Franklin Park Borough

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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 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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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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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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The municipality utilizes an Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach (as described by EPA) to identify the municipality?s priorities for projects and includes a description of how the proposed priorities reflect the relative importance of adverse impacts on human health and water quality and the municipality?s financial capability. See: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/integratedplans.cfm

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

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

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

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Measures are taken to ensure a wide range of candidates are interviewed for all municipal job openings i.e., the Rooney Rule.

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

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The municipality utilizes a system for collection of delinquent taxes and fees in order to mitigate blight and abandonment.

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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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The zoning ordinance has inclusionary housing provisions/incentives

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

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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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All municipal buildings have an active recycling program.

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

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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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Developers are required to submit a comprehensive and detailed fiscal impact analysis including long-term fiscal impacts such as road repair, school infrastructure needs and other public services with their development applications.

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Professional staff are employed or retained to manage the land use 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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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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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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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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An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program has been implemented for municipal operations.

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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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Taxation takes a balanced approach applicable to all sectors of municipal services provided and fees satisfy cost recovery.

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

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A revenue-expenditure trend analysis is conducted annually.

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Municipality participates in a regional service program or contracts services to or through other municipalities for fire, police, or EMS.

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Municipality maintains an updated Public Safety comprehensive plan to be sure staffing and financial resources keep pace with municipal needs for Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services.

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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 sustainability assessment has been conducted to evaluate municipal facilities, operations, plans and regulations relative to conserving resources, saving money, and implementing policies and procedures that simultaneously advance the environment, economy, and social equity.

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Municipality is an active participant in a Council of Governments.

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

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A Historic Review Commission is active.

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An Environmental Advisory Council is active.

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All municipal-sponsored events have a sustainability-awareness component

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

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The use of pesticides and herbicides is being monitored and reduced by all municipal departments which use them

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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.