Environmental Master Plan - Final Draft April 2011

Environmental Master PlanOur Environment, Our Future

April 18, 2011

2 EnvironmEntal mastEr plan

To the Citizens of Red Deer:Clean air, fresh water, more natural areas, cleaner transportation options, more renewable energy, less waste.

These are life-enhancing qualities that most people want and the residents of Red Deer are no exception. Red Deer’s Environmental Master Plan looks at the current state of the health of the city’s environment, sets up a benchmark for indicators that will give an overall picture of the environment in Red Deer, and establishes measurable targets to track environmental progress.

The Environmental Master Plan will act as the pillar for The City of Red Deer’s Municipal Sustainability Framework as directed in The City’s Strategic Plan. It outlines a vision for our shared environmental future, as well as targets and tools we can use to achieve that vision.

The environmental vision statement and the entire Plan have been created from input by: citizens at community and youth workshops; stakeholder meetings with local businesses and industries; community groups and developers; and online forums. Our thanks go to the hundreds of Red Deerians who shared their ideas and opinions.

This Plan is important to us; we all share the same environment. We also recognize that there are limited natural resources available to us, and that we share responsibility for taking care of the community we call home. The Environmental Master Plan can help The City, businesses and industry, community groups and residents move in the same direction towards a more resilient and sustainable community.

The Environmental Advisory Committee was given the responsibility by The City to guide the creation of the Environmental Master Plan. This committee is a group of citizens and two city councillors tasked with enhancing citizen engagement and decision making on environmental issues for The City of Red Deer. As such we have been actively involved in the development of the Plan since its inception.

The Environmental Advisory Committee will continue to be involved in the implementation of the Plan and to helping Red Deer achieve its environmental goals.

Sincerely,

Evan Bedford, Chair

Wayne Pander, Past Chair

Danielle Nederlof, Vice Chair

Other past and present members of the Environmental Advisory Committee:

Linda Cassidy, Grant Johnson, Wayne Morrow, Councillor Larry Pimm, Rod Schumacher, Kyla Therrien,

Ross Towers, Councillor Tara Veer, Don Wales, Councillor Frank Wong and Councillor Dianne Wyntjes

Support staff and Steering Committee:

Sara Alaric, Ligong Gan, Paul Goranson, Nancy Hackett, Julia Harvie-Shemko, Jerry Hedlund, Haley Horvath,

Lynn Iviney, Ken Lehman, Amber Mack, Jennifer Margach, Lauren Maris, Sanja Milinovic, Pam Vust and Tom

Warder from The City of Red Deer

Table of Contents

section 1

section 2

section 3

section 4

section 5

section 6

Executive Summary 1

Why an Environmental Master Plan 7

The Structure of the EMP 11

How to Measure Progress 19

Getting There 53

Corporate Strategies 55

Actions and Partnerships 69

Appendices 78 appendix A: Methodology

appendix B: Community Consultation Summary

appendix C: Environmental Impact Category Descriptors

appendix D: Criteria for Selecting Metrics

appendix E: Benchmarking Tool

appendix F: Example of Impact Assessment Tool

appendix G: Prioritization List

appendix H: Glossary*

*Italicized words throughout the document can be found in the Glossary


Executive Summary

As part of The City of Red Deer’s ongoing commitment to understanding, protecting and improving its environmental performance and public services, The City has developed this Environmental Master Plan (EMP). Reflecting the environmental goals of The City’s Strategic Plan, the Environmental Master Plan is a key tool in the implementation of The City’s Municipal Sustainability Framework. The EMP is the environmental pillar of The City’s five pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, social, cultural and governance. The intent of the Environmental Master Plan is to provide The City and the people of Red Deer with a road map to improved environmental performance. To achieve this, the Plan includes clear goals and measureable environmental targets, as well as recommendations for actions for both The City of Red Deer as a corporation and for the greater community.

2Halsall associatEs ltd. & Urban stratEgiEs inc.

Red Deer's Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions

The Environmental Master Plan is built around a 25 year vision for Red Deer’s Environmental future that was developed in collaboration with the people of Red Deer:

Red Deer actively enhances its rich natural environment and minimizes its ecological footprint through City leadership, community collaboration and active stewardship. Red Deer is a leading example of a resilient and sustainable community in which urban and natural systems are effectively integrated to the benefit of both.

To realize this vision a set of six core directions was developed. These core directions provide guidance to the overall development of the EMP and have shaped the specific actions and strategies that appear in the Plan. The core directions are as follows:

1. Encourage, Educate, Engage, Enable, Expect

2. Learn by Doing; Lead by Example

3. Make Decisions Using True Cost Accounting

4. Prioritize Active and Public Transportation

5. Manage Growth to Create Vital, Well-integrated, Compact Communities

6. Protect and Enhance Green Space

Focus Areas and Actions

The Environmental Master Plan is designed to be a living document that The City of Red Deer can use to track its environmental progress. To benchmark the city’s impact on the environment, and measure how it changes in the future, the Environmental Master Plan includes quantifiable environmental metrics grouped into seven focus areas: water, ecology, transportation, built environment, air, energy and waste. Each focus area includes an overarching goal, and between two and four metrics related to that goal. Each metric is described within the body of the EMP, including a discussion of the related target.

To focus The City’s implementation efforts, specific actions have been identified to help achieve the goals. Actions are identified that impact The City’s own operations or policies, as well as actions that are focused on programs or policies that affect the community. A detailed table of the priority actions is provided in Section 6, identifying a responsible department within The City of Red Deer and potential partners in both City departments and the community. The priority actions were selected from a longer list compiled through precedent research, with feedback from City staff and the community. The following pages provide a snapshot of the recommended priority actions.


Goals and priority actions for each Focus Area are:

WaterGoal: To improve the quality of our water resources and increase water conservation

Advance Storm Water Management Strategies City: Prepare an Integrated Storm Water Management Plan.Community: Review water and wastewater rate structures, which will draw attention to the value of water.

Encourage Water Conservation

City: Develop environmental standards for City buildings including water conservation measures (in accordance with policy 9.13 of the Municipal Development Plan).

Community: Replace water meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology in conjunction with replacement for electrical meters.

EcologyGoal: To protect and enhance the terrestrial and aquatic health of the natural heritage system

Increase the amount of land used for green space in the CityCity: Enhance the existing set-back policy to include water body and ecological protection related to Environmental Reserve setbacks under the Municipal Government Act. Community: Partner with community and development stakeholders to share ideas, explore opportunities and

develop conservation tools to preserve green space such as a land conservation trust, land purchase, land swaps, tax incentives and reserve dedications.

Increase the urban tree canopyCity & Community: Prepare and implement an Urban Forest Management Plan.

TransportationGoal: To prioritize active and public transportation

Develop active and public transportation infrastructureCity: Incorporate high level core directions of the Environmental Master Plan into the Integrated Transportation/Movement Study as appropriate; Integrate sustainability principles such as active transportation, increased modal split and complete streets into all aspects of transportation planning including traffic demand management and the Transit Master Plan. Community: Partner with Red Deer County, surrounding municipalities and local employers to establish regional commuting resources such as transit services, carpooling, shuttle and emergency ride programs.

Increase the walkability of neighbourhoodsCity: Engage the community to participate in walkability audits in their neighbourhoods. Community: Partner with school boards to implement a walking school bus program to encourage students to walk to school in 3 or more schools.


Built EnvironmentGoal: To create vital, well-integrated compact communities that minimize negative environmental impacts

Promote more compact development patternsCity: Develop city-wide infill guidelines and standards that emphasize minimum densities, compact form and environmental design standards (in accordance with policies 10.9 and 10.10 of the MDP). Include consideration of parking practices/policies that encourage rather than undermine transit and alternative forms of transportation.City: Undertake studies of both residential and commercial/industrial density in Red Deer to establish informed baselines and goals for future density targets.

Community: Partner with a developer to identify an infill pilot project on City land to demonstrate environmental design standards.

Increase opportunities for local food production

Community: Work with the community and developers to create a community garden stewardship initiative to facilitate the establishment and stewardship of additional community garden plots. Aim to introduce a new community garden each year for ten years.

AirGoal: To improve the air quality and reduce emissions

Create a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsCity: Conduct a GHG inventory analysis, and develop a corporate GHG emissions reduction plan.Community: Develop a Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan.

Reduce Air PollutionCity: Identify large emitters of air pollution within The City’s corporate operations. Identify strategies to mitigate the effects.

Community: Work with industries that have the most opportunity to reduce air pollution by identifying large emitters and potential strategies to mitigate their effects.

EnergyGoal: To reduce energy use and move towards using renewable energy sources.

Increase energy conservation of buildings

City: Replace electrical meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology for both residential and Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) customers.

City: Expand energy efficient street light program and work towards reducing the effects of light pollution.Community: Explore District Energy potential in high-density neighbourhoods.

Increase and promote use of renewable energy sources

Community: Partner with renewable energy providers and community stakeholders to provide information about private renewable energy options.

WasteGoal: To decrease the amount of waste going to landfill and increase waste diversion opportunities

Increase waste diversion from the City landfillCity: Update the Waste Management Master Plan.City: Review differential tipping fee structure to identify opportunities to encourage (incent) diversion.Community: Create an education campaign, toolkits and pilot projects around household and community composting. Community: Partner with developers and builders to advance recycling and diversion of construction waste on development sites.


Getting Started Implementation and making progress towards the targets described in this Plan will be a major undertaking and will not happen overnight. Success requires that the commitment to implement the EMP is in place. The following are highlighted recommendations for getting started with implementation. These recommendations are detailed in Section 4: Getting There.

• Endorse the EMP as an opportunity for The City to declare and demonstrate the environment as a priority

• Recognize that the EMP will take time to implement, but start now

• Identify key short-term corporate actions needed to get the ball rolling

• Dedicate appropriate resources to environmental initiatives

• Incorporate the EMP into City decision making.

• Keep people aware and in the loop

• Collaborate and build partnerships

Corporate Strategies The Environmental Master Plan identifies many actions for The City to undertake as a corporation. There are many ways The City can affect its environmental performance through changes to its own operations, policy development and how it makes decisions. Section 5 of the EMP details recommendations for how The City can change the way it approaches environmental initiatives. Recommendations are made in the following sections:

• Corporate structure

• Education and awareness

• City-wide policy

• Corporate operations

• Budget and decision making framework

• Performance benchmarking

directions and cor

Partnerships The development of an Environmental Master Plan is a strong step forward by The City of Red Deer to demonstrate its leadership and commitment to improved environmental performance. With support from The City’s many existing and emerging partners, the Environmental Master Plan can act as a catalyst to engage, involve and support others in improving Red Deer’s environment. The following is a preliminary list of existing and potential partners:

• Waskasoo Environmental Education Society

• Red Deer River Naturalists

• Red Deer Public Library

• Parkland Airshed Management Zone

• Red Deer County

• ReThink Red Deer

• Red Deer College

• Chamber of Commerce

• Red Deer school boards

• Red Deer River Watershed Alliance

• Canadian Home Builders' Association - Central Alberta

• Red Deer Construction Association

• Urban Development Institute

Businesses, industries, seniors, environmental groups, community associations, schools, families, professional organizations, students and all parts of the community have a role to play in helping to achieve Red Deer’s environmental goals. The body of the Plan describes the importance of partnerships and collaboration to success and provides examples and ideas of how to involve all of Red Deer in the implementation of the Plan.


Why an Environmental Master Plan

Today, Red Deer’s environment still defines the city’s identity. The former agricultural areas at the fringes of the city have continued to transform into new communities supporting Red Deer’s growing population; the natural resources that have long supported the city’s economy continue to provide jobs to many community members; and the Waskasoo Parks system, trails and open spaces provide year-round recreation and a sense of civic pride for the people of Red Deer.

The city and its citizens have benefited from the environment, but have also taken advantage of its resources. For instance, much of the existing built form, including the new low density residentially-focused greenfield communities on the periphery of the city and commercial areas along Gaetz Avenue, reinforces auto-dominated development patterns with high environmental impacts. While sustainability has become a strategic City priority, focused environmental principles have not yet been deeply embedded into the decision making frameworks or operations of The City, impacting the ability of The City of Red Deer to comprehensively address environmental issues or goals.

So what about Red Deer’s environmental future? How can we preserve, manage or enhance aspects of the environment to ensure that Red Deer’s future growth and

development as a city is balanced and sustainable? How can we maintain the high quality of life that the people of Red Deer have come to expect in their city for generations to come? How can we embed environmental principles within The City’s decision making process, to help focus and direct policy and programs to best protect the health of the environment?

To answer these questions, The City of Red Deer has developed Our Environment, Our Future: Red Deer’s Environmental Master Plan. The development of this Plan included extensive research and public engagement to identify the core environmental issues in Red Deer and determine what can be done to ensure Red Deer’s environmental future is a bright one.

To this end, the intent of the Environmental Master Plan is to:

• Establish measurable targets to track environmental progress

• Identify actions that will help us achieve our environmental vision

• Establish a decision making framework for The City to align its day-to-day operations, policy making and programs with environmental goals

section 1

Like many cities across Canada, Red Deer’s establishment and success as a settlement began with its environment. From the Red Deer River that provided fresh water and habitats rich with wildlife that supported the area’s earliest settlers, to the expansive and fertile land that drew early farmers and ranchers, Red Deer’s history and its success as a municipality have been closely tied to its environment.


About the Plan The Environmental Master Plan is connected to The City’s Strategic Plan, a high level document that provides guidance for what The City of Red Deer does as an organization and provides as programs and services to its citizens (described in the diagram below). The Strategic Plan directs The City to develop a Municipal Sustainability

Corporate Strategic PlanDescribes the vision, mission, goals, objectives and strategies for The City. It provides the framework and direction for all other City plans.

Growth Management PlansThese plans relate to land and how it is used in Red Deer in support of growth and redevelopment. Examples include the Inter-municipal Development Plan, Municipal Development Plan, Major Area Structure Plans, and annexation studies.

DevelopmentMaster PlansThese plans support infrastructure development and maintenance. Examples include transportation, environment, parks, and transit.

Community Character PlansThese plans identify the feel of the community. Examples include culture, recreation, and social plans.

Special Initiative Master PlansThese plans support new directions for The City. An example is the Greater Downtown Action Plan.

Corporate PlanningThese plans ensure the organization has the systems needed to provide services to the community. Examples include Enterprise Asset Management, Human Resources Master Plan, financial forecasting and planning.

Departmental Service PlansThese plans detail departmental and corporate actions arising from the Strategic Plan. These plans put the Strategic Plan into action by identifying operational activities and the use of resources.

Individual Work PlansYearly planning of an employee’s work in support of their department’s service plan.

Framework that addresses the five pillars of sustainabilty: cultural, social, environmental, economic and governance. The City has implemented the culture pillar through the development of its Community Culture Vision Plan. The Environmental Master Plan will be a key tool in the implementation of the environmental pillar of the Municipal Sustainability Framework and the sustainability objectives of the Strategic Plan.


About the Plan The Plan is a long term planning document that will guide The City's administration in its work. However, administration's actions are always subject to direction from Council, available budget, and current priorities and opportunities.

The Environmental Master Plan establishes a 25-year vision for Red Deer’s environmental future, core directions and focus areas. These three components provide the foundation for the Environmental Master Plan and were crafted through consultation with the community, youth and stakeholders groups. Achieving the environmental future envisioned by The City and the community through this process will require action - action from The City, the people of Red Deer, and its various business, educational and industrial communities.

This Environmental Master Plan frames the actions needed to work towards The City’s environmental vision. For each focus area, measurable targets along with specific City and community actions are set out to ensure that Red Deer as a whole is working together to achieve the vision. Actions referred to as "City" are those that impact The City’s own operations or policies, while those referred to as "Community" are focused on programs or policies that affect the greater community and involve action by both The City and community members.

The following describes the sections of the Plan:

Section 2: The Structure of The EMP Outlines the elements that give the Plan its grounding framework including the environmental vision statement, core directions, focus areas, environmental impact categories, metrics, benchmarking tool, and actions and partnerships.

Section 3: How to Measure Progress Includes identification of and rationale behind the metrics and targets that will be used to measure Red Deer’s environmental progress. Identifies priority actions and describes the individual metrics for each focus area . A range of additional actions are also provided for each metric. The monitoring and measurement of progress towards targets and reporting is also discussed in this section.

Section 4: Getting ThereDescribes a set of recommendations to set the basis for the Plan’s implementation.

Section 5: Corporate Strategies Includes recommendations for how The City of Red Deer can modify its own internal approach to environmental initiatives and suggests areas for corporate changes to advance Red Deer’s environmental goals.

Section 6: Actions and Partnerships Provides detailed information about the priority actions identified in each focus area including The City of Red Deer's department responsible for implementation and potential partners within The City and the community.


The Structure of the EMP

The Environmental Master Plan is built on an understanding of Red Deer's environmental needs and priorities as summarized in the background review entitled the Situation Assessment. Through discussion with City Councillors, City staff, civic leaders and the wider community the environmental vision statement and core directions were developed, creating the foundation of the Plan. All targets and recommendations contained within this Plan respond to the environmental vision statement and core directions.

section 2


EMP EnvironmentalVision Statement

MetricsFocus Areas

Environmental Impact Categories

Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool

Actions &Partnerships

The environmental vision statement defines what is important to the community; the core directions provide the guiding principles that will be followed to achieve their vision. The environmental impact categories classify the environmental issues facing Red Deer and work in conjunction with the core directions, guiding the decision making process. The focus areas provide a way to organize the environmental issues into compelling categories that resonate with the community. Within these focus areas, metrics have been selected and defined to measure and monitor the environmental issues identified; target values for each metric have been established and compiled in a benchmarking tool; and, lastly, actions and partnerships are suggested as the beginning of the road map for progress.


Red Deer’s environmental vision statement is:


MetricsFocus Areas


Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool


Red Deer actively enhances its rich natural environment and minimizes its ecological footprint through City leadership, community collaboration and active stewardship. Red Deer is a leading example of a resilient and sustainable community in which urban and natural systems are effectively integrated to the benefit of both.


The following core directions are the guiding principles that will be used to pursue The City’s environmental vision:

Encourage, Educate, Engage, Enable, Expect

With support from community organizations and champions, The City of Red Deer can deliver an effective engagement, awareness and constituent building process. This process will highlight the importance of environmental stewardship, and foster ongoing dialogue, information and resources that both enable and empower The City and individuals to improve their ecological footprints.

Learn by Doing; Lead by Example

The City of Red Deer will lead with innovation, including creating low-impact developments, and implementing operational approaches that reduce The City’s environmental impact. Through these initiatives, the knowledge, skills and expertise of local citizens, businesses and City staff will be advanced. The City’s energy use, waste processing, transportation, and operational decisions will emphasize renewable and healthy concepts that minimize adverse environmental impacts.

Make Decisions Using True Cost Accounting

When evaluating decisions (fiscal, policy, and procurement), The City of Red Deer will consider the impacts respecting the Municipal Sustainability Framework’s five pillars of environment, society, culture, economy, and governance. New initiatives selected will optimize all five. This will maximize the long-term health of Red Deer’s community, environment and economy.

Prioritize Active and Public Transportation

The City of Red Deer will create a walkable, bike-friendly and transit first community, allowing its citizens a full range of mobility options for neighbourhood and city-wide destinations.

Manage Growth to Create Vital, Well-integrated, Compact Communities

The City of Red Deer will ensure sensitive intensification that respects the existing community and built form. The intent of this intensification is the creation of complete, age friendly and pedestrian friendly communities in all areas of the city. Future growth will focus on the integration of land use with transit planning, and the creation of meaningful connections to green or open spaces, and daily amenities. Revitalization and sensitive intensification in the downtown core would serve to connect residents with their community and its history, strengthening the economic and social heart of the city.

Protect and Enhance Green Space

The City of Red Deer’s green spaces include the network of natural areas, watersheds, parks and trails, and in some cases, street landscapes. These areas serve a variety of functions including preservation of ecosystems, water quality protection, wildlife habitat, carbon capture, alternative transportation, health and recreation, natural heritage and pollution filtration. The City of Red Deer will grow the Waskasoo and neighbourhood parks system by creating green links between existing and new park spaces, and enhancing habitat for valuable and endangered species. The main spine and new branches of the park network will connect residents with places of work, schools, commercial areas and essential services, and will be well used for transportation, recreation, and surface storm water management.


MetricsFocus Areas


Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool




MetricsFocus Areas


Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool


Goal: To prioritize active and public transportation

Transportation

Goal: To create vital compact communities that minimize negative environmental impacts

Built Environment

Goal: To reduce energy use and move towards using renewable energy sources

Energy

Goal: To improve the air quality and reduce emissions

Air

Goal: To improve the quality of our water resources and decrease water consumption

Water

Goal: To decrease the amount of waste going to landfill and increase waste diversion opportunities

Waste

Goal: To protect and enhance the terrestrial and aquatic health of the natural heritage system

Ecology


Cities and communities are facing a broad range of known environmental issues, impacts and trends, many of which are well beyond their direct control but nonetheless are impacting their environmental health. Understanding and categorizing the range of these issues is important because it provides some structure for understanding the ways in which cities contribute to environmental impacts and what kinds of measurements can track those impacts. The environmental impact categories listed below are drawn from research done by Environment Canada, the US EPA and other environmental agencies.

Climate ChangeLand PollutionAir PollutionWater PollutionWater ConsumptionPersistent Bioaccumulative PollutionBiodiversity HealthProductive Land Area LossThis categorization has been adapted and used to develop environmental metrics, quantifiable measurements to track environmental progress. Further detail on environmental impact categories can be found in Appendix C.


MetricsFocus Areas


Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool



Actions and partnerships are ways to implement the Environmental Master Plan. In Section 3, priority actions are identified for each focus area, correlating to a goal. A longer list of additional actions have been identified to relate to each metric. Priority actions have been identified at both The City and community levels.


MetricsFocus Areas


Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool


Metrics track environmental progress and are identified within each focus area. These metrics define how the city’s environmental performance will be measured and reported. Each focus area includes between two and four metrics. Each metric has a corresponding target that was developed for Red Deer based on precedent information from other communities and Red Deer’s place-specific characteristics. They leverage, where possible, data already being collected or that can be collected by The City.

The benchmarking tool is a comprehensive list of all the focus areas, metrics and corresponding targets. The tool also includes a rationale for why metrics were chosen as well as detailed precedent information on each of the metrics describing other community targets. The benchmarking tool is presented in a table format in Appendix E: Benchmarking Tool. Furthermore, Section 3: How to Measure Progress takes key information from the benchmarking tool and provides details for each focus area.


MetricsFocus Areas


Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool



MetricsFocus Areas


Core Directions

Benchmarking Tool



How to Measure Progress

This section defines and describes how the metrics and their targets were developed to support the environmental vision statement and core directions. It provides a list of priority actions for each focus area, and additional actions that can be implemented to help Red Deer achieve its environmental targets. This section also provides guidelines for monitoring and measuring the progress towards these targets.

section 3

Establishing MetricsThe metrics selected for the EMP shape how The City’s environmental progress will be measured and reported. Metrics provide a quantifiable measurement of progress towards a target. The metrics included in the EMP were selected to be effective, clear, relevant and appropriate in scale. They have also been selected with consideration for what The City of Red Deer is already measuring. Metrics reflect a measurement of the overall quality or condition of one aspect of the environment or they measure the success of a City initiative to improve the environment. Within each focus area two to four metrics have been identified.

Setting TargetsTargets and timelines are presented for each of the metrics. The targets are based on a City of Red Deer baseline (i.e. where you are now), if known. They have been carefully selected based on: research of industry standards and other municipality experiences; expert advice from many City departments and the province of Alberta; and, most importantly, on the wants and needs indicated by The City and community members. Targets are defined for the years 2015, 2020, and 2035 where possible (5, 10, and 25 year timeline).

Where a baseline is unknown, targets will be set once the baseline is known. More challenging targets are those associated with many metrics, or that are of significant importance to Red Deer or to greater environmental issues.


Implementing Actions and StrategiesAction is required to achieve the core directions and vision of the Environmental Master Plan. Priority actions are provided for each focus area that correspond to a goal. In each focus area priority actions related to The City’s own operations and polices are identified, along with actions and policies that affect the greater community. The goals and corresponding actions were chosen because they are:

• areas where performance most needs to be improved;

• an action that would achieve significant impact;

• easy to implement in terms of effort and time;

• cost effective; or

• build on existing strengths or current environmental initiatives.

These priority actions have been selected from a longer list compiled through precedent research, City staff and community input. A longer list of actions for The City to implement over time is provided according to each metric. Corporate strategies, which are recommended changes to the way The City internally approaches environmental initiatives, are also detailed in Section 5: Corporate Strategies.

In some cases actions will overlap; some will serve as a platform for others, or contribute to more than one target. The effectiveness and progress for each of the actions should be evaluated on a regular, potentially annual basis.

In selecting actions to implement, The City must balance financial and non-financial measures, consider the five pillars of sustainability, and look at community and operational objectives. To assist in this challenging decision making process, an example Impact Assessment Tool is provided in Appendix F which illustrates how various actions, or projects, could be compared to reach a decision that makes sense for Red Deer. This tool will also help to evaluate ideas as they emerge. For example, the question of the value of action on light and noise pollution arose towards the end of this process.

Starting the Measurement Process Setting environmental targets and measuring progress is still a new process for many municipalities. Often there is not enough data to definitively say that a specific strategy aimed at achieving a target will be successful. Monitoring and measuring performance provides feedback on the progress made towards achieving the targets. It gives an indication of the effectiveness of the actions implemented to date and what future actions should be planned for. In some cases, more detailed analysis and measuring may be required to answer these questions.

It is important to maintain perspective with respect to the targets and timelines. Some metrics will be affected by events out of The City’s control. For example, forest fires occurring many kilometres from Red Deer can affect the air quality. Reporting should include feedback on actions or conditions within The City’s control, conditions over which The City has influence but no control, and conditions over which The City has no control.

Reporting on what is measured and monitored creates a dialogue between Council, municipal departments, and the public. Providing information that the community can easily access increases engagement, generates new ideas and instills ownership for Red Deer’s environmental future. Reports should be made on an annual basis externally and perhaps as frequently as once a quarter internally.

The Environmental Master Plan itself will require periodic updating (about every 5 years) to reflect how the community is changing and update the information learned from the measuring and monitoring process.

The following pages detail the metrics, targets, desired outcomes and actions for each focus area.


Why should we do this?The Red Deer River is an important resource for the city.It provides a natural heritage system, drinking water for residents, water for commercial and industrial use, and supports a rich ecosystem. New integrated water management approaches that encompass the economic, social and environmental benefits of water conservation are the cornerstone to ensuring adequate quantities of high quality water for the future. The community needs to shift its perspectives in water consumption from supply to conservation.

What initiatives have been undertaken in Red Deer? • Storm water wetland detention facilities in all new

developments• Water Conservation Strategy• Naturescaping Contest• Rain Barrel sales• Toilet Rebate Program • Red Deer River Watershed Alliance State

of the Watershed Report

WaterGoal: To improve the quality of our water resources and increase water conservation

What are priority City and community actions to achieve the goal? City• Prepare an Integrated Storm Water Management Plan • Develop environmental standards for City buildings including water conservation measures

(in accordance with policy 9.13 of the Municipal Development Plan)

Community• Review water, wastewater and storm water rate structures, which will draw attention to the value of water• Replace water meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology in conjunction

with replacement for electrical meters


Water

Where is Red Deer now? Where is Red Deer going?

Water ConsumptionPotable water consumption provided through municipal water supply, per capita (L/cap/day)

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Create a program to educate and assist ICI customers on

how to do water audits and reduce their consumption.

2. Create a rain water capture program to promote the use of rain water for irrigation, building on the success of the existing rain barrel sales program.

3. Work with public sector partners to encourage on-site rain water collection for irrigation and other uses.

4. Continue to provide incentives for low flow fixtures and appliances.

5. Promote the Naturescaping contest as a means to educate and encourage water conservation measures for residential irrigation; aim to increase participation by 100% in 2011 and by 50% each of the following years for three years.

6. Explore using waste water effluent for irrigation at Riverbend Golf Course.

15%

8%

25%

2020 TARGET

2015 TARGET

2035 TARGET

Baseline

2009: Residential: 242 L/cap/dayICI: 135 L/cap/day

For all categories reduce from baseline by:

Why use this Metric? To monitor the amount of potable water being consumed.

Given that potable water in Red Deer is provided by the municipality, this metric provides a readily available measurement of the amount of water consumed by the Red Deer community.

Where is the data from? The formula used is: quantity of water (in cubic metres)/population (from census) x 1000 (to convert to litres)/365 days. Quantity for Residential is the total use from Residential and Multi-family; quantity for ICI is the total of Commercial and Municipal users.


Water


Water Quality of Receiving WaterbodiesMeasurement will be defined by results from the Urban Impact Risk Assessment for Alberta Environment

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Measure and monitor quality, peak flow, and quantity

of storm water (entering creeks) and use this information to inform strategies related to this metric.

2. Establish a water quality monitoring program at key points along the Red Deer River and creek tributaries to determine the city's impact, analyse the river's capacity to handle pollutants, and develop methods to mitigate impacts.

3. Partner overland storm drainage and constructed wetlands with linear parks/green spaces/open spaces/pedestrian connections through use of bioswales or reconstructed waterways.

4. Review the salt management plan for road maintenance with a focus on minimizing salt used.

TBD**2015 TARGET

Baseline

TBD*

Why use this Metric? To monitor the key elements that affect water quality in order to assess and reduce urban development impact on the environment, particularly rivers and creeks.

