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Climate Smart Communities Certification Report

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bronze Certified

This is the Climate Smart Communities Certification Report of Bronxville, Village (Westchester). Bronxville, Village (Westchester) is a bronze certified Climate Smart Community.

Bronxville, Village (Westchester) was certified on September 19, 2022 with 149 points earned from 20 completed actions. Listed below is information regarding Bronxville, Village (Westchester)’s Climate Smart Communities efforts and materials associated with its certified actions.

The certification for Bronxville, Village (Westchester) will expire on September 30, 2027.

Contact Information

The designated Climate Smart Communities contact for Bronxville, Village (Westchester) is:

Name:Stephen Shallo
Title/Position:Asst. to Village Administrator / Village Administration
Address:200 Pondfield Road
Bronxville, NY 10708

Actions Implemented

Each approved action and supporting documentation for which Bronxville, Village (Westchester) was approved for in 2022 appears below. Note: Standards for the actions below may have changed and the documentation listed may no longer satisfy requirements for that action.

  • 1. Build a climate-smart community.

    PE1 Action: CSC Task Force

    20 Points
    Bronze Mandatory Silver Mandatory

    Program Summary: On April 12, 2021 the Bronxville Board of Trustees held a public meeting introducing a resolution establishing the Climate Smart Communities Task Force, membership, and coordinator. The Village believes participation in the CSC program will help our community continue efforts already underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to the changing climate, and build resilience and sustainability in our community. Additionally, the first meeting of the CSC Taskforce was held March 31, 2021 to begin outlining our efforts and serve as an opportunity for members to meet each other. A meeting was held on May 19, 2021 and opened to members of the public. The public were offered an opportunity to share their thoughts on our efforts and recommend action items they would like to see the Village pursue.

    PE1 Action: CSC Coordinator

    10 Points
    Bronze Mandatory Silver Mandatory

    Program Summary: On April 12, 2021 the Bronxville Board of Trustees held a public meeting introducing a resolution establishing the Climate Smart Communities Task Force, membership, and coordinator. The Village has appointed Stephen D. Shallo, Assistant to the Village Administrator, as Coordinator of the CSC Task Force. In his role, Stephen will manage the efforts of the Task Force and serve as the main point of contact to NYS. The CSC Coordinator has attended all internal and public meetings of the task force. Minutes have been attached demonstrating proof of attendance at the most recent public meetings.

    PE1 Action: National/Regional Climate Program

    3 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville, in partnership with our neighboring communities across the County, offers it's residents access to ReCollect app through Sustainable Westchester. This tool is available for visitors to our website check on the pickup schedule at their address, print a personalized calendar or find out how to dispose of specific items using the Recyclopedia. Residents can also use the mobile app to be reminded about the pickup schedule or to be alerted to changes in the schedule. It provides an incredibly useful tool to help guide residents when to leave their trash and recycling and guide them on what is an acceptable recycling item. Additionally, the Village participates in NYSERDA's Charge Ready program and, to date, has installed three individual charging stations throughout the Village with access for 6 electric vehicles at any given time. The Village actively monitors use and interest in the stations and is preparing plans for potential expansion. Finally, the Village of Bronxville is now a participating member of ICLEI. We have attached an invoice from ICLEI as well as evidence of payment of dues. The Village will be utilizing ICLEI's tools to help with our ongoing greenhouse gas inventory and, we will seek technical assistance from ICLEI throughout the process.

    PE1 Action: Partnerships with Other Entities

    3 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville collaborates with various state and local jurisdictions and organizations to share ideas and implement conservation efforts. Attached is a summary with supporting documentation of our partnerships and outcomes with Sustainable Westchester, New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (NYSACC), NYSERDA Charge Ready, Pollinator Pathways, Eastchester Community Action Partnership, Bronx River Watershed Coalition and Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council.

  • 2. Inventory emissions, set goals, and plan for climate action.

