City Green Turns to Silver
Green in Palm Coast is glowing with a bright new luster. The City received a prestigious Silver Level Designation from the Florida Green Building Coalition(FGBC), earned as a result of their outstanding environmental stewardship across all departments. Palm Coast did this by achieving a specific percentage of points for their actions to help the environment and to save taxpayer dollars.
"Palm Coast government is leading by example and our Silver achievement is validation of our efforts," says Denise Bevan, Senior Environmental Planner for the City and Green Team member. Her co-staff, consisting of the City's Landscape Architect, Urban Forester and Community Development Senior Staff Assistant, has been working for two years, with City staff from all Departments, to implement an 'eco-mentality', confident that residents will applaud their accomplishments and be coaxed into taking their own action. "We can't ask our community to be green if we're not dedicated to the premise ourselves," Bevan adds.
Numerous initiatives earned the City of Palm Coast their Silver Certification, including adopting a green standard as minimum criteria for new government buildings, offering free trees to the community, preserving environmentally sensitive land, creating bicycle and pedestrian pathways, developing community recycling plans, receiving national Tree City USA and Growth Awards, creating a reclaimed water infrastructure and implementing a water conservation education program. Palm Coast joins Florida cities Dunedin, Tamarac, Tarpon Springs, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County in the distinguished FGBC Silver category.
A member from the Florida Green Building Coalition will present the Silver Certification to Mayor Jon Netts at the April 7th City Council meeting, 6:30pm at the Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE.
CITY DEPARTMENT EFFORTS HELPED TURN GREEN TO SILVER
Administration
- Incorporated the mission statement into the local government's comprehensive plan.
- Maintained an officer person/group to coordinate current and future green activities.
- Adopted a green standard as official minimum criteria for new government buildings.
- Organized green building education for local government staff.
- Budgeted for publicity/education related to the government's commitment to green.
Building and Development
- Adopted FGBC green standards as official standards of the City.
- Enacted and enforced a tree preservation/land-clearing ordinance.
- Enacted a landscaping ordinance for new construction.
- Required mitigation for consumption of natural habitat or resources.
- Received TREE CITY USA AND TREE CITY GROWTH Awards.
- Retained certified arborist on staff.
Information Services
- Developed environmental education content for City website, TV programs.
Planning and Zoning
- Organized green building seminars and/or training session for staff and elected officials.
Water and Wastewater
- Received FDEP plant operations excellence awards.
- Created a reclaimed water infrastructure.
- Utilized billing to inform the public about conservation.
- Distributed printed material or created internet content detailing water/wastewater source.
- Created an education campaign for water use reduction.
Public Works and Engineering
- Developed a construction project waste management/recycling plan.
- Use LED traffic lights.
- Created a community stormwater (Save the Swales) education campaign.
- Graded, excavated and sodded swales emphasizing a green component: utilizing a screener, crews recycled the dirt they recovered from the swales, screening out organic material and reusing the clean fill dirt for shoulder, radius and sidewalk repair. The fill is available for use at no cost to all departments.
Additional Facts About the City's Earning the Silver Certification:
- The City of Palm Coast's application was reviewed and certified in a mere 19 days. Other reviews have taken greater than 1,000 days.
- The City achieved 63 points of 257 applicable points, yielding a 25% result. Silver is achieved with a 21%-40% result. With the existing City department structure and provided services, Palm Coast will need an additional 43 points to achieve a Gold Level Designation. We are now going for the 'Gold'!!!
A few of the Green Team accomplishments for the previous years??
Reduce/Reuse/Recycle
- Implemented park recycling at the Indian Trails Sports Complex, Tennis Center and Holland Park.
- Duplexed all City copy machines.
- Distributed recycle bins for all employee desk areas.
- Implemented paperless fax systems.
- Saved energy on existing facility light fixtures.
Green Events
- Arbor Day celebration (distributed 4,000 trees).
- Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling.
- Intracoastal Waterway Cleanup.
- Flagler County School/City partnership for Green programs (educating 3,400 students in 2008).
Awards
- Tree City USA Award.
- Outstanding Professional Award from the Trees Florida Awards Program.
- Tree City Growth Award.
Projects/Programs
- Acquired Long's Landing for Recreational Use/Environmentally Sensitive Lands.
- Obtained Great Florida Birding Trail designation for St. Joe Walkway/Linear Park.
- Acquired Florida Green Home Designation Building Certification.
Florida Green Building Coalition Designation Standard for Cities and Counties
EPA Air Quality
EPA Water Quality