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: 37Buildings and Lighting
Efficient Existing Public Buildings {BP no.1}
Make no/low cost indoor lighting and operational changes in city-owned/school buildings to reduce energy costs.
- Action 2:Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
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:Efficient Outdoor Lighting and Signals {BP no.4}
Purchase LEDs for all future street lighting and traffic signals.
- Action 2:12/15/2015
Installed 16 new street lights on a corridor street that is 1 mile long. The new lights are LED and “Dark Sky” compliant.
Use LED/solar-powered lighting for a flashing sign or in a street, parking lot or park project.
- Action 5:Relamp/improve exterior building lighting for city-owned buildings/facilities with energy efficient, Dark-Sky compliant lighting.
- Action 6:installed 16 new street lights on a corridor street that is 1 mile long. The new lights are LED and “Dark Sky” compliant.
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: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:Resilient City Growth {BP no.7}
Eliminate barriers and actively encourage higher density housing by including in the city zoning ordinance and zoning map:
- Action 1:Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Mixed Uses {BP no.8}
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.
- Action 3:Efficient Highway- and Auto-Oriented Development {BP no.9}
Establish design goals for at least one highway/auto-oriented corridor/cluster.
- Action 1:Participate in regional economic development planning with representatives from surrounding townships, cities, the county and business interests to:
- Action 2:Transportation
Living & Complete Streets {BP no.11}
Modify a street in compliance with the city's complete streets policy.
- Action 3:Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
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:Remedied a street –trail gap by constructing an 11 ft trail, that is one mile long to accommodate pedestrian and bike traffic. The trail was constructed to provide connectivity to the larger Mesabi Trail system.
Constructed a sidewalk to accommodate wheel chairs which leads to newly purchased handicapped playground equipment.1/8/2016
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Identify and remedy street-trail gaps between city streets and off-road trails/bike trails to better facilitate walking and biking.
- Action 5:Remedied a street –trail gap by constructing an 11 ft trail, that is one mile long to accommodate pedestrian and bike traffic. The trail was constructed to provide connectivity to the larger Mesabi Trail system. 1/8/2016
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Implement traffic calming policy/measures, including lane conversions (road diets), roundabouts, low-speed streets, shared space and depaving, in at least one street redevelopment project.
- Action 6:Built a temporary roundabout on a city intersection to evaluate the impact of speed reduction before and after the installation in cooperation with Get Fit Itasca and the Wilder Foundation. 1/8/2016
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Mobility Options {BP no.12}
Increase walking, biking and transit use by one or more of the following means:
- Action 1:12/15/2015
Purchased and installed a bike rack at the city hall and city park to encourage the use of bicycles.
Conduct an Active Living campaign such as a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.
- Action 2:Converted part of the tennis courts to a pickle ball court to encourage active lifestyles.1/8/2016
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Efficient City Fleets {BP no.13}
Right-size/down-size the city fleet with the most fuel-efficient vehicles that are of an optimal size and capacity for their intended functions.
- Action 2:Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Environmental Management
Stormwater Management {BP no.17}
Adopt and implement guidelines or design standards/incentives for at least one of the following stormwater infiltration/reuse practices:
- Action 5:In another section of the city near Glenwood Ave, we have storm water the drains to the prairie River. We have designed a new system that will infiltrate the water prior to reaching the river.
Green stormwater infrastructure, built a new stormwater system as part of a street reconstruction project that returns water to the ground through an infiltration pond and an infiltration ditch that protects runoff from reaching the river.
Glenwood Ave storm water constuction will be completed in 2015.
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Parks and Trails {BP no.18}
Make improvements within your city's system of parks, offroad trails and open spaces.
- Action 1:Contributed financial aid to assist a local snowmobile club in the relocation of a snowmobile trail in order to make it more compatible with our existing walking trail which allows the city to keep the walking trail open all winter for pedestrians.
Purchased easements for the construction of an additional walking/biking trail to be constructed in 2016 and will have connection to existing trails.1/8/2016
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Plan and budget for a network of parks, green spaces, water features and trails for areas where new development is planned.
- Action 2:Achieve minimum levels of city green space and maximize the percent within a ten-minute walk of community members.
- Action 3:Adopt low-impact design standards in parks and trails that infiltrate or retain all 2 inch, 24-hour stormwater events on site.
- Action 4:Efficient Water and Wastewater Systems {BP no.20}
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.
- Action 2:Establish an on-going budget and program for decreasing inflow and infiltration into sewer lines and losses in drinking water systems.
- Action 3:Camered our existing sewer lines and cleaned our lift stations as part of our ongoing efforts to maintain our sewer system1/8/2016
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Create a demand-side pricing program to reduce demands on water and wastewater systems.
- Action 7:Septic Systems {BP no.21}
Work with homeowners and businesses in environmentally sensitive areas and areas where standard septic systems are not the least-cost option to promote innovative waste water systems, including central sewer extensions.
- Action 6:12/15/2015
Improved infrastructure by extending city water and sewer to an area of the city that was previously an un-served area of the city. The result was 45 new services for sewer and 45 for water. This action replaced failing private septic systems that were leeching into the Prairie River and provided safe drinking water to replace contaminated wells. This project also added two new lift stations that will complement our other 6 lift stations that were retrofitted in 2013.
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:Instituted a recycling center at city hall to accommodate the recycling of small electronics, printers, batteries etc.
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:Arrange for a residential and/or business/institutional source-separated organics collection/management program.
- Action 5:Improve recycling services and expand to multi-unit housing and commercial businesses.
- Action 6:Instituted a recycling center at city hall to accommodate the recycling of small electronics, printers, batteries etc. 1/8/2016
Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898
Improve/organize residential trash, recycling and organics collection by private and/or public operations and offer significant volume-based pricing on residential garbage and/or incentives for recycling.
- Action 7:Resilient Economic and Community Development
Local Food {BP no.27}
Protect working landscapes - agriculture and forestry - by adopting an ordinance or incentivizing one or more of the following:
- Action 1:Facilitate creation of home/community gardens, chicken & bee keeping, and incorporation of food growing areas/access in multifamily and residential developments.
- Action 2:We amended our Zoning Ordinance to allow for the raising of chickens by residents.
Bee-keeping: In April the Greenstep Committee will begin the discussion about backyard beekeeping.
We have a few residents that have chosen to raise chickens and we established some chicken raising rules which lessened the impact to neighbors.
Create, assist with and promote local food production/distribution within the city:
- Action 3:Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience {BP no.29}
Encourage private sector action and incentivize investment in preventive approaches that reduce risk and minimize impacts of extreme weather and the changing climate for human health and the built environment.
- Action 4:Jonathan Bolen (Elected official) | jbolen@laprairiemn.com | 218-326-8898