City Council Meeting Date: January 4, 2022
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Title
Consider resolution to adopt Sustainable Building Policy.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council adopts a resolution for a Sustainable Building Policy.
Summary Report:
The City of Northfield adopted its Climate Action Plan (CAP) on November 5, 2019. One of the goals of the CAP is to be a 100% carbon-free community by 2040. The CAP also indicates that building energy use makes up approximately 85% of the sources of greenhouse gas emissions within our city. Cities may not require buildings to be built or renovated to standards that are more restrictive than the state building and energy code unless there is a financial incentive from the city. Therefore, it is reasonable for the City of Northfield to implement policies to help reduce energy usage in buildings in the community especially those it assists with financial incentives. As is noted in the supplemental sheet attached there are other cities in Minnesota who have undertaken this effort and several more are in the process of adopting a policy.
Item PP 1.3 in the Climate Action Plan states that the City should require any new building that receives public funding or incentives to be constructed to green building standards. This action is also found in GreenStep Cities best practice number 3.
In June 2021, the City of Northfield began working with the Minnesota Center for Energy and Environment (CEE) to develop some language and criteria for a possible Sustainable Building Policy. A group of city staff participated in five meetings with CEE to develop suggested criteria for a policy and engaged with stakeholders for feedback. Stakeholders meetings included: developers, architects and builders, the Environmental Quality Commission, the Planning Commission, the EDA, the HRA and an open meeting for anyone to participate. Staff and consultants revie...
Click here for full text