    PE2 Action: Government Operations GHG Inventory

    16 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville completed a government operations GHG inventory in April 2022 using baseline operations year of 2018. The work was completed using ICLEI ClearPath software and included Scope 1, 2 and 3 activities, all documented by collecting actual utility bills and data on municipal fleet VMT and miles per gallon. Because the local firehouse is operated by the Town of Eastchester, those emissions were considered Scope 3. The Village also completed an employee commute survey and estimated natural gas fugitive emissions as Scope 3 activities. The report was reviewed by the full CSC Task Force, Village administration, and distributed and presented to the Village Trustees on May 9, 2022 at a public meeting. The completed report was posted on the Green Committee section of the Village website in May 2022 here: https://www.villageofbronxville.com/bronxville-green-committee/pages/green-house-gases-report-municipal. The report was also distributed to residents in the Village June 2022 Newsletter here:https://www.villageofbronxville.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif336/f/news/june_2022_newsletter_2.pdf The report will be used over the next year to plan GHG reductions. Actions already under consideration for future GHG reductions are escalating transition to LED outdoor lighting, purchasing electric vehicles for municipal activities, improving building energy efficiency, and seeking to install a solar array on the new DPW building.

    PE2 Action: Community GHG Inventory

    16 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville completed a communitywide GHG inventory in June 2022 using baseline year of 2018. The work was completed using ICLEI ClearPath software to calculate MT CO2e emissions and estimates emissions from the five Basic Emissions Generating Activities required by nationally accepted standards for conducting such inventories (GHG Protocols | ICLEI USA), These elements included: use of electricity by the community, use of fuel in residential and commercial stationary combustion equipment (natural gas & heating oil), on-road passenger and freight motor vehicle travel (gasoline and diesel consumption), use of energy in potable water and wastewater treatment and distribution, and generation of solid waste by the community. The community inventory also included the following activities: energy use from Metro-North Railroad and Bee-Line bus transportation within the Village, wastewater processing, and fugitive emissions from natural gas leakage. The report was reviewed by the full CSC Task Force, Village administration, and distributed and presented to the Village Trustees on June 13, 2022 at a public meeting. The completed report was posted on the Green Committee section of the Village website in June 2022 https://www.villageofbronxville.com/bronxville-green-committee/pages/greenhouse-gas-report-community and will be used over the next year to plan GHG reductions. The CSC Task Force plans to us the municipal GHG inventory along with the communitywide GHG inventory data to undertake a Climate Action Plan over the next year.

  • 3. Decrease energy use.

    PE3 Action: Fleet Inventory

    4 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville took steps the summer of 2021 to produce a complete vehicle inventory of fleets used by our Public Works, Police, and Village Hall staff. It was important for Bronxville to have an accurate and up to date report from which we can continue to update. The report will help us make informed decisions regarding replacement vehicles and/or new additions to our fleet. We will continue to update the report annually and replace vehicles with fuel efficient options when appropriate. We believe the report will help the Village to improve efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas missions, improve our environment and potentially save taxpayer money. The report is maintained by the Assistant Village Administrator and will be updated in real time as vehicles are added or removed from the roster.

    PE3 Action: LED Traffic Signals

    4 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville has transitioned all traffic lights/signals throughout the Village to LED. This helps motorists to see the lights better thereby reducing traffic and accidents and improving pedestrian safety. The attached documentation contains a list of all traffic signals currently served by ConEd along with their related wattage and locations throughout the Village.

  • 4. Shift to clean, renewable energy.

    PE4 Action: Heat Pumps

    9 Points

    Program Summary: In 2005 Bronxville installed a geothermal heating & cooling system in Village Hall, a 20,500 square foot building located in the center of the Village of Bronxville. The system continues to heat and cool the building. This system, also known as a ground-source heat pump system, provides most of the heating and cooling for the 20,500 square foot Village Hall. Since it's installation, the system has been saving the Village money and has drastically reduced its reliance on heating oil. Geothermal systems are among the most efficient heating and cooling technologies available, and they also work in single-family homes and apartment buildings—for both new construction and retrofits.

  • 5. Use climate-smart materials management.

