Nearly two dozen city officials and engaged community members gathered in Little Falls on December 11, 2014 to receive hands-on training on how to drive sustainability in their area through the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program.
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, managed by a public-private partnership, is based upon 28 best practices. Each best practice is comprised of actions. These actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation. The program has expanded rapidly since its inception in 2010 with 75 cities currently engaged.
Speakers at the event hailed from three Minnesota cities.
Royalton: Participants heard from Andrea Lauer, mayor of Royalton, MN, who has spearheaded efforts to complete an energy audit of all city buildings, do a re-lamping project, change all traffic lights from incandescent to light-emitting diode (LED), partner with the school district for a renewable energy grant and install solar panels on City Hall’s roof.
Brainerd: Arlene Jones, founder of Brainerd-based food hub SPROUT, shared her enthusiasm for locally grown foods, building community and living sustainably. Brainerd joined Minnesota GreenStep Cities in 2013. Jones has also partnered with her local school district to bring locally grown fresh produce to students.
Falcon Heights: When the City of Falcon Heights was approached about becoming one of the four cities to pilot GreenStep Cities, Mayor Peter Lindstrom didn’t hesitate to sign up, he said. “GreenStep Cities has been a tremendous asset to guide our sustainability efforts.” Lindstrom shared how the city has placed more than 200 solar panels on city hall, implemented lighting improvements, created a community garden, expanded bike and pedestrian trails, and created a PACE program for businesses to implement clean energy projects.
Download Arlene Jone’s presentation on Sprout >>
Download Mayor Lindstrom’s presentation >>
Download CERTs’ presentation on Minnesota GreenStep Cities >>
More information about Minnesota GreenStep Cities can be found at www.MnGreenStep.org.
About the Local Government Energy Action Series:
This effort tells the stories of Minnesota municipalities, counties, and schools and the tangible results of their energy-saving efforts to inspire others to take their own actions.