Utilizing the provincial and federal standards, this metric introduces a level of assessment in upstream and downstream locations to better understand the range of impacts of the city on Red Deer’s rivers, creeks and waterbodies. A risk assessment evaluation, undertaken by The City for Alberta Environment, will evaluate the urban impact on Red Deer's rivers, creeks, and waterbodies.

Where is the data from? An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown*

* River monitoring will start in 2011 and targets will be established in 2015 in conjunction with the Urban Impact Risk Assessment for Alberta Environment

**Recommended targets based on comparative situations can be found in Appendix E: Benchmarking Tool


Why should we do this?Natural heritage lands and urban forest coverage provide a range of ecological functions that sustain our quality of life, and the broader health of the natural environment.

Ensuring biodiversity health in Red Deer means addressing three related imperatives: (1) protect, restore and enhance the health and connections in and between natural areas; (2) reduce the encroachment on natural heritage lands and other greenfield areas by adopting best-practice approaches to higher density development; and 3) reduce the amount of contaminants being introduced into the natural heritage and ecological systems in Red Deer.

What initiatives have been undertaken in Red Deer? • Ecological Profile System• Red Deer River Naturalists leaders in habitat stewardship• River and Tributaries Concept Master Plan

(Adopted July 26, 2010)• Development plans circulated to Red Deer River

Naturalists and Waskasoo Environmental Education Society

• Annual creek inventories

Ecology Goal: To protect and enhance the terrestrial and aquatic health of the natural heritage system

What are priority City and community actions to achieve the goal? City• Enhance the existing set-back policy to include water body and ecological protection related

to Environmental Reserve setbacks under the Municipal Government Act• Prepare and implement an Urban Forest Management Plan

Community• Prepare and implement an Urban Forest Management Plan• Partner with community and development stakeholders to share ideas, explore opportunities and develop conservation

tools to preserve green space such as a land conservation trust, land purchase, land swaps, tax incentives and reserve dedications


Ecology


Natural Areas Land within the city's developed area devoted to native natural features (native tree stands, wetlands, seasonal streams, grasslands and associated biodiversity)

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Re-evaluate storm water management policy relating

to use of facilities as part of the municipal reserve requirement as outlined in the Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines.

2. Use ecological profiles in conjunction with a GIS to identify and preserve natural areas, and quantify natural features and biodiversity prior to development application.

3. Prioritize the protection of natural areas in conjunction with recreation open space as a key element of new neighbourhood design.

Baseline

2009: 863 ha 5%

10%20%

2020 TARGET

2035 TARGET

2015 TARGET

Increase from baseline by:

Why use this Metric? To assess and monitor the proportion of the land base on which native natural features exist.

Red Deer's natural ecosystem is a point of pride for the community. The preservation and dedication of native natural features will help improve the health and the longevity of native natural systems.

Where is the data from? Parks determined natural areas within the city’s developed area using the PARKS GIS inventory system partnered with spacial information that Parks manages for areas outside of the City Growth Boundary. PARKS GIS inventory is based on ecosystem information specific to habitat areas: protected (City owned or easement), Regional Ecospace, Neighbourhood Ecospace, Wetland Ecospace, and MacConnal Park.


Ecology


What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Introduce naturalization programs for boulevards, right

of ways or park areas.

2. Encourage roof top gardens and living roofs; consider incorporation of living roofs into all new City buildings.

Man-Made Green Areas Land devoted to man-made natural features (city parks, turf areas, shrub beds and naturalization areas)

Baseline

2009: 809 ha 5%

10%20%

2020 TARGET

2035 TARGET

2015 TARGET

Increase from baseline by:

Why use this Metric? To measure and expand the amount of land enhanced for landscaping naturalization.

Measuring land dedicated to man-made parks and open spaces will provide an indication of the balance between built environment and open space. Public open space provides opportunities to increase the amount of permeable surfaces, re-naturalization and native species within the city. Open spaces can also be utilized to prevent urban encroachment on natural systems and create areas rich with biodiversity. Naturalization will encourage growth of native plant species and native wildlife.

Where is the data from? The total land base maintained by The City of Red Deer's Parks section less natural areas described in that metric.



Ecology

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Review and develop a turf and tree

management policy (i.e. around use of pesticides, fertilizers, etc.).

Integrated Pest ManagementVolume of toxic pest control product used per acre of municipal owned land (ml/per acre)

Corporate:

5%

2%

10%

2020 TARGET

2015 TARGET

2035 TARGET

Baseline

2009: 210 ml/acre

Reduce from baseline by:

Why use this Metric? To measure and decrease the use of toxic pest control products on municipally owned land since they contribute to air, water and ground contamination.

Pest control chemicals can pollute several ecological systems, including air, water and soil. Reducing or eliminating our reliance on toxic pest control will contribute to a healthier Red Deer. An integrated approach to pest management is required to ensure the most ecologically sensitive means of control are used. The ultimate result is benefit to the community members and restoration of natural ecosystem functions.

Where is the data from? The total amount of pesticide used divided by the total parks land mass, as provided by Parks.


Ecology


What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Partner with residents to consider a private tree

protection system considering City approval for removal of trees on public and private lands over a certain calliper, age or uniqueness.

2. Enhance or expand forestry programs to provide native plants to community members or community groups to encourage growth of the tree canopy on private or public property.

3. Continue to enforce tree planting and native species requirements for new developments through the Land Use Bylaw.

4. Partner with third party funders to expand community based restorative tree planting events.

Urban Forestry Urban forest coverage (percentage of area within the city's developed area covered by tree canopy)

TBD**

TBD**2030 TARGET

2020 TARGET

Increase canopy baseline to:Baseline

2014: TBD*Community:

Why use this Metric? To measure and increase the amount of the city's developed area that has an urban forest canopy coverage. Increasing the number of trees in Red Deer, and thus the canopy area, reduces storm water runoff, increases air and water quality and carbon storage, and has a natural cooling effect through shade. This reduces the need and expense of building infrastructure to manage air and water resources. Red Deer’s growth in tree canopy area also helps the parks and trails systems link to one another, which increases biodiversity health.

Where is the data from? An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown*

* Red Deer Parks Section is completing an inventory of the urban forest coverage and expects to have a baseline established by 2014.

**Recommended targets based on comparative situations can be found in the Appendix E: Benchmarking Tool


Why should we do this?Vehicles contribute to air and water pollution through vehicle exhaust. In addition, the infrastructure such as roads and parking contribute to storm water runoff and heat island effect, and occupy land that could be set aside as green or living space. Reducing automobile use and encouraging alternatives such as cycling, walking or public transit will promote healthy lifestyles, reduce GHG emissions, mitigate negative impacts on water, and preserve land area and money for other uses besides road infrastructure.

What initiatives have been undertaken in Red Deer? • Clean diesel buses• Bike & Ride Program• Better Bicycle Commuting encourages

commuting by Bicycle• Trails Master Plan (2005)• Waskasoo Park-system multi-use trails

Transportation Goal: To prioritize active and public transportation

What are priority City and community actions to achieve the goal? City• Incorporate high level core directions of the Environmental Master Plan into the Integrated Transportation/Movement Study

as appropriate; Integrate sustainability principles such as active transportation, increased modal split and complete streets into all aspects of transportation planning including traffic demand management and the Transit Master Plan.

•Engage the community to participate in walkability audits in their neighbourhoods

Community:

• Partner with Red Deer County, surrounding municipalities and local employers to establish regional commuting resources such as transit services, carpooling, shuttle and emergency ride programs

• Partner with school boards to implement a walking school bus program to encourage students to walk to school in 3 or more schools

Transportation/Movement Study,


Transportation


VKT Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) per capita/ per day by car

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Evaluate trails and pathways mapping and technology

resources to better connect people to the parks, pathways and trails system.

2. Improve frequency of transit service on select high volume routes as a pilot project.

3. Continue to explore high speed rail service or regional transit models that link Red Deer to other centres.

4. Investigate options to facilitate future development of high capacity transit- such as light rail transit- within City limits, including potential routes and land acquisition. This could be part of the Integrated Transportation/Movement Study.

Community:

TBD**

TBD**

TBD**

2020 TARGET

2035 TARGET

2015 TARGET

Baseline

2012: TBD*


Why use this Metric? To measure the amount of personal automobile use and kilometres traveled by the Red Deer community.

Vehicles contribute to air and water pollution through vehicle exhaust. The infrastructure needed to support vehicles (roads and parking) contribute to storm water runoff, heat island effect and occupy land that could be used for parks or living space instead. Reducing personal automobile use will contribute to cleaner air and water, promote healthier lifestyles, reduce GHG emissions and preserve land area and money for uses other than road infrastructure.

Where is the data from? An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown.*

* Data collection protocol to be established and undertaken by 2012



Transportation


What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Establish a grant/incentive program to assist schools,

businesses and institutions to introduce or increase bicycle parking, storage and shower facilities on site.

2. Encourage businesses and schools to develop sustainable commuting strategies including carpooling for employees/students.

3. Partner with Red Deer College to investigate the UPass program to provide students with universally accessible and affordable access to public transit during school terms.

4. Investigate options to increase the frequency and coverage of transit service.

5. Implement a “next bus” system providing real time bus arrival information. Engage the private sector to develop applications to link this information to transit users’ smart phones.

Modal SplitPercentage of different modes of transportation used to travel to work.

2016 TARGET

2021 TARGET

Reduce from baseline to:Baseline

2006: Car: 88%Transit: 4%Pedestrian/Bicycle: 7%Other: 1%



Why use this Metric? To measure on a percentage basis transportation modes utilized by Red Deer’s labour force including car, transit, pedestrian/bicycle and other.

Providing alternatives to personal automobiles such as cycling, walking or public transit, will encourage healthier lifestyles and reduce negative effects from vehicle use such as air and water pollution. Alternative modes of transportation also provide a means for social interaction, encouraging vibrant communities. The modal split provides an understanding as to how this shift is occurring.

Where is the data from? Baseline data has been provided by Statistics Canada.


Transportation


Dwelling units (DU’s) within 400 metres From: 1. Public trails, parks or other green space; 2. At least 5 basic amenities 3. Transit stops with 20 minute service

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Incorporate a ‘Complete Streets’ pilot initiative in the

rebuild/redesign of city centre street, neighbourhood street and Riverlands community design

2. Refine the Neighbourhood Planning Guideline to require all homes in a new community to be 400 metres from a transit stop (supports MDP policy 7.4).

2020 TARGET TBD**

TBD**2035 TARGET

Increase to:Baseline

2011: TBD*

Why use this Metric? This metric measures the amenities available within a five-minute walk (400 m) from homes. It assesses the degree to which neighbourhoods have opportunities for recreation, basic amenities and transit access.

Where is the data from? An overall baseline for Red Deer is unknown.*

*Data collection protocol to be established and undertaken by 2012



Transportation


What are additional actions for consideration?

1. Work with adjacent municipalities and conservation authorities to establish connections and linkages to region-wide trails.

2. Perform an audit to assess missing sidewalks and trails, determine areas of priority for new pedestrian connections.

3. Introduce a Discovery Walks program to celebrate local culture, heritage and key amenities of Red Deer.

Length of all bicycle/pedestrian routes (kilometre/per capita) for bike lanes, mixed use trails and pedestrian-only trails

5%

2020 TARGET

2015 TARGET

10%

20%2035 TARGET

Increase from baseline by:Baseline

2010: 1km/672pop

Why use this Metric? To assess the amount of cycling and active transportation infrastructure in terms of linear trail systems.

This metric provides an indication of the amount of active transportation infrastructure available for community use. It supports the core direction of prioritizing active transportation and creates a quantitative assessment of related infrastructure per capita. As the community grows, this metric should be proportionally enhanced.

Where is the data from? Trails are in GIS, designated by use. The formula was population per that year's census divided by the total of bike trails plus mixed use trails plus pedestrian only trails.


Why should we do this?The wise use of land is important today and will be more so as the city continues to grow. The existing built form reinforces auto-dominated development patterns with high environmental impacts. This form has also created communities that lack strong links to everyday needs and services. Intensification of existing and new neighbourhoods can reduce the need to expand services outwards, preserving existing ecosystems from development. Compact neighbourhoods are better able to support mixed use, complete communities where people can work and access daily needs close to home, reducing greenhouse gas emissions through reduced vehicle use.

What initiatives have been undertaken in Red Deer? • Smart Growth principles in Garden Heights NASP• Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines and Standards

include reference to Smart Growth principles

Built Environment Goal: To create vital, well-integrated, compact communities that minimize negative environmental impacts.

What are priority City and community actions to achieve the goal? City• Develop city-wide infill guidelines and standards that emphasize minimum densities, compact form and environmental design

standards (in accordance with policies 10.9 and 10.10 of the MDP). Include consideration of parking practices and policies that encourage public transit use and alternative forms of transportation

• Undertake studies of both residential and commercial/industrial density in Red Deer to establish informed baselines and goals for future density targets

Community• Partner with a developer to identify an infill pilot project on City land to demonstrate environmental design standards.• Work with the community and developers to create a community garden stewardship initiative to facilitate the establishment

and stewardship of additional community garden plots. Aim to introduce a new community garden each year for ten years


Built Environment


Development density Total development density by type: 1. Residential (dwelling units per hectare) 2. Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (Floor Space Index)

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Update the Neighbourhood and Industrial Planning

Guidelines and Standards to emphasize compact, pedestrian oriented development patterns, including increasing the minimum density for new development.

2. Hold a round table with The City, Chamber of Commerce, Land & Economic Development and the private sector to explore tax and other incentives to facilitate downtown reinvestment complimentary to the Greater Downtown Action Plan.

3. Encourage redevelopment of Brownfield sites (in accordance with Greater Downtown Action Plan).

4. Explore LEED and other programs or development options for incorporating greener building choices and to encourage construction of energy efficient buildings.

TBD

TBD

2015 TARGET

2015 TARGET

Baseline

2009Residential: 14.8 DU/haICI: Unknown

2014ICI: TBD*

Increase from Residential baseline to:

Increase Other baseline to:

*Data collection protocol to be established and undertaken by 2012

Why use this Metric? To measure the built form density of a range of uses to understand the degree to which Red Deer’s development pattern is compact. Development density is a simple way to understand how much land is used for urban development. Moving toward more compact neighbourhoods will allow for better transit service, sufficient market to provide a range of services and the wise use of land as a resource. The benefits also include reducing greenhouse gas emissions through reduced vehicle use, preserving existing ecosystems from expansion development, and creating rich and diverse urban environments.

Where is the data from? An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown*.


Built Environment


What are additional actions for consideration?

1. Create a year-round Farmers’ Market, in accordance with recommendations made in the Greater Downtown Action Plan and Community Culture Vision Plan.

2. Partner with the school boards and a third party such as Evergreen to develop school-ground greening programs, create outdoor classrooms and incorporate nature-based learning.

3. Encourage developers to set aside a small amount of land beyond that required through planning bylaws for community garden purposes.

Community gardens and local food supply The land devoted to community gardens and urban agriculture in area(m2) per capita

Community:

0.5

m2/cap

2020 TARGET

2015 TARGET

0.75 m2/cap

1.5 m2/cap

2035 TARGET

Baseline

2012: 0.4m2 /cap

Increase from baseline to:

Why use this Metric? To measure the amount of space dedicated to community gardens, indicating the opportunities for community gardening within the city's developed area.

Access to local food in our communities supports local agriculture, contributes to better human health, and reduces the negative environmental effects associated with food transport. Land designated for growing can also increase the ability of the urban environment to filter storm water, support local fauna, and contribute positively to the culture of a city.

Where is the data from? Parks calculates this using the area of community garden plots and divided by the population.


Why should we do this?Clean air is fundamental to life. Air pollution damages ecosystems and negatively affects human health, in particular contributing to respiratory disease. Environment Canada reports that emissions associated with transportation are the largest source of nitrogen oxides, and the third largest source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). As the city and its surrounding municipalities grow, levels of contaminants are expected to rise and health risks will increase. Maintaining Red Deer’s current air quality level will be a challenge.

What initiatives have been undertaken in Red Deer? • Rethink Red Deer’s Put Your Car Away week/month• Bike to Work Breakfast• Idle Free Zone signs• Clean diesel buses• Idle Free Schools campaign• Idle Free policy for City operations

AirGoal: To improve the air quality and reduce emissions

What are priority City and community actions to achieve the goal? City: • Conduct a GHG inventory analysis, and develop a corporate GHG emissions reduction plan• Identify large emitters of air pollution within The City’s corporate operations. Identify strategies to mitigate the effects

Community• Develop a Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan• Work with industries that have the most opportunity to reduce air pollution by identifying large emitters and potential

strategies to mitigate their effects


Air

Why use this Metric? To monitor the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The measurement of greenhouse gas emissions includes carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, and is a measurement of the key contributors to climate change. It is one of the best and most widely used environmental impact measurements.


Greenhouse Gas emissions per capita in tonnes (C02 equivalent)

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Green the municipal fleet: consider electric and hybrid

vehicles, and bio fuel sources.

2. Partner with industries to facilitate the purchase of carbon credits or participate in cap and trade program.

3. Limit the use of products such as paints and rugs containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in City buildings and City operations.

4. Develop a carbon capture education campaign.

5. Further investigate the opportunity for capturing methane from landfill to control emissions.


Community: Corporate:

TBD** TBD**

TBD** TBD**

2035 TARGET 2035 TARGET

2020 TARGET 2020 TARGET

Reduce from baseline by:Baseline

2012: TBD*




Air

Air QualityMaintain and lower ambient concentrations of airborne pollutants, not exceeding maximums defined by the Canada Wide Standard and Alberta Environment

What are additional actions for Consideration? 1. Establish stewardship programs that promote improved

air quality (in accordance with policy 9.14 of the MDP).

2. Establish a community idle free program.

3. Engage the Province and advocate for emissions testing of older vehicles prior to licensing.


2015 TARGET

Baseline

2009:PM2.5: 15.9 μg/m3 (2007-2009), Canada Wide Standard metricOzone: 57.5 ppb (2007-2009),Canada Wide Standard metricSulphur Dioxide: 0.44 ppb, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average Nitrogen Dioxide: 12.1 ppb, (2005-2009) 5 year annual averageCarbon Monoxide: 0.25 ppm, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average

Air quality levels will not exceed the following maximums:

PM2.5: 20 μg/m3 Ozone: 58 ppb Sulphur Dioxide: 0.42 ppb Nitrogen Dioxide: 11.5 ppb Carbon Monoxide: 0.24 ppm

Why use this Metric? To monitor local air quality and identify trends in air quality issues.

Parkland Air Management Zone (PAMZ) has been monitoring the various compounds that contribute to air pollution. This metric builds on the PAMZ resource to identify and reduce exceedences of contaminants. Identifying sources of air pollution and reducing their impact will help maintain the city’s high air quality.

Where is the data from? Parkland Airshed Management Zone and Alberta Environment publish these numbers annually.


Why should we do this?Cities require substantial amounts of energy for their operations. Not only is energy use one of the most significant areas of environmental impact, but also has the potential for the greatest change through conservation and options for alternative, renewable energy sources. According to the Government of Alberta, approximately 85% of the power in the province is generated through burning coal or natural gas, which has negative health effects for humans and contributes to air, water and thermal pollution.

What initiatives have been undertaken in Red Deer? • LED traffic light replacement program forecast to reduce

energy consumption by 70%• Implementing smart meter usage• LEED certification of upgrades at the Recreation Centre

and construction of Civic Yards• Wastewater Treatment Plant use of methane off-gas as

an energy source since 1972• Purchase of 15% of The City of Red Deer's corporate

power from green power sources, plans to increase to 25% by 2015

EnergyGoal: To reduce energy use and move towards using renewable energy sources.

What are priority City and community actions to achieve the goal? City• Replace electrical meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology for both residential and Industrial/

Commercial/Institutional (ICI) customers to allow them to better track, understand and modify consumption• Expand energy efficient street light program and work towards reducing the effects of light pollution

Community• Explore District Energy potential in high-density neighbourhoods• Partner with renewable energy providers and community stakeholders to provide information about private renewable

energy options


Energy


Building energy Average building energy intensity (Equivalent kWh/m2)

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Promote existing home energy audits and tools kits to

help citizens make their homes more energy efficient.

2. Identify three new City building or renovation projects and use them to pilot higher energy efficiency standards.

3. Create a program to encourage retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency (directed by policy 9.12 of the MDP).

4. Celebrate high performance buildings with a Build Green Red Deer award program.

5. Integrate energy saving initiatives such as server and desktop virtualization, energy efficient hardware, telecommuting, power management for IT equipment, work from home options, into city operations.

6. Develop environmental standards for City buildings and facilities that include guidelines for increased energy conservation of buildings (directed by policy 9.13 of the MDP).

Corporate and Community:

2015 TARGET TBD**

TBD**

TBD**

2020 TARGET

2035 TARGET

Baseline

2012: TBD*


Why use this Metric? To measure the energy intensity of buildings, including energy utilized for heating, cooling, lighting and appliance/machinery use.

Buildings account for approximately 50% of GHG emissions through energy consumption. The City of Red Deer can impact its GHG emissions by reducing how much energy its buildings use. This can translate into cost savings for the municipality and community members, while reducing reliance on non-renewable energy resources.





Energy


What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Investigate the case for capturing methane from the

landfill for heat or electricity generation.

2. Explore the potential of increasing the amount of energy captured from the City’s wastewater facilities.

3. Incorporate renewable energy infrastructure in all new city facilities.

4. Reduce barriers and facilitate microgeneration for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional clients.

5. Continue to investigate and increase procurement of green power.

Renewable energy sources Percentage of energy utilized by The City of Red Deer that is produced through green sources (such as renewable resources and energy captured from waste)

Corporate:

30%2020 TARGET

2015 TARGET

40%

60% 2035 TARGET

Baseline

2009: 15%

Increase total municipal green energy use to:

Why use this Metric? To measure the proportionate amount of energy utilized by The City in its corporate operations that is provided by green power sources.

Green power sources provide energy with fewer negative implications than those associated with non-renewable sources. Green power sources include systems such as: solar, wind, methane gas capture, and geo-thermal.

Where is the data from? Data is from Electric Light & Power's contract with ENMAX for purchase of renewable energy. Future years should include generation at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Civic Yards and any other City energy sources.


Why should we do this?Ideally, sending waste to the landfill should be a last resort after reduction, reuse and recycling options have been exhausted. In order to move towards this ideal, and in order to conserve landfill disposal capacity, increased emphasis needs to be placed on waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

Solid waste disposal in landfills take up significant amounts of land and contribute to GHG emissions. As the population of Red Deer grows, diversion efforts will be increasingly important.

What initiatives have been undertaken in Red Deer? • Blue Box Recycling Program• Collection and Composting of Yard Waste• Recycling at landfill: e-waste, tires, toilets, scrap metal,

pallets, white goods, propane cylinders, furniture• Diversion of Household Hazardous Waste• Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling• Battery Drive• Landfill Interpretive Centre• Bio-solids reuse from Wastewater Treatment Plant • Rethink Red Deer’s Garbage-Free February

WasteGoal: To decrease the amount of waste going to landfill and increase waste diversion opportunities

What are priority City and community actions to achieve the goal? City• Update the Waste Management Master Plan• Review differential tipping fee structure to identify opportunities to encourage (incent) diversion

Community• Create an education campaign, toolkits and pilot projects around household and community composting• Partner with developers and builders to advance recycling and diversion of construction waste on development sites


Waste


Residential Solid waste Total weight of solid waste generation by single-family residences (in kilograms/ per capita/ per year)

What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Decrease the weekly limit of 5 garbage bags for

residential households.

2. Investigate options for curbside organics collection and composting.

3. Introduce organic waste composting at community garden plots, where residents could drop off their organic waste to be composted.

Reduce from baseline by:Baseline

2009: 183 kg/per capita/year

10%

2020 TARGET

2015 TARGET

20%

40%2035 TARGET

Why use this Metric? To decrease the amount of waste being generated by households in Red Deer.

As Red Deer grows, more waste will be generated by the community and more GHG emissions will be released. Taking action to reduce the amount of waste generated, reuse and recycle materials will reduce GHG emissions and the need for additional landfill space, preserving land area for other uses.

Where is the data from? Waste Management provided the total amount of residential waste collected by the garbage contractor (from scale software, tonnage hauled by contractor in resi-packer trucks) multiplied by 1000 to convert to kilograms and divided by population (from census).


Waste


What are additional actions for consideration? 1. Investigate establishing a requirement for on-site

construction waste management.

2. Expand opportunities for diversion of construction and demolition waste at The City’s Waste Management Facility.

3. Investigate partnering with surrounding municipalities on diversion programs

4. Lobby the provincial government to develop and implement waste diversion programs.

Waste Diverted Percentage of waste diverted per year per tonne of waste landfilled

Residential:

20%

2020 TARGET

2015 TARGET

30%

50%2035 TARGET

Baseline

2009: 10%

Increase Diversion rate to:

Why use this Metric? To measure and increase the amount of waste being diverted from the landfill.

Waste diversion such as recycling and composting reduce the amount of materials being put into the landfill. Further, recycling reduces the amount of virgin material needed to produce goods.

Where is the data from? Total weight of materials diverted divided by the total weight of materials landfilled. Tonnes diverted includes: materials diverted at the Waste Management Facility (from scale software, materials shipped offsite), yard waste diversion (from scale software, inbound compostable materials) and residential recycling program (reported by recycling collection contractor). Tonnes landfilled per year is calculated using data from scale software.


Setting the Basis for Implementation

Implementation and making progress towards the targets described in this Plan will be a major undertaking and will not happen overnight. Success requires that the commitment and culture to implement the EMP is in place. The following are key directions for how to set the context for EMP implementation:

Endorse the EMP as an opportunity for The City to declare and demonstrate the environment as a priority

The EMP is an opportunity to reposition The City as a leader in sustainable environmental practices. The EMP can be used to galvanize support and momentum around environmental conservation and sustainability and can be used as a platform for The City to advance a more environmentally-focused municipal agenda.

Recognize that the EMP will take time to implement, but start now!

Many of the recommendations, strategies and targets presented in the EMP will take time to implement but there are many quick wins that The City can start with immediately. The top actions described in the previous section were selected because they can start immediately and they will create awareness and momentum. Departmental leads and community partners are identified for these top action in Section 6: Actions and Partnerships.

Getting There

section 4

Achieving the targets of the Environmental Master Plan is a long term commitment and will require collaboration and partnership with the community as well as new thinking, approaches, policies and programs from The City of Red Deer. This section describes the actions needed to set the basis for implementation.


Identify key short-term corporate actions needed to get the ball rolling

Implementing the EMP will require more than technical and monitoring changes aimed at achieving the targets. The structure of The City itself will also have an impact on successful implementation of the EMP. Corporate strategies and detailed recommendations for The City to take are provided in Section 5, Corporate Strategies.

Dedicate appropriate resources to environmental initiatives

The implementation of the EMP will require a commitment in resources including staff, financial and institutional resources. In addition to internal resources, the EMP can open up new avenues for access to external resources such as funding sources, staff internships, and partnerships. Providing such support to the EMP will ensure its long term success.

Incorporate the EMP into City decision making

To entrench the targets of the Environmental Master Plan into The City’s day-to-day business, the EMP directions and targets should be integrated into The City’s decision making process. This approach will help to make the EMP a living, dynamic document that has a true impact on City business.

Keep people aware and in the loop

Building awareness, engagement and education needs to be a core strategy of implementing the EMP. Internal communication at The City of Red Deer as well as external communication to the Red Deer community at large will be necessary to build a strong constituency of support for EMP implementation. A commitment to regular annual reporting on environmental progress, such as a State of the Environment report for The City and the community of Red Deer, is recommended to monitor and respond to progress but also to celebrate success and key milestones along the way. Delivered to Council through the Environmental Advisory Committee, this report would be publicly accessible on The City’s website. A review and revision of the EMP itself should be undertaken every five years to ensure it is performing as desired and adequately informing City decision making.

Collaborate and build partnerships

The City cannot and should not be alone in implementing the EMP. There are many organizations that can play a role in helping to advance the vision and goals of the EMP. The City should nurture existing partnerships with groups such as Red Deer College and the Waskasoo Environmental Education Society, and explore new opportunities for partnership development.

These overarching directions set the groundwork for the implementation of the Environmental Master Plan. Within each there are many options and possibilities available to The City for how to proceed. Additional approaches to EMP implementation, including recommendations for corporate strategies, first steps to implement the top actions per focus area, and partnerships are detailed in the following Sections 5 and 6.


Corporate Strategies

section 5

The City can significantly affect its environmental performance through changes to its own operations, policy development and how it makes decisions. This section describes directions and corporate strategy recommendations for how The City of Red Deer can implement the EMP.

The following pages describe corporate strategies in six key areas of:

• Corporate structure• Education and awareness• City-wide policy• Corporate operations• Budget and decision

making framework• Performance benchmarking


Recommendations

Identify an internal champion. Identify a section, division or department within The City who is given the authority and the mandate to act as a quarterback for implementing actions and initiatives related to the EMP and to ensure adequate resources are allocated.

Establish an inter-departmental commitment to collaboration where departments share the responsibility for establishing data collection protocols and monitoring as well as initiative delivery and reporting. Ensure adequate resources are allocated to facilitate collaboration.

Facilitate interdepartmental approaches to ensure integrated approaches related to environmental performance. Extend the collaboration between departments beyond data sharing and monitoring to

execution of municipal projects, programs and initiatives. Work together to design, pilot and promote environmental performance in initiatives that will require cross-departmental collaboration.

Build on Red Deer’s existing models for integrated implementation that are seen in policy making examples such as the Greater Downtown Action Plan, The City’s internal safety procedure model and within corporate operations such as the Green Team and the management-focused Operational Leadership Team.

Utilize technology and establish smart approaches to accessing and sharing environmental data, information and successes between departments.

