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An Ordinance Amending Chapter 7 (“Buildings”), Article 14 (“Energy and Water Benchmarking”) of the Oak Park Village Code to Change the Reporting Deadline
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Introduction
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Staff is recommending amending Chapter 7 (“Buildings”) Article 14 (“Energy and Water Benchmarking”) to change the reporting deadline from December 31 to June 30 beginning in 2027.
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Recommended Action
Adopt the Ordinance.
Prior Board Action
The board adopted Ordinance 23-18 that established energy and water benchmarking reporting requirements for certain buildings located within the Village of Oak Park on February 6, 2023.
Background
On February 6, 2023, the Oak Park Village Board adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 7 (“Buildings”) of the Village Code by adding a new Article 15 (“Energy and Water Benchmarking”). This ordinance established requirements for building owners to track and report energy and water usage annually to support energy efficiency, sustainability, and informed planning for the community.
Benchmarking reports are currently due by December 31 each year for building energy and water data from the previous calendar year. Village Staff has received feedback from reporting properties that building owners and management company staff take time off around the holidays and are busy with other end-of-year responsibilities, making meeting this deadline challenging. Historical trends indicate that benchmarking compliance improves after the holidays in early January.
Nearby jurisdictions have set deadlines in the middle of the year to accommodate both building owners’ and administrative resources. For example, Evanston requires reporting by June 30, while Chicago requires reporting by June 1 for the previous calendar year data. Aligning Oak Park’s benchmarking deadline with these neighboring communities would simplify compliance for building owners who operate across multiple jurisdictions and reduce administrative burden for the responsible reporters. The attached ordinance proposes to shift the reporting deadline from December 31 to June 30 for the previous calendar year data, creating a better-suited schedule for both building owners and Village staff while maintaining alignment with regional practices. The new compliance deadline would take effect in 2027 for 2026 calendar-year data, giving staff more than a year to communicate the change to building owners. During 2026, Staff will communicate the change in deadline while working with building owners to comply early with their 2025 data. In early 2027, Village staff will do enhanced outreach to building owners to ensure that all are aware of the new deadline.
Changing the deadline from December 31 to June 30 for previous calendar year data reduces the amount of time that buildings have to report annual data from 12 months to 6 months. Staff do not anticipate this will be a challenge for those reporting. The first year a property reports data requires a relatively heavy lift as the property is set up in Energy Star Portfolio Manager (ESPM) and connections to ComEd and the Village are established. Once this is completed, electrical data is automatically updated, and the Village is beginning to send reporting buildings their water data in an easy-to-upload format in March and April each year. The only effort required by buildings in reporting year two and beyond will be reaching out to Nicor for gas usage data. All data necessary for meeting the June 30 deadline will be available with sufficient time for buildings to comply.
In addition to changing the compliance deadline, the Ordinance makes some small additional changes, including changing the responsible Department from the no longer existing Development Customer Services Department to the Office of Sustainability and Resilience, as well as other minor clarifications in the Ordinance language.
For reporting year 2024, the compliance rate with the benchmarking ordinance is 30%. The following is a breakdown of compliance by building type. In parentheses is the percentage of total properties represented by that property type.
• Residential - 27% (63%)
• Commercial - 32% (13%)
• Mixed Use - 28% (11%)
• Worship Facility - 16% (6%)
• School - 62% (3.5%)
• Government - 100% (1.3%)
• Hospital - 33% (1%)
• Library - 100% (0.2%)
Over the last year, Sustainability Staff have worked diligently to verify all the properties on the Covered Building List (CBL) and identify a responsive contact for each building. The Village has sent postcards, hosted “Data Jams” and held technical assistance office hours. Sustainability Staff work across departments to connect with building owners and managers, including presenting at the mandatory landlord trainings, working with property inspection and business licensing staff, and conducting outreach along with business district and Economic Vitality activities. Currently, Sustainability Staff are initiating a series of outreach efforts and technical support offerings targeted at individual property types in an effort to enhance compliance with the ordinance for the 2025 reporting year in each of the categories.
Timing Considerations
The proposed ordinance would change the benchmarking report deadline beginning in 2027. Benchmarking reports for 2025 data for each covered property shall be due by December 31, 2026. Starting on June 30, 2027, benchmarking reports for 2026 data and subsequent years shall be due on June 30.
Financial Impact
There is no budget impact associated with this item.
Operating Impact
There is no operating impact associated with this item. The item aligns with the department’s core service delivery.
DEI Impact
There is no DEI impact associated with this item.
Community Input
Input was collected through a survey of those responsible for benchmarking to assess the preferred timeline. Some respondents expressed support with establishing an earlier deadline that does not overlap with periods of high staff absence. Others indicated no preference. None indicated a preference for the December 31 deadline.
The Environment & Energy Commission reviewed the proposed change at their April 7, 2026 meeting and unanimously voted to recommend the Village change the reporting deadline to June 30 starting in 2027.
Staff Recommendation
Staff recommends the Board adopt the attached Ordinance.
Advantages:
• Establishing a reporting timeline during a period when buildings generally have greater staff capacity to complete requirements.
• Aligning the Village’s benchmarking deadline more closely with neighboring jurisdictions.
Disadvantages:
• Shorter timeframe from the close of the year to the reporting deadline.
Alternatives
Alternative 1:
The Board can elect not to adopt the ordinance.
Advantages:
• This action ensures continuity of the current benchmarking cycle.
Disadvantages:
• Challenges related to a compliance deadline that falls at the end of the year and during a common holiday and vacation time will continue.
Anticipated Future Actions
Village staff will communicate the revised deadline throughout the current benchmarking cycle and encourage those responsible for benchmarking to submit reports early. Staff will also distribute water usage information in the first quarter to support early compliance in preparation for the next reporting deadline.
Prepared By: Alina Dekirmenjian, Sustainability Analyst
Reviewed By: Lindsey Roland Nieratka, Chief Sustainability Officer
Approved By: Kevin J. Jackson, Village Manager
Attachment(s):
1. Ordinance