Green Impact Zone inspires changes that will benefit homeowners both inside and outside of the zone

The Metropolitan Energy Center, Kansas City Power & Light and Missouri Gas Energy have developed a unique program to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient. KCP&L and MGE customers in the Green Impact Zone and throughout Missouri are eligible to participate.

The Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program was designed as a rebate program where homeowners would pay for an energy audit and qualified improvements, then be reimbursed for up to $600 through credits on their electricity bills.  MGE and KCP&L announced a joint partnership in September that would increase the available bill credits to $1,200 — $600 from each utility.

Attendees at a Green Impact Zone committee meeting held in late summer discussed ways to encourage homeowners — many of whom may find it difficult to pay for the work up front and wait for reimbursement — to take advantage of the HPWES program.  As a result of this discussion, as well as feedback from participating auditors, contractors and other project partners, the utilities added a feature that allows all participating customers to authorize KCP&L and MGE to use the credit that would have gone on the customer's gas or electric bill to make direct payments to a third party such as a participating contractor — with no out-of-pocket expenses for the homeowner unless the work exceeds $1,200. This is an optional feature that may not be offered by all certified companies.

Residents who want to participate in the HPWES program begin by selecting a certified company to perform an energy audit on their homes and determine what energy improvements are needed, such as added insulation, new energy-efficient windows and doors, and air-sealing work. Many of the certified auditors are also contractors who can complete the necessary work. The online application includes an area where the homeowner can authorize the contractor to receive payment of up to $1,200 directly from KCP&L and MGE.

While many homes may need more than $1,200 to reach maximum energy efficiency, the energy audit provides a road map that will help homeowners plan and budget for additional projects over time.

To learn more, visit the HPWES website.

Community Crews tackle stormwater drainage problems

Many of the older homes in the Green Impact Zone have problems with stormwater getting into basements because of dilapidated sidewalks and foundations that need repair. And many young people in the zone need to learn a trade and find steady employment. Why not bring these two together?

Earlier this year, with support from federal stimulus funds, the Full Employment Council worked with the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council to do just that, training two groups of young people to repair and replace damaged sidewalks, sloping the concrete away from foundations to redirect stormwater.

Building on this successful effort, the Green Impact Zone's Neighborhood Leadership Committee will soon deploy two more Community Crews to work on stormwater diversion, beginning in the Historic Mannheim neighborhood and continuing throughout the zone. The goal is to repair at least 72 more homes in the next year.

Community Crew members will receive both classroom and hands-on training. In addition to concrete finishing skills, they will learn how to dig out and replace old sidewalks, fill in around foundations, and plant rain gardens to help absorb stormwater.

"This project would not have been possible without the support we've received from the community," said Margaret J. May, executive director of the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council. "Brent Lambi, the owner of Brush Creek Village, supplied tools and equipment for the crews, and Frank and Jackie Walker provided additional funding."

For more information, contact Margaret May or call the Green Impact Zone office at 816-474-4240.

Surveyors now collecting data in the Green Impact Zone

Numerous people and organizations are working together in the Green Impact Zone to show what can be done when resources — money, training, jobs and more — are targeted in one part of the community. But before we can get started, we need to know exactly what the physical, historical and social conditions are in the zone right now.

The Mid-America Regional Council has contracted with UMKC Center for Economic Information to hire two collectors to conduct a block-by-block survey of the Green Impact Zone. The data collectors, both of whom are long-time community workers, are trained to evaluate property from the street so that they do not trespass on private property.

These surveyors will document the number of vacant homes and lots, homes that need repair, broken sidewalks and other information that will help Green Impact Zone staff plan improvements. The baseline data will also be useful in measuring progress over time.

Students from the UMKC Urban Planning and Design program are also collecting information in the zone for a senior class project.