- Host Bi-Annual Climate Action Plan implementation review event(s)/process with partner jurisdictions and organizations, community groups and diverse stakeholders that are publically accessible, transparent and participatory. Review the actions taken together and metrics/indicators for all sectors and adjust strategies/actions with partners to stay on track to meet GHG and other county-wide indicators/targets.
- b. Direct all County Departments to use the county’s Equity Impacts and Climate Impacts assessment tools when developing/reviewing plans, projects and capital investments.
- c. Transportation – convene interested cities, Met Council & partners to co-develop plans to cut VMT county-wide 30% or more by 2030 and shift county investments and projects accordingly. The plan should remove Level of Service (LOS), a transportation engineering measurement that disproportionately favors moving vehicles rather than people. Alternatively, transit, bicycling, and walking LOS must be equal to or better than private vehicle LOS. Road projects must prioritize safety over speed and insure communities who are often left out are included in the design and construction process. Plan & partner with cities on Living Streets implementation during mill and overlays and street reconstruction to expand safety, walking, biking, trail connections, transit, green infrastructure and climate resilience. Set a 100% electric vehicle county fleet goal. Convene cities and partners to expand regional transit, E.V. infrastructure and shared & advanced mobility regionally.
- d. Housing and Redevelopment Authority – co-develop and implement with Minneapolis, Suburban city HRAs/EDAs and other partners action plans, incentives, equitable financing tools, energy cost transparency tools and seamless/vetted/quality energy audit, bidding and installation partnerships to accelerate weatherization of homes, multi-family buildings and commercial properties to reduce energy burdens, natural gas use and GHG emissions while preserving naturally occurring affordable housing, increasing access to solar, E.V. charging, and shade trees and enabling property owners to maintain and update properties and add units/density where zoning allows to meet current/future housing needs.
- e. Community Works – co-develop partnerships that support cities & developers to expand equitable access, life cycle housing & commercial space, while minimizing displacement through inclusive, walkable, transit-oriented & large site redevelopment with new net zero buildings, public spaces & living streets.
- f. Hennepin Pathways – develop partnerships to expand equitable access to skills training, jobs, contracting, business development, capital access & bonding related to solar, energy efficiency, clean transportation green infrastructure/soil health/forestry & local/regenerative/agriculture & food production/hubs/access.
- g. Energy and Environment
- Efficient Buildings Collaborative - continue to grow partnerships with cities, building owners and developers, to enable/expand financing options, incentives, technical assistance, & requirements to expand building benchmarking, energy efficiency, solar, storage, demand response, E.V.s & net zero construction (design assistance, energy code improvements & optional stretch codes) to meet GHG goals.
- Zero Waste – co-develop/implement action plans with cities & State of MN to expand waste diversion, organics recycling, product stewardship, food waste prevention and demolition waste prevention to reduce GHGs associated with waste/material use to reduce/eliminate landfilling & incineration. RCC supports the goal of Environmental Justice groups that are asking Hennepin County to close HERC by 2025 and will support cities, counties and the State to accelerate the actions and policies needed to eliminate the need for landfilling & incineration to manage west metro waste streams by 2025.
- Trees and Forestry – We support the Plan’s intentions to, "Expand the urban forest canopy by preserving mature trees, planting more trees and addressing barriers associated with maintenance" "Set goals to maintain or increase three canopy cover on county property” and, we hope it can be county-wide with cities. Explore/expand City-County-State partnerships to set and meet new county-wide, climate resilient, equitable, tree canopy goals. Collaborate to respond cost-effectively to EAB & new infestations. Preserve, replace, diversify and expand tree cover county-wide to manage storm water, improve air quality and reduce heat islands - especially in low-income areas.
- Natural Resources Management to Preserve/Restore/Regenerate Agricultural Lands and Natural Areas – we appreciate the areas of the Plan that will:
- “Plan for and mitigate anticipated ecosystem and open space impacts” [and, we suggest, for the preservation, acquisition, and restoration/regeneration of open spaces/natural areas/habitat/ecosystems].