    PE5 Action: Organics Management Plan

    6 Points

    Program Summary: In April 2022 the Bronxville Trustees passed a resolution to accept the Village of Bronxville’s 2022 Organic Waste Management Plan. This plan was produced by the Bronxville Climate Smart Task Force in consultation with the Trustees and other Village organizations and stakeholders. It contains a record of our outreach to the community, goals of the program, organic management strategies, and an implementation timeline. This plan explains the impact of wasted food on the environment and describes four programs that seek to reduce this waste—the Bronxville Giving Garden, the Bronxville Farmers Market, the residential Food Scrap Recycling program, and a Municipal Yard Waste Collection program. The Plan suggests further ways in which Bronxville can reduce wasted food by building on these established programs—by encouraging food donation programs among food vendors, by introducing food scrap recycling to local restaurants, by expanding the residential food scrap collection program with a pilot project in an apartment building, and other projects.

    PE5 Action: Recycling Bins in Government Buildings

    3 Points

    Program Summary: Since 2018, the Village of Bronxville has provided recycling bins throughout all village buildings including Village Hall, Police Department, and Public Works. The Village recognizes the importance of recycling and believes it is a critical in reducing energy use and limiting specific materials from the waste stream. Upon enrollment in the Climate Smart Communities program, the Village has taken steps to supplement their existing recycling bins with additional ones throughout the municipal buildings and providing helpful signage in certain places to inform the staff. Bins are located at workstations, common areas, and our kitchen/breakroom.

    PE5 Action: Organic Waste Program for Government Buildings

    2 Points

    Program Summary: In December of 2019, the Village of Bronxville began participating in Westchester County's Food Scrap Collection Program. The program was first launched for residents and, in March of 2022 the program was expanded to Village Hall thereby allowing Village staff to participate. Village Hall square footage consists of 41% of the overall public buildings within the Village. The below letter and memo highlight the Village's effort to recycle as well and reduce food scraps from our waste streams. The food waste is dropped off by village staff to the collection site behind Village Hall. The food waste is collected by a private hauler on a weekly basis and transported to Sustainable Materials Management in Purchase, NY. At this facility, it is processed and transformed into compost. The Village purchases a shipment of compost to then give back to residents to encourage additional participating in the food scrap program. Additionally, organic waste collected on Village Hall property is combined with the organic waste collected throughout the Village. This organic waste is brought to a composting facility on California Road that is operated in cooperation with the Town of Eastchester and the Village of Tuckahoe. The current inter-municipal agreement is included within the documents to demonstrate the ongoing effort between our communities.

    PE5 Action: Waste Reduction Education Campaign

    2 Points

    Program Summary: From May 2021 to February 2022, the Bronxville Green Committee, under Village government, ran a Waste Reduction Educational Campaign targeted to Village residents to help support village efforts to reduce waste and provide education to residents on how to properly reduce, reuse and recycle items in daily life. The attached document describes the campaign and provides links, images and photos of communications and events.

    PE5 Action: Residential Organic Waste Program

    8 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville has an active food waste drop-off program and a community-wide curbside pick-up yard waste program. Each of these programs is currently active and the attached memo describes the programs and includes recent photographs documenting the programs. Organic yard waste is collected by Bronxville Dept. of Public works and brought to a facility shared by the Villages of Bronxville and Tuckahoe, and the Town of Eastchester. The organic waste is processed and broken down. It is returned to areas throughout the three communities in public parks and open areas. The food waste is dropped off by residents to a collection site behind Village Hall. The food waste is collected by a private hauler on a weekly basis and transported to Sustainable Materials Management in Purchase, NY. At this facility, it is processed and transformed into compost. The Village purchases a shipment of compost to then give back to residents to encourage additional participating in the food scrap program. Please see attached summary and documentation about these programs.

  • 6. Implement climate-smart land use.

