Post on 12-Jan-2016
City of East Lansing
Sustainability ActivitiesDave Smith, Environmental Specialist
City of East Lansing
Sustainability Initiatives LEED Builiding Programs
Green Building Policy Green Building Incentive Policy
Employee Bike Sharing Program
Town/Gown Partnerships Tree Protection & Research Pack Up, Pitch In
City of East Lansing Green Building Policy
First of its kind in the state to tie municipal incentives with green building practices
Requires new City buildings to be certified as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) buildings.
Requires City building renovations to incorporate LEED and low impact design practices
Requires new private developments which receive public incentives such as tax increment financing to be LEED certified:
< 15% financing, minimum “Certified” > 15% financing, minimum “Silver”
Currently have 3 LEED certified buildings at Silver or Gold level
7 additional buildings are registered to be certified
City of East Lansing Green Building Incentive Policy
For new buildings not covered by Green Building Policy – primarily single family homes
Provides financial incentives based on level of LEED achieved:
$1,300 for Certified or Silver $2,600 for Gold or Platinum
One home underconstruction and one in thePlanning process
City of East Lansing Employee Bike Sharing Program
Started in August of 2010 Purpose:
Encourage healthy activity Improve air quality Reduce carbon emissions
Bikes donated by local non-profit 8 bikes located at various City facilities
City of East Lansing Employee Bike Sharing Program
Checked out through Group Wise e-mail Riders sign waiver and agree to wear
protective gear Bikes utilized 34 times by employees Will have 10 bikes in 2011. Modeled after programs in Austin & Edmonton
City of East Lansing Town/Gown Partnerships with Michigan
State University
Research Project to Protect City Trees from Invasive Insect
Pack Up, Pitch In – end of school year reuse and recycling event
City of East Lansing Tree Protection and Research Project
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) A non-native, invasive insect that infests and kills ash
trees First discovered in East Lansing in 2005 Has killed over half of the nearly 900 ash street trees
and numerous park trees Cost the City over $300,000 in tree removal and replacement costs
City of East Lansing Tree Protection & Research Project
Joint research project goals: Protect street trees Preserve urban forestry budget Provide research on effectiveness of control methods
Treated 300 street trees withsystemic insecticides for 3years Studied:
Different insecticides Doses Timing Application Method Effectiveness
City of East Lansing Tree Protection & Research Project
Resulted in: the protection of over 200 City trees Best management practices for treatment Safe and effective treatment options at the lowest
cost Valuable tool for urban foresters to make long term
decisions www.emeraldashborer.info
City of East Lansing Pack Up, Pitch In
Annual event to collect reusable and recyclable items during spring move out
Began in 1996 as on-campus event Expanded to EL community in 2008
Share services Education efforts Branding
City of East Lansing Pack Up, Pitch In
Drop off event Staffed primarily by volunteers Charitable organizations collect needed items:
Food Clothing Furniture/house wares
University collects: Carpeting Electronics
City accepts: Recyclables Refuse items for a fee
City of East Lansing Pack Up, Pitch In
Annual Collection Highlights:
700 lbs of clothing 3-4 full box trucks of furniture & house wares 4,000 lbs of electronics 200 lbs of recyclables
City of East Lansing Town/Gown Initiatives – Pack Up, Pitch In
City of East Lansing Contact Info:
Dave SmithEnvironmental SpecialistCity of East Lansing410 Abbot RoadEast Lansing, MI 48823dsmith@cityofeastlansing.com517 337-9459
City of East Lansing Additional Resources:
City Web site: www.cityofeastlansing.com Facebook Group: “Recycle for a Greener East Lansing”
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=60309405945
Austin bike share info: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2009/ae_bike_share.htm
Edmonton bike share info: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/news/city-tests-employee-bike-share.aspx