EFFECTIVE DATE: January 12, 2017.
SUBJECT: Requiring City staff to evaluate and implement sustainable infrastructure best practices for all projects proposed by Salt Lake City Corporation and its agencies.
BACKGROUND.
Salt Lake City Corporation is committed to the efficient use of all resources, including water, energy, and land. Infrastructure that is designed to mimic, restore, or minimally impact nature is proven to effectively reduce resource use, manage stormwater flows, improve water quality, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and better regulate air temperatures. Investment in sustainable infrastructure creates long-term economic and social benefits while reducing negative impact on the natural environment. As such, the City aims to lead by example through (a) conducting a sustainable infrastructure code review; (b) preserving existing and incorporating new sustainable infrastructure elements in City-sponsored projects; and (c) adapting municipal operations to emphasize the integration of sustainable infrastructure in City plans.
Every year the City invests $200 million in a wide range of capital improvement projects to update and improve aging infrastructure, many of which have significant potential to either help mitigate or exacerbate the community’s climate change impacts, as well as ongoing City operational costs. This Executive Order requires that all City infrastructure projects strive to integrate sustainable infrastructure to the extent deemed appropriate and feasible, and calls for the creation and implementation of a process to evaluate these projects for opportunities to incorporate sustainable infrastructure best practices.
All City departments should have opportunities to evaluate projects; The Order pertains to all aspects of City planning and projects that could help integrate more sustainable infrastructure elements.
Through implementation of this Order, the City will enhance interdepartmental coordination, preserve existing green infrastructure, better meet state and federal regulatory requirements, test and advance sustainable infrastructure best practices specifically within an arid context, and better ensure the responsible use of City resources. Including more sustainable infrastructure elements in projects throughout the City will demonstrate feasibility for private developers to follow suit, and if implemented effectively, sustainable infrastructure (as both a product and its process) can improve the City’s water quality and ecological vitality, generate economic benefits, foster greater climate resilience, and improve the health and quality of life for Salt Lake City residents.
Now, therefore, I enact this Executive Order:
Section 1: DEFINITIONS.
1.1 “City Infrastructure Projects” means the elements which support the day-to-day functions of the City or provide amenities for its residents. Projects involve some measure of City investment either through direct ownership or private partnership. Examples of City Infrastructure Projects may include, but are not limited to the construction and maintenance of roads, parks, buildings, as well as water delivery, stormwater and sewage distribution systems.
1.2 “Sustainable Infrastructure” means practices or the designing, building and operation of structural elements, which support the day-to-day function of the City without compromising the long-term social, economic, and ecological vitality of a place. Projects include, but are not limited to green infrastructure, solar panels, bicycle lanes, and building materials made from reclaimed or ecologically responsible resources.
Section 2: SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE PROCESS.
2.1
Sustainable Infrastructure
Steering Committee. No later than one month from the execution of this
order, the Mayor shall appoint representatives to a Sustainable Infrastructure
Steering Committee (Steering Committee) from, at a minimum, each of the
following departments: Airport; Public Services; Community and
Neighborhoods”(specifically a representative from the each of the
Transportation, Planning and Engineering Divisions); Sustainability; Economic
Development (including RDA); Fire; Police; and Public Utilities. The Steering
Committee will be responsible for ensuring implementation of the requirements
noted in Sections 3.1 through 3.3. The Steering Committee shall be co-chaired by
the Directors of Planning and of Public Utilities or their designees, and
represented departments shall provide staff support as necessary. The Steering
Committee, with oversight from Sustainability, shall develop a process including
rules, templates, and guidance to assist departments in complying with this
Order.
2.2 Sustainable Infrastructure Process. The departments participating in the Steering Committee will collectively be responsible for developing a Sustainable Infrastructure Process promptly after execution of this Order. The Process shall include rules which identify scope and applicability, and strategies to incorporate sustainable infrastructure elements from project development through deployment and ongoing operation for City Infrastructure projects. The Steering Committee shall develop templates to assist departments in identifying budgetary needs to incorporate sustainable infrastructure elements and to report outcomes of the project.
