05/07/2012 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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WS — Item 1 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item 1 Date: May 7, 2012 To: City Council From: Marty Asleson Re: Consideration of a Resolution Authorizing the City of Lino Lakes to Participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities Program Background Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve sustainability goals through implementation of 28 best practices. The GreenStep program is run through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more specific actions from a list of four to eight actions. These actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage innovation. GreenStep encourages cities to strive for and utilize "Best Management Practices" (BMPs) in transportation, buildings and lighting, environmental management, land use, and economic and community development. There are currently 42 cities qualified as GreenStep cities. In early February of this year, Piper Donlin of Lino Lakes, as part of a student group from the University of Minnesota College of Natural Resources, approached the City on performing a GreenStep evaluation and to explore the idea of establishing Lino Lakes as a GreenStep city. Following a questionnaire and interviews with city staff, the group determined that the City of Lino Lakes is a Category "A" city and may have already qualified for the first step in the GreenStep program. The student group introduced and presented the GreenStep program to the Lino Lakes Environmental Board at the April 25, 2012 Environmental Board Meeting. The Lino Lakes Environmental Board made a recommendation that the GreenStep program be brought to a City Council work session with a draft resolution authorizing the City of Lino Lakes to participate in the program and naming Marty Asleson as the program coordinator.