Sustainability Citizen Task Forces

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Do you have great ideas about sustainability in Golden? Do you want to have an active role in bringing projects to fruition? Are you ready to dive in and turn the Golden community’s sustainability ideas into action? We want to hear from you!

Over the past few months, a series of sustainability task force meetings have been held, each focused on one of three sustainability goal areas: Water, Waste, or Energy.


Why are Citizen Task Forces Important?

Why are Citizen task forces important? Since 2007, Golden citizens have suggested ideas for more than 50 specific initiatives to help our community to become a more sustainable and vibrant place to live and work. Some programs were fairly simple (adding recycling to special events, improving energy efficient of city buildings, adding circulatory buses to connect people to the West Line Light Rail station, enhancing bike lanes and trails.) Others were part of a multi-year effort to customize for Golden (Pay-As-You-Throw residential waste collection, updating to energy efficient building codes, investing in smart water meters for each home and business.) Throughout each initiative, Golden citizens play an important role in forming, refining, and supporting programs for our community.

Last year, Golden City Council updated the Sustainability Goals to acknowledge past achievements and to set higher targets for conserving Golden’s resources for future generations. With most of the “easy” projects done, we now face tougher choices about how we can achieve our goals between now and 2050. Tougher choices about lowering our energy use, recycling even more materials and using our water resources smartly and efficiently. Together as a community, we are again asking for your help to create custom programs for Golden.

We need input from residents and businesses to help prioritize projects, policies and programs. Are you interested in water conservation, energy programs or waste diversion? Perhaps you are interested in all three areas? Join more than 80 participants and volunteers, working on citizen task force groups here, to discuss and provide input into prioritizing projects for the next few years. We’ll use your comments to design programs for consideration in the next several years.

How to Participate

Read through the documents folder for the task force you are interested in. Each task force has a variety of sub-groups to tackle specific topics relating to Sustainability Goals, each at a different point in the recommendation process. The folders will include opening presentations, meetings notes, and relevant data which is meant to guide the conversation forward.

You may choose to make a recommendation on a specific topic or contribute to the discussion on a recommendation that is already made. Sustainability Advisory Board will create final recommendations to present to City Council from your input.

Do you have great ideas about sustainability in Golden? Do you want to have an active role in bringing projects to fruition? Are you ready to dive in and turn the Golden community’s sustainability ideas into action? We want to hear from you!

Over the past few months, a series of sustainability task force meetings have been held, each focused on one of three sustainability goal areas: Water, Waste, or Energy.


Why are Citizen Task Forces Important?

Why are Citizen task forces important? Since 2007, Golden citizens have suggested ideas for more than 50 specific initiatives to help our community to become a more sustainable and vibrant place to live and work. Some programs were fairly simple (adding recycling to special events, improving energy efficient of city buildings, adding circulatory buses to connect people to the West Line Light Rail station, enhancing bike lanes and trails.) Others were part of a multi-year effort to customize for Golden (Pay-As-You-Throw residential waste collection, updating to energy efficient building codes, investing in smart water meters for each home and business.) Throughout each initiative, Golden citizens play an important role in forming, refining, and supporting programs for our community.

Last year, Golden City Council updated the Sustainability Goals to acknowledge past achievements and to set higher targets for conserving Golden’s resources for future generations. With most of the “easy” projects done, we now face tougher choices about how we can achieve our goals between now and 2050. Tougher choices about lowering our energy use, recycling even more materials and using our water resources smartly and efficiently. Together as a community, we are again asking for your help to create custom programs for Golden.

We need input from residents and businesses to help prioritize projects, policies and programs. Are you interested in water conservation, energy programs or waste diversion? Perhaps you are interested in all three areas? Join more than 80 participants and volunteers, working on citizen task force groups here, to discuss and provide input into prioritizing projects for the next few years. We’ll use your comments to design programs for consideration in the next several years.

