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BOULDER COUNTY SET TO LAUNCH ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PUSH
The Boulder County Commissioners adopted a pair of resolutions on November 22, 2005 that they intend to reaffirm the County's commitment to environmental sustainability and launch the County on a path towards achieving zero-waste, pollution reduction, energy conservation and other sustainability goals. Members of the County's Sustainability Initiative presented the Board of Commissioners with two policy resolutions during a public hearing. The resolutions spell out the Countyˇ¦s policy to pursue environmentally sustainable practices within its operations and by promoting and enabling environmental practices. The Commissioners expect to spend up to $1.5 million per year for these programs, funds that were made available by the passage of the debrucing measure 1A on November 1, 2005. 1A allows the county to keep and spend revenue that would otherwise have to be refunded to taxpayers under statewide tax and spending limits known as TABOR.
The resolutions direct staff to create specific action plans that will address a number of possible goals, including:
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by Boulder County operations in accordance with Kyoto Protocol targets
- Increasing the use of clean, alternative energy by, for example, installing solar photovoltaic panels on county buildings, using bio-fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel in county fleets, and using biomass for heating and cooling county buildings
- Retrofitting county facilities with energy efficient improvements, urging employees to conserve energy and purchasing equipment and appliances that meet or exceed Energy Star standards.
- Constructing all new county facilities to meet standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program or similar.
- Enacting land-use policies that reduce sprawl, preserve open space and create compact, walkable urban communities.
- Creating transportation programs that promote bicycle trails, encourage trip reduction, and encourage the use of public transportation and carpooling.
- Enacting building codes that enhance energy efficiency in new and existing buildings and promote sustainable building practices.
- Assessing waste reduction opportunities at county meetings and events through the use of durable, recyclable, and compostable food service items.
- Considering adoption of an ordinance requiring volume-based residential trash collection and recycling in unincorporated Boulder County and determining opportunities for municipalities and the county to work together to pursue this countywide.
- Supporting and promoting increased public recycling.
- Requiring new development to provide adequate indoor and outdoor space for recycling and other waste diversion containers.
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