Spokane finally has a plan. A sustainability plan. Here’s a good opportunity to put in your two-cents:
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CITIZENS INVITED TO COMMENT
ON SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN
Plan to be considered by Council on March 30
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Citizens are invited to comment on the Sustainability Action Plan that will be considered
by the Spokane City Council on Monday, March 30, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers
in the lower level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
The Sustainability Action Plan is the culmination of a year’s worth of work by the
Mayor’s Task Force on Sustainability. The plan includes strategies to address climate
mitigation, climate adaptation, and energy security.
“The plan clearly lays out guiding principles for the City to follow as we continue on our
journey to greater sustainability,” says Mayor Mary Verner. “The Task Force has
developed a plan that makes economic sense with the added benefit of providing a better
environment for future generations.”
Attached is the Task Force’s report.
Since the Mayor created the Sustainability Task Force, the City began taking a series of
“green” steps:
• Added motorcycle and scooter parking spaces in downtown.
• Reduced idling of city vehicles and purchases of bottled water.
• Partnered with local grocers to encourage citizens to “Choose Reusable” bags
instead of disposable ones.
• Added a sustainability collection of materials at the Spokane Public Library.
• Created a grant program to replace streets trees in downtown and began an update
of our citywide urban forest inventory.
• Started work on the addition of a community garden in the East Central
Neighborhood on vacant Water Department land.
• Completed an upgrade to the City Hall HVAC system that will save 10,663
therms of natural gas and 729,000 kwh of electricity.
The Mayor has directed City staff to continue to work on immediate green steps while
developing an implementation plan for the strategies outlined in the Task Force report.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Sustainability includes 13 citizens and is led by Chair Roger
Woodworth of Avista. A $75,000, one year GMA Planning Grant from the Washington
State Dept. of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) paid for the
creation of a strategic action plan to identify ways City government can respond to the
impacts of climate change and rising energy prices.
This project is consistent with Governor Chris Gregoire’s recent climate change
challenge that encourages local jurisdictions to develop plans to mitigate the impacts of
climate change and also with commitments the City made when it signed on to the U.S.
Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in February, 2007.
