In Fayetteville, Ark., adding such a position a year and a half ago did wonders for the bottom line. There, sustainability coordinator John Coleman said the first year he was hired, he paid for his own salary n and then some n in energy cost savings.
Folks there took small steps the first year, like turning off computers and using daylight, he said. Many people bought in n though he still finds some who think they need a space heater in the middle of summer.
“I’ll give them a hard time,” Coleman said.
His salary is $57,000, and the first energy bill came in $180,000 under budget, he said. Coleman said part of the savings was due to a cooler June n not just conservation measures. Coleman, a one-man department in a town of an estimated 70,000, said he’s still entering 2007 data so hasn’t yet calculated the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Here, the Missoula County Conservation Roundtable, which describes itself as a loose-knit group collaborating on sustainability, made its request for such a coordinator at this week’s council meeting.
A letter delivered to the Missoula City Council says the person would do an inventory of the city’s carbon footprint and energy use and develop a “climate and energy action plan.”
Amy Cilimburg, with Montana Audubon, said Mayor John Engen and the city are making headway on responsible energy use, and a staff person dedicated to the job would build on existing momentum. Plus, other cities are seeing successes, and the local work is trickling up to the state and federal level.
“There’s becoming more and more examples of cities the size of Missoula really taking on the challenge and doing extremely well,” Cilimburg said.
In the letter, the roundtable says it is endorsing the recommendation of the mayor’s Advisory Board on Climate Change and Sustainability in taking up the call: “Addressing climate change is the moral and environmental challenge and opportunity of our time. The time for action cannot wait.”
Engen said he’s planning to add the position in the 2010 budget, or next year, and it takes some preparation. The city needs to plan the job duties and also figure out how the position will pay for itself, among other things.
“This just isn’t the budget year for it. Otherwise, I would have had it in the executive budget. So we’ll be talking about that next year,” Engen said.
For more information, read Wednesday's Missoulian or go to Missoulian.com.
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