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GreenStep Cities to receive awards at annual League of Minnesota Cities conference
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The League of Minnesota Cities Annual Conference is quickly approaching, and this year more than ever will be a great event for cities working to build strong, sustainable communities and employ climate-smart strategies. 28 cities and one tribal community will be recognized for completion of program steps ranging from 1-5 at the League of Minnesota Cities Conference June 14-16 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester.
Thursday, June 15th from 7:30-8:30am is a GreenStep Cities Awards Breakfast, after which we'll take the famous annual GreenStep Cities group photo, and cities can get their portraits taken anytime until 2:30pm. In addition there is a track at the 2017 conference dedicated to "Planning for Your Future" that includes a number of sustainability-related topics. You can register for the entire event, or just attend the breakfast for free.
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Eight GreenStep Cities to receive a GreenCorps member
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Half of the GreenStep cities that applied this winter to host a one-year, full-time AmeriCorps-funded member have been awarded one. Members will be accelerating city action on building energy savings, city auto fleet efficiency, waste prevention and recycling, and sustainability education and citizen action. Members will serve the cities of Duluth, Warren, St. Paul, Pine City, Edina, St. Louis Park, and the Tribal Bands of Leech Lake and Fond du Lac.
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Register for Upcoming GreenStep Cities Workshop & Webinar
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Workshops and webinars take place 9-11am at the League of Minnesota Cities or via webinar using your computer or mobile device.
June 7th: Pollinators and Local Food
This workshop will cover topics related to GreenStep Cities Best Practice 27: Local Food. Our speakers will be Nadja Berneche from Terra Soma and Erin Rupp from Pollinate Minnesota. Register for Workshop | Register for Webinar
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2017 update of Minnesota Local Government Solar Toolkit released
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Incorporating new enabling statutes, changes in the solar energy markets, national SolSmart certification standards, and the lessons learned from Minnesota communities that have addressed solar development, the GrowSolar Local Government Solar Toolkit is THE guide to use in improving a city’s planning, zoning and permitting for solar installations.
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Incorporating energy and climate resilience into city comp plans
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Model Request for Proposal language has been developed by Minnesota’s Local Government Project for Energy Planning (LoGoPEP). Cities often seek outside consulting services to help update their comprehensive plan. Because energy and resilience are relatively new subjects for cities, those wishing to include these topics in their comp plan can solicit the most qualified consultants by using clear RFP language.
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Stay up to date with the GreenStep News Box
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 Every two weeks new events, assistance and funding opportunities, and implementation tools are posted on the GreenStep home page. Tools recently developed for GreenStep and in the News Box include Social Vitality Indicators (now permanently listed under BP action 24.3), a sample ordinance for energy use disclose for residential rental properties (action 2.3), and a Model Landscaping Ordinance (under Ordinances).
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Free residential toilet leak detection kits
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While supplies last, the MN Pollution Control Agency is distributing free residential toilet leak detection kits to GreenStep cities for distribution at community events and venues. Why is this important? U.S. homes waste 90 gallons or more of water per day on average due to leaks, according to the U.S. EPA. Toilets are especially leak-prone. Each kit includes a packet of nontoxic toilet-leak detection tablets and an educational/informational card. Most toilet leaks are easy to fix, so cities can use the kits to encourage residential water conservation actions.
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Timely Sustainability Updates & Resources
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