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Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania

Municipal Certification Project

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Home › Participating Municipalities

Winfield Township

Butler

—

Municipal Website
Population:3,535
Key Action:
Current Assessment:
07/29/2014
Assessment History:

Energy Use, Conservation and Green Building

Green Buildings
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Community Energy Use
Question:
The municipal comprehensive plan contains an energy conservation element.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Municipal Energy Use
Question:
Municipality has or is in the process of retrofitting street lights and traffic signals to LED bulbs.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Education

Cooperation
Question:
Sustainability policies, goals, and principles have been adopted.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipal planning is coordinated with the school district and the two meet together at least once per year.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Environmental Stewardship

Water Use, Conservation and Quality
Question:
Cooperation is occurring with neighboring municipalities to manage water and sewer supply, treatment and distribution, sewage and stormwater, in the most cost-efficient way.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Sufficient investments are being made to the water, sewer, and stormwater systems per real costs and keeping pace with maintenance and operations.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Drinking water and sanitary sewer rates are based on the real cost of providing service.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Low impact development and onsite stormwater infiltration is encouraged.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality actively encourages water conservation and efficiency measures in the community and among businesses.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Green Infrastructure
Question:
Policies, plans and ordinances protect wetlands and waterways and their buffers.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Air Quality
Question:
PA State anti-idling law is enforced and compliance is promoted.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality and its municipal waste hauler service are exploring ways to reduce emissions from vehicles and trucks beyond anti-idling.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Human Resources
Question:
The municipality has a written municipal policy prohibiting discrimination and valuing diversity and inclusion.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Measures are taken to ensure a wide range of candidates are interviewed for all municipal job openings i.e., the Rooney Rule.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Housing

Sustainable Neighborhoods
Question:
A current inventory of vacant and blighted/blighting properties is maintained and mapped.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality has elected to administer and enforce PA's statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Affordability
Question:
The zoning ordinance has inclusionary housing provisions/incentives
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Local Economy

Material Use, Waste, and Recycling
Question:
Staffing is in place sufficient to enforce building and maintenance codes.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality utilizes a system for collection of delinquent taxes and fees in order to mitigate blight and abandonment.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Alternate transportation (e.g. transit, inter-modal, multi-modal, bicycle/pedestrian) are accommodated and promoted.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
All municipal buildings have an active recycling program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Land Use and Transportation

Community
Question:
Municipality has an active litter prevention/clean-up program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
An expanded material recycling program is being advanced, i.e., e-waste, composting, pharmaceuticals, and household hazardous waste for community-wide collection.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Up-to-date ordinances for zoning and subdivision/land development are in place to implement the comprehensive plan.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
A natural resource inventory has been developed for the community within the last 7 years as part of the comprehensive plan.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Mobility
Question:
Traffic calming techniques, "complete streets" projects, access management and congestion management programs have been evaluated and are being implemented.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Trails for walking and bicycling are being developed or maintained
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Police are trained on the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists and state law on passing bicycles.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Green Space
Question:
The municipality has a PA Dept of Agriculture Agricultural Security Area (ASA).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Sustainable landscape maintenance practices are in place for parks and municipal grounds.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The zoning ordinance provides for or accommodates a full range of housing opportunities throughout the community.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The comprehensive plan addresses the community benefits of and need for expanding housing choice.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Governance and Community Engagement

Municipal Operations
Question:
A revenue-expenditure trend analysis is conducted annually.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Funds for capital-related borrowing are not used for day to day expenses.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
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).
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Obligations for pensions/other post-employment benefits are funded for the long-term to at least 80%.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
5-10 percent of operating funds are carried over year to year.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Taxation takes a balanced approach applicable to all sectors of municipal services provided and fees satisfy cost recovery.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Public Safety
Question:
Municipality participates in a regional service program or contracts services to or through other municipalities for fire, police, or EMS.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipality maintains updated public safety mutual aid agreements with neighboring municipalities and shares resources.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
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.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Sustainability
Question:
The municipality is committed to passing a resolution (within six months of enrolling) to affirm participation in the Sustainable Community Essentials Certification Program.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Local and Regional Cooperation
Question:
Municipality is an active participant in a Council of Governments.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
The municipality utilizes Intergovernmental Cooperative Agreements (ICA) to engage in multi-municipal endeavors.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Community Engagement
Question:
Civic engagement, public participation and transparency are regularly assessed and facilitated.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
All municipal-sponsored events have a sustainability-awareness component
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:
Question:
Municipality communicates with the public via a regularly scheduled newsletter or regularly updated web based communications.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

Healthy Communities

Healthy People
Question:
Outdoor recreation opportunities, amenities, and lifestyles are promoted.
Answer:
A. Yes
Notes:

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About Sustainable Pennsylvania

Sustainable Pennsylvania, a joint project of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and Sustainable Pittsburgh, is a voluntary performance recognition program designed to help municipalities set and achieve sustainability goals, save money, conserve resources, and foster a vibrant community.

Pennsylvania Municipal League

The Pennsylvania Municipal League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1900 as an advocate for Pennsylvania’s 3rd class cities. Today, The League represents participating Pennsylvania cities, boroughs, townships, home rule communities and towns that all share The League’s municipal policy interests.

The mission of the Pennsylvania Municipal League is to strengthen, empower and advocate for effective local government.

Sustainable Pittsburgh

Sustainable PGH is a nonprofit committed to building the knowledge, perspective, and ability needed to create a better tomorrow for our region.

Contact us

Email info@sustainablepa.org or reach out directly to Bailey Rocco (PML) at brocco@pml.org or (717) 236-9469, or contact Sawyer Sidelinger (Sustainable Pittsburgh) at ssidelinger@sustainablepittsburgh.org or by phone at (412) 258-6642.

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