Little Rock is on the Road to Sustainability: Public Hearing, May 20, 2014

At the 2014 Little Rock Sustainability Summit, the City unveiled its “Roadmap to Sustainability” initiative. The initiative is organized around five topic areas – Energy, Quality of Life, the Natural Environment, the Built Environment, and Economic Development. The goal is to develop a sustainability plan that looks 5, 10 and 20 years into the future of the sustainasphere.

The journey begins on at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2014, with a public meeting in the Board Room at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting will be to identify (“inventory”) sustainable practices and achievements already in place, and to gather ideas about sustainable goals. The meeting will be the first in a series of four or more public meetings.

The development of a Sustainability Plan is an important step forward for Little Rock. While the City can rightfully highlight a number of “sustainable” achievements – the free, annual Sustainability Summit and the recent passage of a multifamily recycling ordinance are top-of-the-mind examples – the various efforts and programs have lacked the comprehensive coordination needed to be a true plan. There is an abundance of “low-hanging fruit” in the Little Rock sustainasphere, and a thoughtful Sustainability Plan comprised of measurable, achievable goals holds the promise of a serious picking party.

In case you missed it the first time around, the May 20, 2014, meeting is a public meeting. It is an opportunity to take ownership of the sustainasphere and to contribute to a project that should have benefits that are immediate and measurable.

(Also, I am told there will be snacks.)

May 20, 2014, 10:00 a.m.: Public Hearing, City of Little Rock Roadmap to Sustainability, City Hall Board Room.

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.

City of Little Rock Announces Sustainable Purchasing Policy

A few minutes ago at the Little Rock Sustainability Summit, the City of Little Rock announced adoption of a new “Sustainable Purchasing Policy.” In simple terms, the City has announced a commitment to promoting and encouraging sustainable purchasing practices throughout its departments and operations.

An excerpt from the Policy statement:

It will be the policy of the City of Little Rock and its various departments to implement purchasing practices that minimize negative impacts on human health and the environment while supporting a diverse and vibrant community and economy. This policy of the City will be to identify sustainability factors that can be incorporated into everyday purchasing practices, empower employees to be innovative in their purchasing practices, complement city-wide sustainability efforts and demonstrate the City’s commitment to sustainable procurement.

Whenever possible, city employees will purchase products and services that integrate fiscal responsibility, social equity and community and environmental stewardship.

City employees will consider the following factors in all purchasing practices to reduce the overall impact of the product or service on the organization and community: pollutant releases, toxicity, waste generation, greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, depletion of natural resources, human health impacts, use of local businesses, use of certified minority or women-owned businesses, product performance and quality, life-cycle cost assessment, impact on staff time and labor and long-term financial changes.

This Policy is the product of collaboration between the City and the Sustainability Commission. It is a concrete example of investment and commitment to sustainability in Little Rock, and should serve as notice of the tremendous opportunity in Little Rock, and in Arkansas, for folks in the business of sustainability and for investment in those business and practices.

October Renewable Energy Recap

It is not widely known, but Arkansas is poised to be a leader in green and renewable energy development, technology, and manufacturing. Consider:

• On October 4, 2010, German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex opened a 42-employee manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The plant is Nordex’s sole manufacturing presence in the United States.

• Three days later, on October 7, 2010, Mitsubishi Power Systems broke ground on a $100 million wind turbine manufacturing plant in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The plant is expected to be operational in the fall of 2011 and will create 330 jobs.

• On October 23, 2010, one of the premier venture capital forums for emerging technologies, WBT 2011, announced that Arkansas technology start-up Silicon Solar Solutions will be one of 100 companies selected to present to interested investors and venture capitalists. (Silicon Solar Solutions is a Fayetteville-based company committed to making solar energy more accessible and affordable. If the Silicon Solar Solutions folks are right, they have invented the better mousetrap.)

And that’s just the news for October 2010 – so far. The end of this week will see the Little Rock Sustainability Summit, (see previous post) and I expect Arkansas’s emerging place in the sustainasphere to be on display. Stay tuned….

(Department of Full Disclosure: My firm, Williams & Anderson PLC, is outside general counsel for Silicon Solar Solutions.)

The Little Rock Sustainability Summit

The Little Rock Sustainability Summit will be held Thursday and Friday of next week (October 28th and 29th) at the Robinson Center in downtown Little Rock. The Summit is a collaboration between the City of Little Rock, the Little Rock Sustainability Commission, and private interests with an interest in sustainability. Here is the schedule:

October 28, 2010

8am-12pm CEU Class
• Introduction to Building Commissioning
• Optimizing Your Existing Building- A Plan for Action

12:30pm-5:30pm Sustainability Expo Hours

1:00pm-2:00pm Registration

2:00pm-2:30pm Welcome Address

2:30pm-3:15pm Sustainable Business Practices

3:30pm-4:15pm Breakouts
• Built Environment/Land Use
• Retrofitting Your Home

4:30pm-5:15pm Breakout
• Business Landscaping
• Sustainable Landscaping and Purchasing for your Home

5:30pm-7:00pm Reception hosted by Capital Hotel (must be registered for the Summit in order to attend)

Friday, October 29

9:00pm-10:15am Mayor Stodola Opening Remarks / Green Cities Committee

10:30am-11:45am Breakouts
• Sustainability Grants for Government and Non-Profits
• Sustainability Tax Incentives Panel

12pm-1:30pm Luncheon with Keynote Speaker (must be registered for the Summit in order to attend)

1:45pm-3:00pm Breakouts
• Landfill Development and Healthy Maintenance
• Recycling & more

I expect that the Summit will present the best and worst of sustainability in Little Rock and in Arkansas in that our strengths – a vibrant and devoted sustainability community, an unusually supportive Mayor and local government, and a core group of creative, innovative, and motivated entrepreneurs – will be front and center, while our weaknesses – for example, lack of a cohesive commercial recycling program, lack of coordination, and plain old inertia – will be exposed.

The Summit is free to the public, and I will be attending and blogging about it. And here’s an insider tip: go online and register. Registration is free, and if you register you can attend the Thursday evening meet, greet, and cocktail reception at the Capital Hotel and the Friday lunch.

More information about the Summit can be found here: http://www.lrsustainabilitysummit.com/