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November-December 2009
Small WI Town Goes Green to Spur Economic Development
Using plug-in electric hybrid cars in its municipal services fleet, replacing a fuel-guzzling 1979 parks truck with an all-electric Columbia Mega LSV truck (see picture above) for light-haul maintenance work and converting its street lights to LED lighting - these are some of the reasons why the City of Columbus, Wisconsin (population 5,903) is recognized as an Energy Independent Community" by the State of Wisconsin.
Why make all these efforts? Steven Sobiak, the City's Economic Development Director, boils it down to two key factors: First, doing so helps the City win grants for other green efforts. Second, the City wants to attract green companies to its industrial park and the City needs to "walk the talk" to attract those companies. In short, Columbus believes going green will attract the green.
U.S. Army Orders Record 799 Electric Vehicles from Columbia
Columbia ParCar is in the midst of fulfilling the industry's largest order ever for low speed electric vehicles (LSVs). The U.S. Army ordered 799 electric vehicles from Columbia in late August 2009. The vehicles will be used for maintenance and delivery services, security patrols and passenger transport at 47 separate Army installations.
How City of Edina Keeps a Bustling Retail Area Pedestrian Friendly
The 50th and France retail district in Edina is a highly successful three square block area with restaurants, bakeries, clothing stores, a pharmacy, a bank, a grocery store and a movie theater. It's walkable - the kind of place where people can get things done without having to drive and burn fuel.
Effective lighting, good signage and sidewalk cafes all contribute to making the area a walkers haven. Another factor is the effort devoted to keeping the sidewalks free of trash, dirt and snow. Larry Diekman, a maintenance supervisor for the City of Edina has spent 13 years keeping 50th and France nice and tidy for the meandering shopper.
According to Mr. Diekman, keeping the sidewalks clean is a challenge, because some of them are quite narrow with little room to maneuver". Mr. Diekman's main tool is a Ventrac tractor with six attachments: A snowblower, a rotary broom, a scoop, a forklift (for moving plant pots), a snow blade and a salt sprayer. Said Mr. Diekman, "I needed a tractor that could handle those tight spaces. I went with Ventrac because there is nothing else like it in the industry."
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