Issaquah committee endorses phased update to sustainable building and infrastructure policy, recommends Envision pilots

David Reedy, the city—s Sustainability Coordinator, presented proposed updates to the City of Issaquah—s Sustainable Building and Infrastructure Policy and asked the Mobility and Infrastructure Committee to confirm three direction points: whether to pilot the Envision toolkit before requiring it citywide; whether to set an Envision certification level now or rely on pilot findings; and any other feedback on the draft.

Reedy said the city—s current policy dates to February 2004 and that updating it was recommended in the 2018 Sustainable Building Action Strategy and the 2021 Climate Action Plan. He noted city buildings accounted for about 48% of government operations greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 and argued the update would help integrate sustainability into capital, transportation and facility projects.

Staff and consultant Cascadia Consulting recommended a phased approach: pilot Envision on selected infrastructure projects in 2026–27, build staff capacity (training and funding), and evaluate results in 2028 and again in 2031 before broader requirements. Reedy explained Envision is a nationally used toolkit developed by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure to assess nonbuilding infrastructure projects and has verification levels analogous to LEED (verified, silver, gold, platinum). He said LEED will remain the primary reference for building projects, with proposals that: encourage sustainability principles for small facilities (under 5,000 sq ft) without new mandatory standards; align medium facilities (~5,010 sq ft) to LEED Platinum guidance without mandatory LEED certification; and require certification for large building projects consistent with land‑use code expectations.

The proposed policy also adds an electrification feasibility assessment for replacement of fossil‑fuel equipment, modeled on the Pierce County "Electric First" approach, to ensure staff evaluate electrification or low‑carbon alternatives before equipment replacement. For infrastructure projects, the draft identifies Envision as the standard evaluation tool, and staff recommend selecting a pilot infrastructure project (or projects across different project types) to test Envision application by 2027.

Reedy said the sustainability team would formally support departments by helping with budget development, staff training, and identification of grant and incentive funding. The draft also includes new waste provisions developed with the city—s solid waste analyst: construction and demolition diversion goals (75% diversion, 90% where demolition is involved), a three‑year rotating waste audit for city facilities, and mandated source separation and waste reduction practices.

Reedy reported the Environmental Board reviewed the draft in September and October and recommended changes; staff incorporated board feedback by adding a 2031 evaluation date, reorganizing the policy to clarify goals and which sections apply to buildings versus infrastructure, and adding language about staff action steps. The board—s record included one member urging stronger infrastructure requirements such as minimum recycled‑content percentages.

Committee members generally supported the staff recommendations. Deputy Council President DeMichele and other members said pilot projects should come first so staff can learn implementation costs and impacts before broad requirements; Council Member Ray recommended setting an aspirational target (for example, Envision/LEED Platinum) and using pilots to fine‑tune the target. Members also emphasized clear pilot objectives, outreach to stakeholders (including the Chamber and prospective developers), and communications about expected benefits. Staff confirmed they will bring the policy to full City Council in November 2025 for adoption and would identify Envision pilot projects for 2026 if the council approves the policy.

What happened next: staff will prepare the policy for full Council adoption in November 2025, begin identifying infrastructure pilot projects for Envision application in 2026, incorporate the policy into the 2027 capital improvement planning and budget cycles, and pursue grant and incentive funding to offset implementation costs.