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Res 2014-59 RESOLUTION No. 2014-59 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY OF FRIDLEY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MINNESOTA GREENSTEP CITIES PROGRAM WHEREAS, the Next Generation Energy Act of 2007 prompted the creation of a free sustainable cities program that would assist and recognize cities that were "green stars" in the implementation of voluntary programs. The 2008 Legislature, therefore, directed the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS) and the Division of Energy Resources at the Minnesota Department of Commerce to recommend actions cities could take. A broad coalition of public and private stakeholders including the League of Minnesota Cities, responded to 2008 legislation by establishing the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program which now has sixty-nine (69) member cites, including Columbia Heights and Coon Rapids; and WHEREAS , Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability, energy and quality-of-life goals. GreenStep is a free, continuous improvement program, administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, based upon 28 best practices which 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 Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation and sustainable development; and WHEREAS , steps taken toward sustainable solutions aim to improve community quality of life, building community capital and preserving resources as these best management steps are selected and prioritized by the member cities; and WHEREAS , the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program assists in facilitating technical assistance for the implementation of these sustainability best practices for homes, businesses and the municipality in the following five categories: (1) Buildings and Lighting; (2) Transportation; (3) Land Use; (4) Environmental Management; and (5) Economic and Community Development; and WHEREAS , the City of Fridley has adopted an Active Transportation Plan and has action steps throughout the 2030 Fridley Comprehensive Plan that are designed to promote bicycling and walking as alternative transportation best practices and; WHEREAS , the City of Fridley Environmental Quality and Energy Commission (EQEC) has studied and received presentations from the GreenStep Cites technical advisory staff and the City Planning Commission has reviewed and recommended that the City Council approve and adopt this resolution; Resolution No. 2014 59 Page 2 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Fridley hereby authorizes the City to participate in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program that offers a free, voluntary continuous improvement framework. Passage of this resolution allows the City to be recognized as a Step One GreenStep City. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City: 1.Appoints Kay Qualley, City of Fridley Environmental Planner, as City staff liaison to the EQEC to serve as the City’s GreenStep coordinator for best practice documentation/implementation and the Environmental Quality and Energy Commission will serve to evaluate and recommend best management practice steps for staff review of the costs and benefits therein as part of the City’s GreenStep team; and 2.Directs the EQEC to conduct, with the appropriate City staff, an inventory of completed, planned and desired best practices of a Category “A” GreenStep City and to facilitate the involvement of community members and units of government as appropriate in the planning, promoting and/or envisioning of the implementation of GreenStep Cities best practices, to be submitted to the City Council by March 2015; and 3.Grants to the GreenStep program’s buildings advisor read-only access to the City's B3 Benchmarking Database so as to facilitate analysis and cost-savings advice to the City regarding its buildings’ energy use; and 4.Will claim credit for any best practices implemented, working at its own pace and priorities toward implementing GreenStep best practices that will result in energy use reduction, economic savings, quality of life improvement, improvement in air quality and recognition by the League of Minnesota Cities as progress toward status as a Step Two GreenStep City. 5.Will post an on-going summary of the City’s implementation of best practices on the Minnesota GreenStep Cities web site. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FRIDLEY THIS TH 25 DAY OF AUGUST, 2014. _______________________________ SCOTT LUND - MAYOR ATTEST: __________________________________ DEBRA A. SKOGEN - CITY CLERK 2.