HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 06.d
Date: Item No.
APPROVE SUSTAINABILITY PURCHASING POLICY AND RESOLUTION TO UTILIZE
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE PROCESS
Proposed Action
Staff recommends adoption of the following motion: Move to approve sustainability purchasing
policy and resolution to utilize sustainable infrastructure process.
Overview
The items for consideration are part of the GreenStep Cities initiative. On May 26, 2020 staff gave
the City Council an update on the status of the GreenStep Cities initiative. GreenStep Cities is a
Minnesota voluntary recognition program to help cities achieve sustainability and quality of life
goals. It is based on 29 best practices and approximately 175 actions. Each best practice can be
implemented, as decided by city elected officials, staff and community members, by completing one
or more action items. These voluntary actions are focused on cost savings and energy use reduction
and encourage civic innovation. The City is at recognition Step 2 out of 5.
The sustainable purchasing policy is a guide to selection of goods and services that encourage
minimal impact on the environment. Careful purchasing decisions use natural resources more
efficiently, can lead to cost savings, protect our environment, and increase demand for better
products. The resolution to utilize sustainable infrastructure process is also a guide to emphasize in
transportation projects appropriate accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit
riders, and disabled persons through the ongoing creation of a multi-modal transportation network
and to ensure designs that reduce environmental impacts by reducing impervious surface, managing
stormwater, and providing shade.
Since the May 26, 2020 City Council work session, the sustainability purchasing policy has been
updated to include stronger language to buy local and the living streets resolution title has been
changed to reflect the intent of the resolution more accurately. These items were reviewed at the
Park, Recreation & Natural Resources Committee on June 17, 2020.
Primary Issues to Consider
• Why are these items necessary for approval? These items are necessary to give guidance to
staff on sustainable purchases and to encourage sustainable infrastructure in transportation
projects. These items are also necessary to get to Step 3 in the GreenStep Cities recognition.
Supporting Information
• Sustainability Purchasing Policy
• Resolution to utilize sustainable infrastructure process
July 6, 2020
Financial Impact: $ Budgeted: Y☐ N☐ Source:
Related Documents: (CIP, ERP, etc.):
Envision Lakeville Community Values: Good Value for Public Services
Report Completed by: Paul Oehme P.E. Public Works Director
None N/A
Comprehensive Plan
SUSTAINABLE PURCHASING POLICY
Policy 4.XX
1. Purpose and Scope
The City of Lakeville Sustainable Purchasing Policy is a guide to the selection of goods and
services that encourage minimal impact on the environment. Careful purchasing decisions
use natural resources more efficiently, can lead to cost savings, protect our environment, and
increase demand for better products.
Specifically, the Policy is adopted in order to:
• Conserve natural resources
• Minimize environmental impacts such as pollution, water usage, and energy waste
• Eliminate or reduce the use of toxic and hazardous compounds
• Identify environmentally preferable products and distribution systems
• Lower overall costs to the City by addressing full life-cycle cost accounting
(purchase, operation, maintenance, disposal, staff time, and labor)
• Reduce materials that are landfilled or incinerated
• Utilize best practices in environmental purchasing as identified through the Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) GreenStep Cities Program
• Support local economy as much as possible
This policy encourages City departments to undertake cost/benefit trade-off analyses and
bring recommendations for spending money for greener outcomes to City management and
the City Council where that encourages prudent stewardship of the City’s resources.
This policy will apply to all City departments and employees. This policy is subject to the
Municipal Contracting Law (MN Statue 471.345), the City of Lakeville Purchasing Policy, the
City of Lakeville Financial Sustainability and Resiliency Policy, and all other applicable laws
and ordinances.
2. Definitions
• Environmentally Preferable Products and Services: as defined by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) means products and services that have a
lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to
competing products and services that serve the same purpose. This applies to raw
material acquisition, as well as product manufacturing, distribution, use, maintenance,
and disposal.
• Energy Star: the US EPA’s energy efficiency product labeling program described at
http://www.energystar.gov.
• Energy Efficient Product: a product that 1.) meets Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection Agency criteria for use of the Energy Star® trademark label;
or, is in the upper 25 percent of efficiency for all similar products as designated by the
Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program—
http://www.eere.energy.gov .
• Financially Feasible: a product has lower costs over its entire lifecycle as determined by
full cost accounting (purchase, operation, maintenance, disposal, staff time, and labor).
• Practicable: whenever possible and compatible with state and federal law, without
reducing safety, quality, or effectiveness.
