By an 8-0 vote, Brighton City Council approved the city's first Sustainability Plan during the June 4 City Council meeting. The Sustainability Plan is a five-year strategic roadmap for all the city’s sustainability projects.
The Sustainability Plan is designed to foster a balanced approach to economic growth, environmental stewardship, and social well-being. By adopting this plan, the city aims to address the evolving needs of the community, focus resources on priority areas identified by residents, and measure progress toward achieving sustainability goals.
This plan was developed with input from city staff, analysis of regional sustainability plans adopted by other municipalities, and community feedback. In March, the city distributed its first community-wide sustainability survey, with 83 percent of respondents indicating that sustainability should be prioritized by the city.
The most popular sustainability themes that emerged from the survey results were incorporated into the plan’s major focus areas, including water conservation, energy efficiency and the built environment, mobility, and waste diversion. The plan also includes a list of measurements and key performance indicators that will be tracked through a public-facing dashboard, which will be launched later in the year.
“This plan has been thoughtfully developed over the last year and includes recommendations taken directly from residents and other Brighton stakeholders during the robust community engagement phase," said Traci McLean, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Brighton. "The projects, incentives, and educational opportunities that have been included truly capture the needs of the community. This is a significant step forward in advancing sustainability, and this plan is something we should all be proud of."