Enter/update government-owned building information and monthly usage data into the MN B3 Benchmarking database, and utilize building/energy audits to identify potential improvements.
- Action 1:City Detail
Background Information
City Assessment Files and City Performance Metrics
City councils pass a resolution to join the GreenStep program and are recognized at Step 1. Step 2 and Step 3 recognition levels reflect completed city actions, reported and rated below with stars (1 star = good, 2 stars = better, 3 stars = best). The Assessment File below summarizes completed city actions in a short Word file. Step 4 recognition is awarded to cities who report a minimum number of core metrics for the previous calendar year. These metrics aim to show the aggregate, quantitative results of taking multiple GreenStep actions. Step 5 cities show improvement in the Step 4 metrics. See yearly data for Steps 4&5. Additional city data can be found by reviewing information on B3 Benchmarking and Regional Indicators Initiative.
Assessment File
Best Practice Actions Underway and Completed
Completed actions are denoted by stars.
Total completed actions: 35Buildings and Lighting
Efficient Existing Public Buildings {BP no.1}
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Make no/low cost indoor lighting and operational changes in city-owned/school buildings to reduce energy costs.
- Action 2:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Invest in larger energy efficiency projects through performance contracting or other funding or through smaller retro-commissioning/retrofit projects in city-owned/school buildings.
- Action 3:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Implement IT efforts and city employee engagement to reduce plug loads, building energy use and workflow efficiency.
- Action 4:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Document that the new construction or major remodeling of a public building has met the SB 2030 energy standard or has met or qualified under a green building or energy framework.
- Action 5:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Install for one or more city-owned/school buildings one of the following efficiency measures:
- Action 7:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Land Use
Comprehensive, Climate and Energy Plans {BP no.6}
Adopt a comprehensive plan or (for Category B & C cities) adopt a future land use plan that was adopted by the county or a regional entity.
- Action 1:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Demonstrate that regulatory ordinances comply with the comprehensive plan including but not limited to having the zoning ordinance explicitly reference the comprehensive plan as the foundational document for decision making.
- Action 2:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Include requirements in comprehensive and/or other plans for intergovernmental coordination addressing regional land use and watershed / wellhead impacts, infrastructure, transportation, economic development and city/regional services.
- Action 3:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Include ecological provisions in the comprehensive plan that explicitly aim to minimize open space fragmentation and/or establish a growth area with expansion criteria.
- Action 4:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Adopt climate mitigation and/or energy independence goals and objectives in the comprehensive plan or in a separate policy document, and include transportation recommendations such as becoming an EV-ready city.
- Action 5:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Efficient Highway- and Auto-Oriented Development {BP no.9}
Establish design goals for at least one highway/auto-oriented corridor/cluster.
- Action 1:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Participate in regional economic development planning with representatives from surrounding townships, cities, the county and business interests to:
- Action 2:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Adopt infrastructure design standards that protect the economic and ecologic functions of the highway corridor through clustering of development, native plantings and incorporating access management standards.
- Action 3:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Transportation
Living & Complete Streets {BP no.11}
Adopt a complete streets policy, or a living streets policy, which addresses landscaping and stormwater.
- Action 1:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Identify, prioritize and remedy complete streets gaps and lack of connectivity/safety within your road network by, for example, bike/pedestrian plan, adding a bike route/lane, truck route, sidewalk or mid-block alley.
- Action 4:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Identify and remedy street-trail gaps between city streets and off-road trails/bike trails to better facilitate walking and biking.
- Action 5:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Mobility Options {BP no.12}
Increase walking, biking and transit use by one or more of the following means:
- Action 1:The city also has installed along main street and its park trails infrastructure for city-wide bike lanes and pedestrian walkways and can report an increase in walking and biking counts since the installation.
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Implement workplace multi-modal transportation best management practices - including telework/flexwork - in city government, businesses or at a local health care provider.
- Action 5:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Add/expand public transit service.
- Action 6:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Demand-Side Travel Planning {BP no.14}
Reduce or eliminate parking minimums; add parking maximums; develop district parking; install meters and charge for parking at curb and city-owned lots/ramps.
- Action 1:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Environmental Management
Parks and Trails {BP no.18}
Make improvements within your city's system of parks, offroad trails and open spaces.
- Action 1:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Plan and budget for a network of parks, green spaces, water features and trails for areas where new development is planned.
- Action 2:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Achieve minimum levels of city green space and maximize the percent within a ten-minute walk of community members.
- Action 3:- There are at least seven acres of municipal park land per 1000 residents.
