City of Kansas City - Green Building Policy for Municipal Buildings

In March 2011, the City Council of Kansas City adopted a policy that the design, construction, and operation of new facilities of any size and renovations in which the facility affected has at least 5,000 square feet of space must conform to the Gold Rating or higher of the most recent version of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. Each contract for applicable projects must contain provisions sufficient to require the designer and constructor to comply with the LEED Gold Standard at a minimum and submit documentation to USGBC for their independent third-party review process and certification. A LEED Standards Committee for the City adopts rules and regulations to administer the policy and may grant exemptions for a given project if compelling reasons are demonstrated.