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Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania

Municipal Certification Project

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Home › Participating Municipalities

Lancaster City

Lancaster County

—

Municipal Website
Population:59,322
Key Action:
Current Assessment:
05/24/2016
Assessment History:

Energy Use, Conservation and Green Building

Municipal Energy Use
Question:
Procedures are in place to measure and track the impacts of the sustainability program (and yearly reporting to the public on results is conducted).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Newly elected officials participate in Local Government Academy or other orientation training for public officials.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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:
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
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Community Energy Use
Question:
The municipal comprehensive plan contains an energy conservation element.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Renewable Energy
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Green Buildings
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:
Question:
The municipality has reviewed ordinances, resolutions, and other policies to remove impediments to the use of alternative energy (wind, solar, geothermal) installations or green buildings.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Governance and Community Engagement

Community Engagement
Question:
All municipal-sponsored events have a sustainability-awareness component
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A Historic Review Commission is active.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Civic engagement, public participation and transparency are regularly assessed and facilitated.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipality communicates with the public via a regularly scheduled newsletter or regularly updated web based communications.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Local and Regional Cooperation
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:
Question:
Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreements include conflict resolution provisions.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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:
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:
Question:
A municipal sustainability program (in name) has been developed and departmental goal setting and budget processes are used to advance it.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.)
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Public Safety
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:
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:
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:
5-10 percent of operating funds are carried over year to year.
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:
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
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Environmental Stewardship

Air Quality
Question:
PA State anti-idling law is enforced and compliance is promoted.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipality supports public education regarding reducing air pollution and emissions.
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:
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:
Question:
Policies, plans and ordinances protect wetlands and waterways and their buffers.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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:
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:
Water Use, Conservation and Quality
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:
Question:
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
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:
Low impact development and onsite stormwater infiltration is encouraged.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Land Use and Transportation

Green Space
Question:
Sustainable landscape maintenance practices are in place for parks and municipal grounds.
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:
The comprehensive plan addresses the community benefits of and need for expanding housing choice.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Mobility
Question:
There is an active public informational program to encourage citizens to reduce waste and recycle.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
All municipal buildings have an active recycling program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
For municipal facilities, a recent waste management assessment has been conducted with municipal employees trained in waste reduction and recycling.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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:
Community
Question:
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.
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:
Question:
Municipality has an active litter prevention/clean-up program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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:
A community-wide recycling program is maintained at 5% above the state stipulated goal of 35 percent.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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:

Local Economy

Thriving Local Green Business
Question:
The community is tracking and reporting annually to the public on results toward affordable housing for residents.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A current inventory of vacant and blighted/blighting properties is maintained and mapped.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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:
Material Use, Waste, and Recycling
Question:
Staffing is in place sufficient to enforce building and maintenance codes.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality utilizes a system for collection of delinquent taxes and fees in order to mitigate blight and abandonment.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Housing

Affordability
Question:
The zoning ordinance has inclusionary housing provisions/incentives
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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 elected to administer and enforce PA's statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality has adopted the International Property Maintenance Code within the last 6 years per good, safe rental housing.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Human Resources
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Economy
Question:
Water provider(s) prioritize improving service to existing developed areas as opposed to opening up new areas to development.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Drinking water and sanitary sewer rates are based on the real cost of providing service.
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:
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:
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:
Healthy People
Question:
The use of pesticides and herbicides is being monitored and reduced by all municipal departments which use them
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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