Making the town more sustainable
Committee looks to put Greenwich on right track, seeks input
GREENWICH — An initiative to create a “sustainable Greenwich” is entering its second year of working to protect, preserve and restore the town’s natural ecosystems while also enriching its character.
“A lot of our work has been connecting the dots with initiatives that are already out there,” said Selectperson Jill Oberlander, who oversees the committee.
“And one of our goals is to have a lot more public information and education on the resources we already do have in town and activities that different groups are undertaking. So when people are thinking
about sustainability within Greenwich, they will see all the different components that are already going on,” she said.
One step is to put together a network of town residents and organizations who will work together on sustainable issues. The committee was one of the first initiatives put in place by First Selectman Fred Camillo when he and the Board of Selectmen took office in December 2019.
The goal is to raise public awareness of sustainable issues — by recording the existing initiatives and by identifying gaps and recommending actions, Oberlander said. It was put together under the guidelines of the 2019 Plan of Conservation and Development for the town.
And more than a year into its work, Oberlander said on Monday that the ongoing work is going well by bringing groups together and connecting efforts to make them stronger.
The committee has shown its support for programs such as the food scrap recycling at Holly Hill by Waste Free Greenwich, as well as the new textile recycling.
The committee also supported bicycle education day by Pedal Greenwich to promote transportation sustainability and air quality; bulb planting in town by the POCD Greenscape Committee; and efforts by One Water, One Land to conserve and protect resources.
Oberlander also pointed to the electric car charging station installed at Town Hall and new bicycle safety awareness signs — two town programs that had committee support.
Co-chair of the committee Patricia Sesto, the town’s director of environmental affairs, praised the communication with the Board of Selectmen and the town’s Planning and Zoning Department. The committee will be doing more networking in town in the months ahead.
One of the items on the 2021 to-do list is to get the town re-certified under the Sustainable CT program as well as helping to implement POCD recommendations.
In 2018, Greenwich became one of the first towns certified under Sustainable CT, which is a statewide initiative from Eastern Connecticut State University designed to promote sustainability. That year, Greenwich received the silver ranking for its efforts, which is the highest rank offered.
At the time, Sustainable CT praised Greenwich’s “efficient, resilient and inclusive best practices.”
Oberlander also made a public call for more input, urging residents with an interest in getting more involved to reach out to her through Town Hall. Last month, she said that part of the initiative is “bringing in as many viewpoints and different interest groups as possible.”
“We are always looking to connect with individuals who have an interest in pursuing a more sustainable Greenwich,” she said. “We have great representation with familiar partners and some not so familiar. We live in a big town and want to be sure we consistently reach out to hear from and include residents who have an interest.”
Oberlander said the long-term goal is for this to be a sustaining effort in town.
“This is something that will hopefully have a solid foundation that we can all build on,” she said. “It’s not meant to be temporary or transitional.”
Meetings are held twice a month. Minutes and Zoom recordings of the meeting are available online at www.greenwichct.gov. Its next meeting will be Thursday.