by July 18!
Join peer communities in the GreenStep Cities & Tribal Nations program through this free, 6-month long, monthly GreenStep Fast Track cohort. You will get information and support to complete GreenStep Steps 1, 2, and 3!
Each session will help you reach a new GreenStep action and also provide you with a stretch action if you want to continue the work in the future. In addition, the Cohort will support peer learning and sharing with other small/ medium cities new to the GreenStep program.
Focus on Small/Medium-sized communities
As a small city, we know your to-do list is long, capacity and funding are tight, and you are challenged with balancing many priorities. That’s why we identified the following 7-8 actions to help you reach up to GreenStep Step 3 (out of 5!) with no-costs and tailored to meet small- and medium-sized city needs. In addition, this 6-month-long program is structured as a cohort with other small/medium cities new to the GreenStep program.
Timeline
Informational Webinar:
June 17
10:00-10:30am
Register here
Sign-up for the Cohort: Due July 18
Cohort:
July, 2026 - January, 2027
Cohort meetings monthly, 2:30-3:30pm
Open office hours following cohort meetings from 3:30-4:00
- July 29: Energy (Focus on actions 1.2, 6.1, 26.1, 26.2, 26.5)
- August 20: Water (Focus on action 17.1)
- September 24: Transportation (Focus on actions 13.1, 13.3, 13.4)
- October 15: Waste (Focus on action 15.1)
- November 19: Resilience and Engagement (Focus on actions 24.1, 29.1)
- January TBD: Closing
The Steps
| Step 1 |
| If you haven't already, join the program by signing a City/Tribal Council resolution. Determine your Community Category (A, B, or C) |
| Step 2 |
|
As a Category C* participant, to be recognized as a Step 2 GreenStep City or Tribal Nation, ANY 4 Best Practices must be reported. ☐ Any 4 Best Practices |
| Step 3 |
|
As a Category C* participant, to be recognized as a Step 3 GreenStep City or Tribal Nation, the following must be reported, at minimum: ☐ Buildings & Lighting: ☐ any one Buildings & Lighting BP (1-5) ☐ Comprehensive, Climate & Energy Plans: ☐ 6.1 ☐ Transportation: ☐ any one Transportation BP (11-14) ☐ Sustainable Purchasing: ☐ 15.1 ☐ Coordination, Engagement, & Outcomes: ☐ 24.1 ☐ Climate Adaptation & Community Resilience: ☐ 29.1 |
*These checklists are for Category C participants only. For Category B and Category A checklists, please visit the Step 2 and Step 3 webpages. If participating in this Cohort, GreenStep staff can support you through the additional action reports.
Cohort Action Plan
The following no-cost actions will be used to guide cohort participants through to reach Steps 2 and 3 (though you are welcome to log other actions!). Some of the Best Practices have options you can select from, while others identify 1 specific action to report.
GreenStep staff can help you report the actions using your GreenStep account. All necessary actions to reach Steps 2 and 3 will need to be reported by April 1, 2027.
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1.2 Make no or low-cost indoor lighting and operational changes in city-owned buildings to reduce energy costs
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6.1 Adopt a comprehensive plan or a future land use plan adopted by the county or a regional entity
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13.1 Efficiently use your existing fleet of city vehicles
OR
13.3 Phase in operational changes for city or local transit fleets
OR
13.4 Phase in bike, foot, or horseback modes for police, inspectors, and other city staff. -
15.1 Adopt a sustainable purchasing policy or administrative guidelines
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17.6 Improve Smart Salting
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24.1 Inclusive and Coordinated Decision-Making
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26.2 Promote green power purchasing programs to residents /businesses
OR
26.3 Promote local utility incentives to residents/ businesses
OR
26.5 Install a municipally owned renewable energy technology, such as solar electric (PV)
OR
26.7 Improve solar permitting processes for residents and businesses -
29.1 Prepare to maintain public health and safety during extreme weather