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Godfrey Mayor Recognized for ‘Cool Cities’ Efforts

Oct 16, 2014 10:25 AM

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GODFREY – Godfrey Mayor Michael McCormick was recognized with a Confluence Conservation Leadership Award by the Mississippi Earthtone Festival Planning Committee at the monthly village board meeting last Tuesday night. Representatives from the committee cited the mayor’s recent leadership in helping Godfrey become a ‘Cool City.’ Cool Cities is a voluntary program sponsored by the Sierra Club that seeks to engage citizens with their local governments to advance the goal of reducing greenhouse gases at the municipal level.

Municipal entities that sign on as Cool Cities adopt ordinances that create committees of local citizens whose aim is to collaborate with community stakeholders to implement environmentally friendly projects that save money, create jobs, and help combat climate change. Each Cool City sets its own climate protection goals and works with the committee to choose projects that work best for each locale.

“Many of the projects that Cool Cities Committees take on are energy efficiency retrofits that end up saving taxpayers money” said Nate Keener, member of Godfrey’s new forming Cool Cities Committee.

Godfrey became a ‘Cool City’ in August, and joined Alton, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, South Roxana, Collinsville, Granite City and Belleville in making the commitment in the Metro East. In 10 years over
1,000 communities have committed to becoming “Cool Cities.”

Since becoming a Cool City in 2012, neighboring Alton has already achieved a number of accomplishments, including a $67,000 grant from Conoco Phillips for 2 hybrid vehicles, a $60,000 grant for variable speed motors at their sewer treatment plant, and the savings of over $1,000,000 in reduced electricity for streetlights.

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Sierra Club staffer and Cool Cities advocate Virginia Woulfe-Beile thanked Godfrey Mayor McCormick for his efforts and congratulated him on receiving the award.

“Mayor McCormick played a key role in the adoption of Cool Cities Initiative which will make improving the
energy efficiency of municipal operations a priority in the Village of Godfrey.”

Godfrey’s Cool Cities Committee is currently forming and Godfrey residents interested in getting involved can contact Woulfe-Beile at coxist1221@aol.com or Nate Keener at: n_keener@hotmail.com for more information.

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