5. Greenstep Cities-how to become one!Discussion
r,a1 L11-111c11u1y — — `. ---- _
tive way. Minnesota Cities talked with
Program Coordinator Philipp Muessig MC How many cities are currently involved in the
to learn more about the initiative. program?
Minnesota Cities How did the
idea for the GreenStep Cities program
come about, and when did the
program take off?
Philipp Muessig Minnesota's Clean Energy Resource
Teams (CERTs) held regional listening sessions around the state
in 2007 to discuss community -based energy opportunities and
the state's Next Generation Energy Act of 2007. The idea was
raised by Bob McLean of Hunt Utilities Group in Pine River
to create a sustainable cities program that would, like the old
Star City program for economic development, recognize cities
that were "green stars" This idea was taken up by the 2008
Legislature, which directed the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency (MPCA), the Division of
Energy Resources (DER) at the
Department of Commerce, and
CERTs to recommend actions
cities could take on a voluntary
basis.
At the same time, Lola Schoen -
rich, now at Great Plains Institute
(GPI), framed up the Star City
idea into a funding proposal,
which I championed and MPCA
funded. Work involved represen-
tatives from dozens of cities, non-
profit organizations, businesses,
and state government agencies right up to the program launch
at the June 2010 League of Minnesota Cities (LMC) Annual
Conference.
MC What is MPCA's role and what other organizations are
involved? What is the role of these other organizations?
PM As an employee of MPCA, I serve as the full-time
coordinator and work closely with staff from the other six
GreenStep partner organizations. Jointly we administer and
work for the program. These organizations came together in an
ISM A total of 57 cities have joined the program as of mid -
September. This constitutes 23 percent of the states population.
Member cities range in population from just over 100,000
(Rochester) to 326 (Milan) and are located all over the state,
with just over half in the T-,vin Cities metro area.
MC What is the first step a city needs to take to become a
GreenStep City?
PM The first formal step is for a city council to adopt a
participation resolution. This is simply an expression of intent
to tell the city's story of environmental best practices, and to
work on additional best practices. Prior to that, though, various
people in a city —citizen commission members, city staff and
councilmembers, and others —will
spend time learning about the
program and building interest.
MC Can you outline the rest of
the GreenStep Cities process?
PM There are levels of
recognition —or "steps"
We thought "steps" made
sense because GreenStep is
fundamentally a continuous
improvement framework. Step
One recognizes cities after they
join. In total, GreenStep has a menu of 28 best practices, each
of which can be implemented by completing at least one action
under that best practice.
Step Two recognizes cities that implement four, six, or eight
of the best practices, depending on city capacity and population.
Smaller cities are challenged to implement four best practices, and
the largest cities are challenged to implement eight. Step Three rec-
ognizes implementation of eight, 12, or 16 best practices, including
a handful of specific actions. Steps Four and Five are being defined,
and will involve measuring quantitative achievements, such as total
energy use, and reductions in energy use and costs.
,.n. n ,11iccnTA rlTIFC
MC Do cities pay a fee to join?
PM There is no fee for cities. The
program runs on a mix of state agency
funding and funds that our partners raise.
MC How does participation in
GreenStep Cities benefit cities and
their residents?
PM GreenStep's sustainability
best practices are chosen to result in
environmental, financial, and quality -
of -life benefits to the city, residents, and
businesses. Cities also find other benefits
of participation, including an easy way to
track and publicly report on successes, a
way to involve community members, and
learning about ways to cost-effectively accomplish multiple goals
at once without having to do the research. Some of the benefits
cities often mention are that the GreenStep website is an easy,
one -stop site, and that the GreenStep resources enable volunteer
commissions to focus their limited time to get the most done,
and help cities save money while adding to the city's appeal.
MC Why should a city with a small population participate?
ISM We've thought about this a lot as the program is
designed primarily for small and medium sized cities. We
Norb Kerber, Hopkins building
equipment superintendent, stands in
front of new efficient boilers at City Hall.
feel the program can save staff time
and costs for small cities because the
GreenStep website is a one -stop shop
for information and contacts to call for
help. It makes it easy to call peers in
other cities to ask, "How did you do that
action, and what's your advice for me if I
want to do it in my city?"
