Superior expects September decarbonization roadmap for five town buildings

Superior staff said a contractor will deliver a decarbonization roadmap in September for five town facilities not yet studied, with building-by-building estimates for cost savings, energy savings, greenhouse-gas reductions and a business-as-usual comparison, staff told town officials June 22.

Staff said the town has spent or committed about $50,000 for the planning work and included a roughly $150,000 budget placeholder for possible first-step implementation after the September report.

Officials identified the facilities discussed as the water treatment plants, Town Hall, the bungalow and the firehouse. The meeting discussion referred to five buildings total, but the public record reviewed by Badger did not clearly name the fifth.

The discussion also covered water conservation. Staff said the town is compiling a GIS-based inventory of turf on town property to identify irrigated grass and places where Superior might reduce what officials called non-essential turf.

Possible replacements discussed included low-water landscaping, pollinator plantings, garden areas and soft trails. Residents came up mainly in the context of outreach and education, not as the direct target of the current inventory.

Staff also said cutting water use would not automatically reduce town costs because Superior still pays for the water rights it holds even if less water is used, and lower consumption can also mean less utility revenue. Officials said larger changes, such as moving away from freshwater irrigation or adding smart meters, would be separate capital decisions beyond the current turf inventory.

The next major checkpoint is September, when the contractor is expected to return with recommendations and cost estimates for the remaining facilities.