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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4City of Lakeville Public Works Memorandum To: Mayor and City Council Justin Miller, City Administrator From: Neil Normandin, Public Works and Facilities Coordinator Copy: Chris Petree, Public Works Director Date: September 25, 2017 Subject: City Participation in the GreenStep Cities Program PURPOSE Consider the City’s participation in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s GreenStep Cities program. BACKGROUND • The GreenStep Cities program was established in 2010 with an objective of helping cities achieve sustainability and quality of life goals. It provides a framework of actions, termed best practices, that cities can take to meet individual goals and objectives. • Best practices vary in complexity from the basic, entering building energy data into the MN B3 Benchmarking data base, to the advanced, developing a sustainable building policy that governs new private development projects. • There are five topical areas and a total of 29 possible best practices that cities can choose to implement. The five topical areas are building and lighting, land use, transportation, environmental management, and economic and community development. • There are five recognition steps or levels depending on the number of best practices implemented and reported metrics. Steps 1 through 3 focus on entry into the program and implementation of specific numbers of required and optional best practices. At Steps 4 and 5 the focus is on measurement, reporting, and improvement in core metrics. • The program is voluntary. DISCUSSION • For Lakeville, and similar sized cities, there are 10 required and 19 optional best practices. 2 • A cross-functional team with members from Community and Economic Development, Public Works, Parks & Recreation, and Environmental Resources, guided by the City Administrator, reviewed work the City has already done as part of its normal business in comparison with the required and optional best practices. • From that comparison, the City has already implemented six of the required best practices and 11 of the optional best practices and is on in the process of implementing the remaining four required best practices. PROCESS • To achieve Step 1, initial recognition as a GreenStep City, City Council must adopt a resolution committing itself to work toward implementing the requisite number of best practices to meet sustainability and quality of life goals. • To achieve Step 2 recognition, the City must complete a total of eight best practices from either the required or optional list. As noted by the review, the City has already completed enough best practices to be recognized as a Step 2 city. • To achieve Step 3 recognition, the City must complete a total of 16 best practices comprised of 10 required and 6 optional best practices. City staff is already working toward the implementation of the remaining required best practices. RECOMMENDATION Staff believes that participating in the GreenStep Cities program would benefit the city in multiple ways. • First, it would provide recognition to the city for environmental initiatives that the City is already implementing. • Second, it would provide a framework for future initiatives that the City might pursue. • Lastly, it would create an incentive for the City to evaluate new programs for both and environmental impact and financial savings. Staff is recommending that we move forward with a resolution at a future City Council meeting to begin participation in the GreenStep Cities program. GreenStep Cities Best Practices – City Implementation to Date Best Practice Actions Required Optional Building & Lighting Category 1 Efficient Existing Public Buildings 2 required plus 1 additional X 2 Efficient Existing Private Buildings 2 required if implementing X 3 New Green Buildings 2 required plus 1 additional if implementing 4 Efficient Outdoor Lighting and Signals 2 required if implementing X 5 Building Redevelopment 1 required if implementing Land Use Category 6 Comprehensive Plans 2 required X 7 Efficient City Growth 1 required if implementing X 8 Mixed Uses 2 required if implementing X 9 Efficient Highway and Auto Oriented Development 1 required if implementing X 10 Design for Natural Resource Conservation 1 required if implementing X Transportation Category 11 Living Streets 1 required plus 2 additional 12 Mobility Options 2 required X 13 Efficient City Fleets 2 required if implementing X 14 Demand Side Travel Planning 2 required if implementing Envirnomental Management Category 15 Sustainable Purchasing 1 required plus 1 additional 16 Urban Forests 1 required plus 2 additional X 17 Stormwater Management 1 required X 18 Parks and Trails 3 required if implementing X 19 Surface Water Quality 1 required if implementing X 20 Efficient Water and Wastewater Facilities 2 required plus 1 additional if implementing 21 Septic Systems 1 required if implementing 22 Solid Waste Reduction 2 required plus 1 additional if implementing 23 Local Air Quality 2 required if implementing X Economic and Community Development Category 24 Benchmarks and Community Engagement 2 required 25 Green Business Development 2 required 26 Renewable Energy 2 required if implementing 27 Local Food 1 required if implementing X 28 Business Synergies 1 required if implementing 29 Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience 1 required X Total 6 11 Note: Individual best practices have multiple actions.