Description: Corporate structure refers to the organizational configuration and composition of city departments and their associated divisions. Each city department is typically responsible for specific tasks, goals and decisions, relevant to their departmental focus and/or function. Today, in The City of Red Deer, environmental programming is spearheaded by the Environmental Initiatives Section, housed within the Environmental Services Department in the Development Services Division.

Rationale: The way in which environmental initiatives are positioned within The City structure can have a large impact on how collaboration between departments takes place, the corporate awareness of environmental initiatives, and the public messaging about the priority of environmental initiatives within The City.

Corporate Structure


Corporate Restructuring to Integrate Sustainability into City Culture

At the City of Edmonton, environmental initiatives are housed in the Office of the Environment under the Deputy City Manager in the Project Management Branch. Recognizing the cross-departmental nature of environmental policies and initiatives, situating the Office of the Environment within the City Manager’s office provides clear and direct connection to all City departments. The office of the Deputy City Manager was established in 2008 to enhance the City’s strategic performance, including accelerating and integrating city-wide programs with unified action. The Office of the Environment is one of five units (Environment, Aboriginal Relations Office, Diversity and Inclusion, Public Involvement and Regional Initiatives) that are operated out of the Project Management branch of the Deputy City Manager’s office.

Greater Downtown Action Plan Quick Start Work Plan

The City Of Red Deer’s Greater Downtown Action Plan is a document that outlines elements of the vision for Red Deer’s Greater Downtown Core and includes a discussion of six core themes that will define this area in the future including Great Streets, Great Places, Great Connections, Vitality, Authenticity and Sustainability. Of the 46 recommendations outlined to implement the Plan, 11 were identified in the Quick Start Work Plan. These 11 items were clearly called out, first steps towards their completion were identified and a departmental lead was named. This clear and concise approach helped to distil key pieces of a large, long-term plan into immediate action.

Edmonton Red Deer


Education and Awareness

Recommendations

Implement the Core Direction of Encourage, Educate, Engage, Enable and Expect within the community using a variety of techniques including media campaigns, events and partnerships with community groups, industries and schools.

Find ways to report progress and updates to the community at large as well as internally. Use existing communication tools such as The City’s website and internal employee newsletter to communicate to a variety of audiences.

Advance partnerships with existing partners and seek to establish partnerships with new groups. Expanding the constituency of EMP implementers beyond the usual groups will create broad based understanding and support for the principles of the EMP.

Continue to engage the Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) as a Council committee focused on The City’s environmental initiatives and as an advisory group in the implementation phases over the long-term. The EAC’s ongoing input into the implementation of the EMP will formalize the importance and role of this community/ City partnership and be a valuable connection with City Council.

Description: The ability to communicate environmental strategies, policies and practices both within and beyond the corporation (to residents, stakeholders and other levels of government) will be important to the Environmental Master Plan’s success. The EMP needs to be supported by a large base of stewards from a range of Red Deer’s communities. Building this stewardship base will require education and awareness efforts, including marketing environmental initiatives, reporting on current performance and future targets, creating awareness campaigns, providing opportunities for localized monitoring and maintenance, and mentoring.

Rationale: The City of Red Deer already recognizes the importance of environmental education and awareness within and outside of the corporation. The corporate Green Team plays an important role internally, while externally The City is engaged in public campaigns such as the toilet rebate program. Lessons learned from other communities emphasize that one of the keys to effecting change is to seek ways to change people’s awareness of their own impact and their habits.


Mayor’s Environment Expo

An annual event running for 21 years, the Mayor’s Environment Expo in The City of Calgary is a venue to showcase The City’s environmental initiatives, and also features exhibits by environmental organizations and businesses. The expo has attracted about 40,000 school children throughout its history and plays an important role in educating and engaging young people about the environment and what The City of Calgary is doing for the environment. In 2009, The Mayor’s Expo received an Emerald Award from the Alberta Emerald Foundation for environmental excellence in the category of non-formal education.

Naturescaping Contest

The City of Red Deer’s Naturescaping contest is an interesting outreach method aimed at educating residents about the possibilities of landscaping to reduce environmental impacts. Entries are judged on water conservation, landscape design and biodiversity. Gift certificates to local garden centres have been awarded as prizes for the top three entrants. Growing every year, this program has the potential to help advance The City’s existing water conservation goals.

The City of Calgary The City of Red Deer


City-Wide Policy

Recommendations

Create, refine and align policies and plans tied to environmental targets outlined in the EMP. The development of new policies should be tied in a clear and succinct way to the targets of the EMP. Studies of areas in the city, such as the forthcoming studies of Gaetz Avenue and the Integrated Transportation/Movement Study, should incorporate recommendations that are tied to the environmental targets set out in the EMP. The Environmental Master Plan should be considered as one of The City’s core documents similar to the Municipal Development Plan or Strategic Plan that guides policy development and decision making.

Improve existing development guidelines to reinforce environmental targets. Documents that are updated on a regular basis, such as the Municipal Development Plan and the Neighbourhood and Industrial Area Planning Guidelines and Standards, should reflect the environmental targets of the EMP.

Provide incentives for change among the public and Red Deer’s private sector. Programs like the toilet rebate program encourage change through reward. Such programs can help foster a sense of participation and ownership of the Environmental Master Plan among the public.

Work with regional partners such as Red Deer County to develop city-wide policies that address environmental impacts on a systems basis. Working with the County would help The City address environmental issues that may originate outside of its own boundaries but have impacts within municipal boundaries.

Description: City-wide policy refers to the rules and guidelines that are mandated by a city to achieve positive environmental outcomes. Policies can range from anti-idling bylaws to sustainable community design guidelines. These are policies that affect non-internal operations, directing matters within the municipal jurisdiction of Red Deer.

Rationale: The development of city-wide policies connected to the implementation of the Environmental Master Plan will reinforce the targets and goals of the EMP and will establish The City’s commitment to the importance of environmental performance.


City-wide Idle Free By-law

St. Albert City Council passed the Idle-Free Bylaw in March 2008. The bylaw prohibits the idling of a vehicle for more than three minutes in a 30-minute period between the temperatures of 0ºC and 30ºC. The Idle Free Bylaw is cited as an ongoing initiative in St Albert to help the city reduce its impact on air quality.

Toilet Rebate Program

The City of Red Deer has offered rebates for homeowners who replace high flow toilets with low flow dual flush toilets. The City estimates that replacing just one 20 litre toilet with an efficient six litre low flow toilet will save approximately 25,550 litres of water per person every year. This program has been a critical piece of The City’s water conservation efforts to date.

City of St Albert The City of Red Deer


Corporate Operations

Recommendations

Align corporate procedures with environmental goals. Managing corporate operations to reflect environmental priorities can be a way for The City of Red Deer to entrench and implement environmental practices in its day-to-day operations. In particular The City should consider the potential of:

•Establishing green procurement protocols

• Creation of a green corporate fleet or sustainable fleet standards

• Development of green building standards for City-owned buildings

Demonstrate the most progressive sustainability standards for development on city-owned land. The City can lead by example through holding itself to high environmental standards. It can demonstrate to the public and to the private sector the benefits of more environmentally sensitive development practices, from landscaping to new building construction. The City can use its own assets to pilot new environmental development methods or initiatives.

Description: Corporate operations refer to the manner in which The City functions at the individual staff level, the departmental level, as well as through well defined protocols and actions. Managing corporate operations to reflect environmental priorities has become a way for cities to entrench and implement environmental practices in their day-to-day operations.

Rationale: Strong corporate protocols related to environmental performance will set standards and allow The City to lead by example. This will allow Red Deer to actively improve environmental performance and, being under full City control, these protocols or programs can be tracked over time.


Corporate Sustainability Policies

The Town of Oakville has a number of corporate policies that speak to their commitment as a Town to the environment. Included in those policies are: a sustainable purchasing procedure that guides Town staff in their purchasing to improve waste diversion rates and reduce reliance on natural resources, and a Sustainable Green Fleet procedure intended to assist with the Town’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, reduce the use of non-renewable resources, and improve fuel efficiency.

Town of Oakville

Corporate Idle Free Policy

Introduced in January of 2009. The City of Red Deer has implemented a corporate idle free policy. Applying to The City of Red Deer fleet, the policy requires vehicles to be turned off when the driver is not in the vehicle and they are not permitted to idle for more than three to five minutes at a time when the temperature is above zero. This policy helps improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as saving operating costs.

The City of Red Deer


Budgeting and Decision Making Framework

Recommendations

Embed the consideration of environmental principles into City decision making. The way in which City decisions reinforce the Strategic Plan’s Environmental Pillar, as well as the goals and targets of the EMP, should be clearly apparent and provide a basis for decision making.

Develop methods to track spending on environmental initiatives. Creating a comprehensive monitoring system allows for the creation of objective benchmarks and can help determine the financial commitment needed in order to prioritize environmental sustainability.

Explore external funding opportunities to help supplement budget for environmental initiatives. For example, Federal Gas Tax, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund, NRCAN, Canada Green Communities, and the Alberta Ecotrust are all potential funding resources for The City.

Description: Red Deer’s planning and budget process provides a framework for the allocation of funds. The budget reflects the overall direction, vision, goals and objectives conveyed by The City and its residents. How The City budgets for and makes decisions about environmental initiatives and programs will be a key element to the Environmental Master Plan’s implementation.

Rationale: The City’s commitment to environmental performance and the implementation of Environmental Master Plan directions should be clear in The City’s budgeting priorities and process. Enough resources need to be budgeted to allow for EMP implementation and clear channels should be established for reporting back to The City and community about how resources are allocated to the environment.


Triple Bottom Line

As part of the budgeting process, departments at The City of Calgary are requested to demonstrate how their respective work programs help The City achieve its Triple Bottom Line (TBL) objectives. Departments are encouraged to ask themselves the following questions when evaluating their work programs: 1. How are The City of Calgary’s corporate and strategic social, economic and environmental objectives being addressed by this project or decision? 2. Which TBL trends are being considered in the business planning process? 3. What are the impacts of this program or project on Calgary’s social, economic and environmental well being? 4. Has the program or project been designed to add value across the three bottom lines of TBL, and mitigate potentially negative impacts that have been identified?

Corporate Decision Making Matrix

Linked to The City’s governance pillar, The City of Red Deer is in the process of creating a corporate decision making matrix. When this decision making matrix is formally brought forward, the targets and actions in the Environmental Master Plan can be reflected as a decision making model for the Environmental Pillar and others.

City of Calgary The City of Red Deer


Performance Benchmarking

Recommendations

Embrace the Performance Benchmarking system Developed as part of the EMP as an environmental accounting system, the Performance Benchmarking system defines the process of determining baseline data, researching precedents, establishing targets, and measuring and reporting on performance. The Benchmarking Tool included in this EMP was developed as a way to organize and evaluate the metric data and can grow and evolve with The City and can be used to communicate how The City is achieving its environmental targets.

Identify the responsibility for data maintenance and monitoring. Clear direction among departments for who is responsible for data collection and how that data should be organized will assist in making the benchmarking tool a well-used and long lasting resource.

Commit to regular reporting back to the community, partners and stakeholder. The benchmarking data collected can play a large role in communicating with the public and educating citizens about the positive impacts of policies and programs on environmental change. The commitment to an annual State of Red Deer’s Environment Report would allow The City and the Environmental Advisory Committee to report on progress in meeting the environmental targets and undertaking initiatives. It would also create a venue for The City to celebrate success in progress made, and encourage input and partnerships on areas where further improvement or momentum is needed.

Description: Performance Benchmarking is a key element of Red Deer’s EMP. Performance Benchmarking involves choosing metrics that matter (that are indicative of attributes that are important to the city), then establishing performance targets for each (based on a knowledge of current performance and precedents), and finally, monitoring actual performance over time.

Rationale: What isn’t measured can’t be managed. Performance Benchmarking is a measurement tool that provides clarity regarding the City’s objectives, and as such, supports good planning. Performance Benchmarking delivers feedback; it provides confirmation as to the effectiveness (or not) of initiatives implemented and directs the steps for moving forward.


Monitoring Program

The Whistler 2020 Monitoring Program is a segment of Whistler’s Comprehensive Sustainability Plan. The monitoring program is an important part of the Sustainability Plan’s implementation and uses core indicators to monitor progress towards achieving the community vision and priorities. Data is accessible and fun to interact with through an on-line tool that allows the public to see measurements and progress in a range of categories.

Electric Light and Power

Electric Light and Power at The City of Red Deer has already begun to implement the use of renewable energy in The City’s corporate operations. A contract with ENMAX ensures that 15 per cent of The City’s own electricity requirement will be supplied from green power in 2009 escalating to 25 percent in 2015.

Resort Municipality of Whistler The City of Red Deer


Priority Actions

The How to Measure Progress section of this document included priority actions for each of the environmental focus areas. The following list elaborates on how to implement the priority actions, identifying a City of Red Deer department or section recommended to take the lead on implementation and identifies potential partnerships that may be pursued to support that action. The goals and corresponding actions were chosen because they are:

areas where performance most •needs to be improved;an action that would achieve •significant impact;easy to implement in terms of •effort and time;cost effective; or•

build on existing strengths or •current environmental initiatives.

These priority actions have been selected from a longer list compiled through precedent research, and input from City staff and the community.

Actions & Partnerships

section 6

Actions and Partnerships are a central part to the Environmental Master Plan’s success. The following section elaborates on priority actions to implement the EMP, describes potential pilot projects and includes a discussion of City-community partnerships to help build and broaden the opportunities to effect change and improve environmental performance across the city and within Red Deer’s community.


Priority Actions

Focus Area Broad Action Priority

Actions

Responsible

City

Department

Partners

Water Advance Storm Water Management Strategies

City: Prepare an Integrated Storm Water Management Plan including storm water management policies.

Engineering Services

Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership; Environmental Services

Community: Review water and wastewater rate structures, which will draw attention to the value of water.

Environmental Services

Financial Services; Communications; Strategic Planning

Encourage Water Conservation

City: Develop environmental standards for City buildings including water conservation measures (in accordance with policy 9.13 of the MDP).

Building Owners: Public Works, Environmental Services, RPC (including landscaping )

Inspections & Licensing

Community: Replace water meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology in conjunction with replacement for electrical meters.


Electric Light & Power; ITS; Revenue and Assessment

Ecology Increase the amount of land used for green space in the City

City: Enhance the existing set-back policy to include water body and ecological protection related to Environmental Reserve setbacks under the Municipal Government Act.

RPC Engineering; Planning; Land & Economic Development; UDI

Community: Partner with community and development stakeholders to share ideas, explore opportunities and develop conservation tools to preserve green space such as a land conservation trust, land purchase, land swaps, tax incentives and reserve dedications.

RPC Planning; Land & Economic Development; Revenue and Assessment; UDI; RDRN; RDRWA; Ducks Unlimited; Trout Unlimited

Increase urban tree canopy

City & Community: Prepare and implement an Urban Forest Management Plan.

RPC Engineering; Planning; UDI; community associations; youth groups


Transportation Prioritize active and public transportation infrastructure

City: Incorporate high level core directions of the Environmental Master Plan into the Integrated Transportation/Movement Study as appropriate; Integrate sustainability principles such as active transportation, increased modal split and complete streets into all aspects of transportation planning including traffic demand management and the Transit Master Plan.

Development Services

Planning; RPC; Engineering; Transit

Community: Partner with Red Deer County, surrounding municipalities and local employers to establish regional commuting resources such as transit services, carpooling, shuttle and emergency ride programs.

Engineering; Transit

Red Deer County; surrounding municipalities; local employers; Communications; Chamber of Commerce; Province of AB

Increase the walkability of neighbourhoods

City: Engage the community to participate in walkability audits in their neighbourhood.

Development Services

Planning; Engineering; RPC; Communications & Strategic Planning; community associations; Central Alberta Self Advocates

Community: Partner with school boards to implement a walking school bus program to encourage students to walk to school in 3 or more schools.

Engineering School boards; Transit; SHAPE Alberta


Actions

Responsible

City

Department

Partners


Built Environment

Promote more compact development patterns

City: Develop city-wide infill guidelines and standards that emphasize minimum densities, compact form and environmental design standards (in accordance with policies 10.9 and 10.10 of the MDP). Include consideration of parking practices/policies that encourage rather than undermine transit and alternative forms of transportation.

Planning Land & Economic Development; Engineering; Transit; Inspections and Licensing

City: Undertake studies of both residential and commercial/industrial density in Red Deer to establish informed baselines and goals for future density targets.

Planning

Community: Partner with a developer to identify an infill pilot project on City land to demonstrate environmental design standards.

Planning/Land & Economic Development; Communications

Home Builders Association. Urban Development Institute

Increase opportunities for local food production

Community: Work with the community and developers to create a community garden stewardship initiative to facilitate the establishment and stewardship of additional community garden plots. Aim to introduce a new community garden each year for ten years.

RPC Communications & Strategic Planning; Rethink Red Deer; faith-based organizations; community groups

Air Create a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

City: Conduct a GHG inventory analysis, and develop a corporate GHG emissions reduction plan.


PAMZ; All City departments

Community: Develop a Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan.


ICLEI; Canadian Institute of Planners; all City departments

Reduce Air Pollution

City: Identify large emitters of air pollution within The City’s corporate operations. Identify strategies to mitigate the effects.


PAMZ; Transit, Public Works

Community: Work with industries that have the most opportunity to reduce air pollution by identifying large emitters and potential strategies to mitigate their effects.


Land & Economic Development; PAMZ; Chamber of Commerce


Actions

Responsible

City

Department

Partners


Energy Increase energy conservation of buildings

City: Replace electrical meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology for both residential and Industrial/Commercial/Institutional (ICI) customers to allow them to better track, understand and modify consumption.

Electric Light & Power

ITS; Revenue and Assessment

City: Expand energy efficient street light program and work towards reducing the effects of light pollution.


Engineering

Community: Explore District Energy potential in high-density neighbourhoods.


Planning; Inspections & Licensing; Land & Economic Development

Increased use of renewable energy sources

Community: Partner with renewable energy providers and community stakeholders to provide information about private renewable energy options.


Environmental Services; Communications & Strategic Planning

Waste Increase waste diversion from the City landfill

City: Update the Waste Management Master Plan.


City: Review differential tipping fee structure to identify opportunities to encourage diversion.


Community: Partner with developers and builders to advance recycling and diversion of construction waste on development sites.


Inspections & Licensing; Land & Economic Development; Province of Alberta; Home Builders' Association; Chamber of Commerce

Community: Create an education campaign, toolkits and pilot projects around household and community composting.


Communications & Strategic Planning

Focus Area Desired

Outcome

Priority

Actions

Responsible

City

Department

Partners


Partnerships

The City currently has strong relationships with traditional environmental groups such as the Waskasoo Environmental Education Society and the Red Deer River Naturalists. This partnership base should be broadened to include industries which may be interested in the Environmental Master Plan goals for other reasons such as operational savings through on-site energy production, and college or university programs that may be interested in research related to the targets of the EMP.

The following is a preliminary list of existing and potential partners:

• Waskasoo Environmental Education Society

• Red Deer River Naturalists

• Red Deer Public Library

• Parkland Airshed Management Zone

• Red Deer County

• ReThink Red Deer

• Red Deer College

• Chamber of Commerce

• Red Deer school boards • Red Deer River Watershed Alliance

In addition, partnerships with other levels of government including Red Deer County and other neighbouring counties and towns could help Red Deer see a greater geographic impact of its EMP. These partnerships would help address environmental impacts on a systems basis, recognizing that the “environment” stretches far beyond municipal boundaries.

Ultimately, the success of the EMP is about changing people’s behaviours to affect environmental change. The broader the base of people who can relate to The City’s environmental targets and personally identify with the Plan, the greater the possibilities of success. Wide spread acceptance of the Plan and an understanding of the benefits of change will be critical to long term implementation and will help inspire people to achieve The City of Red Deer’s environmental targets.

The implementation of the EMP will require more than just City action. It will be most effectively implemented as a collaborative effort between partners who are members of the Red Deer community and The City. The City’s role with these partners will be as a facilitator, providing access to environmental resources and, through environmental leadership, demonstrating progressive sustainability standards in areas within their jurisdiction and control.


Appendicesappendix A: Methodology

appendix B: Community Consultation Summary

appendix C: Environmental Impact Categories Descriptors

appendix D: Criteria for Selecting Metrics

appendix E: Benchmarking Tool

appendix F: Example Impact Assessment Tool

appendix G: Prioritization List

appendix H: Glossary


Appendix A:Methodology


The following describes the methodology used to achieve that objective and highlights the key elements of the phases of work in preparation of Red Deer’s Environmental Master Plan.

Phase 1 Initiation and Discovery February – March 2010

Phase 1 of the project, completed in February and early March of 2010, focused on getting the Environmental Master Plan process started and included preliminary meetings with The City and exploration of Red Deer. A site tour and meetings with City staff groups were highlights. In addition, preliminary information about current environmental initiatives and examples of sustainable development underway in Red Deer was gathered, forming the start of a baseline analysis of the state of the environment in Red Deer.

Phase 2 Exploring and Understanding March – May 2010

The second phase of work focused on developing an in depth understanding of the key environmental issues facing Red Deer right now and in the future. Based on research, focus groups with key stakeholders and working sessions with City staff, this phase involved the collection and analysis of data, such as: reports and studies completed by and for various departments of The City and County; best practice approaches to sustainability that have been successfully implemented elsewhere; and, the breadth of programs and activities that are currently within the City’s responsibility.

In order to establish meaningful, measureable goals for future environmental achievement, it is important to understand where The City of Red Deer is today. Identifying sources of current environmental data was an important part of this phase. This list of metrics captures existing environmental reporting and targets already set by Red Deer. It also provides a better understanding of Red Deer’s long term indicators of environmental quality, identifying potential environmental threats, opportunities, and information gaps.

The Situation Assessment is the end result of this phase, reporting on all of the background research and information gathered during the phase.


Phase 3 Confirming Goals, Directions and Benchmarks May – August 2010

The third phase of work shifted from understanding the environment today towards the creation of a shared vision and potential solutions. The establishment of measureable goals, metrics and timelines to evaluate program success provides an opportunity to evaluate projects and recommendations on a regular basis.

An integral component of the Red Deer Environmental Master Plan process involves the continual acquisition of knowledge through public consultation and community outreach. These ideas have helped draft the direction and priorities for the Environmental Master Plan. This phase of work featured two workshops: a youth-focused one and a general community event intended to develop a shared understanding of environmental sustainability through a community conversation about Red Deer’s vision for the Environmental Master Plan. We also discussed a draft Vision and Core Directions for Red Deer’s natural environment, proposed approaches to achieve goals, and potential benchmarks to measure success.

Phase 4 Policies, Strategies and Actions August – October 2010

During the fourth phase of work, the project team focussed on translating the Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions into a series of policies and strategies that will help Red Deer achieve its environmental goals. One of the most important strategies to be developed in this phase was the creation of an environmental indicator database. This database will contain the necessary metricss to analyze the effectiveness of current and future environmental plans and programs, and to form the basis for regular reporting on the state of the environment in Red Deer. The database will allow The City to demonstrate its progress toward greater environmental sustainability over time.

The recommended policies that were developed during this phase reveal which issues should receive emphasis and establish a direction for change but they do not, by themselves, provide a sufficient structure for the implementation and measurement of goals and objectives. This phase has uncovered the strategies and actions that will establish quantifiable and achievable targets. The policies, strategies and actions have been summarized in a recommendations report that addresses the areas of priorities, targets, corporate structure, and resources needed.


Phase 5 Synthesis and Completion October – April 2011

The fifth and final stage of work will include a synthesis of the information collected in previous phases. Prior to finalization of the Plan, community members will be invited to review and comment on work to date at an interactive Community Meeting and Stakeholder Meetings. Incorporating all the findings from the project research, community feedback and guidance from the City, the final Environmental Master Plan will reflect the priority environmental sustainability issues in Red Deer. The Plan will articulate a 25-year Vision for Red Deer’s environmental future and outline clear policy directions, benchmarks, strategies and actions, supported by the 25-year Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions. The Environmental Master Plan will be compiled into an easy to understand and highly graphic document and a summarizing Companion Document that will be made widely available to members of the public.

The Environmental Master Plan will establish clear priorities, direction and ambitious goals for environmental performance while at the same time be grounded in measureable targets and metrics. Defined through consultation with the community, the Plan will reflect the priorities and input of the people of Red Deer and assist The City by providing a decision making framework for managing environmental impacts of future growth, development and community sustainability.


Appendix B:Community Consultation Summary


The Environmental Master Plan has been developed in consultation with the Red Deer public, community stakeholders, businesses, staff and council. The following table summarizes the consultation activities undertaken to develop this Plan.

Event Date

Council Workshop March 15th, 2010

City Manager’s Meeting March 29th, 2010

Stakeholder Meetings March 29th & 30th, 2010

Community & Student Workshops June 14th & 15th, 2010

Community, Student Workshops & Stakeholder Meetings October 12th - 14th , 2010

Council Orientation December 10, 2010

Community Consultation February 1-5, 2011

Online Consultation & Community Outreach Throughout project process

A description of each of these consultation events is provided in the text below.


Council Workshop March 15th 2010

List of AttendeesCraig Curtis City ManagerElaine Vincent Legislative Services ManagerPaul Goranson Director of Development ServicesRuss Pye Manager of Inspections & LicensingColeen Jensen Director of Community ServicesLoraine Poth Director of Corporate ServicesTom Warder Environmental Services ManagerPam Vust Environmental Initiatives CoordinatorLauren Maris Environmental Researcher/EMP Project ManagerCharity Dyke Communications Coordinator

City Councillors Mayor Morris FlewwellingCindy JefferiesFrank WongGail ParksLarry PimmLorna Watkinson-ZimmerLynne MulderTara Veer

Consultation TeamIan TheakerMaeri MachadoGraham Halsall


On March 15th 2010, the consultant team had the opportunity to engage with City of Red Deer Councillors and Senior Managers in a workshop with two goals:

To develop a shared understanding of the scope of and development process of the Environmental Master Plan (EMP); and To gain early input from Council and senior staff to guide EMP development.

The overall purpose of the Environmental Master Plan, as set out in the City’s Request for Proposals, was presented to participants to guide the Environmental Pillar of The City of Red Deer’s Municipal Sustainability Framework and provide recommendations with emphasis on immediate, short (5 year), medium (10 year) and long-term (25 year) goals.

To start, City staff presented an overview of the EMP procurement and consultant selection process. This was followed by a presentation by the consulting team on its plans for the project, and a summary of a number of key environmental topics that will influence the development of the Environmental Master Plan. This included an overview of broadly-used environmental stressor categories and their priorities, as developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US and Canada Green Building Councils, among others.

The presentations were followed by a lively discussion; then by breakout groups prompted by specific questions posed by the consulting team. The workshop culminated in a brainstorming session to draw out key issues participants felt were important to the Environmental Master Plan vision statement, and the Environmental Master Plan development process.

Following the consultants’ presentation, a general discussion surfaced participant responses and key concerns. The following points were broadly agreed upon in terms of their importance for the Environmental Master Plan’s vision and development:• protection and enhancement of Red Deer’s natural

areas, particularly its riverside parks which are highly valued by the City and its residents;

• education and public engagement on environmental issues and their relative priorities are likely to be needed for successful Environmental Master Plan implementation;

• denser, pedestrian-oriented urban form that protects Red Deer’s community amenity and feel, will be needed to accommodate projected future growth , and

• the desire for innovation and leadership by the City in future environmental initiatives.

After a break, participants rotated between three breakout sessions, each focused on questions posed by the consultant team. All participants considered and voiced their thoughts on each question; highlights are summarized below, broken out by discussion question.


Breakout Discussion Topic 1:What are the most important environmental qualities that attract and keep people in Red Deer?

Natural Urban Environment: Red Deer is seen as having unique natural urban environment amenities in its park system, that reflects and responds to its rural setting.

Waskasoo Park System: The parks, trails and green space provide recreational and intrinsic values, but also provide connectivity between different Red Deer neighbourhoods . The affordability and universal accessibility of the park system also contribute to its popularity with citizens.

Biodiversity: The wildlife and biodiversity in the region is unique, and needs to be protected and if possible, enhanced.

Clean Air: The air quality in Red Deer is generally seen by citizens as excellent, but may be threatened by continued and future growth in oil and gas operations, and by automobile use.

Clean Water: The Red Deer River and surrounding watershed are important for drinking water, contributions to natural habitat, and recreation and agricultural uses. The quality of water is valued by the Red Deer community.

Agriculture: Agricultural land availability and rich soils support a farm industry whose close proximity to Red Deer is a cultural and economic asset to the City. Supporting local farms, their products and owners is seen as a way to protect soil and economic values, in the absence of a green belt or land protection mechanism.


Breakout Discussion Topic 2:What do you think are Red Deer’s key challenges or issues related to environmental sustainability?

Culture: In general, environmental issues are not an urgent issue for Red Deer citizens. Many residents are satisfied with the status quo and are generally disconnected and unaware of the environmental impacts of lifestyle choices. There is a general feeling that the environmental issues are “big city” concerns, and that many residents value property rights more highly than environmental stewardship responsibilities.

Community Engagement: There is little public desire to change current lifestyles due to a broad perception that land and resources are abundant, and that environmental issues do not present large risks that require City action. Education and engagement of the public on large risks presented by climate change and other environmental issues is likely to be needed to inspire and encourage a culture of stewardship amongst the community.

Vehicle Dependence: Dependence on single-occupant cars and trucks in Red Deer is substantial due partly to the style of neighbourhood development, and other modes of transportation have not been a high priority to date. This largely reflects residents’ preference for motorized vehicles use over other modes of transportation.

