The Columbia Heights City Council unanimously approved a sustainable purchasing policy at its March 23 meeting, moving the city to Step 3 in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program.
City Planner Ursula Brandt said the policy was developed with the Sustainability Commission.
Bri LaPlante, a member of the Sustainability Commission ,said that advancing Columbia Heights in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program had been one of the commission’s goals. The program, run through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, gives cities a framework for improving infrastructure, policies and other practices with sustainability in mind.
Columbia Heights has participated in the program since 2013, but had made limited progress until the Sustainability Commission was formed in 2023. The new policy fulfills the final requirement for Step 3, which calls for documentation of city practices related to building management, urban forestry and lighting.
LaPlante said the missing piece was a sustainable purchasing policy, which GreenStep Cities requires to ensure city purchasing practices have a neutral or positive effect on environmental health. She said the policy covers office supplies, equipment and fleet purchases.
LaPlante said the commission spent two years developing the policy, drawing from other city policies in Minnesota as well as expertise within Columbia Heights.
Brandt said the Sustainability Commission recommended approval of the policy at its March 10 meeting. Although procedures like this are typically approved administratively, staff wanted to formally present the policy to the council in recognition of the commission’s work.
Community Development Director Mitch Forney said the policy was the final step needed for Columbia Heights to reach Step 3 and that the city will be recognized at the League of Minnesota Cities conference in summer 2026.
Council Member Connie Buesgens said she had served on the council for 10 years and the city had not advanced to the next step of the program during that time.
“And I know staff in public works and city planning had been doing things all along that time, it just wasn’t there yet,” Buesgens said. “So I want to thank everybody.”
Council Member Laurel Deneen said her professional work in purchasing and procurement gave her an appreciation for how difficult it is to create a policy like this.
“That is a big task,” Deneen said. “And to have that here, to really just reiterate our commitment to being fair and open and as green as possible, as environmentally responsible as possible, is just great.”
Council Member Justice Spriggs said the Sustainability Commission is an interesting group to hear from and encouraged residents to attend its meetings.
Council Member Rachel James asked about training and implementation.
Forney responded that one of the most important parts of the policy is its annual reporting requirement, which will help ensure the city is meeting its goals.
The policy also includes a training plan for new employees, Forney said.
“A lot of this stuff, we’re already doing,” Forney said. “A lot of this stuff is easy to implement, such as removing the purchasing of Styrofoam cups and stuff like that. But some of the items that are gonna take more time and more staff time to implement will be on the sustainability commission liaison and staff to work with the commission in identifying ways to make it as easy as possible.”