City releases top 10 sustainability goals, acknowledges ‘polarizing’ nature of topic

A master plan more than a year in the making to guide Sioux Falls into a more sustainable community has become more about goals and vision than measurable results.

In a cover letter released with the plan, Mayor Paul TenHaken acknowledged that “the topic of climate change, conservation or sustainability —however you phrase it — can become a polarizing and political topic.”

When the city released its first draft of a plan in early 2022, it included what some perceived as mandates and ordinance changes, he said.

“Soon after release, our team quickly realized that some very key and necessary voices were left out of the conversation, so we went to work to fix that,” he said.

“We didn’t scrap the plan altogether because conservation is an important topic that needs to be addressed, and the framework that’s presented today is what’s right for Sioux Falls.”

Sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all topic and requires balance, he said.

“This framework serves as a road map for measurable action and realistic goals from the city of Sioux Falls, public-private partnerships and the community.”

In putting the plan together, those advocating certain sustainability targets clashed with others concerned about the financial impact they could have, particularly on construction costs.

The new framework is organized by five focus areas that include sustainability topics, goals and actions. The focus areas are natural systems, materials management and waste, community vitality and sustainable living, energy and buildings, and transportation and land use.

Sustainable Sioux Falls then brought forward 10 goals that serve as a road map for community action “in years to come.”

They are:

1. Improve water quality and increase water conservation.
2. Strengthen the urban forest.
3. Protect and restore biodiversity.
4. Reduce waste.
5. Expand and enhance local food production and equitable access.
6. Expand upon a culture of conservation and sustainability.
7. Improve resilience and public health.
8. Increase sustainable energy and buildings while maintaining reliability, affordability and consumer choice.
9. Decarbonize transportation through multimodal solutions while maintaining consumer choice.
10. Increase sustainable land use.

Because the plan does not require changes to the city’s ordinances or additional spending at this point, the City Council will not be asked to vote on it, city officials said.

If such changes are brought forward, they would be voted on by a case-by-case-basis.

To read the full report click here.