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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 r...
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