Columbia County Climate Smart Task Force Virtual Meeting January 9th, 2025

The Columbia County Climate Smart Task Force held a virtual meeting on January 9, 2025, to discuss progress on climate action planning and related procurement activities. Key procurement-related topics included the formation of a Climate Action Plan (CAP) committee, which will oversee the development and issuance of an RFP for consultant services to support the CAP. The committee's size was suggested to be around 10 members, including task force members, county staff, and community representatives. The timeline anticipates committee formation by early spring 2025, with RFP development and approval processes involving the Board of Supervisors. Additionally, the task force received notification of a $2.6 million grant award and discussed a separate $412,500 NERTA grant for energy efficiency upgrades such as lighting and building envelope improvements. The meeting also covered coordination with other regional climate initiatives, stakeholder engagement strategies, and updates on related projects including forest carbon modeling and electric vehicle charging station grants. No formal votes were recorded, but action items focused on committee appointments, RFP scope development, and ongoing grant management.