City Of Ames: Climate Action Plan Town Hall Meeting Planned For Monday, Oct. 25

Press release from the City of Ames:

10/01/2021 9:00 AM

The public is encouraged to join Mayor John Haila and Iowa State University President Dr. Wendy Wintersteen at a Town Hall Meeting focused on creating a Climate Action Plan (CAP) for Ames. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25, at City Hall City Council Chambers, 515 Clark Ave. The meeting will be streamed on the City’s Facebook and YouTube pages and from the City’s website at www.CityOfAmes.org

Developing a Climate Action Plan for Ames is part of the Ames City Council goal of valuing environmental sustainability, and the City of Ames has completed several preliminary steps toward developing a plan for Ames. The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory, a community-wide baseline for carbon emissions, was completed in 2020. This data provides a foundation from which to build a CAP and community goals for reduction.

“With community input and City Council direction, we are striving to develop an Ames CAP that establishes relevant, achievable, and cost-effective strategies to reduce our community’s carbon footprint,” said Assistant City Manager Deb Schildroth, who serves as the project leader. “Additionally, we are looking to designate milestone reduction achievements and identify metrics to track and measure progress.”

Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) has been hired to facilitate the process. The Ames City Council serves as the project steering committee, and a volunteer, representative Supplemental Input Committee has been appointed to help provide feedback.

As an organization, the City has a long history of implementing environmentally sound choices in operations, equipment purchases, services provided, and policies that guide organizational decision-making. The completed CAP should engage and empower residents, businesses, and institutions toward ownership and responsibility in ensuring a resilient and sustainable future through lowered GHG emissions. More information is available at www.CityOfAmes.org/Sustainability

This press release was produced by the City of Ames. The views expressed here are the author’s own.