The City of Shakopee has been a Minnesota GreenStep Cities since August 2019 and has obtained Step 2 status through a series of ongoing best practices. To receive Step 3 recognition, specific actions need to be taken to organize goals, outcome measures and metrics showing the progress towards meeting these goals. 

Minnesota GreenCorps is an AmeriCorps program coordinated by the MPCA aiming to preserve and protect Minnesota’s environment while training a new generation of environmental professionals. Members are placed with host site organizations around the state to help communities increase resilience to climate change. Air pollution reduction, community readiness and outreach, green infrastructure improvements, waste reduction, recycling and organics management are some of the ways to slow climate change.

Host sites must have at least one full-time employee, be able to provide, at a minimum, four hours per week of supervision for the duration of the program year and contribute a required match of $300 for member professional development (training, conference registration, networking events, etc.). The proposed member position will focus heavily on engaging the community, mobilizing volunteers, and establishing a central GIS dashboard, so community members have full transparency and understand how the city uses taxpayer funds to operate facilities, equipment and public amenities. The member will also collect data to show how investments made over time have improved the efficiency and reduced expenditures.