St. Cloud is finalist as most livable city in international competition

Jenny Berg | SCTimes

Show Caption Hide Caption St. Cloud skate plaza features bowl, street elements The skate park is being rebuilt after Costco purchased land surrounding the old skate park. City staff expect the new plaza to open in spring 2020.

ST. CLOUD — St. Cloud is a finalist for an international competition recognizing the most livable cities in the world.

The 2019 Livcom Awards will be Dec. 11-13 in Rome. Representing St. Cloud will be Mayor Dave Kleis and Ryan Daniel, chief executive officer of St. Cloud Metro Bus.

Twenty-one cities and 34 projects from more than 30 countries have been invited to the finals this year. St. Cloud is nominated as a finalist for the whole city award and as a project finalist for its renewable energy initiatives.

St. Cloud is the only U.S. city to be nominated as a whole city finalist.

"To be the only U.S. city is very cool," Kleis said. "We've never been to one where there wasn't another American city."

Three U.S. projects — including a climate plan from Michigan and a study on air quality in Los Angeles County — are finalists in the projects category.

The awards, launched in 1997, are the world’s only competition focusing on international best practices for environmental management, according to the organization's website.

The whole city awards judge cities on:

Enhancement of landscapes and public spaces

Arts, culture and heritage management

Environmental protection and green economy

Community participation and empowerment

Healthy lifestyle

Sustainable planning and management policies

Kleis said he and Daniel will present on behalf of the city about the city's energy initiatives.

"This project will be competing on an international stage," Kleis said.

The city's energy initiative includes a methane conversion program at the wastewater treatment plant, the streetlight improvement project that replaced traditional streetlights with energy-efficient LED lights, and solar initiatives, according to Tracy Hodel, public services director.

MORE: We’re in an energy boom: Here’s how solar developments have picked up

The city has 11 solar arrays completed or under construction at city facilities or properties. It also subscribes to more than 22 million kilowatt hours of electricity through community solar gardens.

"That got us from 0% renewable energy in 2015 to 64% renewable energy resources in 2018," Hodel said.

With hydro energy included, St. Cloud produces way more renewable energy than it needs.

The city is also installing four electric vehicle charging stations — paid for with state grants — near River's Edge Convention Center in downtown St. Cloud.

Hodel said the charging stations should be running by the end of the year.

MORE: In midst of 4th term, Kleis becomes St. Cloud's longest serving mayor

The city created a community energy action plan with Xcel Energy and a group of community stakeholders to encourage more participation from the community.

Presenting the city's energy initiative at the conference fits with its action plan goals.

"A big part of our energy initiative is sharing our knowledge with other communities," Hodel said.

Kleis said the conference also helps St. Cloud officials to discovery new ideas for improvement.

"It's a tremendous opportunity to see what the cities that are doing the best things in the world are doing," he said. "We can steal some ideas, do some things better."

St. Cloud has been a finalist at LivCom Awards four times since 2007.

In 2007, St. Cloud earned second place in the whole cities category and earned an award for a project titled, Planning For the Future. The conference was in London.

In 2009, St. Cloud earned a bronze medal in the whole cities category and was a finalist for a project titled, Eastman Regional Park (Lake George) Community Project. The conference was in Pilsen, Czech Republic.

MORE: Getting more than a buzz: St. Cloud uses beer, byproducts to fuel wastewater plant

In 2010, St. Cloud was a finalist for the whole cities category. The conference was in Chicago.

In 2012, St. Cloud was a finalist for a project titled, Investing in the Urban Landscape to Unite Community. The conference was in Al Ain City, United Arab Emirates.

Those attending will pay their own way; no taxpayer money will fund any part of the trip.

City finalists for 2019 awards for livable communities are:

Haapsalu, Estonia

Birgu, Malta

Kaposvar, Hungary

Larnaca, Cyprus

Jihlava, Czech Republic

Águeda, Portugal

Pirot, Serbia

Tartu, Estonia

Jiangshan, China

St. Cloud, United States of America

Douz, Tunisia

Gdynia, Poland

Oulu, Finland

Bergen, Norway

Xicheng District, Beijing, China

Ambon, Indonesia

Vienna, Austria

Jinan, China

Lisbon, Portugal

Thane, India

Tirana, Albania

View the cities and projects up for 2019 awards at www.livcomawards.org/2019-awards/finalists.html.