By Brandi Makuski

City leaders on Monday adopted a new program designed to improve long-term sustainability practices in Stevens Point.

The City Council unanimously approved the Green Tier Legacy Community Program on Aug. 21.

The program was introduced to the council earlier this year, solidified in part by a presentation from Ald. Mary McComb entitled “A Path to a Sustainable Stevens Point” made before the council in April.

During that presentation, McComb discussed progress on city’s decade-old EcoMunicipality Task Force, which included a TAP grant for new bicycle lanes, forming the Bike/Pedestrian Committee, sustainability projects at UWSP and the importance of local food production. She also suggested the city create a sustainability committee.

According to the pending resolution, the city will reach “environmental protections beyond what is required by local, state or federal law” by implementing, in part, the following measures:

• Addressing waste water, storm water, drinking water, wetlands and other water-related issues in a “holistic, watershed-based manner”
• Creating sustainability plan that decreases the city’s impact on the enviornment
• Reducing expenditures on motor vehicle fuels and “energy resulting from efficient development patterns”
• To reduce taxpayer burden with more efficient traffic patterns, policies and comprehensive city planning

The Green Tier Charter for Legacy Communities is comprised of several groups including Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp., Center on Wisconsin Strategy, the Wis. DNR, the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and several cities across the state, all which provide resources and expertise as part of the program, the resolution said.

As part of the resolution, the city plans to apply for at least some grants to help implement changes, but no specific changes were referenced in the document.