Decorah and Cedar Rapids are using the same system to monitor sustainability programs

The Decorah City Council last month voted 6-1 to spend $1,000 to purchase "Sustainability Tracking and Assessment Rating Systems" (STARS) tracking software.

The program is the same one being used by the City of Cedar Rapids to map out the projects it is creating to improve sustainability in that city.  On Tuesday City of Cedar Rapids Sustainability Director Eric Holthaus spoke to the Winneshiek Energy Breakfast about the ways in which Cedar Rapids is using the software program.

Holthaus says one big advantage of the tracking software is that it has encouraged student groups at area high schools and colleges to do class projects on sustainability.  Cedar Rapids is also using the software to track how well sustainability projects are doing in meeting their goals, in efforts as diverse as waste reduction, solar energy and bike trails.

Holthaus says the City of Cedar Rapids has set a goal of wrapping up its current sustainability projects in 2022 and using the STARS software to measure how well the city has met its goals for each project.  The city will then set new goals and create new projects to meet those goals.