How to Participate

Read through the documents folder for the task force you are interested in. Each task force has a variety of sub-groups to tackle specific topics relating to Sustainability Goals, each at a different point in the recommendation process. The folders will include opening presentations, meetings notes, and relevant data which is meant to guide the conversation forward.

You may choose to make a recommendation on a specific topic or contribute to the discussion on a recommendation that is already made. Sustainability Advisory Board will create final recommendations to present to City Council from your input.

Discussions: All (4) Open (0)

  • Energy Task Force

    almost 4 years ago
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    7 Responses
    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

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    During the opening session of the Energy Strategy Task Force, the following sub groups were organized from priority topics:

    • Residential Energy Use
    • Commercial Energy Use

    Please find meeting notes and relevant data in the Document Center under Energy Task Force Notes. You may choose to make a recommendation on a specific topic or contribute to the discussion on a recommendation that is already made. Sustainability Advisory Board will create final recommendations to present to City Council from your input.

    Please join us if you can, for two additional community discussions:

    • Monday, October 26th  from 6:00 – 7:30 pm

    A recording of the meeting is available here.  

    This recording can also be found on the Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts, Schedule page of the City website under Community Sustainability Advisory Board.

    • Monday, November 16th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm

    A recording of the meeting is available here.  

    This recording can also be found on the Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts, Schedule page of the City website under Community Sustainability Advisory Board



  • Waste Task Force

    by Marissa, almost 4 years ago
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    10 Responses
    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

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    During the opening session of the Waste Strategy Task Force, the following sub groups were organized from priority topics:

    • Residential Waste
    • Commercial Waste
    • Single Use Plastics
    • Institutional Waste
    • Municipal Waste

    Please find meeting notes and relevant data in the Document Center under Waste Task Force Notes. You may choose to make a recommendation on a specific topic or contribute to the discussion on a recommendation that is already made. Sustainability Advisory Board will create final recommendations to present to City Council from your input.

    Here’s what we discussed at the last meeting:

    • More options for compost – for residents and businesses
    • Single use plastics – straws, takeout containers and plastic packaging
    • Improved recycling for institutions like Golden High School and Colorado School of Mines.

    We need your input on these new topics:

    • What would you like to see improved in the residential curbside program?
    • Would you support a Styrofoam ban for takeout containers?
    • What other curbside recycling services would you like to see?  Mattress recycling? A wider number of appliances?

    Please join us if you can, for two additional community discussions:

    • Thursday, October 29th  from 6:00 – 7:30 pm 

    A recording of the meeting is available here.

    This recording can also be found on the Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts, Schedule page of the City website under Community Sustainability Advisory Board.

    • Monday, November 30th from 6:00 – 7:30 pm

    A recording of the meeting is available here.

    This recording can also be found on the Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts, Schedule page of the City website under Community Sustainability Advisory Board.


  • Water Task Force

    by Marissa, almost 4 years ago
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    7 Responses
    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

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    During the opening session of the Water Strategy Task Force, the following sub groups were organized from priority topics:

    • Reduce Outdoor Irrigation
    • Water Reuse
    • Resiliency Plan and Education
    • Indoor Water

    Please find meeting notes and relevant data in the Document Center under Water Task Force Notes. You may choose to make a recommendation on a specific topic or contribute to the discussion on a recommendation that is already made. Sustainability Advisory Board will create final recommendations to present to City Council from your input.

    The Water Reuse task force reconvened on:

    • August 31, 2020 6:00pm - 7:30pm via a web meeting.

    A recording of the meeting is available here. 

    This recording can also be found on the Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts, Schedule page of the City website under Community Sustainability Advisory Board.

  • Water Task Force

    about 2 years ago
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    2 Responses
    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

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    During the opening session of the Water Strategy Task Force, the following sub groups were organized from priority topics:

    • Reduction of Outdoor Irrigation
    • Water Reuse
    • Resiliency Plan & Public Education
    • Indoor Water Use

    (Insert Meeting Summary and links to documents)