Sustainable Sequim

Sequim is a beautiful place to live, work and recreate ~ and everyone wants to keep it that way! 

Cities are on the front line for climate resilience, and Sequim wants to lead. City Council and staff are directed by two resolutions in particular related to addressing impacts from a changing climate:

• R2012-11 on reducing greenhouse gas emissions 
• R2016-16 on improving the City's sustainability and resiliency

City staff reports annually on internal progress implementing these resolutions.  Click here to see a video of the latest staff presentation.  The work continues with new actions selected each year. 

The City values resiliency and that is expressed at the staff and departmental levels. Following are several notable examples of recent actions and ongoing programs and services. 

Energy

• Installed 50kW solar PV on Sequim Civic Center (2020)
• Partnered with PUD to install Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations downtown (2019)
• Converted all street lights to LED (2016)
• Civic Center is certified LEED Gold, saving energy every day (2015)

Water

• Reuse of Class A reclaimed wastewater more and more each year 
• Outreach and education on snowpack drought and water conservation (2015, 2019, 2020)
• Conserving rain water by requiring that all stormwater is infiltrated and doesn't enter streams and bays
• Planning ahead for regional water shortages and pursuing new, sustainable water sources and storage projects (including the Dungeness off-channel reservoir)

reducing Emissions

• Converting fleet from gas and diesel to alternative fuel / low-no emissions (started in 2013 and purchased EV or natural gas vehicles almost every year since)
• Developed alternatives to driving to conduct work (online meetings, telecommuting, etc.) (2020)
• Building/rebuilding sidewalks & bike lanes and hosting the Sequim Bicycle Alliance to encourage active transportation and improve public health (started in 2015)

health + environment

• Hosting community gardens and the farmers market
• Avoiding toxics and pesticides, especially near water bodies
• Tree City USA with new plantings every year including nut and fruit trees in public spaces
• Bike Friendly Community and celebrating Bike Month every May

Waste + Recycling

• Using asset management to stay on top of infrastructure maintenance, to stay resilient
• Increasing use of online bill pay by utility customers and paying our bills electronically
• Asphalt is recycled and reused as base layer in street projects, and backfill from utility trenches is also re-used

Community + Partnerships

• Helping coordinate regional emergency management/response and participating in regional hazard mitigation planning and preparations (2020)
• Communicating the importance of maintaining resilience, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic 
• Maintaining strong local and regional partnerships and memberships with other entities working on natural resource management and/or public health resilience 
• Supporting seven neighborhood designations with kiosks for sharing info
• Seeking grants to help fund City and regional environmental priorities