People’s Climate Town Hall unites activist groups over Kansas City policy shortcomings
The Kansas City chapter of the Sunrise Movement, a national youth-led environmental action organization, held a town hall-style event on Wednesday April 6 to call for city climate policy that centers low-income communities and communities of color.
The gathering, held inside St. Mark’s Hope and Peace Lutheran Church on Troost Avenue, brought together social and environmental justice organizations and their supporters to formulate feedback on the city’s current draft of the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan.
Many speakers stated that the current plan is not bold or specific enough to protect those hit the hardest by the effects of climate change in Kansas City.
“[City Manager] Brian Platt has said that the city government is looking to make this one of the most progressive climate plans in the country,” Sunrise Movement spokesperson Raymond Forstater told The Star. “We want to make sure that is adequately reflected in the implementation and the actual language that is put into this plan.”
What is the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan?
The Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan is a multi-year initiative by the city government to achieve carbon neutrality in city operations by 2030 and in the community at large by 2040. The plan is currently in the draft stage, and is accepting public feedback until Tuesday, April 12.
A 12-member steering committee appointed by Mayor Quinton Lucas is tasked with collecting public feedback and formulating the specific policies that will allow the city to achieve its climate goals. Steering Committee Chair Robin Ganahl and committee member Beth Pauley were present at Wednesday’s event.
“I’m so thankful that Sunrise and their partners organized this. [These are] the community voices that have been missing from this whole planning process,” said Ganahl. “Of all the community input sessions I’ve been to over the last few months, this is definitely the best so far.”
What critiques do local activists have of the current draft?
While organizers acknowledged that the current plan references a number of ambitious goals in a vague way, they argued that it needs specific and actionable targets and timelines in order to hold the city accountable to these aims.
Sunrise Movement members highlighted four areas in which they feel the current plan falls short of offering ambitious, equity-focused goals: racial justice, buildings, workers and energy.
The group brought in guest speakers to discuss each category from anti-incarceration group Operation Liberation, citywide tenants’ union KC Tenants, service industry workers’ group Stand Up KC and local environmental group CleanAirNow.
“This plan offers superficial language about racial justice in order to check it off a list,” said Sunrise Movement organizer Adin Alem. “But when it comes time to actually discuss the concrete plans that must be taken, and recognize the neighborhoods that need to be discussed… it falls short.”
Multiple speakers shared concerns that Black, brown, immigrant and low-income communities will be excluded from the city’s green improvements like rooftop solar panel installation and public transportation investments if they are not explicitly mentioned in the plan.
“It does not include our input, our voice,” said Stand Up KC organizer Terrence Wise of the plan’s current draft. “It’s going to take power to make these plans change and reflect our vision… We’ve got to find a way to be engaged, and it has got to be intentional.”
The event then divided attendees into groups to discuss policy proposals related to these four main issues. The event ended with a series of votes among all attendees and organizers on whether to “approve” these ideas.
What policies do activists hope to see implemented in the plan’s final version?
Ultimately, the town hall event “passed” 35 policy proposals that organizers hope to see added to the Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan. Nearly every policy was approved unanimously through a public, raised-hands voting system among the approximately 75 people present. No proposed policies were voted down.
Examples of specific policy recommendations included a proposed east-west Max bus line and an east-west streetcar route, closing Evergy’s Hawthorn coal-fired power plant and creating a public job training program for retrofitting homes with green technology.
Some broader, more general recommendations included “Protect communities from gentrification” and “Everyone gets a union, without interference from employers.”
How do I give my feedback on the climate plan draft?
Comments can be submitted in two ways. If you are comfortable giving feedback publicly for all to read, you can submit your comments online through this page. If you prefer to make suggestions privately, you can send them to OEQ@kcmo.org.
Lara Isch, a sustainability manager with the city’s Office of Environmental Quality, is currently receiving all feedback on the draft. If you have questions or comments, you can call her office at 816-513-3459.
Do you have more questions about sustainability initiatives in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 4:45 PM.
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