In the spring of 2009, Green Team Spirit began working with the Town of Cortlandt, NY to help them plan and implement a sustainability strategy in accordance with their mission:
Sustainable Cortlandt Mission Statement – To protect and enhance the quality of life of our residents and the unique environment of our area by establishing programs and policies which integrate sustainability into Town governance and planning, at the same time we want to encourage and enable Town residents and businesses to adopt sustainable practices.
With full commitment by the town supervisor and board, we embarked on a holistic approach that touched every person in town government. By nature, most municipalities are department/division driven and there are few occasions for cross-functional collaboration. In contrast, the implementation of a sustainability plan relies on cross-functional collaboration, so we set out to learn how each department functioned in order to seek common solutions toward a sustainable Cortlandt.
Department surveys & interviews
An on-line survey was sent to all staff to gather feedback on how business is done in their work area and to elicit ideas on how to make improvements that would help the environment and save money. The survey was followed up with hour-long face-to-face meetings with department staff, using the survey as a conversation tool.
The information that resulted from these sessions was incredibly valuable. It identified redundant practices and opportunities for shared services. Some departments were very eco-conscious and had switched to systems that generated minimal waste, where others were farther behind. Certain themes like the need for a common kitchen were mentioned repeatedly. Lively discussions about saving energy, reducing waste, consolidating transportation routes, reducing paper and so much more came out of these meetings.
The process had many additional benefits. Staff members enjoyed the opportunity to share ideas and to be part of an important program that many felt passionate about. The interviewing process created a buzz around town government and by the time the last groups came in for interviews, they were well informed and bursting with ideas.
A follow-up survey was sent one year later in June 2010 revealing significant improvements across the board, including an 8% reduction in energy usage and a 66% reduction in purchased cases of copy paper in one year.
Cortlandt Green Team
With the buzz already started, a kick-off event for town staff was held in May 2009 to formally announce town leadership’s commitment to sustainability and energy reduction goals. Staff learned that their participation in helping achieve these goals was critically important and they were invited to join the new Cortlandt Green Team. Thirty of 200 employees signed up right away, representative of all town departments and divisions. The team has been active for over a year and the impact that the program has had on town government has been transformative.
Cross-functional staff is collaborating on projects that they selected and prioritized as a team. They immediately set out to tackle the “low hanging fruit” that was revealed through the interview process and developed tools to communicate, educate and create awareness.
The team structure has evolved over the year with the creation of a 4-person executive board that serves an organizational role to oversee team activities where goals, timelines and accountability are tracked to stay on course.
Recent Cortlandt Green Team initiatives include:
- Formal adoption of a Green Purchasing policy, which mandates environmental, social and economic considerations before purchasing.
- The reduction of brochures mailed to residents where departments consolidated information into a single brochure, reducing paper and postage.
- The consolidation of driving routes to maximize fuel efficiency.
- The launch of the Sustainable Cortlandt website: www.townofcortlandt.com/green
- Monthly “lunch & learns” for staff and the community that focus on “green topics” such as recycling, stormwater, and composting.
- Communication tools such as a Google group; bulletin board, Friday emails, website postings, press releases and surveys.
- Monthly green team meetings.
- Participation in town events such as Family Fun Day and Earth Day.
- Sponsorship of a green vendor fair.
Engaging “people” in the sustainability process is the key to success. This may sound simple but it is often overlooked. A municipality may have an excellent sustainability plan but if this does not include the engagement, training and appreciation of “people” in the process, it is likely to fail. “People” shut off lights when they leave the room, “people” scan rather than print documents, “people” recycle. “People” know how to be more sustainable in their job and “people” care about a better world.
For me, it has been an incredible personal experience to be a part of the Sustainable Cortlandt movement. So much has been accomplished in one year and I can’t wait to see what next year brings!
Dani Glaser - Owner
Green Team Spirit
www.greenteamspirit.com
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