GOSHEN — By a unanimous vote, and before a packed house, the Goshen City Council took a bold step toward a greener future.
The
council passed a resolution during Tuesday’s meeting that states an
intent to be more environmentally conscious and sets goals to achieve
that standard. The 6–0 vote followed approximately an hour and 15
minutes of discussion by residents, adults and teens alike, who
overwhelmingly voiced support for the resolution.
The crowd at the
meeting was standing-room only, with the audience ranging from a large
amount of teens and college students to adult residents.
The
proposal calls for the city government to reduce carbon emissions,
increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, and build up
the city’s resiliency to climate change.
Outlined goals include
achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, penning an emissions management
plan, increasing the city’s tree canopy to 45 percent by 2045, pursue
greenhouse gas assessment and storm water management programs, implement
a climate action plan by 2021 and create a new city office of
sustainability, the document shows.
“I am going to work hard to
make sure that we do all that we can to achieve the goals that are in
here,” said Mayor Jeremy Stutsman. “We lose nothing by trying, and we
lose everything by not doing anything.”
The resolution was brought
to the council by the council’s youth adviser, Felix Perez-Diener, and
members of the Goshen High School Youth Caucus. Stutsman noted he
believed this was the first time in Goshen’s history youths brought a
proposal to the council for passage.
“The resolution we present is
the result of months of hard work … This resolution is a public
statement that the city of Goshen will take more initiative to make the
environment of the city greener and encourage wider community
involvement in improving the quality of life,” Perez-Diener said. “I
urge the council to support this resolution to make the city of Goshen a
cleaner, greener, happier place to live.”
The discussion of the
resolution included a nearly 20-minute presentation by members of the
Youth Caucus as they took turns displaying information from their
research.
Jonathon Snyder spoke on facts of climate change; Sophia
Sherrill covered the effects of climate change; Dylan Steury presented
the economic and health benefits of being more environmentally
conscious; and Simon Hertzler-Gascho promoted the proposed tree canopy
increase, saying the amount of trees in Goshen would grow from about
32,000 to about 78,000.
Following the students, 19 people spoke
mostly in support of passing the resolution. Many who spoke were Goshen
High School and Goshen College students.
“If we continue to not do
anything about climate change, the weather patterns will get more
crazy, it will most likely get warmer, and nature will suffer,” said
Skye Steury of Goshen.
“It
feels good to know that our mayor, our city council, and our Youth
Caucus have considered the part we all play in the health of our planet,
and are poised to continue leading in this way,” David Kendall of
Goshen told the council
“We only have one earth,” said Kendall’s
daughter, 7-year-old Poppy Dee. “I love playing outside in my back yard
with my neighbors. I also like playing in the parks and breathing fresh
air.”
Stutsman noted the resolution joins about a half-dozen
similar resolutions that have been passed by communities in the state,
including South Bend this week.
He also clarified the resolution
does not place mandates on residents or businesses in the city, but
focuses on efforts by city government. The resolution is also
non-binding, but makes a statement on goals to achieve.
The next
steps following the resolution will include talking to the council about
potentially creating the new city sustainability office to lead
implementation of the stated goals.