• Post-consumer Recycled Content: material that has served its intended use and has
been discarded for disposal or recovery, having completed its life as a consumer item,
and is used as a raw material for new products.
• US EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines: the most current policies established
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for federal agency purchases—
(https://www.epa.gov/smm/comprehensive-procurement-guideline-cpg-program).
• VOCs: Volatile organic compounds are organic chemical compounds that have high
enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter
the earth's atmosphere.
• Water-Saving Products: products that are in the upper 25% of water conservation for
all similar products, or achieves a WaterSense label/certification.
3. Roles and Responsibilities
All City departments are to be fully aware of the City’s guidelines on purchasing
environmentally preferable goods and services, and all departments are responsible to:
• Ensure that specifications do not discriminate against reusable, recycled, or
environmentally preferable products without justification,
• Evaluate environmentally preferable products to determine the extent to which they
may be used by the department and its contractors,
• Review and revise specifications to maximize the specification of designated
environmentally preferable products where practicable,
• Facilitate data collection on purchases of designated environmentally preferable
products by the department in order to assist in tracking the City’s environmentally
preferable purchasing efforts.
• Purchase from local businesses as much as feasible that meets the purchasing needs
and is still cost competitive.
4. Identification of Products and Services
Waste Reduction
The City will institute practices that reduce waste and result in the purchase of fewer
products whenever practicable and cost-effective, but without reducing safety or
workplace quality, including but not limited to:
a. communicating electronically instead of printing to the greatest degree
possible given some residents and city staff do not have email
b. photocopying and printing double-sided
c. using digital or fillable online forms
d. printing of documents and reports only as they are needed and required by
state mandated record retention policies
e. buying in bulk, whenever storage is available, and operations allow it
f. reusing products such as file folders, storage boxes, office supplies, and
furnishings
g. using washable or reusable dishes and utensils
h. avoid purchasing or acquiring polystyrene foam or other disposable food
service ware and where affordable use compostable disposable food service
ware when washable and reusable dishes and utensils are impractical
Recycled Content Products
Per subdivisions one (1) and two (2) of Minnesota Statute 16B.122 and per the Federal
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) requirements, the City of Lakeville will
endeavor to purchase paper products containing the highest post-consumer content
practicable, but no less than minimum recycled content standards established by the
US EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines. The following list should be
established as not less than the minimums of these guidelines.
a. Printing paper, office paper, and paper products should contain the highest
postconsumer content practical and within budgets.
b. Janitorial paper products should contain the highest postconsumer content
practical and within budgets.
c. Materials and products such as those for construction, landscaping, parks and
recreation, transportation, vehicles, miscellaneous, and non-paper office
products, should contain the highest postconsumer content that meets
specifications and budgets and is available, or, when postconsumer material is
impractical for a specific type of product/application, contain substantial
amounts of recovered material.
Energy and Water Savings
A. All appliances and products purchased by the City for which the US EPA Energy Star
certification is available will meet Energy Star certification provided such products are
available and financially feasible (www.energystar.gov). Typically, this would include
lighting systems, exhaust fans, water heaters, computers, exit signs, and appliances
such as refrigerators, dishwashers, and microwave ovens.
B. When Energy Star labels are not available, appliances and products that are in the
upper 25% of energy efficiency as designated by the Federal Energy Management
Program shall be considered for purchase.
C. Water-saving products purchased by the City will meet the WaterSense certification
when such products are available and financially feasible (http://www.epa.gov). This
includes, but is not limited to, high-performing fixtures such as toilets, waterless
urinals, low-flow faucets and aerators, and upgraded irrigation systems.
D. The City will commit to reducing energy use as much as feasible and the remaining
energy needs will be met by renewable, minimally polluting energy sources as much
as is practical and economical.
Cleaning Products
Cleaning products purchased by the City will meet Green Seal, EcoLogo, and/or U.S.
EPA Design for the Environment cleaning product standards if such products are
practicable, available, and perform to an acceptable standard.
(http://www.greenseal.org, http://www.environmentalchoice.com, and
http://www.epa.gov).
Construction and Renovations
A. All building and renovations undertaken by the City should review green building
practices for design, construction, and operations and implement practices where
practical and economical.
B. The City will purchase high efficiency cooling and heating equipment and motion
sensitive lighting, whenever practical and economical.
