La Crosse officials have adopted a plan they hope will save taxpayer money by weighing decisions, when possible, on sustainability.

The La Crosse Common Council voted Thursday to endorse The Natural Step model for Eco-Municipalities.

The model calls for reducing dependence on non-renewable resources, chemicals and other substances nature can’t break down and activities that harm ecosystems, as well as providing for current and future needs.

Council member Jai Johnson, a co-sponsor, said she introduced the model to save the city money while being more environmentally conscious.

While some city departments already incorporate these principles in decision-making, it is not a coordinated effort, Tim Kabat, city economic planner, told the council Tuesday.

“What it does is give us direction,” co-sponsor Dorothy Lenard said Friday. “Right now, we don’t have an overall plan in place that will direct us on how we use our resources.”

A consultant will be hired to help city officials prepare a sustainable community plan. The city Planning Department has set aside $30,000 over two years from Community Development Block Grants to pay for the consultant.

But that aspect drew a no vote from Jim Bloedorn and Tom Sweeney, who said the same goals could be accomplished without hiring a consultant. Bernard Maney also voted against the measure.

Bloedorn added such a plan should be initiated at a higher level of government.

“If you want to get someone’s attention in this country, you use the word ‘eco’ as a prefix or suffix, or you use the word environment,” he said Thursday. “This needs to be done on a much broader scale.”

But Johnson believes it will save money in the long run.

La Crosse school officials contend the district has saved an estimated $1.7 million since 2002 by doing things like shutting off computers overnight and limiting heat and electric use during nights and weekends.

Johnson, also a county supervisor, said she plans to introduce a similar measure to the county board.

“It’s going to be inestimable savings, but it’s going to be more than $30,000,” she said.

At the Wisconsin City/County Management Association Conference at the Radisson on Friday, Johnson Creek officials touted the

lage’s successes in the six months after adopting the plan.

It is among nine Wisconsin municipalities that adopted a sustainability policy.

One early decision was to purchase an electric car rather than a pickup truck for the utility manager, said Paul Moderacki, village administrator. The car cost about $12,000, half the price of a pickup, and doesn’t have the cost for gas.

Johnson said she could see La Crosse using the model to make similar vehicle purchases and explore ways to reduce stormwater runoff.