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Lake Elmo planning liaison outlines GreenSteps and recent sustainability work
Summary
Ashley, a planning-department liaison, told the Lake Elmo Parks Commission the city is at Step 5 in the GreenSteps Cities program, recently earned a Gold Leaf award for two actions, and is tracking several projects — FuelCloud for fleet fuel tracking, a U of M grass study and water-rebate outreach — that will inform future city sustainability work.
Ashley, a planning-department liaison, briefed the Lake Elmo Parks Commission on the city’s participation in Minnesota’s GreenSteps program and recent sustainability work.
She said Lake Elmo joined GreenSteps in 2012 and that the city is “currently at step 5,” which requires ongoing measurement and tracking of sustainability metrics. Ashley described GreenSteps as a voluntary recognition program that lays out 29 best practices and roughly 181 possible action items across categories such as land use, water, energy and materials.
The presentation noted the city recently received a Gold Leaf award, which the Gold Leaf director described as a companion program to GreenSteps that encourages new climate-actions. City staff said two Gold Leaf actions were completed last year: collaborating with the Washington Conservation District on a tree stewards program and creating a city green team.
Staff listed several specific projects meant to produce measurable results: FuelCloud software to track city fleet fuel inventory and establish greenhouse-gas baselines; a University of Minnesota trial of low-input grass varieties that could reduce fertilizer and water use; and strengthened partnership with the East Metro Water Resource Education Program to expand tree stewards and water stewardship outreach. Ashley also described a Met Council rebate program for eligible water-efficient products and said the city issued a first water brochure and report in 2025 with conservation tips.
On outreach and waste reduction, Ashley highlighted a Washington County recycling grant used for improved communications, reusable-tote giveaways and promotions tied to community events; she also mentioned the city’s participation in pumpkin composting last year.
On urban forestry, staff said Lake Elmo expects to retain Tree City USA status and distribute roughly 500 trees at the Arbor Day giveaway on April 25; a newly established tree fund supports a boulevard-tree pilot program. Ashley added the city will begin work this year to update its comprehensive plan and meet Met Council requirements for climate planning.
Commissioners asked about deadlines and sequencing for the work plan and whether neighborhood programs such as Adopt-a-Drain qualify as Gold Leaf or GreenSteps actions. Ashley said staff would prioritize achievable items for 2026 and would follow up to confirm how specific programs align with GreenSteps and Gold Leaf criteria.
The commission did not take formal action on the presentation; commissioners and staff agreed to continue coordinating on surveys and potential grant opportunities to support future projects.
