The Edmond Sun
EDMOND —
The City of Edmond Planning Department wants to hear the public’s ideas and priorities to be included in Edmond’s first Sustainability Plan. The Edmond Sustainability Forum will be 6 p.m. Monday at the Downtown Community Center, 28 E. Main.
“The city is continually engaged in sustainable approaches for city operations, and this plan will open the door for new discussions,” said Phil Jones, sustainability planner.
The Edmond Sustainability Plan will include subjects such as water conservation, land use and transportation planning, green jobs, waste management, energy consumption, parks and green space, public and alternative transportation, green infrastructure, building retrofits, alternative fuels, education programs and more.
“The approach taken will be to identify specific elements of sustainability that are measurable. We will also be taking input on potential actions by the city to mitigate some of the issues,” Jones said.
“Edmond is a community full of conscious leaders — household leaders, neighborhood leaders, education leaders and business leaders — who truly see the value and the connection between environmental stewardship, community planning and economic development,” said Shannon Entz, community development manager.
The hope is that this plan will reflect Edmond’s vision for environmental practices and policies that will be a benefit to the next generation of Edmond residents, rather than be a liability, Entz said.
The city has been awarded nearly a million dollars in Recovery Act funds from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Staff developed a strategy for allocating those funds, which included the development of the Edmond Sustainability Plan. The remainder of the funds is being spent on energy saving technologies for city facilities and water wells, CNG conversion kits, energy building code training and equipment for inspectors.
FOR MORE information about the forum, call Jones at 359-4518 or go to www.edmondok.com.
