CitiesGoGreen - January 2009 - (Page 32) Fast Forward Fast Forward is a place to share your big, innovative, incredibly obvious or ‘on the edge’ ideas, proposals and rants. The subject is how to accelerate progress toward sustainability. Do you see a roadblock to remove, another way of thinking, engaging people, planning or financing? Or something else that would move us forward, fast? Let us know and you could be here in a future issue. You can comment on this column on our website. Memo to Staff: Change Local Political Dynamics to Achieve Sustainability. Now. by Jerry Berry, City Manager of Nanaimo, British Columbia The City Manager of Nanaimo, British Columbia, after 30 years of experience with local government, says the urgency of responding to climate change demands that staff rethink their roles. To make the needed changes, whether in Nanaimo or any other community, leaders need a long-term vision and a firm understanding of values other than short-term satisfaction. And they need to be able to say, “No.” But how many local political bodies are good at saying “No” to strong special interests? T he beauty of representative democratic systems is that they are responsive. The problem with representative democratic systems is that they tend to respond retroactively and often only in a ‘crisis’. I’m frankly tired of attending seminars and conferences to be convinced on the science of climate change and/or global warming. I get it: we’re in trouble. As a City Manager, I’m far more concerned with what we can actually do about it. Thirty years’ experience with Council and Board decision-making does not lead me to believe we have the tools to do what we need to do—particularly rapidly. If we want our local communities and our world to be vibrant, healthy, and livable for all, and if we want that well-being for future generations, then surely we can agree that economic, social and environmental sustainability is job number one for our public institutions, or should be. Laudably, the Council of my City of Nanaimo, British Columbia, recently set a bold sustainability goal of carbon neutrality by 2012, within the term of the new Council. But will Council members now support the specific initiatives required to achieve that goal—despite backlash from voters, developers and special interests? Our system does not reward political leaders who tell people things they do not want to hear. Proactive local leadership Strong, proactive leadership on environmental sustainability has to mean materially altering people’s lifestyle choices in very short order. It means swaying people away from historic consumption choices—hopefully mostly with carrots (self-interest), but also inevitably with Staff has a role, and I would argue a duty, to create sticks (regulation), dynamics that catalyze our systems to respond actively or both (strong demand-management and proactively rather than retroactively. policies). How can those in leadership positions and safety, sanitation, transportation, air create the great changes needed and and water quality and urban form, are the still be elected in the face of powerful responsibility of local government. Nointerests who prefer the status quo, and body else will look after our backyard, nor against opponents who offer people the should we want them to. Local solutions to easy but false choice of doing nothing? local issues are best. Community sustainI see two possibilities. First, public ad- ability is up to local governments and local ministrators are charged with carrying champions—elected and appointed. out public policy but are not imbued Local governments and staff need to act, with leadership roles, nor seen—by and act boldly. The solution may well centhemselves, senior government, or the ter on self-interest, redefining that term to public—as leaders. If the role of gov- include our children and grandchildren. We ernment is stewarding the public realm, can see potential calamity in their lifetimes. doing what is necessary rather than If that view is correct, or likely enough to only what is easy, a new and bolder ap- be a significant possibility, then the time proach to community leadership by city for new approaches is now. v management, and in particular, by staff, seems necessary. Creating the changes we need may require staff at all levels to embrace new Gerald (Jerry) Berry, B.Sc., MPA is the City Manager of the City and more visible roles as community of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. January 2009 leaders, educators, activists and lobbyists. As leaders, public administrators and staff must inform us as citizens, and when necessary steer us toward new and unprecedented policy changes, adequate to the issues of environmental sustainability. Staff has a role, and I would argue a duty, to create dynamics that catalyze our systems to respond actively and proactively rather than retroactively. Second, many local governments complacently allow higher levels of government to set goals and targets. While all levels of government should be dealing with sustainability issues in concert, the primary quality of life issues—public health 32 http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/fast-forward/321-memo-to-staff-change-local-political-dynamics-to-achieve-sustainability-now http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/fast-forward/321-memo-to-staff-change-local-political-dynamics-to-achieve-sustainability-now http://citiesgogreen.com/issues/january-2009/fast-forward/321-memo-to-staff-change-local-political-dynamics-to-achieve-sustainability-now http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com
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