2017 Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan

1. Overview

The City of Orlando Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan was first issued in 2012 as an important step to ensure the City of Orlando’s sustainable and vibrant future. The Municipal Operations Sustainability Report focuses on actions that the city and its employees can take in order to make the city a leader in sustainable practices. 

This Progress Report focuses on the goals, benchmarks and action items that city offices and employees are taking in this effort. The Progress Report is essential to highlight early successes and identify areas that need additional focus from city offices to ensure we accomplish the short term and long term goals. This report shows the advancement the city has made toward the 12 goals and associated benchmarks. A new addition to this progress report is a focus on improving the city’s resiliency. Each topic now has an area dedicated to resiliency, which is the capacity of a system to undergo disturbance and maintain its functions and controls. The city must be prepared for disturbances such as hurricanes, possible fuel shortages, drought, extreme rain events, electricity outages, terrorist attacks as well as urban heat island effect. The sections in this report go into more detail as to how the city is working to become more resilient.

Accomplishment highlights

• Establishment of the revolving energy fund; this allows funds to be used for city energy efficiency upgrades, the savings from those upgrades are used to pay off the initial investment and re-allocate savings to additional energy efficiency improvements in other city-owned buildings.
• The city is currently performing 56 green retrofits, exceeding the initial expectations of 40 green building retrofits.
• The city is in the process of replacing the solid waste fleet with trucks fueled by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Hydraulic Hybrid (HH).
• The city’s bike share program kicked off in January of 2015, and has 200 bicycles located at 34 stations.
• The city has been actively installing bike racks and bike repair stations and has installed approximately 70 racks and 5 repair stations since 2012.
• The city has constructed 10 additional LEED certified buildings since 2012, with more in the pipeline including the Orlando Police Headquarters.
• The city has met the 2017 goal of 79 lakes rated as good quality (TSI less than 61).

Areas that need more work

• Offering bi-annual education and staff training for staff.
• Developing an Environmentally Preferential Purchasing (EPP) policy, each department must conserve and utilize existing materials and consistently choose more sustainable new products.
• Track all street trees planted and removed in order to achieve the net gain of 4,000 street trees by 2017.
• Expand its current production of renewable energy. At the current rate the 2017 goal of 10,089,004 kwh will not be achieved.

2. Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Goal 1: Greenhouse Gas Neutral for Municipal Operations by 2030

Why green house gas emissions are important

The city can provide regional leadership to reduce greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in a manner that creates greater numbers of clean tech jobs here in Central Florida and reduces the city’s $26 million annual energy costs. As fossil fuel usage has increased over the last 200 years, the concentration of GHGs, such as carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere has increased at a quicker rate than natural systems can absorb them. Trapped GHGs gradually increase the amount of heat in the atmosphere, causing a slow, gradual rise in temperatures; variation to rain patterns; increased intensity of storms; sea level rise; and increased variability in the overall weather system. Florida is particularly vulnerable to problems caused by storms and rising sea levels. The city has set the goal of reducing GHG emissions 15% by 2017 from 2010 levels, and a long-term goal of completely eliminating GHG emissions. This will primarily be achieved by reducing electricity and fuel consumption, and greater investment in renewable energy sources. Major projects will be discussed in greater detail in the following sections.

Benchmarks

• 2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 132,659 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2)
• 2017 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Goal: 124,296 tonnes of CO2

Objective

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 15% from 2010 levels by 2017

Progress

2012-2015 Accomplishments

In 2015 the city purchased and implemented the Clear Path program, which includes the Lucid Building OS dashboard. The Lucid program provides for more accurate readings of the city’s electricity, water and fuel use. With the current energy efficiency program, the greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by approximately 6%, this is the initial set of 55 buildings slated for energy efficiency retrofits. 

Resiliency and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The city plays a critical role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases absorb energy and slow/prevent the loss of heat to space. The increase in greenhouse gases is a cause of climate change, which increases the risk and stress to water, sewer, drainage and transportation systems as well as infrastructure. Clear greenhouse gas reduction goals, strategies and enhanced capacity are essential to reduce emissions and become increasingly resilient.

