Plymouth Township

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The municipality has established goals from the energy audit findings and is methodically implementing the energy audit findings.

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Municipal energy use has declined overall at least 15% from the baseline year established in the energy audit.

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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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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

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An Environmental Advisory Council is active.

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

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

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A Historic Review Commission is active.

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Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreements include conflict resolution provisions.

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Municipality is an active participant in a Council of Governments.

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

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Municipality maintains updated public safety mutual aid agreements with neighboring municipalities and shares resources.

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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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5-10 percent of operating funds are carried over year to year.

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

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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 has provided diversity training for municipal employees.

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Low impact development and onsite stormwater infiltration is encouraged.

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

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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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Police are trained on the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists and state law on passing bicycles.

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

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

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

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

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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.