Resolution Number 12-12 Greensteps Program
RESOLUTION NUMBER 12-12
AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF MOUNTAIN IRON TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MINNESOTA GREENSTEP CITIES PROGRAM
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 arid community development; and
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, Minnesota Session Laws 2008, Chapter 356, Section 13 directed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (“MPCA”) and Office of Energy Security in the Department of Commerce (“Office of Energy Security”), in collaboration with Clean Energy Resource Teams (“CERTs”), to recommend municipal actions and policies that work toward meeting the State’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals; 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 2008 legislation 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, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program assists in facilitating technical assistance for the implementation of these sustainable development best practices; and
WHEREAS, the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program provides cost-effective sustainable development best practices in the following five categories: (1) Buildings and Facilities; (2) Transportation; (3) Land Use; (4) Environmental Management; and (5) Economic and Community Development.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF MOUNTAIN IRON, MINNESOTA does hereby authorize the City of Mountain Iron (the “City”) to participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF MOUNTAIN IRON, MINNESOTA that the City will take the following steps to become recognized as a Minnesota Green Step City:
1. Appoint a Minnesota GreenStep Cities Coordinator to facilitate the City’s GreenStep program development and implementation; and
2. Prepare and maintain an energy use inventory on all public buildings using the Minnesota Public Building Benchmarking database; and
3. Involve community members, civic and educational organizations and businesses in the planning, promoting and implementing of Green Step Cities sustainable development best practices; and
4. Identify which GreenStep best practices a city has implemented and which best practices will initially be considered for implementation; and
5. Implement a minimum number of required and optional GreenStep best practices that will result in energy use reduction, economic savings and reduction in the community’s greenhouse gas footprint.
DULY ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL THIS 7th DAY OF MAY, 2012.
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Mayor Gary Skalko
ATTEST:
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City Administrator
