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

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

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Low impact development and onsite stormwater infiltration is encouraged.

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

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

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

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

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The zoning ordinance provides for or accommodates a full range of housing opportunities throughout the community.

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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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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 has assessed Main Street program options and opportunities for possible applicability and implementation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Municipality is an active participant in a Council of Governments.

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An Environmental Advisory Council is active.

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A Historic Review Commission is active.

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

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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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All municipal-sponsored events have a sustainability-awareness component

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

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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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Outdoor recreation opportunities, amenities, and lifestyles are promoted.

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A program to promote safe walking to school is in place.

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A community produce garden(s) is available.

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Education programs are made available for residents on the benefits of organic, locally-purchased food; farmers? markets and farm stands are facilitated.