A Lawrence advisory board and the mayor negotiated a vision for city sustainability initiatives Thursday as board members pushed for an energy benchmarking policy and a clean energy ordinance.

During an Environmental Sustainability Advisory Board meeting, board members pitched a possible energy benchmarking policy to Mayor Brad Finkeldei. 

The policy would require owners and landlords of certain covered properties to submit energy consumption data to the city annually. The data would be available in the public record to increase transparency for tenants about a building’s energy efficiency.

“We think it’s really important that we do something to make the utility costs transparent to renters so that they can take into consideration the cost, not only of the rent, but also their utilities,” ESAB Chair Nancy Muma said.

Board members have also discussed that a benchmarking policy could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by incentivizing landlords to improve energy efficiency of their units.

Finkeldei said he thinks decisions about Ordinance 9744, the city’s existing clean energy ordinance, need to pave the way for any possible benchmarking policy. He was not speaking on behalf of the commission, but he said that as commissioners balance a budget shortfall, they must ask if a benchmarking policy measures up to other citywide goals, let alone other energy and sustainability initiatives.

Ordinance 9744, adopted in March 2020, declares the city’s goal to achieve 100% clean, renewable energy in municipal operations and citywide by 2035. There’s an ongoing conversation between city staff members, commissioners and advisory boards about possibly revising or repealing the ordinance.

“What are we going to do with 9744?” Finkeldei asked. “What’s the goal going to be, and then how are we going to try to implement it? And once we make that decision, of all the things we might do, where do we want Kathy (Richardson) and you to focus?”

Kathy Richardon is the city’s sustainability director and staff liaison for ESAB. She and other city staff members have said the ordinance is not realistic or achievable. They currently plan to recommend that commissioners repeal the ordinance and instate a new resolution aiming to attain climate neutrality by 2050. 

ESAB members drafted a letter to city commissioners advocating for a revision of the ordinance as opposed to a repeal. The letter says board members believe the ordinance is failing not because of its ambition, but its lack of an enactment plan.

Richardson said they can tie city sustainability goals to a countywide climate plan, the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, that the city has also signed onto. The plan includes high-level goals, which Richardson said can be personalized to each unincorporated area or city.

Ordinance 9744, on the other hand, should have been passed as a resolution because it outlines a goal, not a policy, Richardson said.

“9744 is simple. It’s just about 100% clean renewable energy,” Richardson said. “It’s not about anything else. Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, it’s more, and environmental sustainability is more than just renewable energy.”

She added that the city has no authority to go to business owners, residents or institutions like KU to require they hit 100% clean renewable energy in 10 years.

Finkeldei asked rhetorically if the city should hone in on creating electric fleets, creating a more bikeable city, maintaining a free bus system or any number of goals. Then, if the city enacts more policies, the question of enforcement comes in: who will do it and how?

The group acknowledged that there would be more puzzle pieces to fit together as the city moves into budget planning when many departments will vie for funding and residents will weigh in. 

Meanwhile, Richardson is the only employee in her department. Finkeldei said there have been past proposals to hire someone to collaborate with her, but they haven’t moved forward.

Richardson said the city won a grant for climate pollution reduction planning that she could use to hire a part-time temporary position or intern.

Board members and Richardson concluded that members should work with city staff to compare the benchmarking policy against other possible projects. Together, they can prioritize which programs they find critical and fiscally responsible, and send their joint recommendations to the commission.

Following the discussion with Finkeldei, the board voted to send their letter to the city commission, with minimal revisions.

Board member Chris Reimer said he still backs the letter, but they shouldn’t be dismayed if the commissioners don’t agree.

“This is my personal opinion, but if it comes back that it should be a resolution, I don’t think that that ends the push for the development of ordinances that actually operationalize that resolution,” he said.

Reimer added that the resolution or ordinance should clearly state how it is contributing to the county’s goals outlined in the plan.

Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.

Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.

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