Carlisle Borough

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

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A revenue-expenditure trend analysis is conducted annually.

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Funds for capital-related borrowing are not used for day to day expenses.

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Municipality routinely evaluates ability to ensure that revenue is sufficient to maintain public infrastructure, i.e., road, water, sewer, stormwater (community has an asset management based budget system).

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Obligations for pensions/other post-employment benefits are funded for the long-term to at least 80%.

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5-10 percent of operating funds are carried over year to year.

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

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A Historic Review Commission is active.

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An Environmental Advisory Council is active.

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

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All municipal-sponsored events have a sustainability-awareness component

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A program exists to actively pursue and match residents and local businesses to volunteer opportunities to better the community and assist the local government.

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Municipality is an active participant in a Council of Governments.

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The municipality utilizes Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreements (ICA) to engage in multi-municipal endeavors.

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

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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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A municipal sustainability program (in name) has been developed and departmental goal setting and budget processes are used to advance it.

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Sustainability policies, goals, and principles have been adopted.

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

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Municipality supports public education regarding reducing air pollution and emissions.

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A burn ban has been formally adopted and made part of municipal ordinance, and State or County outdoor wood fired boiler construction and operation is in accordance with state law

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The municipality and its municipal waste hauler service are exploring ways to reduce emissions from vehicles and trucks beyond anti-idling.

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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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Tree and woodlands protection and management policies are in place (for example, community forestry plan and canopy goal; tree planting programs; tree maintenance programs; tree hazard and health assessment projects; computerized assessment of municipal trees, Tree/woodland replacement criteria in ordinances, etc.).

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The municipality actively encourages water conservation and efficiency measures in the community and among businesses.

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

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

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The Comprehensive Plan and ordinances protect farmland and/or promotes community gardens and infill green space.

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

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

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

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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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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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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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The municipality contracts for solid waste collection as opposed to individual home owners contracting for the same.

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

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There is an active public informational program to encourage citizens to reduce waste and recycle.

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Municipality has an active litter prevention/clean-up 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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The municipality has assessed Main Street program options and opportunities for possible applicability and implementation.

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Owners and tenants in the retail area are engaged with the municipality to provide attractive sidewalks, trees, and street furniture and make the area safe for pedestrians and bicyclists.

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The municipality maintains and supports an initiative to encourage residents to buy local.

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The municipality has adopted the International Property Maintenance Code within the last 6 years per good, safe rental housing.

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

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The zoning ordinance has inclusionary housing provisions/incentives

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A program exists (perhaps in partnership with an outside agency) to facilitate home ownership: homebuyer incentives, employer-assisted housing, community land trust, etc.

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The community is tracking and reporting annually to the public on results toward affordable housing for residents.

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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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Provide an on-line link to description of a second 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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The municipality has provided diversity training for municipal employees.

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The municipality is engaged in programs to communicate that the community is welcoming to persons who represent diversity (sister city relations, diversity sensitivity training, multilingual signage, etc.)

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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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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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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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A community produce garden(s) is available.

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As part of the energy audit, a greenhouse gas inventory and mitigation plan has been established for municipal functions.

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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 municipal comprehensive plan contains an energy conservation element.

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Municipal support is provided to a public program (throughout the community and for businesses) to conserve energy, promote renewable energy sources, and mitigate carbon emissions.

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The greenhouse gas inventory has been expanded to include the entire community (not just the municipality) and a mitigation plan has been developed.

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Municipality purchases energy for municipal facilities from renewable energy sources (or has installed renewable energy sources) such that at least 10% of all municipal energy comes from renewable sources.

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Municipality purchases energy for municipal facilities from renewable energy sources (or installed renewable energy sources) such that at least 40% of all municipal energy comes from renewable sources.