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PROVO — A Utah County citizen-based environmental group is surveying mayors and other top city officials to probe what government policies or practices that promote environmental stewardship may be in place.
James Westwater, chairman of the Utah Valley Earth Forum, said the 30-plus question survey was mailed early this year to every city and town mayor in the county. The survey is designed to highlight and acknowledge practices already embraced and increase awareness in areas where there remains room for improvement, he said.
"We think the public is interested in knowing what good deeds are being done out there where we live. We want to pat people on the back and say 'Job well done' and recognize who is doing good things to be helpful to the earth," Westwater said.
The voluntary survey is not meant to be punitive, Westwater stressed, and is intended to underscore goals that cities and towns can strive to achieve.
"It is not meant to be a complete list by any means. If a city and town were doing all these things, that would be wonderful," he said. "It is a target, as a way to help them to become aware of the many things they can be doing to be helpful."
It makes sense to do this kind of benchmarking to see where we are at. It is hard to decide where to go unless you know where you are.
–- Don Jarvis
Westwater says he believes it is the first survey of its kind undertaken in the state that taps information on a countywide level looking at such diverse issues as energy, air quality, transportation, zoning and water practices.
"Our pilot test was with Provo, but we are hoping this will be an annual event."
Provo officials have already completed the forum's survey and received a stewardship award from the group after their participation.
Don Jarvis, the city's volunteer sustainability adviser, said the survey was an effective eye-opener about progresses made and achievements left to accomplish.
"It makes sense to do this kind of benchmarking to see where we are at," Jarvis said. "It is hard to decide where to go unless you know where you are."
Jarvis said it makes sense for cities to pursue "green" practices — not only to be eco-friendly but to be fiscally responsible.
"There's a lot more good work being done by city employees over the years because sustainability at its core is cost-effective," he said. "Nobody wants to live in a dump."
Federal stimulus money has helped Provo pay for energy audits of its public buildings, the replacement of street lighting on Center Street with LED lights and moving nearly all the city's traffic signals over to LED lighting.
The city's new recreation center also will incorporate as much green energy in its design as possible, Jarvis said.
Voters approved bonding for the center last fall, with construction already under way. The center is anticipated to open in the spring of 2013.
Roger Thomas, Provo's director of parks and recreation, said the city is working closely with the architectural firm to ensure that all lighting is energy-efficient— skylights will be installed where possible — and building materials will be used to maintain heat in the winter and block it out in the summer.
In addition, the center's six aquatic features will be heated via solar energy if budget constraints allow.
"From our perspective, it is a very important element of our plan," Thomas said. "The idea is to have this one of the nicest — if not the nicest — recreation centers in the state."
Westwater says he is hopeful that other cities will follow the lead of Provo and take part in the forum's survey.
"Provo is the largest city in Utah County, the flagship city if you will, and the third-largest city in the state," he said. "We thought it would be good to see if they were interested in participating — and we were delighted that they were."
More information on the forum is available at www.uvef.us.
Email:aodonoghue@ksl.com
