Title
Receive a Presentation from Gresham, Smith, and Partners (GSP) on the Draft Sustainability Plan and Provide Input and Direction (Matthew Frankel, Project Manager, GSP) (45 minutes)
Summary
MEETING DATE: January 23, 2012
DEPARTMENT: Office of Environmental Stewardship
CONTACT: Julie Smith, OES Manager
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION:
• Provide comments and direction on the Draft Sustainability Plan
ITEM SUMMARY:
• The City of McKinney, through various efforts, has been working over the last four years to develop a community-wide sustainability plan. Based on extensive public input, the Draft Sustainability Plan will be presented to Council for consideration, questions, and comments.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• In response to the Green Advisory Team’s (comprised primarily of McKinney businesses) 2008 Final Report to City Council and the recommendations contained therein, staff was directed to develop a community-wide Sustainability Plan for the City of McKinney. On September 21, 2010, Council approved hiring Gresham, Smith, and Partners (GSP) to be the consultants for the project (as one of the nine Department of Energy grant-funded projects). The general goals outlined in that contract included:
• Build upon and ensure the coordination of stakeholder engagement and leveraging strategies within the City of McKinney, including existing organizational efforts currently underway to identify and support sustainability objectives.
• Identify and prioritize activities for leveraging fiscal and non-fiscal resources in support f the City of McKinney’s objectives.
• Identify and implement strategies to build the capacity of organizations, individuals, and champions to participate in sustaining community-wide investment and participation.
• Build and nurture a shared, community-wide ownership of and participation in the City of McKinney sustainability vision through developing partnerships between individuals, governments, corporations, and foundations working to identify fiscal resources and achieve similar results.
• Develop clear and measurable sustainability goals with associated, potential implementation tools.
• After two community meetings (February and April) and one meeting with high school students (April), GSP and staff compiled the community goals, objectives, initiatives, comments, suggestions, and revisions into the Draft Sustainability Plan now before the Council. This Draft Sustainability Plan was then reviewed in its entirety on September 17th at the final community meeting at Collin College. Based on the input received, the Draft Sustainability Plan was finalized for City Council review and comment.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY:
• The development of the Draft Sustainability Plan was funded through the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program for a total of $160,000. The funding required no matching funds on the part of the City.
• The Draft Sustainability Plan outlines existing and potential initiatives for consideration in the future, some of which will require funding should Council decide to implement those initiatives at a future date. The Draft Sustainability Plan does identify potential funding sources (traditional and non-traditional) that may be considered by Council when and if those initiatives are brought forward for consideration and implementation in the future. Should Council adopt the Draft Sustainability Plan (as ultimately revised per Council direction), adoption would not encumber nor “pre-approve” the expenditure of any public funding. As with any expenditure of public funds, such expenditure would require approval through the appropriate Council process.
BOARD OR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
• Staff will incorporate Council comments and suggestions and bring the finalized Draft Sustainability Plan back for City Council to consider approval at a future City Council Regular Meeting.