6.2. SR 08-01-2016
Request for Action
To Item Number
Mayor and City Council 6.2
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
Presentations, Awards, August 1, 2016Kristin Mroz, Environmental Technician
and Recognitions
Item Description Reviewed by
GreenStep Cities Step 4 Award Cal Portner, City Administrator
Reviewed by
Action Requested
Presentation on the GreenStep Cities Step 4 Award.
Background/Discussion
The City of Elk River was awarded the Step 4 status in the GreenStep Cities Program at the League of
Minnesota Cities annual conference. The city started the program in 2012 and gained Step 1, 2, and 3
statuses by 2013.
Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program to help cities
achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. This free, continuous improvement program is based
on 29 best practices tailored to Minnesota cities focusing on cost saving, energy-use reduction, and
encouraging civic innovation. The program is organized by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and
supported by a number of non-profit agencies.
The first three steps of the program focus on best practices related to city operations and community
sustainability under the categories of Buildings and Lighting, Transportation, Land Use, Environmental
Management, and Economic and Community Development. Step 4 challenges cities to measure and
report aggregate and quantitative results of actions taken. These performance metrics attempt to present
to community members that “state of sustainability” achieved by a city.
Elk River was a Step 4 pilot city and was officially recognized for their achievement in 2016. The final
recognition step, Step 5, will challenge cities to show improvement in their adopted Step 4 metrics.
Financial Impact
None
Attachments
Step 4 Worksheets
Buildings and Lighting
o
Transportation
o
Land Use
o
Environmental Management
o
Economic and Community Development
o
Values
(edit)Units
1.1 105.28 kBtu/ft2-year
1.2 $1.60 $/ft2-year
1.3
105.28:129.
27= Index
Ratio of
0.78
Actual:Predicted
#1 City Buildings and Lighting CORE
Buildings and Lighting
For City buildings, use B3, or a similar benchmarking tool to:
Enter the kBtu per square foot, per year: 2015
Enter the dollars spent per square foot, per year: 2015
Enter the ratio of actual-to-predicted energy use: 2015
Minnesota GreenStep Cities
Step 4 Metric Entry Form
Thank you for your interest in the GreenStep Cities Step 4 program.
To be considered for Step 4, please complete the following form by entering the appropriate metric measurement in each
orange box. For assistance, please refer to the guidance sheets available for each metric.
1.4 20 % LEDs
1.5 100 % LEDs
1.6
33 City Hall,
100 NB
Liqour,
25 exterior
% LEDs
Values
(edit)Units#2 Green Buildings OPTIONAL
Enter the percent of lighting that uses LEDs for:
Traffic Signals:
City buildings and property:
Street lights:
Enter any justification or explanation for variation of metrics:
2.1 1 Buildings
2.2
2.2a Buildings
2.3
2.3a Buildings
2.4
How many buildings were rated under this program?
List any other green energy building programs that were used and how
many buildings were rated under each:
If second rating program was used, enter its name here:
Public Buildings
Elk River Library - LEED Gold
How many buildings were rated under this program?
Enter the total number of municipal green certified public buildings:
Enter the name of a rating program used (e.g. LEED, ENERGY STAR®,
etc.):
2.5 Square Feet
2.6 0 %
2.7 1 Buildings
2.8
2.8a 3 Buildings
2.9
Enter the municipal green square footage completed last year:
If second rating program was used, enter its name here:
What percent of new municipal square footage was green building certified
in the last year?
Enter the total number of non-municipal green certified public buildings:
Enter the name of a rating program used (e.g. LEED, ENERGY STAR®,
etc.):
How many buildings were rated under this program?
Private Buildings
ENERGY STAR: Meadowvale Elementary, Fairbault Foods, Goodwill
Twin Lakes Elementary School -
LEED Certified, Oliver Kelley Farm
Visitor Center - LEED In Progress
2.9a Buildings
2.10
2.11 0 Square Feet
2.12 0 %What percent of new (non-municipal) square footage was green building
certified in the last year?
How many buildings were rated under this program?
Enter any other green energy building programs that were used and how
many buildings were rated under each:
Enter the non-municipal green square footage completed last year:
Values
(edit)Units
3.1 10.8 MPG
3.1a 80,859 Miles per year
3.2 2.9 MPG
3.2a 129,773.90 Miles per year
3.3 0
Transportation
#3 City Fleets OPTIONAL
In consideration of city vehicles:
Enter the average MPG for gasoline fleet:
Enter annual miles driven for gasoline fleet:
Enter the number of electric vehicles as part of the city fleet:
Enter the average MPG for diesel fleet:
Enter annual miles driven for diesel fleet:
Values
(edit)Units
4.1 52.15 Miles of sidewalk
4.2 90 %
4.3 13
#4 Infrastructure for Walking and Biking OPTIONAL
How many miles of new or reconstructed sidewalks were completed in the
last year?
Enter any justification or explanation for variation of metrics:
What percentage of housing is within 1/2 mile of a bike route?
What is the average Walk Score for your city?
Values
(edit)Units
7.1 207,441 Square feet
7.2 2.5 %
7.3 %
7.4 %
7.5 %
Square feet of higher-density commercial developments as a percent of total
commercial space: 2014
Percent of total commercial land that is located within high density
commercial zoning districts:
Percent of land within commercial or mixed use zoning districts that hae a
FAR minimum of .9.
