GreenStep Cities Minnesota
GreenStep Cities
LEAGUE cat
MINNESOTA
CITIES
GREENSTEP CITIES PROGRAM: 2014
Recognizing Leaders in Minnesota's Green City Movement
The League of Minnesota Cities is proud to recognize the 67 cities that are participating in the Minnesota
GreenStep Cities program.Currently 27%of the state's population resides in a GreenStep city.
GreenStep Cities is a free,voluntary challenge,assistance,and recognition program to assist all Minnesota cities in
implementing 28 sustainability best practices.The League is working with the Preservation Alliance of MN,Clean
Energy Resource Teams, Great Plains Institute, Izaak Walton League—MN Division,Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency,Minnesota Department of Commerce-Division of Energy Resources,and Urban Land Institute-MN to
promote this program as a pathway to sustainability that is cost-effective,pragmatic and achievable for all cities.
This program benefits cities in multiple ways:
• Lower costs to government,business,educational institutions and citizens
• More local,green jobs
• Green buildings that are cheaper to operate
• Green infrastructure,low-impact development and cleaner water
• Transportation options that connect jobs and housing; walkable/bikeable communities
• Local food production
• Local renewable energy production and cleaner air
At the end of the program's fourth year,1687 best practice actions have been completed,a 24%increase over last
year. Please join the League in congratulating these cities for leading the way toward greener communities. 10
cities are new to the program this year at Step 1.Those cities and cities advancing to Step 2 and Step 3 are in
bold:
STEP ONE CITIES Richfield Lake Elmo STEP THREE CiTIES
Arlington Saint Louis Park Mankato Burnsville
Brainerd Saint Paul Park Marshall Eagan
Columbia Heights Sartell Minnetonka Eden Prairie
Coon Rapids Scandia North Saint Paul Edina
Delano Shorewood Oakdale Elk River
Duluth Silver Bay Pine River Falcon Heights
Elko New Market Red Wing Hopkins
Ely STEP TWO CITIES Rosemount Mahtomedi
Grand Marais Apple Valley Royalton Maplewood
Hanover Austin Saint Cloud Newport
Luverne Bemidji Sauk Rapids Rochester
Maple Grove Cottage Grove Silver Bay Rogers
Milan Farmington Victoria Saint Anthony
Minnetonka Grand Rapids Warren Shoreview
Mountain iron Hoffman Willmar White Bear Lake
Nisswa Kasson Woodbury
Northfield La Prairie
Pine City Lake Crystal
Stop by the GreenStep Cities display table by registration or visit www.MnGreenStep.org to learn more about this
program and how you can implement proven sustainability best practices in your city!
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GreenStep Cities
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4!,-, _ 4: Create economic and regulatory incentives for
developing and repurposing existing builidngs before building new.
Best Practice 5, Building Reuse, emphasizes the conservation of existing buildings for the benefit of
preserving community character, revitalizing retail and service areas, protecting historic resources,
and reusing the embodied energy and materials in existing buildings. Action 5.2, Implementing the
Minnesota Main Street model for commercial revitalization, provides a tested and well established
technique for capturing value in local resources and generating both economic and quality of life
returns for cities.
Strategically investing in a city's existing buildings provides both an economic return'and a quality
of life return (see text box below). The economic return comes in the form of new leveraged
private sector development in areas that are already served by community infrastructure (utilities,
transportation systems, city services). The quality of life returns come through preservation or
revitalization of community character and historic resources, placemaking that creates or enhances
identity, and capturing the benefits of traditional mixed use or pedestrian-friendly development
patterns.
What is "return on investment"?
When local governments make "investments" on behalf of the community, the "return" comes
in the form of improved or protected health, safety, or welfare. The GreenStep Cities program
is designed to help cities sustain residents' health, safety and welfare over time.The return on
investment(ROI)approach includes two concepts that justify many local government activities:
improving residents' quality of life; and, creating economic opportunity.
1. "Economic" returns. Cities take a number of actions and initiatives whose purpose is
to generate an economic return. Elements of economic return include using tax dollars more
efficiently, creating economic opportunity for individuals or businesses, and creating tax base to
support community investments and institutions.
2. "Quality of life" returns. A wide array of city actions and investments are intended
to improve the quality of life of residents. Elements of quality of life returns include improving
environmental quality, protecting or advancing the health of residents, enhancing the sense and
functioning of community, and providing access to superior services and facilities.
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Building reuse
provides a number of economic
returns to cities that implement this best practice.
