Topeka sustainability board urges creation of a sustainability coordinator; council discusses staff support options

Michaela Saunders, president of the Topeka Sustainability Advisory Board, urged the governing body April 21 to establish a sustainability management position or other sustained staff capacity to coordinate the board’s work with city departments and to run community‑specific scenario tools available through the board’s new international nonprofit membership.

Saunders said volunteers lack access to city data and cannot run the Icky toolkits without department input. “Our primary recommendation continues to be sustainability‑focused staff,” she told council, adding that peer Kansas cities have paid positions that have helped make progress and saved consultant costs.

Council members discussed lower‑cost options before creating a new position. Council Member Kell suggested forming a committee of city employees to dedicate regular hours to the board’s needs as a trial: “What if we had city employees…part of a committee for you guys to do the work on the city side of things?” he asked. Several members said a short pilot or reassignment of duties could be a reasonable first step, while others encouraged regular departmental coordination and tracking of measurable goals.

No formal action was taken; council thanked the board and asked staff to consider options for modest, formal support that could be scaled up if successful.