On Monday, the City Council submitted a resolution to become a GreenStep City. Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program that encourages cities to achieve cost savings through energy use reduction and encourage civic innovation.

“Albert Lea is known for its nation-leading Blue Zone work, which involves active living, community design and parks, to name a few aspects,” said Philipp Muessig, GreenStep coordinator for the State of Minnesota. “The GreenStep program welcomes the city and looks forward to reading of its many accomplishments on a new GreenStep web page created for the city.”

The program consists of 29 best practices that cities can examine and potentially implement.  Cities choose items from categories that include buildings and lighting, land use, transportation environmental management, and economic and community development. The city of Albert Lea has already applied some of the practices. However, the city’s “Green” committee, a group of city employees with an interest in environmentally friendly initiatives, intends to review the practices the city has yet to initiate and begin to tackle each issue based on cost savings. The group will present to the city council every six months.

For more information on the program, contact Assistant City Manager Jerry Gabrielatos at 507-377-4330.