Sustainability and Edgeworth Borough
Introduction
Edgeworth Borough understands the importance of practicing sustainability in order to ensure that the high quality of life enjoyed by current residents continues for generations to come. In recent years, Edgeworth has undertaken the responsibility to assess, improve, and commit to establishing sustainable policies and procedures using the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification. This program provides a roadmap to help municipalities assess sustainable practices in a wide variety of areas, including governance, diversity, education, energy use, environmental stewardship, and others. Through the implementation of the program criteria, Edgeworth Borough has been recognized as a Gold Certified Community.
On August 18, 2020, Edgeworth Borough Council passed a resolution establishing the Borough’s Sustainability Program. The Program will work to further sustainable practices through internal assessments, community outreach, and public education, as well as providing progress updates for reaching sustainability goals. Administrative Assistant Ellen DeWeese coordinates the Sustainability Program. Please read more about the programs, policies and initiatives that Edgeworth is implementing below!
Borough Operations
Energy Star: Edgeworth Borough has recently begun tracking its energy usage through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. This helps to keep tabs on the amount of water, energy, and waste that our building is responsible for and allows us to understand how our internal actions directly impact our energy usage.
Training: All borough employees partake in regular training sessions to stay up to date on internal polices, safety practices, sustainability initiatives, diversity and more. These trainings take place in the form of conferences, lunch-and-learns, webinars, and development sessions. As of 2020, Edgeworth Borough has also created a policy for newly elected officials to attend orientation or training to further their understanding of municipal government and the responsibilities that their position holds.
Internal Recycling: All employees are encouraged to properly recycle during their time at work. With bins in each office suite and common areas, we strive to promote diversion of trash from our waste stream. We also educate our employees on changing recycling practices and common mistakes through group learning programs.
Community Partnerships
Live Well Allegheny: As a member of the Live Well Allegheny Community, Edgeworth has committed to improving the health and wellness of all residents. The Live Well Allegheny program has compiled a large list of resources in order to provide information on healthy lifestyles. These topics range from County Park resources and programming, to health organization contact information, to nutritional guides, and upcoming events. It is an invaluable resource for the community and we encourage all residents to visit the resource page to learn more.
Support Local: Farmer’s markets are a great way to support our local businesses. The Sewickley Farmer’s Market operates every Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm during the spring, summer, and fall. Local food can play an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a healthy community. Live Well Allegheny and Western Pennsylvania’s Local Food Guide can be a great resource for residents looking to add more local food and restaurants into their diets!
Intergovernmental Cooperation: Edgeworth Borough is an active member of the Quaker Valley Council of Governments. This council facilitates intergovernmental cooperation, collective programming, and big-picture problem solving. For more information, refer to the QVCOG website.
Sustainable Policies and Programs
LED Light Bulbs: In an effort to increase energy efficiency, Edgeworth Borough, in partnership with Duquesne Light Company, has retrofitted 66% of its street light inventory to high energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulb technology. These new bulbs not only provide a brighter spectrum of light, but also use a fraction of the electricity when compared to the former Sodium Vapor bulbs. The Borough has set a goal to retrofit all remaining light poles with LED technology by the end of 2021.
Sidewalk Repair Program: Here in Edgeworth Borough, we are proud of our beautiful streets and miles of well-maintained sidewalks. We love seeing our residents walking around the Borough and interacting with the community. To ensure safe walking, we regularly examine all of our sidewalks for hazards and have implemented a sidewalk repair notification system. We expect all homeowners to ensure their sidewalk does not create a hazard due to large height differences between squares, tree root damage, cracked or broken pieces, or any other defects. This allows us to be the pedestrian friendly community that Edgeworth has become known to be!
Urban Hiking Trails: Walking, running and biking are favorite hobbies of many residents. To encourage urban exploration and more walkability of our streets, we have created urban-hiking trails. These trails will take you past highlights of Edgeworth Borough and allow you to know exactly how far you have traveled. Check out the GIS map below to see our new Urban Hiking Trails.