Public Agency Council

Feedback Sought on Resource Conservation Document

2010-05-27T09:40:00.002-05:00

Did you know Americans collectively use an average of 26 billion gallons of water each day or that almost one-third of the residential waste generated in the United States is packaging? Environment Omaha is striving to reverse those trends locally, and a new draft document lays out a plan for making that happen.

Community feedback is sought on the Resource Conservation final draft of Environment Omaha, a new policy development initiative that’s creating a comprehensive environmental section for the City of Omaha Master Plan. The initiative covers five areas – the natural environment, urban form and transportation, building construction, resource conservation and community health.

The document was developed by the Environment Omaha Resource Conservation Advisory Committee, which is chaired by Marcella Thompson, director of sustainability at ConAgra Foods Inc.

The committee, a group of 27 volunteers representing a diversity of professions and perspectives, included suggestions from the public in developing the content. The document was then reviewed by the Environment Omaha Core and Working Committees. It begins with an overall vision statement: Omaha will be a thriving community that provides an exceptional quality of life centered on an unwavering dedication to resource conservation. Its areas of focus:

• Conserving and protecting the high quality and adequate supply of water resources
• Improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the risks of climate change
• Improving energy efficiency and encouraging the supply of renewable and sustainable energy systems
• Working aggressively toward becoming a zero-waste-to-landfill community by maximizing the use and reuse of material resources
• Becoming a leader in green economies by using the creativity, productivity and ingenuity of the community’s human capital

The draft establishes a number of measurements that will be used to chart progress toward the achievement of long-term goals. Among the targets is reducing total water use per capita by 20 percent by 2020 and continually reducing consumption by 20 percent every 10 years thereafter.

“We want to grow and prosper as a city, but we want to do so in a responsible way, one that respects the planet’s finite resources,” Thompson said. “Thinking about what we use and how we use it is not only responsible but could jumpstart a local green economy that provides jobs and taps into our population’s ingenuity and productivity."
Members of the public can post their questions and comments about the draft on www.environmentomaha.com/discussion.

Funding for Environment Omaha, which is receiving significant city staff and resource support, is provided by grants from the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District, the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency and the City of Omaha’s Stormwater Management Plan Program Grant from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. Omaha by Design serves as the project manager. For more information, call 402.554.4010 or email info@omahabydesign.org.

-Contributed by Omaha by Design

State Senator Heath Mello Proposes Legislation Supporting Clean Energy, Green Jobs

2010-03-02T16:28:00.001-06:00

The author is State Senator Heath Mello, who represents District 5 in South Omaha and Bellevue.

Addressing energy efficiency and clean energy in Nebraska is both urgent and overdue. Energy efficiency and renewable energy were smart choices for our communities when times were good, and they remain smart choices when times are tough. Building a new clean energy economy in our state will provide jobs and allow government and homeowners to save money while being responsible stewards of the earth.

In 2009, Senator Mello introduced the Nebraska Green Building Advantage Act, a bill that would have created tax incentives for LEED-certified buildings. While this bill did not advance in the Legislature, Mello returned this session with a full slate of clean energy bills. He has introduced six bills that focus on the clean energy economy:

• LB 977 - Require new state buildings and renovations to comply with energy efficiency standards
• LB 978 - Provide requirements relating to energy star-certified appliances in the state's competitive bidding process
• LB 997 - Require cities' comprehensive plans to include an energy element
• LB 1098 - Enable municipalities to create sustainable energy financing districts that establish Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs.
• LB 1099 - Authorize the establishment of an expanded, voluntary recycling program in cities of the metropolitan class
• LB 1100 - Allow operation of low-speed vehicles on highways as prescribed

LB 1098 will make it more affordable for property owners to make energy retrofits to their homes and businesses. By allowing property owners to pay for energy retrofits via their property tax bill over a period of years, homeowners and businesses will save money on utilities and encourage a market for services and products related to energy retrofits. That market will in turn lead to new jobs in the clean energy sector.