Reusing existing buildings, particularly when I r r1 " 4 '
part of a downtown-centered development Since 2010, Minnesota's Designated Main
effort such as the Main Street program, focuses Street districts netted -z v:v businesses
new investment in areas already served by city and 10 additi l full-time jobs.
infrastructure and city service, reducing a city's In these communities (average population
capital expenditures and limiting the increase in a 15,500), 155 buildings rehabilitations were
city's operations and maintenance costs that would completed.
come with expansion of infrastructure. Cities also Source: Minnesota Main Street Program:
realize improved property tax returns by turning ,.�£ ::
blighted sites that drag down surrounding property `.
values into assets that elevate those surrounding
property values, and retaining historic synergies between land uses.
Building reuse also provides returns to the property owner and taxpayer.Teardowns are frequently
subsidized by taxpayers either directly through preparing for redevelopment or indirectly through
managing the large amount of waste material that must be recycled or landfilled.
Cities that implement the building reuse best practice generate important quality of life returns for
residents. These returns are particularly significant when the building reuse is part of a traditional
downtown or similar community gathering place or destination, as described in Action 5.2.
Environmental returns include avoiding the combined costs of teardown and replacement-hauling
away tons of waste, re-excavating, manufacturing new construction materials-that can "embody"
as much energy as used to operate a building for decades. Other quality of life returns for residents
include:
• Enhancing community character by protecting structures that contribute to the "sense of place"
• Preserving or sustaining designated historic resources
• Environmental and health-related returns by fostering pedestrian-oriented area of the city
The City of Willmar is a regional center and county
seat (Kandiyohi County) approximately 95 miles west
For every invested by the City into the of Minneapolis, and home to almost 20,000 people.
Willmar Design Center,the Center has leveraged Willmar joined the GreenStep Cities program in 2013
in new grants, private donations and is a Step 2 city.
and investments in public events, and other After a Minnesota Design Team visit in 2005, Willmar
investments in downtown Willmar. formed the Willmar Design Center to organize and
implement a downtown revitalization framework for
economic development and provide assistance to downtown property owners and businesses. In 2012
Willmar became a full member of the Minnesota Main Street program, and is the first Minnesota city
to receive National Main Street accreditation.
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7 -# Economic Return on Investment. As a result of applying for and being accepted as a Main Street
community, Willmar has tracked the public and private sector benefits of its downtown revitalization
and promotion efforts. Between 2010 and 2013 downtown Willmar realized the following economic
benefits of its downtown-focused economic development actions:
Reinvestment Statistics Summary Total
Net of all gains and losses in full-time jobs 69
Net of all gains and losses in part-time jobs 14
Net of all gains and losses in new businesses 2
Number of business expansions 2
Number of building rehabilitation projects 28
Value of private investment $2,661,600
Value of public investment $1,272,800
Number of attendees 26,975
Number of properties designated as historic 2
Quality of Return on Investment: Willmar's continuing investment in its downtown and the
existing building stock has resulted in a number of quality of life returns for the community. The
reinvestment in existing buildings and places endowed with community character has created a sense
of place that now draws a number of people and helps create a sense of community. Willmar has
integrated a multi-phased "local foods" initiative (BP#27) into its downtown reinvestment efforts
and enabled substantial contributions by the City's burgeoning immigrant population in downtown
efforts. The effort has resulted in two farmers markets, a local food aggregation center, a community
grocery, and local foods entrepreneurship incubator in three commercial kitchens for use by people
starting local foods businesses.
Current implementation tools: Implementation tools for building reuse and downtown
reinvestment include:
• Downtown zoning that encourages mixed use development, including residential housing
• Adopting a Downtown Plan in 2012 to foster ongoing reinvestment and developing targeted
financing programs for reinvestment in downtown and older residential neighborhoods
• Designating historic buildings in the downtown and facilitating reuse
• Creating a downtown farmers market to help create a sense of place and attract more people
into the downtown
• Creating the "Downtown Willmar Food Hub" to distribute local farmers' produce to restaurants
• Developing a Community Food Center (market study completed, 500 memberships sold)
• Fostering micro-loan programs for immigrant start-up businesses (a number of which are in the
downtown)
• Acquiring easements to extend Glacial Lakes Regional Trail to the downtown
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Willmar's Bundle" of Sustainability best practices.
• BP#5 Reuse Buildings: Adopt an historic preservation ordinance/regulations to encourage
adaptive reuse (adopted historic preservation elements in the Downtown Plan, added two downtown
structures to historic designation)
• BP#8 Mixed Uses:Action 5 Downtown zoning district that allows residential and compatible
commercial development (Willmar's downtown zoning allows both residential and commercial
development)
• BP#8, Mixed Uses:Action 1 Organize or participate in a community planning/design process for
a mixed use area of the city (two visits by the MN Design Team in 2005, the second focused exclusively
on opportunities to revitalize downtown. The City subsequently developed a Comprehensive
Downtown Plan)
• BP#12 Mobility Options: Promote walking, biking and transit use (developed a Comprehensive
Trail and Pedestrian Plan with maps showing civic/commercial sites, bike and pedestrian routes, and
transit)
• BP#27 Local Foods: Inventory and promote local food production/distribution within the city
(created two farmers markets and a community garden on city property, developed the Downtown
Food Hub (the Hive) in the historic downtown Willmar to offer locally grown produce and local
products)
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313 4th Street is a 8,040 square foot reused building that houses the Hive(the downtown local food aggregation center),
Foxhole Brewhouse, local food commercial kitchen with wine bar,and entrepreneurial starter kitchen.
