Little Rock Sustainability Commission Elects New Officers

The Little Rock Sustainability Commission has elected officers to serve for 2014. The new officers are:

• Chairperson: Benjamin D. Brenner (Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard P.L.L.C.)
• Vice Chairperson: Ron Hughes (HERS Inc. and Pulaski Tech)
• Secretary: Neil Gillespie (NICK Inc.)

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola established the Little Rock Sustainability Commission in 2008 to provide advice and guidance on sustainable policies and practices.  Since 2008, the Commission has worked with various groups in the City to develop sustainable policies that have positively impacted city government and the citizens of Little Rock.

The Commission's achievements include:

• Founding and organizing the annual Little Rock Sustainability Summit, focused on sustainable policy and stories of success in environmental stewardship.
• Honoring achievements in sustainability by local businesses and individuals with the “Sustain the Rock Award.”
• Spearheading a City-wide sustainability assessment resulting in eight key recommendations for the City to become more sustainable.
• Developing a sustainable purchasing policy for the City.
• Promoting the City's Green Building Incentive Program, which provides financial  incentives for residential buildings built to sustainable standards
• Drafting guidelines in 2011 for expanding farmers markets throughout the City.

The Commission is currently focused on a variety of issues that effect the Little Rock sustainasphere, including the creation of a clean energy district and implementation of the 2013 PACE legislation, advances in the residential energy efficiency code, greater connectivity of Little Rock's bike trails, commercial recycling, a 5, 10, and 20 year Sustainability Plan for the City of Little Rock known as the "Roadmap to Sustainability," and research into sustainability initiatives that promote economic development. More information about the Commission can be found here: Little Rock Sustainability Commission

The next meeting of the Commission will be Friday, May 23, 2014, at 11:30 a.m., at the Willie Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center on 12th Street in Little Rock.

 

The Little Rock Sustainability Commission meets the fourth Friday of every month 11:30 to 1:00 at the Willie Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center. The public is welcomed, invited, and encouraged to attend.

(Department of Self-Promotion: Yes, the Benjamin D. Brenner elected Chair of the Little Rock Sustainability Commission and the author of this sustainablog are one in the same.)

 

Report from the Little Rock Sustainability Summit: Part II - Where Are We Going?

So where are we going?

Straight ahead! Mayor Stodola's remarks at the Little Rock Sustainability Summit reflected a commitment to continued investment in the Little Rock sustainasphere.

Among the plans:

Continued development of the Little Rock Sustainability Commission and the City of Little Rock “Green Team”;

Continued focus on sustainable city planning by managing city density and planning for sustainable growth and development;

Connecting all of the City’s pedestrian and bike trails so that they actually go somewhere;

Little Rock is one of 20 cities nationwide to have recently received a $200,000 Bloomberg competitive grant, and this funding will be used to hire a “chief service officer” to focus on sustainable issues and initiatives. This means the creation of at least one, full time city job focused on sustainability – that is, a position for at least one employee who does nothing but work on sustainability in Little Rock;

Creating a viable and comprehensive commercial recycling program;

Continuing to work with and to support local and national green builders and developers; and,

Developing a “Sustainability Ordinance,” that codifies the City’s commitment to sustainability, and provides direction and focus for the initiatives.

In other words, if you are a business, developer, inventor, venture capitalist, lawyer, or some other brand sustainability swami, are there opportunities for you in Little Rock (and in Arkansas)?

Absolutely.

Information on the City of Little Rock Sustainability Commission can be found here: http://www.littlerock.org/CityCommissions/Detail.aspx?ID=40

Report from the Little Rock Sustainability Summit: Part I - Where Are We?

The key questions of the Little Rock Sustainability Summit – what is Little Rock’s current profile in the sustainasphere and where is it going? – were framed and answered during Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola’s opening remarks.

So here is where we are:

Mayor Stodola recently pledged Little Rock to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by signing the “Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement.” (See: http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/revised/).

The City of Little Rock Board of Directors adopted a resolution calling for all newly constructed city buildings to be LEED-certified.

The city is in the process of retrofitting all street lights and buildings with LED lighting. The city is also replacing outdated HVAC systems on city buildings.

The Mayor formed a Sustainability Commission, which is comprised of 7 to 15 Little Rock residents. The Sustainability Commission is charged with providing educating, leadership, and vision for the Little Rock sustainasphere. Sustainability Commission action areas include organizing and promoting the Little Rock Sustainability Summit and sub-committees on Green City Operations, Sustainable Economic Development & Green Jobs, and Built Environment and Land Use.

The Mayor also recently formed a city “Green Team.” The Green Team is a group of city employees, one from each city department, charged with finding opportunities for sustainable initiatives in each department. The Green Team will also help coordinate sustainable efforts among and between city departments.

The City of Little Rock also received federal stimulus funds. Whatever your political sentiments, there is no question that the funding helped stimulate the local sustainasphere. The funds provided capital to:

Develop a new, LEED-certified police substation on 12th Street in Little Rock;

Replace or add to midtown 2.5 miles of sidewalks to Little Rock’s Midtown community, making for a more walk able neighborhood;

Create Little Rock’s Green Building Financial Incentive Program. Under this Program, contractors and/or owners of qualifying new residential and commercial
construction are eligible to receive an incentive of up to $1500 to cover cost of LEED, Energy Star, “Green Built,” or similar nationally recognized green building certification;

Complete several cycling and pedestrian projects in Pulaski County, including The Arkansas River Trail and completion of the Clinton Bridge, and construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Little Maumelle River to Two Rivers Park, which connects an extensive network of existing walking and cycling trails;

Install specialized equipment at the Little Rock landfill to convert methane gas into other forms of usable energy, as opposed to releasing the gas into the atmosphere; and,

Purchase and install equipment at the Little Rock Zoo that transforms elephant waste (i.e., poop) into compost, which is then provided by the Little Rock landfill to
consumers at extremely low cost.

The Mayor also emphasized the mixing preservation and conservation by giving old buildings and neighborhoods new life. For example, one building at 315 Main Street in downtown Little Rock had been vacant for 30 years, much of the time with 8 feet of standing water in the basement. Engineers recommended the building be torn down, despite its place as part of the historic core of downtown. Through partnership with a local developer, Reed Realty Group, 315 Main will be renovated into a LEED certified combination of residential apartment and loft space and world-class jazz café and night club.

Likewise, in partnership with Greenmore Homes, the City has used Neighborhood Stabilization Program II funds to take a derelict inner-neighborhood homes and properties and turn them into Energy Star rated affordable homes. (This is sometimes referred to as the “Eyesores to Energy Stars” Project; see my previous post.)

That is a significant amount of activity for a city like Little Rock over the course of a year. The good thing, as I will cover in my next post, is that it appears that we can expect more of the same. Stay tuned.