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   City of Shorewood  


Background Information

County:   Hennepin
Population:   7,307
GreenStep City category:   B

Full-time equivalent city staff (approx.):   15

Participating township(s) / school district(s):
Minnetonka School District Westonka School District

GreenStep City resolution:   Click here to view the file.
GreenStep City registration date:   10/12/2011
GreenStep City status and date:   STEP 1 (06/27/2011)

GreenStep Coordinator

Brad Nielsen
City staff
bnielsen@ci.shorewood.mn.us
952-960-7912

City web page relating to sustainability/GreenStep activities:
http://www.ci.shorewood.mn.us


Best Practice Actions Underway and Completed

Completed actions are denoted by stars. Mouse over a star for its definition.

Buildings and Lighting   Buildings and Lighting

Efficient Existing Public Buildings
{ BP no. 1 }

Action 2: Make no/low cost facility operations & maintenance changes to city-owned/school buildings to reduce energy costs.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 

Install a building management system for city buildings for control via office computer or home laptop; implement power management of computers and other information technology energy saving strategies. Report actions taken and results achieved.
Engage employees of the city in efforts to reduce energy use by: turning off, unplugging, enabling power management, or setting timers on equipment, lights and chargers; minimizing personal appliances in the office; using efficient models of (and substitutes for) necessary personal appliances; using task lights instead of ceiling fixtures; and optimizing active use of windows, doors and interior shading devices to conserve energy. Report actions taken and results achieved.
Complete 1 and 2 Star criteria.
 Action 4: Implement information technology efforts and city employee engagement to reduce plug loads and building energy use.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Efficient Existing Private Buildings
{ BP no. 2 }

Action 1: Create or participate in a marketing/outreach program to promote/achieve residential energy use reduction and energy efficiency.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 

Implement a robust water ordinance, provide education/information around lawn watering and home water conservation and rain barrels, and the like. Report conservation rate structures and dynamic user feedback under action 20.7, rain gutter disconnects from sewers under action 20.3
Modify and adopt a model landscaping ordinance that encourages low water-use landscaping; report water use changes (which should be in range of 10%); become a WaterSense Partner; and the like.
Create and report on a rebate or feebate program to promote purchases of WaterSense- and/or Energy Star-rated appliances, OR review building water conservation strategies during development reviews. As code allows facilitate household water harvesting / reuse.
 Action 5: Conserve drinking/groundwater resources by adopting a watering ordinance, water-wise landscaping ordinance/guidance, or a WaterSense purchasing program.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Efficient Outdoor Lighting and Signals
{ BP no. 4 }

Replace 1/3 of city's existing traffic signals.
Replace 2/3 of city's existing traffic signals.
Replace 100% of city's existing traffic signals.
 Action 8: Replace the city's existing traffic signals with energy efficient LED or equivalent lighting technologies.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Land Use   Land Use

Comprehensive Plan and Implementation
{ BP no. 6 }

Adopt a comprehensive plan that is less than ten years old (required for Category A cities) OR, Category B and C cities may simply adopt a land use plan that was adopted by a regional entity or the county less than 15 years ago OR they may adopt a city vision that looks at least 20 years into the future.
Include in your plan a sustainability section/chapter, or integrate sustainability goals and strategies into all chapters of your comprehensive plan. Report climate protection or energy independence goals and objectives under action 6.5
Adopt a development goal that new/infill projects generate enough tax revenue to pay for the related public infrastructure maintenance/replacement over multiple life cycles; reference a capital improvement plan that catalogues public system maintenance obligations by date and cost.
 Action 1: Adopt/have an adopted comprehensive plan OR, Category B and C cities may simply adopt a land use plan that was adopted by a regional entity or the county.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Mixed Uses
{ BP no. 8 }

Explain which attributes are met.
Parking spaces are significantly below the parking standard due to employees and visitors being able to access the location without always using a car.
A public school is located along a public transit line and provides incentives (such as discounted bus passes) for students to use the line.
 Action 2: Locate or lease a school, city building or other government facility that has at least two of these attributes:     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

a. Adjacent to an existing employment or residential center.

b. Designed to facilitate and encourage access by walking and biking.

c. Accessible by regular transit service.
Environmental Management   Environmental Management

