Don

Thank you! I’m looking forward to hearing more about this program and what it can offer.

Don – We’ve made some changes to the website recently. You can find all the sample resolutions in our database at http://www.postcarboncities.net/peakoilresponses. The database is a few months out of date at the moment, but I have a Research Assistant starting next week who will start updating it again.

That database is specific to local and state governments responding to the global oil situation — which, I personally feel, is a very accessible way to get any local government thinking about sustainability issues (because the oil approach is ultimately an economic approach). As others have mentioned in this thread, you’ll find advice on more general ’sustainability’-minded responses at ICLEI.

Daniel

I’ve passed these on to the alderperson who had made the initial attempt and he is now much more confident that he can get the matter initiated.

Don

Article, by Tom Harnish, WTA Education Director, was printed in March WTA Report, 2009 and is provided here with permission from Wisconsin Towns Association. http://www.wisctowns.com/
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The President’s “stimuli” or jobs program bill is now complete in Congress in Washington, D.C. The program had a price tag of $789 billion. . For Towns and Villages of Wisconsin, one specific interest is the proposed “infrastructure” payments to the States for roads and bridges. Another Town or Village interest is the proposed “renewable energy, energy conservation and energy efficiency” payments that may be available to Towns and Villages. Finally, the “broadband internet” access program for rural America should be of direct interest to Town and Village officials to improve computer communication throughout the local Community.

In the nationwide discussion in Washington D.C. and in Madison, regarding energy production, energy conservation and energy efficiency, along with local community sustainability, there always comes up the term “Green Communities.” These Communities are not today in Wisconsin legally, or well defined, but are understood to be Communities where the public and private sector are attempting to be energy efficient, stress energy conservation and water conservation, attempt to seek and allow for alternative local energy production, and finally to produce and maintain locally sustainable communities for the future. I have great hope that leaders in Madison (or Washington, D.C.) will help better legally define in the near future what these “Green Communities” are. I would hope a voluntary certification program could be established where certain Towns or Villages could properly claim to be a Wisconsin “Green Community,” if they meet certain minimum “vision” criteria or standards.

Broadly speaking, in my opinion, any Town or Village official attempting to now create a “Green Community” must start with key “visions” that will identify standards or criteria for the Community. They might include:

1. A “vision” by these local Town or Village Municipal leaders and developers to prioritize the remediation and reuse of “unusable” land (e.g. Brown fields, dilapidated buildings).
2. A “vision” to prioritize transportation options for the Community that stress walking, biking, mass transit and travel for all types of persons, including children, the disabled, and the elderly leaders (public and private).
3. A “vision” that a “Green Community” needs a priority of including “green space” in the major developments of the Community, and stressing, where possible, the preservation of the local natural environment.
4. A “vision” by these “Green Community” leaders that reduces, composts, recycles, and attempts to eliminate unnecessary solid and other waste in the Community.
5. A “vision” that the Town leaders and their neighboring Villages and Cities together will take specific priority Municipal actions to prevent or limit rural and urban sprawl.
6. A “vision” that public and private leaders prioritize conservation of fresh water and conservation of key productive lands (e.g. prime farm land).
7. A “vision” that new residential development should be near retail, schools and existing residential development.
8. A “vision” that all residential structures in the Town or Village be offered a free or low cost residential energy audit.
9. A “vision” that every Town or Village will have a “Green Residential Subdivision Ordinance” and a “Green Building Code” that stresses energy conservation on new residential structures.
10. A “vision” that the Town or Village adopt a Solar Access Protection Ordinance.
11. A “vision” that all public and private development projects require recycling of demolition and construction works.
12. A “vision” that requires by building permit all new construction/reconstruction projects have water saving devices installed (dishwashers, toilets, washing machines).
13. A “vision” that requires that new developments not occur near environmentally, historically, or culturally sensitive areas.
14. A “vision” that all new development be constructed or installed to take full advantage of seasonal changes in the sun’s position.
15. A “vision” to promote and prioritize alternative energy facilities to be constructed or installed where the energy produced can be used locally.
16. A “vision” to promote and prioritize new or recent facilities that are constructed or installed with the use of recyclable, renewable and energy efficient materials that are locally found and free from harmful toxic chemicals.
17. A “vision” to promote and prioritize the construction or installation of residential structures that supplies their own energy (wind/solar).
18. A “vision to promote locally grown and marketed food stuffs (e.g. farmers’ markets).
19. A “vision” to limit storm water runoff and erosion caused by development.
20. A “vision” that promotes energy efficiency and energy conservation in new residential, commercial, agricultural and industrial structures.
21. A “vision” that creates and promotes local education projects, local planning, and local zoning focused on the sustainability of the Community.
22. A “vision” that promotes local “Green” industries that will produce “Green” products (e.g. wind turbine manufacturing) to be marketed internationally, nationally, and locally.
23. A “vision” that provides Municipal advantages to developers whose development projects are created for construction and installation as “Green” projects.
24. A “vision” that limits public nuisances, including aesthetically unattractive structures.
25. A “vision” that encourages cluster development and variable lot sizes.

The above noted are a few standards or criteria that could be used to determine a “Green Community.” A voluntary certification that would identify such Communities should be extremely helpful in creating vibrant rural and semi-urban Communities.