This implementation began in 2023 instead of the 2019-2022 initiation period that was stated in the Sustainability Plan due to staff capacity.
Resources for staff have been developed to assist in applying a sustainability analysis into their work, including the internal Sustainability Evaluation System and Sustainable Design Guide. The internal Sustainability Evaluation System (SES) tool allows staff to apply interdisciplinary thinking across topic areas, and to ask and consider important questions about a project, program or plan. There have been 29 projects to date.
In 2025, Sustainability staff participated in scoping and design review meetings to support staff in applying sustainability to their work. No projects used the SES tool to support decision making, however discussions began to have two projects go through the tool in the first quarter of 2026.
To support project managers in integrating sustainability practices into the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects, staff developed and shared a guidance document with questions for request for proposals, discussion questions with contractors and guidance for special conditions.
The Sustainable Design Guide was first created in 2019 as a resource of best practices for staff to use when working on projects or going through the Sustainability Evaluation System. The Guide is being updated to include additional best practices and being made into a more accessible format for staff.
The internal Sustainability Evaluation System that was first developed in 2015 by the Brendle Group and City staff was updated in 2023. The update evaluated the sustainability topic areas and rating system that is being used.
Sustainability staff worked with staff from the Project Management Office (PMO) to integrate sustainability into new PMO tools and resources for staff. This will help staff better apply sustainability practices and tools, like the Sustainability Evaluation System, earlier in the project's planning period.