3. Green Building

Goal 2: Ensure that all city-funded buildings, built after 2012, meet green building standards by 2030

Why is green building important

Green buildings provide a multitude of benefits, including:

• Reduced operating costs related to energy and water use
• Improved health and productivity for inhabitants
• Efficient use of materials such as recycled and locally produced materials
• Better care for the existing conditions of the site

Effective municipal green building policies and programs provide the above benefits as well as provide education and training for both the construction industry and the public. Cities that commit to green building practices allow the industry to gain experience. As experience increases, the remainder of the community will benefit from decreased costs and improved quality of life. As a result, additional construction costs to build to LEED standards (a commonly used green building certification system that stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”) has decreased to approximately 1 to 3 percent of the overall building cost for basic certification. In some cases, properly designed green buildings can even be cheaper than conventional construction— for example, the green roof on Fire Station #1 (see below) eliminated the need for an additional underground stormwater vault, reducing construction costs by $500,000.

The city will develop a policy that places clear green building standards on all projects receiving city funding, including new construction and substantial renovations of municipal, commercial, nonprofit, or residential building project for which the city grants, donates, lends or provides monies or services (including tax incentives). Additionally, the city will attempt to implement green building retrofits to all of its facilities by the year 2030 to both reduce utility consumption and increase the sustainability of city operations.

 Benchmarks

• Green City Buildings in 2010: 6 out of 219
• Green City-financed affordable homes in 2010: 2 out of 3
• Green City-financed community buildings in 2010: 2 out of 3

Objective

• 10 additional City buildings are green by 2017
• All new City-financed buildings meet green buildings standards

Progress

2012-2015 Accomplishments

In 2012, one of the new initiatives identified was to complete 40 green building retrofits. The city’s real estate inventory includes over 219 buildings. Although not all will be eligible for “existing building” LEED certification, the retrofits will provide substantial operating reductions. The city is in the process of performing 56 green retrofits, exceeding the initial expectations of this initiative.

Resiliency and Green Buildings

The built environment, such as the design, construction and operation of buildings and infrastructure, has a direct effect on the city’s resiliency. Internal building design (HVAC systems and energy usage), stormwater management and landscape design all have a role in creating green buildings. As the city builds more green buildings there will be less greenhouse gases emitted, site specific stormwater management will assist in moving water from extreme rain events and landscape design will assist in calming temperatures and providing relief from heat to residents.

4. Electricity

Goal 3A: 100% of municipal electricity from renewable sources by 2030

Goal 3B: 50% reduction in municipal electricity consumption by 2030 

Why Renewable Electricity is Important

Electricity consumption is the primary source of Orlando’s municipal GHG emissions. In 2010, the city government consumed 224,200 megawatt hours of electricity at a cost of $20.7 million – utilized for the city’s 219 buildings, 3 wastewater plants and supplementary pumps, 4,000 traffic lights, and 29,000 street lights.

Lowering utility costs frees funding for more valuable municipal services like police and fire protection, while simultaneously reducing its environmental impact. The cheapest way to achieve lower utility costs is through conservation (e.g. turning off lights) and investments in efficiency (e.g. more efficient lighting). The city can also become a leader in energy efficiency by piloting new technologies and educating the community about the city’s experiences.

In addition to efficiency improvements, the city’s GHG footprint can also be reduced by switching to renewable energy sources such as solar electricity. While solar is more expensive than traditional fuel sources today, new public policy and investments are bringing those costs down, eventually the cost should be equal to fossil fuels. Solar power also provides a hedge against the rise of future energy costs and is a much greener way to produce electricity.

The city has set the dual goals of receiving 100% of electricity from clean and renewable sources and improving energy efficiency by 50% from 2010 levels by 2030. This will be accomplished through conservation through education, improved management of operational practices, new policies for the purchase of electrical equipment, energy audits for existing buildings and plants, installation of new efficient technologies in buildings, plants, and infrastructure, exploration of renewable energy sources like solar, waste sludge power generation and solid waste gasification. Through the accomplishment of these goals, the city will produce long-term energy cost savings and promote greater use of renewable energy.

Benchmarks

• 2010 renewable energy produced: 7,423 kwh
• 2010 cumulative electricity cost: $20.7 million
• 2010 electricity consumption: 224,200,102 kilowatt hours (kwh)
• 2010 energy intensity: 33.73 thousand BTU’s per square foot per year
• 2010 street and traffic lights: 12.3% use LED bulbs
• 2010 energy audits Performed: 37 out of 219 buildings

Objective

• 5% of energy derived from renewable sources by 2017
• 10% reduction in energy used by 2017

Progress

1-Current production will only add 1,800,000 on existing; will not meet 2017 without expanding.