Urban Sprawl: The location, density and development standards of new and existing neighbourhoods needs to be planned and controlled better to address anticipated population and industry growth, while protecting environmental, health and cultural values of residents.

Existing Industry: Oil and gas services and plastics manufacturing are major industries in Red Deer, which have negative environmental effects, but employ significant proportion of Red Deer residents. This may result in a lack of support for environmental initiatives that could be perceived as a potential threat to these industries, such as reducing reliance on fossil fuels or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Engagement with Provincial and Regional Governments: There is little engagement with or support from the Province of Alberta on environmental or growth issues. Local governments are left to manage regional environmental issues on their own, and to negotiate coordinated responses while being handicapped with few resources. This is particularly an issue for joint management by The City of Red Deer and Red Deer County for protection of the Red Deer River and its tributaries, preservation of farmland and habitat, and providing utility services to address population and industry growth.


Breakout Discussion Topic 3:In 25 years time, what results do you want to see from Red Deer’s Environmental Master Plan?

Densification and Housing Choices: Focus on densification of downtown core and local density/ commercial nodes within walking distance. Provide a variety of housing options including apartments, townhouses and higher density developments, as well as single family houses.

Healthy Ecosystems: Maintain a healthy river and a “green spine” of parkland through the City. “The Waskasoo Park System should be twice the size as it is now.”

Green Economy: The green sector is the fastest growing in Canada’s economy. There is an opportunity to bring green businesses and jobs to Red Deer.

Flexibility: The EMP should set out ‘timeless’ principles in the long term that allow a flexible response to changes in the future to better guide priorities while maintaining and enhancing environmental and health values .

Greener Developments: A desire for development that protects environmental assets, including reduced dependence on fossil fuels and cars, and greater City density.

Transformed Culture: Red Deer citizens see sustainability as a way of life, while maintaining the small town feel in a bigger city.

Local Food: Support local agriculture by providing more opportunities to purchase local foods.


Environmental Vision Statement Brainstorming DiscussionsDuring the course of the workshop, participants were asked to write brief statements of issues that should be reflected in the EMP Vision statement and EMP development. The statements were posted on the wall for all to see. Near the end of the workshop, each participant was provided with five sticky dots and invited to use these to indicate their preference for posted statements, which were grouped by the consultants into related themes. A general discussion on the grouped themes and issue statements concluded the workshop. Their comments and statements are documented below.

Education and Motivation• Educate, Encourage, Engage and Enable.

• Educated public, motivated and empowered to protect the environment.

• A cultural shift regarding our environmental practices.

• The environment will rise to the top of the agenda.

• Begin with education rather than legislation. Legislation can be motivation, but enforcement is always difficult.

• The community values and practices green principles (even if it costs more).

• Red Deer’s green kids are leading the way.

Green Space• Wildlife corridors are conserved and promoted.

• Pockets of green are throughout the community are connected to the river valley and its trail system. Neighbourhoods are also linked to corridor and spine of park system.

• The Red Deer River is healthy and abundant providing sufficient drinking water and recreation for the community.

• Beautiful green spaces are preserved and accessible to all.

• The land and ecology defines where green spaces are required, then planning is focused around this.

City and Community Planning• Planning is linked to green space and animals rather

than vehicular transportation.

• Planning an environment for green growth.

• A clear policy framework on key environmental fronts.

• Neighbourhoods through trails, not sidewalks.

• Growing while preserving.

• Stronger environmental lens for our built environment.

Innovation• Environment can be our competitive advantage by

creating a green industry.

• Every home a generator.

• Find innovative ways to secure natural areas beyond the minimum 10% municipal reserve.

• Prices of goods and services need to reflect ecological worth.


City Managers Meeting March 29th 2010On March 29, 2010 eighteen representatives from various departments of The City of Red Deer participated in a Managers Meeting, a half-day interactive session lead by the consultant team and City staff from Environmental Services. The following is a list of City departments represented at the meeting:

Departmental RepresentativesEmergency Services Information and Technology ServicesTransit Land and Economic Development Parkland Community Planning Social PlanningFinancial ServicesAssessment & Taxation ServicesInspections & LicensingEnvironmental Services Waste ManagementWastewater UtilityWater Utility Public Works, RoadsElectric Light & Power Recreation, Parks & Culture Parks Red Deer Museum & Art GalleryRCMP

*A representative from the Engineering Department was unable to attend this meeting. To obtain their input, a follow up interview was held on April 29th the summary of which is included within this document. Environmental Services StaffPam Vust, Environmental Initiatives Coordinator & City’s EMP Project ManagerLauren Maris, Environmental Program Specialist

Consultant Team Melanie Hare Urban StrategiesMark Reid Urban Strategies Leigh McGrath Urban StrategiesMaeri Machado Halsall AssociatesMelanie Ross Halsall Associates

The purpose of the session was to provide an opportunity for the consultant team to hear first-hand what environmental-related initiatives or projects each department had underway, environmental impacts related to each department’s services, and broad comments about departmental contributions to achieving environmental sustainability in the city. To guide the discussion, the participants were asked to review and prepare a response to the following questions prior to the meeting:• Please tell us about your department’s current

environmental policies, programs or projects, and those planned for future implementation.

• What are the largest environmental impacts of your operations and projects? What do you measure to track these?

• In your environmental initiatives how do you connect, coordinate or collaborate with other city departments? With the Environmental Advisory Committee? With community groups (e.g. citizens, NGOs, churches)?

• What do you see as the biggest environmental impact of your department? How can your department help the City become a national leader in environmental sustainability?


The meeting began with introductory presentations by Pam Vust, the City’s Environmental Initiatives Coordinator, who described the purpose and intent of the Environmental Master Plan and Lauren Maris, Red Deer’s Environmental Program Specialist, who elaborated on the internal review process of the EMP work plan and deliverables. Following the presentations from Environmental Services, Maeri Machado of Halsall Associates and Melanie Hare of Urban Strategies gave a short presentation focused on the consultant team’s approach to the creation of the EMP and the process of setting shared priorities and defining metrics to track environmental progress.

After establishing a common understanding of the purpose and process behind the EMP, representatives from each attending City Department were given an opportunity to respond to the circulated questions. The following is a summary of the comments shared by City Staff during the meeting.

Emergency Services• Three main areas of impact: - Water usage; - Energy usage (five stations that operate 24 hours a day,

7 days a week in the City); and - Fuel consumption. • Implemented anti-idling policy but have not measured it

specifically

• Trying a “conscientiousness approach” on electricity usage within buildings and water usage

• Some improved environmental features in fire stations: Station Number 5, new station in 2006 and modeled construction on the LEED standards but not formally certified

• Working with Environmental Services to contain runoff; working on water capture in some locations

• Majority of vehicles are diesel; looked into bio diesel& have purchased some general-use hybrid vehicles

Information Technology Services • Power use is the biggest impact in terms of IT Services,

who are responsible for the computers on everyone’s desks and the server room

• Currently considering hardware products’ footprint by consciously questioning if new equipment is needed all the time, pursuing targeted updates instead of wholesale replacement

• Old computers are either sold or donated and scrap gets sent to the landfill for E-waste program

• In terms of tracking, bought power metres to record unofficial statistics on what the hardware's electricity draw is per hour

• Manages the print strategy, tracks paper usage; paper usage has dipped slightly 2008 to 2009

• Paper tracking is based on issues from stores

• For new civic buildings, interested in the smart buildings concept, energy consumption on the building scale, wiring choices, combining technologies to minimize energy usage


Transit • Largest impact: use of diesel fuel, use of water to clean

vehicles

• Uses the LEED certified car washing facility at the Civic Yards

• Oil change reduction program, using synthetic oil

• Smart driver training to reduce fuel usage and environmental impact

• Hybrids or other alternative fuel sources were found to be too costly to implement (analysis revealed 1.5 times cost of regular bus for hybrid, long term cost benefits not as great as hoped)

• Lack of Provincial Green Trip funds impacted ability to purchase hybrid vehicles

• Revamped the system in accordance with recommendations from a 2004 transportation study to a cross grid plan, increased transit trips by 3 fold

• Takes 3.7 mill passenger trips off the city streets per year

• Bike rack included on every bus

• Regionalization is coming; working on service within Red Deer County

• Don’t track modal splits very well, tracks service per capita

Land and Economic Development • Promoting new concepts in development such as

ecoindustrial park and Garden Heights residential subdivision

• In Garden Heights limiting the impact on ravines by using Storm Water Management

• 1.8 km new trails within plan boundaries

• Roundabouts included in the plan to reduce idling

• Area plan includes potential community garden lots

• Transit actively involved in the process and working with the development to ensure service

Parkland Community Planning Services • Involved with land development, land use, and urban

design policy development

• Some measures are known such as: how many units per hectare; percent of land in preservation; and wildlife land preserved

• Works with other departments to approve developments

• Largest environment challenge is in terms of growth demand, balancing social environmental and economic factors with demand for land development

Social Planning • Involved with social side of environmental initiatives.

• Housing RFPs for affordable housing have clauses around environmental considerations into new development within the RFPs

• Have the ability to apply some leverage so housing is affordable. Objective in green building is that in reducing operations cost, rental costs are reduced

• There are social enterprise opportunities for creating meaningful employment opportunities that would fit into the Triple Bottom Line philosophy

Financial Services • Major impact is with paper consumption

• City of Red Deer Green Team member in the finance department

• Changed paper that is currently ordered, using more recycled paper

• With regards to purchase agreements, developing policy to address that City is looking for more environmentally-friendly services

• Criteria of sustainability comes into play as to how decisions are made within department


Assessment & Taxation Services • Two main impacts:

Vehicle impacts because assessors are out in the field Paper—department depends on paper records

• Efforts are being made to move to electronic methods of information gathering

• Trying to reduce paper and use different avenues to communicate with the community, for example, electronic plans from developers instead of paper copies are being investigated

• Currently there is no tax strategy aimed at environmental initiatives

Inspections & Licensing • Involved with By-law enforcement and construction waste

enforcement including environmental issues and building codes;

• Look after a few buildings and City Hall is 1962 and 1980 vintage, so not very efficient, with regard to environmental impacts, by current standards for new buildings

• Looking for more efficient solutions to lights and heating in buildings

• Success stories include clean up on construction sites, resulting from several positive site clean-up efforts through By-law enforcement

Environmental Services • Environmental Services relationship to environment

includes treating drinking water; treat waste water, solid waste

• Maintain storm water system within the City, storm water impacts on creeks and river are mitigated by retention ponds

• This department supplies water to other communities and accept wastewater form two communities outside of the City, a revenue generating activity for the City

• The biggest impact is impact of department is on the Red Deer River, water coming in and out of the City

• Power and chemical used to treat water and wastewater are other environmental impacts

• Trying to do a number of rehabilitation methods to improve service including relining water and sewer mains

Waste Management • This department is responsible for: - residential garbage pickup, yard waste and blue bins (contracted to a commercial garbage franchise); - the landfills and a closed landfill, including extensive ground water and surface water testing • This department is the biggest producer of greenhouse

gas emissions due to methane released from the landfill.

• Will have to pay for certain programs that the Province is not funding any longer, the Province has not been helping as much as they could be, suggests the need for advocacy to the Province

• Tracks information on diversion rates and aims to encourage waste diversion

• Investigated possibility of collection of gas from landfill site in 2004 at the time deemed not economic possibility

Wastewater Utility • Effluent is discharged into river

• There are large Waste heat and large energy usage through the wastewater utility

• Collect data and metrics every year, although not a great usage of the data yet, has great potential

• Measuring impact on water quality both upstream and downstream

• Upgrades to handle more capacity are in the works

• Focus on helping other communities by bringing their waste water to Red Deer to treat it


• Has cut down on number of wells and cut down on the negative impacts smaller communities have on their water, impact is improved water quality

• Communities that are serviced are about 35 miles north and south of Red Deer

• River is important but the tributaries are important too, need to manage them as well.

• Currently several agencies are responsible for storm water management but no storm water utility - a big gap; consider the potential of a storm water utility (tanks and ponds) as a strategy/mechanism

• Large amount of hard surface parking and roads in Red Deer has a negative impact on storm water

Water Utility• Monitoring of water is a health issue linked to

environmental performance

• Working with other groups within the City and community at large to inform and develop approaches

• Constructing a residuals pond in the next few years

Public Works • Responsible for City’s roads, bridges vehicle fleet and

facilities.

• Initiatives related to the City’s vehicle fleet include purchasing several hybrid vehicles, trying to reduce chemical use in the shops and products, and recycling vehicle batteries.

• Facilities management will be a larger part of the City’s concerns in future

• Primarily cost concerns—for example, trying to put in solar power and civic yard building obtaining LEED Certification

• Procedures to reduce the impact of roads include: snow removal stored at snow storage sites, snow and ice control , using sand salt and salt brine to reduce salt consumption and reusing street sweeping materials at the landfill as a cover material

• Hard to put numbers on snow clearing budget because so dependent on the weather

• Bridge maintenance is done with respect to environment regulations

• Would like to explore new methods in paving technology that would allow for reuse of asphalt

Engineering • No specific environmental policies, though follow

provincial guidelines and some best management practices

• Observe that agreement within the municipality can be hard to achieve at times, not positive about getting initiatives implemented or completed

• Work with Park Services for ecological profiles and wildlife corridor studies. Parks data influences roads, residential development, and other projects

• Responsible for planning for storm water management and Environmental Services look after the operations and would like to be amongst the leaders in storm water management in 5-10 years

• Plans to manage limited roads and get people out of their cars, hoping the annexation for growth will create a spine network for transit. They look after traffic operations for efficiency, management, and so on

• At this point they are not using porous pavements, road diets, etc.

• Tries to engage community groups and use the ecological profile to inform areas for protection – all goes into the design of a new development

• Participating in the development of the eco-industrial park in Queen’s business park is one of their projects – it is a direct control, city owned parcel, and they are looking at infrastructure for opportunities for better management for the area

• Would like to see topsoil from new developments used more ecologically, reference the City of Portland for their use of bioswales.


Electric Light & Power Manager • This department acts as an energy service provider and

is not typically responsible for energy generation

• Remarks that department would benefit from a long term vision in terms of the environment but noted that environmental issues are embedded in every project they do

• Projects include:

- Advanced metreing project: will include the conversion all electric and water meters into EMI to collect individual usage from every single site to communicate real-time energy consumption

- LED lighting pilot project: LED light bulbs being installed in street and traffic lights in residential neighbourhood and will provide lessons to guide future decision-making

- PCB Clean Up: PCB clean up, in response to federal legislation

- Green Power: Increased green power purchasing to provide 15% of the City’s facilities’ energy needs from renewable sources in 2010 and plan to increase to 25% for 2013

• Have been interested in exploring district energy, but not implemented because don’t have sufficient funds

• Plan to continue burying lines underground in future, to address aesthetic and environmental concerns (particularly Electromagnetic fields) concerns from customers

Recreation, Parks & Culture• Environmental considerations include recreation facility

development, planning and operation

• In last three years, staff have been focused on applying sustainability to operations

• In terms of facility development, there is a lack of clear corporate direction related to LEED, but they have adopted an informal LEED shadow approach

• Some new sustainable technologies have been tested in renovation projects but mitigating the risks of innovation is a major concern

Parks• Parks are the public’s first view of environmental issues

• Have parks planning areas, use GIS to track parkland, involved with landscape approvals, water management plans and rely on the land use bylaw for enforcement of parks-related policies

• 10 years ago, Parks was largely involved with simple operations, now, 90% of time is focused on operations and 10% of effort is spent on environmental initiatives and natural area protection.

• A River and Tributaries Concept Master Plan is completed and in draft form, includes future thinking about parks expansion and management

• Motors that are used within Parks are all fuel efficient where possible

• Using recycled aggregate material for trail development

• Challenge is with overall policy statements but experience is that policy statements alone are not very effective in motivating private-sector action and are most effective on city parkland.

• Annexation now a big issue, agricultural issues, private land management are a challenge.

Red Deer Museum & Art Gallery• Museum includes art and history, mostly regional but

also national

• Museum has recently been retrofitted (1998)

• With the humidity needs for holdings protection uses a lot of energy, though new lighting will help reduce this

• Feel they can play a big role in education like the Kerry Wood Centre

• Will be planning a series of exhibits looking into agriculture - local food, environmental issues etc


RCMP• Largest impact is vehicle use and gas consumption

• Paper use is high

• Have implemented use if bicycles and officers on foot to reduce the environmental impact New police building downtown is LEED

• Plastics are recycled

• Cooperate with the Parks Department to reduce ATVs use in sensitive environmental areas for the policing of parks

Closing DiscussionsAs a culminating activity, the meeting participants were asked to describe what they saw as the major issues around creating and implementing an Environmental Master Plan. The following were the main issues raised and suggestions offered: • Would benefit from defined priorities related to

environmental performance within the City corporation

• Financial capacity is a challenge

• Staff capacity is a challenge

• Need a culture change: shifting thinking needed for city growing up not out

• Jurisdictional leadership & coordination at province and regional scales & governments

• Helping the community move along with us

• Risk of inaction is great


Stakeholder Meetings March 29th and 30thOn March 29th and 30th eleven Key Stakeholder group meetings were held with selected City of Red Deer departments, community and environmental organizations, business communities and industries. The purpose of these Key Stakeholder meetings was to gain a better understanding of the state of the environment in Red Deer from a variety of community perspectives. These interviews also helped the consultant team to begin process of connecting with important Red Deer community leaders, to gain their input and suggestions for the Environmental Master Plan. These meetings provided an early opportunity to gather feedback to inform the environmental vision and core directions of the study and to set the stage for future consultations.

Each 45-minute long meeting was lead by two or more members of the consultant team and featured a guided discussion based on the following initial questions:

• Please tell us about your organization/company/personal environmental passion. Are there any environmental strategies, programs, projects or initiatives that are ongoing or planned for future implementation?

• What are the 3 most effective environmental initiatives currently taking place in Red Deer that enhance or encourage the environmental performance of your organization / company / community?

• In your opinion, what are Red Deer’s key priorities and issues related to the environment (natural and built)?

• In 5, 10 and 25 years time, what does Red Deer’s environment look like? How will we get there?

• What does the City need to do in order to be a national leader in environmental sustainability?

Over the course of these two days meetings were held with the following groups:


Environmental Groups Waskasoo Environmental Education SocietyRed Deer River NaturalistsParkland Airshed Management ZoneRed Deer River Watershed Alliance

Active Community Influence Group 1 Red Deer Public Library Red Deer Catholic Regional SchoolsRed Deer Public SchoolsRed Deer AdvocateWaskasoo Environmental Education Society

Culture and Tourism Group 1 Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society

Business Community Advantage Commercial RealtyRed Deer AdvocateParkland MallBruin’s PlumbingParkland Community Planning Services

Culture and Tourism Group 2Tourism Red DeerCity of Red Deer Culture

Development Industry Group2 ArchitectsMelcor DevelopmentAvalon Homes

Major IndustriesLonkar Services Ltd.ATCO GasSaputoPermolex Ltd.Finning (Canada)Olymel

Regional Economic Development Red Deer CollegeRed Deer Chamber of Commerce

Active City Influence Group 2Alberta EnvironmentRethink Red DeerSustainable Red DeerRed Deer & District Community FoundationAlberta Health Services Red Deer sites

City of Red Deer Parks

City of Red Deer Green Team

Key Stakeholder Meeting Groups March 29th and 30th 2010


The following are key highlights from each of the above-listed meeting:

Environmental Groups The discussion with environmental groups focused on challenges and issues with environmental protection in Red Deer today, and on identifying environmentally-related resources and data sets. Some of the most important challenges identified included concern about watershed integrity, ecological integrity and encroachment into and lack of setbacks from sensitive river-side lands. Lack of a strong policy basis to control development in environmentally sensitive areas including setbacks from watersheds was noted as a distinct challenge. The impacts of Red Deer’s rapid growth were also discussed during this session including concerns with the loss of high quality agricultural land surrounding the City and air quality issues accompanying rising numbers of cars in the City. The need for wildlife crossings, park stewardship and promoting the use of native species for planting in the City were also discussed.

Active Community Influence Group 1 While this group featured individuals from different organizations the common threads among them was education and information sharing. Each of the interviewees described their organization’s role and involvement with environmental initiatives including the ongoing environmental programs at Waskasoo Park, the recent Rediscover Green project and website at the library and school-based programs within the public and Catholic school boards. In terms of schools, the representatives present were facilities managers and spoke more to building efficiencies; but agreed that education and connections with youth could provide a great deal of energy to inspire change in how people interact with the environment in Red Deer. The members of this group also discussed the negative perceptions people hold about the environment as it relates to crime, agreeing that there is a widespread perception of danger in using natural park spaces or allowing children to walk to school was also discussed.

City of Red Deer Parks A special focus group was held with the City Parks department considering this department’s key involvement with the environment in Red Deer. During this session the participants described the different technologies and tools that Parks uses including GIS-based data collection and mapping to track the natural environment in the City. In addition, key issues raised during this meeting included a need for stronger setback polices to restrict development adjacent to ravines and the restricted ability for Parks to negotiate for more park land dedication from developers in light of the removal of the maximum density cap. Successes such as the city gardening plots and the City’s new ability to require a 3:1 ratio for replacement of wetlands were also discussed.


Culture and Tourism Group 1 This meeting with the Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society focused on the operations of the Cultural Heritage Society itself, including annual Canada Day festivities, and environmental issues identified by the Society. Issues with the social relationship to the environment, particularly a lack of public community meeting spaces and a dwindling sense of safety were identified. In addition, a disconnect was noted with the creation of a transit hub downtown with a major parkade, such a move does not promote a transit-oriented philosophy.

Business Community This discussion provided some insight into how pervasive “green” concepts are within the business community. One participant, a member of the Rotary Club, noted that “being green” was not a hot topic amongst that community. A number of comments were focused on incentives that could be put into place to encourage more green development and business practices, including rebates on permits to encourage greener homes and buildings or a reduction in property taxes for a green building that achieved a certain rating. Amongst this group, there was an overall perception that the City did not have high priority for environmental issues.

Parkland Community Planning Services Considering this department’s potential influence and impact on how the City grows and develops a special focus group was organized to discuss planning issues in Red Deer. Parkland Community Planning Services (PCPS) acts as The City of Red Deer’s planning department. Its primary responsibilities include review of development applications as well as creation and implementation of policies that shape the City’s growth and development. The focus of this session was on planning and development control tools available to PCPS and their effectiveness in shaping development in more environmentally friendly ways. The Neighbourhood Design Standards and Guidelines were discussed, as was the role of the Engineering department in planning decisions. PCPS participants shared the view that it will be difficult to achieve a more compact, sustainable building form in the City because there is little incentive when land is readily available and relatively cheap. A similar view was held towards achieving wider use of public transit, with the ease and convenience of driving and the reluctance for people to forgo their private vehicles. The participants noted the introduction of more environmentally sensitive development concepts and policy frameworks in the downtown, Riverlands and Garden Heights areas of the City, but were generally skeptical about their implementation and success in the short term.

Culture and Tourism Group 2Including attendees from Tourism Red Deer and The City of Red Deer’s Culture department, this group discussed the approaches taken toward the environment within their own organizations, and shared personal thoughts about challenges in making Red Deer a more environmentally friendly place. In terms of tourism, there is a sense among member businesses that being environmentally responsible is good for business, noting that many people come to Red Deer to enjoy the parks system, and that Gasoline Alley is seen as detrimental to Red Deer’s image with travellers. Regarding culture, events are organized to include re-use of materials . Both participants shared their thoughts on the challenges to improving Red Deer’s relationship with the environment, noting resident’s attachment to personal vehicles, with little incentive or desire to pursue other modes of transportation; and missed opportunities with City budgeting and spending on environmental- initiatives.


Development Industry The discussions held with development industry representatives focused on issues, concerns and challenges developers face with creation of new neighbourhoods in Red Deer, the potential market for green buildings and environmentally-friendly building practices they are already doing . The group shared a feeling that some City departments were reluctant to embrace innovative sustainable initiatives and that higher density development was not welcomed by the City. According to one home builder that participated, the market for green buildings is growing and proactive builders are incorporating more environment features in homes, but there are no mandated City polices to require all builders to follow suit. One of the main themes from this discussion was the need for more certainty in the development process, particularly related to City approvals of new green approaches and technologies. The participants were positive they could work within development constraints aimed at environmental concerns, including natural heritage protection, as long as they knew up front, not at the end of the process, what those constraints and requirements were.

Major IndustriesThe Major Industries group provided their perspectives about environmental impacts and initiatives of some of the large industrial employers in the City. One of the participants from Permolex noted that their plant uses co-generation and created excess power, but lacked a way to sell it to the City. ATCO also is actively implementing environmental initiatives such as an anti-idling policy, geothermal conditioning of its facilities, and use of hybrid vehicles in their corporate fleet. This session also featured a discussion how to encourage industries to become more environmentally-friendly in their practices. Setting standards or requiring audits of corporate practices was mentioned as a way to help businesses run more efficiently. A main concern among this group was how to ensure the Environmental Master Plan is a benefit to business, and not an additional cost.

Regional Economic Development This interview featured discussion of the Eco Innovation Park at Red Deer College, environmental initiatives by the Chamber of Commerce, a commentary on challenges to environmental innovation and a need for cohesive environmental direction within the City. The Red Deer College representative described the concept and workings of the Eco Innovation Park noting that it is actively promoting environmental sustainability and innovation through offering space and resources to develop new technologies. The Chamber of Commerce is currently promoting a ‘Local First’ campaign emphasizing the importance of local purchasing. During the general discussion, both participants noted that the City tends to have a siloed approach to the environment and identified an opportunity for the City to take a proactive leadership role with pilot projects, partnerships and stronger environmental policies.


Active City Influence Group 2This second Active City Influence interview included representatives from Red Deer and District Community Foundation, Re Think Red Deer and Sustainable Red Deer, Alberta Environment and Alberta Health Services. This interview focused on the relationship of each of these groups to the environment including: • the Vital Signs project lead by the Red Deer & District Community Foundation, a document that tracks and rates a range of

targets including environmentally-related items;

• the advocacy role of ReThink and Sustainable Red Deer, who focus on the pedestrian environment and improving a democratic process and engagement with the public regarding environmental issues;

• the role of Alberta Environment, who are moving towards a cumulative effects management programming, considering wider, water-shed wide impacts of land use decisions; and

• progress Alberta Health Services has made in improving energy efficiency in current buildings and higher environmental performance of new buildings.

Overall the participants noted the important role the City can play in setting a strong policy context, with the Environmental Master Plan as a core guiding document.

City of Red Deer Green Team The Green Team is an internal committee, designed to encourage, empower and support staff to “green” City departments and activities. The purpose of the Green Team is to foster a conservation ethic throughout the organization, and to raise awareness and enhance employee engagement in corporate environmental issues caused and/or impacted by The City’s day to day operations. The Team will be made up of representatives from a number of City departments with the goal of providing a balanced cross section of all City operations. (City of Red Deer Website)

To date, the Green Team has investigated and begun to implement a few initiatives, including:• Double-sided printing and default to black and white printing;

• Made a switch to 100% post-consumer recycled paper for all internal documents;

• Energy reduction in: motion sensors for lights and encouraging the shutting off of monitors;

• Better recycling within offices;

• Opportunities for recycling from businesses – there is none at present; and

• Maintain a status update of their activities on the internal ‘Bridge’ portal.

The Green Team faces a few challenges: the program is new and still developing – where their efforts will lead them is unknown; better communication for department specific initiatives, though they have been successful in sharing open initiatives that include all departments; their budgeted time commitment is 4 hours per month, including a meeting, and this is proving to be inadequate for the number of initiatives that need researched and implemented; and the Team collectively suggests that the City promote, to the community and beyond, what they are doing internally.


Consultation Summary June 14th and 15th 2010Over June 14th and 15th 2010, the Environmental Master Plan project team hosted two student workshops and one community workshop to gather public input on the development of The City of Red Deer Environmental Master Plan. The workshops focused on understanding the community’s view on the Vision for Red Deer’s environmental future and the Core Directions that will frame the creation of the Environmental Master Plan. The following document includes a description of the engagement events, main themes that emerged and how those comments have impacted the development of the Environmental Master Plan. The draft Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions that were the focus of these discussions are in included in for reference.

Student WorkshopsTwo student workshops were held at this stage of the Environmental Master Plan Process. The first workshop was held Monday June 14th at Notre Dame High School and the second workshop was held Tuesday June 15th at Hunting Hills High School. Each high school workshop had more than 20 students participate in a 30 minute session. The student workshops began with a short presentation from Melanie Hare that described the purpose of an Environmental Master Plan and the importance of understanding young peoples’ perspectives on the environment. This was followed by an interactive activity closely linked to the Environmental Master Plan focus areas.

The interactive element of the workshop included making posters highlighting youth values and beliefs about Red Deer’s environmental future. Using images representing transportation, air, water, waste, built environment and energy, participants created posters which reflected their visions and priorities for their city’s environmental future. Each student group worked together to describe their environmental vision and then shared the outcomes of their exercise with the entire group at the end of the session.


What We Heard From the Students In total seven posters were created between the two workshops. The following outlines the most common themes that emerged during the workshops.

Waste Ideas about litter, waste reduction and recycling were among the most common themes communicated by participants. Many group posters emphasize a future that is clean, green and free of litter on the streets. Strategies to achieve these goals include introducing more garbage cans in the public realm and providing more opportunities for recycling a greater range of products. Implementing incentives to encourage recycling, banning plastic water bottles and plastic bags were also mentioned as motivators.

Open Space A discussion of the importance of green space, parks and outdoor recreation occurred in every group. The students’ comments reflected a priority on improving the green spaces that currently exist in the city and supplementing that asset with more parks and outdoor recreational opportunities. The youth vision of green space in the city included planting more trees, connecting parks and adding more places to hike or walk in nature.

