Green avers Update

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• Green avers Update

Gary Minkoff Councilman Highland Park, NJ
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Outline

• Introduction
• Objectives
• Stewardship Model
• Overview
• Public/Private Actions
• Snapshot of Audits Baselines
• Public Space, Property Facilities
• Public Works Utilities
• Public Responsibility/Awareness
• Summary

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Introduction

• The big picture
• Green Community concept as envisioned by the
  Mayor
• Environmental sustainability component Highland
  Park 2020
• Establishment of the Green Community Working
  Group
• Receipt of grants from the State of NJ as program

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Objectives

• Become a green role model
• League of Municipalities Award for Innovation in
  Governance-NJs first Green Community
• Determine, aggregate, report-positively
  brand--and live within--our eco-footprint
• Resources we consume waste we produce
  earthspace used
• Model-each person should use about 4.5 acres-in
  America we use about 24 acres
• Desire-real time eco-footprinting in Highland
  Park
• Create a sustainability-oriented culture as a
  means of enhancing quality of life

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Stewardship Model
Planning Board/Land Use
Highland Park Municipal Governing Body
Municipal Departments HP Board of Ed
Environmnetal Commission/STAC
Green Community Working Group
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Overview

• Environmental Sustainability

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Public/Private Actions

• Create green community metrics
• Audits and Baselines
• Database and tracking
• Goal-real-time eco-footprint reporting
• Follow-up should include source reduction audit
• Ordinances/specifications/enforcement
• Reviews in process
• Land use
• Operations/Practices
• Reorganization of DPW Code Enforcement
• Demonstration Projects
• Streetscape
• Best practices for green savings
• ESP
• Benchmarking with other municipalities
• Maven consultation and partnership-Rutgers,
  INFORM, etc.

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Snapshot of Audits Baselines

• AssessmentMunicipal
• School Buildings
• Energy StudyMunicipal
• School Buildings
• Municipally Owned Vehicles
• Review
• Municipal Center Cogeneration
• Feasibility Analysis
• Municipal Solid Waste Study
• Public Works Practices Study
• Infrastructure/Transportation
• Impact Management

Source
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Public Space, Property Facilities

• Renewable Energy Efficiency
• Management
• Upgrades to HVAC (Borough Hall) and lighting in
  all Municipal Facilities
• Solar panels on Borough Hall-now operational
• IP/Stormwater Management
• Eliminated use of lawn chemicals
• Continued implementation of local compliance
• Parking Lots to Paradise
• Rain Gardens
• Anticipates extensive use of shade
  trees for CO
  mitigation
• Open Space Preservation/Recreation/
• Conservation
• Updated Land Use Ordinances per Master
  Plan
• Urban Forestry/Shade Tree Management-
  Cool Cities Grant/Tree City
• Adoption of EC Greenway
• Environmental/Outdoor Learning Center

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Public Works Utilities

• Operations Processes
• Solid Waste Management/Recycling
• IN SOURCING of municipal curbside recycling
  program-began in 3/05-saves 150-175,000 this
  year-with similar or greater savings thereafter
• Snow Removal/Ice Control
• Acquisition of new plows/trucks
• Replaced sand with Calcium Chloride-eliminates
  the biggest source of solid waste in street
  sweeping
• Installation of Salt Dome for DEP
  compliance/improved product performance
• Grounds/Facilities Beautification Maintenance
• DPW reorg. Freed up staff to keep our properties
  cleaner
• Focus on ground cover to reduce water consumption
• IN SOURCING cleaning operations/implementing
  use of greener cleaners
• Vehicle Maintenance/Fleet Management
• Investigating use of bio-diesel and other
  alternative fuels testing first AFV with Borough
  inspectors
• Management, Administration/Communications
• Staff Development
• Parks Management, Procurement and Road Scholar
  programs
• Tools/Resources

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Public Responsibility/Awareness

• Promote Ownership of Green Practices
• Borough Departments/employees
• Established Environmentally Sustainable
  Purchasing Co-op with Rutgers as administrator
• Integration with green purchasing
  specifications for vendor/contractor
  participation is currently in development
• Private Property Owners
• Planning and developing community awareness
  resources/campaign
• Businesses
• GCWG and DPW partnered with Main Street for
  trash/litter control and sustainable streetscape
  design
• Non-Profit Organizations
• GreenFaith/SunFarm Networks-is raising awareness
  among houses of worship and local businesses to
  add solar panels to their facilities-at no cost
  to the participants also provides 10 discount
  on electricity
• Borough Stakeholders
• HP Board of Ed first member of the Sustainable
  Purchasing Co-op
• Anticipated school construction incorporates
  alternative/energy efficiency initiatives
  including geothermal
• ANJEC Award winning Env. Comm. Website with
  resources/links on topics such as IPM,
  Conservation, Waterwatch activities, etc.
• County/State/Federal Government Agencies
• State/County grants provided for various
  green/sustainability initiatives
• Bloustein created a school curriculum and is
  developing a marketing/public awareness strategy
  for our efforts-including, branding, positioning
  and PR-includes resource-rich website about to be
  published.

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Public Responsibility/Awareness (Cont.)
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Summary

• Greensavers-comprehensive, coordinated viable
• Eco-footprint-a crucial metric
• Everyone and everything has a role to play
• Opportunity-Leadership responsibility
• Sustainability -todays ticket has us on
  track-to be a community for tomorrow