Sustainable Decorah program produces draft plan

The "Sustainable Decorah" program has written a draft plan that touches on a number of issues involving the city's approach to sustainability.  (To read more of the plan, visit http://sustainabledecorah.com/)  Key provisions include:

COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE
Goal: Proliferate the knowledge of sustainable initiatives to reach identified goals.
Key Objective: Create easy access to information and community networking.
Bench Mark of Success: Create a website, printed information, and communication campaign identifying sustainable work.

CREATIVE CULTURE
Goal: Promote Decorah as a destination for the Arts, Culture, and History in the Upper Midwest.
Key Objectives 1) Create a common directory that is easily found by insiders and newcomers alike. 2) Support business growth of the arts.
Bench Mark of Success: Link a common arts, culture, and history website to the City of Decorah, WCCVB, & the Chamber.

ACTIVE LIVING
Goal Make Decorah walkable to all key community destinations and connected to existing trails.
Key Objectives: 1) Sharrows (arrows identifying bike routes in city streets) painted on main arteries in year one.  Sharrows painted on all bike routes by year three.  2) Promote Decorah as walkable/bikable with communication pieces.

NATURAL RESOURCES
Goal: Conserve and improve water and soil quality through pro-active measures.
Key Objectives 1) Implement policies to reduce water run-off into rivers. 2) Incorporate soil and water conservation policies into city planning.
Benchmark: Initiate rain barrel campaign.

RESOURCE USE
Goal: Extend life of the landfill to 2040?.
Key Objectives: 1) Implement city-wide curbside recycling. 2) Eliminate use of plastic shopping bags at retail outlets.
Benchmark for Success: Curbside recycling in place city-wide.

COMMUNITY DESIGN
Goal: Incorporate principles of Smart Growth into all development projects, plans, and budgets.
Key Objectives 1) Design a walking infrastructure. 2) Develop a building code that encourages green building design.
Benchmark for Success: Adoption of a building code.

HOUSING & BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Goal: Construct or renovate homes and buildings with energy efficient and 'green' technology.
Key Objectives: 1) Adopt a building code. 2) Educate and encourage builders to incorporate green design.
Benchmarks for Success: Energy efficiency rating adopted by realtors and appraisers.

LOCAL/REGIONAL ECONOMY
Goal: Support innovation and small business growth as a foundation for our local and regional economy.
Key Objectives1) Support Buy Local campaigns. 2) Connect businesses to existing resources.
Benchmarks for Success: Increase retail sales by 5% over three years.

ENERGY
Goal: Become known as an energy conservation community through dramatic reduction of energy.
Key Objectives: 1) Implement city-wide residential/small biz conservation program. 2) Incorporate smart metering to encourage energy conservation. 3) Work with major industries to reduce energy consumption.
4) Incorporate energy efficiency messaging in regular media and web communications with the public.
Benchmarks for Success: 1) Reduce community energy consumption by 15% community wide by 2013. 2) Adopt a building code that promotes energy efficient and green building.
Long Term Goal - Reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2020.

HEALTHY LOCAL FOOD
Goal: Support production of wholesome food from local/regional producers, distributors, farms, and gardens.
Key Objectives 1) Support business growth of farmers and food growers. 2) Support the infrastructure to grow local foods.
Benchmarks for Success 1) Local produce sold in all area grocery outlets. 2) Triple the dollar value of local food consumed in Decorah.