West Chester considers hiring new sustainability coordinator

WEST CHESTER >> The three member Finance and Revenue Committee voted unanimously this week to hire a sustainability coordinator.

The borough has operated without the position since Meghan Fogarty left the job in September.

Fogarty spearheaded a joint food recovery program with West Chester University.

About 15 residents in the audience applauded the vote that might become official, if the full seven member council agrees, at next Wednesday’s voting session.

The borough will likely make room in the 2019 budget by outsourcing a part time building and housing inspector tasked with performing fire inspections.

Margaret Hudgings talked about the Sustainability Advisory Committee.

“We need professional support,” Hudgins said about the committee. “It’s great to run it with volunteers but professional support is really needed.”

Council chair Diane LeBold said the committee will need to set up parameters.

“Everything that everyone wants to do is not possible,” LeBold said. “We’ll get there, but it’s going to take a little bit of time.”

Mayor Dianne Herrin, a strong supporter for the hiring, said that those involved “will need to think outside

the box because sustainability solutions require hard work and creativity.”

The borough will look to another college town, State College, for guidance.

“Sustainability has many different definitions,” reads the State College

website. “For State College Borough, sustainability means using best practices to create lasting environmental, economic, societal and fiscal vitality as part of State College’s overall mission to enhance the quality of life by fostering

a safe, vibrant, diverse and sustainable community; by providing quality, innovative, cost-effective services; and by allocating resources efficiently with professionalism, integrity, transparency and accountability.”