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Sustainability and Planet
- Green Spaces
- Energy Conservation
- Conservation in Operations
- Paper Reduction
- Resource Conserving Equipment
- Reducing Environmental Impact
- Tree City/Landscaping green spaces.
- Green spaces and the planting of trees enhance the local ecology and also provide a refuge for wildlife and a more pleasant environment for residents.
- Pocket parks for neighborhood children and passive open spaces.
- This allows the City to provide increased recreation space for residents and maintain green areas that benefit the environment.
- Environmental set-asides for new developments.
- Private developers must meet certain environmental standards and mandatory green spaces.
- City Forester Program.
- On-staff forester monitors and enforces City’s landscaping requirements. Determines environmental impact of development and ensures the protection of the City’s green spaces and the health and welfare of plantings and trees.
- Median plant replacement.
- Promotes green spaces/natural cover and reduces heat islands.
- 50% green space/conservation/protected areas encompassing the entire City.
- This promotes environmental stewardship and reduces the amount of built-up areas, minimizing heat islands and other negative impacts of the built environment.
- Emergency management programs, along with upgraded SEER HVAC Systems.
- Reduces energy consumption.
- Energy Management System for City buildings controlling, air conditioning, and generators.
- Reduces energy consumption in City buildings conserving the need to purchase electricity that is primarily generated from fossil fuels.
- Reclaimed water irrigation.
- Reduces water usage from the local utility and conserves limited resources of this precious commodity.
- Window tint and insulation for City buildings.
- Reduces the amount of energy needed to cool the buildings.
- LED lighting replacement for streets, parking lots, and sports fields.
- LED lights are more energy efficient than regular sport fields flood lights and have a longer lifespan.
- Electric vehicles for City use and public charging stations.
- Electric vehicles have no emissions and the provision of public charging stations encourage renewable energy usage.
- Solar energy tree and solar covered parking.
- Solar energy usage reduces reliance on fossil fuels and increases the supply of renewable energy in the public energy grid.
- School zone and crosswalk solar LED lighting.
- Reduces the need for connection to the grid to power this equipment and minimizes reliance on fossil fuels.
- Use of solar panels at Public Safety Training Center.
- Increases supply of renewable energy and reduces reliance on fossil fuels.
- New City buildings and construction contracts are required to meet Florida Statute 255.2575, which promotes energy-efficiency and sustainability. New buildings are required to either comply with a sustainable building rating system or national model green building code. In most projects, any lumber, timber, and other forest products are to be manufactured in the State of Florida.
- Recycle program for office paper and outdoor recycle bins for paper, glass, and plastic.
- Recycling reduces the amount of waste that goes into landfills.
- Gov Deals to repurpose City property.
- Surplus or scrap items are auctioned for use/repurposing by others, which reduces the quantity of items that end up in a landfill.
- All lobbyist registrations are submitted electronically prior to attending the specified project meeting. Registration is available on our public website or on the lobby kiosk computer, reducing paper use and waste.
- All public meetings are recorded digitally and are available at the City Clerk’s Office.
- Promotes transparency and reduces magnetic media and paper usage.
- Public records requests are electronic through all stages from the initial request to the gathering of information and the final transmittal to the requestor.
- Reduces paper usage and promotes operational efficiency.
- Planning & Zoning internal department sustainability measures:
- PZAB agenda packages are sent electronically instead of hardcopies.
- Staff prints utilizing double-sided and B&W copies when applicable.
- Use of City’s electric vehicles for City business.
- Use of recycle bins.
- Staff turns of office lights when out or away from office at meetings and site visits during the day.
- Meetings are conducted with use of TV monitors and digital plans as much as possible to reduce multiple copies of documents passed out to attendees.
- The Police Department has established a Bike Unit. This provides opportunities for our officers to interact with citizens in their communities, shopping plazas and green spaces. We recently purchased several electric bicycles.
- Reduction in the need to use a fossil fuel powered automobile.
- Online Solicitation Documents
- The General Terms and Conditions (boilerplate clauses) have been removed from the solicitation documents and made available exclusively online, including each affidavit.
- The single affidavits have been consolidated into an incorporation affidavit in the solicitation, significantly reducing the amount of paperwork a vendor has to submit to the City.
- All agenda packages are sent out electronically and are available online publicly.
- Promotes transparency and reduces resource usage.
- All agenda packages are electronically on the dais computers during each meeting to eliminate the need for paper.
- All board appointment letters are sent through online communication.
- All the City’s agendas, agreements, bid proposals and submittals, minutes, ordinances and resolutions are made available online.
- Promotes transparency and reduces paper usage.
- Only updated ordinances are copied and inserted in each individual binder of Code of Ordinances.
- Employees and the public can access the Code of Ordinances online.
- All solicitations are submitted as electronic documents. This significantly reduces the amount of actual paper required to be provided to the City in a response. In future, all solicitations and evaluations will be performed completely electronically through a dedicated portal.
