KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – An effort to make Kalamazoo greener and more energy efficient has been in the works for a couple of years and will become an action plan after the New Year.
City Planners recently offered a sneak-preview of their sustainability strategy.
Development Project Coordinator Jamie McCarthy says it began with a community survey in 2019 and will emerge in the next month, complete with a timetable, action plan and system to gauge how it’s progressing.
“We’re talking about how we transition to more renewable energy within our community,” McCarthy said. “How we focus on green buildings and electrified vehicles in the city, and the infrastructure that it takes to support that kind of transition.”
The plan calls for city operations to be carbon neutral by 2050. It also extends into the community to assist other institutions, businesses and residents in following their lead.
“It will involve a variety of different stakeholders to implement over decades of time, really focused here on the first five years, but knowing that a lot of the technology and the investment that we need is going to come over time,” McCarthy said.
Community Planner Nolan Bergstrom says one challenge is to figure out a way to measure their progress.
“Some of the limitations have been with data sharing,” Bergstrom said. “Also, the format the data comes in is not usually standardized for easy measurement.”
The plan will also promote urban gardening, waste reduction, recycling, the creation of home and community-based solar power stations and other strategies.
They are expected to present a final plan to City Commissioners in February.
The State of Michigan is also scheduled to unveil its own sustainability plan in the next few months.
Kalamazoo Sustainability Plan. (Image courtesy City of Kalamazoo).
Further Reading –
This news comes as the City of Kalamazoo has installed 25 new smart trash and recycling containers across the downtown area.
More on that story can be found here.
In addition, the City of Kalamazoo will be holding a collection event for leftover Styrofoam from holiday packaging.
More on that story can be found here.
— Copy written by John McNeil, additional editing by Will Kriss —
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