Energy The students’ visions emphasized a need to embrace new low-impact energy technologies and use renewable energy sources. More fuel efficient cars, the use of solar power and wind power were identified as ways help reduce air pollution and dependence on fossil fuels.

Walking, Cycling and Public Transportation Many students reported walking, cycling, skateboarding or using public transit as a primary transportation mode in their day-to-day lives. The majority of students noted a future Red Deer with an improved public transportation system, an enhanced on and off street bicycling trail

network and a system of connected sidewalks that encourage walking. More visionary comments around transportation included encouraging high speed rail to connect Red Deer to Edmonton and Calgary to improve job opportunities and reduce traffic congestion.

Built form In place of the current pattern of subdivision development which consumes prime agricultural land and forests, students envisioned a future for Red Deer where the city grows up - not out. Townhomes were noted by some groups as being a preferable housing form as they take up less space than traditional developments. The desire for connected communities and urban villages were also noted as part of the vision for Red Deer’s future built form.

WaterThe student visions placed an emphasis on ensuring the future of Red Deer included clean and safe water in the region’s rivers, ponds and tributaries. Water conservation was highlighted as a priority and potential strategies to achieve this vision include low-flow toilet rebates and incentives.

Education and Community Two of the student posters identify increased education about the environment as an important part of ensuring a strong environmental future for Red Deer. The presence of green community groups and programs such as yoga in the park were mentioned as ways to connect Red Deer residents to their environment.


Community WorkshopOn Tuesday, June 15th a community workshop was held at the Golden Circle in downtown Red Deer, from 6:30-9pm. Attracting over 40 participants, the purpose of the community workshop was to gather public input on the Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions for the Environmental Master Plan. The workshop was structured around two short presentations by Melanie Hare. The first presentation introduced the imperative around creating an Environmental Master Plan, provided a snapshot of Red Deer’s current environmental programs and performance. Workshop attendees then gathered around roundtables of 8-10 participants to discuss and list Red Deer’s environmental strengths and weaknesses by identifying specific examples on a city map. Following this activity Melanie presented the Draft Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions, providing examples from other cities to show how such a direction has been implemented. Participants were then asked to discuss this draft material and to work together to revise and augment the Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions. The outcomes of this session are described below.

What we heard from the Community

Strengths and Weaknesses The first workshop activity focused on understanding the community’s sense of what Red Deer’s environmental strengths and weaknesses were. The following describes the main themes that emerged from this exercise.


StrengthsOpen SpacesMany of the participants highlighted Red Deer’s natural heritage as a major strength. The parks and trails network, Gaetz Lake, Red Deer River, O’Brien Constructed Wetlands, Waskasoo and Piper Creeks, Kerry Wood Nature Centre, the presence of wildlife in the city and the growing number of public garden plots were among the strengths commonly highlighted.

Waste Management Participants were aware of and recognized elements of Red Deer’s waste management programs as a strength. The landfill was noted as strength, as was the City’s curbside recycling program and the waste water treatment plant.

Transportation The presence of The City of Red Deer’s public transit system was noted as a strength. Two groups noted the planned ring road as strength as it will divert heavy truck traffic away from the centre of the city. Others were concerned with the environmental impact of this road extension through sensitive natural heritage areas.

Use of New TechnologiesParticipants saw the use of new green technologies in the city as strength. Examples of this included the solar panels at Kerry Wood Nature Centre, the net zero homes built in the city and the installation of LED traffic signals by Electric Light and Power.

City Leadership The City’s leadership in environmental initiatives was noted. Examples include the creation of LEED buildings at the new Civic Yards, the LEED RCMP building, Electric Light and Power’s use of renewable power sources, The City’s willingness to pilot new technologies and the opportunities presented by The City for public input into the Environmental Master Plan process.

Built Form One participant group noted the new town centre proposal in east Red Deer, Timberlands, as an innovative model for creating urban mixed use villages.

WeaknessesBuilt Form Many participants noted weaknesses in Red Deer’s built form that had negative impacts on the environment. These weaknesses include “cookie cutter” sprawl, water detention ponds that were not ecologically friendly, a lack of connectivity and walkability between neighbourhoods, a need for more mixed use development, a lack of residential density and activity in the downtown core, the destruction of farm land for suburban development and low residential density contributing to automobile dependence.

Transportation Participants noted a number of weaknesses related to transportation. Missing sidewalks and a lack of on-street cycling lanes and trails connecting to newer residential areas were noted as deterrents to active transportation. Inconvenient scheduling and bus routes were noted as weaknesses in Red Deer’s public transit system. Also noted was the inexpensive cost of parking downtown, which does not encourage drivers to seek other modes of transportation to that area.

Waste Management While participants noted the landfill and curbside recycling as strengths, they also noted a number of area for improvement related to waste management. Participants saw the narrow range of accepted recyclable materials as a weakness as well as the high threshold of bags of garbage per household. Opportunities for improvement include the introduction of a household composting program and multi-unit residential curbside recycling collection.

Water Participants noted that untreated storm water entering the Red Deer River and its tributaries as a concern. Residential water usage was also mentioned and capturing water in rain barrels for individual use should be more promoted and adopted.

Air Participants noted the lack of idling restrictions. There was also concern that there were a lack of air quality initiatives and a pressing need to improve air quality in Red Deer as industry continues to grow in the city.


Environmental Vision Statement The draft Environmental Vision Statement was presented as follows: “Red Deer will conserve its rich natural environment and minimize its ecological footprint through community collaboration and active stewardship. Red Deer will become a leading example of a vibrant, ecologically connected and sustainable community.”Many of the participants generally agreed with the Environmental Vision Statement but offered different ideas about wording and phrases within the statement. In particular: • The word “conserve” was seen to be outdated and not

expressive or action oriented

• The word “vibrant” was seen as not descriptive enough, preferring liveable, resilient or proactive

• A clear desire was expressed for a time frame added to the statement such as “By 2030” to make the Environmental Vision more of a concrete direction for future action

• The tense of the environmental vision statement was debated; many participants desired the statement to be written in the present tense showing that in the future Red Deer will be or will have achieved all of the qualities written in the vision

• A greater emphasis on community collaboration and partnerships was desired in the statement

• Inclusion of language regarding a leadership role for The City of Red Deer in implementing the vision was desired in the statement

• The phrase “ecologically connected” was seen as unclear; participants suggested the statement needed different language to express the notion of connected ecosystems

Core Directions The comments and input gathered about the Core Directions are summarized below under each draft Core Direction: Encourage, Educate, Enable, EngageParticipants noted that accessible environmental education for the public is important. Some participants believed that enforcement through environmental bylaws and policies will help drive change across the community. Incentives were also brought up as something that may be required to help educate the public.

Protect and Promote Green Space As seen in the comments received on the environmental vision statement, the word “promote” was seen to be too passive and a more active word such as “enhance” was suggested by some participants. Other groups wanted to ensure that Green Space was properly defined and described to include natural areas, open space as well as city parks. Conservation of open space as well as open space connectivity was also noted as an important part of this direction.

Transit and Pedestrian-Oriented PlanningGroups suggested strategies to reduce dependency on cars and emphasize pedestrian mobility, cycling and using public transit. Many of the groups noted the importance of defining this direction to support multi-modal active transportation such as rollerblading, running and cycling.

Sustainable Growth Patterns Many participants agreed this was an important direction, but felt as though this Core Direction needed to include mention of how to control growth. Other comments included defining this direction to include mention of village centres with green areas connecting neighbourhoods.

Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions The second interactive session focused on obtaining input around the draft Environmental Vision and Core Directions. A draft Environmental Vision Statement was presented to the participants as well as six Core Directions intended to guide the development of the Environmental Master Plan. Participants were asked to edit and modify the statements. The following summarizes their comments.


Lead by Example, Learn by Doing Participants pointed out they would like to reverse the title of this direction, to learn first and then lead by example. Participants were very supportive of City leadership in environmental initiatives and saw it is a key part of making the Environmental Master Plan a success. Other groups also wanted to ensure that personal responsibility was highlighted in this direction, encouraging individuals to recognize the impact of their own actions.

Sustainable EconomicsMany of the participants suggested the title of this direction should be modified to make a clearer statement about its intent.

Impact on Environmental Master Plan Process The input gathered through these public consultation sessions, as well as comments and opinions received from the Let’s Talk Red Deer public engagement website was considered in the July 19th refinement of the Situation Assessment and its Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions. The input and ideas gathered at these sessions and from the on-line participants will continue to inform the Environmental Master Plan process as the project team moves to defining environmental strategies and actions for Red Deer.


Draft Environmental Vision Statement “Red Deer will conserve its rich natural environment and minimize its ecological footprint through community collaboration and active stewardship. Red Deer will become a leading example of a vibrant, ecologically connected and sustainable community.”

Draft Core DirectionsEncourage, Educate, Engage, EnableWith support from community organizations and champions, The City of Red Deer can deliver an effective engagement, awareness and constituent building campaign highlighting the importance of environmental stewardship, and foster ongoing dialogue, information and resources that enable The City and individuals improve their ecological footprints.

Protect and Promote Green SpaceThe Waskasoo and neighbourhood parks system will grow, both by creating green links with existing and new park spaces, and enhancing habitat for valuable and endangered species. The main spine and new branches of the park network would connect residents with places of work, schools, commercial areas and essential services, and will be well used for transportation, recreation, and surface storm water management. Ecosystems throughout Red Deer will thrive, protected with policies that preserve and enhance regional waterways, fauna, and flora.

Transit and Pedestrian- Oriented PlanningRed Deer as a walkable, cycle friendly and transit first community, would allow its citizens a full range of mobility options for neighbourhood and city-wide destinations. Public transit and pedestrian routes as well as recreation paths would be a priority in all community design and would connect residential areas with commercial and industrial zones. Revitalization and sensitive intensification of the downtown core would serve to connect residents with their community and its history, strengthening the economic and social heart of the city. Key transit supportive corridors and nodes designed for pedestrians and transit, within convenient walking distance of

residential neighbourhoods, would encourage healthy access to local retail, services and workplaces. Future development plans would encourage commuter and visitor travel by public transit, walking, bicycling, in -ine skating, and other low-carbon means.

Sustainable Growth PatternsRed Deer will ensure long term environmentally sustainable growth through investment in existing communities and consideration of the development of compact new urban communities. Sustainable growth patterns in Red Deer will be supported by the integration of growth with transit planning and meaningful connections with green and open spaces. Creation of complete, age-friendly and pedestrian friendly communities where design excellence and innovation toward sustainable community building are common expectations will be key considerations for the sustainable development of Red Deer in the future.

Lead by Example; Learn by DoingFollowing The City of Red Deer’s Strategic Plan 2009- 2011, Red Deer will implement innovative, low-impact development and operations approaches demonstrated to be effective by other municipal leaders. New City initiatives will aim at high triple bottom line performance, and developing the knowledge, skills and expertise of local citizens, businesses and City staff. The City’s energy generation, waste processing, transportation, and operational decisions will emphasize renewable and healthy approaches that minimize adverse environmental impacts. New initiatives will be prioritized considering their environmental benefits and life-cycle accounting.

Sustainable EconomicsThe City will consider life-cycle fiscal costs and environmental impacts in its fiscal decisions, to maximize the long-term economic health of taxpayers, regional businesses, and its own budgets. The City will consider the impacts of its taxes and fees on decisions made by local businesses and citizens that affect their environmental impacts.

Draft Environmental Vision Statement and Core Directions Presented at the Community Meeting June 15th 2010


Public Consultation Summary October 12th 13thOver October 12th and 13th 2010, the Environmental Master Plan project team hosted a community workshop event, a student workshop at Red Deer College and three stakeholder meetings to gather public input on the development of The City of Red Deer Environmental Master Plan. The consultation focused on gathering feedback and ideas on specific actions and strategies that could be undertaken to implement the goals and core directions of the EMP. The following provides a description of the consultation events and the main themes and ideas that emerged.

Community Workshop On October 12th a community workshop was held at the Balmoral Bible Chapel. Attracting approximately 50 participants, the workshop was opened with a presentation by Melanie Hare on the EMP process to date and the current area of focus: metrics, targets and actions. Following the presentation participants were led through roundtable discussions to obtain feedback on the proposed metrics, targets and actions in each focus area. Participants were asked to comment and edit the actions and prioritize actions using green stars. This exercise was followed by a second roundtable discussion to address challenges to success, solutions to those challenges and partnerships to pursue to support EMP implementation. The following is a summary of public comment received at that event.

Air• Targets were seen as adequate, but questions were

raised about how to achieve higher targets.

• Interest was shown in how the recommended targets compared with other communities

• Presented actions were commented on as follows: - Capture methane from the landfill received one

prioritization star - Emphasis was made on Ongoing education campaign, a

comment which received one star - Encourage use of low impact transportation received

one prioritization star - Encourage residents to save energy at home by

conducting energy audits and implementing changes received one prioritization star

- Facilitate opportunities for residents and corporate Red Deer to buy green power or install on-site green power received three prioritization star

- Implement and enforce anti-idling bylaws received one prioritization star

- Educational awareness campaigns on air quality received two prioritization stars

• Identify and quantify large emitters, and confirm which The City has control, influence, or no control received one prioritization star

- Map point sources for air pollution sources received one prioritization star

- Additional actions of: Bike lanes; Online carpool registry; Make it harder to emit GHG’s (more costly and easier not to) were added by participants

- Participants noted the following gaps: Monitor carcinogens; Localized pollution sources (e.g. Wood burning stoves); Correlating air quality with health issues; Not identifying source of pollutants (monitoring is too basic)


Water• Presented actions were commented on as follows:

- Develop educational awareness on water reduction strategies received one prioritization star

- Encourage grey water re-use systems for toilet flushing, irrigation and clothes washing received three prioritization stars

- Encourage use of xeriscaping and native plantings to reduce irrigation needs received one prioritization star

- Provide restrictions to limit water use for irrigation/water rationing for lawns received two prioritization stars.

- Expand water monitoring program to include creeks as well received one prioritization star

- Measure and monitor quality, peak flow, and quantity quality of storm water and use this information to inform strategies related to this metric received one prioritization star

- Encourage front load laundry and other efficient appliances (rebate program). received two prioritization stars

- Additional actions of: Reverse how we charge for water (lower fixed rate/higher consumption rate) (received one star); Discourage bottled water; Provide incentives to those who use less water; Connect water usage + costs more clearly i.e. for instance, if they conserve water it should be evident on their bills. (received three prioritization stars); Recover costs from those who use the resource the greatest were added by participants

Ecology • Targets appear too high and would have to be in line with

the Alberta Planning Act.

• Presented actions were commented on as follows:

- Increase the amount of land dedicated to wetland and wilderness areas – work and count on this / be specific to features or systems received three prioritization stars

- Provide incentives for developers to protect additional land when communities are developed / no roadways through natural areas

- Work with developers and land owners to explore new means of land acquisition – consider the form of growth received one prioritization star

- Implement tree protection measures received one prioritization star

- Implement tree planting requirements for new developments received two prioritization stars

- Develop community education and awareness campaigns to inform residential pest control users received one prioritization star

- Education for the public with respect to all strategies/actions received two prioritization stars

- Additional actions of: Prime agriculture land to prairie; Dark skies policy; Work with County ; Connected systems i.e. habitat corridors (habitat and species) living roofs incentives ; more garden plots and community gardens;

- Sensitive community designs ; Allow greater density to compensate for environmental land; Identify areas of biodiversity (Bower Woods) and Link to water conservation were added by participants.


Transportation Presented actions were commented on as follows:

- Further develop alternative transportation infrastructure (sidewalks, bike paths/racks) throughout the City - priority order: pedestrians, biker, buses/trains, multi-vehicle, single person vehicle (long boards, etc) received five prioritization stars

- Develop education and awareness campaigns related to reducing automobile use received one prioritization star

- Provide incentives to businesses and schools to encourage public transit (received one prioritization star

- “Planned” congested (accepted) received one prioritization star

- Make transit/buses the preferred mode – (luxury) wifi/hot chocolate, TV, etc received one prioritization star

- Require bike baths and safe pedestrian routes on all new roadways and community developments – including across Hwy 2 received one prioritization star

- Mandate design of new communities to include walkability to transit, community facilities and small scale commercial businesses received one prioritization star

- Establish a ‘build up, not out’ policy received one prioritization star

Built Environment Presented actions were commented on as follows:

- Identify potential properties for infill development received one prioritization star

- Look at innovative ways to provide smaller units received one prioritization star

- Create community gardens in higher-density communities received one prioritization star

- Encourage ‘garden sharing’ received one prioritization star

- Balcony planters received one prioritization star - Increase minimum density received three prioritization

stars - Smart density – not just big houses on small lots

received four prioritization stars - Additional actions identified by participants included:

Need to look at density differently; Look at other communities which do density well; Establish minimum density to provide economical services; Focus on public realm + amenities

- high density can still have open space/natural areas; Providing quality public space can encourage density; More mixed use development; Urban Harvest – share produce; Garden as interim use on lands to be developed; Find way to connect people who want produce with those who have extra; Establish community gardens in each neighbourhood; Look at providing for “Granny Flats” above garage or secondary structure


Energy Presented actions were commented on as follows:

• Explore financial incentives for energy reductions received one prioritization star

• Implement renewable technology programs received one prioritization star

• Relate to power costs (bills) received one prioritization star

• Implement educational awareness campaigns on green energy and waste energy to encourage on-site green power generation for buildings received two prioritization stars

• Additional actions identified by participants included: provide a break for citizens living lighter on the earth

Waste• Presented actions were commented on as follows:

• Reduce residential weekly garbage bag limit and charge for the quantity of residential waste disposal beyond this allowance received one prioritization star and was noted as being discouraging to large families

• Limit the amount of construction waste permitted received two prioritization stars

• Review solid waste generation by type (residential, industrial, construction etc) on at least an annual basis and set strategies to target high waste producers received one prioritization star

• Develop green procurement policies for City operations (i.e. food services suppliers) received one prioritization star

• Expand the yard waste pick-up program to include condos and apartments buildings received one prioritization star

• Educate people on what they are producing and what the impact is and how to recycle, compost more received one prioritization star

• Provide kitchen waste compost collection for residential homes and businesses received three prioritization stars

• Increase what is allowable in recyclables received one prioritization star

• Additional comments made by participants includes: Bottled water is an issue; “kick it to the curb” not effective title for give away garbage days; Increase in recyclable receptacles in the Park system; Add Edmonton comparison for target benchmark for waste management


Discussion of Challenges, Strengths and Partnerships

ChallengesIn general the major challenges identified by participants focuses around engagement and participation of the community at large in environmental initiatives, particularly around transportation and housing options. Financial balance of implementing changes and fear of adopting new technology without a full understanding of the long term success of that technology were also noted as challenges.

The following is a selection of comments about challenges recorded during the community workshop: • Trying to keep up with the tech. and trends. What is best?

• Public not aware/interested

• Change of mindset around use of resources

• Economics – costs of programs & initiatives

• Transportation issue- people aren’t using the public transit system

SolutionsThe discussion of how to address challenges evoked inspired and passionate responses from participants. Key to environmental progress included The City leading by example and demonstrating environmental excellence, using incentives to encourage not punish people to change their behaviors and providing ongoing education and awareness.

The following is a selection of comments about solutions recorded during the community workshop: • Make the environment EVERYONE’S responsibility

• Empower the public with information about energy reduction what they can do to help reach environmental goals

• “Fact Reporting” and regular updates linked to environmental goal achievements on utility bills, City’s web site, on back of buses

• Introduce time of use rates for water/electricity

• Make taking transit a more user-focused experience

Partners There was a strong recognition that The City could not undertake the Environmental Master Plan alone. A number of potential partners were identified by the participants including developers, youth and sports clubs, schools and teachers, Red Deer County, Provincial and Federal governments, Red Deer College, business communities and large regional employers.


Stakeholder Meetings

Red Deer College A stakeholder session was held with a group of approximately 15 Red Deer College students on the afternoon of October 13th. After a brief presentation from Leigh McGrath about the Environmental Master Plan and its component parts the students were asked to contribute their thoughts to defining specific actions to implement the EMP. Students were asked to split into groups, choose their top three environmental focus areas and prepare a list of at least ten actions related to achieving environmental progress in their chosen focus areas. The first group chose waste, energy and transportation noting that these categories were chosen because the group believed in their life time there would be major advances in technology related to these categories and therefore a greater opportunity to create positive change. The following provides a selection of the actions presented by the students: • Increase recycling in public areas

• Mandatory composting in residential areas

• Greenhouse gas capture from landfills

• Invest in wind energies

• Timer on lights in public buildings

• Paint roofs white

• Use bio diesel in busses

• Encourage use of bicycles

The second group of students selected ecology, air/energy and built environment as their top focus area. The top actions identified by this group included: • Create policy that require natural areas to be

interspersed with residential development

• Collect storm water to be used in other ways (water reclaiming)

• City-wide ban on bottled water

• Improve walkability by improving mixed use of land

• Provide programming to increase bus use among students

The final college group selected ecology, energy and waste as their priority focus areas. Their top actions included: • Create awareness through education

• Protect “green areas” from human impact i.e. stricter laws on littering

• Incentive program for residential solar energy production.

• Promote wind power

• Increase The City’s use of green energy

• More recycling options

• Tax over the limit of bags of garbage

• City composting program

• Encourage composting


Business GroupOn October 13th a group of 17 representatives from Red Deer’s business and industrial community participated in a stakeholder session. This group included representatives from the major local mall, Parkland Mall, industrial employers such as Permolex and Olymel, dairy processer Saputo and the Red Deer College Centre for Innovation and Advanced Technology. Strong themes emerging from this session included the need for quick wins to come out of the Environmental Master Plan including actions that businesses could undertake within a 5-year horizon. Additionally the group was interested in finding ways to encourage and publicly showcase businesses that were making environmental progress. Consistent messaging from The City regarding expectations for environmental performance as well as consistency in any new by-laws or policies was also highlighted by this stakeholder group.

Developers Group Approximately ten representatives from different elements of the development industry participated an October 13th stakeholder session. The comments gathered from this group touched on the need for leadership from The City to set environmental development guidelines and noted that the industry is making strides in what they are producing. Densities in the residential markets are coming down, and it was noted that there is a growing trend for lots and family homes to become smaller. The group also noted the need for flexibility in the development process, but also mentioned the city should be more aggressive

in setting guidelines for development if they expect change. The nature of the residential housing market and its relationship to planning policy was also noted as a challenge; the policy guidelines and what the marketplace are dictating are often at odds with each other.

Community Leaders Group A group of community leaders was invited to attend a stakeholder session the morning of October 14th. Approximately 17 people attended the discussion representing a range of community groups including environmental groups, senior’s groups, the school boards and social service agencies. This group was provided an overview of the Environmental Master Plan and its component parts. Subsequently an extended question, answer and discussion was held among the group and the consultant team. Topics addressed included the importance of ongoing education and engagement of the public and the role that they and other community groups can play in connecting to the public; the need to engage residents across cultural lines; proving clear example of what a mother, a child, a father, a student, all segments of Red Deer’s community could do to implement the goals of the EMP; the importance of a regular reporting mechanism to tell Red Deer’s stories of environmental success and what it has been undertaking to achieve its goals.

The participants noted the strong volunteer culture in Red Deer and suggested that with the right cooperative attitude and support from The City that many community groups would be interested in partnering with The City of Red Deer to achieve its environmental goals.


Council Orientation December 10, 2011

During this event the project team met with the new Council to provide an orientation to what is the Environmental Master Plan, what had been achieved and what were the next steps. Council members also had the opportunity to review the actions recommended for each focus area of the Plan, and provide feedback on which actions resonated the most and the least for them. Finally, Council brainstormed on what they thought would be the biggest challenges and barriers to implementation of the Plan, and what would be the biggest wins or opportunities.

Community Consultation February 1-5 2011

The goal of this final round of public consultation was to determine whether the citizens of Red Deer thought the targets set out in the draft Environmental Master Plan (EMP) were achievable, and if the corresponding actions would take Red Deer in the right direction.

From February 1st through 5th, 2011 The City’s Environmental Initiatives team visited five separate locations at seven different times, including: Red Deer College, Collicutt Centre, City Roast Coffee, Red Deer Public Library, and Parkland Mall. Participants were asked to complete a survey about their choice of one of the seven focus areas: Water, Ecology, Transportation, Built Environment, Air, Energy or Waste. 198 surveys were completed.

The City’s Environmental Initiatives team also conducted a workshop with 24 students in a Leadership class at École Secondaire Notre Dame High School. The students completed 12 surveys, for a final total of 210.

Overall Red Deerians agreed with the steps being taken to achieve The City’s Environmental goals. They felt positive about the direction the community is headed and offered comments on a variety of topics. The following are key messages from the community in regards to overall City leadership:

It is important to develop long term planning in all focus •areas of air, water, built environment, energy, ecology, transportation and waste Create a balance between: The City setting an example •of environmental leadership and the Community taking responsibility for their actions towards the environmentThe City is moving in the right direction, the areas identified •and targets set will help The City achieve its environmental goals


Education is the key to achieving goals, especially for •children learning good environmental principlesConcerned over raised taxes and/or fees to •accomplish goals

In addition to these comments, Red Deerians also commented on focus areas of their choosing. The following comments outline the most talked about topics:

AIR Vehicle idling• Industry outputs• Too many vehicles on road• Allergens/pollutants in air (wood smoke, cigarettes, •particles, pollution, etc.) Need a • GHG reduction plan Turning a blind eye to • GHG issues – many are not informed Smell, smog issues•

WATERTaking clean water availability for granted•Involve community more•Set higher targets than proposed – we can decrease •moreStorm water management plan – why aren’t we doing •this better?Concerned about future water supply•Concerned about agricultural run-off, industry run-off, •golf course and ski hill run-offHow clean is the water? What chemicals are being •used to treat it? Fluoride is a big concern.Too much lawn watering•Implement extra taxes on things that run-off that we •can control (washer fluid, car washing supplies, lawn chemicals, etc.)Monitor river levels and water quality better•

Re-use of rain and waste water•Reporting by industry on what they put into the water •streamConcern over how wild life are affected•Construction near water and use of watercraft •contribute to water pollution – limit/monitor themControl how land is altered (large parking lots, •buildings, etc.) to ensure storm water run-off water is handled properly

BUILT ENVIRONMENTCommunity gardens, etc. – promote healthier lifestyle. •Consider greenhouses for year round food crops.Brownfield cleanup should be responsibility of owner •not taxpayersSafety of downtown (many boarded up sites, not •enough people/businesses)More economical use of land and facilities•Higher density/lower density debate – more •respondents support high density, a few support low densityHigher density in downtown to stimulate •neighbourhood lifePreserve heritage buildings•Poor planning of sub-divisions and overall city – many •living in the south and working in the northSave farm land•Buildings built too fast, not made to last. Like to see •more eco friendly buildings.Make better use of public spaces (i.e.: outdoor •concerts, activities, etc.)

WASTEMore garbage and recycling cans downtown and in •public areasIncineration of waste•More items included in residential recycling•Allow public access to construction and/or demolition •waste for reuse


Set bag limits but be flexible for times like Christmas, •5 bag limit is too highConstruction sites need regulation•Organics – likely to get more response if there was •residential curb-side pickup rather than drop off locationsSet higher targets than proposed•Concerned we will fill up the landfill too quickly•Increasing the fee for dumping may cause people to •dump where they shouldn’tImplement incentives to reduce waste•Landfill should accept larger pieces of yard waste •(trees, etc.)Implement fines for not recycling or composting and •for exceeding the bag limits (many other cities doing this effectively)Undue care by collection staff – damage to containers, •leftover wasteMore recycling options for apartment buildings and •condominiums

ENERGYAlternative energy from waste and other renewable •energy sourcesPlanning infrastructure for the future•Reduce energy to save money•Become more self reliant as a city•Use • LED bulbs for lightingEncourage industrial (and other) high energy users to •be more efficientToo much development close to the river•Capture energy from City facilities and share cost •savings with communityReduce impact of oil and gas development on the •environmentMore information on energy consumption and •environmental outcomes needed

Too many things like billboards and buildings are lit all •night – it is a waste of energy

ECOLOGYPollution to creeks and forests by residential/•commercial/industrial areasToo many forested areas being developed•Need more treed areas•Protect existing land and set aside land for new green •areasSafety of path system a concern•Make more room for animals, help increase their •populationsTrails are hard to find at times. The use of maps, •mobile applications, etc. would be helpful.Conservation of threatened/endangered species•

TRANSPORTATIONToo many traffic lights •Traffic lights need to be better timed•Not enough pedestrian and cyclist friendly/safe areas•More convenient transit service means likely more •ridership (longer hours, more frequent)Keep fees down•More subsidized programs in businesses to encourage •transitAccessibility and safety of alternative transportation •types are not addressed enough, not enough busses are accessibleSmaller buses running outside of peak hours•Fix sidewalks and pathways – reduces jaywalking and •encourages pedestriansEncourage carpooling•Some transit operators treat teenagers unfairly, •others talk and text on their cell phones, some drive recklesslyMajor road infrastructure is already in place and •


changes to this infrastructure would be expensive and time consuming. Focussing on individual car drivers would be more effective to accomplishing transit goals.Implement better systems to serve students – •ridership will increaseMobile applications for next bus and other scheduling •itemsMore bicycle parking and bike lanes•Buses often run late or early – causing many to miss •themImprove bus shelters for cold weather•

Online Consultation & Community Outreach Events Public consultation was also held throughout the project process through an on-line forum as well as through information booths at various community events. The online consultation was live during four periods during the project process in order to collect targeted feedback from the public.

