Mount Vernon has joined Resilient Iowa Communities (RIC), a brainchild of 1000 Friends of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education (CEEE).
Currently, there are four other communities in the program, including Fairfield, Decorah, Johnston and Independence. CEEE is looking to recruit others.
Cassie Sonne, program manager of energy at the University of Northern Iowa, said the organization is looking for communities of all sizes to join.
“What we imagine is this becomes an ability where communities may have tackled a sustainability project that other communities are interested in, they can talk about that process with other communities and work to adapt a similar program in their community,” Sonne said.
As part of the RIC program, Mount Vernon is completing an audit of what sustainability projects they have completed.
Laura Eckles, assistant city planner, said Mount Vernon had 66 points out of a total 130 points for sustainable projects in the community that have already been completed.
“One of the areas we’re lacking is in transportation, which is inevitable in a city our size,” Eckles said. “Areas we have really done well in are land use and environmental management.”
Eckles said that she is working with the RIC representatives to finalize that audit and help the city identify projects they could look into tackling.
Sonne said that the RIC program is looking to offer guidance and flexibility, that cities will have a menu of options to approach things that best fit their needs to improve sustainability in their communities.
The group evaluates cities on five primary categories — buildings and lighting, land use, transportation, environmental management and community and economic development.
Those categories have six different best practices identified. Cities do not need to complete all six of the practices, just one or two in each category.
Eckles will be the RIC Program Manager for the City of Mount Vernon. She will be responsible for communicating the progress the city has completed towards their selected best practices and any thoughts for changes needed for the program.
Each community will also receive recognition for the best practices they have completed each year.
Linn County sustainability manager Tamara Marcus said she is working with the RIC program.
“I applaud the steps taken by Mount Vernon thus far,” Marcus said. “Mount Vernon is the first community in the county tackling sustainability projects.”
Marcus said there is funding available to help the city tackle any actions to improve sustainability.
Mayor Tom Wieseler said this process started six months ago when he met with Sonne and others as he was starting to transition from his role as council person to mayor.
Council member Stephanie West asked if there were any recommendations for projects the city could tackle.
Eckles said she is working with RIC to complete the audit, and will bring ideas back to the city council of best practices she feels they could tackle in each category.
City administrator Chris Nosbisch said that transportation will be the trickiest for Mount Vernon to tackle, but if there are easy new practices for the city on things they are already doing well on, he’d look at making those efforts.