C. Sustainable landscape planting and management practices whenever practical,
including:
i. Plants should be selected to minimize waste by choosing species that are
appropriate to the microclimate; species that can grow to their natural size
in the allotted space and perennials rather than annuals. Native and non-
invasive trees, shrubs, and plants that require minimal watering once
established are preferred.
ii. Minimize pesticide and herbicide use wherever practical.
iii. Apply fertilizer as needed, following a fertilizer application program that is
based on soil sampling data, in field inspections, volume and type of use at
the facility and best agronomic practices.
D. When maintaining buildings, the City will attempt to use products with the lowest
amount of VOCs, and low or no urea formaldehyde. Examples of such products
include paint, carpet, adhesives, furniture, and casework within budget restrictions
and product ability to meet specifications.
These guidelines are subject to the requirements and preferences in the Municipal Contracting Law (MN
Statutes 471.345) and all other applicable laws and ordinances.
CITY OF LAKEVILLE
RESOLUTION NO. 20-
RESOLUTION STATING ONGOING SUPPORT AND INTENT TO UTILIZE
SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE PROCESS WITH PLANNING AND
COMMUNITY DESIGN
WHEREAS the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) defines Complete Streets as
streets for everyone that are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians,
bicyclists, motorists and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and
across a complete street; and
WHEREAS Green Streets typically refers to street design that reduces environmental impacts by
reducing impervious surface, managing stormwater, and providing shade. Living Streets
combines the concepts of complete streets and green streets, and puts additional focus on quality
of life aspects for City residents; and
WHEREAS a required best practice of the Minnesota Green Step Cities program is the adoption
of a Complete or Living Streets policy (or documented practices) that addresses street standards,
street trees, and storm water management; and
WHEREAS the City of Lakeville has followed Living Streets principles in its planning and
community design, and has demonstrated said commitment by adopting a transportation goal
within the 2040 Lakeville Comprehensive Plan to develop a multi-modal transportation system
in which autos, trucks, rail, transit, bicycles and pedestrians are adequately served and can safely
co-exist; and
WHEREAS, the City of Lakeville incorporates Living Streets practices including, but not limited
to:
• Evaluating Living Street standards on subdivision and major roadway projects
Installation of traffic calming measures, including roundabouts, flashing yellow left turn
signals and synchronized traffic signals on major corridors, in partnership with Dakota
County, to reduce vehicle idling
• Approved Spirit of Brandtjen Farm Development, a 450-acre residential and commercial
subdivision with many Living Street components.
• Implementation of watershed best management practices, including raingardens, creek
and shoreline restoration, and native plantings within public right-of-way, in partnership
with the Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District
• Implement a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) in response to the
City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit;
• Maintenance of established boulevard tree placement and trimming practices that address
safe access to City streets for all users.
WHEREAS, the City of Lakeville encourages pedestrian and bicyclist use through the planning,
construction and maintenance of a well-developed local trail system, including:
• Implementation of a Bicycle and Trail System Plan that enhances the City’s
transportation system/network
• Inclusion of pedestrian and bicyclist facilities into major roadway projects
• Subdivision standards that include trails and sidewalks, providing connecting and access
to neighborhoods, parks, schools and employment centers
• 118 miles of developed, publicly accessible trails
• The identification and remediation of connectivity breaks (gaps) in the City's trail system
and the adoption of a Trail Connection Policy;
• Trail maps and markers posted along City trails, and all transportation maps (trails,
streets, etc.) available via the City's website;
• Establishment of a Winter Snow Removal Policy for city trails, including partnerships
with three independent school districts within the City to ensure safe pedestrian mobility
to schools
WHEREAS, the City of Lakeville encourages the use of transit and ridesharing through several
advantages available to residents and commuters, including:
• Express bus route service to two Park & Ride facilities, including a dedicated bus-only exit
to Kenrick Avenue Park & Ride and dedicated bus -only shoulders along Cedar Avenue
to/from Lakeville Cedar Park & Ride
• Two Park & Pool facilities along Interstate 35
• Lakeville LOOP Circulator Bus service for people age 62 and older
• Dial-A-Ride bus service
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Lakeville supports the principles of
Living & Green Streets and will work with MnDOT, Dakota County, and appropriate agencies so
that Living Street elements are evaluated where possible for City transportation projects by
providing appropriate accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders, and
disabled persons through the ongoing creation of a multi-modal transportation network and to
ensure design that reduces environmental impacts by reducing impervious surface, managing
stormwater, and providing shade.
ADOPTED by the Lakeville City Council this 6th day of July 2020
_________________________________ _________________________________
Douglas P. Anderson, Mayor Charlene Friedges, City Clerk