Working Together for Waupaca County is asking the town of Farmington to commit to sustainability.
“Let’s think about it and look at it again in a month,” Town Chairman Dale Trinrud said during the town board’s meeting on Monday, Feb. 18.
Jane Haasch and Helene Pohl attended the meeting as representatives of Working Together for Waupaca County.
The mission of the non-profit, non-partisan group is to encourage sustainability in Waupaca County communities.
“We encourage each municipality in the county to adopt a sustainability resolution,” Pohl said. “We have quite a few communities signed on so far.”
Haasch said eight communities have signed such resolutions, and the group is waiting for decision from three more.
In March, the group plans to meet with county representatives to discuss the topic.
Their goal is for each municipality in the county to adopt a sustainability resolution.
“It makes for a much more persuasive message is we’re all on board with sustainability,” Pohl said. “It is about making future generations have it as good as we do.”
In addition to passing a sustainability resolution, Working Together for Waupaca County is also asking municipalities to look at what measures they may take to be more sustainable.
With Farmington planning to build a new town hall in the future, Haasch said the town would have the opportunity to incorporate sustainability into the new building.
In talking to the board, they said they were not asking for an immediate decision.
“Our organization is putting the principles out there, but we’re not mandating you to do anything,” Pohl said.
Town Supervisor Eugene Engebretson said the town could incorporate sustainability into its new building without signing a resolution.
“We’re not coming, asking for money. We’re just asking you to consider being sustainable,” Pohl said.
Beyond resolutions, the group wants to pool resources and create a place on the Internet where local communities could see what other municipalities have done to be sustainable and the steps they took.
If it is economically feasible, Farmington will consider it, Trinrud said of sustainability measures.
Town Supervisor Caroline Murphy said at this time, she does not see the need for such a resolution.
“I think it is each person’s responsbility to protect the environment,” she said.
Murphy said the town already plans to look at into cost efficiency factors.
Haasch said, “Keep in mind, a resolution like this says to the citizens you are aware.”