2-Current energy conservation projects account for a large portion of the total energy reduction, remainder is unknown.

*According to FY 2016 data

2012-2015 Accomplishments

The City of Orlando was accepted into the city Energy Project (CEP) in 2013. The CEP is a national initiative to create healthier and more prosperous American cities by improving the energy efficiency of buildings. The CEP advisor works collaboratively with the City of Orlando on developing a tailored set of policies and programs that will dramatically improve the energy performance of its building stock. Orlando is leading by example – ramping up the efficiency of public buildings – as they catalyze private investment in energy efficiency measures. The CEP focuses on large public and private-sector buildings, which together account for a disproportionate share of urban energy use and carbon pollution.

The City of Orlando joined the Better Building Challenge in 2010. As part of the Better Buildings Challenge, the city is undergoing energy efficiency upgrades to 56 municipal facilities, including lighting upgrades, HVAC renovations, building automation and controls, and other cost-effective energy conservation measure. 

The city’s Fleet Building has a large solar farm on the roof, which produced an average of 43,932 kWh per month over the past year, with a peak of 63,086 kWh in the month of May 2016. For the month of May 2016, at its highest output of the year, the solar farm contributed 0.55% of the total energy used by the city. Solar water heaters have been installed at Turkey Lake Park, Dr. Smith Community Center, and Dover Shores Community Center, as well as on the roof of Fire Station 1. A study conducted in early 2016 revealing that solar panels may be applicable at 6 buildings; Northwest Community Center, Orlando Police Training Facility/Gun Range, Citrus Conference Center, Primrose Plaza, College Park Community Center and Fire Stations 7, 14, 15, 16, 17.

Resiliency and Electricity

A key factor is a city’s overall resiliency is the resiliency of the electric grid. Extreme weather events can devastate an electric utilities generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. Hardening of the distribution system, using resilient technologies and diversifying energy sources are approaches to protecting the system. The city has been concentrating on energy efficiency and utilizing solar energy in an effort to become more resilient and diversified in our energy sources. 

5. Water

Goal 4A: 50% reduction in use of potable water by 2030

Goal 4B: By 2040, the city shall increase the number of lakes meeting good water quality standards (Trophic State Index less than 61) 

Why Water is Important

The Lower Floridan Aquifer provides Central Florida its primary source of potable (drinking quality) water. Population growth and excessive usage practices are causing water withdrawal to exceed the aquifer’s natural replenishment. As a result, regional water utilities are considering new water sources. Since most of these sources will be more expensive than the aquifer, water efficiency remains the cheapest and greenest solution to meet future water needs.

Sixty-eight percent of the water the city uses is used for irrigation, of which fifteen percent is reclaimed water. The city uses water for maintaining parks, street medians, and operating city facilities. Using native, drought-tolerant landscaping represents one way to decrease the demand for landscape irrigation. A challenge to this reduction is the increase in city park acreage as the city grows in population and land area. 

Additionally, the quality of the water within Orlando’s is imperative to the health and economic well-being of the community. Polluted stormwater run-off from development, improper housekeeping practices, and fertilizer can place strains on the water quality. As a result, lakes can become murky, produce algae blooms, and become undesirable for recreation and wildlife diversity. Currently, the city tests 89 lakes and 79 of the 89 are rated as good quality (TSI less than 61).

In order to reach the long-term goal of reducing long-term potable water use by 50% from 2005 levels, continued improvements and efficiencies will have to be made through improved landscaping, improved irrigation technology, introduction of reclaimed water at other areas within the city, and more efficient indoor water fixtures. The city has also set the goal of ensuring all lakes have water quality that is classified as “good”.

Benchmarks

• 2005 potable water use: 429 million gallons
• 2010 potable water use: 326 million gallons (24% decrease)
• 77 out of 95 city lakes have good water quality (TSI less than 61) in 2010

Objectives

• 4a: Potable water reduction: 40% by 2017 from 2005 levels
• 4b: Improve water quality at two additional lakes to meet the good water quality standard

Progress

*The number of city lakes that are tested fluctuates, in 2015 only 89 of the 95 lakes were tested. In order for a lake to be tested, four total samples are needed over the course of a year for the information to be completed and usable. Scheduled samples can be missed due to issues such as extreme weather, access, etc. Also, the total number of lakes in city also fluctuates due to the definition of a lake, currently 110 water bodies in the city are considered lakes.

