The City of Redmond will host “Livable Redmond — A Community Conversation on Sustainability” from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3 at Redmond City Hall, 15670 NE 85th St.
At the event, attendees will be asked about qualities that make Redmond livable now and what will sustain the city in the future.
The event features Andy Wappler, former KIRO meteorologist, sustainability enthusiast and current vice president of Corporate Affairs at Puget Sound Energy (PSE). He joined PSE in February 2008 as part of the utility’s effort to communicate the need for renewable energy and energy efficiency in order to meet the challenge of climate change.
When it comes to energy conservation, Andy put his money where his mouth is. He and his family cut their electricity use by nearly 40 percent and their natural gas use by as much as 10 percent by making some simple changes at home.
For this event, the city hopes for a diverse mix of people coming together to contribute ideas on Redmond’s next steps for the future and how the community is assured to stay vibrant for succeeding generations.
As the Redmond City Council defines it, sustainability is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There are three legs to sustainability – economic vitality (economic development, employment, green jobs/businesses); environmental quality (natural systems, planning, design, energy, climate) and social equity (affordability, health and safety, education, arts).
The symbol of a three-legged stool illustrates that a healthy, sustainable community needs all three of these components. Without any one part, the stool will falter and a truly sustainable community cannot be achieved.
“Our goal is to explore potential opportunities for creating a sustainable Redmond,” commented Redmond Mayor John Marchione. “We want the community to help set the priorities we should use, much as they did for our budgeting process in 2008. Like that process, this is the first opportunity to contribute but it will not be the last.”
The evening of Nov. 3 will begin with informational displays designed to help stimulate questions. At 5:30 p.m., the formal program begins with Marchione introducing the keynote speaker, Andy Wappler.
However, the heart of the evening will be the discussion that follows. Participants will break into groups to discuss what livability means for Redmond and what opportunities exist or can be developed to create a sustainable future.
“Because two of our major plans, the Comprehensive Plan and the Transportation Master Plan, are both being updated in 2011, this is a special opportunity to incorporate sustainable principles into our plans’ policy development,” said Lori Peckol, policy and comprehensive planning manager. “As Redmond continues to grow and mature, maintaining a healthy, successful community will depend on it.”
To RSVP for the event (recommended), contact Daphne Harold at dharold@redmond.gov or (425) 556-2421. Special thanks go to PCC Natural Markets for providing a light dinner to participants.