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Aerogram of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency �' and its partners
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Minnesota Greens ''','-'0'-.„9. '''', ,.,
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GreenStep Cities is an assistance program for all Minnesota cities that supports and
recognizes implementation of 28 sustainable development best practices.
The best practices focus on cost savings and energy use reductions that lead cities beyond compliance and
encourage a culture of innovation.
Cities that implement a minimum number of best practices, organized into five categories below, will be
recognized as a GreenStep City. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more specific
actions from a list of four to eight actions.A city's accomplishments are recognized on the GreenStep website.
Implementation of additional best practices will garner additional recognition.
Visit www.MnGreenStep.org to learn more about this program, to see what cities have accomplished, and to
understand how your city can become involved.
GreenStep's 28 Best Practices
Buildings and Lighting
1.Efficient Existing Public Buildings:Assess and finance energy and sustainability improvements of
existing structures.
2. Efficient Existing Private Buildings:Assess and finance energy and sustainability improvements of
a
existing structures.
3.New Green Buildings:Construct new buildings to meet or qualify for a green building standard.
4. Efficient Building&Street Lighting and Signals: Improve the efficiency of public and private
lighting and signals.
5.Building Reuse:Create economic and regulatory incentives for redeveloping and repurposing
existing buildings before building new.
Land Use
•
6.Comprehensive Plan and Implementation:Adopt a Comprehensive Plan and tie regulatory
ordinances to it.
7. Efficient City Growth:Promote financial and environmental sustainability by enabling and -
encouraging higher density housing and commercial land use. 1'
•
8. Mixed Uses:Develop efficient and healthy land patterns.
9.Efficient Highway-Oriented Development:Adopt commercial development and design standards
for highway road corridors.
10. Conservation Design:Adopt development ordinances or processes that protect natural systems.
Transportation
•
11.Complete Green Streets:Create a network of multimodal green streets. t CQ
12. Mobility Options:Promote active living and alternatives to single-occupancy car travel. r-
13.Efficient City Fleets:Implement a city fleet investment,operations and maintenance plan.
14. Demand-Side Travel Planning:Use Travel Demand Management and Transit-Oriented Design.
Environmental Management
15. Purchasing:Adopt an environmentally preferable purchasing policy.
16. Urban Forests:Increase city tree.and plant cover.
17. Efficient Stormwater Management: Minimize the volume of and pollutants in rainwater
runoff.
18. Parks and Trails: Enhance the city's green infrastructure.
19.Surface Water Quality:Improve local water bodies.
20. Efficient Water and Wastewater Facilities:Assess and improve drinking water and sewer
facilities.
21.Septic Systems: Implement an effective management program for decentralized wastewater
treatment systems.
22.Solid Waste Reduction: Increase waste reduction,reuse and recycling.
23. Local Air Quality:Prevent generation of local air contaminants.
Economic and Community Development
24. Benchmarks&Community Engagement:Adopt outcome measures for GreenStep and other or
city sustainability efforts, and engage community members in ongoing education,discussion, '%
and campaigns.
25.Green Business Development:Support the expansion of the green business sector in your city.
26. Renewable Energy: Remove barriers to and encourage installation of renewable energy
generation capacity.
27. Local Food:Strengthen local food and fiber production and access.
28. Business Synergies: Network/cluster businesses to achieve better energy,economic and
environmental outcomes.
Minnesota GreenStep Cities grew out of a report to the 2009 Legislature. The program is governed by a public-private
partnership of state agencies and non-governmental organizations and is led by the MPCA.
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Philipp Muessig •
MesoManageota ment Step Cities Coordinator ;,R >
gement&Assistance
651-757-2594 1 Fax 651-215-0246
phitipp.muessig@state.mn.us Minnesota
www.MnGreenStep.org Pollution
520 Lafayette Road North Control
St.Paul,MN 55155-4194 Agency
Minnesota
Of GreenStep Cities
"I'm guessing that cities are already doing
many of the Best Practices and just don't
realize how simple it is."
