Davis Letter to the Editor: Vote Gregor, Peterson, Pointner for our environment

Plymouth resident Linda Davis wrote a letter to the Editor of the Sun Sailor on the importance of environmental issues, published in the September 27 Sun Sailor.

To the editor:

At a Sept. 15 forum, Plymouth City Council candidates were asked if they would support Plymouth participation in Minnesota’s free GreenStep Cities environmental program. Only three candidates said they would: Clark Gregor (At Large), Julie Peterson (Ward 2), and Julie Pointner (Ward 4).

Rejection of this essential program tells us something important about the other council candidates.

GreenStep Cities is a completely voluntary program, providing free resources, assistance, and recognition to help cities achieve sustainability and quality-of-life goals. This program encourages civic innovation with a focus on cost savings and energy-use reduction. Communities can choose from a menu of 29 proven practices to best benefit their city and are allowed to skip steps or opt-out at any time. https://greenstep.pca.state.mn.us/

Many of our neighboring cities and comparable communities already participate: Minnetonka, Maple Grove, Golden Valley, New Hope, Hopkins, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Eagan, and the list goes on.

If those successful cities are benefiting from this program, why not Plymouth? The answer lies with current city council members who are in agreement with the right-wing think tank Center for the American Experiment, an organization that opposes the GreenStep Cities program. They rejected the program in June of 2019 despite assurances from the Minnesota Pollution Agency that all steps are entirely voluntary and controlled by the city. It saddens me to imagine the progress we could have made over the past three years.

Vote Clark, Peterson, and Pointner. I believe we need change on the council.

Linda Davis

Plymouth