Urban Forests
{ BP no. 16 }

Enact requirements such as a tree preservation/replacement ordinance. Report protection of wooded areas by means of zoning or development review under best practice action 10.3
Address tree preservaton on both public and private lands, OR enact requirements such as removing requirements to establish turf grass (this does not refer to removing maintenance standards for turf grass) and permitting native landscaping throughout the city.
Acheive 1 and 2 Star rating AND adopt a policy of no net loss of one or more specified natural landscapes (woodlands, wetlands, bluffs, prairie, etc.).
 Action 5: Adopt a tree preservation or native landscaping ordinance.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Efficient Stormwater Management
{ BP no. 17 }

At least one ordinance in place.
Two ordinances in place.
Three or more ordinances in place.
 Action 2: Adopt by ordinance one or more of the following:     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

a. A narrower streets provision that permits construction of 24-foot roads for public, residential access and subcollector streets (with fewer than 500 average daily trips).

b. A 1.5 inch rainfall on-site rainwater infiltration design requirement for construction sites.

c. A stormwater runoff volume limit to pre-development volumes for the 5-year, 24-hour rainfall maximum event.

d. For non-MS4 permittees, adopt an illicit discharge prohibition rule or ordinance.
Surface Water Quality
{ BP no. 19 }

Have shoreland standards within development regulation or a stand-alone shoreland ordinance consistent with DNR Rules and approved by the DNR.
Adopt the Alternative Shoreland Standards or similar alternatives reviewed and consistent with recommendations of the DNR Area hydrologist that exceed the minimum standards of the DNR shoreland rules.
Achieve 2 Star rating and include one or both of: (1) a menu of mitigation measures, one or more of which to be attached to shoreland variances ; (2) provisions for restoration of shore impact area and vegetative buffer with permanent protection for all new shoreland development.
 Action 4: Adopt a shoreland ordinance for all river and lake shoreland areas.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Efficient Water and Wastewater Facilities
{ BP no. 20 }

Create a program for inspecting household/business gutters, foundation drains, sump pump connections, drain tile, lateral service lines, and/or inspections of city-owned sewer lines.
Achieve 1-Star rating AND make inspections mandatory at the time of property transfer. Require repairs or provide incentives such as reimbursement to property owners to make repairs or enact surcharges for owners who are non-compliant with I&I standards.
Achieve 2-Star rating AND annually report outcomes from I&I program, such as % clearwater reduction, money saved at the wastewater treatment plant, capital costs avoided by being able to defer capacity additions.
 Action 3: Establish an on-going budget and program for decreasing inflow and infiltration into sewer lines.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Solid Waste Reduction
{ BP no. 22 }

Identify and list relevant businesses.
Publicize and promote reuse/repair/rental businesses on your city website, in newsletter articles.
Document increased use of these businesses; organize volunteers (or support others) to run at least one "fix-it" clinic for community members.
 Action 4: Publicize, promote and use the varied businesses/services collecting and marketing used, repaired and rental consumer goods in the city/county.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 

For cities that provide direct or contract waste collection services, set the price differences large enough so as to increase recycling/composting but not illegal dumping, OR provide a financial or other incentive (such as a larger container) for recycling.
The price differential should change by a minimum of 80% when a garbage container doubles in size or when collection frequency doubles.
Achieve a 50% recycling rate and a 10% composting rate by 2012. Document participation rates including percent of households using smaller garbage bins.
 Action 7: Offer significant volume-based pricing on residential garbage and/or incentives for recycling.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

 
Local Air Quality
{ BP no. 23 }

Regulate outdoor wood burning.
Regulate outdoor wood boilers.
Ban or enforce performance standards for specific types of burning.
 Action 2: Regulate outdoor wood burning, using model ordinance language, performance standards and bans as appropriate, for at least one of the following:     [Click here for self-reported city details ]

a. Recreational burning.

b. Outdoor wood boilers.
Economic and Community Development   Economic and Community Development

Benchmarks & Community Engagement
{ BP no. 24 }

At the least, an annual newspaper/newsletter article or other media outreach to all community members that discusses participation in the GreenStep program (and other programs as are fitting) and refers people to entries on the GreenStep website.
A citizens commission or committee of city staff/officials exists to lead and coordinate GreenStep implementation; a report available online with details on city's GreenStep accomplishments.
A committee of city staff/officials and community members (business, education, religious) exists; annual report includes some metrics, such as dollars spent/saved, energy saved, and any sustainability indicators measured, and energy/carbon inventory data or ecological footprint data if gathered.
 Action 1: Use a committee to lead, coordinate and report to community members on implementation of GreenStep best practices.     [Click here for self-reported city details ]