- According to the 2030 Park Plan, at least 20% of land is planned for green infrastructure.
- Provided the size of the city, 90% or more of residents are within one-half mile of a park or other protected green/blue space.
More info can be found at: http://www.ci.enm.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC={1BC27F34-5796-4277-A37C-3121EBE55EC4}
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Adopt low-impact design standards in parks and trails that infiltrate or retain all 2 inch, 24-hour stormwater events on site.
- Action 4:For example, when the City of Elko New Mark built Wagner Park's new shelter, it was built with efficiency and sustainability in mind. The utilities fixtures and appliances within the structure meet today's energy efficiency standards. In the interests of enhanced heating and cooling efficiency, 3-pane main entry sliding doors were installed, allowing the shelter to operate more efficiently as well as service the community from approximately April to October, as opposed to May to late September, as is often the case with park shelters in Minnesota weather. Sky lighting and ceiling air circulators allow for dramatic control over the climate indoors without the need for traditional heating and cooling systems and with the aid of motion sensors controlling the lighting systems, the city has managed to construct a facility that costs taxpayers only $30 year in gas & electric costs.
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Create park/city land management standards/practices that maximize at least one of the following:
- Action 5:- Low/no mow areas and native landscaping are a part of the parkland maintenance process. Recyclables are collected at each site. There is also one community garden plot in the city and the purchase of electric utility vehicles (EUVs) are under consideration.
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Develop a program to involve community members in hands-on land restoration, invasive species management and stewardship projects.
- Action 8:Each year, the City works with a local conservation group to cleanup the City's Stormwater Drainage Ponds
In anticipation of the Emerald Ash Borer, the City has conducted a study of ash tress worth preserving and made information on the disease to homeowners
The Parks Commission, with the help of the Bluebird Recovery Program and Troop 325, has constructed bluebird houses in Windrose Park
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Sustainable Consumption and Waste {BP no.22}
Improve city operations and procurement to prevent and reuse, recycle and compost waste from all public facilities (including libraries, parks, schools, municipal health care facilities), and minimize use of toxics and generation of hazardous waste.
- Action 1:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Improve profitability, legal compliance and conserve resources through adoption of ordinance language, licensing and resource management contracts.
- Action 3:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Publicize, promote and use the varied businesses/services collecting and marketing used, repaired and rental consumer goods, especially electronics, in the city/county.
- Action 4:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Improve recycling services and expand to multi-unit housing and commercial businesses.
- Action 6:Although haulers do not use compressed natural gas, nor is it favored or required as a license condition, the city can estimate savings to residents by way of a reduction in wear on city streets. This is due to a waste pickup schedule implemented in order to better organize the city's 3 waste haulers.
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Resilient Economic and Community Development
Benchmarks and Community Engagement {BP no.24}
Engaging the Next Generation: Engage wide representation of community youth and college students by creating opportunities to participate in city government (including commissions).
- Action 6:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Renewable Energy {BP no.26}
Install a public sector/municipally-owned renewable energy technology, such as solar electric (PV), wind, biomass, solar hot water/air, or micro-hydro.
- Action 5:Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Local Food {BP no.27}
Facilitate creation of home/community gardens, chicken & bee keeping, and incorporation of food growing areas/access in multifamily and residential developments.
- Action 2:Due to the rural nature of this area, no guidelines prevent the restrict the production of local food through, for example, agreements like Homeowner's Agreements.
The city has worked with private property owners for items like a community food shelf. Ag business makes up a significant percentage of the city (and areas) economic activity and farmland still exists within city limits.
The agricultural arrangement includes the operation of several small to large (i.e., Dean Farms, Organic Valley) private actors. Farms operate in and around the city (within 2 miles) providing goods that range from organic lettuce to apples, various meats, fresh chickens, eggs and diary products.
There are no vacant lots to allocate for urban ag in the city at this time.
The City allows residents in R-1 and R-2 zones to have up to four (4) chickens. This was done through adopting an Ordinance for the Keeping of Backyard Chickens, effective 6-1-2016.
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777
Create, assist with and promote local food production/distribution within the city:
- Action 3:Although there are no urban ag businesses, provided the city's location, Ag business in the rural and suburban areas of Elko New Market are thriving and many businesses are within a five-minute commute to local farming entrepreneurs.
The City has held a Farmer's Market each Thursday in the Summer, but has been unable to sustain more than a 10 to 12 vendors. It does currently have one, but will continue to try to find a viable one. The City is in the process of working on a Food Shelf with interested residents.
Jake Skluzacek (City Staff) | jskluzacek@ci.enm.mn.us | 952-461-2777