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3.5. SR 10-11-2010 TO STEM NUMBER Ma or & Ci Council 3.5. AGENDA SECTION 1~1EETING DATE PREPARED BY Consent October 11, 2010 Ross Pomeroy, GreenCorps Member & Environmental Intern ITEM DESCRIPTION B~EVIEWED By Resolution Authorizing the City of Elk River to Participate in Rebecca Hau ,Environmental Admin the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program REVIEWED BY Lori ohnson, Ci Administrator ~CTI®N E~EOUESTED City Council adoption of the attached resolution authorizing participation in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's (MPCA) Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION 1Vlinnesota GreenStep Cities is a challenge, assistance, and recognition program to help cities achieve their sust:ainability goals through ilnpleinentation of 2fi best practices. Isach best practice can be ilnplelnented 17y completing one or n~o.re specific actions from Gt list of four. tc.~ eight actiotas. These actions are tailoxeci i:o all I4~Iilanesota cities, focus r.~n cost savings aI1c1 enelEgy use reduction, ai:ICl enccs~Irage inraovat:ion. (cour..tesv 1~I.PC.r.1's ~vcl~sitc) Benefits The program will: ® Save the city money and deliver multiple environmental, social, and financial rewards. Save city staff time in researching cost-effective actions for cutting energy use, decreasing the city's carbon footprint, and accomplishing other sustainability goals that exceed regulatory requirements. ® Provide leadership and action roles for community members and institutions as well as strengthen a civic culture of innovation ® Provide numerous other benefits such as recognition at the League of Minnesota Cities Conference, artwork and recognition materials from the MPCA, potential grants and sponsorship opportunities, and a stronger sense of civic pride in our community Taking Action The Minnesota GreenStep Cities program is entering its first full year of implementation. This is a brand new program, and Elk River, as Minnesota's "Energy City," would enter the program at the forefront. GreenStep Cities is an opportunity not only to garner further recognition, but also to teach other city governments how to incorporate the environmentally-friendly ideals that Elk River has already implemented. The program also selves as a reminder that there is still much more that the City can accomplish! Elk River has an opportunity to lead Minnesota into a greener and brighter future. C:\Documents and Settings\XPMUser\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Piles\OLK66\Action Requested-GSC.doc FINANCIAL IMPACT Financial impact will be limited, as Elk River has already accomplished a majority of the "best practices" encouraged in the program. Upon implementing additional best practices, it is likely that the city will see some increased expenditures, followed by cost-savings after these best practices take full effect. There are no time constraints or monetary spending requirements associated with this program. ATTACHMENTS •Resolution 10 - ACtI®Il Motion by Second by Vote Follow Up C:\Documents and Settings\XPMUsec\Local Settings\'I'emporary Internet Files\OLK66\Action Kequested-GSC.doc i i- i°~~ F ~ v °r F °r s ~° ~ ~i °r r ~r ~°r ~ °r -r~ r -r °r r ~ o~ WHEREAS, efforts to address energy and climate issues provide an opportunity to move toward energy self-reliance and greater community resiliency; provide environmentally healthy and cheaper-to-operate public buildings; encourage new economic development and local jobs; and support local food and renewable energy production; and WHEREAS, the Next Generation Act of 2007, Minnesota Session Laws 2007 -Chapter 136: (1) sets State greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals of cutting emissions to 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2015, 30 percent below 20051evels by 2025, and 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2050; (2) sets a State energy conservation goal of achieving annual energy savings equal to 1.5 percent of annual retail energy sales of electricity and natural gas; (3) establishes an energy policy goal that the per capita use of fossil fuel as an energy input be reduced by 15 percent by the year 2015, through increased reliance on energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives; (4) establishes an energy policy goal that 25 percent of the electricity used in the state be derived from renewable energy resources by the year 2025; 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 20081egislation by establishing the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program to provide a series of sustainable development best practices focusing on local government opportunities to reduce energy use and greenhouse gases; and WHEREAS, local governments have the unique opportunity to achieve both energy use and climate change gas reductions through building and facilities management, land use and transportation planning, environmental management, and through economic and community development; and WHEREAS, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program assists in facilitating technical assistance fox the implementation of these sustainable development best practices; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Elk River does hereby authorize the City of Elk River to participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City: Appoints the Envitoninental Administrator to serve as the city's GreenStep coordinator to facilitate best practice implementation; and 2. Will facilitate the involvement of community members, civic, business and educational organizations, and other units of government as appropriate, such as the Energy City Commission, Randy's Environmental Services, Allied Waste, the Rural Living Task Force, and the Lake Orono Association in the planning, promoting, and implementing of GreenStep Cities best practices; and 3. Will identify a short list of best practices already implemented or for initial implementation by November 1st; and 4. 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 greenhouse gas footprint. A summary of the city's implementation of best practices will be posted on the Minnesota GreenStep Cities web site. Passed and adopted by the Elk River City Council this 11`" day of October, 2011. Stephanie Klinzing, Mayor ATTEST: Tina Allard, City Clerk 2.