Thursday, September 20, 2018

Sustainability Real Talk—GreenStep Cities Workshop & Webinar Dates for 2018-2019



Registration:
Registration for all GSC workshops is now open!

You want to see what cities are *actually* doing on sustainability topics, learn more about resources to make your life easier, and generally feel less like an island and more like the connected, resiliency rockstar you know you can be. We get it.

The free GreenStep Cities Workshop and Webinar Series is here for you, and the 2018-2019 dates have been announced (see below). Your city does not have to be in the GreenStep Cities program for you to participate.

What you can expect:
  • Relevant topics like road design, using data, partnering with schools, and more.
  • Real talk about sustainability projects straight from the city staffers doing the work.
  • Inspiration and info about resources from other levels of gov, nonprofits, and the private sector you can use.
  • Connections with other city officials in the room ready to share their own experience.
This season the workshops will be held the first Wednesday of each month from 9-11 a.m., with the exception of January (second Wednesday). Attend in person at the League of Minnesota Cities in St. Paul—free parking, transit accessible, snacks, friendly faces—or tune in online from literally anywhere with a connection. May's workshop is on the road in Red Wing!

All the 2018-2019 dates:
Oct. 3—Climate Smart Municipalities: What We’ve Learned from Germany
Nov. 7—EcoDistricts: What City Leaders Learned from the National Conference
Dec. 5—GreenStep Metrics: Work Session on Gathering and Reporting Data
Jan. 9—Green Building Policies: City Case Studies & Policy
Feb. 6—Road Diets: City Case Studies & Policy
March 6—Shared Mobility & Electric Vehicles: What We’ve Learned from Cities
April 3—The Smart City: Energy & Dollars Saved by Smart Data Use
May 1—Deep Energy Efficiency: Red Wing City & School Accomplishments

See what you missed!
Looking for a specific topic? Check out the archived webinar presentations here:
2017-2018 workshops
2016-2017 workshops 


Tuesday, September 18, 2018

The Sep-Oct 2018 Issue of Minnesota Cities Magazine Is Now Online

The latest issue of Minnesota Cities magazine arrived last week, and can be found online at www.mncities.org. The September-October 2018 issue covers everything from LMC award winners to electronic OSHA reports.

Bonus: Printed copies and the online PDF of the magazine include the 2017-2018 Annual Report insert, which should be renamed to the "Working for Cities is 🔥 Report." (That's a good thing, FD folks, promise.)

Some more highlights:

Our cover story features C.C. Ludwig Award winner Mary Hamann-Roland (Apple Valley mayor) and James F. Miller Leadership Award winner Susan Arntz (Waconia city administrator). You can read about how they stand out from the crowd in League Honors Outstanding City Leaders.

Learn how to keep it simple—even when you know every nook and cranny of a subject—with the four communication tips in Crafting a Simple Message—If You Lose Them, You Can’t Persuade Them.

You know that welcoming service animals in public places is an important part of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Now dig deeper into what cities need to know in Meeting ADA Requirements for Service Animals.

More great features and regular departments include what's on the mind of Executive Director Dave Unmacht in St. Paul to City Hall, summaries of recent court cases in From the Bench, and the newest Focus on Small Cities, dedicated this issue to how a city of fewer than 700 residents is embracing sustainability.