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<br />REPORT <br /> <br />6.3E <br />age 1 <br /> <br />To the Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />From the Cit Mana er <br /> <br />March 8, 2010 <br /> <br />SUBJECT <br />CaliforniaFIRST - property assessed clean energy financing program <br /> <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Adopt a Resolution authorizing Sacramento County as a lead applicant and <br />collaborative entity to the California Energy Commission's State Energy Program on <br />behalf of the cities in the County of San Mateo and thirteen other counties statewide for <br />a total of $16.5 million in grant funds for the CaliforniaFIRST program. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />The California Statewide Communities Development Authority (CSCDA) has partnered <br />with fourteen counties statewide and Renewable Funding to develop the <br />CaliforniaFIRST program, a property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing tool. <br />California Communities is a joint powers authority sponsored by the League of <br />California Cities and the California State Association of Counties. Redwood City is a <br />member of CSCDA and San Mateo County is one of the fourteen counties participating <br />in the CaliforniaFIRST program. <br /> <br />On January 11, 2010, the City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the City <br />Manager to execute documents authorizing the City of Redwood City's participation in <br />the CalifomiaFIRST Program. The action requested in this report is the next step in the <br />process, and authorizes Sacramento County to act as the lead applicant for State <br />Energy Program funds on behalf of participating jurisdictions. <br /> <br />The CSCDA-sponsored CaliforniaFIRST program allows residential, business, or <br />industrial building owners to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades <br />with a contractual assessment levied on their property tax bill. CaliforniaFIRST has <br />partnered with Renewable Funding, a group that helped develop the BerkeleyFIRST <br />solar financing program will provide program administration and development, <br />application processing, quality assurance, bond issuance, and homeowner resources. <br />This self-sustaining program will grant homeowners an opportunity to offset upfront <br />costs associated with home energy improvements and help transform energy markets in <br />California. <br /> <br />The CSCDA and Renewable Funding sought funding from the California Energy <br />Commission's $110 million State Energy Program's (SEP) local grant opportunity to <br />implement the CaliforniaFIRST program. This was a highly competitive grant program <br />and funding in the amount of $16.5 million was secured to implement CaliforniaFIRST. <br />A portion of these funds will be used to offset city and county startup costs related to <br />their participation in the CaliforniaFIRST pilot program. <br /> <br />The California Statewide Communities Development Authority (CSCDA) and <br />Renewable Funding have chosen Sacramento County as the lead grant applicant and <br />collaborative entity on behalf of the fourteen county participants for the CSCDA SEP <br />