2.3 Process development shall include, but not be limited to:
2.3.1 Sustainable Infrastructure Opportunities:
a. Identifying opportunities for the integration of sustainable infrastructure systems and practices into existing city programs;
b. Development of technical guidance for implementation of sustainable infrastructure systems and practices;
c. Establishing a timeframe for the implementation of sustainable infrastructure systems and practices associated with City properties and constructed projects;
d. Identifying and undertaking sustainable infrastructure research and monitoring studies to assess progress and advance knowledge on best practices for an arid context; and
e. Identifying on-going and sustainable funding sources to support interdepartmental planning, coordination, and implementation efforts.
2.3.2
Efficient Resource Use:
a. Developing effective green infrastructure systems and low impact designs to mitigate flooding, improve infiltration and groundwater recharge, protect and improve stormwater, wastewater, and drinking water quality, and allow for water re-use;
b. Incorporating the use of renewable energy sources, and strategies for increasing energy efficiency to reduce energy demand;
c. Employing land and space-efficient strategies, such as green roofs (i.e., taking advantage of unused space in the built environment to offer ecosystem services); and
d. Generating infrastructure systems that mimic natural systems, including incorporating ecosystem services into infrastructure design, employing “closed-loop” design parameters to mitigate waste, and considering urban infrastructure in terms of interdependent systems.
2.3.3 Health Benefits for People and Ecosystems:
a. Improving quality and flood control through green infrastructure systems and low impact designs;
b. Fostering connectivity through linear parks and greenways that allow for healthy modes of transportation, reduce vehicular pollution, and foster greater habitat continuity;
c. Restoring and cultivating urban forests, parks, and other natural areas that foster ecosystem health (adequate biodiversity, soil composition, etc.), regulate urban air temperatures, and create more habitable micro-climates for further ecosystem growth; and
d. Advancing wellbeing and quality of life through holistic systems such as complete streets (i.e., integrating transit, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities, stormwater management, ecosystem services) or community gardens (i.e., integrating local food production, healthy lifestyles, community engagement).
2.3.4 Employee Education:
a. Articulating the vision for sustainable infrastructure, why it is important, and what employees need to do to include it in their work. Includes communicating performance expectations and how progress will be measured.
b. Building competencies required for managing/participating in sustainable infrastructure initiatives. Includes providing employee education and training on sustainable infrastructure as it relates to technical skills, including when to incorporate sustainable infrastructure strategies in City projects.
c. Creating opportunities for project-based learning, including a continuous improvement program to review projects and processes. Includes providing necessary resources to support engagement, e.g., education and training budget, time, information, backfilling.
d. Motivating employees to commit to sustainable infrastructure; show its benefits and the importance of their contributions. Includes soliciting and addressing questions and concerns; rewarding behaviors needed to support green infrastructure; and celebrating accomplishments.
2.3.5 Public Engagement:
a. Developing opportunities for public engagement in sustainable infrastructure conversation.
b. Working with partner organizations and alliances to develop best practices in sustainable infrastructure development, management, and metrics.
c. Develop policy and standards for the implementation of sustainable infrastructure practices in private development.
2.4 Sustainable Infrastructure Design Pilot Projects. The Steering Committee will be responsible for identifying criteria for deciding which City infrastructure projects (or public-private partnerships) will be part of the pilot project program. The City will identify three projects to pilot the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System within a year from when the Order is executed with the goal of determining if this process could be an effective way of evaluating sustainable infrastructure opportunities in City projects.
Section 3.0:
COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF CITY CODE
3.1 The Steering Committee will conduct a review of all City Code to identify opportunities and barriers to incorporating sustainable infrastructure.
Section 4.0: RULES AND EXEMPTIONS
4.1
Any exception to this Executive Order will only apply as approved by the
Mayor.
(Signed by Mayor Jacqueline M. Biskupski on January 12, 2017)
CURRENT REFERENCES:
EFFECTIVE DATE OF ORIGINAL ORDER: January 12, 2017