Redmond outlines ESAP 2025 refresh: community partnerships and a shift toward measurable, implementable actions

Jenny Liebeck, Redmond’s sustainability manager, and Micah Bonkowski, sustainability program administrator, briefed council on the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan 2025 refresh and the city’s outreach strategy, highlighting partnerships with local nonprofits and a recalibrated data approach to focus on implementable actions.

The refresh centers on public engagement that prioritizes historically underrepresented audiences, capacity building for nonprofit partners and a data analysis goal that reframes targets into concrete measures — for example, how many housing retrofits or how many vehicle trips must shift modes to move the city toward adopted climate goals.

“Our goal is to engage and inspire the community through the update process, to foster a sense of, collective ownership and excitement about achieving a healthy and sustainable, and resilient Redmond,” Jenny Liebeck said at the start of the presentation.

Nut graf: The ESAP refresh aligns with Redmond 20 50 and the adopted climate resilience and sustainability element of the comprehensive plan. Staff told council they will use targeted outreach tactics, partner with community organizations to reach groups less likely to participate in municipal outreach and reframe greenhouse gas targets into countable, local actions that the city and residents can pursue.

Leibeck said the sustainability team has established formal partnerships with two nonprofit organizations — United Hub and Indian American Community Services — and is negotiating two additional agreements to resource local outreach and capacity building. Those partners will help run focus groups, support community workshops and conduct targeted engagement to increase participation from constituencies that previously were less engaged.

Leibeck described the outreach timeline: broad community surveys and tabling in June, deeper focus groups and workshops in July and August, and specific review of draft actions in the fall with a planned draft plan presented to council by late fall and a target for plan adoption by the end of the year. “This is the first of three study sessions that we currently have scheduled this year,” Liebeck said.

On data and strategy, staff explained a shift from the 2020 ESAP baseline approach toward an action‑oriented method that defines success as a number of concrete changes — for example, units retrofitted or vehicle trips shifted — so the city can prioritize interventions with the greatest impact. Liebeck described the change as modest but deliberate: “We are looking to reorient our actions towards very tangible, changes that need to happen in Redmond.”

Council members asked about outreach tactics and how the city will sustain partnerships. Council Member Fields suggested convening events that could surface local innovations and new business ideas; Liebeck said staff are pursuing events, film screenings, recorded content and community workshops. Council Vice President Forsyth suggested recorded briefings or trivia‑style events to engage businesses and the public. Fields also asked about funding and affordability concerns; staff said specific costs will be scoped as the plan narrows to prioritized actions.

Council Member Stewart asked whether municipal operations and the planned municipal operations center redevelopment are coordinated with ESAP goals. Liebeck said the sustainability team works closely with Public Works and that lessons from recent projects (for example the Redmond Senior Community Center) are being applied to the MOC planning process.

Ending: Staff will return with a September study session presenting the draft plan framework and a later October study session with a draft ESAP for council review. Council members volunteered to help promote outreach and suggested staff invite council to events; staff asked council members to coordinate event participation through the legislative calendar.