this have on meeting environmental goals?
3:32:23
·
94 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler raises concerns about significant budget cuts to decarbonization efforts, questioning the city's ability to meet its environmental commitments.
- The Decast capital plan faces a $1 billion reduction, compromising energy conservation and emissions reduction initiatives.
- Approximately 60% of funding for city building decarbonization is cut.
- The budget for electric vehicle purchasing is reduced by $15 million for the current fiscal year, with further cuts anticipated.
- These financial reductions challenge the city's mandate for community decarbonization and its goal to transition to an all-electric fleet by 2038.
- Budget Director Jacques Jiha cites challenges with the debt limit as the reason for these cuts.
Lincoln Restler
3:32:23
The you know, we have set exceptionally ambitious standards for large private buildings across the city to reduce their environmental emissions, their carbon emissions in local with local law 97.
3:32:37
I'm very concerned that the city is not setting an example and that we are telling our constituents that they need to decarbonize their buildings, but we're failing to take care of our own house.
3:32:49
If you look at the the budget cuts that you all have proposed for this year.
3:32:57
We saw a $1,000,000,000 cut to the Decast capital plan And my understanding is that last year, the decommissioner testified there were about $500,000,000 in projects that were dedicated to energy conservation green capital projects to reduce our emissions.
3:33:12
We saw a cut in the capital plan of $294,000,000.
3:33:15
So those numbers are right.
3:33:17
It's about a 60% cut that the city made to decarbonize our own buildings.
3:33:21
Additionally, we saw 15,000,000 cut in this fiscal year on electric vehicle purchasing, and 15,000,000 more in the out years.
3:33:28
These are deeply concerning cuts.
3:33:30
The mayor signed local law 140 into law requiring us to have an all electric fleet by 2038.
3:33:36
We can't accomplish those goals with the cuts that you've made.
3:33:38
So what am I supposed to tell my constituents that they need to decarbonize, but that the city is failing to do the job.
Jacques Jiha
3:33:45
We are as concerned as you are, and and I keep coming back to the same issue over and over.
3:33:52
The reason we have those cards is because we have a challenge without debt limit.
Lincoln Restler
3:33:56
Alright.
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