2012-2015 Accomplishments

1. The Parks Office has been making upgrades in order to reduce the city’s reliance on irrigation and use more sustainable practices.
   • Continually increasing the amount of mulched areas (decreasing grassed/irrigated areas) as trees grow.
   • Switched to using pine needles instead of pine bark as mulch. Pine needles are more sustainable as the pine trees drop their needles naturally, each year.
   • Utilizing more hardscape in congregation areas, this saves on having to re-sod grass when it is destroyed.
   • Note: all of the parks use potable water. However, some have pumps to use lake water; Lake Underhill, Demetree, Lake Rowena, Loch Haven, Lake Formosa and Lorna Doone.
2. The ControlPort Irrigation system has been set up five parks, 11 systems in total, Loch Haven (1), Gaston Edwards (2), Lake Eola (6), Lake Underhill (1), and Demetree (1). ControlPort is set up in different zones depending on vegetation type in order to reduce water use. The meters show the usage and automatically shut down if there is a break or a head off and send an alert to the system. The information is reviewed and adjusted each month in order to ensure there are no leaks and the vegetation is getting the proper amount of irrigation. The Parks Office will be upgrading the existing ControlPorts and will evaluate areas for future needs and in contracted parks.
3. The Streets and Stormwater Office has installed various stormwater structures to reduce debris and nutrients entering waterways, including baffle boxes, inlet baskets, alum treatment, and a bar screen system. Shoreline plantings have also reduced pollutants entering waterways. Additionally, as part of a vigorous education and outreach plan to decrease pollution, all city field employees and contractors are required to take a Stormwater Pollution Prevention class pertinent to their area of work.

Resiliency and the City’s Water

As water scarcity relates to the city’s parks, there are certain expectations that are held for the condition of the parks. Because of these expectations, the park areas that would be difficult to shut off the irrigation to would be Lake Eola, Edwards Park and the various ball fields. Turning off the water would not affect most of the city’s parks, due to the switch to naturalized landscape and more mulched/treed areas. It would take six months of drought to have a drastic effect on city parks.

The city lakes and watershed areas are affected by drought as well. Lower water levels can cause losses or destruction of fish and wildlife habitat and lack of food and drinking water for wild animals. However, in contrast, lower lake levels improve the quality of lake water.

All of the city’s water reclamation facilities (WRFs) produce highly treated reclaimed water that is suitable for irrigation, make-up water for cooling towers and other purposes. Reclaimed water is a vital component of the recent Water Supply Plan for Orlando. The use of reclaimed water for irrigation lessens the need for groundwater withdrawal and if done strategically can offset negative impacts to groundwater withdrawal.

6. Transportation: Fleet

Goal 5: Run City Fleet Vehicles on 100% renewable sources by 2030

Why a green fleet is important

The city maintains a fleet of approximately 2,389 vehicles (rolling stock) and pieces of motorized equipment. Of the vehicles, the average fleet fuel economy is approximately 18.2 miles per gallon. Overall, fleet fueling costs exceed $5.8 million per year. The city’s fleet of 2,389 vehicles includes:

• 731 Cars
• 615 light trucks
• 162 trucks (e.g. solid waste, fire trucks, wastewater hauling trucks)
• 35 motorcycles

Heavy fuel costs will likely rise at a faster rate and remain more volatile than other costs tracked as part of the Municipal Sustainability Plan. Due to these factors, placing greater emphasis on reducing fuel consumption will produce positive impacts for the city’s sustainability goals and budget planning. Increasing the use of alternative fuels provides an opportunity for substantial GHG reductions.

