Section 808.01

The County hereby establishes the Cuyahoga County Green Community Program as a Green Community Program within the meaning of Section 54D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Projects and programs included within the Cuyahoga County Green Community Program shall include, but not be limited to, the projects and programs described below.

A. Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy Improvements to Buildings, Structures, and Facilities

1. Acquisition, construction, equipment, improvement, installation and financing of energy efficiency improvements, including, without limitation, improvements to the mechanical systems of buildings, structures, and facilities; installation or improvement of HVAC systems, air handlers, chillers, boilers, and high efficiency accessory systems; installation or improvement of compressors, refrigeration systems, waste energy recovery systems, and improved electrical distribution systems; installation or improvement of heat transfer technologies, insulation, windows, reflective roofing; installation or improvement of energy efficient roofing; installation or improvement of lighting and lighting controls; which improvements are made with respect to buildings, structures, facilities, or real property owned by any public or private parties located within the County, including the County, other local governments and political subdivisions of the State, private persons, any property owners within the County, and any public or private parties in cooperation with any of the foregoing.
2. Acquisition, construction, equipment, improvement, installation and financing of alternative energy technologies, including special energy improvement projects identified under Revised Code 1701.01(I) and renewable energy technologies identified under Revised Code 4928.01(A)(35), which technologies include, without limitation, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, geothermal, hydropower, solid waste to energy technologies, biomass, gasification, fuel cells, off peak storage facilities, and distributed generation facilities utilizing renewables, which improvements are made with respect to buildings, structures, facilities, or real property owned by any public or private parties located within the County, including the County, other local governments and political subdivisions of the State, private persons, any property owners within the County, and any public or private parties in cooperation with any of the foregoing.

B. Financing Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy Improvements

1. Financing loans for owners of residential, commercial, industrial, tax-exempt, and governmental properties in the jurisdiction of the County for energy efficiency and alternative energy improvements with (A) the proceeds of County obligations issued for such purposes under Ohio Revised Chapter 165 or otherwise, or (B) the proceeds of obligations of other political subdivisions of the State operating in cooperation with the County.
2. Financing energy efficiency and alternative energy projects through energy special improvement districts by which property owners are able to pay for the costs of the improvements by an assessment on their property tax bill.

C. County Energy Accountability Programs

1. Installation and use of real-time energy tracking systems to monitor and reduce electrical demand, including, without limitation, installation of web-based energy sub-metering system integrated into the control systems of buildings, structures, facilities, or real property owned by any public or private parties located within the County, including the County, other local governments and political subdivisions of the State, private persons, any property owners within the County, and any public or private parties in cooperation with any of the foregoing.
2. Implementation and operation of increased energy accountability programs, including, without limitation, creation of public websites showing total energy use and alternative energy use by the County, other local governments and political subdivisions of the State, private persons, any property owners within the County, and any public or private parties in cooperation with any of the foregoing.
3. Implementation and operation of energy auditing programs and partnerships with utilities, including investor-owned utilities, for such programs with respect to buildings, structures, facilities, or real property owned by private parties, and implementation and operation of rebate programs that lower the cost to private property owners of energy efficiency and alternative energy technologies.

D. Land Use Programs

1. Implementation and operation of programs to remediate, redevelop, and reuse industrial, commercial and manufacturing brownfield properties by using energy efficiency, renewable, and alternative energy improvements in connection with those properties.
2. Acquisition, construction, equipment, improvement, installation, financing and use of farming practices that reduce the use of fossil fuels for crop production and improve soil and water conservation.
3. Acquisition, construction, equipment, improvement, installation, financing and use of bio-fuel technologies including, without limitation, planting of crops to be used in bio-fuel production.
4. Acquisition, construction, equipment, improvement, installation, financing and use of biomass energy production programs and projects.

(Ordinance No. O2016-0009, Enacted 3/22/2016, Effective 3/23/2016)

Section 808.02