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Presentation on status of implementation of Clearwater Greenprint: A Framework for a Competitive, Vibrant, Green Future. (WSO)
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SUMMARY:
Clearwater Greenprint, A Framework for a Competitive, Vibrant, Green Future, approved by City Council in December 2011 (Resolution 11-05), is the City’s framework plan for sustainability. The City had already committed to measure its greenhouse gas emissions and develop an action plan to reduce them in 2007 when then Clearwater Mayor Frank Hibbard joined many other mayors in signing onto the United States Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The City followed that first step by completing the Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Government Operations in 2008. Clearwater Greenprint’s 44 strategies expand on the goal of reducing energy consumption, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by also striving to reduce costs, support a variety of housing choices, and improve the health and quality of life for the City’s residents. During the planning process, a baseline of community-wide greenhouse gas emissions was generated, and at the same time it approved the plan City Council established the targets of reducing the City’s citywide greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent below 2007 levels by the year 2020 and 25 percent below 2007 levels by 2035. The City was awarded the Charles A. McIntosh Award of Distinction by the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (2012 Future of the Region Awards) for Clearwater Greenprint.
At the time City Council approved Clearwater Greenprint, the City was still slowly overcoming the challenges of the Great Recession. The eight areas addressed by the plan strategies, which were intentionally written to provide flexibility, are: education and awareness; green energy and buildings; transportation; land use and urban form; water resources; waste management; food production; and green businesses and jobs. Clearwater Greenprint includes a high-level implementation plan which divided up the many strategies into short-term, medium-term, and long-term lists. The plan acknowledges that the City already has staff working with and across departments to implement policies, programs and projects that fall under the umbrella of sustainability.
While implementation was always envisioned to be accomplished by the City, as well as its residents, local businesses, and industries, the plan called for a sustainability coordinator to be hired to take over the responsibility of coordinating the implementation efforts. Although this position was never created, and thus there has not been a designated city employee to oversee the City’s sustainability efforts, a number of things have been done. If the City wishes to re-commit to its vision as a competitive, vibrant and green community, revisiting the proposed sustainability coordinator position would be an important next step. The coordinator could oversee a coordinated sustainability program, create and disseminate public information, organize or enable self-organizing community projects, or even to apply for grants to support staff time and defray costs as envisioned by the plan.
Planning and Development Department staff will provide City Council with an update regarding what actions have been taken to implement the Plan strategies.
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