LAMBERTVILLE: City is ‘on clearer path to a better future’

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   LAMBERTVILLE — The City of Lambertville has achieved the bronze-level status for Sustainable Jersey, a nonprofit certification program for towns and cities in the state that want to “go green, save money and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long-term.”
   According to Sustainable Jersey’s website, achieving bronze-level status means “a municipality has made a commitment to sustainability and taken the first significant steps.”
   ”Being sustainable isn’t just about protecting the environment. It’s also about taking smart steps that will save taxpayers money. It’s about building a community with a vision of the future,” longtime Lambertville Mayor David Del Vecchio said.
   Initiated by Mayor Del Vecchio, the city’s Green Team is led by members of the Environmental Commission and works with community partners. Projects have included work on a “complete streets” policy to enhance safety for both motorists and pedestrians, local wellness programs, a “Buy Local” program, implementation of single-stream recycling and e-waste recycling and a recycling depot.
   The Green Team has been working with the Friends of the Lambertville Library to present films on Earth Day to help to endorse sustainability and environmental topics.
   The group also continues to work with Lambertville Public School to bring programs like “Safe Routes to School,” the Community Garden and the Rain Barrel Project to the school.
   Last year, they teamed with Animal Alliance to educate the community on rabies vaccination and feral cats. The team also worked on a companion pledge to support the New Jersey Wildlife Action Plan Natural Resources Clustering Ordinance to regulate new development.
   Mayor and council also updated the city’s steep slopes ordinance to protect them from development, adopted a complete streets resolution, supported the national Mayor’s Wellness campaign, and participated in a Diversity Survey.
   In 2010, through grant funds, the city completed an energy audit, which resulted in upgrading both City Hall and the library to energy-efficient gas systems, as well as more efficient HVAC and lighting systems for the Justice Center.
   ”The steps we’ve taken to upgrade our own facilities will not just make our buildings cleaner and brighter, but cheaper to run,” said Mayor Del Vecchio.
   ”And through the work of the Green Team, the city itself is on a clearer path to a better future.”
   The Green Team members are Brad Campbell, Gina Fischetti, Emily Goldman, Michael Heffler, Charles “Chuck” Kaufmann, Brian Keyes, Julie Anne Hajdusek and Julia Taylor.