Presentation by Allyson Pumphrey of Sustainable Catalyst Partners LLC to the Indiana Chapter of the CMAA on Sept. 18, 2013 titled: Making Sustainability Work For Municipalities

1. Making sustainability
work for municipalities
CMAA September Meeting
September 18, 2013
Allyson Pumphrey, President
Sustainable Catalyst Partners LLC

2. Presentation Overview
HAT does sustainability mean for municipalities?
HY should municipalities care about sustainability?
OW do municipalities achieve greater sustainability?
hat are the challenges and how can they be overcome?

3. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
ENERGY
WASTE & MATERIALS
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
LAND USE
COMMUNITY

4. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
ENERGY
WASTE & MATERIALS
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
LAND USE
COMMUNITY
THE FOUR P’s OF GETTING
IT DONE
•PROGRAMS
•POLICIES
•PLANNING
•PARTICIPATION

5. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
uilding efficiency
ENERGY
WASTE & MATERIALS
tility efficiency
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
leet efficiency
LAND USE
COMMUNITY
lternative energy sources &
infrastructure

6. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
rash services
ENERGY
WASTE & MATERIALS
ecycling services
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
eavy trash & toxics disposal
LAND USE
COMMUNITY
rocurement policies

7. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
ransportation system
efficiency
ENERGY
WASTE & MATERIALS
ublic transportation
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
idewalks & pedestrian
services
LAND USE
COMMUNITY
icycle lanes & services

8. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
ater quality protection
ENERGY
WASTE & MATERIALS
astewater treatment
infrastructure
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
LAND USE
torm water treatment
infrastructure
COMMUNITY
ater conservation practices &

9. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
ENERGY
WASTE & MATERIALS
rban canopy
istoric preservation
ight pollution reduction
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
LAND USE
abitat/wetland protection
ndangered species protection
COMMUNITY
nvasive species
removal/containment

10. WHAT does
sustainability mean
for municipalities?
ecreation
ENERGY
ocal food
WASTE & MATERIALS
niversal design
TRANSPORTATION
WATER
LAND USE
reen building policies &
programs
ducation & awareness
COMMUNITY
ransparency & reporting

11. WHY should you
care about
sustainability?
MONEY
ENVIRONMENT
SOCIETY
We can’t afford to be sustainable!”
erceived as the biggest obstacle
BUT, it can be the biggest
motivator
• Cost savings
• Efficiency
• Attraction of grant funds
We can’t afford to NOT be
sustainable!”
ecause in the end, it all comes
down to MONEY

12. WHY should
municipalities care
about sustainability?
MONEY
ENVIRONMENT
SOCIETY
Ecosystem services
• Provisioning
• Food, water, minerals, energy
• Regulating
• Purification of water & air,
waste decomposition, pest &
disease control, flood control
• Cultural
• Recreation
• Supporting
• Nutrient dispersal & cycling
•Protection of air, land, & water
quality is critical
Because in the end, it all comes
down to MONEY

13. WHY should
municipalities care
about sustainability?
MONEY
ENVIRONMENT
SOCIETY
Resilience of the community
• Take advantage of assets
• Provide healthier options
• Attract new businesses &
residents
• Sustain and grow tax base
• Promote civic engagement &
leadership
Because in the end, it all
comes down to MONEY!

14. HOW do
municipalities
achieve greater
sustainability?
WHY?
•Know where you are before you plan your
route
•Understand your strengths & weaknesses
•Be honest and realistic about your
challenges & opportunities
ASSESSMENT
GOALS & PRIORITIES
THE FOUR P’s
EVALUATE & REPEAT
HOW?
•Baseline assessment tools
•Comparison to similar communities
•Talk to a lot of people, ask a lot of
questions
•Use resources available to you, such as
IDEM, IACT Green Communities, industry
groups such as CMAA

15. HOW do
municipalities
achieve greater
sustainability?
nique attributes & values
nique goals & priorities
ASSESSMENT
GOALS &
PRIORITIES
reate the vision for where you
want to be in the future
THE FOUR P’s
EVALUATE & REPEAT
s there an applicable rating system
or industry standard?

16. HOW do
municipalities
achieve greater
sustainability?
rograms
• Rain barrel/rain garden program
• Tox-Drop events
• Education/speaker series
ASSESSMENT
olicies
GOALS & PRIORITIES
• No-idling policy
• Procurement policy
THE FOUR P’s
EVALUATE & REPEAT
lanning
• Quality of Life Plan
• Sustainability Plan
articipation

17. HOW do
municipalities
achieve greater
sustainability?
ASSESSMENT
GOALS & PRIORITIES
on’t wait until “the end”
ustainability is a WAY OF BEING
and a PROCESS, not a THING
ake evaluation and adaptation part
of the process
THE FOUR P’s
EVALUATE &
REPEAT
hare what you learn with your
community, employees, and other
organizations

18. What are the
challenges and how
can they be
overcome?
LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING
OR ACCEPTANCE
LEARNING CURVE
o one understands what
sustainability means!
• Put it in terms that resonate, not
rattle
• Avoid polarizing topics
• Focus on what matters to your
audience most: cost-savings,
increased safety, healthier options,
mechanisms for evaluation
LEADERSHIP
WHERE DO WE
START?
he big ugly C-word: CHANGE!
• Start engagement early
• Maintain transparency
• Allow the pace to evolve – don’t

19. What are the
challenges and how
can they be
overcome?
LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING
OR ACCEPTANCE
LEARNING CURVE
now what you know
now what you DON’T know
ou aren’t the first to hit this wall
and you won’t be the last
LEADERSHIP
WHERE DO WE
START?
sk for help – some of it is free or
cheap!

20. What are the
challenges and how
can they be
overcome?
LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING
OR ACCEPTANCE
here is no champion for
sustainability in my community!
have no authority to make big
changes!
LEARNING CURVE
LEADERSHIP
WHERE DO WE
START?
ne person can only do so much!

21. What are the
challenges and how
can they be
overcome?
LACK OF
UNDERSTANDING
OR ACCEPTANCE
LEARNING CURVE
LEADERSHIP
WHERE DO WE
START?
xactly where you are: HERE!
here is no “right” time or place to
start
ind one opportunity for
improvement, engage one other
community member or group,
develop one step that could be
taken in the near term
alk about it & enroll others

22. Thank you!
Allyson Pumphrey
Sustainable Catalyst Partners LLC
Sustainability Planning & Consulting
allyson@scp-llc.com