    PE6 Action: Comprehensive Plan with Sustainability Elements

    21 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville Board of Trustees began an update of its existing Comprehensive Plan in July 2018 with the assistance of BFJ Planning. The Village has worked to develop the plan and throughout the summer of 2018, the Board of Trustees conducted joint meetings with the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals and a number of stakeholders regarding preparation of the plan. Additionally, a public survey in connection with the preparation of the Comprehensive Plan was conducted from March 24, 2019 to April 30, 2019; and a public hearing sessions on October 15th and November 12th. Following this, revisions to the Plan throughout this process to account for public comments and Board discussions, and the Board has reviewed and approved these revisions. The plan contains several sustainability elements including flooding & stormwater management, wetland preservation, and carbon footprint reduction efforts. The Village plan also includes information regarding our farmer's market which provides fresh food and produce to residents from Bronxville, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and Tuckahoe. The market promotes and encourages vendors to accept EBT/food assistance programs so that everyone has access to health food. Finally, the Village plan includes elements to improve walkability. The Village, recognizing that many of our older residents prefer to walk throughout our community, is pursuing said improvements to enable direct access to vital resources by improving crosswalks, roadways, and traffic flow. The improvements will make seniors feel safer and encourage them to walk to the hospital, train station, farmer’s market, or shops throughout Village.

    PE6 Action: Alternative-fuel Infrastructure

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The Village has installed a total of three dual port level 2 charging stations. One electric vehicle charging station is located within our Parkway Road lot (120 Parkway Road) and two electric vehicle charging stations are located within our Kensington Garage (115 Kensington Road). These stations have been installed and made available for use with the objective of reducing vehicle emissions and encouraging our residents, merchants and visitors to purchase (or consider) electric vehicles. The electric vehicle charging stations are currently set up to provide access to EV Permit Holders from 7:00AM - 3:00PM Monday through Friday. After 3:00PM and all day Saturday and Sunday, the stations can be accessed by any member of the public who wishes to use them. The Village continues at actively assess demand for EV stations and is establishing the ground work to install an additional two units.

    PE6 Action: Traffic Calming

    3 Points

    Program Summary: In October 2021, the Village Board of Trustees passed a resolution approving the creation of a speed hump policy. The objective of the policy is to encourage drivers to reduce their speed thereby improving safety in our community. This is part of a larger effort of Bronxville to implement vehicle and pedestrian safety improvements to encourage the walkability of our neighborhood while maintain vehicular traffic. The Village has received interest in speed humps from local residents and those correspondences/emails have been uploaded to demonstrate the interest from our community.

  • 8. Support a green innovation economy.

    PE8 Action: Farmers’ Markets

    3 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville, in cooperation with the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce have offered the Bronxville Farmer's Market to residents and neighboring communities for several years. This past year, the Farmer's Market was an especially vital resource as it gave many residents access to fresh food in an outdoor setting during the worst of the pandemic. Many vendors are regional farms and artisans and a few are even local business owners. In 2021, the Farmer's Market began on Saturday May 15 and took place every Saturday through November 20 or 28 separate times! The Village of Bronxville Police Department closes the street at Stone Place (along Paxton Avenue) for the market. Additionally the Department of Public Works provides trash bins and collection following the event. The attached document further describes the Bronxville Farmer's Market and provides supporting links and images of communications and the event.

  • 9. Inform and inspire the public.

    PE9 Action: Local Climate Action Website

    3 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville has an extensive website which provides information on all local government programs and news, including local government climate-related efforts. The website is https://www.villageofbronxville.com. In addition, the Bronxville Green Committee launched a website in May 2021 to create a resource for residents that is focused on local government climate-related efforts, local programs, sustainability practices/tips and specific action-oriented steps. The website is www.bxvgreencommittee.org. The homepage provides recent updates with tabs that provide in-depth content related to: • Community Programs • Recycling, Reduce & Reuse Rules, and Resources • Biodiversity • Clean Energy • Businesses • Educational Resources Specific information on how each requirement is achieved in this action is provided in the attached summary.

    PE9 Action: Social Media

    3 Points

    Program Summary: The Village of Bronxville Green Committee created an Instagram social media account (@bxvgreencommittee) in July 2020. As of May 2022, the committee made 146 posts related to Village programs, sustainable living and clean energy solutions and has accumulated over 400 followers. It has been a useful tool to help inform the community about local government climate-related efforts and provide action-oriented engagement. The attached documentation details the 14 posts that meet the requirements supporting clean energy and climate initiatives between May 2021 and May 2022.

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