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CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> to some community events, and we are focused on community education as well, answering <br /> questions about recycling and providing information to the public. Alternative fuel vehicles is <br /> another area that the City focuses on in terms of sustainability. We've seen over the past six (6) <br /> years or so, dramatic investments in the City's fleet in a couple of different ways that have <br /> sustainability benefits. One (1) is right-sizing vehicles for the task, to make sure we are not using <br /> oversized vehicles for something that doesn't require them. We've also been purchasing hybrids, <br /> compressed natural gas vehicles,and researching the use of bio-gas from the waste water treatment <br /> plant in trash trucks to close the loop and provide renewable biogases and fuel for those vehicles. <br /> Our Central Services division has won numerous grants and awards for their leadership in cleaner <br /> municipal vehicles, so we should be really proud of the work they have done. They have a Green <br /> Fleet Certification from the National Association of Fleet Managers. <br /> She went on, We've also been working in partnership with MACOG and others in supporting <br /> community adoption of vehicles, and pictured here(referring to the presentation which is available <br /> in the City Clerk's Office) is our EV Charger outside of the County-City Building. Education and <br /> outreach is really valuable especially because so many of these projects are taking place in other <br /> parts of City Government. This is to help give a different view of municipal services by <br /> emphasizing all of the different ways that it benefits the community. It would be easy to just focus <br /> on, Hey, we have a yard waste program, isn't that convenient? But the yard waste program saves <br /> us money because we don't have to pay to dispose of it in a landfill, it reduces greenhouse gasses <br /> because it doesn't end up in a landfill,those materials collected don't end up in a storm sewer and <br /> cause flooding, and then those materials are composted to create a value-added product that is <br /> available to residents at no cost. The breadth of that story is difficult to tell from folks that are <br /> focused on operating the program day in and day out, so I really appreciate the opportunity to step <br /> in and talk about City services in a new light that really highlights the community benefits. <br /> She continued, The Green Ribbon Commission is a really exciting part of my job. We brought <br /> leaders together from all sectors. We have education institutions, our businesses, our utilities, <br /> several non-profits in the area, other governments and several students join me on the Green <br /> Ribbon Commission which is co-chaired by sustainability leaders from both Notre Dame and IU- <br /> South Bend. The Green Ribbon Commissioners are really important because they are a sounding <br /> board for the projects that we're taking on and the direction that we're going in the Sustainability <br /> Office. They're also valuable ambassadors that carry City information back to their organizations <br /> and help advocate for the work that the City is doing. Then they provide additional resources to <br /> me in the Sustainability Office and to each other, forming partnerships with fellow Green Ribbon <br /> Commission members, helping each other out with projects and making sure that we're not <br /> duplicating efforts. Renewable energy is another area where we've been actively installing solar <br /> on three (3) of our own facilities and making it easier for residents to understand the benefits of <br /> renewables and install their own. Energy management is a really valuable area. We're pursuing <br /> efficiency projects in our facilities, identifying unique funding mechanisms like the energy saving <br /> performance contracts, then tracking energy data to identify opportunities. <br /> Co-Committee Chair Broden interrupted to announce that people are free to stand in the back of <br /> the room, but if anybody wants to get a seat, now might be a good time to move around to make <br /> room for others to sit. <br /> Ms. Dorau stated, We also do a lot of regional and State engagement, working with our utility <br /> companies, our lawmakers and regulators on energy matters that have both cost and climate <br /> EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 227W.Jefferson Bvld South Bend,Indiana 46601 p 574.235.9221 1574.235.9173 TTD 574.235.5567 www.southbendin.gov <br /> 4 <br />