Sustainability Plan

The first draft of the sustainability plan was released in March 2022. Now the Sustainability Steering Committee is working to revise the draft by incorporating supportive and concerned comments gathered from the public.

Concerns include:

  • Building and construction costs
  • Costs to the City and residents of implementing the plan
  • Mandates
  • Energy choice
  • Impacts on affordable housing

What is the plan's focus?

The updated plan will focus on the following six focus areas:

  • Natural Systems: Protect and conserve our environment and natural resources.
  • Transportation and Land Use: Provide an efficient, multi-modal transportation system that offers increasingly clean measures for all users; and promote sustainable land use and development.
  • Energy and Buildings: Utilize clean, efficient, and reliable energy, and encourage green building practices.
  • Sustainable Economy: Promote sustainable growth and encourage businesses and organizations to take part in sustainable practices.
  • Materials Management and Waste: Increase waste diversion programs; and encourage more reduce, reuse, and recycling within our community.
  • Community Vitality and Sustainable Living: Promote health, support resilient food systems, and encourage actions and behaviors that are sustainable and benefit the individual and community.
Over the next year, the City will work with the steering committee, their resources, and experts to identify commonalities and set achievable goals that take into account affordability and cost-effectiveness. A revised plan will be presented to the City Council in 2023.

Tentative Timeline

  • 2012: City’s first Sustainability Master Plan developed
  • Q4 2020: City determines need to update Sustainability plan, assembled Sustainability Steering Committee
  • Q2 2021: Community engagement survey released and completed by 1,200 residents
  • Q4 2021: Open house held with 140 participants
  • Q1 2022: Committee released draft plan for public input
  • Q2-Q3 2022: Conducted listening sessions with individual stakeholders to identify comments, concerns
  • Q3 2022: Expanded Sustainability Steering Committee, including representatives from all utilities, homebuilders, and affordable housing, continues working on plan
  • Q3 2022: Kicked off cost analysis on energy-efficiency projects with third-party consultant
  • Q4 2022: Informational meeting, listening sessions with City Council members, public input sessions
  • Q1 2023: Expanded committee revises plan based on input
  • Q2 2023: Public input gathered on revised plan
  • Q3 2023: Seek adoption of finalized plan from City Council

Sustainability Plan Draft

The first draft of a Sustainability Plan was released for public comment in March 2022. Based on thoughtful and instructive public feedback, which included concerns about costs, proposed solutions, and a need for greater community representation, City leaders extended the process to gather additional input and engage a broader group of stakeholders.

Sustainability Steering Committee

The steering committee includes representatives from energy companies, home builders, affordable housing, and other interested parties.

  • Alina Krone-Hedman, Minnehaha Conservation District
  • Ashley Geraets, College Student
  • Ben Pierson, Sioux Valley Energy
  • Catherine Dekkenga, JLG Architects
  • David O’Hara, Augustana University
  • Eric Pauli, Xcel Energy
  • Jason Kjenstad, HDR
  • Jerry Jongeling, Sioux Falls Electric Light & Power, City of Sioux Falls
  • Jesse Cody, Waste Management
  • Joel Ingle, Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire, C-Lemme Companies LLC
  • Jonah Luzier, Avera
  • Jordan Deffenbaugh, Beverly Ann Miller Institute of Civic Biodesign
  • Justin Bentaas, Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
  • Kasey Abbott, Direct Digital Control
  • Melissa Hittner, Sioux Falls Public School District
  • Michael Heisler, SoDak 350
  • Mike Gray, Sioux Falls Development Foundation
  • Pam Bonrud, NorthWestern Energy
  • Rocky Welker, Habitat for Humanity
  • Sam Wagner, MidAmerican Energy
  • Shannon Dwire, Millennium Recycling
  • Stephanie Peterson, Dakota Rural Action Homegrown Chapter, Fruit of the Coop
  • Todd Gackstetter, Smithfield
  • Todd Nelson, Southeastern Electric Cooperative
  • Tom Jarding, Home Builders Association of the Sioux Empire, Jarding Construction
  • Travis Entenman, Northern Prairies Land Trust, Friends of the Big Sioux River
  • Holly Meier, City of Sioux Falls
  • Andrew Berg, City of Sioux Falls
  • Don Kuper, City of Sioux Falls
  • Sam Trebilcock, City of Sioux Falls
  • Shelby Kommes, City of Sioux Falls
  • Joshua Peterson, City of Sioux Falls

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