From June 17-28, 2010 the website shared general information about the Environmental Master Plan, described the purpose and intent of the Plan and asked general opinion questions about Red Deer's environmental priorities. 231 unique users visited during this period.

From September 27-October 21, the website was updated with new information, questions and materials for the public to review including the draft Situation Assessment and FAQs about the project. 323 unique visitors came to the page during this period.

From October 22-November 1st, the website was refreshed with the environmental vision and core directions and the public was given an additional opportunity to download and

review project documents and comment on ways in which the people of Red Deer could contribute to the city's overall environmental performance. 289 unique users visited the page during this time.

Finally, from January 17- February 7 of 2011, the site hosted a final opportunity for public input. Attracting 450 unique users the site, questions focused on ensuring the emerging recommendations and actions were on the right track.

Representatives from Environmental Services also attended a number of community events to ask questions of the public, engage them about the topics addressed in the EMP, and encourage them to participate further at open houses and online. Information about the EMP, its principles and objectives, were shared at the following community events:

Great Neighbourhoods BBQ & Dance Party

May 16, 2010

Alberta Environment’s EnviroFair

June 1, 2010

AquaVan event at Kerry Wood Nature Centre

June 5, 2010

Red Deer River Cleanup June 6, 2010

Farmers’ Market June 12, 2010Farmers’ Market June 19, 2010Mayor’s Garden Party June 23, 2010Alexander Way Art Festival September 18, 2010GH Dawe grand opening September 25, 2010Farmers’ Market October 2, 2010Farmers’ Market October 9, 2010Going Green at Parkland Mall

October 23, 2010


Appendix C:Environmental Impact Categories Descriptors


The Environmental Impact Categories provide a way to organize and cat-egorize many environmental issues. The proposed Categories allow priori-ties to be assigned to them that respond to their space and time scales, threats to human and ecosystem health, the momentum behind their un-derlying drivers, and the influence a local government has to address them. Indicators are proposed for each Impact Category described below; the proposed priorities are drawn from research done by the US EPA and other environmental agencies.

Climate change

Land Pollution

Air Pollution

Water Pollution

Water Consumption

Persistent Bioaccumulative Pollution

Biodiversity Health

Productive Land Area Loss

Each of these Environmental Impact Categories will have a set of indicators which allow The City to measure, monitor and manage its Environmental Performance Indicators.



Climate ChangeAn average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere, which can con-tribute to changes in global climate patterns. Climate change is influenced by both natural and human induced drivers, such as increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.

Land PollutionThe contamination of land by excessive concentrations of materials that can damage ecosystems or humans, beyond the capacity of natural systems to render them harmless. Such materials include toxic or hazardous wastes that are dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment, including hormone-mimicking pollutants, heavy metals, petroleum by-products, etc. However, natural materials that are not in themselves toxic can also be pollutants, if they accumulate in concentrations that damage habitat or people. One example is mine “overburden,” which may not be toxic, but if improperly handled can severely damage local ecosystems.

Air PollutionThe contamination of air by excessive concentrations of materials that can damage ecosystems or humans, beyond the capacity of natural systems to render them harmless. Air pollutants include sulfur compounds (S0x, H2S), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (dust), and nitrogen compounds (NOx).

Water PollutionThe contamination of water including lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, estuaries, other coastal waters, and ground water by excessive concentrations of materials that can damage ecosystems or humans, beyond the capacity of natural systems to ren-der them harmless. Water pollutants include nitrogen compounds, silts, oils, etc. from direct or nonpoint sources.

Water ConsumptionWater used by humans and returned to the ecosystem in a degraded form. This includes water use for drinking, cleaning, toilet flushing, irrigation and agriculture, food production, manufacturing, industrial uses, etc.

Persistent Bioaccumulative PollutionRefers to the release of materials that are toxic, persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in food chains and, thus, pose risks to human health and ecosystems. The biggest concerns about Persistent Bioaccumulative Pollutants are that they transfer rather easily among air, water, and land, and span boundaries of programs, geography, and generations. They include aldrin/dieldrin, benzo(a)pyrene, chlordane, DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorobenzene, alkyl-lead, mercury and its com-pounds, mirex, octachlorostyrene, PCBs, dioxins and furans, and toxaphene.


Biodiversity HealthBiodiversity includes: the number of different native species and individuals in a habitat or geographical area; the variety of different habitats within an area; the variety of interactions that occur between different species in a habitat; and the range of genetic variation among individuals within a species. In general, healthy ecosystems exhibit greater biodiversity.

Productive Land Area LossLoss of land that provides habitat for non-human species (including wetlands), or loss of land devoted to food production.


Appendix D:Criteria for Selecting Metrics


One of the biggest difficulties in managing environmental issues is that their breadth tends to spawn large indicator sets which make it difficult or expensive to gather reliable data, and/or that tie directly to desired outcomes and agents that could make them happen.

Donella Meadows, in her seminal “Indicators and Information Systems for Sustainable Development”, outlined characteristics of ideal indicators - and pointed out that good indicators are hard to develop and maintain. Her characteristics are:Clear in Value: no uncertainty about which is good and which is bad.Clear in Content: easily understandable, with units that make sense, expressed in imaginable, not eye-glazing numbers.Compelling: interesting, exciting, suggestive of effective actionPolicy relevant: for all stakeholders in the system, including the least powerful.Feasible: measurable at reasonable cost.Sufficient: not too much information to comprehend, not too little to give an adequate picture of the situation.Timely: compile information without long delays.Appropriate in Scale: not over- or under-aggregated.Democratic: people should have input to indicator choice and have access to results.Supplementary: should include what people can’t measure for themselves (such as radioactive emissions, or satellite imagery)Participatory: should make use of what people can measure for themselves (such as river water quality or local biodiversity) and compile it to provide geographic or time overviews.Hierarchical: a user can delve down to details if desired, but can also get the general message quickly.Physical: money and prices are noisy, inflatable, slippery, and unstably exchangeable. Since sustainable development is to a large extent concerned with physical things – food, water, pollutants, forests, houses, health – it’s best whenever possible to measure it in physical units. (Tons of oil, not dollars’ worth of oil; years of healthy life, not expenditures in health care)Leading: they can provide information in time to act on it.Flexible: up for discussion, learning, and change. (We should have replaced the GNP index years ago, for example, but it became too institutionalized to do so.)”

Information Resources“Indicators and Information Systems for Sustainable Development”. Donella Meadows, The Sustainability Institute, 1998

Criteria for Good Indicators


Appendix E:Benchmarking tool

What are we measuring

Where is Red Deer today

What is Red Deer’s target

Rationale What are the precedents? Low Range

Mid Range

High Range


Overall Community and Corporate

424 L/per capita/per day

Community Consumption

Residential: 242 L/per capita/per day

Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI): 130 L/per capita/per day

Unmetered Water Use: 47 L/per capita/per day

Corporate Consumption

Municipal: 5 L/per capita/per day

For all categories

By 2015 reduce by 8% from 2009 levels



This indicator serves to decrease the amount of potable water being consumed.

Water is vital to the community and there has been direction by The City of Red Deer to further monitor and measure this metric. The Water Conservation Plan targets a 20% reduction in treated water consumption by 2012.

Targets have been set based on best practices, achievable targets and considered estimates.

St. Albert, AB8: Reduce residential water consumption to 200 litres per person per day by 2020.

LEED ND - GIBc432: Reduce water consumption for outdoor landscape irrigation by 50% from a calculated mid-summer baseline case.

LEED H - SSc233: Design the landscape and irrigation system to reduce overall irrigation water usage by 20 to 60%.

LEED NC - WEc139: 10-20% potable water use reduction

LEED EB-OM - WEc340: Water efficient landscaping of 50-100%

Red Deer: reduce 20% of treated water by September 2012

10% by 2015

20% by 2015

60% by 2015

Water





Mid Range

High Range


Overall Community and Corporate

424 L/per capita/per day

Community Consumption

Residential: 242 L/per capita/per day

Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI): 130 L/per capita/per day

Unmetered Water Use: 47 L/per capita/per day

Corporate Consumption

Municipal: 5 L/per capita/per day

For all categories




This indicator serves to decrease the amount of potable water being consumed.

Water is vital to the community and there has been direction by The City of Red Deer to further monitor and measure this metric. The Water Conservation Plan targets a 20% reduction in treated water consumption by 2012.

Targets have been set based on best practices, achievable targets and considered estimates.

St. Albert, AB8: Reduce residential water consumption to 200 litres per person per day by 2020.

LEED ND - GIBc432: Reduce water consumption for outdoor landscape irrigation by 50% from a calculated mid-summer baseline case.

LEED H - SSc233: Design the landscape and irrigation system to reduce overall irrigation water usage by 20 to 60%.

LEED NC - WEc139: 10-20% potable water use reduction

LEED EB-OM - WEc340: Water efficient landscaping of 50-100%

Red Deer: reduce 20% of treated water by September 2012

10% by 2015

20% by 2015

60% by 2015

Water





Mid Range

High Range

Water Quality of Receiving Waterbodies

Number of times Red Deer’s rivers, creeks and waterbodies exceeds provincial/federal thresholds for: phosphorus or nitrogen concentrations, metals, bacteria, and water clarity (upstream and downstream of city boundaries)

Unknown

River monitoring will start in 2011 and targets established in 2015 in conjunction with Alberta Environment

To be determined

Recommended to reduce number of water quality exceedences to zero at the monitoring station downstream of the City

Reduce the impact of The City on the health of Red Deer’s waterways. Understand the impact of other municipalities on The City’s water resources.

The target has been set at zero based on not exceeding the provinical and federal thresholds for water quality. As the region around The City of Red Deer grows, the number of water quality exceedences in the Red Deer River will rise. Maintaining a zero exceedence level will be a challenge.

There is limited precedent information available for this target. There is limited precedent information available for this target.

There is limited precedent information available for this target.






Mid Range

High Range

Water Quality of Receiving Waterbodies

Number of times Red Deer’s rivers, creeks and waterbodies exceeds provincial/federal thresholds for: phosphorus or nitrogen concentrations, metals, bacteria, and water clarity (upstream and downstream of city boundaries)

Unknown

River monitoring will start in 2011 and targets established in 2015 in conjunction with Alberta Environment

To be determined

Recommended to reduce number of water quality exceedences to zero at the monitoring station downstream of the City

Reduce the impact of The City on the health of Red Deer’s waterways. Understand the impact of other municipalities on The City’s water resources.

The target has been set at zero based on not exceeding the provinical and federal thresholds for water quality. As the region around The City of Red Deer grows, the number of water quality exceedences in the Red Deer River will rise. Maintaining a zero exceedence level will be a challenge.








Mid Range

High Range

Natural Areas Land within the urban boundary devoted to native natural features (native tree stands, wetlands, seasonal streams, grasslands and associated biodiversity)

863 hectares By 2015 increase by 5% from 2009 levels

By 2020 increase by 10% from 2009 levels


This is an indicator for biodiversity. How much of the city supports the original flora and fauna of the region.

The Parks section and current City of Red Deer practices have largely informed the metric and targets




Man-Made Green Areas Land devoted to man-made natural features (city parks, turf areas, shrub beds and re-naturalization areas)




To provide land dedicated for community recreation and encourage planting of native species.

The Parks section and current City of Red Deer practices have largely informed the metric and targets.


Oakville, ON12: target 664 ha based on 166,000 population

Ottawa, ON9: target 2,340 ha, based on 1,064,000 population

Red Deer: Parks or Open Space should be clarified as being an area of 2.5 ha or greater

2ha/1,000 population

4 ha/1,000 population


Ecology





Mid Range

High Range

Natural Areas Land within the urban boundary devoted to native natural features (native tree stands, wetlands, seasonal streams, grasslands and associated biodiversity)




This is an indicator for biodiversity. How much of the city supports the original flora and fauna of the region.

The Parks section and current City of Red Deer practices have largely informed the metric and targets




Man-Made Green Areas Land devoted to man-made natural features (city parks, turf areas, shrub beds and re-naturalization areas)




To provide land dedicated for community recreation and encourage planting of native species.



Oakville, ON12: target 664 ha based on 166,000 population

Ottawa, ON9: target 2,340 ha, based on 1,064,000 population

Red Deer: Parks or Open Space should be clarified as being an area of 2.5 ha or greater

2ha/1,000 population



Ecology





Mid Range

High Range

Pest Control Volume of toxic pest control product used per acre of municipal owned land (ml/per acre)

210 ml/per acre Corporate

By 2015 decrease by 2% from 2009 levels



To reduce air, water and ground contamination, and species health risks due to toxins from pest control application.



LEED EB+OM40: implement an integrated pest management plan

Red Deer: implementing an Integrated Pest Management Plan




Urban Forestry Urban forest coverage (percentage of area within City Boundaries covered by tree canopy)

A Red Deer baseline is unknown

By 2014, determine percentage of canopy area within City boundaries and refine targets.

By 2020, increase canopy to 20%


To connect habitat corridors and green space throughout Red Deer while providing a cooling effect to prevent urban heat islands.


Hamilton, ON1: Target 30% of municipal area

Lloyd Crossing, Oregon6: Implement 2 acres of mixed conifer forest “patches” with 1-2 acres of habitat corridor connecting the patches.Increase tree coverage from 14.5% to 25-30% by 2050.

Portland, Oregon6: 2030 target: increase urban forestry canopy to cover 33% of city;

Oakville, ON12: Target 40% canopy coverage by 2057

Ottawa, ON11: Target 40% tree cover

American Forests: Recommends 25 to 40% canopy cover

25% 30% 40%





Mid Range

High Range

Pest Control Volume of toxic pest control product used per acre of municipal owned land (ml/per acre)

210 ml/per acre Corporate




To reduce air, water and ground contamination, and species health risks due to toxins from pest control application.



LEED EB+OM40: implement an integrated pest management plan

Red Deer: implementing an Integrated Pest Management Plan




Urban Forestry Urban forest coverage (percentage of area within City Boundaries covered by tree canopy)





To connect habitat corridors and green space throughout Red Deer while providing a cooling effect to prevent urban heat islands.


Hamilton, ON1: Target 30% of municipal area

Lloyd Crossing, Oregon6: Implement 2 acres of mixed conifer forest “patches” with 1-2 acres of habitat corridor connecting the patches.Increase tree coverage from 14.5% to 25-30% by 2050.

Portland, Oregon6: 2030 target: increase urban forestry canopy to cover 33% of city;

Oakville, ON12: Target 40% canopy coverage by 2057

Ottawa, ON11: Target 40% tree cover

American Forests: Recommends 25 to 40% canopy cover

25% 30% 40%





Mid Range

High Range

VKT Vehicle Kilometers Travelled (VKT) per capita/ per day by car

A Red Deer baseline is unknown.

By 2012, determine VKT/per capita/per day and refine targets.

Community

By 2015, 5% reduction from 2012 levels


BY 2035, 20% reduction from 2012 levels

Given the significant impact that automobile use has on GHG emissions, air quality, storm water requirements, green space, and walkability, VKT is a critical metric. Awareness of travel patterns is the first step in developing reduction strategies.

Given that there is no baseline data, targets have been set low as a starting point and would be refined once baseline data is known.

Hamilton, ON13:

low target: 10% reduction: 4.3 million KM

high target: 20% reduction:: 3.8 million KM

Portland, Oregon6:

2030 target: 28% reduction, 13.4 mi (21.6 km)


10% 15 20%


Based on data from Statistics Canada (23) for 2006, the modal split of Red Deer’s labour force is:

88% Car

4% Transit

7% Pedestrian/Bicycle

1% Other

2016 modal split of labour force to be:

86% Car

5% Transit


1% Other


84% Car

6% Transit


1% Other

The objective of any transportation policy is not to limit travel, but to increase options and to make it simpler to travel by means other than a single occupant car. The modal split provides an understanding as to how this shift is occuring.

There is limited precedent information to inform targets. However, the following data of existing modal split baseline levels in comparable communities is provided for reference:

Lethbridge, AB23:

Modal Split of labour force: 90% Car, 2% Transit, 7% Pedestrian/Bicycle, 1% Other

Waterloo, ON23:

Modal Split of labour force: 84% Car, 5% Transit, 11% Pedestrian/Bicycle, <1% Other

Kamloops, BC23:





Transportation





Mid Range

High Range

VKT Vehicle Kilometers Travelled (VKT) per capita/ per day by car

A Red Deer baseline is unknown.

By 2012, determine VKT/per capita/per day and refine targets.

Community



BY 2035, 20% reduction from 2012 levels

Given the significant impact that automobile use has on GHG emissions, air quality, storm water requirements, green space, and walkability, VKT is a critical metric. Awareness of travel patterns is the first step in developing reduction strategies.

Given that there is no baseline data, targets have been set low as a starting point and would be refined once baseline data is known.

Hamilton, ON13:

low target: 10% reduction: 4.3 million KM

high target: 20% reduction:: 3.8 million KM

Portland, Oregon6:



10% 15 20%


Based on data from Statistics Canada (23) for 2006, the modal split of Red Deer’s labour force is:

88% Car

4% Transit


1% Other


86% Car

5% Transit


1% Other


84% Car

6% Transit


1% Other

The objective of any transportation policy is not to limit travel, but to increase options and to make it simpler to travel by means other than a single occupant car. The modal split provides an understanding as to how this shift is occuring.

There is limited precedent information to inform targets. However, the following data of existing modal split baseline levels in comparable communities is provided for reference:

Lethbridge, AB23:


Waterloo, ON23:

Modal Split of labour force: 84% Car, 5% Transit, 11% Pedestrian/Bicycle, <1% Other

Kamloops, BC23:









Mid Range

High Range

Dwelling units (DU’s) within 400 metres from: 1. Public trails, parks

or other green space;

2. At least 5 basic amenities

3. Transit stops with 20 minute service

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown, however we have the following information: 1. 100% 2. Unknown (however, 92% are

within commercial or public areas, but not always 10 basic amenities)

3. Unknown (however, 98% are within transit stops, though 0% are within stops with 15 minute service intervals)"

By 2012, determine the percentage of dwelling units within 400m of all categories and refine targets. By 2020, 50% of residents within 400m of amenities By 2035, 75% of residents within 400m of amenities

The metrics and targets are based on other municipalities' successful neighbourhood development guidelines as well as on the urban shift to accessible, complete communities, which provide residents with the required amenities and opportunities to live, work and play locally. Given the fast growth rate of The City of Red Deer and the opportunity to develop complete communities we have set targets in the mid to high range.

Pickering, ON15:

Target: residential development is located within 800m (10 min. walking distance) of existing jobs equal to or greater than 50% of the proposed number of DUs.

OR

A commercial or employment related development is located within 800m or 10 min. walking distance of existing dwelling units. The number of jobs provided in the new development must equal at least 50% of the number of existing dwelling units.

Portland, Oregon 6: by 2030 achieve 90% easy access to meet all basic daily, non-work needs

LEED ND - NPDc932: Locate and/or design project so that a civic or passive use space such as a square, park, paseo, or plaza at least 1/6 acre in area, lies within a ¼ mile (400m) walk distance of 90% of planned and existing dwelling units and non-residential building entrances.

LEED ND - NPDc332: 50% of DUs are within a 1/4-mile (400m) walk distance of a number of diverse uses.

25% 50% 90%

Length of all bicycle/pedestrian routes (kilometer/ per capita) for bike lanes, mixed use trails and

pedestrian-only trails.

Overall: 1km/672 pop

1. Bike Lanes (part of roadway) 10km

2. Mixed Use Trails 124km

3. Pedestrian-only Trails 0km

By 2015 increase routes by 5% from 2009 levels By 2020 increase routes by 10% from 2009 levels By 2035 increase routes by 20% from 2009 levels

The metric will further develop and celebrate Red Deer’s network of active transportation routes. Current City of Red Deer practices and City feedback have informed the metric and targets. Though The City has exceeded other municipalities for number of bicycle/pedestrian routes, there is a need to continue to set targets here that will also help achieve alternative transportation targets.

There is limited precedent information available.

Hamilton, ON13: 1km:1,941people: 120km new bike paths; 140km multi-use paths

Brampton, ON36: 1km:5,227people: 83km of trailsr

1km:

5,227 pop

1km:

1,941 pop

1km:

1,000 pop

Transportation





Mid Range

High Range

Dwelling units (DU’s) within 400 metres from: 1. Public trails, parks

or other green space;

2. At least 5 basic amenities

3. Transit stops with 20 minute service

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown, however we have the following information: 1. 100% 2. Unknown (however, 92% are

within commercial or public areas, but not always 10 basic amenities)

3. Unknown (however, 98% are within transit stops, though 0% are within stops with 15 minute service intervals)"

By 2012, determine the percentage of dwelling units within 400m of all categories and refine targets. By 2020, 50% of residents within 400m of amenities By 2035, 75% of residents within 400m of amenities

The metrics and targets are based on other municipalities' successful neighbourhood development guidelines as well as on the urban shift to accessible, complete communities, which provide residents with the required amenities and opportunities to live, work and play locally. Given the fast growth rate of The City of Red Deer and the opportunity to develop complete communities we have set targets in the mid to high range.

Pickering, ON15:

Target: residential development is located within 800m (10 min. walking distance) of existing jobs equal to or greater than 50% of the proposed number of DUs.

OR

A commercial or employment related development is located within 800m or 10 min. walking distance of existing dwelling units. The number of jobs provided in the new development must equal at least 50% of the number of existing dwelling units.

Portland, Oregon 6: by 2030 achieve 90% easy access to meet all basic daily, non-work needs

LEED ND - NPDc932: Locate and/or design project so that a civic or passive use space such as a square, park, paseo, or plaza at least 1/6 acre in area, lies within a ¼ mile (400m) walk distance of 90% of planned and existing dwelling units and non-residential building entrances.

LEED ND - NPDc332: 50% of DUs are within a 1/4-mile (400m) walk distance of a number of diverse uses.

25% 50% 90%

Length of all bicycle/pedestrian routes (kilometer/ per capita) for bike lanes, mixed use trails and

pedestrian-only trails.

Overall: 1km/672 pop

1. Bike Lanes (part of roadway) 10km

2. Mixed Use Trails 124km

3. Pedestrian-only Trails 0km

By 2015 increase routes by 5% from 2009 levels By 2020 increase routes by 10% from 2009 levels By 2035 increase routes by 20% from 2009 levels

The metric will further develop and celebrate Red Deer’s network of active transportation routes. Current City of Red Deer practices and City feedback have informed the metric and targets. Though The City has exceeded other municipalities for number of bicycle/pedestrian routes, there is a need to continue to set targets here that will also help achieve alternative transportation targets.

There is limited precedent information available.

Hamilton, ON13: 1km:1,941people: 120km new bike paths; 140km multi-use paths

Brampton, ON36: 1km:5,227people: 83km of trailsr

1km:

5,227 pop

1km:

1,941 pop

1km:

1,000 pop

Built Environment





Mid Range

High Range

Development density Total development density by type: 1. Residential (dwelling units per gross hectare) 2. Other (Floor Space Index)

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown, however we have the following information:

Residential: 14.8 DU/ha (overall)

Other:

Commercial Mixed Use/ Downtown: unknown

Commercial Mixed Use/ Town Centre: unknown

Major Urban Corridor: unknown

Industrial: unknown

Municipal: unknown

By 2012, determine Floor Space Index for ii. Other and refine target for each of the categories.

By 2015, increase to:

Residential: 17DU/ha

Other: TBD

To promote community densification with new developments and infill properties.

Parkland Community Planning Services and current City of Red Deer practices have provided information for the metric and residential target.

St. Albert, AB8: Achieve a minimum density of 12 DU/ ha residential hectare for new neighbourhoods. Achieve a minimum of 30% for medium and/or high-density residential units for new neighbourhoods.LEED ND - NPDp232: Build any residential components of the project at a density of seven or more dwelling units per acre of buildable land available for residential uses. (17DU’s/ha)LEED H - SSc633: Density between 17 to 46 DU’s/ Ha.

Residential: 12DU’s/ha


Residen-tial: 46 DU’s/ha

Community gardens The land devoted to community gardens and urban agriculture in area(m2) per capita

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown; however, there are 160 plots (9 acres) of community gardens or 0.4m2/per capita.

By 2012, determine the area of land devoted to community gardens and urban agriculture and refine targets.

By 2015, 0.5 m2/per capita



To promote local food growth and purchase, including community gardens and farmers markets.

This indicator is just beginning to be explored by other municipalities. The targets are set within easy reach as The City develops the indicator.

Although there is limited percent information that directly applies to this target, many cities are promoting local food growth and purchase, including community gardens and farmers markets.

San Francisco, Calofornia38: Turned City Hall lawn into an organic gardenMultnomah County, Oregon6: Supports agricultural food growth for the Municipality of Portland, and others.LEED ND - NPDc1332: Dedicate permanent and viable growing space and/or related facilitiesCanada34: 1.83 hectares/person of cropland, has the biocapacity for 4.89 hect-ares/person








Mid Range

High Range

Development density Total development density by type: 1. Residential (dwelling units per gross hectare) 2. Other (Floor Space Index)

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown, however we have the following information:

Residential: 14.8 DU/ha (overall)

Other:

Commercial Mixed Use/ Downtown: unknown

Commercial Mixed Use/ Town Centre: unknown

Major Urban Corridor: unknown

Industrial: unknown

Municipal: unknown

By 2012, determine Floor Space Index for ii. Other and refine target for each of the categories.

By 2015, increase to:

Residential: 17DU/ha

Other: TBD

To promote community densification with new developments and infill properties.

Parkland Community Planning Services and current City of Red Deer practices have provided information for the metric and residential target.

St. Albert, AB8: Achieve a minimum density of 12 DU/ ha residential hectare for new neighbourhoods. Achieve a minimum of 30% for medium and/or high-density residential units for new neighbourhoods.LEED ND - NPDp232: Build any residential components of the project at a density of seven or more dwelling units per acre of buildable land available for residential uses. (17DU’s/ha)LEED H - SSc633: Density between 17 to 46 DU’s/ Ha.



Residen-tial: 46 DU’s/ha

Community gardens The land devoted to community gardens and urban agriculture in area(m2) per capita

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown; however, there are 160 plots (9 acres) of community gardens or 0.4m2/per capita.





To promote local food growth and purchase, including community gardens and farmers markets.

This indicator is just beginning to be explored by other municipalities. The targets are set within easy reach as The City develops the indicator.

Although there is limited percent information that directly applies to this target, many cities are promoting local food growth and purchase, including community gardens and farmers markets.

San Francisco, Calofornia38: Turned City Hall lawn into an organic gardenMultnomah County, Oregon6: Supports agricultural food growth for the Municipality of Portland, and others.LEED ND - NPDc1332: Dedicate permanent and viable growing space and/or related facilitiesCanada34: 1.83 hectares/person of cropland, has the biocapacity for 4.89 hect-ares/person








Mid Range

High Range

Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in tonnes (C02 equivalent)

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown.

In 2009, the annual CO2e emissions for the Waste Management Facility were calculated as 29,200 tonnes CO2e. For the closed landfill the annual emissions were calculated as 43,395 CO2e tonnes. These values include methane and nitrous oxides, but exclude carbon dioxide since it is biogenic (absorbed by the soil).

By 2012, determine GHG emissions baseline and refine targets for each of the categories.

Community By 2020 reduce by 8% from 2010 levels By 2035 reduce by 15% from 2010 levels Corporate By 2020 reduce by 20% from 2010 levels By 2035 reduce by 30% from 2010 levels

To reduce the negative impacts of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

As regulations increase both federally and provincially, it will likely be a requirement to monitor and report on this indicator. Understand how to measure and how to decrease GHG emissions will be an asset when confronting related regulations.

Targets have been set in the mid to high range of the precedent targets to reflect the importance of the indicator.

Ottawa9: Corporate: reduce 20% by 2012 (1990 levels)

Calgary2: Corporate: reduce 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 (2005 levels)

Hamilton1: target reductions by 2020 (compared to 2005) Community: 6 %; Corporate: 20%

Yellowknife3: target reductions by 2014 (compared to 2004) Community: reduce by 6%; Corporate: 20%

Saskatoon4: target reductions by 2013 (compared to 1990) Community: 6% (1.4 million tonnes of GHGs) Corporate: 10% (27,600 tonnes of GHGs)

Vancouver37: 6% decrease by 2012, 33% decrease by 2020 (compared to 2007), 80% by 2050

Portland/Multnomah County6: 2030 target: Reduce by 40% from 1990 levels, 2050 target: reduce by 80% from 1990 levels

Toronto5: Compared to 22 million tonnes emitted in 1990, reduce by 6% by 2012, 30% by 2020, 80% by 2050

Ontario7: corporate reduce 19% by 2014 and 27% by 2020 (compared to 2006 levels)

St. Albert8: Achieve 20% reduction of total corporate greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. Achieve 6% reduction of total community greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020.

corporate 6% by 2012 community 6% by 2020



Air





Mid Range

High Range

Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in tonnes (C02 equivalent)

An overall Red Deer baseline is unknown.

In 2009, the annual CO2e emissions for the Waste Management Facility were calculated as 29,200 tonnes CO2e. For the closed landfill the annual emissions were calculated as 43,395 CO2e tonnes. These values include methane and nitrous oxides, but exclude carbon dioxide since it is biogenic (absorbed by the soil).

By 2012, determine GHG emissions baseline and refine targets for each of the categories.

Community By 2020 reduce by 8% from 2010 levels By 2035 reduce by 15% from 2010 levels Corporate By 2020 reduce by 20% from 2010 levels By 2035 reduce by 30% from 2010 levels

To reduce the negative impacts of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

As regulations increase both federally and provincially, it will likely be a requirement to monitor and report on this indicator. Understand how to measure and how to decrease GHG emissions will be an asset when confronting related regulations.

