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Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania

Municipal Certification Project

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Home › Participating Municipalities

Harrisburg City

Dauphin County

—

Municipal Website
Population:49,528
Key Action:
Current Assessment:
03/01/2018
Assessment History:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Human Resources
Question:
The municipality has a written municipal policy prohibiting discrimination and valuing diversity and inclusion.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Education

Engagement
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Healthy Communities

Local Food
Question:
Education programs are made available for residents on the benefits of organic, locally-purchased food; farmers? markets and farm stands are facilitated.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A community produce garden(s) is available.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Incentives exist for establishment of farms and gardens within the municipality.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality supports a program (or cooperates with neighboring communities) to engage residents in strengthening sustainable food systems to link local foods, farms and people (ex. Buy Fresh Buy Local initiative, Good Food Neighborhood, etc.).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Healthy People
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Outdoor recreation opportunities, amenities, and lifestyles are promoted.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Energy Use, Conservation and Green Building

Renewable Energy
Question:
Measures are taken to ensure a wide range of candidates are interviewed for all municipal job openings i.e., the Rooney Rule.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Governance and Community Engagement

Sustainability
Question:
An executive/management level municipal staff person has responsibility for management of the municipal sustainability program expressly included in their job description.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipality has or is in the process of retrofitting street lights and traffic signals to LED bulbs.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality is committed to passing a resolution (within six months of enrolling) to affirm participation in the Sustainable Community Essentials Certification Program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Public Safety
Question:
Municipality participates in a regional service program or contracts services to or through other municipalities for fire, police, or EMS.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipality maintains updated public safety mutual aid agreements with neighboring municipalities and shares resources.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Municipal Operations
Question:
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).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Obligations for pensions/other post-employment benefits are funded for the long-term to at least 80%.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Taxation takes a balanced approach applicable to all sectors of municipal services provided and fees satisfy cost recovery.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Professional staff are employed or retained, in the areas of budgeting and finance.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A revenue-expenditure trend analysis is conducted annually.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Funds for capital-related borrowing are not used for day to day expenses.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Community Engagement
Question:
Municipality communicates with the public via a regularly scheduled newsletter or regularly updated web based communications.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
An Environmental Advisory Council is active.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Civic engagement, public participation and transparency are regularly assessed and facilitated.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A Historic Review Commission is active.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A program exists to actively pursue and match residents and local businesses to volunteer opportunities to better the community and assist the local government.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Local and Regional Cooperation
Question:
Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreements include conflict resolution provisions.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipality is an active participant in a Council of Governments.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality utilizes Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreements (ICA) to engage in multi-municipal endeavors.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Environmental Stewardship

Air Quality
Question:
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
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality and its municipal waste hauler service are exploring ways to reduce emissions from vehicles and trucks beyond anti-idling.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Green Infrastructure
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Policies, plans and ordinances protect wetlands and waterways and their buffers.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Water Use, Conservation and Quality
Question:
The municipality has provided diversity training for municipal employees.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality actively encourages water conservation and efficiency measures in the community and among businesses.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality reports annually to the public on progress in creating a more diverse workforce.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
There is a municipal policy ensuring Minority Business Enterprise and Women Business Enterprise are considered in municipal purchasing, bids and contracts
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Drinking water and sanitary sewer rates are based on the real cost of providing service.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Sufficient investments are being made to the water, sewer, and stormwater systems per real costs and keeping pace with maintenance and operations.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Cooperation is occurring with neighboring municipalities to manage water and sewer supply, treatment and distribution, sewage and stormwater, in the most cost-efficient way.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Land Use and Transportation

Green Space
Question:
The comprehensive plan addresses the community benefits of and need for expanding housing choice.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The zoning ordinance provides for or accommodates a full range of housing opportunities throughout the community.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Sustainable landscape maintenance practices are in place for parks and municipal grounds.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Mobility
Question:
The municipality contracts for solid waste collection as opposed to individual home owners contracting for the same.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
There is a written waste reduction and recycling ordinance for residential, commercial and institutional facilities.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Traffic calming techniques, "complete streets" projects, access management and congestion management programs have been evaluated and are being implemented.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
There is an active public informational program to encourage citizens to reduce waste and recycle.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Community
Question:
Municipality has an active litter prevention/clean-up program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Local Economy

Material Use, Waste, and Recycling
Question:
An expanded material recycling program is being advanced, i.e., e-waste, composting, pharmaceuticals, and household hazardous waste for community-wide collection.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
All municipal buildings have an active recycling program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Staffing is in place sufficient to enforce building and maintenance codes.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Thriving Local Green Business
Question:
A program is being implemented to put blighted, abandoned properties back into productive use: smart rehab code, conservatorship, demolition, acquisition, green lot strategies, etc.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality has elected to administer and enforce PA's statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Housing

Affordability
Question:
A program exists (perhaps in partnership with an outside agency) to facilitate home ownership: homebuyer incentives, employer-assisted housing, community land trust, etc.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Sustainable Neighborhoods
Question:
The municipality has adopted the International Property Maintenance Code within the last 6 years per good, safe rental housing.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
There is a curbside and/or drop-off recycling program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A current inventory of vacant and blighted/blighting properties is maintained and mapped.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Other Sustainability Innovation

Additional Initiative
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

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About Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania, a joint project of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh, is a voluntary performance recognition program designed to help municipalities set and achieve sustainability goals, save money, conserve resources, and foster a vibrant community.

Pennsylvania Municipal League

The Pennsylvania Municipal League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1900 as an advocate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd class cities. Today, The League represents participating Pennsylvania cities, boroughs, townships, home rule communities and towns that all share The League’s municipal policy interests.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Municipal League is to strengthen, empower and advocate for effective local government.

Sustainable Pittsburgh

Sustainable PGH is a nonprofit committed to building the knowledge, perspective, and ability needed to create a better tomorrow for our region.

Contact us

Email info@sustainablepa.org or call Leslie Rhoads from PML at 717-236-9469 *237 or Jim Price from Sustainable Pittsburgh at 412-259-5331

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