HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024.10.21 RESO 2024-48 Green Step Cities Program RESOLUTION 2024-48
CITY OF HUGO
COUNTY OF WASHINGTON
STATE OF MINNESOTA
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF HUGO
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MINNESOTA GREENSTEP CITIES PROGRAM
WHEREAS, Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to
help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. GreenStep is a free, continuous
improvement program,managed by a State agency-non-profit partnership,and based upon 29 best
practices. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more actions at a 1,2 or 3-star
level, 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 civic innovation; and
WHEREAS, local governments have the unique opportunity to achieve both energy use and greenhouse
gas reductions and cost savings through building and facilities management; land use and transportation
planning; environmental management; and through economic and community development; and
WHEREAS, steps taken toward sustainable solutions aim to improve community quality of life,building
community capital and increasing government efficiency, accountability and transparency; 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 Lighting; (2)Transportation; (3)Land
Use; (4)Environmental Management; and(5)Economic and Community Development;
NOW, THEREFORE,be it resolved that the City Council of the City of Hugo does hereby authorize the
City of Hugo (the City)to participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program that offers a free,
voluntary continuous improvement framework.Passage of this participation resolution allows the City to
be recognized as a Step One GreenStep City by the League of Minnesota Cities.Be it further resolved
that the City:
1. Appoints Community Development Director or designee to serve as the City's GreenStep
coordinator for best practice documentation/implementation; and
2. Will facilitate the involvement of community members and other units of government as
appropriate, such as Washington County and Rice Creek Watershed District, in the planning,
promoting and/or implementing of GreenStep Cities best practices; and
3. Grants to the GreenStep program staff review access to the City's B3 Benchmarking Database so
as to facilitate analysis and cost-saving technical assistance to the City regarding its buildings'
energy use; and
4. Will provide feedback once a year on how well the GreenStep program is serving the city and on
city needs from the program; and
5. Will claim credit for having implemented and will work at its own pace toward implementing any
6 GreenStep best practices that will result in energy use reduction, economic savings, quality of
life improvement,reduction in the City's greenhouse gas footprint, and recognition by the League
of Minnesota Cities as a Step Two GreenStep City. An on-going summary of the City's
implementation of best practices will be posted by the City on the Minnesota GreenStep Cities
web site.
ADOPTED by the City Council this 7t'day of October 202
Tom Weidt,Mayor
ATTEST:
Michele Lindau, City Clerk