5.2. ECCSR 06-18-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mroz, Kristin From: Muessig, Philipp (MPCA) <philipp.muessig @state.mn.us> Sent: Wednesday,June 04, 2014 5:32 PM To: Muessig, Philipp (MPCA); Nadav, Amir Subject: Funding Opportunity for City Sustainability Data Attachments: RII Background.pdf Hello GreenStep Cities Coordinators, We are pleased to announce a new funding opportunity to help cities assess their environmental performance: Scholarship funding available to participate in the Regional Indicators Initiative—Apply by July 3 Over 20 Minnesota cities currently participate in the Regional Indicators Initiative (RII), and new participants are being accepted. The Regional Indicators Initiative measures annual performance metrics for Minnesota cities interested in increasing efficiency and sustainability (see information below and attachment). The total cost to collect and report data for 2008-2012 data is $3,000 and a limited amount of funding is available to provide competitive matching scholarships to a few communities. We expect to award scholarships to 3—6 cities on a competitive basis. Preference will be given to applicants that meet three or more of the following criteria: • GreenStep Cities participant • Community-wide population under 25,000 • Located in Greater Minnesota • Interest in setting community-wide environmental sustainability performance goals • Minimum local match of at least$300 for category C cities, $600 for category B cities, $1000 for category A cities. Scholarships will amount to the difference between $3000 and the local match. To determine your city's GreenStep Cities category, complete this brief worksheet. What is the Regional Indicators Initiative? RII provides cities with data on community-wide energy use,water use, waste generated, vehicle travel, greenhouse gas emissions, and costs. Data is also displayed in an online interactive format,which allows communities to view changes in their performance over time and compare their performance to peer cities in Minnesota. Learn more about RII and explore the data here: http://regionalindicatorsm n.uli.orq/ Participation in RII can help inform the following local activities, among others: • Community-wide planning and development • Environmental sustainability goal setting • Environmental sustainability performance measurement • Identification of cost-saving opportunities • Assessing the impact of existing sustainability initiatives • Progressing toward GreenStep Cities Step 4 recognition (eligibility criteria to be announced later in 2014) 1