Review of first term - Green Tier

Link to Green Tier Website - Monona section

I remember the first time this item was on the agenda...I think it was the first time I had to park at the community center for a meeting. It was interesting that the majority of folks that came to speak against this resolution were from out of town - as far away as Janesville, WI. Given the "claims" that were presented by some of these folks, many of us on the council took our time and researched these claims. When we discussed this item and voted - many of us spoke about the research we did around the claims indicated by folks that were opposed to this resolution...none of us were persuaded by their claims (there just was no evidence to them), and discussed the match of the Green Tier to our other goals (commitment to sustainability as a city, one example).

Here is the information that sums up some of the support and reasoning.

From the Minutes
"Municipalities maintain control of what and how much they want to do, with no penalty for non-action. Membership creates a more formal commitment to sustainability. Members received assurance that plans would be approved by the Council . The City is already doing many of the suggested ideas. Creating a plan, easier grant applications, and sharing of processes between communities are positives. The option to opt-out is clear and simple"

What has it allow us to do...I think the biggest impact has been in providing support, education, and networking for our city staff as we worked on our Sustainability Plan (recently phase 1 was adopted).