Benchmarks: 2010

• Alternative fueled vehicles: 273 out of 2,100 vehicles
• Fleet fuel economy: 17.8 mpg
• Diesel consumption (5% biofuel): 865,894 gallons
• Gasoline consumption (10% biofuel): 1,231,583 gallons
• Fuel cost: $5.3 million
• Carbon: 19,724 (Tonnes CO2)

 Objective

• 25% reduction in fossil diesel and gasoline use by 2017

 Progress

^† Includes CNG

The modest overall reduction in fuel use is due to the increase in the amount of vehicles as well as the increase in service area due to annexations. While the reduction in fuel use has been relatively small, there has been an increase in vehicle fuel efficiency. In 2010 the fuel efficiency was 1,046 gallons of fuel per vehicle and 2015 it was 920.2 gallons of fuel per vehicle.

 2012-2015 Accomplishments

1. The Fleet Office works with each department in order to purchase the right vehicle for the needed use; this encourages the use of smaller vehicles.
2. The Fleet Office has purchased 15 hybrid and 7 electric vehicles since 2012; below is a full list of the alternative fuel or propulsion vehicles in the city fleet. Funding is needed to install more electric vehicle plug in stations, this cost cannot be covered through the vehicle replacement fund.
3. The city has replaced 50% of the solid waste fleet with trucks fueled by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Hydraulic Hybrid (HH). The CNG trucks will accomplish a 62% reduction in fuel costs over the traditional gasoline powered trucks.
4. The Fleet Office has begun using biodiesel, which is a form of diesel fuel manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases. It is safe, biodegradable, and produces less air pollutants than petroleum-based diesel.
5. The city is working towards a full hybrid police fleet. A fuel reduction had been made by choosing V6’s instead of V8’s in recent purchases.
6. Warranty work on vehicles is now being performed in house; there is less reliance on consultants and dealers. This saves time in two ways, the work is normally done quicker and the employees are back on the job faster.
7. The carbon emissions factor was added to the benchmarks in 2014 because the city fleet is becoming more diversified in the type of fuel used, the carbon factor allows for a uniform measuring tool.

Resiliency and the City Fleet

The ability for the city fleet to recover quickly and react to an incident is an important component to the city’s overall resiliency. The city has 72 hours of fuel on hand; this allows the city fleet to remain in operation during times of disaster. The implementation of fuel purchasing cards allows employees to refuel city vehicles at any gas station, previously city vehicles had to be refueled at city refueling stations. This is important because it provides more refueling options and gas stations in Florida are required to have generators in order to pump fuel. Also, each fire department has a diesel tank and a generator. Finally, in disasters, the Solid Waste Office and the Parks Office work together sharing equipment and clearing debris. This coordinated effort allows for a faster response – since the departments already know their duties, and an expanded area of effectiveness.

7. Transportation: Employee Commuting

Goal 6: Most city employees commute by clean sources (walk, bike, transit, carpool, or high-efficiency vehicle) by 2030

Why green employee committing is important

The city employs over 4,400 people at locations throughout the city, 1,421 of these employees are temporary/seasonal workers. Each employee’s commute has the potential to be the biggest part of their carbon footprint. For a typical 20-mile round trip commute the annual GHG emissions impact can change dramatically as fuel-saving options are implemented:

• Drive Alone (low-mileage vehicle): 6,726 lbs. CO2
• Drive Alone (high-mileage vehicle): 3,058 lbs. CO2
• Carpool (2 people): 1,529 to 3,363 lbs. (CO2 depends on vehicle mileage)
• Bus: 2,600 lbs. CO2
• Bicycle or walk: 1 lbs. CO2

 If all employees drive alone, city employees’ collective carbon footprint could be as high as 21.2 million pounds CO2 per year. If an employee with a low mileage car takes the bus to work once a week, their commuting carbon footprint will decrease by 12 percent. Small individual changes can add up to a substantial city-wide impact. Another important consideration is the physical location of city facilities and their proximity to transit lines. This affects not only city employees, but also the general public – for example, opening a new recreation center far from bus lines means that a portion of the population will not have access to that city service. The city has the long-term goal of having every city employee arrive to work by sustainable transportation sources (aka clean sources) – walking, biking, public transit, carpooling, a vehicle with high mileage or a vehicle that utilizes alternative fuel sources.

Objective

• 20% of employees commute by clean sources by 2017.