“States and communities need to look at meaningful long-term solutions to emerge from this fiscal crisis,” said Mello. “Now is the time to take action and pursue a different course for Nebraska. The legislation I have proposed is good for the earth, good for our pocketbooks and creates jobs. We have a unique opportunity and we need to take full advantage of it.”

As a member of the Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action Now (CLEAN), Mello was recently invited to the White House to discuss the clean energy economy.

“It was an extraordinary opportunity to meet with White House officials and other legislators who are committed to growing the clean energy economy,” he said. “Clean energy is a growing and increasingly bi-partisan issue, and Nebraska can either stay ahead of the curve, or play catch-up in the years to come.”

Mello is a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and sits on the Council for State Governments-Midwest Legislative Conference, Energy Committee and Economic Development Committee.

Industry Green Practice Matrix

2009-06-29T14:36:00.005-05:00

The Public Agency Council (PAC) is currently working to complete an Industry Green Practice Matrix that will compliment the Public Agency Green Practice Matrix completed in July 2008. Similar to the first matrix, the Industry Green Practice Matrix will provide an overview of sustainable practices industries in the Omaha metro area are currently engaged in. This will be done primarily through a phone survey. The PAC hopes to uncover some practices that were initially done as a cost savings but have the added bonus of helping the environment. Results should be compiled in the next few months and will be posted at this website.

New Council Chair Announced!

2009-04-06T11:13:00.003-05:00

The Public Agency Council is proud to announce its new chair, Lynn Dittmer with the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency. This council also enjoys representation from many other key agencies in Omaha, including Omaha by Design, the Mayor’s office, Omaha Planning Department, Omaha Public Works, OPPD, MUD, Papio NRD, MAT, and UNO. The Council has created a Public Agency Green Practice Matrix, which identifies green practices in which member organizations are engaged. This matrix will continue to expand as participation increases.

May Forum Set for May 3, Elmwood Park, 2-4 pm

Please join us for the second annual May Forum! Members and volunteers have the chance to hear about the activities of the different councils, share news of their own initiatives and meet other active leaders in the community.

Green Omaha Coalition, Public Agency Council, City of Omaha Accomplishments

The City of Omaha had many sustainability successes in 2008, and city staff continues to work toward attaining an even more sustainable community in 2009. Among Omaha’s successes was the SustainLane.com annual rankings. SustainLane.com conducted its annual sustainability survey of United States cities, and Omaha moved up 12 spots in the rankings, from 37th in 2007 to 25th in 2008. Highlights of the ranking include recognition as the 7th city in the United States in the category “energy and climate change policy,” and 10th for “metro street congestion.”

Another endeavor undertaken by the City of Omaha is the development and implementation of pilot programs to recycle compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, and to replace traditional street lights with light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

In partnership with Wastecap Nebraska and Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), in September 2008, the City initiated its first pilot program that allowed the general public to dispose of used CFLs at any of the 14 Omaha Public Libraries. The pilot program was designed to educate the community on the benefits of CFLs, and to simultaneously provide a safe, convenient, and environmentally-conscious way to dispose of old light bulbs. Within a three month period in the fall of 2008, 368 CFLs were dropped off at Omaha Public Libraries. The program met such success that the City of Omaha Public Works Department, Omaha Public Library, and OPPD will continue to work together on the project.

Clearly a great sustainability partner for the City of Omaha, the City collaborated with OPPD on a second pilot program in October of 2008. This project focused on reducing energy costs by replacing street lights with LED bulbs. The LED bulbs are designed to use half of the energy that the traditional high-pressure sodium lights consume. The LED pilot is still in the trial phase, and different LED models are tested in Omaha neighborhoods to address effectiveness and safety concerns.

