White Township

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The municipal comprehensive plan contains an energy conservation element.

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Municipality has or is in the process of retrofitting street lights and traffic signals to LED bulbs.

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The municipality has established goals from the energy audit findings and is methodically implementing the energy audit findings.

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The municipality has recently completed an energy audit of all municipal buildings and operations. The audit includes findings and recommendations and establishes a baseline of energy usage

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Municipality works with schools and local nonprofits/community organizations to engage students about community issues such as waste reduction and recycling, public safety, wellness, conservation, nature, etc.

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The municipality and local public schools cooperate to share facilities and other resources. (For example, the municipality assists with the cost of evening lifeguards for community use of a school swimming pool or for provision of crossing guards.)

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Municipal planning is coordinated with the school district and the two meet together at least once per year.

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Drinking water and sanitary sewer rates are based on the real cost of providing service.

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Low impact development and onsite stormwater infiltration is encouraged.

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Water provider(s) prioritize improving service to existing developed areas as opposed to opening up new areas to development.

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Sufficient investments are being made to the water, sewer, and stormwater systems per real costs and keeping pace with maintenance and operations.

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Cooperation is occurring with neighboring municipalities to manage water and sewer supply, treatment and distribution, sewage and stormwater, in the most cost-efficient way.

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Low impact and green development projects, as well as techniques (pervious pavement, bioswales, cisterns, woodland and steep slope protection) are fostered through incentives, ordinances and design guidelines.

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Written policies exist and ordinances and incentives have been enacted to conserve environmentally and ecologically sensitive places (for example, slopes over 25%, slide prone soils and geology, springs and vernal pools, mature woodlands, Natural Heritage Areas, etc.) in order to protect public safety and natural resources while using green infrastructure for stormwater management.

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Policies, plans and ordinances protect wetlands and waterways and their buffers.

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PA State anti-idling law is enforced and compliance is promoted.

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The municipality has a written municipal policy prohibiting discrimination and valuing diversity and inclusion.

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Provide an on-line link to description of a sustainability innovation that the Municipal Manager/Secretary feels strongly is deserving of additional recognition and is not covered by any of the above criteria options.

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A current inventory of vacant and blighted/blighting properties is maintained and mapped.

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A program is being implemented to put blighted, abandoned properties back into productive use: smart rehab code, conservatorship, demolition, acquisition, green lot strategies, etc.

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The municipality has elected to administer and enforce PA's statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC).

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Staffing is in place sufficient to enforce building and maintenance codes.

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The comprehensive plan addresses the community benefits of and need for expanding housing choice.

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Waste and recycling ordinances and regulations are in compliance and enforced per Act 101, or if not a mandatory-Act 101 municipality, a municipal recycling program is conducted.

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There is a curbside and/or drop-off recycling program.

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There is a written waste reduction and recycling ordinance for residential, commercial and institutional facilities.

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All municipal buildings have an active recycling program.

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An expanded material recycling program is being advanced, i.e., e-waste, composting, pharmaceuticals, and household hazardous waste for community-wide collection.

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Up-to-date ordinances for zoning and subdivision/land development are in place to implement the comprehensive plan.

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Land use and development decisions are assessed to ensure they do not have negative fiscal, stormwater, traffic, infrastructure, or service demands, or quality of life impacts on neighboring municipalities.

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The comprehensive plan and ordinances promote pedestrian-oriented, dense, walkable, mixed-use development (in existing and proposed development), and redevelopment in the core or town center.

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A multi-municipal comprehensive plan has been adopted as has an official map.

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Comprehensive land use/development plan is current, addresses impacts to neighboring communities, and incorporates sustainability principles.

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Professional staff are employed or retained to manage the land use program.

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Trails for walking and bicycling are being developed or maintained

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Traffic calming techniques, "complete streets" projects, access management and congestion management programs have been evaluated and are being implemented.

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Alternate transportation (e.g. transit, inter-modal, multi-modal, bicycle/pedestrian) are accommodated and promoted.

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The municipality has a PA Dept of Agriculture Agricultural Security Area (ASA).

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The greenspace/open space plan has benchmarks and results are reported annually to the public.

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The Comprehensive Plan includes a parks/recreation and open space component with proposed passive or active greenways, parks and trails and the zoning and subdivision ordinances support the vision.

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The Comprehensive Plan identifies environmentally sensitive, ecologically significant, and civic/historic places.

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Professional staff are employed or retained, in the areas of budgeting and finance.

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Green vehicle fleet assessment has been initiated toward: using greener fuels and/or vehicles, vehicle right?sizing for the job/trip, retrofit or replace older diesel trucks or equipment with cleaner technology, or driver education about driving techniques for fuel economy

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Municipality maintains updated public safety mutual aid agreements with neighboring municipalities and shares resources.

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The municipality is committed to passing a resolution (within six months of enrolling) to affirm participation in the Sustainable Community Essentials Certification Program.

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An executive/management level municipal staff person has responsibility for management of the municipal sustainability program expressly included in their job description.

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Professional development for municipal personnel and officials includes participating (at a minimum, per year) in quarterly Local Government Academy, PA DCED or other professional training association programs.

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Newly elected officials participate in Local Government Academy or other orientation training for public officials.

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Civic engagement, public participation and transparency are regularly assessed and facilitated.

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Municipality communicates with the public via a regularly scheduled newsletter or regularly updated web based communications.

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Outdoor recreation opportunities, amenities, and lifestyles are promoted.

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Programs by local government, or in cooperation with the non-profit and private sector, exist to address community health concerns, i.e. exercise programs, feeding programs for children and the elderly, crime watches, accessible health care, exercise away from areas of air pollution, etc.

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A community produce garden(s) is available.