Shakopee supports long-term ecological preservation and restoration of natural resources, so current residents and future generations of residents have the same ability to thrive as responsible stewards of the city’s economic resources by finding the most efficient ways to work.

Shakopee’s GreenStep City resolution: here

2022 GreenStep City assessment for all Best Practice Actions: click to view assessment

Shakopee joined the GreenStep Cities program in 2019 to take actions tailored to Shakopee’s needs, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation through cost effective best practice actions from a series of topic fields. A specific employee coordinates City GreenStep actions, engages and involves community members and governmental units, provide feedback at least once a year, and set a goal of working towards any 8 best practices.

On May 8, 2020, Shakopee received Step 2 recognition after completing 9 initial actions prior to 2020 and a total of 31 Best Practices implemented upon review. Shakopee’s notable actions include: MN Main Street participation, city/school benchmarking through B3 for over 10 years, energy efficiency work, native plants/natural areas making up 25-30% of City landscaping design, Tree City for over a decade, solar/wind allowed as accessory uses in all zoning districts, and a wastewater treatment plant outfit with a 1.6 mW DC solar array, anaerobic digester reduced natural gas use by 80%, and supplies 10% of annual energy use.

Throughout 2021, the City of Shakopee continued its sustainability efforts by transitioning to paperless permitting and review, improving recycling at city facilities and parks, receiving quarterly waste hauler data, converting to LED and Dark Sky streetlights and traffic lights, and beginning to invest in EV infrastructure including private fleet chargers for the City’s EVs and public chargers.

About GreenStep

Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. This free continuous improvement program is based upon a menu of 29 optional best practices. Each best practice can be implemented, as decided by city elected officials, staff and community members, by completing one or more actions at a 1, 2 or 3-star level, from a list of four to eight actions. These voluntary actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation.

City councils pass a resolution to join the GreenStep program and are recognized at Step 1. Step 2 and Step 3 recognition levels. Step 4 recognition is awarded to cities who report a minimum number of core metrics for the previous calendar year. These metrics aim to show the aggregate, quantitative results of taking multiple GreenStep actions. Step 5 cities show improvement in the Step 4 metrics.