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City of Plymouth Honored With 2026 LMC City of Excellence Award

June 26, 2026

 

The City of Plymouth received the League of Minnesota Cities 2026 City of Excellence Award for this year’s “Creative Use of Limited Resources” topical category Thursday at the League’s Annual Conference in Rochester. Plymouth was honored for its Urban Wood Utilization Program.

The City of Plymouth created the program to address the growing challenges posed by emerald ash borer infestations, which have resulted in increasing numbers of dead and declining trees throughout the community. Rather than sending removed trees to the waste stream, the city developed a process to mill and dry the wood, transforming it into usable lumber for city projects and community partnerships.

Plymouth partnered with Minnetonka to use a large saw already owned by the neighboring city and later secured a grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to purchase a wood-drying kiln. Together, the equipment allows city staff to produce dimensional lumber from trees that would otherwise be discarded.

The city now uses the lumber for furniture construction within municipal facilities and to replace aging boardwalks throughout the park system. By repurposing wood in-house, Plymouth estimates the program saves approximately $15,000 annually in material costs while reducing pressure on local waste disposal systems.

In addition to its internal uses, Plymouth partnered with three local school districts to provide lumber for woodworking classes. During the 2025-2026 school year, the city diverted 6,840 board feet of wood to students learning woodworking skills, with nearly three-quarters of the material coming from ash trees affected by emerald ash borer.

The City of Excellence Awards are given annually by the League of Minnesota Cities in three population categories and one topical category. The awards recognize cities for outstanding programs or projects. Each winning city receives a plaque, a check for $1,000, and recognition in League publications and promotional activities throughout the coming year.

The League of Minnesota Cities is a membership organization dedicated to helping cities throughout Minnesota build quality communities through effective advocacy, expert analysis, trusted guidance, and collective action. The League serves over 830 member cities through advocacy, education and training, policy development, risk management, and other services.