We sent the following press release late yesterday afternoon:
Mayor Hears Green City Report; Outlines Sustainability Plan
Mayor Rybak and Council Members Zimmermann, Colvin Roy, Niziolek and Zerby heard a
progress report today from Minneapolis' Environmental Coordinating Team (ECT) on the
Mayor's Green City Initiatives announced earlier this year. The ECT consists of
department heads and staff who work on a variety of environmental issues.
Rybak outlined how Minneapolis would develop an Environmental Sustainability Plan with
goals for both City government and the community as a whole.
"I'm pleased with the progress on my Green City Initiatives. Now we need to go to the
next step, which is putting Minneapolis on a long-term course where the principle of
environmental sustainability is integrated into everything we do," Rybak said.
According to Rybak, the key to success is having sustainability indicators and goals
by which progress can be measured and decision-makers held accountable for their
actions.
"What gets measured gets done. Citizens should have easy access to a whole list of
environmental indicators, from pollution measurements in our air and water to the
number of new transit riders and hybrid-vehicle drivers to status of our urban forest.
We should be able to see where we're moving up and down on a regular basis," Rybak
said.
Rybak emphasized that a comprehensive sustainability plan will take time to develop,
and he charged the ECT with assembling a comprehensive list of sustainability
indicators and goals for City government by February of 2003.
"We're in the raw ideas phase," Rybak said.
Rybak said the next few months would include assembling information that already
exists and also figuring out what needs to be measured. These indicators and goals
would then be developed into a plan to be presented to the City Council. Rybak said
community indicators and goals for sustainability were equally important to city
government indicators and goals.
"As citizens we need to look ourselves in the mirror and recognize 'we're part of the
problem' on environmental issues. This means we all need to be part of the solution
too," Rybak said.
Minneapolis' Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee (CEAC) would be responsible for
assembling community indicators and goals to be part of the same sustainability plan
(also by February 2003).
"I encourage environmental organizations and neighborhood groups to submit ideas for
community sustainability indicators and goals to CEAC. Citizen involvement is what is
going to make this work - both in development of the plan and in implementation,"
Rybak said.
Rybak said he hoped sustainability goals and indicators for both city government and
the community as a whole could be fashioned into a comprehensive sustainability plan,
which would be approved by the City Council by the end of 2003.
This work will enhance the ongoing Focus Minneapolis process, according to Rybak, with
sustainability incorporated into long term planning.
"A lot can be achieved by coordinating existing activities. That's what we're doing
in the budget with water-quality efforts under the SWIM (Save the Water In
Minneapolis) initiative," Rybak said.
"But we need a vision more comprehensive than just 'doing better.' Building a
sustainability plan is what's necessary to plan thoughtfully and to hold everyone -
city government and the community as a whole - responsible for our environment and our
future," Rybak said.
The chair of the ECT rotates among the eight department heads: Planning; Public Works;
MCDA; City Attorney; Park Board; Fire; Health; and Regulatory Services. This year the
Regulatory Services Director John Bergquist serves as chair. Earlier this year,
Bergquist created six committees to look at various Green Government Initiatives;
purchasing; fleets; buildings; transportation; energy; and green neighborhoods.
CEAC consists of citizens appointed by the Mayor and City Council to advise the city
on environmental issues. CEAC is co chaired by David Byfield and Walker Smith. Other
members include Carolyn Carr, Justin Eibenholzl, Irene Jones, Randy Kouri, Craig
Larson, Diana McKeown, Brian Ross, Janet Peters, Jim Sjoselius, Gail Von Bargen,
Lorrie Stromme, Barbara Sullivan, Teresa Wernecke, and John Sagstetter. Citizens
interested in submitting ideas for community sustainability indicators and goals
should send them to Guy Fischer with CEAC at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or 300
Public Service Center, 250 S. 4th St., Minneapolis, MN 55415.
Both the ECT and CEAC were created in 1994.
Laura Sether
Office of Mayor Rybak
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