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ITEM: FLORIDA GREEN BUILDING COALITION CERTIFIED GREEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT - CITY HIGHEST SCORE AWARD FOR 2017
REQUEST: Recognition of Wellington’s receipt of the Florida Green Building Coalitions Certified Green Local Government/City Highest Score Award for 2017.
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EXPLANATION: In July of 2017, Wellington again received Gold Certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition for its “Green” achievements (see attached). The award was presented at the September 26, 2017 Council meeting.
In March 2018, Wellington was presented with the Florida Green Building Coalitions Certified Green Local Government/City Highest Score Award at the FGBC awards luncheon in Orlando for achieving the highest score in the State of Florida for its Green certification.
The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Green Local Government program is the only one of its kind in the Country. They currently have over 17,000 certified projects since being founded in 2000. The projects include green homes and developments, local governments, high rises and commercial buildings. The FGBC is the largest certifier of green homes, residential communities and local governments in the State. Its success emanates from the fact that there is a sizeable and compelling return on investment for any municipality on green and sustainable projects. Benefits for Florida local governments include:
Ø Eligibility for grants such as EECBG (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants),
Ø Measurable cost savings,
Ø Efficiencies of existing programs/procedures,
Ø Recognition,
Ø Green program opportunities, and
Ø Citizen engagement.
Certified green governments will not only gain recognition and publicity for their achievements but will also function in a more efficient manner through better internal communication, cost reductions and effective risk and asset management. Being presented with the award for the highest scoring municipality in the State of Florida for 2017 confirms Wellington’s commitment to providing a high level of service to our residents while preserving our natural ecosystems, conserving water, and reducing our collective carbon footprint. Our emphasis on sustainability encourages the private sector to apply the same principles through the creation of green homes, green commercial buildings and green land development. It also encourages our residents to utilize our online bill pay systems, online program registrations, electronic application submittals, bicycle paths, walking trails, etc.
There are currently 72 FGBC certified local governments in the State of Florida. Out of those, only 10 have achieved Gold status; of those 10 Gold certified local governments, Wellington achieved the highest ranking in 2017 as part of its recertification.
BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUIRED: N/A
PUBLIC HEARING: NO QUASI-JUDICIAL:
FIRST READING: SECOND READING:
LEGAL SUFFICIENCY: N/A
FISCAL IMPACT: N/A
WELLINGTON FUNDAMENTAL: Protecting our Investment
RECOMMENDATION: Recognition of Wellington’s receipt of the Florida Green Building Coalitions Certified Green Local Government/City Highest Score Award for 2017.