Progress

2012-2015 Accomplishments

1. SunRail Phase 1 opened for service on May 1, 2014, phase one includes 12 stations and runs from Debary to Sand Lake Road. The 2014 ridership was 1,020,425. In support of employee commuting options the city offers half priced SunRail tickets to employees.
2. The city has been actively installing bike racks and has installed approximately 70 racks since 2012. There is also a city program for businesses to request a bike rack in front of their business.
3. As part of Orlando’s continued commitment to improving the availability and effectiveness of bicycle routes and trails, the City of Orlando contracted with HDR in 2013-2014 to conduct a bike study. HDR utilized GIS data, maps, studies and plans from the City of Orlando and adjacent jurisdictions to assess the local trail network. The resulting report details the overall health and connectivity of Orlando’s trails, and identifies significant network gaps.
4. The Lymmo, which provides free bus service to downtown Orlando, has been expanded to include a Grapefruit circulator route generally from Thornton Park to Parramore. April 2015 the Orange line was extended to Marks, through Magnolia and Orange.
5. The city’s bike share program kicked off Phase 1 shortly after the 2012-2014 report period, in January of 2015, and has 200 bicycles located at 34 stations. These bicycles are available to rent by the hour. As of June 2015, there is a total membership of 1,569 persons and 5,575 miles ridden.
6. Five bike repair stations have been installed. Bicycle repair stations provide cyclists with the convenience of fixing their bicycles without the need to go home or a bicycle repair shop. This encourages more people to bicycle and provides residents with an additional bicycle amenity.
7. The city implemented a car share in November 2013 and transitioned to Zipcar in 2016. Carshare is a program in which pre-approved members are proved access to a fleet of self-service vehicles for the purpose of short-term rentals. Zipcar is proved in six locations throughout the city.

While the adjacent table states that 0% of employees use bicycle as their main mode of transportation, 3% use a bicycle to commute sometimes. Some factors that affect the decision on how to commute are the distance from work to home, the ability to link trips together, the comfort of a personal vehicle and the heat and/or weather. A large percentage of employees have short a commute distance, 49% are within 10 miles and only 20% are more than 20 miles. City employees also link trips together (91%).

Resiliency and Employee Commuting

Expanding employee commuting options contributes to the employees’ personal resiliency. If a person has multiple commuting options it makes them more resilient if one mode is eliminated. Through education and events, the city aims to assist employees in expanding their commuting options.

8. Materials Management and Purchasing

Goal 7: 100% of municipal materials meet environmentally-preferential purchasing (EPP) and disposal standards by 2030 

Why green materials management and purchasing is important

Like an effective green building program, the city’s purchasing strategy can drive change in the broader marketplace through its purchasing power. The city purchases large quantities of cleaning supplies, paper products and computers. Ensuring that these products meet sustainable criteria sends signals to the marketplace that sustainable product demand exists. As the city reduces the amount of products purchased and promotes greater recycling participation, costs will be reduced and other organizations can adopt best practices based on the city’s experiences.

The city will reduce the amount of purchases that it makes through more efficient use of products, reduce the environmental impacts of the products it purchases by developing an Environmentally Preferential Purchasing (EPP) policy and ensure that all discarded material is recycled. In order to accomplish this goal, each department must conserve and utilize existing materials and consistently choose more sustainable new products.

 Benchmarks

• 2010 purchasing contracts issued that meet EPP standards: None
• 2010 reams of paper purchased: 17,000 reams
• 2010 products in city stores catalog that meet EPP: 41 of 1131 products
• 2010 City Hall recycling rate: 38%

 Objective

• Ensure 50% of materials purchased follow Environmentally Preferential Purchasing guidelines by 2017
• 50% reduction in paper by 2017
• Achieve 60% recycling rate at all city facilities and benchmark at all major facilities

Progress

*The City Hall Recycling Rate of 53% is for 2016.

2012-2015 Accomplishments

• The implementation of the Workday program has reduced printing and paper use, the contract was signed in 2011/2012 and the program went live in May 2014. Requisitions are done through the system, prior to Workday a project was printed three times throughout the process.
• The implementation of ProjectDox program has reduced printing and paper use. ProjectDox was kicked off January 2016, applicants upload the Municipal Sustainability Plan, 2016 Progress Report 25 application files to the program and the city reviewers review the electronic files. Applicants no longer need to bring in 16 copies of the application files, though for some applications they need to bring in one hard copy of the survey and legal description. The system is currently optional for permitting application but will eventually be required.
• In 2015, the vending machines were replaced with energy star machines with an automated inventory tie in.
• The city has initiated recycling programs in every city Recreation Center. KOB and Green Works partnership. Education and monitoring is ongoing.

