The City of Maplewood started an environmental committee in 2004. In September of 2005 the Maplewood City Council adopted an Environmental and Natural Resources Commission ordinance and the committee became a full commission. The city has made some drastic improvements in their older buildings including new energy efficiency boilers, a new HVAC system, and indoor and outdoor lighting upgrades. They are also now looking at a renewable energy ordinance which will promote wind, solar and geothermal energy sources in the city. In 2006 the city formed a green team made up of staff who take time away from their regular jobs to assist the city in sustainability initiatives. The green team is led by Shann Finwall, environmental planner for the city. Shann will be working with the green team this year to implement several GreenStep Cities best practices. The Maplewood City Council authorized the city’s participation in the GreenStep Cities program in December 2010.
The Environmental and Natural Resources Commission has been working with Metro CERT and Xcel Energy to plan events to engage residents in Maplewood in efforts to reduce energy use and save money in their homes. Judith Johannessen, one of the commissioners, has organized a number of her neighbors to get a discount on Home Energy Squad visits offered by Xcel Energy through The Neighborhood Energy Connection. Judith states “The effort gave us an opportunity to meet neighbors and get to know each other. It really felt like we were part of a whole, and we have a greater sense of community spirit. Now a number of the neighbors want to look at opportunities for composting.” The city became a Metro CERT affiliate in September of 2010. Recently Metro CERT did a presentation for the green team that was filmed as part of the Spotlight on Maplewood cable show. This is the city’s monthly cable show which airs on Channel 16. The March and April edition of Spotlight on Maplewood will detail efforts by the city to promote energy efficiency and awareness by the actions the city takes, by the education the city promotes, and by the policies they adopt. Spotlight on Maplewood can be viewed on the Government Television website.
