Decorah Sustainability Commission Approves Revisions to Plan Following City Council Feedback

"Strong communities start with trustworthy reporting—give to local news now! DECORAH — The Decorah Sustainability Commission on Wednesday approved changes to the city's revised sustainability plan after incorporating feedback from the Decorah City Council. The commission voted to adopt edits that included adjustments to priorities in the air and water, economic development, and energy sections of the plan. "All of these changes have been approved by the committees that made them, based on feedback from the City Council," Commission Chair Jim Martin-Schramm said during the meeting. One of the most notable changes came in the air and water section, where all three action items under AW5 were elevated to top priority: City departments will reduce high-input, high-maintenance turf areas on city property by increasing the use of low-input grasses, ground covers and native plantings. Projects will be prioritized as identified by the Parks or Public Works departments, with initial potential at the dog park and Miller Park. City departments will consider the use of electric mowers. Subcommittees will support or partner on public education and events to increase residents' connection to water management and water quality, and to encourage sustainable landscape practices across the community. The communications and educational outreach section saw no edits, but commissioners discussed a proposed city communications intern position. Questions arose about how the position would be funded. It was noted the role would likely be supported by sustainability funds collected through the city's franchise fee. In the economic development section, the plan was updated to incorporate council concerns into ED.5, which relates to the Decorah Land Use Plan. A proposal for a community wellness center, previously listed as ED.10, was removed after council members indicated they were not supportive. A new action item was added under land use (LU.8) to address deer management in city parks and open spaces. Commissioners discussed the ecological impacts of unchecked deer populations, citing research on damage to rare plant species. The meeting concluded with a unanimous vote to approve the changes. Kristin Eggen of Winneshiek Energy District, who joined remotely, thanked the group for its work. "I'm really grateful for all the work this committee has put into making Decorah a more sustainable place to live," Eggen said. "It's very clear you've gone into a lot of very granular details with this plan that are going to make our city more livable." The revised sustainability plan, which the commission first approved in April, will now go to the Decorah City Council for possible action. Don't miss out on important updates! Subscribe to the newsletter for free and stay informed about local topics that matter most to you.