In the wake of the Thrive initiative’s unveiling at the town hall meeting last week, come more exciting developments from the City of Savannah. At today’s City Council meeting, two more initiatives were approved, each important on their own, but also notable for their correspondence with the goals set forth by Thrive and the Healthy Savannah 2012 Initiative.

First, Council approved a resolution directing the city manager “to submit an application to the League of American Cyclists to join the Bicycle Friendly Communities Initiative.” A Bicycle Friendly Community designation will provide a meaningful third party affirmation that can be a powerful tool in promoting Savannah to visitors and potential new residents. And, more importantly, it will indicate that the city has made progress toward becoming more hospitable to cyclists.

While the ultimate goal is the designation, the process getting there yields its own rewards. Among these is the completion of a baseline study to determine where we are now and criteria that will guide the city to make systematic improvements. Some tangible manifestations of the process include the facilitation of a bicycle workshop and the implementation of a bicycle census. At the meeting, Mayor Otis Johnson expressed his appreciation to the Savannah Bicycle Campaign, which has been working with city staff to put the resolution before Council.

Next up was a resolution to “direct and authorize the city manager to pledge the City of Savannah to the Governor’s Energy Challenge.” The challenge calls for agencies to reduce energy consumption 15 percent below 2007 levels by the year 2020. The Governor’s Energy Challenge Web site describes the potential benefits of successful completion of the challenge:

Meeting this goal will reduce Georgia’s dependence on traditional energy sources, support the local economy, and improve the environment. When fully implemented, the Governor’s Energy Challenge will provide information, technical assistance, other resources and awards to those Georgians who pledge to meet the Governor’s challenge.

In a memo to the mayor and aldermen recommending approval, City Manger Michael Brown suggested that Savannah’s acceptance of the challenge would make it the first local government participant and demonstrate “Savannah’s commitment to sustainability” to the entire state.