Report Received From Environmental Advisory Committee
All communities have an increasingly urgent responsibility to serve as effective stewards of the environment. New Rochelle has compiled an excellent record of preserving open space, enhancing water quality in Long Island Sound, and, in other respects, promoting environmental goals, but there is far more than can and should be done. In order to better identify environmental priorities, the City Council last year appointed an Environmental Advisory Committee. Earlier this month, the Committee issued its first report.
The Committee’s chief recommendations include: adoption of zoning guidelines and building codes that promote green building design, the phased conversion of our sanitation fleet to hybrid electric power, enhanced public education to encourage green-friendly practices community-wide, comprehensive policies to protect valuable open space, and energy conservation measures for government buildings. The Committee’s full report can be viewed HERE.
We have asked our staff to react to these recommendations and present to the City Council a legislative action plan in September. I will push vigorously for a thoughtful sustainability policy that protects public health, conserves natural resources, and curbs the emission of greenhouse gases.