Resiliency and Materials Management and Purchasing

Through conserving products, utilizing existing materials and consistently choosing more sustainable new products, the city will become a leader in sustainable business practices. These practices will allow the city to continue operating without jeopardizing the well-being of future generations. These decisions will influence city employees to continue these practices in their own homes, therefore increasing the demand for sustainable products and mindful living.

9. Urban Forest

Goal 8A: 95% of potential street tree spaces contain living trees by 2030

Goal 8B: All facilities are planted with native landscaping in areas 

Why the urban forest is important

The urban forest provides a host of benefits to both the city and the community, including:

• Carbon dioxide absorption
• Shade and reduced air conditioning needs
• Increased property values
• Stormwater absorption
• Traffic calming along streets and pedestrian buffers from vehicles
• Habitat for wildlife

The city best promotes the urban forest through the planting and maintaining of street trees. Further efforts to promote native landscaping will reduce irrigation, fertilizer use, and stormwater runoff into lakes. Active recreation areas such as ball fields and picnic areas may continue to be planted with sod, but efforts will be made to minimize irrigation and fertilizer use by using rain sensors and other technologies.

Benchmarks

• 85,237 of 101,870 street tree spaces contain trees (84%) in 2010
• 756 street trees planted in 2010
• 2010 City facilities using primarily native species: 3 of 219 facilities

Objective

• Plant a net gain of 4,000 street trees by 2017
• Convert landscaping at 5 city facilities to native landscaping by 2017

Progress

2012-2015 Accomplishments

The street tree program is ongoing and offers Orlando residents and businesses the opportunity to have their own tree. The Parks Division has two treeplanting programs: one for individuals and one for neighborhood groups or associations.

The city also hosts tree giveaways, which can add a significant amount of tree to neighborhoods and contributes to the City of Orlando’s goal of 40% tree canopy coverage, which is contained in the 2013 Green Works Orlando Community Action Plan. Businesses and philanthropies can sponsor tree giveaways to provide Orlando residents to free or low cost trees to put on private property.

Resiliency and the Urban Forest

Urban forests provide a needed function in a city’s resiliency, in addition to being aesthetically pleasing and assist in human comfort in high temperature environments. Urban forests sequester carbon, a type of greenhouse gas, reduce energy consumption and reduce heat island effects. In order to provide these functions, and not become a hazard in a disaster, the canopy must remain healthy and sustain their growth.

10. Education

Goal 9: All city staff and public officials are engaged in making Orlando a more sustainable community

Why education is important

The city aims to get all employees fully engaged in sustainability efforts, both at work and in their homes. Only with each employee’s individual effort, support and insight will the city achieve its ambitious sustainability goals. As employees are educated about the merits of a sustainable Orlando, additional initiatives can be identified for employees to make an impact within their respective divisions. An effective feedback loop will continue to generate incremental improvements over time and involve new staff in the process. 

This engagement will occur through semi-annual education events focusing on providing education on best practices and the identification of green champions throughout each floor of City Hall, each Recreation Center, and each police and fire station to assist in implementing sustainability initiatives at their respective area.

Benchmarks

• 2010 recycling rate: 38% of waste (City Hall)
• 2010 staff educational opportunities: 120 staff at 3 events
• Future: city staff volunteers in environmental activities: currently untracked

Objective

• Introduce bi-annual education and staff training for new city staff
• Begin tracking and promoting environmental opportunities for city staff

2012-2015 Accomplishments

The city has been providing education and training materials to city residents, this information is also available to city staff. Staff specific training will be developed and offered in order to meet the 2017 and long term goals within this plan. In preparation of this training, employees were asked what topics they would like to learn about as part of the 2016 Sustainability Survey. Energy ranked the highest (66%), followed by gardening (52%), food (48%), water (43%), recycling (39%) and trees (28%).

Resiliency and education

Education is a key component in creating a resilient community. Teaching sustainable practices to the city’s workforce allows the workforce to be more efficient and effective in their own lives. Once the populations is able to change, adapt, absorb, and learn from the various events and stresses that had adverse consequences to inhabitants, city structure and the environment.

11. Appendix

Acronyms of Departments and Offices

Action Items That Have Been Moved

Action Items That Have Been Amended