University City Greenhouse Gas Report

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made its 100 year old City Hall building more energy efficient. In 2008, the City Hall building in University City became the only municipal building in the St. Louis metropolitan area to have received LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The sustainable renovation of the City Hall building, which was originally built in 1904, was a formidable stride in the city’s desire to “lead by example”. The renovation of the City Hall building included the installation of bicycle storage and rider changing rooms, improved access to public transportation, ADA compliant transportation parking capacity, storage and collection of recyclables, building reuse maintaining 100% of existing shell and low emitting materials for paints, carpets and composite wood. The most significant green initiative was the formation of a Green Practices Committee (GPC) and the drafting of a city-wide, comprehensive climate change action plan aimed to reduce waste generation and carbon emissions. The University City GPC was officially established in 2008 under the direction of City Manager Julie Feier and Mayor Joe Adams with the goal of developing a comprehensive strategic plan that would guide the city to become sustainable at the municipal, residential, institutional and commercial levels. The City Council agreed that "this elected body will act to provide leadership, guidance and immediate action." It is the mission of the GPC to encourage sustainable practices and programs that improve the health and quality of life of our community; protect and restore its natural resources, and strengthen our economy. It is the GPC’s vision to have a fully engaged community that integrates sustainability into every decision made, and every action taken by city government, citizens, employees, business owners, students, and patrons. The GPC aspires to develop University City into the leader in community sustainability and as such, a practical model for other municipalities and businesses. Altogether, University City seeks to “lead by example”, demonstrating that local governments can realize increased energy savings, environmental health and economic benefits by implementing “green” best practices. University City’s GPC finalized a city-wide sustainability strategic plan on September 7, 2009. The drafted plan, Resolution 2009-18 was officially passed by City Council on September 21, 2009 (See APPENDIX B). The Sustainability Strategic Plan is divided into seven key areas: Ecosystems/Habitat; Water/Storm water; Air Quality/Transportation; Waste/Resource Conservation; Land Use/Open Space/Parks; Energy; and Green Buildings. Within the report, the GPC included a description along with specific goals and action items to be addressed by the city in accordance with Resolution 2009-18, “Resolution of the City of University City for Community Sustainability”. In addition to the information provided for these seven key areas, the Sustainability Strategic Plan also contains the five “first steps” approved by City Council: 1.) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory 2.) Energy Audits of City facilities 3.) Sustainable design guidelines and expected return on investment for projects 2010-2011 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, City of University City, MO 10