by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
As all elementary school students know, “green means go” and it’s the right thing to do.
The City believes “going green” is the right thing to do because it will lead to preserving the environment while reducing the cost of operating government buildings.
“We’re taking on a city-wide green initiative program,” said Christi Velleta, program administrator for the Environmental Protection Board.
The City is using as its guide a program first developed in 1998 by the U.S. Green Building Council. “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” Green Building rating system (LEED) is a multi-faceted effort that includes the establishment of consistent standards of measurement and promoting environmentally-conscious designs for both public buildings and private-sector developments. The idea is to conserve resources like water and electricity through design and choice of electrical and plumbing fixtures. The program also involves recycling as much as possible from demolition and construction materials to the water bottle on an employee’s desk. Green initiatives can go all the way to choosing cleaning and maintenance supplies that don’t harm the environment.
“The City is doing it because it’s the right thing to do and we want to set an example for private developers to build ‘green’,” said Velleta.
She added based on the experience of other cities, it’s also a way to save quite a bit of taxpayers’ money.
“There can be huge energy savings, as much as 20 or 30 percent of consumption. It can really reduce the cost of operating city government plus there is a wonderful benefit for the environment.”
Velleta also said the City is currently developing legislation that will define its efforts toward promoting development that meets LEED guidelines.
“We want to establish a program to train stakeholders city-wide how to create and sustain green initiatives for the City’s buildings.
We’d also like to offer incentives to developers and we have determined one of the best incentives is time.
“We want to work with the building and zoning departments and the Planning Department to implement reductions in the time it normally takes for reviewing plans and zoning changes. Green buildings can cost more, but speeding up the permitting process can save a developer thousands of dollars,” she said.
The interior renovation at the new City Hall Annex (the former Haverty’s Building) is being designed with green initiatives in mind and the City is considering making changes at the Main Library and City Hall to meet LEED standards.
“The Mayor has decided the new County Courthouse will be designed using green initiatives, so that means Jacksonville would have buildings in all three categories: renovation, retrofit and new construction,” said Velleta.
The EPB is also taking the green initiatives into the public school system. The board has awarded grants this year totaling more than $5,000 to a record 17 schools and projects ranging from recycling programs to butterfly gardens.
Velleta also said information about the City’s green initiatives will be available at the Earth Day Ecology Fair 10 a.m. Saturday at the Landing.