8/22/2007
Media Contact:
Margie Smith-Simmons, [317] 327-3690
Allison Wells Gritton, 327-4491 |
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Mayor announces appointment of ‘Green Commission’; signs executive order to make recycling, energy conservation mandatory for city-county government
Mayor Bart Peterson today announced the appointments of the ‘Green Commission,’ which was created to help implement the Indy GreenPrint – a city-wide vision designed to create a sustainable Indianapolis that contributes to climate protection and promotes energy efficiency and conservation.
The first meeting of the Green Commission will be held today, Wednesday, August 22, 2007 in the Gold Building, 151 N. Delaware St., suite 900 at 3 p.m. The Green Commission will meet monthly for the remainder of 2007 and bi-monthly or quarterly in 2008. All Green Commission meetings are open to the public.
Commission members will initially focus on creating action plan recommendations for the goals designated as “Community Challenge” in three of the Indy GreenPrint’s six areas: Energy and Emissions, Natural Resource Stewardship and Smart Development.
“The Green Commission will play a vital role in helping Indianapolis become a more eco-friendly community, which is important not only for large cities like ours, but for the world as a whole,” said Peterson. “We must all get involved to help achieve the GreenPrint vision.”
The Green Commission is responsible for ensuring accountability for those items in the Indy GreenPrint that are designated as “City Hall Steps” and developing action plans for those items that are listed under “Community Challenge.” In addition, the Green Commission will advise on key policy items of importance to our citizenry, such as review and revision of the ordinances and regulations and establishing an emissions reduction goal for Indianapolis.
The Green Commission consists of 20 representatives from both the public and private sector . All appointments are unpaid and members will serve a two year term. The Green Commission includes:
- Drew White, Axis Architecture and Interiors
- Tenley Drescher Rhodes, Baker & Daniel
- Bill Brown, Browing Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects
- Joe Shoemaker, Century 21 Realty Group
- Carol Johnston, Christian Theological Seminary
- Carey Lykins, Citizens Gas
- Steve Corbitt, Corbitt & Sons Construction Co, Inc.
- Robert A. Cole, Eli Lilly
- Robert McKinney, First Indiana Bank
- Jean Farison, Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce
- Tim Maloney, Hoosier Environmental Council
- Tyson Domer, Hundred Year
- Mac Williams, U.S. Green Building Council – Indiana Chapter
- Jodi Perras, Perras & Associates
- Greg Fennig, Indianapolis Power & Light Company
- Bruce Curry, IndyGo
- Susan Becker, Indianapolis Public Schools
- Lenore Tedesco, IUPUI Center for Earth and the Environment
- Virginia A. Caine, MD, Marion County Health Department
- Mark Stewart, SEND Community Development Corp.
Also, in his continued commitment for a sustainable Indianapolis, Mayor Peterson signed an executive order requiring all City-County agencies to establish and maintain a recycling program within their offices and to take measures to conserve energy.
“I firmly believe these policies will reduce the amount of solid waste collected throughout local government and heighten conservation awareness among our employees,” continued Peterson. “Most importantly, we will be preserving our natural resources, making our community environmentally healthy and sustainable.”
The city’s new recycling policy specifically requires offices to create and maintain a program to separate and recycle office paper, newspaper, plastics (no.1 and no.2) and aluminum, steel and tin cans. In addition, all city-county agencies are encouraged to recycle toner cartridges, magazines, scrap metal and other items whenever possible.
To help maintain each office’s recycling program, agencies are responsible for identifying a recycling coordinator. After thorough training, recycling coordinators will ensure that their offices are recycling materials consistent with the Recycle Indianapolis program.
“While many city-county agencies have implemented successful recycling programs, there was a real need to create a uniform policy so that every employee has the opportunity to recycle during their regular work day,” concluded the mayor.
Indianapolis-Marion County employees are now also required to conserve energy in accordance with the mayor’s newly drafted conservation policy. All employees must turn off office equipment when not in use, manage power settings on computers and monitors to conserve energy and make double sided copies when possible. Energy conservation alleviates stress on power grids, reduces greenhouse gases and minimizes the risk of power or water shortages.
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