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Morris Model Goals

Learn about our past work and our goals!

Morris Model Strategic Plan 

Click the icon below to see the full plan & report.

About the Plan & Goals

The Morris Model Strategic Plan was developed at the Climate Smart Municipality Strategic Planning Retreat held at Camp Ripley from October 29th to 30th in 2018. The retreat was made possible by a West Central Initiative Community Planning Grant. ​Over 30 community leaders and representatives were brought together from city and county government, the Stevens County Economic Improvement Commission (SCEIC), Morris Area Public Schools, UMN Morris, USDA Soils Lab, and WCROC, Denco II ethanol plant, Ottertail Power, Riverview LLP, and Superior Industries. The representatives brainstormed goals and projects for all community partners.

The "Big 3" GOALS:

  1. Produce 80% of the energy consumed in the county by 2030

  2. Reduce energy consumption 30% by 2030

  3. No land-filling of waste generated within the county by 2025

Community goals were discussed and developed in these areas:

  • Energy – Generation, Efficiency, and Integration

  • Transportation – (e.g. Electric and Bio-fuel transition at all levels)

  • Waste Reduction and Recycling

  • Energy and Resiliency Education at all levels

ENERGY

 
Community Energy Goals:

  1. Reduce energy consumption 5% annually with a minimum reduction of 30% by 2030.

  2. Expand solar generation to 50% of public buildings and 25% of privately-owned homes.

  3. Using renewable energy, produce 80% of the community’s energy needs by 2030 with strong community investment and participation.

 

City Energy Goals:

  1. 5% annual reduction of city energy consumption

  2. 50% of city buildings utilizing solar generation with at least one publicly visible solar array

 

County Energy Goals: 

  1. Five new PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) participants per year

  2. 80% of energy consumption to come from renewable resources by 2030

  3. Participate in a smart, islandable microgrid which will support community resiliency

 

University and Public School Energy Goals:

  1. Carbon neutrality at UMM by 2020

  2. Use energy produced from local resources

  3. Reduce CO2 footprint

  4. 5% annual reduction in energy consumption

 

Industry Energy Goals:

  1. Inventory / aggregate current use - energy consumption assessment

  2. Collaborate with energy efficiency teams

  3. Snowball (spread) successes throughout community

WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING
 

Community Waste Reduction and Recycling Goals:

  1. Eliminate organics in waste streams

  2. Achieve 60% diversion from landfills to recycle and composting
     

City Waste Reduction and Recycling Goals:

  1. Eliminate organics in waste stream by 2025

  2. No landfill of waste by 2025
     

County Waste Reduction and Recycling Goals:

  1. Eliminate organics in waste stream by 2025

  2. No landfill of waste by 2025
     

University and Public School Waste Reduction and Recycling Goals:

  1. 75% combined (UMM and school) recycling by 2030

  2. UMM will have zero waste landfilled by 2025
     

Industry Waste Reduction and Recycling Goals:

  1. Work with local farmers on using organics

  2. Work with consumers to reduce waste

  3. Work with businesses to target individual behavior (e.g. Train employees to recycle and compost)

TRANSPORTATION


Community Transportation Goals:

  1. Reduce fossil fuel consumption 30% by 2025 with strategies for public and private fleets.

  2. Establish baseline fossil fuel consumption and then include on-going monitoring

City Transportation Goals:

  1. Reduce fossil fuel consumption 30% by 2025 with strategy for the city fleet.

  2. Establish baseline fossil fuel consumption and then include on-going monitoring

  3. Purchase and operate one electric transit bus by 2020
     

County Transportation Goals:

  1. Consider renewables first with vehicle replacement

  2. Electric Rainbow Rider by 2022.
     

University and Public School Transportation Goals:

  1. School district will adopt community goals

  2. UMM will reduce fossil fuel consumption 50% by 2025 and 100% by 2030
     

Industry Transportation Goals:

  1. Evaluate fleet for optimization

  2. Enforce fuel usage standards
     

EDUCATION


Community Education Goals:

  1. Raise awareness through a K-12 curriculum

  2. Develop semi-annual scorecard and communicate results

  3. Develop strategies for effective communication and volunteer programs
     

City Education Goals:

  1. Educate city staff regarding resiliency and sustainability by 2020

  2. Lead by example through developing and releasing a report to community about the city’s energy efficiency, renewable energy, and waste reduction (2020)
     

County Education Goals:

  1. By 2020, develop conservation ethic programs for staff and citizens to reduce recycling and organics in waste streams

  2. Develop a communication plan for the PACE program
     

University and Public School Education Goals:

  1. Participate in a community-wide scorecard.

  2. K-12 curriculum on these topics by 2025

  3. By 2020, integrate campus and school resiliency plans
     

Industry Education Goals:

  1. Leverage experience with individual businesses within the community

  2. Workforce recruitment and retention with energy-focused jobs

Morris Model Resilience Plan 

Click the icon below to see the full plan & report.

About the Plan & Goals

The Morris Model Community Resilience Plan summarizes several resilience challenges facing our community; actions we have taken to prepare for these challenges; and shared goals we have to make our community more resilient in the future. It brings together many conversations, workshops, and meetings held over the past two years into a comprehensive and easy to read plan. Ideally, this plan will bring attention to this important work and foster greater public awareness about the realities of our changing weather. Goal areas are seen below with goals described upon clicking.

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