Ohio Township

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

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

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

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

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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 municipality has provided diversity training for municipal employees.

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

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

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For municipal facilities, a recent waste management assessment has been conducted with municipal employees trained in waste reduction and recycling.

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An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program has been implemented for municipal operations.

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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 community-wide recycling program is maintained at 5% above the state stipulated goal of 35 percent.

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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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A Transfer Development Rights (TDR) program is in place to incentivize development where infrastructure currently exists and to protect important green space.

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All municipal buildings have an active recycling program.

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

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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 has a PA Dept of Agriculture Agricultural Security Area (ASA).

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

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

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

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There is a municipal policy ensuring Minority Business Enterprise and Women Business Enterprise are considered in municipal purchasing, bids and contracts

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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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Sustainability policies, goals, and principles have been adopted.

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

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

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There is on-going training for municipal employees and officials and the HR function is closely engaged in advancing objectives of the municipal sustainability program.

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

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The municipal comprehensive plan contains an energy conservation element.

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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.).

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