Conservation, not Coal
August
9
2007
Currently, I’m traveling across the country to learn what cities like Chapel Hill and Asheville,
The Fiscal Sanity of Saving Planet Earth
July
17
2007
Council Members Lioneld Jordan, Adella Gray, Brenda Thiel and Mayor Dan Coody at the 2007 ICLEI Conference in Fayetteville, AR.
On Saturday July 14, 2007 the Northwest Arkansas Times published an editorial which I co-wrote with Michelle Wyman, Executive Director of ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability. The column highlighted the sustainability conference held in Fayetteville last week. This was truly an amazing event, and I can assure you that many folks left with a new and improved impression of the State of Arkansas and a true appreciation for the progressive, sustainable city into which Fayetteville has grown. In case you missed the column, I have pasted a copy below. Also, the Fayetteville Government Channel will be airing many of the conference sessions, keynote addresses, and workshops, and you can purchase a DVD copy of any of these programs from the government channel.
Summer of Sustainability: City wins climate protection award
July
10
2007
We should proclaim this the Summer of Sustainability in Fayetteville. We have received a very prestigious award; we are hosting an international conference on climate change; we are already seeing evidence of energy savings resulting from minor behavior modifications among city employees and major changes such as the transition to bio-diesel.
Fayetteville is charting a course to become a truly sustainable city. When John Coleman came on board in May as the new sustainability coordinator - the first position of its kind in the state of Arkansas - I knew that the City would begin to make real progress in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint as an organization, minimize our impact on climate change, and become a role model for other cities, organizations, and individuals looking to implement more sustainable practices. I just didn’t know we would make so much progress so quickly, and I never expected us to receive the national and international recognition as a leader in the sustainability movement. Many of you may already know that last month as I was attending the US Conference of Mayors (USCM) annual meeting in Los Angeles, CA, the City of Fayetteville was honored with a significant award: the City won first place in the small cities category for the very first Mayors’ Climate Protection Award sponsored by the USCM and Wal-Mart. Read the rest of this entry »
Energy Saving Behaviors at the City: Mandatory
June
12
2007
Fayetteville’s City Government is responsible for approximately 30,000 tons of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere in 2006 with an expected growth rate of 8 percent per year. Emitting these gases cost the City $1.9 million in the form of utility expenses, $881,000 in fuel consumption and untold costs in waste management. In light of these facts, I issued a memo to all City of Fayetteville employees last week mandating the following behavior changes to reduce energy consumption:
City Encourages Alternative Transportation Options, Opts for Fuel Efficiency in City Fleet
June
1
2007
The peak travel season is upon us, and many of you are busy making your summer vacation plans. If you are like me, the cost of fuel has become a much larger budget consideration than in years past. As much as I would like to hope that we’ll see some relief at the pump, I believe high gas prices are here to stay. With steady demand nationally, increasing demand internationally, and myriad supply issues related to capacity and security, we should expect prices to continue to ratchet up. Some forecasters are even suggesting we brace ourselves for $4.00/gallon prices. I can’t predict how high prices will reach this summer, but I can tell you that the new fuel reality is changing the way we do business at City Hall.
Transportation Improvement Plan: Construction Underway
May
29
2007
In September 2006, City of Fayetteville voters passed a sales tax bond election in part to fund $68 million in transportation improvements, and today we broke ground on the first of fourteen projects. While the design phase for each project is underway, the Wilson Park and Washington-Willow Traffic Calming Project is the first to reach construction phase. And the good news is the project came in 40% under estimate. The project includes the installation of 22 speed tables and 3 landscaped islands. If you live in or travel through these neighborhoods and want to see exactly where the installations will be located, stop by the City’s Engineering Office and take a look at the map.
Keeping Up With Public Safety Infrastructure
May
21
2007
The safety and well being of our citizenry depends on well-equipped and well-trained employees who are able and willing to serve and protect this community. It is my job as Mayor to make sure that we enable those public servants to do their jobs efficiently, effectively, and professionally. Keeping up our public safety infrastructure to meet the growing demands of our community is the best way to ensure that our police officers and firefighters have the resources to do their jobs and to do them well.
Sustainability Coordinator on the Job
May
15
2007
Today was a very exciting day in Fayetteville as the City’s new Sustainability Coordinator, John Coleman, led the first City of Fayetteville Sustainability Team meeting. With representatives from various divisions across city government, John presented his short and long terms plans for minimizing the City’s carbon footprint and reducing energy consumption.
Fayetteville Strives for Deeper Green
May
7
2007
The International Panel on Climate Change just released its latest report on the state of our environment. It has become abundantly clear everyone needs to do all we can to reduce our carbon emissions into our atmosphere if we expect to see our quality of life preserved for ourselves and for future generations.
Welcome to our new Website
May
4
2007
Welcome to our new website and the Mayor’s Blog. I’ll be posting regularly to this site beginning later this week . I intend to use this space to discuss current issues that I believe will be of interest to our citizens. Check this site out again in a few days.
Thanks,
Dan