Firm hired to provide roadmap for sustainable operation of facilities

Oakland County wants its government campus in Pontiac to be environmentally-friendly for years to come.

That’s why county officials have hired Los Angeles-based AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm, to develop the campus sustainability plan, which will provide a roadmap to a more sustainable operation of county facilities.

The plan will establish a vision for achieving a netzero energy campus and outline a general philosophy that will guide decision making related to ongoing operations and future capital improvement planning. It’s primary goals will be will be emissions and energy; campus operations; nature and ecosystems; environmental equity and justice; and health and well-being.

Following a request for qualifications and a series of interviews with three firms, AECOM, which has led in the development of over 30 city and county resilience plans worldwide, was selected to develop, over the next year, the campus sustainability plan. The cost of the project is $575,000.

In a March 1 letter to the board of commissioners, April Lynch, deputy county executive, wrote that the threat of the overheating climate has real consequences for our lakes and

rivers, infrastructure, agriculture and public health.

“We need our focus on developing a plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through bold strategies and regional cooperation,” she wrote. “In an effort to begin the County’s own journey in protecting our environment,

we are requesting to create a campus wide sustainability plan to address Oakland County’s goal of reduction of greenhouse gas.”

Lynch added that the plan’s goals are to assess where the county is in its environmental sustainability efforts, focusing on areas of improvement and resources.

“The focus will include ensuring we have a strong plan moving forward that can be in tandem with

our capital improvement planning and adjustments in our operations,” wrote Lynch. “A parallel goal is that we can provide templates and assistance to other local communities to assist them in their own efforts to protect our environment.”

Once completed, the county’s campus sustainability plan will be a living document and continuously reviewed, according to Lynch.

As a part of the project,

Detroit-based Giffels Webster, an annual competitively bid contractor, will also provide project management services, including development of a detailed project schedule, at a cost of $50,500.

The county is planning to use $625,500 in general fund dollars to pay for the campus sustainability planning project.

In addition, David Coulter, county executive, is in the process of searching for a chief sustainability

officer to lead the county’s sustainability-related efforts, which would include prioritizing the campus sustainability plan and related projects once it’s completed. The position will pay between $130,000 and $175,000 in base salary annually.

The county’s fiscal year 2021 budget included $2 million in fund balance to address environmental sustainability-related efforts.