Applications will be accepted through June 2 for a steering committee to help the City of Grand Junction develop a resiliency and sustainability plan.

“Members of the community who want to help guide resiliency and sustainability efforts undertaken by the City of Grand Junction are invited to apply for the new steering committee,” said Tamra Allen, community development director. “Community members who have specific experience or expertise in related fields are encouraged to apply as well as those who have a general interest in helping to create the city’s community based plan.”

Applications for the committee are available online in English and Spanish and can also be picked up from the Community Development Department at Grand Junction City Hall, 250 N. Fifth St. More information is available online or by sending an email to sustainability@gjcity.org

After a review process, city staff will prepare a recommended list of steering committee members for consideration by the Grand Junction City Council.

In a 2020 comprehensive plan, Grand Junction residents indicated the importance of creating a sustainability plan. A goal also was established to promote a more resilient community to ensure health, safety and economic strength through what could be more frequent natural disasters and social disturbances.

In April, the city selected Design Workshop and Spirit Environmental to help develop a community driven plan. The planning process is expected to take about a year.  The steering committee will work throughout the process to manage the direction of the plan, review project goals and deadlines, research ideas and promote community involvement. Public events and opportunities for community engagement will be available throughout the year to determine the general scope and specific strategies of the plan.

As the city began consideration of developing a sustainability plan in 2022, Lotus Engineering and Sustainability was engaged to conduct greenhouse gas emission inventories to serve as the baseline for a resiliency and sustainability plan. Results from the emission inventories, among other available data, will lay the groundwork for a data-driven approach to developing the community based plan. Those inventories found that buildings accounted for nearly 61 percent of citywide emissions and transportation accounted for more than 37 percent. The largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the city in 2021 were gasoline vehicles, commercial electricity, commercial natural gas and residential electricity.