CitiesGoGreen - October 2008 - (Page 21) in the areas of sustainability and urban design, thanks in part to Mayor Coody’s efforts. “I’ve been an environmentalist from the time I could spell it,” says the two-term mayor. Coody, a former carpenter and homebuilder, sees the movement toward sustainability as central to maintaining Fayetteville’s quality of life, and initiated a number of projects concerning good government, environmental and quality of life issues in the community before stepping into the position of mayor in 2001. Award-winning initiatives Fayetteville’s City Plan 2025 was awarded the US Conference of Mayors’ first Climate Protection Award for its Trails Master Plan, and was also one of four international winners for a 2007 Region and Metropolis Charter Award by the Congress for the New Urbanism. FayetteOnce you understand the money that is going out the door by ville’s Public Library, completed in 2004, not conserving, it brings conservation into clear focus. was the first LEED-Silver certified building in the state, and the following the job or it’s not going to a major role in the transition ing year won the prestigious get done. Once that’s in place, of environmentalism from a Thomson Gale/Library Journal then the city needs to begin left-wing, fringe issue to a senLibrary of the Year award, the asking itself, ‘What do we want sible business model, and says first library in Arkansas to be to do, and how do we want to this has greatly helped the so honored. And last year, the do it?’ If we’re going to be sus- city’s efforts in that direction International Council for Lotainable and green and cut our as well. “The impact of Walcal Environmental Initiatives costs, what are the easiest first Mart can’t be overstated, not (ICLEI) chose to hold its annual steps we can take? And then just for Fayetteville but for the summer conference in Fayyou start lining up the next world,” he said. “They’ve seen etteville, highlighting Fayettestep, and the next step, and the profits and the benefits of ville’s leadership in the area of the next step—and stick to it.” high efficiency and of rethinklocal climate action. Coody put these ideas into ing the way we do business, How has Fayetteville action by selling the idea of a and they’ve exported that exachieved so much in such Sustainability Coordinator to pertise and perspective to the a short space of time? “It’s the Fayetteville City Council, rest of the world. That’s one of amazing how much you can on the basis that the person the main reasons the sustainget accomplished if you really hired would pay for him or ability movement is taking put your mind to it,” the Mayor herself by generating savings off in the business world so said. His determination is all in energy and utility costs. much. I credit Wal-Mart with the more striking when you John Coleman, who stepped 80% of that.” take into account how many into that position in May 2007, changes were needed in order has done a remarkable job A high performance city to achieve so much. Coody’s (see interview on page 24). first term was taken up main“He’s saved us about a quar- Fayetteville attracts a steady ly with “learning the ropes ter million dollars more than stream of individuals and and stepping on all the land he’s costing us,” Coody said. businesses who want to take mines” involved in running The idea wasn’t a particu- advantage of all it has to ofa city, as he puts it, as well as larly difficult one to sell once fer. Population growth in itself redesigning the city administhe city’s yearly energy costs can be a problem in terms tration and orienting it in a difwere totaled. “As the numbers of decreasing a city’s carbon ferent direction. “I had to build were being added up for all footprint, as the Mayor is the a whole new staff from the the city’s buildings for utili- first to acknowledge. The first bottom up and from the top ties, I wondered, is it going to step Coody sees in addressing down, to create a more profesbe $350,000, is it going to be that issue is proper planning sional, progressive administra$400,000, could it possibly be for city growth, based on how tion. That took some attrition, $500,000 a year that we spend it wants to perform in future. and it took some strategic on utilities?” Coody remem- “A high-performance city has hiring. The second term was bers. “The number came back to rethink the way that we’ve where we started having rubat $1.9 million. None of us had always done business,” he said. ber meet road.” any idea. Once you under- “We have to look at buildThe importance of having a stand the money that is going ing more dense downtowns, point person spearheading a out the door by not conserv- more residential downtowns, city’s efforts towards energy places where you can bike or 21 conservation and sustainable practice cannot be overstated, according to Coody. “What I would say to other mayors is, if you don’t have a staff, develop one. It’s like the old saying: ‘If it’s everybody’s responsibility to feed the cat, the cat starves.’ There has to be somebody tasked with do- ing, it brings conservation into clear focus.” Just up the road from Fayetteville, in Bentonville, Arkansas, is the headquarters of Wal-Mart, whose pioneering adoption of green practices has been transforming attitudes in the business world. Coody credits Wal-Mart with October 2008 http://cityplan2025.accessfayetteville.org/ http://citiesgogreen.com
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