West Bethlehem Township

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

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Outdoor recreation opportunities, amenities, and lifestyles are promoted.

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

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

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

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

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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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All municipal-sponsored events have a sustainability-awareness component

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

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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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Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreements include conflict resolution provisions.

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Sustainability policies, goals, and principles have been adopted.

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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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PA State anti-idling law is enforced and compliance is promoted.

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A clean construction emissions policy for all publically subsidized projects has been adopted and is enforced.

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Municipality supports public education regarding reducing air pollution and emissions.

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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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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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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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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 annually assesses, and reports to the public, diversity of all boards, employees, volunteers, committees, etc.

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The municipality reports annually to the public on progress in creating a more diverse workforce.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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Municipality has an active litter prevention/clean-up program.

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The municipality utilizes a system for collection of delinquent taxes and fees in order to mitigate blight and abandonment.

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

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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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Staffing is in place sufficient to enforce building and maintenance codes.

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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.