city council

Moorhead’s GreenStep environmental program was envisioned and developed by city workers. Shown here, from left: (First row) Mayor Shelly Carlson,Crystal Rayamajhi, Gabrielle Lommel, Zoe Johnson and Kristie Leshovsky. (Back row) Chuck Hendrickson, Whitney Oxendahl, Del Rae Williams, Steve Iverson and Dan Mahli. (Photo/Nancy Hanson)

The Moorhead City Council celebrated an achievement Monday – an award presented last week by the statewide sustainability program GreenStep Cities for achieving the top level of the five-step initiative to build resilience and inclusivity. Mayor Shelly Carlson and council member Chuck Hendrickson accepted the award at the League of Minnesota Cities conference in Duluth.

“This is big,” city manager Dan Mahli told the board, detailing how the city has moved from its first step in 2017 to the top echelon in 2022.

The GreenStep program was developed by a collaboration of state agencies and private groups dedicated to conservation of land and energy, including Minnesota Pollution Control, the Department of Commerce, Clean Energy Resource Teams, the Great Plains and Urban Land Institutes, the Isaak Walton League of Minnesota, Rethos: Places Reimagined, and the League of Minnesota Cities. The voluntary program’s goal is to challenge and recognize cities that are “green stars.”

The program has recognized 29 “best practices” in maintaining and increasing environmental and social goals. Topic areas include transportation, environmental management, resilient economic and community development,  The last category includes development of green businesses, renewable energy, local food sources and climate adaptation and resilience in the face of extreme weather and changing climatic conditions.

Mahli recognized the series of “amazing women” who have gathered and analyzed the data for which the city was recognized, including Whitney Oxendahl, Hayley Hilfer, Gabrielle Lommel, Zoe Johnson, Crystal Rayamajhi and community development director Kristie Leshovsky.

Rayamajhi, who joined the city as its sustainability director four months ago, noted that only 20% of participating GreenStep cities have achieved Step 5. She noted that recognition requires improvement in at least three areas. “We’ve improved in 11,” she said. Among them are progress in energy-efficient city lighting, planting trees, development of parks and trails, and handling of storm water. She also mentioned conversion of 15 acres of turf grass in M.B. Johnson and Southside Regional parks to native prairie plantings, as well as an active gardening program involving more than 200 local students.

Commented Mayor Shelly Carlson, “As the city of Moorhead, we’re overachievers!”