Percent of commercial development along the transit route that has FAR
higher than 1:
Land Use
#7 Commercial Density OPTIONAL
Coming soon
Total square feet fo commercial space builts at FAR of 1 or higher: 2014
Values
(edit)Units
8.1
8.2
8.3
#8 Housing - Coming Soon
Enter any justification or explanation for variation of metrics: 7.1 and 7.2 were collected as part of the 2014 pilot program. 7.3-5
are new requirements this year and the information regading the metrics is not yet listed on the website.
Values
(edit)Units
10.1 38.1 %
10.2 1215 Acres
10.3 81.1 %
Environmental Management
#10 Pervious Land, Parks, and Trees CORE
Open Space
What percent of total city acres is considered open space? 2015
How many acres of parkland are in your city? 2015
Parkland Quantity and Access
What percent of housing is within 1/2 mile of parkland? 2015
Tree Canopy
10.4 %
10.5
10.5a %
10.6
10.6a %
10.7 500
What is the tree canopy coverage in your city?
Name the most prevalent tree species:
What percent of canopy coverage is made up by that species?
Name the second most prevalent tree species:
What percent of canopy coverage is made up by that species?
How many net new trees were planted in the last year?
Values
(edit)Units
11.1 123/192
64%
Enter any justification or explanation for variation of metrics: Assessment being completed in 2016.
#11 Storm Water CORE
Enter the storm water assessment number from the Blue Star City program:
Values
(edit)Units
16.1 1 Landfill gas-to-energy
plant (ERMU)
16.1a 3200 kW
16.2 6
2 residential solar, 3
Wind, 1 waste to
energy (GRE)
16.2a 29066.68 kW
16.3 32266.68 kW
Economic and Community Development
#16 Renewable Energy CORE
Enter the number of city-owned renewable energy generation sites:
What is the total installed capacity of city-owned renewable energy
generation?
Enter the number of non-city-owned renewable energy generation sites:
What is the total installed capacity of non-city-owned renewable energy
generation?
Enter the total installed capacity of renewable generation within city
boundaries:
16.4 25.43 MW-h/year
16.5 47 MW-h/year
16.6 17 %
Values
(edit)Units
Enter the total annual production of city-owned renewable energy systems:
Enter the total renewable generation purchased by the city:
Enter the percent of renewable energy generation (purchased or owned) to
total municipal energy use:
#17 Local Food OPTIONAL
Enter any justification or explanation for variation of metrics:
17.1 9
City Farmers
Market, 8 farm
stands
17.2 25 %
17.3 50 %
Enter the number of local food venues:
Enter the percent of housing located within 1 mile of a local food venue:
Enter the percent of housing located within 1 mile of fresh fruits and
vegetables:
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Green Step Cities
Step 4 Award
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Green Step Cities
■ Voluntary challenge, assistance, and recognition program
■ 29 Best Practice Actions to achieve sustainability and
quality-of-life goals
■ Cost saving, energy-use reduction, civic innovation
■ Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and partners
■ 110 MN cities
Minnesota Achieving
reen tep Cries sustainability
through proven
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Steps Awarded
■ Step 1 — Approve a city council resolution - 2011
■ Step 2 — Implement 8 Best Practice Actions - 2011
■ Step 3 — Implement 16 Best Practice Actions - 2013
■ Step 4 — Measure and report Best Practice Action
metrics — 2016 (2015 pilot)
■ Step 5 — Create goals for Step 4 achievements — To
Come
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Step 4
■ Measure and report aggregate and quantitative results of
actions taken
■ "State of Sustainability"
■ Buildings and Lighting
■ Transportation
■ Land U s e
■ Environmental Management
■ Economic and Community Development
C
Buildings and Lighting
■ 105.28 kBtu/ft2 - year
■ $1 .60/ft2 - year
■ Below predicted energy use
■ 20% LED street lights
■ 100% LED traffic signals
C
Transportation
■ City Fleet
■ 10. 8 MPG average gasoline fleet
■ 80,859 miles per year
■ 2.9 MPG average diesel fleet
■ 129,73.9 miles per year
■ 0 Electric Vehicles on Fleet
■ 100% of city employees commute by single-
occupancy vehicles
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fks.:
Transportation
■ City-wide
■ 52. 15 miles of new sidewalk
090% of housing within 1/2 mile of bike route
■ 34.07 vehicle miles traveled by person, per day
■ 48. 8% of city population travels 20 minutes one way
■ 84.3% commuters in single occupancy vehicles
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Land U R e
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Environmental Management
■ 38. 1 % of city is open space
■ 8 1 . 1 % o f housing within 1/2 mile of parkland
■ Tree canopy study to come
■ 64% Blue Star City Award
■ 4.7% annual losses in drinking water system
■ $221 .9 per million gallons of treated wastewater
■ 1 .53 pounds of waste generated per resident/day
C
Economic and Community Development
■ 17% city-wide renewable energy generation
■ 59% of registered voters vote
■ Greenhouse gas assessment data coming
GreenStep City
Elk River
a Step Four Step Five
GreenStep City
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