Public Utilities Director Adam Sackenheim and Planning Manager Erin Donovan-Lynn have led this team, which includes contracting this past summer with Blue Strike Environmental after seeking proposals from a company to assist with technical services in developing the plan.
“And since then, we’ve really had our foot on the gas in terms of getting input from the community, getting input from officials, getting input from residents about what is important to them relative to sustainability,” Sackenheim, adding they used the city’s Environmental Commission as the team’s advisory group.
What this plan is not, Sackehneim said, is a climate action plan, “but any plan that we’re going to put together on sustainability is going to have a big focus on energy. We do have e-carbonization goals associated with this plan.”
The plan, which they hope to finalize this summer and present to the public before asking for City Council’s approval, includes five strategy focus areas. Three of the areas ― mobility and transportation, buildings and energy, and resource conservation ― are foundational, which Donovan-Lynn said would have “a direct impact, things that we can actually change to make a difference,” though are behind-the-scenes projects.
The other two strategy focus areas ― nature and green community and community and business resilience ― will be more visible to the community.
Donovan-Lynn also addressed the online survey conducted that featured 26 survey questions, though six were demographic questions. But what they found, she said, is that survey-takers “are people who have a vested interest in their community.” They were long-time residents who were homeowners and ranged from 35 to 65 years of age.
A key point from the survey, she said, was residents want to see sustainability projects, and “what I think is important here is not only to do they support environmental sustainability projects, but they support an initial investment upfront to get these projects off the ground.”
What Fairfield is undertaking is something other communities and states have done. Sackenheim said much of the country is pushing efforts to decarbonize, adding that 25 states have greenhouse gas targets or clean energy goals and 600 local governments have developed climate action plans. Even 60% of Fortune 500 companies have set climate and energy goals, he said.
The focus on this plan is this idea of quality of life,” Sackenheim said. “What can we as the elected officials of this corporation and as staff do to improve and enhance quality of life.”
Though this will look at how to improve the city, Sackenheim acknowledged the desire of City Council that “economic health and vitality and efficiencies are always part of the discussion and part of the conversation when talking about sustainability.”
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