Coordinating within Municipal Government
Many distributed water initiatives—GSI programs, or landscape transformation projects, or onsite reuse—begin with the low-hanging fruit of demonstration projects on municipal properties. These projects are very important because they can serve as tangible proof points, as well as educational opportunities for local government and the community as a whole.
Implementing distributed infrastructure projects on municipal properties is usually relatively straight-forward, even when the properties involved are under the jurisdiction of other city departments, such as parks or schools or public works. The key is to identify and coordinate with intra-city partners as early as possible in the planning process and establish a clear protocol around who will be on point for installation, O&M, and funding.
Steps for Coordinating with Intra-City Partners
- Identify which departments or agencies have jurisdiction over key properties, e.g., parks, schools, roads, community development.
- Assess whether these departments will benefit from the planned infrastructure, e.g., parks departments may welcome community greening, school districts may benefit from playground upgrades with permeable pavers or other GSI.
- Determine whether other departments share common sustainability goals, often defined in a city’s master plan, sustainability plan, or climate action plan.
