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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-07-13 PACKET 08.2.A.CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE MINNESOTA TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator FROM: Howard Blin, Community Development Director DATE: November 23, 2010 RE: Authorization to Participate in GreenStep Cities Program ,...._,. It is requested that the City Council adopt the resolution authorizing participation in the Minne- sota GreenStep Cities program. I Man 747=4 I The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has initiated the GreenSteps Cities program to en- courage cities to implement energy efficiency practices. Cities which qualify as GreenStep Cities will be recognized by the League of Minnesota Cities and be able to use the designation in marketing materials. No funding for energy improvements is currently available from the program. The GreenStep Cities program sets up a series of best practices in the areas of building effi- ciencies, land use, transportation, environmental management, and economic and community development. These best practices range from installing energy efficiency measures in existing and planned buildings to comprehensive planning policies that promote walking. To be desig- nated a GreenStep City, Cottage Grove must adopt 16 of the 28 best practices. Cottage Grove already meets about one -half of the required best practices. Attached is a list of the best prac- tices. Also attached is a recent newspaper story about the program. If authorized by the City Council, it is suggested that the Environmental Commission direct the process of reviewing the appropriate best practices to adopt and guide the application process. It is estimated that this process will take six months to complete. Analysis Program Benefits There are three potential benefits to Cottage Grove for receiving the GreenStep City designation: ® The process of applying for the designation would require analysis of existing City opera- tions for energy efficiencies. Although much of this analysis has been done as part of the City's Sustainability Task Force effort, the GreenStep program provides a process to update the findings of that study. Honorable Mayor, City Council, and Ryan Schroeder Authorization to Participate in GreenSteps Cities Program November 24, 2010 Page 2 of 2 The designation would give Cottage Grove another tool for marketing to potential residents and businesses. Increasingly, efforts towards environmental sustainability are perceived as an asset by those comparing communities. The designation may open opportunities for future funding from state or federal sources. Although no funding for energy improvements or other measures is currently part of the program, often such designations are requirements to be eligible for any future funding. Costs As was briefly discussed at the July 14 Environmental Commission meeting, the City currently meets the majority of the best practices required for eligibility in the program. The GreenStep application process primarily involves staff work in pulling together the required information, with only minor hard costs involved for copying, etc. In talking to other cities who have participated in the pilot program, it is estimated that no more than 30 hours of staff time would be required to complete the application process. Environmental Commission Recommendation The Environmental Commission reviewed the program at their July and September meetings and recommended to the City Council that the City become part of the program. Recommendation Adopt the resolution authorizing participation in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program. RESOLUTION NO. 2010 -197 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF COTTAGE GROVE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MINNESOTA GREENSTEP CITIES PROGRAM WHEREAS, Minnesota Session Laws 2008, Chapter 356, Section 13 directed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ( "MPCA ") and Office of Energy Security in the De- partment of Commerce ( "Office of Energy Security'), in collaboration with Clean Energy Resource Teams ( "CERTs "), to recommend municipal actions and policies that work toward meeting the State's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals; and WHEREAS, a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders including the League of Minnesota Cities, the MPCA, Office of Energy Security and CERTs responded to the 2008 legislation by establishing the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program to provide a series of sustainable development best practices focusing on local government oppor- tunities to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases; and WHEREAS, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program assists in facilitating technical assistance for the implementation of these sustainable development best practices; and WHEREAS, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program provides cost - effective sus- tainable development best practices in the following five categories: (1) Buildings and Lighting; (2) Transportation; (3) Land Use; (4) Environmental Management; and (5) Eco- nomic and Community Development. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Cottage Grove, County of Washington, State of Minnesota, does hereby authorize the City of Cottage Grove (the "City ") to participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City: Appoints the Cottage Grove Environmental Commission to serve as the City's GreenStep coordinator to facilitate best practice implementation; and Will facilitate the involvement of community members, civic, business and educational organizations, and other units of government as appropriate in the planning, promoting and implementing of GreenStep Cities best prac- tices; and 3. Will identify a short list of best practices for initial implementation by June 1, 2011; and Will claim credit for having implemented and will implement in total at least 16 required and optional GreenStep best practices that will result in energy use reduction, economic savings, and reduction in the community's green- Resolution No. 2010 -XX* JV Page 2 of 2 house gas footprint. A summary of the city's implementation of best practices will be posted on the Minnesota GreenStep Cities web site. Passed this 1 st day of December 2010. Myron Baiie , Vor Attest: Caron M. Stransky, City Clerk Minnesota GreenStep Cities Rough Summary of Draft Best Practice Options May 20, 2009 Buildings and Facilities • Build new city -owned or city - financed buildings (and buildings requiring regulatory conditions) to meet or qualify for a Green Building standard. • Gather yearly public building data and make energy improvements with a 5 -year or less payback in 1/3 of those buildings. • Improve the efficiency of street lighting and signals over 9 years. • Work with utilities and others to assess, finance and improve the energy efficiency of homes and businesses. • Create regulatory or economic incentives for building reuse. • Conduct a non- regulatory assessment of drinking water and wastewater facilities. • Establish an on -going budget for decreasing Inflow and Infiltration into sewer lines. • Establish a Responsible Management Entity for individual septic treatment systems. Land Use • Adopt a Comprehensive Plan and tie regulatory ordinances to it. • Enable and encourage a higher density of housing and/or commercial land use. • Adopt mixed use standards for locating public services. • Limit barriers to and encourage a mix of land uses to strengthen Active Living by Design. • Co- locate manufacturers and other businesses to achieve higher energy, economic and environmental outcomes. • Adopt subdivision standards for undeveloped areas along inter - regional corridors. • Adopt a Conservation Design ordinance or scorecard process for exurban areas. Transportation • Implement a city fleet investment and maintenance plan that cuts total mobility costs and carbon emissions per city employee. • Adopt Complete Street standards with Traffic Calming measures, and/or a trail plan. • Use Travel Demand Management/Transit- Oriented Design in employment centers / commercial areas. Develop /promote options to single- occupancy car travel. Environmental Management • Increase city forest and plant cover (certify as a Tree City USA or use another standard). • Use the Blue Star or the Minnesota green stormwater infrastructure performance standards (in development). • Create a stormwater utility. • Increase water -use efficiency through a conservation rate structure, a watering ordinance, and /or feebates on WaterSense -rated (and Energy Star- rated) appliances. • Improve local water bodies (one option: achieve Star Lake/River designation). • Adopt an Environmentally Preferable Purchasing policy. • Increase waste reduction, reuse and recycling through volume -based garbage pricing, organics collection, zoned collection, recycling feebates, and /or resource management contracts. Community and Economic Development • Remove barriers to and encourage installation of renewable energy generation capacity. • Strengthen local food production and access. • Document the use of assistance programs for green job development, sustainable tourism, and/or business environmental compliance (MPCA Green Star program) • Inventory energy use /carbon emissions as part of a process to select which best practices to implement. • Adopt outcome benchmarks for GreenStep and other city efforts; engage citizens in ongoing education and discussion of progress. • Collaborate with other units of government, schools, citizen and business groups in GreenStep implementation. • Support smart energy use (and other sustainability) efforts organized by others.