C What are some of the questions
or concerns you hear from cities that
are considering participating in the
program?
PM The biggest ones are "Why join
one more program. and "Who will
enter details of our accomplishments on
the GreenStep website?" Our answers
are: GreenStep is a framework that works with existing city
planning and other efforts, and help is often available from
college students or our Retiree Environmental Technical
Assistance Program.
MC Have you encountered any opposition to the program?
PM Opposition has come from a few city councilmembers
who didn't fully understand the free, voluntary, non -
regulatory nature of GreenStep. And over the years, two or
(continued on page 32)
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MINNESOTACITIES 1 NOWDEC 2013 1 31
10 UpforDiscussion I Let'sTalk
three councilmembers have opposed it because they thought
it had a connection to Europe's Agenda 21, which it does not.
GreenStep was created with deep involvement of Minnesotans,
drawing mostly on best practices we see being implemented in
Minnesota and sometimes in other parts of the U.S.
MC Can you explain the voluntary, non -regulatory nature
of GreenStep Cities?
PM Created as a challenge, assistance, and recognition
program, GreenStep is like Tree City USA, Minnesota's Blue
Star City program, and the life. All such programs have what
Id call minimal standards: a city gets recognized for doing at
least X, Y, and Z. But were talking recognition and celebration
and publicity, not a rigid certification or regulatory action. So
MPCA and DER do no sort of regulatory review of GreenStep
cities, and these two state agencies hold only two out of seven
seats on GreenStep's partnership governing body.
MC Why does the MPCA have a vested interest in the
success of the program?
PM Increasingly, the MPCA recognizes that complex, diffuse
environmental issues, such as stormwater pollution and air
pollution, can best be solved by the sort of innovative actions
that bubble up from public -private partnerships in cities.
GreenStep offers a pretty thorough list of these innovative
actions that go above and beyond compliance, and the MPCA
encourages cities to take these actions, many of which relate to
areas for which there is no state regulation.
MC What does the League of Minnesota Cities bring to the
partnership?
PM Everything! I say that because I just dorit think the
other GreenStep partner organizations would have created a
program for cities without the enthusiasm of LMC. In addition
to formally recognizing GreenStep cities at different step levels,
LMC has wonderful staff who serve on the partnership steering
committee, showcase GreenStep cities at the LMC Annual
Conference, advise us on policy issues, and connect us to cities
via LMC Ambassadors.
MC What are some of the most innovative things you've
seen cities do to fulfill best practice recommendations?
PM "Buy local" campaigns in several GreenStep cities,
including Falcon Heights, Marshall, Newport, and Willmar,
come to mind as great examples of cities working with
their businesses. I'm also very impressed with the "Living
Streets" policies and work being done in North St. Paul,
Maplewood, Woodbury, and Edina, where next generation
stormwater management is being meshed with complete streets
interventions to deliver multiple benefits. Many cities have also
added greater efficiencies to their buildings and vehicle fleets
(see photos of two examples on pages 30 and 31). For more city
examples, visit www mngreenstep.org. 1114
32 1 NOV/DEC 2013 1 MINNESOTA CITIES
ine airy or ivinan, a smart tarmtng community in Chippewa County, has converted
a drafty and underused community center into an energy -efficient space now used
for numerous community activities and event rentals. Through a partnership with the
Greater Milan Initiative nonprofit and the Otter Tail Power Company, stakeholders
updated the windows, entrances, and insulation of the 1915 school building. The
project also installed efficient and cooler lighting in the gymnasium, and replaced
a commercial refrigerator and freezer unit. While use of the building has increased
dramatically, the total energy use has increased by only 6 percent, according to the
Minnesota Department of Commerce. Most of the project was paid for through
grants donations. Learn more at http://goo.gl/hEtn2h.
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MINNESOTA CITIES j NOV/DEC 2013 5