The City Council will be looking at the sustainability and commitment to climate control for the city this week.

“Given the nationwide reaction to the executive order to rescind the United States’ participation in the Paris Accord, attention to climate change has been reverted to the local and state level,” Mayer Ann Campbell said in a memo to the council. 

The resolution approving the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement for the City of Ames was originally approved in 2007. 10 years later, the council has been asked to reaffirm the resolution.

“It has four directives; endorse U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, set a baseline for carbon emission of City functions, set carbon emission goals, and develop a plan to reach these goals,” according to Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen’s council preview.

The council will also view a report on the city’s sustainability efforts. In 2010, the City contracted with Iowa State University to utilize Director of Sustainability Merry Rankin, initially focused on the reduction of electric consumption. As additional opportunities and needs have been identified related to sustainability, that expanded. During 2016-17, which the report covers, priority areas were energy consumption reduction and waste reduction and diversion.

That led to the Rummage RAMPage in the intermodal, a kind of city-wide garage sale, the Smart Business Challenge, working with public works on diversion and reuse programs.

Other agenda items look at a proposal for the old middle school lot, 321 State Avenue, which could become affordable housing but the developer is asking for almost twice as much money for infrastructure improvements from the city.