Published September 24 2020
Residents can weigh in on the draft plan through Oct. 16
After input from hundreds of stakeholders including Bellevue residents, businesses, city staff and councilmembers, local sustainability leaders and organizations in the community over the past year, a final draft Environmental Stewardship Plan update is now posted to the city’s website for public comment. The materials include a survey to collect public feedback and input before City Council adoption of the plan later this year.
The City Council received a progress update and discussed the draft plan at its Sept. 14 council meeting. Their input earlier in the process led to adding more aggressive sustainability targets in the plan by 2050 as well as near-term targets for environmental accomplishments the city hopes to achieve by 2030. The council will receive a briefing on the final draft plan in November, with final adoption expected by the end of the year.
Residents can view the full draft plan and take a survey to provide further input at EngagingBellevue.com. The survey will be open until October 16.
An online town hall will be held Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. for those interested in providing feedback in that forum. An RSVP is required.
More information and background on the city’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative progress, including the full draft plan with details and analysis and a shorter plan summary, can be found at the city’s ESI Plan Update web page.
In 2013, Bellevue released the Environmental Stewardship Strategic Plan as an action plan to "create a sustainable city where residents can enjoy the highest quality of life." Staff conducted public engagement in the fall of 2019 and spring of 2020 to gather input and feedback on updating the plan with further actions, and to gauge the level of support for foundational strategies in the plan.