City Detail

Enter/update building information into the MN B3 Benchmarking database, and routinely enter monthly usage data for all city-owned buildings/infrastructure that consume energy/water.

Make no/low cost indoor lighting and operational changes in city-owned/school buildings to reduce energy costs.

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.

Improve the operations & maintenance of city-owned/school buildings and leased buildings by using a customized online energy efficiency tool, asset management tool, green building framework or green lease.

Install for one or more city-owned/school buildings one of the following efficiency measures:

Conserve/protect drinking/groundwater resources by creating a water-wise landscaping ordinance/guidance, WaterSense purchasing program, or guidance on rainwater harvesting and home water softener use.

Purchase LEDs for all future street lighting and traffic signals.

Use LED/solar-powered lighting for a flashing sign or in a street, parking lot or park project.

Relamp/improve exterior building lighting for city-owned buildings/facilities with energy efficient, Dark-Sky compliant lighting.

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.

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.

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.

Modify a planned unit development (PUD) ordinance to emphasize or require mixed-use development or affordable housing, to limit residential PUDs to areas adjacent to commercial development, and/or to add sustainability features.

Have a downtown zoning district that emphasizes small and destination business, entrepreneurial spaces, and allows or requires residential and residential-compatible commercial development.

Establish design goals for at least one highway/auto-oriented corridor/cluster.

Conduct a Natural Resource Inventory or Assessment (NRI or NRA); incorporate protection of priority natural systems or resources such as groundwater through the subdivision or development process.

For cities within metropolitan areas, incorporate woodland best management practices addressing protection of wooded areas into zoning or development review.

Preserve environmentally sensitive, community-valued land by placing a conservation easement on city lands, and by encouraging/funding private landowners to place land in conservation easements.

Conserve natural, cultural, historic resources by adopting or amending city codes and ordinances to support sustainable sites, including roadsides, and environmentally protective land use development.

Adopt a complete streets policy, or a living streets policy, which addresses landscaping and stormwater.

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.

Identify and remedy street-trail gaps between city streets and off-road trails/bike trails to better facilitate walking and biking.

Adopt a sustainable purchasing policy or administrative guidelines/practices directing that the city purchase at least:

Purchase energy used by city government - via the municipal utility, green tags, community solar garden, 3rd party - with a higher renewable percentage than required by Minnesota law.

Require purchase of U.S. EPA WaterSense-certified products.

Lower the environmental footprint of meetings and events in the city.

Certify as a Tree City USA.

Adopt best practices for urban tree planting/quality; require them in private developments and/or use them in at least one development project.

Maximize tree planting along your main downtown street or throughout the city.

Adopt a tree preservation or native landscaping ordinance.

Build community capacity to protect existing trees by one or more of:

Adopt and use Minnesota's Minimal Impact Design Standards (MIDS).

Complete the GreenStep Municipal Stormwater Management Assessment.

Adopt by ordinance one or more of the following stormwater infiltration/management strategies to reduce impervious surface:

Adopt and implement guidelines or design standards/incentives for at least one of the following stormwater infiltration/reuse practices:

Improve smart-salting by reducing chloride use in winter maintenance and dust suppressants to prevent permanent surfacewater and groundwater pollution.

Make improvements within your city's system of parks, offroad trails and open spaces.

Plan and budget for a network of parks, green spaces, water features and trails for areas where new development is planned.

Adopt low-impact design standards in parks and trails that infiltrate or retain all 2 inch, 24-hour stormwater events on site.

Create park/city land management standards/practices that maximize at least one of the following:

Consistently monitor surface water quality/clarity and report findings to community members.

Adopt a shoreland ordinance for all river and lake shoreland areas.

Compare the energy use and financial performance of your facilities with other peer facilities using standardized, free tools.

Plan and budget for motor maintenance and upgrades to assure the most energy efficient, durable and appropriate equipment is available when upgrades or breakdowns occur.

Establish an on-going budget and program for decreasing inflow and infiltration into sewer lines and losses in drinking water systems.

Optimize energy and chemical use at drinking water/wastewater facilities and decrease chloride in wastewater discharges.

Clarify/establish one or more responsible management entities (RMEs) for the proper design, siting, installation, operation, monitoring and maintenance of septic systems.

Adopt a subsurface sewage treatment system ordinance based on the Association of Minnesota Counties' model ordinance.

Arrange for assistance to commercial, retail and industrial businesses with water use reduction, pollution prevention and pretreatment prior to discharge to septics.

Address concerns over consumer products and packaging through encouragement/implementation of one or more of:

Arrange for a residential and/or business/institutional source-separated organics collection/management program.

Reduce residential burning of wood and yard waste and eliminate ‘backyard’ trash burning.

Install, assist with and promote publicly available EV charging stations or public fueling stations for alternative fuel vehicles. 

Inclusive and Coordinated Decision-Making: Use a city commission or committee to lead, coordinate, report to and engage community members on the identification and equitable implementation of sustainability best practices.

Communicating Progress on Goals: Organize goals/outcome measures from all city plans (social, environmental, economic) and report to community members data that show progress toward meeting these goals.

Public Education for Action: Conduct or support a broad sustainability education and action campaign, building on existing community relationships, networks & events involving:

Engaging the Next Generation: Engage wide representation of community youth and college students by creating opportunities to participate in city government (including commissions).

Create or participate in a marketing/outreach program to connect businesses with assistance providers, including utilities, who provide personalized energy, waste or sustainability audits and assistance.

Lower the environmental and health risk footprint of a brownfield remediation/redevelopment project beyond regulatory requirements; report brightfield projects.

Conduct or participate in a buy local campaign for community members and local businesses.

Support a community solar garden or help community members participate in a community solar project by:

Install a public sector/municipally-owned renewable energy technology, such as solar electric (PV), wind, biomass, solar hot water/air, or micro-hydro.

Facilitate creation of home/community gardens, chicken & bee keeping, and incorporation of food growing areas/access in multifamily and residential developments.

Create, assist with and promote local food production/distribution within the city:

Prepare to maintain public health and safety during extreme weather and climate-change-related events, while also taking a preventive approach to reduce risk for community members.

Protect public buildings and natural/constructed infrastructure to reduce physical damage and sustain their function during extreme weather events.

Protect water supply and wastewater treatment facilities to reduce physical damage and sustain their function during extreme weather events.