- Electronic permitting has been implemented.
- (Reduces resource usage and promotes efficiency.)
- Electronic Agendas produced for public meetings.
- Eliminates the cost of binders, tabs and labor to assemble and disassemble many monthly agenda binders.
- All policies, memoranda, and manuals are maintained electronically.
- Reduction in paper use and minimizes impact on waste stream.
- Completely paperless/ electronic employment process (from recruitment through onboarding – job postings, applications, forms, etc. – all are electronic.)
- Paperless HR records, processes and policies (electronic personnel files, job descriptions, “personnel manual” etc. - all in Laserfiche and on HR Intranet pages.)
- Benefits programs – information and enrollment are all electronic through Employee Self Services portal.
- Training programs – using technology more than paper documents, such as videos on demand (HR intranet page) and during training sessions rather than handouts.
- IT works with all departments to automate paper processes.
- Energy efficient artistic bus shelters.
- Lighting for bus shelters is provided by a small solar panel, which reduces reliance on the public grid.
- Irrigation pump station replacement program to increase energy efficiency.
- Newer pump stations are more efficient and use less energy.
- Department of Energy requires a minimum 14 SEER units to be installed for air conditioning systems. The City complies with this requirement.
- Reduction in energy consumption.
- Toro Sentinel irrigation computer.
- Reduces water usage and improves efficiency and irrigation scheduling.
- Control Link – Musco Sports Lighting for playing fields.
- Hi-efficiency LED systems are only used when needed; reduces energy and light pollution.
- Synapse Lighting Controls – Ephesus Lighting for playing fields.
- Hi-efficiency LED lighting system utilized only when necessary at District Park.
- Roof replacement program – includes high reflectivity coating.
- Reduces energy consumption.
- AC replacement program prior to end of lifespan.
- Newer air conditioning units are more energy efficient.
- Use of battery-powered Jaws of Life, which no longer requires the use of a gas-powered generator.
- Uses renewable energy and reduces energy consumption.
- Virtualization – we have 100 servers that are ‘virtualized’ resulting in only having 5 physical servers.
- Reduces resource and energy usage.
- Only computers with LCD monitors are purchased.
- Reduces energy usage.
- Only Energy Star certified computers are purchased.
- Reduces energy usage.
- Only computers with SSD hard drives are purchased.
- Improves computing efficiency and reduces energy consumption.
- New software has been implemented to allow for electronic local business tax receipts (BTRs), and all the services will be utilized through that system.
- Reduces resource usage and promotes efficiency.
- Electronic Record Management System
- Saves on material and labor cost.
- On December 2nd, 2021 City Council passed Resolution 69, 2021 prohibiting the use of balloons, glitter, and confetti products on public property.
- On January 14th, 2021 City Council passed Resolution 14, 2021 prohibiting the use of polystyrene products on public property.
- LEED-certified Emergency Operations and 9-1-1 Dispatch Center Building; and Fire Station #2.
- Sustainable construction practices result in less negative impact on the environment.
- The City responsibly disposes of chemicals and fluids to reduce and minimize negative impacts on the environment.
- Utilizing contracted shredding services when record dispositions are completed. The shredded waste is used for recycling.
- Manual aquatic weed and exotic species removal, as needed.
- Reduces emissions from motorized and broadcast equipment promoting environmental protection.
- Staff prints in black and white and double-sided when appropriate.
- Reduces waste and minimizes paper and energy usage.
- Use of Diesel Particulate Filtration System on all fire apparatus.
- Decreases the amount of soot in exhausts.
- Use of an eco-friendly firefighting foam used to put out gasoline and car fires.
- Less impact on environment.
- Use of an eco-friendly ground contaminant absorbent to absorb fuel spills after a car accident.
- Less impact on environment.
- Water capture system in bays separates contaminants prior to entering water system.
- Environmental protection.
- All fire rescue stations utilize propane or natural gas.
- Reduces electrical consumption. LPG is considered a sustainable fuel.
- Eco-friendly dry-cleaning services that comes to City Hall for employees to use.
- Recycling all obsolete IT equipment.
- Reduces carbon-footprint and impact on environment.
- Cloud computing – we are outsourcing many software initiatives eliminating the need for hardware.
- Reduces resource and energy usage.
- The City’s Comprehensive Plan has numerous goals, objectives, and policies, and the City’s Land Development Code has policies and codes that guide and regulate sustainable development within the City, such as:
- Promoting conservation programs
- Promoting energy efficient practices
- Reducing housing costs for energy, water and sewer usage
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- Encouragement of mixed-use development to reduce vehicle trips and promote clustering of new development to create greater open space and conservation areas.
- Requirement of environmental set-asides for new development
- Use of drought-tolerant landscape materials and mulching to conserve water use
- The Recreation Department is installing bottle-fill drinking fountains at its facilities to reduce the amount of plastic bottled water.
- Erosion control canal bank restoration projects.
- Prevents erosion and damage to local neighborhoods and precludes flooding.