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DATE: April 18, 2016 <br /> <br />TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers <br />Sue Iverson, Acting City Administrator <br /> <br />FROM: Sara Grant, Parks and Recreation Coordinator <br /> <br />SUBJECT: GreenStep City <br /> <br />Action Requested <br /> <br />Provide staff with direction on becoming a GreenStep City. <br /> <br />Background <br />During fall 2007, Minnesota's Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) held regional listening <br />sessions around the state to discuss community-based energy opportunities and the state's Next <br />Generation Energy Act of 2007. The idea was raised of creating a sustainable cities program, <br />free to cities, that would challenge, assist and recognize cities that were "green stars." This idea <br />was taken up by the 2008 Legislature, which directed the MPCA, the Division of Energy <br />Resources at the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and CERTs to recommend actions cities <br />could take on a voluntary basis. <br />Those recommendations are contained in the report Minnesota GreenStep Cities. Representatives <br />from dozens of cities, non-profit organizations, businesses and state government agencies <br />provided the outline for what has been developed as the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program, <br />which began in June 2010. <br />In May 2012 the GreenStep Cities program received awards in the categories of Sustainable <br />Communities and 2012 Partnership of the Year from the Minnesota organization Environmental <br />Initiative. The awards honor partnerships, inspire other organizations to create similar projects, <br />and encourage collaborative approaches to environmental problem solving. Over 340 attendees <br />at the awards dinner voted among the 15 finalists nominated for the 2012 Partnership of the <br />Year. <br /> <br /> <br />AGENDA ITEM – 1B <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br />