(a) County-owned covered buildings.
(1) No later than June 1, 2015, and every June 1 thereafter, the County must benchmark any County-owned covered building whose gross floor area equals 50,000 square feet for the previous calendar year and report the benchmarking information to the Department.
(2) No later than June 1, 2023, and every June 1 thereafter, the County must benchmark any County-owned covered building whose gross floor area equals or exceeds 25,000 square feet but is less than 50,000 square feet for the previous calendar year and report the benchmarking information to the Department.
(b) Group 1 covered buildings. No later than June 1, 2016, and every June 1 thereafter, the owner of any Group 1 covered building must benchmark the building for the previous calendar year and report the benchmarking information to the Department.
(c) Group 2 covered buildings. No later than June 1, 2017, and every June 1 thereafter, the owner of any Group 2 covered building must benchmark the building for the previous calendar year and report the benchmarking information to the Department.
(d) Group 3 and Group 4 covered buildings. No later than June 1, 2023, and every June 1 thereafter, the owner of any Group 3 or Group 4 covered building must benchmark the building for the previous calendar year and report the benchmarking information to the Department.
(e) Group 5 covered buildings. No later than June 1, 2024, and every June 1 thereafter, the owner of any Group 5 covered building must benchmark the building for the previous calendar year and report the benchmarking information to the Department.
(f) Newly constructed covered building. Following the first full calendar year that energy data can be collected and that the building was occupied, on average, by at least one full-time-equivalent employee (40 person-hours per week) exclusive of security guards, janitors, construction workers, landscapers, and other maintenance personnel throughout the calendar year being reported, the owner of any newly constructed covered building must benchmark the building and report to the Department no later than June 1 of that following year, and every June 1 thereafter.
(g) Waiver. For any time period for which the owner of a covered building documents, in a form required by regulation, any of the conditions below, the Director may waive the benchmarking requirements of this Section.
(1) Financial distress, defined as a building that:
(A) is the subject of a tax lien sale or public auction due to property tax arrearages;
(B) is controlled by a court appointed receiver; or
(C) was recently acquired by a deed in lieu of foreclosure;
(2) On average, less than one full-time-equivalent employee occupied the building during the calendar year being reported;
(3) The covered building is newly constructed and has received its certificate of use and occupancy during the calendar year for which benchmarking is required; or
(4) The covered building was demolished or received its demolition permit during the calendar year for which benchmarking is required. (2014 L.M.C., ch. 6, § 1; 2015 L.M.C., ch. 51, § 1; 2022 L.M.C., ch. 13, §1.)