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Councilmember LeTourneau stated this specific topic was discussed and what came out of it was <br />the City was fortunate to have those experts who serve on the EPB but this is a resource that <br />could help the City remain relevant, current, and offer fresh perspective. That is the main <br />advantage of plugging into the GreenStep Program. He noted it is the same as the Council <br />relying on the League of Minnesota Cities to provide resources from time to time. <br />Mayor Strommen stated the other piece is from the marketing aspect and advantage in the <br />marketplace in having that certification, such as having LEED certification. She stated it brings <br />value to the City and that is something the EPB noted. <br />Councilmember Riley stated he appreciates the work of the EPB and during the last discussion, <br />all agreed there were items the City should not pursue. He stated if the Council knows there are <br />items it does not agree with, he would like them to be not included in the Program the City is <br />considering. <br />City Planner Anderson stated there are 171 actions listed within the 28 best practices that are part <br />of the GreenStep Program. Instead of addressing each of those actions line by line, the EPB <br />drafted guiding principles. <br />Mayor Strommen agreed there were actions that the Council would not agree with and the EPB <br />had decided that rather than addressing each item, it would consider it globally by drafting <br />guiding principles. <br />Mike Valentine, EPB Member, stated there was concern with trying to negotiate each of the 171 <br />actions. He noted the EPB is only advisory and the Council gets the last look at it. He stated this <br />program is fairly new, starting in 2009, and 64 communities have signed on, all of differing sizes <br />and several are neighbors to Ramsey. Those communities perceive this is a unique and timely <br />means to leverage expertise and experience of the other communities. Mr. Valentine stated he <br />has been around governmental environmental programs for a long time and the EPB analyzed <br />whether GreenStep was a "Trojan Horse" or a viable program. The EPB found it is good <br />government. He again noted the EPB unanimously supported the GreenStep Program and that in <br />every event and situation, the Council makes the final decision. <br />Bob Bentz, EPB Member, addressed the two concerns with editing the document. He explained <br />it is a `living document' so you can design, implement, and then measure the results to determine <br />what works. He stated everything is moving to measurements so even if you build a LEED <br />certified building, you now have to measure things like water, electricity, heat, and greenhouse <br />gases. Mr. Bentz stated the City can get help implementing some of the things or be penalized <br />for not implementing it in time. He noted the next Comprehensive Plan mentions the City must <br />address solar and the GreenStep Program has a nice model on its website, which changes every <br />couple of years to stay current. Mr. Bentz stated the City needs to measure its electrical, water, <br />and heat usage and you cannot expect residents to do it if the City is not doing it. <br />Wayne Buchholz, 14621 Neon Street NW, stated whenever you say something is free, we all <br />know there is no such thing as free and if it is from the government there are usually `strings' <br />City Council Work Session / April 8, 2014 <br />Page 4of10 <br />