Wilkes-Barre City

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

Question:
A Historic Review Commission is active.

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

Question:
A program exists to actively pursue and match residents and local businesses to volunteer opportunities to better the community and assist the local government.

Question:
Municipality is an active participant in a Council of Governments.

Question:
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.

Question:
Municipality is reporting yearly to the public on progress and results made in implementing recommendations/findings contained in the municipal energy study

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

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

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

Question:
A revenue-expenditure trend analysis is conducted annually.

Question:
Funds for capital-related borrowing are not used for day to day expenses.

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).

Question:
Obligations for pensions/other post-employment benefits are funded for the long-term to at least 80%.

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

Question:
Taxation takes a balanced approach applicable to all sectors of municipal services provided and fees satisfy cost recovery.

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

Question:
Municipality supports public education regarding reducing air pollution and emissions.

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

Question:
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

Question:
The municipality and its municipal waste hauler service are exploring ways to reduce emissions from vehicles and trucks beyond anti-idling.

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

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.

Question:
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.

Question:
Sustainable landscape maintenance practices are in place for parks and municipal grounds.

Question:
Low impact development and onsite stormwater infiltration is encouraged.

Question:
Sufficient investments are being made to the water, sewer, and stormwater systems per real costs and keeping pace with maintenance and operations.

Question:
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.

Question:
Comprehensive land use/development plan is current, addresses impacts to neighboring communities, and incorporates sustainability principles.

Question:
Trails for walking and bicycling are being developed or maintained

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

Question:
Traffic calming techniques, "complete streets" projects, access management and congestion management programs have been evaluated and are being implemented.

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

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

Question:
Alternate transportation (e.g. transit, inter-modal, multi-modal, bicycle/pedestrian) are accommodated and promoted.

Question:
Public transportation and ride sharing are promoted and facilitated, as is transit-oriented development (where applicable).

Question:
All municipal buildings have an active recycling program.

Question:
Professional staff are employed or retained to manage the land use program.

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

Question:
A current inventory of vacant and blighted/blighting properties is maintained and mapped.

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.

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

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

Question:
The zoning ordinance has inclusionary housing provisions/incentives

Question:
A program exists (perhaps in partnership with an outside agency) to facilitate home ownership: homebuyer incentives, employer-assisted housing, community land trust, etc.

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

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

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

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

Question:
The municipality actively encourages water conservation and efficiency measures in the community and among businesses.

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.

Question:
The municipality is engaged in programs to communicate that the community is welcoming to persons who represent diversity (sister city relations, diversity sensitivity training, multilingual signage, etc.)

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.)

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.

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.).

Question:
A community produce garden(s) is available.

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.

Question:
Outdoor recreation opportunities, amenities, and lifestyles are promoted.

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

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.

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