Equitable Community Engagement

In this webinar, presented live on September 22, 2021, we learned about conducting community engagement in an equitable and inclusive way. 

Agenda

9:00: Welcome & Introductions
9:15-9:45 - Melissa Birch and Chris Meyer - Central and Southeast Regional Coordinators, Clean Energy Resource Teams

• Green Team Guide (coming soon!)
• BP 24 overview and updates

9:45 - 9:55 - Q&A
9:55-10:05 - Kevin Bright - Energy and Sustainability Director, City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center

• Sustainability and Resiliency Task Force
• Discovery Walk

10:05-10:15 - Jonee Brigham - Senior Research Fellow, Minnesota Design Center

• D4CR - Design for Community Regeneration

10:15-10:25 - Becky LaPlant - Public Policy Program Associated (Retired), Blandin Foundation 

• Itasca Area Circle of Healing

10:25-10:35 - Wendy Thompson - Executive Director, Beltrami Area Resiliency Team

• 100 Cups of Coffee

10:35-10:55 - Q&A and open discussion
11:00 - conclusion

View the PDF and additional materials: 

Resources: 

• See the PowerPoints above for many more! 
• 2021 Green Team Guide: Best Practice 24
• 21st Century Development
• Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) MN Cohorts 
• MN BIPOC Local Elected Leaders Network
• Why Treaties Matter
• IllumiNative

Best Practice Actions related to this topic: 

• 24.1 - Inclusive and Coordinated Decision-Making: Use a city commission or committee to lead, coordinate, report to and engage community members on the identification and equitable implementation of sustainability best practices.
• 24.2 - Communicating Progress on Goals: Organize goals/outcome measures from all city plans (social, environmental, economic) and report to community members data that show progress toward meeting these goals.
• 24.3 - Measuring Outcomes: Engage community members and partners in identifying, measuring, and reporting progress on key sustainability and social indicators/ including energy use/greenhouse gas emissions, social vitality/social inclusion outcome measures.
• 24.4 - Public Education for Action: Conduct or support a broad sustainability education and action campaign, building on existing city & community relationships, networks & events involving:
• • a. The entire community, community leaders
  • b. Homeowners, manufactured home communities, landlords and tenants
  • c. Community-based organizations, block clubs, neighborhood associations, front yards/sidewalks
  • d. Congregations.
  • e. Schools, colleges.
• 24.5 - Planning with a Purpose: Conduct a community visioning and planning initiative that engages a diverse set of community members & stakeholders and uses a sustainability, resilience, or environmental justice framework such as:
• a. Strong Towns, Resiliency, Transition, Appreciative Inquiry.
• b. Eco-municipalities, Smart Cities, Healthy Communities. 
• c. Environmental Justice, Race Equity, Equitable Development.
• 24.6 - Engaging the Next Generation: Engage wide representation of community youth and college students by creating opportunities to participate in city government (including commissions).
• 24.7 - Expanding Community Engagement: Engage Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), renters, low-income, new Americans, differently abled and other traditionally under-represented community members by encouragement, and support to participate in current and new opportunities to participate in city government.

Register for upcoming GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations workshops here. You do not need to be a GreenStep community to attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.

Maintaining Green Infrastructure

In this webinar, presented live on September 8, 2021, we learned about the the importance and best management practices of green infrastructure maintenance.

So you installed some green infrastructure (yay!) - but now what?

Green infrastructure is an approach to managing urban wet weather impacts that mimics, restores, or maintains natural hydrology. Green infrastructure includes a wide array of practices, including infiltrating, evapotranspiring, or harvesting and using stormwater. Examples of green infrastructure include: 

• Vegetated filter strips at the edges of paved surfaces
• Residential or commercial rain gardens designed to capture and soak in stormwater
• Porous pavers, porous concrete, and porous asphalt
• Rain barrels and cisterns; Green roofs

Agenda
9:00: Welcome & Introduction
9:05-9:15: Random Networking
9:15-9:30 - Carlee Kjeldahl - Environmental Specialist, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
9:30-9:50 - James Wolfin - Sustainable Landcare Manager: Turf Alternatives, Metro Blooms
9:50-10:10 - Anna Eleria - Planning, Projects, and Grants Division Manager, Capital Region Watershed District
10:10-10:30 - Douglas Snyder - Executive Director, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization
10:30-10:50 - Mark Maloney - Public Works Director, City of Shoreview
10:50-11:00 - Q&A and open discussion
11:00 - conclusion

View the PDF and additional materials:

Resources: 

• Minnesota Stormwater Manual 
• Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) and sustainable stormwater management 
• Operation and maintenance of green stormwater infrastructure best management practices
• Lawns to Legumes and partner resources, BWSR
• Resources to manage invasive species 
• Blue Thumb workshops & events 
• Capital Region Watershed District raingarden maintenance and Gardening Guide 
• Smart Salting training, MPCA

Best Practice Actions related to this topic: 

• 16.6 Build community capacity to protect existing trees by one or more of:

• a. Having trained tree specialists.

• b. Supporting volunteer forestry efforts.

• c. Adopting an EAB/forest management plan or climate adaptation plan for the urban forest.

• 17.5 Adopt and implement guidelines or design standards/incentives for at least one of the following stormwater infiltration/reuse practices:

• a. Rain gardens/infiltration practices.

• b. Rainwater harvesting practices.

• c. Green alleys or green parking lots.

• d. Pervious/permeable pavement or pavers.

• e. Green roofs / green walls.

• f. Tree trenches / tree boxes.

• g. Incorporate compost and/or native plants into landscape design.

• 18.4 Adopt low-impact design standards in parks and trails that infiltrate or retain all 2 inch, 24-hour stormwater events on site.

• 18.5 Create park/city land management standards/practices that maximize at least one of the following:

• a. Low maintenance turf management; native landscaping; organic or integrated pest management; pollinator/monarch-safe policies.

• b. Recycling/compostables collection; use of compost as a soil amendment.

• c. Sources of nonpotable water, or surface/rain water, for irrigation.

• 18.8 Develop a program to involve community members in hands-on land restoration, invasive species management and stewardship projects.

Register for upcoming GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations workshops here. You do not need to be a GreenStep community to attend.

 Visit the GreenStep Cities and Tribal Nations program website at www.mngreenstep.org.