Targets have been set in the mid to high range of the precedent targets to reflect the importance of the indicator.

Ottawa9: Corporate: reduce 20% by 2012 (1990 levels)

Calgary2: Corporate: reduce 20% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 (2005 levels)

Hamilton1: target reductions by 2020 (compared to 2005) Community: 6 %; Corporate: 20%

Yellowknife3: target reductions by 2014 (compared to 2004) Community: reduce by 6%; Corporate: 20%

Saskatoon4: target reductions by 2013 (compared to 1990) Community: 6% (1.4 million tonnes of GHGs) Corporate: 10% (27,600 tonnes of GHGs)

Vancouver37: 6% decrease by 2012, 33% decrease by 2020 (compared to 2007), 80% by 2050

Portland/Multnomah County6: 2030 target: Reduce by 40% from 1990 levels, 2050 target: reduce by 80% from 1990 levels

Toronto5: Compared to 22 million tonnes emitted in 1990, reduce by 6% by 2012, 30% by 2020, 80% by 2050

Ontario7: corporate reduce 19% by 2014 and 27% by 2020 (compared to 2006 levels)

St. Albert8: Achieve 20% reduction of total corporate greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020. Achieve 6% reduction of total community greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2020.




Air





Mid Range

High Range


PM2.5: 15.9 μg/m3 (2007-2009), Canada Wide Standard metric

Ozone: 57.5 ppb (2007-2009), Canada Wide Standard metric

Sulphur Dioxide: 0.44 ppb, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average

Nitrogen Dioxide: 12.1 ppb, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average

Carbon Monoxide: 0.25 ppm, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average

By 2015

PM2.5: 20 μg/m3 (CASA management plan trigger)

Ozone: 58 ppb, (CASA management plan trigger)

Sulphur Dioxide: 0.42 ppb (reduce by 5% of 2005-2009 5 year annual average)

Nitrogen Dioxide: 11.5 ppb (reduce by 5% of 2005-2009 5 year annual average)

Carbon Monoxide: 0.24 ppm, (reduce by 5% of 2005-2009 5 year annual average)

By 2020


Ozone: 58 ppb (CASA management plan trigger)




To monitor local air quality and identify trends in air quality issues.

Air quality data and targets were provided by PAMZ and Alberta Environment. As The City of Red Deer grows, ambient concentrations of airborne pollutants are expected to rise and maintaining The City’s current baseline will be a challenge. Targets are set with this in mind.

Canada Wide Standard35:

Ozone: 65ppb, 8 hour average

PM2.5: 30 μg/m3, 24 hour average

Clean Air Strategic Alliance36:

Management Plan Triggers



Carbon Monoxide: 5 ppm

Alberta Environment24: Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives and Guidelines:

PM2.5: Guideline 80 μg/m3 as a 1-hour average concentration

Ozone: Objective 82 ppb (160 μg/m3) 1-hour daily maximum

Sulphur Dioxide: SO2 Annual Objective 11 ppb

Nitrogen Dioxide: NO2 Annual Objective 32 ppb

Hydrogen Sulphide: H2S 24 hour Objective 3 ppb

US EPA29: EPA Air Quality Index and National Ambient

Air Quality Standards

PM2.5: 35ug/m3 (24 hour)

Carbon Monoxide: 9ppm

Sulphur Dioxide: 0.14ppm

Ozone: 0.075ppm

Nitrogen Dioxide: 100ppb (1 hour)

PM2.5: 35 μg/m3

Ozone: 75 ppb

Sulphur Dioxide: 14 ppb

Nitrogen Dioxide: 32 ppb


PM2.5: 30 μg/m3

Ozone: 65ppb




PM2.5: 20 μg/m3

Ozone: 58 ppb








Mid Range

High Range


PM2.5: 12.6 μg/m3 (2006-2008), Canada Wide Standard metric

Ozone: 57.4 ppb (2006-2008), Canada Wide Standard metric

Sulphur Dioxide: 0.44 ppb, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average

Nitrogen Dioxide: 12.1 ppb, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average

Carbon Monoxide: 0.25 ppm, (2005-2009) 5 year annual average

By 2015


Ozone: 58 ppb, (CASA management plan trigger)




By 2020


Ozone: 58 ppb (CASA management plan trigger)




To monitor local air quality and identify trends in air quality issues.

Air quality data and targets were provided by PAMZ and Alberta Environment. As The City of Red Deer grows, ambient concentrations of airborne pollutants are expected to rise and maintaining The City’s current baseline will be a challenge. Targets are set with this in mind.

Canada Wide Standard35:



Clean Air Strategic Alliance36:

Management Plan Triggers




Alberta Environment24: Alberta Ambient Air Quality Objectives and Guidelines:

PM2.5: Guideline 80 μg/m3 as a 1-hour average concentration

Ozone: Objective 82 ppb (160 μg/m3) 1-hour daily maximum

Sulphur Dioxide: SO2 Annual Objective 11 ppb

Nitrogen Dioxide: NO2 Annual Objective 32 ppb

Hydrogen Sulphide: H2S 24 hour Objective 3 ppb

US EPA29: EPA Air Quality Index and National Ambient

Air Quality Standards

PM2.5: 35ug/m3 (24 hour)

Carbon Monoxide: 9ppm

Sulphur Dioxide: 0.14ppm

Ozone: 0.075ppm

Nitrogen Dioxide: 100ppb (1 hour)

PM2.5: 35 μg/m3

Ozone: 75 ppb




PM2.5: 30 μg/m3

Ozone: 65ppb




PM2.5: 20 μg/m3

Ozone: 58 ppb




Energy





Mid Range

High Range



Community

Residential: unknown

Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI): unknown

Corporate

Municipal: unknown

By 2012, determine the average building energy intensity and refine target for each of the categories.

Community




Coporate




There is a lot of work being done in the industry to establish energy intensity data to better understand when and how much energy is being consumed by the largest energy consumers - buildings.

Electric Light and Power and the precedents have helped inform the metric and targets.

Hamilton, ON17:

corporate energy intensity reduction target: 7.5% by 2012, 20% by 2020 (compared to 2005)

Guelph, ON18:

target 175 ekWh/m2 (through energy efficiency improvements of 1.5%/yr from 2012-2031)

Sudbury, ON19:

By 2015, achieve 70% energy reductions in all major new buildings.

Achieve 50% energy reductions in buildings under renovation.

Portland, Oregon6: achieve 25% reduction by 2030 in all buildings built before 2010

LEED ND - GIBp232: New buildings constructed as part of the project must, on average, demonstrate a 10% improvement over ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007. GIBc2: Buildings need to meet 18% or 26% improvement.

corporate 12% by 2020


new buildings 70% by 2015 existing buildings 25% by 2030"

Renewable energy sources Percentage of energy utilized by The City Red Deer that is produced through green sources (such as renewable resources and energy captured from waste)

Corporate

15% energy purchased from green sources

<1% generated from methane capture

Corporate

By 2015, 30% of total corporate energy supply from green sources



To increase use of green power sources and decrease reliance on non-renewable resources by The Corporation of The City of Red Deer.

Electric Light and Power and current City of Red Deer practices have informed the metric and targets. The target has been set according to The City’s commitment to purchase green power and initiatives like the wastewater treatment plant energy generated from methane.

Toronto, ON22: commitment to purchase 25% of corporate energy needs with green power;

Calgary, AB2: 100% corporate green energy by 2012

Portland, Oregon6: 9% of community energy purchase is green power; 100% corporate green power purchase by 2010

25% 40% 100%





Mid Range

High Range



Community

Residential: unknown

Industrial, Commercial, Institutional (ICI): unknown

Corporate

Municipal: unknown


Community




Coporate




There is a lot of work being done in the industry to establish energy intensity data to better understand when and how much energy is being consumed by the largest energy consumers - buildings.

Electric Light and Power and the precedents have helped inform the metric and targets.

Hamilton, ON17:

corporate energy intensity reduction target: 7.5% by 2012, 20% by 2020 (compared to 2005)

Guelph, ON18:

target 175 ekWh/m2 (through energy efficiency improvements of 1.5%/yr from 2012-2031)

Sudbury, ON19:

By 2015, achieve 70% energy reductions in all major new buildings.

Achieve 50% energy reductions in buildings under renovation.

Portland, Oregon6: achieve 25% reduction by 2030 in all buildings built before 2010

LEED ND - GIBp232: New buildings constructed as part of the project must, on average, demonstrate a 10% improvement over ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2007. GIBc2: Buildings need to meet 18% or 26% improvement.



new buildings 70% by 2015 existing buildings 25% by 2030"

Renewable energy sources Percentage of energy utilized by The City Red Deer that is produced through green sources (such as renewable resources and energy captured from waste)

Corporate

15% energy purchased from green sources

<1% generated from methane capture

Corporate




To increase use of green power sources and decrease reliance on non-renewable resources by The Corporation of The City of Red Deer.

Electric Light and Power and current City of Red Deer practices have informed the metric and targets. The target has been set according to The City’s commitment to purchase green power and initiatives like the wastewater treatment plant energy generated from methane.

Toronto, ON22: commitment to purchase 25% of corporate energy needs with green power;

Calgary, AB2: 100% corporate green energy by 2012

Portland, Oregon6: 9% of community energy purchase is green power; 100% corporate green power purchase by 2010

25% 40% 100%

Waste





Mid Range

High Range


183 kg/ per capita/ year Residential By 2015, 10% reduction from 2009 levels



This metric will help decrease the amount of waste being generated.

Waste Management and current City of Red Deer practices have largely informed the metric and targets.

St. Albert, AB8: Residential target: reduce from 195kg to 125kg/cap/yr (35%) by 2020

Sudbury, ON19: Reduced annual amount by community; No future need for additional landfill space;

Portland, Oregon6: By 2030: reduce total solid waste generated by 25%

Alberta8: Residential waste disposal average of 288 kg per capita

Alberta8: 25% of waste in Alberta is generated by Construction and Demolition

Statistics Canada23: 971 kg per person - of total waste landfilled

25% by 2030

20% by 2020

35% by 2020


10% per year per tonne of waste landfilled

By 2015, 20% diversion rate



This metric will increase the amount of waste being diverted from the landfill and reduce the impact of virgin material use.


Markham, ON25: Target: 100% (Zero waste) in all City buildings

Hamilton, ON26: Target 65% by 2010

Edmonton, AB27: Target 90% by 2012 (Currently 60%)

St. Albert, AB8: Target: 65% by 2020

Pickering, ON15: Divert from landfill a minimum of 50% of all waste generated on site.

Portland, Oregon6: 2030 target: recover 90% of all waste generated (64% in 2008)

Sudbury, ON19: Target 65% diversion of residential solid waste

Oakville, ON12: Target 60% diversion rate for residential waste

Toronto, ON28: 70% for City facilities

Guelph, ON18: 55% by 2011; 65% by 2016; 70% by 2021;

LEED ND - GIBc1632: Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris.

LEED ND - GIBc1632: Include litter receptacles on mixed use and non-residential streets, with recycle containers adjacent to other receptacles or recycled containers integrated into the design of the receptacle, on every block or at least every 800 feet, whichever is shorter.

50% 65% All City buildings 100% Community 90% by 2012





Mid Range

High Range


183 kg/ per capita/ year Residential By 2015, 10% reduction from 2009 levels



This metric will help decrease the amount of waste being generated.


St. Albert, AB8: Residential target: reduce from 195kg to 125kg/cap/yr (35%) by 2020

Sudbury, ON19: Reduced annual amount by community; No future need for additional landfill space;

Portland, Oregon6: By 2030: reduce total solid waste generated by 25%

Alberta8: Residential waste disposal average of 288 kg per capita

Alberta8: 25% of waste in Alberta is generated by Construction and Demolition

Statistics Canada23: 971 kg per person - of total waste landfilled

25% by 2030

20% by 2020

35% by 2020


10% per year per tonne of waste landfilled




This metric will increase the amount of waste being diverted from the landfill and reduce the impact of virgin material use.


Markham, ON25: Target: 100% (Zero waste) in all City buildings

Hamilton, ON26: Target 65% by 2010

Edmonton, AB27: Target 90% by 2012 (Currently 60%)

St. Albert, AB8: Target: 65% by 2020

Pickering, ON15: Divert from landfill a minimum of 50% of all waste generated on site.

Portland, Oregon6: 2030 target: recover 90% of all waste generated (64% in 2008)

Sudbury, ON19: Target 65% diversion of residential solid waste

Oakville, ON12: Target 60% diversion rate for residential waste

Toronto, ON28: 70% for City facilities

Guelph, ON18: 55% by 2011; 65% by 2016; 70% by 2021;

LEED ND - GIBc1632: Recycle and/or salvage at least 50% of non-hazardous construction and demolition debris.

LEED ND - GIBc1632: Include litter receptacles on mixed use and non-residential streets, with recycle containers adjacent to other receptacles or recycled containers integrated into the design of the receptacle, on every block or at least every 800 feet, whichever is shorter.

50% 65% All City buildings 100% Community 90% by 2012

Footnotes

1 City of Hamilton, Corporate Air Quality & Climate Change Strategic Plan - Phase II

2 Calgary Climate Change Accord, 2009

3 Yellowknife Community Energy Plan, 2007

4 Case Study: City of Saskatoon Energy and Greenhouse Gas Management Plan. CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada, 2009

5 Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Action Plan: Moving from Framework to Action Phase 1, City of Toronto, 2007

6 City of Portland and County of Multnomah Climate Action Plan, 2009

7 Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollutants in the City of Toronto, 2007

8 City of St. Albert, Environmental Master Plan, 2009

9 City of Ottawa, Directory of Environmental Initiatives

10 Hamilton Vision2020

11 Green Municipal Fund Case Study - Software helps Ottawa tally benefits of tree cover

12 Town of Oakville, State of the Environment Report, 2009

13 Development of Policy Papers for Phase Two of the Transportation Master Plan for the City of Hamilton: Summary of Proposed Recommended Policies, 2005

14 Green Fleet Program Report, April 9 2010

15 Pickering Sustainable Neighbourhood Guidelines

16 Commercial and Institutional Consumption of Energy Survey– Summary Report June 2007. Natural Resources Canada.

17 City of Hamilton Corporate Energy Policy, 2007

18 City of Guelph Community Energy Plan, 2007

19 2010 Earth Care Sudbury Action Plan

20 Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollutants in the City of Toronto, 2007

21 Mississauga Action Plan

22 A Plan for an Environmentally Sustainable Toronto, 2000

23 Statistics Canada, Environment Accounts and Statistics Division.

24 Alberta Environment

25 “Getting to 50% and Beyond: Waste Diversion Success Stories from Canadian Municipalities. FCM, 2009”

26 City of Hamilton Solid Waste Management Master Plan, 2001

27 City of Edmonton’s Environmental Strategic Plan, 2006

28 City of Toronto Waste Diversion Team website

29 EPA: National Ambient Air Quality Standards, 2010

30 Surface Water Quality Guidelines for Use in Alberta, 1999

31 Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality Summary Table, 2008

32 LEED US: Neighbourhood Development

33 LEED Canada: Homes

34 WWF: Living Planet Report

35 Canada Wide Air Quality Standards

36 Clean Air Strategic Alliance

37 City of Vancouver

38 City of San Francisco

39 LEED Canada: New Construction

40 LEED Canada: EB+OM


Appendix F:Example of impact assessment tool


To assist in this challenging decision making process, the Impact Assessment Tool can be used to compare various actions or projects to reach a decision that makes sense for Red Deer. This tool will help to evaluate ideas as they emerge and to see if they rate highly based on order of magnitude costs, impact to the environment, and how well the actions fulfill The City’s Environmental Vision and Core Directions. For example, towards the end of this process the question arose how action on light and noise pollution fits into this Plan. This tool could be used to evaluate potential actions to see if they rated highly based on cost and impact.

Impact Assessment Tool

In selecting actions to implement, The City must balance financial and non-financial measures, consider the five pillars of sustainability, and look at community and operational objectives.

Instructions:

SOFT IMPACTSSoft Core Directions (Leadership, Education, Builds on Strengths)

HARD IMPACTS Measurable Core Directions (Metrics)

Summary of Analysis

COMMENTS

Order of Magnitude for comparison

Strategy or Project #1

COST IMPACTS

RED DEER ENVIRONMENTAL MASTER PLAN: Impact Assessment Tool

Please fill out a score and comments for each corresponding proposed strategy. Scores are based on a scale from 1-10, where:

1 = has a definite negative impact5 = has no impact, neither negative nor positive 10 = has a definite positive impact

Prioritization Criteria 1:What is the overall impact of the proposed

Strategy or Project?

Impacts Strategy or Project #3Strategy or Project #2

Fill in data here.

Overall Recommendations

Fill in recommendations here.

Data to Support the Analysis

The scoring is relative for these options. It may not be appropriate based on analysis of other strategies or projects.

Overall:By 2015 reduce by 8% from 2009 levelsBy 2020 reduce by 15% from 2009 levelsBy 2035 reduce by 25% from 2009 levels

River monitoring will start in 2011 and targets established in 2015 in conjunction with Alberta Environment.


CommentsComments

Indicator: Potable water consumption provided through municipal water supply, per capita (L/cap/day)

Estimated Total Values for Reference

Strategy or Project #1Operational Metrics and Environmental Indicators

Indicator: Water Quality of Receiving Water bodies

Indicator: Percentage of land devoted to native natural features (native

Metrics/Indicators the proposed Strategy or

Project relates to:


HARD IMPACTS: Measurable Core Directions (Metrics)


Project relates to:Targets

Estimated Total Values for Reference


Project relates to:Comments

WAT

ER

Strategy or Project #2 Estimated Total Values for Reference

Prioritization Criteria 2: Does the proposed Strategy or Project contribute to the environmental areas that need the most improvement (based on latest reporting on metrics)?

By 2020 increase by 10% from 2009 levelsBy 2035 increase by 20% from 2009 levels

By 2015 increase by 5% from 2009 levelsBy 2020 increase by 10% from 2009 levelsBy 2035 increase by 20% from 2009 levels

Corporate:By 2015 decrease by 2% from 2009 levelsBy 2020 decrease by 5% from 2009 levelsBy 2035 decrease by 10% from 2009 levels


By 2020, increase canopy to 20%By 2030, increase canopy to 30%

By 2012, determine VKT/day/capita and refine target.

Community:By 2015, 5% reduction from 2012 levelsBy 2020, 10% reduction from 2012 levels

Indicator: Percentage of land devoted to man-made natural features (city parks, turf areas, shrub beds and re-naturalization areas)

Metric: Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) per capita/per day/by car

tree stands, wetlands, seasonal streams, grasslands and associated biodiversity)

Metric: Volume of toxic pest control product used per acre of municipal owned land (ml/per acre)

Metric: Urban forest coverage (percentage of area within City Boundaries covered by tree canopy)

ECO

LOG

Y

By 2020, 10% reduction from 2012 levelsBY 2035, 20% reduction from 2012 levels

2016 modal split of labour force to be: 86% Car5% Transit8% Pedestrian/Bicycle1% Other

i. Public trails, Parks or other green space

ii. At least 10 Basic Amenities

iii. Transit Stops (with 15 minute service)

By 2015 increase routes by 5%By 2020 increase routes by 10%By 2035 increase routes by 20%

Metric: Percentage of dwelling units (DU's) within 400m (or a 5 minute walk) from:

Metric: Length of all bicycle/pedestrian routes (in kilometres per capita) for bike lanes, mixed used trails and pedestrian-only trails.

Metric: Percentage of different modes of transportation used to travel to work

TRA

NS

PO

RTA

TIO

N

By 2012, determine the percentage of dwelling units within 400m of categories and refine target for each of the categories.

By 2020, 50% of residents within 400m of amenitiesBy 2035, 75% of residents within 400m of amenities

i. Residential (DU per hectare)

ii. Industrial - Commercial - Institutional (ICI) (Floor Space Index - FSI)


By 2015, 0.5 m2/per capitaBy 2020, 0.75 m2/per capitaBy 2035, 1.5 m2/per capita

By 2012, determine GHG emissions (the baseline) and refine targets for each of the categories.

Community:By 2020 reduce by 8% from 2012 levelsBy 2035 reduce by 15% from 2012 levelsCorporate:By 2020 reduce by 20% from 2012 levelsBy 2035 reduce by 30% from 2012 levels

BU

ILT

ENV

IRO

NM

ENT

By 2013, determine Floor Space Index for ii. ICI and refine target for each of the categories.

By 2015, increase to:I. Residential: TBD DU/ha ii. Other: TBD FSI

AIR

Metric: Total development density by type:

Indicator: m2/cap of land devoted to community gardens and urban agriculture

Indicator: Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in tonnes (C02 equivalent)

By 2015, do not exceed the following air quality maximums:PM2.5: 20 μg/m3 Ozone: 58 ppbSulphur Dioxide: 0.42 ppbNitrogen Dioxide: 11.5 ppbCarbon Monoxide: 0.24 ppm


By 2015, 5% reduction from 2012 levelsBy 2020, 20% reduction from 2012 levelsBy 2035, 50% reduction from 2012 levels

CorporateBy 2015, 30% of total corporate energy supply from green sourcesBy 2020, 40% of total corporate energy supply from green sourcesBy 2035, 60% of total corporate energy supply from green sources

Overall:B 2015 10% d ti

ENER

GY

Indicator: Maintain and lower ambient concentrations of airborne pollutants, not exceeding maximums (defined by the Canada Wide Standard and Alberta Environment)

Metric: Average building energy intensity (equivalent kWh/m2)

Metric Total eight of solid aste generation b single famil

Metric: Percentage of energy utilized by The City of Red Deer that is produced through green sources (renewable resources and energy captured from waste)

By 2015, 10% reductionBy 2020, 20% reductionBy 2035, 40% reduction

Residential:By 2015, 20% diversion rateBy 2020, 30% diversion rateBy 2035, 50% diversion rate

0.0 0.0 0.0

Metric: Total weight of solid waste generation by single-family residences (in tonnes/per capita/per year)

Metric: Percentage of waste diverted per year per tonne of waste landfilled

WAS

TE

Score: Impact of Strategy or Project on achieving Targets

Score Comments Score Comments Score Comments

Strategy or Project #3Strategy or Project #1 Strategy or Project #2How well do these Strategies or Projects align with the following "Soft" EMP Core Directions?

SOFT IMPACTS: Soft Core Directions (Leadership, Education, Builds on Strengths)

Prioritization Criteria 3: How does the proposed Strategy or Project build on existing strengths or current initiatives?

3.2 Learn by Doing; Lead by Example

3.1 Encourage, Educate, Engage, Enable, Expect

3.3 Does The City have the background and knowledge to implement this Strategy or Project?

0.0 0.0 0.0

Score Comments Score Comments Score Comments


Prioritization Criteria 4: What is the cost effectiveness and/or funding availability to implement the proposed Strategy or Project?Prioritization Criteria 5: What is the level of ease of implementation for the proposed Strategy or Project?

4 2 How likely would it be to secure funding for this Strategy or Project?

How well do these Strategies or Projects align with the following questions?Strategy or Project #1 Strategy or Project #2

4.1 What is the expected cost of this strategy or project?

COST IMPACTS: Order of Magnitude Costs, Ease of Implementation

Total Average Score

0.0 0.0 0.0

5.2 Are City partners committed to supporting the proposed Strategy or Project?

4.2 How likely would it be to secure funding for this Strategy or Project?

5.3 What is the expected timeline to implement the proposed Strategy or Project?

5.1 How will implementing this Strategy or Project affect staff capacity at The City?

Total Average Score


Appendix G:Prioritization List


Prioritization List

There are many actions, projects, strategies, and partnerships to choose from to achieve The City of Red Deer’s environmental goals. It is important to evaluate these areas in a format that can express the priority of some actions over others and assign a team that will be responsible for the success of each one.

Impacts are identified based on the action's importance and potential ability to achieve The City's environmental goals and targets. High impact indicates that the action will significantly move The City towards achieving its goals and targets; medium impact indicates that the action will reasonably help to achieve goals and targets; and low impact indicates an action that would assist but is not critical to achieving goals and targets.

Responsible departments, as well as City and community partners, are identified for each action and indicate which groups in the community can best serve to support the implementation of the projects.

Level of investment is measured on a scale of magnitude where all costs are accounted for, including soft costs such as the level of staff effort and time to complete the action, and hard costs such as equipment purchase, use of consultants, etc. A high level of investment indicates combined costs expected to be more than $250,000; medium indicates combined costs expected to be $75,000 to $250,000; and low indicates combined costs are less than $75,000.

Impact, partnerships, and level of investment all contribute to the prioritization of actions. The Prioritization List highlights top priorities for each focus area as first steps to implementing the Environmental Master Plan. Subsequent actions are further prioritized in the short, medium and long term. Priorities are subject to change based on direction from Council, available budget, and current priorities and opportunities

Potential Strategies First Steps to Achieve Strategy Impact Responsible Department PartnersLevel of

InvestmentPriority

Corporate Strategy

Identify an internal champion.• Work with an interdepartmental management-level group to confirm/determine the internal champion of the EMP.

Medium CLT Low Short Term

Establish an inter-departmental commitment to collaboration.• Create an interdepartmental memorandum of understanding that outlines the levels of commitment, scope and roles of internal stakeholders for collaborating on EMP implementation.

Medium EMP Champion Medium Short Term

Facilitate interdepartmental approaches to ensure integrated approaches related to environmental performance.

• Assess current programs or initiatives within individual departments and identify areas where efforts can be consolidated and strengthened.• Identify 2-3 pilot initiatives/current projects that departments can work on collaboratively.

Medium EMP Champion Environmental Services High Long Term

Red Deer Environmental Master Plan: Prioritization List

Build on Red Deer’s existing models for integrated implementation.

• Review lessons learned/successful elements from the collaborative approach taken in the Greater Downtown Action Plan and the City Safety program. • Integrate those lessons learned and implement in relation to the environment.

Medium EMP Champion Environmental Services; CLT Medium Long Term

Utilize technology and establish smart approaches to accessing and sharing environmental data and information.

• Create a protocol around environmental data management and communication of data that all departments can use. • Identify 2-3 new pilot initiatives that these could apply.

Medium Environmental ServicesITS; Communications & Strategic Planning;

Records ManagementHigh Long Term

Education and Awareness

Implement the Core Direction of Encourage, Educate, Engage, Enable and Expect.

• Create an educational campaign focussed on the EMP as a document. • Develop a traveling roadshow to EMP stakeholders (ie community groups, businesses, the school boards) that will kick off this process and begin to build connections to potential new partners. • Create a booklet to educate citizens as to what the EMP is and how they can contribute; communicate activities, solutions, and the goals set in the EMP in a fun and easy to understand way.

High Environmental ServicesCommunications & Strategic Planning;

Green Team; EACMedium Short Term

• Use the City's intraweb to circulate a monthly update on the EMP and related programs, projects or successes.

Find ways to report progress and updates.programs, projects or successes. • Build on the existing / environmental master plan website to become a place where the community can access reports and updates. • Ensure the Green Team is fully briefed on the EMP and can be internal ambassadors.

High Environmental ServicesCommunications & Strategic Planning;

Green Team; EACLow Short Term

Advance partnerships.

• Through a traveling roadshow about the EMP, engage with industries, businesses and other community groups to build the constituency for implementation. • Identify 6-8 key partners from various sectors. Work with EAC to do same in broader community. For each of these, help them identify ways they can impact the targets. • Continue advocating to all levels of government regarding environmental sustainability issues, e.g. Sustainable transit, Land-use Framework, waste-to-energy facilities

MediumEnvironmental Services/EAC;

City Advocacy TeamAll departments Medium Short Term

Continue to engage the Environmental Advisory Committee. HighCouncil/Environmental

Services/EACAll departments Low Short Term

Cor

pora

te S

trat

egie

s M

emo)

Potential Strategies First Steps to Achieve Strategy Impact Responsible Department PartnersLevel of

InvestmentPriority

City Wide Policy

Create, refine and align policies and plans tied to environmental targets outlined in the EMP.

• Prioritize policy documents in terms of environmental impact and identify how to update them to align with EMP.

Medium Corporate Services Relevant Departments High Medium Term

Provide incentives for change among the private and Red Deer's public sector.

• Building on project stakeholders, host a round table/taskforce to help identify a long list of potential programs, prioritize programs for quick action and largest impact. Medium Corporate Services EAC; potential for all Departments Medium Medium Term

Improve existing development guidelines to reinforce environmental targets.

• Introduce sustainable community development considerations to ensure the Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines and the Industrial Area Guidelines are in line with the EMP. • Review Engineering design guidelines, construction specifications and development standards to ensure alignment with the EMP (e.g. reasonable guidelines around sediment and erosion control)

High Planning/Engineering Inspections & Licensing High Short Term

• Meet with Red Deer County staff to review the EMP directions and identify common egy

Rec

omm

enda

tions

(dra

wn

from

the

C

Work with regional partners such as Red Deer County.• Meet with Red Deer County staff to review the EMP directions and identify common goals. • Define ways to cross promote/implement events/ programs and policies.

MediumCity Manager's Office/EMP

ChampionEnvironmental Services; Communications &

Strategic Planning; regional partnersLow Medium Term

Corporate Operations

Align corporate procedures with environmental goals.• Develop policy around sustainable building practices and operations. • At both the OLT and Green Team level identify changes to corporate procedures that could most impact environmental change.

HighCorporate Services/All

DepartmentsGreen Team High Short Term

Demonstrate the most progressive sustainability standards for development on city-owned land.

•This initiative will include establishing progressive sustainable development guidelines for the Eco-Industrial park, Garden Heights as a new quarter section development, and Riverlands redevelopment (e.g. LEED or other sustainability actions).