"The bottom line: there is no
City of Royalton:ANDREA LAVER Mayor
downside to joining GreenStep
Cities. It will help you prioritize
your initiatives and assist you with
locating guidance and resources "I encourage every city to look at the list
4
to improve the environment for of Best Practices. They might be surprised
future generations. I highly how many items they have already
recommend that every Minnesota satisfied or are close to satisfying!"
city join the program." City of Kasson: NANCY ZAWORSKI Finance Director
City of Edina:
DIANNE PLUNKETT LATHAM
It Edina Energy&Environment Commission
Ready to take action with proven best practices? ° ■
On the Minnesota GreenStep Cities website you can
see program details, explore actions taken by cities •■
across the state, and find contacts.
•
Learn more & get started today; •° .t
www mnGreenSte+.or•_
Map of Minnesota Greenstep Cities
Program Partners:
Minnesota Pollution ‘.7.:411"61t �,DP j GREAT PLAINS Q'0, 11) p an iaA3-�►/ /��(�r�ContrelAgertcy `.J �rirnsozw COMMERCE 'tleM1 i�sP;ftt�
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Minnesota
GreenstipCities
www.mnGreenStep.orgLL
Taking action with proven best practices
F' Cities share their experiences in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program
"GreenStep Cities actions are tailored to Minnesota cities, focus on cost
_. savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation. The
f program provides clear goals for citywide sustainability in various areas. It
allows Coon Rapids to track what we are already doing well and discover
how we can improve.”
City of Coon Rapids: COLLEEN SINCLAIR Recycling Coordinator
i
i` "Any city in the state could benefit from participation in GreenStep Cities.
The program offers a buffet of potential best practices, and encourages
participants to choose ones that make the most sense for their cities." r
City of Woodbury:JENNIFER MCLOUGHLIN Sustainability Specialist
i-
"The GreenStep Cities
_ t program offers the _ I
flexibility for cities to IF __
_' achieve goals at their ` ,,J
own pace.,, , ; '
City of Oakdale: `- i n - r
/ ! as a F. 1 PA
JEN HASSEBROEK \ N � d *0 w '
Senior Community
Development Specialist
X "61!!x:: } 1
Ai ,.. . .
A gat riy ut Merin ota GreenStep t es i,,2013
< .
The Benefits of Participation
ilk "Having clearly established benchmarks and the opportunity to see how
other cities have approached the same issues is extremely helpful. We
have also appreciated the flexibility of the GreenStep Cities program."
City of Marshall:THOMAS HOFF Career and Technical Project Coordinator
"When we apply for grants for our city, we always mention that we
participate in the GreenStep program because it shows we are willing to
do things to improve our city."
? City of Royalton.ANDREA LAUER Mayor
"GreenStep Cities helps Mankato forward our sustainability goals, helps
44a, 41,, us set benchmarks to achieve, and helps us get the word out to the
community about our sustainability initiatives."
` ,,,,': City of Mankato:JON NOERENBERG Planning Assistant
"GreenStep Cities allows for two-way communication. We were able to
v dedicate what limited staff time was available and made a good dent in
-, telling our story!"
City of St.Cloud: MATT GLAESMAN Community Development Director
r
"GreenStep Cities is the crowning jewel because it wraps everything
c
together—it provides a set of specific actions and best practices for the
city to implement."
City of Falcon Heights BETH MERCER-TAYLOR City Councilwoman
jef -=\# "The City Council, Mayor, and City Manager have been saying how much
'green stuff'we have done over the years, but we have never been
�. recognized for it—now they feel this is our chance to show it all off!" ,
City of Shoreview JESSICA SCHAUM Environmental Officer
,., „ . '..-i7.7-r-- -144,- .17.1\7,.'*--ir.,-. .k,, =',''' - ,, ,' -,-'=-'
a- ' ;^ i ,py gay `;•: ' ,t.,, x Z ,K -', t "' ' a
There has been little We are proud of all we have
additional cost to adopt the
accomplished with a budget of$0.
best practices, and we have I think we have demonstrated that
even realized savings from money is not always necessary to
the energy retrofit projects." get something accomplished."
City of Eagan: City of Marshall:
JULI SEYDELL JOHNSON THOMAS HOFF
Parks and Recreation Director Career and Technical Project Coordinator
"While there has been an investment for us
in the form of staff time for participation, the
staff time spent has been nominal compared
with the benefits we've received."
City of Mankato:JON NOERENBERG Planning Assistant
"Residents have been "One of the great
very supportive of our benefits of participating „Grhe Marshall
_- energy efficiency
is community is a enStep program
efforts, and students engagement. In our grassroots effort
that includes
from Royalton High city, a grassroots group volunteers from
School have also been called 'Citizens for
Sustainability' has been agencies private
very active in � businesses andc
promoting recycling a great partner with employees.”, and city
and renewable energy our sustainability
f^ ti r
programs." initiatives." H,,,"'
THOMAS
City of Royalton:
City of St.Anthony Village: Career OFF
Andrea Lauer Mayor Pro
MARK CASEY City Manager and Technical
Jett Coordinator
ENGAGEMENT