Although the City of Omaha’s master plan addresses environmental issues to an extent within the eight existing elements, the addition of an environmental element to the plan will comprehensively address environment and sustainability concerns. This undertaking is referred to as Environment Omaha, and the five goal areas include: natural environment; urban form and transportation; building construction; resource conservation; and community health. With the added benefit of public input, the Environment Omaha Project will help create an environmentally sustainable community. To learn more about Environment Omaha, see http://www.environmentomaha.com

-Andrea Fox, City of Omaha

2009-01-15T20:48:00.005-06:00

Public Agency Council 2008 Achievements

The Public Agency Council benefits from Connie Spellman’s leadership. This council enjoys representation from many key agencies in Omaha, including Omaha by Design , the Mayor’s office, Omaha Planning Department, Omaha Public Works, OPPD, MUD, Papio NRD, MAPA, MAT and UNO. The Council has created a Public Agency Green Practice Matrix, which identifies green practices in which member organizations are engaged. This matrix will continue to expand as participation increases.

Omaha Raises in the Ranks of Sustainable Cities

2009-01-15T11:11:00.003-06:00

The Mayor’s office, including Andrea Fox and the City of Omaha, has been a key partner in the green movement. Through its work and our partners’ work, the City of Omaha has recorded improvement as a sustainable community, as recognized by the Sustainlane 2008 US City Rankings. Omaha jumped from 37th place to 25th.

For more information, visit http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/cities/omaha.

GREEN PRACTICES MATRIX NOW ONLINE

The Public Agency Council has completed an initial survey of its members detailing the sustainable practices already employed by organizations represented in the council. This matrix is intended to be a useful reference for other area agencies and businesses to showcase what some organizations are doing to integrate sustainable practices into the workplace.

Events Bring Awareness to Environment, Green Omaha Coalition

2008-06-17T17:13:00.006-05:00

by Katie Torpy

PAC Forum
The five councils of the Green Omaha Coalition met together for the first time at the inaugural forum of the Public Agency Council May 4th. In what will be an annual event, members and volunteers had the chance to hear about the activities of the Green Omaha Coalition's five councils, share news of their own initiatives and meet other active leaders in the community.

Suggested topics for future forums included: justice and diversity in the environmental movement; the future of our children and the environment; how to green the workplace; passive and solar energy systems; smart growth and transportation issues; the Home Energy Rating System program (HERS); climate change; peak oil; and net metering.

Earth Day Omaha
More than 300 attendees visited the Green Omaha Coalition booth at Earth Day Omaha on April 19, providing their contact information and receiving towels with 10 simple tips for being green in Omaha.

The event was the largest Earth Day celebration in Omaha's history, featuring thousands of attendees, hundreds of exhibitors and dozens of volunteers.

Inaugural PAC Forum an Opportunity for Collaboration

2008-05-16T11:19:00.003-05:00

The five councils of the Green Omaha Coalition met under one roof for the first time at the inaugural forum of the Public Agency Council last May 4th.

In what will be an annual event, members and volunteers had the chance to hear about the activities of the different councils, share news of their own initiatives and meet other active leaders in the community.

Suggested future forum topics included the following items:

Justice and diversity in the environmental movement
The future of our children and the environment
How to green the workplace
Passive & solar energy systems
Smart growth & transportation issues
The Home Energy Rating System Program (HERS)
Climate Change
Peak Oil
Net metering

Please visit our calendar page for information on upcoming events and meetings.

Green Omaha Council Forum

2008-05-02T13:05:00.001-05:00

Please join us for the inaugural Green Omaha Coalition Council Forum scheduled for Sunday, May 4th from 2-4 at the Pavilion in Elmwood Park. Each Council will give a brief presentation on what they are working on and the remaining time will be for networking. This event will provide you with an excellent opportunity to learn more about our ongoing activities and meet other community leaders active in the GOC.

Greetings from the Public Agency Council!

2008-05-01T14:54:00.001-05:00

The Public Agency Council is a forum for local municipalities and public utility groups to collaborate on green initiatives to include those for buildings. They work to create consistent green standards, share information, and support each others’ programs and initiatives.

Contact Public Agency