Medium Land & Economic DevelopmentPlanning, Downtown Coordinator,

Engineering (best practises, scoping study), CLT

Medium Medium Term

Budgeting and Decision Making Framework

Embed the consideration of environmental principles into City decision making.

• Integrate EMP goals and targets into the corporate decision making matrix as a mean to deliver Strategic Plan sustainability directions. • Utilize the EMP decisions making toolkit as a guide to the decision making process.

High Corporate ServicesCity Manager's Office; Communications &

Strategic PlanningMedium Short Term

Develop methods to track spending on environmental • Establish a set of criteria to determine what counts as an "environmental initiative"

Cor

pora

te S

trat

e

Develop methods to track spending on environmental initiatives.

• Establish a set of criteria to determine what counts as an "environmental initiative". • Estimate percentage of corporate budget which complements/contributes to EMP.

Medium Financial Services All departments Low Medium Term

Explore external funding opportunities to help supplement budget for environmental initiatives.

• Explore funding opportunities identified through the EMP process. • Establish a for-credit internship with Red Deer College to bring on a student each semester to research and collect information about external funding opportunities.

Medium Financial Services All departments Medium Medium Term

Performance Benchmarking

Embrace the Performance Benchmarking system.• Have all Departments agree to the metrics and indicators and establish the baseline and targets each year.

High EMP ChampionEnvironmental Services; All Departments;

CLTMedium Short Term

Identify the responsibility for data maintenance and monitoring

• Assign departmental responsibility for measuring and monitoring each of the indicators and metrics; • Identify those indicators and metrics that will require external support to measure; • Agree on a frequency of measuring and monitoring;• Develop a guideline to complete the monitoring/measuring and implement the program.

High Environmental Services All departments High Short Term

Commit to regular reporting back to the community, partners • Determine the format and frequency for reporting internally and externally (ie State of the Environment Report).

High EMP ChampionEnvironmental Services; Communications &

Medium Short Termand stakeholders. • Include this as a commitment in the recommendations of the EMP.

• Deliver first reporting.

High EMP ChampionStrategic Planning

Medium Short Term

Potential Actions First Steps to Achieve Action Impact Responsible Department PartnersLevel of

InvestmentPriority

Advance Storm Water Management Strategies CITY: Prepare an Integrated Rain Water Management Plan including storm water management policies

High Engineering Services Environmental Services; ALIDP Medium Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Review water and wastewater rate structures, which will draw attention to the value of water.

Medium Environmental ServicesFinancial Services; Communications &

Strategic PlanningLow Top Priority

Encourage Water Conservation CITY: Develop environmental standards for City buildings including water conservation measures (in accordance with policy 9.13 of the MDP)

HighBuilding Owners: Public Works, Environmental Services, RPC

(including landscaping)Inspections & Licensing Low Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Replace water meters with Advanced Metered Infrastructure (AMI) technology in conjunction with replacement for electrical meters.

High Environmental ServicesElectric Light & Power, ITS, Revenue and

Assessment; Financial ServicesHigh Top Priority

Water: Desired Outcomes and Priority Actions

Red Deer Environmental Master Plan: Prioritization List

technology in conjunction with replacement for electrical meters. Assessment; Financial Services

Promote the Naturescaping contest as a means to educate and encourage water conservation measures for residential irrigation; aim to increase participation by 100% in 2011 and by 50% each of the following years for three years.

Low Environmental ServicesRPC; Communications & Strategic Planning; garden centres & clubs

Low Short Term

Continue to provide incentives for low flow fixtures and appliances. Medium Environmental ServicesCommunications & Strategic Planning;

appliance & fixture retailersHigh Medium Term

Create a rain water capture program to promote the use of rain water for irrigation, building on the success of the existing rain barrel sales program.

Medium Environmental Services WEES; Alberta Environment; RDRWA Low Short Term

Create a program to educate and assist ICI customers on how to do water audits and reduce their consumption.

High Environmental ServicesInspections & Licensing (e.g. developer

meetings, development team meetings); UDI

Medium Medium Term

Explore using waste water effluent for irrigation at Riverbend Golf Course. Low Environmental Services Riverbend Golf Course Low Short Term

Work with public sector partners to encourage on-site rain water collection for irrigation and other uses.

HighEnvironmental Services (e.g

comment in dept circulations)

RPC; Planning; Inspections & Licensing (e.g. Joint Use Planning Committee,

developer meetings, development team meetings); Communications

Low Medium Term

WAT

ER

Tier 2 Actions: Water consumption

meetings); Communications

Establish a water quality monitoring program at key points along the Red Deer River and creek tributaries to determine the city's impact, analyse the river's capacity to handle pollutants, and develop methods to mitigate impacts

High Environmental ServicesRPC; Alberta Environment, Engineering,

RDRWA; RDRN; ALIDPHigh Short Term

Review the salt management plan for road maintenance with a focus on minimizing salt used

Medium Public Works Environmental Services Low Short Term

Measure and monitor quality, peak flow, and quantity of storm water (entering creeks) and use this information to inform strategies related to this metric

High Environmental Services Engineering Medium Medium Term

Partner overland storm drainage and constructed wetlands with linear parks/green spaces/open spaces/pedestrian connections through use of bioswales or reconstructed waterways

Medium EngineeringEnvironmental Services; RPC; Planning;

Land & Economic Development; UDILow Medium Term

Tier 2 Actions: Water quality of receiving waterbodies


InvestmentPriority

Increase the amount of land used for green space in the City

CITY: Enhance the existing City of Red Deer set-back policy to include water body and ecological protection related to Environmental Reserve setbacks under the Municipal Government Act

High RPCEngineering; Planning; Land & Economic

Development; UDILow Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Partner with community and development stakeholders to share ideas, explore opportunities and develop conservation tools to preserve green space such as a land conservation trust, land purchase, land swaps, tax incentives and reserve dedications.

High RPRPlanning; Land & Economic Development;

Revenue and Assessment; UDI; RDRN; RDRWA; Ducks Unlimited; Trout Unlimited

Low Top Priority

Increase the urban tree canopy CITY & COMMUNITY: Prepare and implement an Urban Forest Management Plan High RPCEngineering (re: blvd plantings); Planning;

UDI; community associations; youth groups

Medium Top Priority

Re-evaluate storm water management policy relating to use of facilities as part of the municipal reserve requirement as outlined in the Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines

Medium Planning RPC/Engineering Low Short Term

Ecology: Desired Outcomes and Priority Actions

Tier 2 Actions: Percentage of land devoted to native natural features

Use ecological profiles in conjunction with a GIS to identify and preserve natural areas, and quantify natural features and biodiversity prior to development application

Medium RPC ITS; Planning; UDI Low Medium Term

Prioritize the protection of natural areas in conjunction with recreation open space as a key element of new neighbourhood design

Medium Planning/RPC Engineering (development agreements) Low Medium Term

Introduce naturalization programs for boulevards, right of ways or park areas High RPCEngineering; Transit; Public Works; EL&P;

EvergreenHigh Medium Term

Encourage roof top gardens and living roofs; consider incorporation of living roofs into all new City buildings

Medium PlanningRPC; Inspections & Licensing, Public

WorksLow Medium Term

Review and develop a turf and tree management policy (i.e. around use of pesticides, fertilizers, etc.)

High RPCRiverbend Golf Course; WEES; Red Deer

County; Heritage RanchLow Medium Term

Tier 2 Actions: Urban Forest Coverage

Partner with residents to consider a private tree protection system considering City approval for removal of trees on public and private lands over a certain calliper age Low RPC Communications & Strategic Planning Low Long Term

Tier 2 Actions: Volume of toxic pest control product used per acre of municipal owned land

Tier 2 Actions: Percentage of land devoted to man-made natural features

ECO

LOG

Y

approval for removal of trees on public and private lands over a certain calliper, age or uniqueness

Low RPC Communications & Strategic Planning Low Long Term

Enhance or expand forestry programs to provide native plants to community members or community groups to encourage growth of the tree canopy on private or public property

Low RPC Communications; community associations Low Medium Term

Continue to enforce tree planting and native species requirements for new developments through the Land Use Bylaw

Medium RPCInspections & Licensing; Planning;

Engineering (e.g. landscape plan checks)Low Short Term

Partner with third party funders to expand community based restorative tree planting events

Low RPCCommunications & Strategic Planning; Tree Canada; RDCF; community groups

Low Medium Term


InvestmentPriority

Develop active transportation infrastructure

CITY: Incorporate high level core directions of the Environmental Master Plan into the Integrated Transportation/Movement Study as appropriate; Integrate sustainability principles such as active transportation, increased modal split and complete streets into all aspects of transportation planning including traffic demand management and the Transit Master Plan.

High Development Services Planning; RPC; Engineering; Transit Low to Medium Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Partner with Red Deer County, surrounding municipalities and local employers to establish regional commuting resources such as transit services, carpooling, shuttle and emergency ride programs.

Medium Engineering, Transit

Red Deer County; surrounding municipalities; local employers;

Communications; Chamber of Commerce; Province of Alberta

Low Top Priority

Increase the walkability of neighbourhoodsCITY: Partner with school boards to implement a walking school bus program to encourage students to walk to school in 3 or more schools.

High Engineering school boards, Transit, SHAPE Alberta Low Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Engage the community to participate in walkability audits in their neighbourhoods.

High Development Services

Planning; Engineering; RPC; Communications & Strategic Planning;

Central Alberta Self Advocates; community associations

Low Top Priority

Transportation: Desired Outcomes and Priority Actions

Tier 2 Actions: Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) per capita/per day by car

Evaluate trails and pathways mapping and technology resources to better connect people to the parks, pathways and trails system.

Medium Engineering; RPCITS; Communications & Strategic

Planning; TransitMedium Short Term

Improve frequency of transit service on select high volume routes as a pilot project High Transit (by 2014)Engineering, Communications & Strategic

PlanningHigh Medium Term

Continue to explore high speed rail service or regional transit models that link Red Deer to other centres

Medium City Manager's Office Engineering; Planning, Transit Low Long Term

Investigate options to facilitate future development of high capacity transit- such as light rail transit- within City limits, including potential routes and land acquisition. This could be part of the Integrated Transportation/Movement Study.

Medium Transit Engineering; Planning, Transit Low Long Term

Establish a grant/incentive program to assist schools, businesses and institutions to introduce or increase bicycle parking, storage and shower facilities on site.

Medium EngineeringTransit; RPC; Environmental Services,

school boards; Chamber of Commerce; Downtown Business Association

Medium to High Medium Term

Encourage businesses and schools to develop sustainable commuting strategies including carpooling for employees/students.

Medium EngineeringEnvironmental Services; Transit; school

boards; Chamber of Commerce; Downtown Business Association

Low Medium Term

Partner with Red Deer College to investigate the UPass program to provide students with universal, accessible and affordable access to public transit during school terms.

High Transit Red Deer College Low Medium Term

TRAN

SP

OR

TATI

ON

Tier 2 Actions: Modal Split

Investigate options to increase the frequency and coverage of transit service Medium Transit (by 2014) Low Medium Term

Implement a “next bus” system providing real time bus arrival information. Engage the private sector to develop applications to link this information to transit users’ smart phones.

Medium Transit ITS; Communications & Strategic Planning High Long Term

Tier 2 Actions: Dwelling units within 400m

Incorporate a ‘Complete Streets’ pilot initiative in the rebuild/redesign of city centre street, neighbourhood street and Riverlands community design

High Engineering Planning; Transit Medium Medium Term

Refine the Neighbourhood Planning Guideline to require all homes in a new community to be 400 meters from a transit stop.

Medium Planning Transit Low Medium Term

Work with adjacent municipalities and conservation authorities to establish connections and linkages to region-wide trails.

Low RPCEngineering; CARTS; Red Deer County;

hiking & walking groupsLow Long Term

Perform an audit to assess missing sidewalks and trails, determine areas of priority for new pedestrian connections

Medium Engineering RPC, Public Works; ITS; Transit High Medium Term

Introduce a Discovery Walks program to celebrate local culture, heritage and key amenities of Red Deer

Low RPC

Corporate Services; Communications & Strategic Planning; Centennial Committee,

Engineering (if construction of Low Medium Term

Tier 2 Actions: Length of all bicycle/pedestrian routes

amenities of Red Deer Engineering (if construction of infrastructure is required)

ons


InvestmentPriority

Promote more compact development patterns

CITY: Develop city-wide infill guidelines and standards that emphasize minimum densities, compact form and environmental design standards (in accordance with policies 10.9 and 10.10 of the MDP). Include consideration of parking practises/policies that encourage rather than undermine transit and alternative forms of transportation.

High PlanningLand & Economic Development;

Engineering; Transit; Inspections and Licensing

Low to Medium Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Partner with a developer to identify an infill pilot project on City land to demonstrate environmental design standards.

MediumPlanning/Land & Economic

Development; CommunicationsHome Builders' Association Low Top Priority

CITY: Undertake studies of both residential and commercial/industrial density in Red Deer to establish informed baselines and goals for future density targets.

High RPC Medium Top Priority

Increase opportunities for local food production: reworded

COMMUNITY: Work with the community and developers to create a community garden stewardship initiative to facilitate the establishment and stewardship of additional community garden plots. Aim to introduce a new community garden each year for ten years.

High RPCCommunications & Strategic Planning;

ReThink Red Deer; faith-based organizations; community groups

Medium Top Priority

Built Environment: Desired Outcomes and Priority Actions

Focu

s Ar

ea A

ctio

Tier 2 Actions: Total development density by type

Update the Neighbourhood and Industrial Planning Guidelines and Standards to emphasize compact, pedestrian oriented development patterns, including increasing the minimum density for new development.

High Planning Transit Low Short Term

Hold a round table with The City, Chamber of Commerce, Land & Economic Development and the private sector to explore tax and other incentives to facilitate downtown reinvestment complimentary to the Greater Downtown Action Plan

Medium Planning Services DivisionRevenue and Assessment Services;

Transit; Land & Economic Development; Downtown Business Association

Low Medium Term

Encourage redevelopment of Brownfield sites in accordance with Greater Downtown Action Plan.

High Planning Services DivisionInspections & Licensing; Engineering, Revenue and Assessment Services;

Transit; Land & Economic DevelopmentLow Short Term

Explore LEED and other programs or development options for incorporating greener building choices and to encourage construction of energy efficient buildings.

MediumDevelopment Services; RPC;

PlanningUDI, Land & Economic Development; Public Works Building Maintenance

Low Medium Term

Increase accessibility to locally produced food by creating a year-round Market in accordance with recommendations made in the Greater Downtown Action Plan and Community Culture Vision Plan

Medium RPCCommunications & Strategic Planning;

Financial Services; Revenue and Assessment

Low Short Term

Tier 2 Actions: Area of land devoted to community gardens and urban agriculture

BU

ILT

ENVI

RO

NM

ENT

Tier 2 Actions: Total development density by type

Community Culture Vision Plan. Assessment

Provide urban gardening and local food production programming and/or tools to help novice gardeners grow fresh produce.

Low RPC Communications & Strategic Planning Low to Medium Long Term

Partner with the school boards and a third party such as Evergreen to develop school-ground greening programs, create outdoor classrooms and incorporate nature based learning.

Low Environmental Services/RPC Low Medium Term


InvestmentPriority

Air: Desired Outcomes and Priority Actions

Create a strategy to reduce green house gas emissionsCITY: Conduct a GHG inventory analysis, and develop a corporate GHG emissions reduction plan

High Environmental Services PAMZ; all City departments Medium Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Develop a Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Plan High Environmental ServicesICLEI; Canadian Institute of Planners; all

departmentsMedium Top Priority

Reduce Air PollutionCITY: Identify large emitters of air pollution within The City’s corporate operations. Identify strategies to mitigate the effects.

Medium Environmental Services PAMZ; Transit, Public Works Low Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Work with industries that have the most opportunity to reduce air pollution by identifying large emitters and potential strategies to mitigate their effects.

Medium Environmental ServicesLand & Economic Development; PAMZ;

Chamber of CommerceLow Top Priority

Green the municipal fleet: consider electric and hybrid vehicles, and bio fuel sources. Medium Public Works All departments High Medium Term

Partner with industries to facilitate the purchase of carbon credits or participate in L El t i Li ht & P E i t l S i L L T

Tier 2 Actions: Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in tonnes

AIR

Partner with industries to facilitate the purchase of carbon credits or participate in cap and trade program

Low Electric Light & Power Environmental Services Low Long Term

Limit the use of products such as paints and rugs containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in City buildings and City operations

LowFacilities Managers in all

departmentsLow Medium Term

Develop an ecology carbon capture education campaign Low RPC Environmental Services; Communications Low Medium Term

Further investigate the opportunity for capturing methane from landfill to control emissions

Medium Environmental Services Electric Light & Power Low Medium Term

Establish stewardship programs that promote improved air quality (in accordance with policy 9.14 of the MDP)

Medium Environmental Services Low Medium Term

Establish a community idle free program High Environmental Services Communications & Strategic Planning Low Short Term

Engage the Province and advocate for emissions testing of older vehicles prior to licensing.

Low City Advocacy Team Environmental Services Low Medium Term

Tier 2 Actions: Maintain and lower ambient concentrations of air pollutants


InvestmentPriority

Increase energy conservation of buildingsCITY: Replace electrical meters with Advanced Metered Infrastructure (AMI) technology for both residential and Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) customers to allow them to better track, understand and modify consumption.

High Electric Light & PowerITS; Revenue and Assessment; Financial

ServicesHigh Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Explore District Energy potentials in high-density neighbourhoods. Medium Electric Light & PowerPlanning; Inspections & Licensing; Land &

Economic DevelopmentHigh Top Priority

Increase and promote use of renewable energy sourcesCITY: Expand energy efficient street light program and work towards reducing the effects of light pollution.

High Electric Light & Power Medium Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Partner with renewable energy providers and community stakeholders to provide information about private renewable energy options.

Medium Electric Light & PowerEnvironmental Services; Communications

& Strategic PlanningLow Top Priority

Promote existing home energy audits and tools kits to help citizens make their homes more energy efficient.

LowElectric Light &

Power/Environmental ServicesCommunications & Strategic Planning Low Medium Term

Tier 2 Actions: Average building energy intensity

Energy: Desired Outcomes and Priority Actions

Identify three new City building or renovation projects and use them to pilot higher energy efficiency standards.

Medium CLT Facilities Managers in all departments High Medium Term

Create a program to encourage retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency (directed by policy 9.12 of the MDP).

Medium Inspections & Licensing Low Long Term

Celebrate high performance buildings with a Build Green Red Deer award program. High Environmental ServicesPlanning; Communications & Strategic Planning; Home Builders' Association

Medium Medium Term

Explore increased energy efficiency potential by the use of smart grid technology. Medium Electric Light & Power Engineering High Medium Term

Develop environmental standards for City buildings and facilities that include guidelines for increased energy conservation of buildings (directed by policy 9.13 of the MDP).

HighBuilding Owners: Public Works, Environmental Services, RPC

All departments Low Short Term

Integrate energy saving initiatives such as server and desktop virtualization, energy efficient hardware, telecommuting, power management for IT equipment, work from home options, into city operations.

Low ITS All departments Low Long Term

Tier 2 Actions: Percentage of energy produced through green sources

ENER

GY

Investigate the case for capturing methane from the landfill for heat or electricity generation

Medium Environmental Services Electric Light & Power Low Medium Term

Explore the potential of increasing the amount of energy captured from the City’s wastewater facilities

High Environmental Services Electric Light & Power Low Short Term

Incorporate renewable energy infrastructure in all new city facilities High Development Services/RPCFacilities Managers in all departments;

Electric Light & PowerHigh Medium Term

Explore rate structure to promote conservation. Medium Electric Light & Power Low Short Term

Reduce barriers and facilitate microgeneration for residential, industrial, commercial and institutional clients

Medium Electric Light & Power Environmental Services Low Medium Term

Continue to investigate and increase procurement of green power. High Electric Light & Power High Medium Term


InvestmentPriority

Increase waste diversion from the City landfill CITY: Update the Waste Management Master Plan High Environmental Services High Top Priority

CITY: Review tipping fee structure to identify opportunities to encourage (incent) diversion

High Environmental Services Financial Services Low Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Create an education campaign, toolkits and pilot projects around household and community composting

Medium Environmental Services Communications & Strategic Planning Medium Top Priority

COMMUNITY: Partner with developers and builders to advance recycling and diversion of construction waste on development sites

High Environmental Services

Inspections & Licensing; Land & Economic Development; Province of Alberta; Home

Builders' Association; Chamber of Commerce

Low Top Priority

Decrease the weekly limit of 5 garbage bags for residential households High Environmental Services Communications & Strategic Planning Low Medium Term

Investigate options for curbside organics collection and composting Medium Environmental Services High Medium Term

Tier 2 Actions: Total weight of solid waste generation

WAS

TE

Waste: Desired Outcomes and Priority Actions

Introduce organic waste composting at community garden plots, where residents could drop off their organic waste to be composted

Medium RPCEnvironmental Services; Communications

& Strategic Planning; gardening groupsLow Medium Term

Investigate establishing a requirement for on-site construction waste management High Inspections & Licensing Home Builders' Association Low Medium Term

Expand opportunities for diversion of construction and demolition waste at The City’s Waste Management Facility

Medium Environmental Services Medium to High Medium Term

Investigate partnering with surrounding municipalities on diversion programs Medium Environmental Services CAEP; other regional municipalities Low Long Term

Tier 2 Actions: Percentage of waste diverted per year


Appendix H:Glossary


The following defines key words and phrases that appear in the Environmental Master Plan

Active Transportation - refers to any form of human-powered transportation – walking, cycling, using a wheelchair, in-line skating or skateboarding.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) - a term used to describe all of the hardware, software and connectivity required for a fully functioning smart metering system (see Smart Meter).

Biodiversity – the variability of living things on earth: within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity) and of ecosystems (ecosystem diversity).

Bioswale – a landscape element designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water.

Cap and Trade - is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants.

Carbon Capture/Carbon Storage – is a means of mitigating the contribution of fossil fuel emissions to global warming, based on capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) and storing it away from atmosphere.

Carbon Credits – is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon or carbon dioxide equivalent.

Community Culture Vision Plan- a 10 year planning document based on a broad vision of culture in our community and the role it plays in all aspects of our lives. It identifies values and themes that will act as the foundation for future service delivery and facility development, and will help us be culturally sustainable.

Complete Communities- are communities that meet people’s needs for day to day life including access to a range of job opportunities, services, housing, schools and recreational and open space.

Complete Streets -- allows for simultaneous consideration of, and balancing of, needs for vehicle movement, pedestrians, cyclists, retail uses, and public gathering spaces.

Constructed Wetland - is an artificial wetland, marsh or swamp created as a new or restored habitat for native and migratory wildlife, and also used for wastewater, stormwater runoff, or sewage treatment.

Differential Tipping Fees - are fees associated with waste disposal designed to encourage sorting and separation of divertible (reusable/recyclable) materials and to discourage the disposal of mixed loads.

District energy - is a system for distributing energy generated in a centralized location for residential and commercial energy requirements.

Ecological Footprint - is a measure of human demand on the Earth's ecosystems. It compares human demand with planet Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate.

Ecology - the study of relationships between living things and their environments.

Ecosystem - a biological community and its physical environment.

Emergency Ride Program - a service typically provided by a transit agency, municipality or employer that guarantees a ride home to people who regularly vanpool, carpool, bike, walk or take transit under emergency circumstances.


EMP – Environmental Master Plan

Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) –Environmental Advisory Committee, serve to champion the EMP and report to and advise City Council on Environmental Initiatives.

Geo-thermal - Relating to the internal heat of the Earth.

GIS - Geographic Information System, a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analyzing and displaying data related to positions on the Earth's surface. Typically, a GIS is used for handling maps of one kind or another. These might be represented as several different layers where each layer holds data about a particular kind of feature (e.g. roads, wetlands). Each feature is linked to a position on the graphical image of a map. Greater Downtown Action Plan - reflects our city’s vision for the future of our city centre. It is a long-range concept plan that recognizes our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reconnect with our riverfront. Three key districts will become focal points in Greater Downtown Red Deer: the Historic Downtown, Railyards and Riverlands districts will exhibit a sustainable, high density urban design.

Greenfield - previously undeveloped land including restored land, agricultural areas, forests, parks, and natural areas.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) - any of the gases whose absorption of solar radiation is responsible for the greenhouse effect, including carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and the fluorocarbons.

Heat Island Effect - refers to the fact that man-made structures tend to attract and retain heat at a higher rate than is normal in nature. For example: concrete and steel buildings, asphalt rooftops and roads.

ICI - Industrial, Commercial & Institutional

Industrial Area Planning Guidelines and Standards- provide guidelines and standards for the planning and design of industrial areas in Red Deer, and the requirements for preparation of Industrial Area Structure Plans (IASP). IASPs provide detailed planning information such as: land uses, road and lane locations, community trail and park development, utility infrastructure, and storm water management facilities; which informs subsequent zoning and subdivision decisions.

Infill- the use of underdeveloped land within an existing built up area for new construction.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - the use of all suitable pest control methods to keep pest population below the economic injury level. Methods include cultural practices, use of biological, physical, and genetic control agents, and selective use of pesticides.

Integrated Transportation/Movement Study - A review and assessment of The City’s policies and practices, our community’s attitudes and choices, and best practices from around the world regarding the movement of people and goods in an urban environment. This study will: define our transportation principles and outline the impacts of various options; inform future plans and improve integration of our planning efforts; and ensure well informed, coordinated decision making.

LED - light-emitting diode

LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building rating system administered by the Canadian Green Building Council.

Living Document- a document that is reviewed, updated and amended over time to remain current and useful.


Living Roof - a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium.

Low-Impact Development (LID) - describes a land planning and engineering design approach to managing stormwater runoff through the use of on-site natural features to protect water quality.

Municipal Development Plan (MDP) - The City's main planning document that outlines how land will be used and guides future growth and change within the community. It provides broad direction on the types of land uses, how development is expected to occur, and how decisions on development are made.

Methane gas capture – a system for capturing methane that off-gases from landfill sites. Off-gassing occurs when waste breaks down and chemicals and gases escape into the air. Captured methane gas can be converted into energy for use.

Microgeneration - the small-scale generation of electrical power, through means such as solar or wind power.

Modal Split – the percentages of trips taken to work, determined by surveying modes of transportation in a municipality. Modes include: car, public transit, cycling, and walking.

NASP - Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan, a required land use concept plan that must be prepared by a developer for any large undeveloped parcel of land. It provides a detailed level of planning information (land uses, all road and lane locations, types of residential/commercial/industrial development, number of dwelling units, community trail and park development, utility infrastructure and storm water management facilities, density, etc.) to facilitate subsequent zoning and subdivision decisions.

Native – plant and animal life that is endemic (indigenous) to a given region and climate.

Natural Heritage– natural features or sites consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations which are value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view.

Naturalization - the establishment of native vegetation in an area where previously it had not existed.

Naturescaping – is a term that refers to a method of landscape design and landscaping that allows people and nature to coexist. By incorporating certain plants, especially native ones, into ones yard, one can attract beneficial insects, birds, and other creatures, and help keep our rivers and streams healthy.

Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines - provides guidelines and standards for the planning and design of neighbourhoods including parks and public facilities/amenities in the city of Red Deer. These neighbourhood planning guidelines and standards provide the requirements for preparation of Neighbourhood Area Structure Plans.

Parkland Airshed Management Zone (PAMZ) – a branch within Alberta Environment that monitors and reports on air quality within this specific zone.

Persistent Bioaccumulative Pollution - the release of materials that are toxic, persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in food chains and thus pose risks to human health and ecosystems.

Pest - any injurious, noxious or troublesome insect, mammal, pathogen or weed whose population adversely interferes with the aesthetic, health, environment, functional, or economic goals of any affected party.

Quick Start Work Plan- A feature of the Greater Downtown Action Plan that identified first steps and key City department leaders for recommendations within the Plan.


River and Tributaries Concept Master Plan - a planning tool developed to identify lands best suited for potential trails and parks within The City of Red Deer City Growth Area.

Smart Growth - a collection of land use and development principles that aim to enhance our quality of life, preserve the natural environment, and save money over time.

Smart Meter - is an electrical meter that records consumption in intervals of an hour or less and communicates that information at least daily back to the utility for monitoring and billing purposes.

Sustainability - is the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems. For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions.

TBL - Triple Bottom Line, a measure of value that considers economic, environmental and social aspects.

Thermal pollution - is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.

Traffic/Transportation Demand Management - is the application of strategies and policies to reduce travel demand (specifically that of single-occupancy private vehicles), or to redistribute this demand in space or in time.

Universally Accessible – providing access to buildings, sidewalks, parks, etc, by all persons and abilities, be they disabled, elderly, expectant mothers, and so on.

Urban Forest - the trees and plants within a city.

Virgin Material – Resources extracted from nature in their raw form, such as timber or metal ore.

VKT – Vehicle Kilometers Travelled, is a measure of the distance travelled by vehicles on roads.

VOC’s - Volatile Organic Compounds refers to man-made and naturally occurring organic chemical compounds which have significant vapor pressures and which can affect the environment and human health when inhaled.

Walkability - capable of being traveled, crossed, or covered by walking.

Walking School Bus Program- a group of children walking to school with one or more adults.

Waste Management Master Plan - a framework for waste management activities for the next 25 to 30 years, focused on providing the strategic direction of waste management programs for the first five years.

Wetland detention facilities – comprise of a permanent pond to provide for greater treatment of storm water pollution through controlled filtration. They provide natural water quality treatment.

Wildlife corridors - is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities (such as roads, development, or logging).

Environmental Master Plan - Final Draft April 2011

Documents

Transcript of Environmental Master Plan - Final Draft April 2011