How can we improve the SAC website?
Hi all, thanks for being patient as we have developed the website for Sustainable Alachua County. We are now in the BETA testing phase, before the official public release, and would appreciate any feedback regarding your experience joining and using the site.
Problems that have been reported:
- Image cropping is problematic for some users
- Links throughout the site sometimes resolve incorrectly – i.e. www.website.com resolves as http://sustainablealachua.org/www.website.com - reported by nwtaylor
- In events area, cannot view events beyond current month – reported by Sally
We will continue to improve the site and would greatly benefit from your input.
Please become a member and comment on this post to tell us what you think!
nwtaylor said:
http://sustainablealachua.org/“http://sustainablegators.org/”
When I try to use the link in the GSC group this is what goes into the url bar.
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September 3rd, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Sally said:
Can you tell me how I view events beyond September?
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September 6th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
chriscano said:
Good question, Sally. I have added this to the list of things I need to take a look at. Thanks for the feedback, and thanks for posting events to the hub!
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September 7th, 2009 at 12:36 am
freshtekenergy said:
Switch to Ning. It is more user friendly.
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September 7th, 2009 at 7:36 am
sgreco said:
I uploaded a picture and then it asks me to crop it, but there are no crop tools for me to use. I click ‘Crop and Continue” but then it gets frozen and it does not save my picture.
Can we fix this before we invite people to the site? I don’t want people to get frustrated and then not come back.
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September 7th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Sally said:
Thanks Chris!
It shows up in my group area as an event created but I can’t find it on the SAC site. I added some news to the event and wanted to see what that looked like also. The event is the Campus and Community Sustainability Conference coming up on October 8-9. Something I think of interest to our org.
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September 8th, 2009 at 9:39 am
chriscano said:
@sgreco I know the cropping issue is frustrating, but it is expected to be resolved in the next release of BuddyPress (the software that runs this site). See this thread: http://lists.automattic.com/pipermail/buddypress-trac/2009-August/000120.html
Thanks for your patience, everyone.
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September 9th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Susan Marynowski said:
Hey Chris…everything’s lookin good! I was wondering if we could get two or three words to show on the events calendar descriptions instead of just one word. That would help to see what the event is. Thanks as always! -Susan
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September 11th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
chriscano said:
Hi everyone, I realize the Events stuff still needs some work. It’s based on a plugin called “bp-Events” by Erwin Gerrits, and the calendar is a new function that still has some kinks. I’m in touch with the developer about how we can resolve the issues. I appreciate your patience. Please keep the feedback coming!
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September 13th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Sean McLendon said:
Under the Events Page it is difficult to see future months and the event listings.
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September 21st, 2009 at 11:39 am
Sean McLendon said:
I’m not sure how to share this information, but if you wanted to repost that would be fine: Here is a Comprehensive Survey of Local Government Sustainability Actions compliled by the Alliance For Innovation and the Center of Urban Innovation, Arizona State University.
One hundred and fifty ways to advance sustainability:
Sustainability policy
• Formal adoption of a sustainability plan, climate protection resolution, or similar commitment by the government body [v1]
Sustainability organization, administration, management, or coordination
• Establish a single governmental office or nonprofit agency responsible for coordinating sustainability planning and implementation
• Develop sustainability indicators with results reported in last two years
• Include sustainability as part of a city- or county-wide comprehensive plan
• Involve the city/county in a regional sustainability program
Transportation
• Provide employee benefits for ride sharing, walking, biking, or taking transit to work [v22]
o Encourage carpooling and transit use (including subsidies)
o Transit use
o Biking
o Walking
• Adopt a policy that a minimum of 20% of the eligible workforce should participate in alternative work schedules or telework by 2010 (consistent with the current VA State policy) [v23]
• Adopt an anti-idling policy for school/government fleet vehicles [v21]
• Adopt a “Green Fleet” policy that incorporates, at a minimum, the purchase of low emitting fuel-efficient vehicles for vehicle fleet replacement and the use of alternative fuels (biodiesel, natural gas, ethanol) in fleet operations [v14]
o Accelerate replacement of old vehicles
• Target resident and business behaviors through
o Programs for carpooling and transit use
o A convenient, inexpensive, reliable, transit system
o Programs for biking and walking
o Convenient, safe sidewalks and walkways
o Convenient, safe bikeways
o Congestion pricing for roads and/or bridges
• Offer a personal property tax break for low emitting, fuel-efficient clean special fuels vehicles [v15]
Energy efficiency
• Conduct a baseline greenhouse gas emissions inventory of your government facilities using an assessment tool, such as those available from ICLEI or EPA’s Energy Star program [v3]
• Perform energy-efficient building lighting retrofits
• Include “lights-out-at-night” and “when-not-in” policies
• Install building/office occupancy sensors
• Purchase only ENERGY STAR equipment and appliances
• Conduct energy audits of two or more facilities and implement at least two recommendations [v4]
• Introduce energy tracking and management systems
• Install green roofs or reflective roofing
• Retrofit heating, cooling and ventilation systems
• Improve water pump energy efficiency
• Install energy-efficient traffic lights, street lights, exit signs, street signs, and vending machines
• Reduce standard temperature in winter, increase standard in summer
• Increase energy efficiency of buildings in other ways such as through insulation
• Use plantings to increase solar gain in winter and reduce it in summer
• Use plantings and surfaces to reduce urban heat island effects (i.e., retained heat that increases need for cooling)
• Encourage residents and businesses to engage in the above practices: Indicate types of promotion or incentives—
• Create an Energy Improvement Plan (EIP) [v2]
• Create a separate real-estate classification and lower tax rate for buildings that are 30% more efficient than required by building code (Code of Va. §58.1-3221.2) [v6]
• Develop a policy to utilize energy efficient and dark sky compliant outdoor light fixtures [v7]
• Decrease daily street light operation
• Establish an energy manager position/responsibility or management team within the government [v8]
Green power
• Purchase green electricity from renewable sources
• Install solar panels on municipal buildings and property
• Support solar panel installation on private property: Indicate types of support—
• Provide property tax exemption for renewable energy improvements
• Develop alternative energy that can be offered to consumers and businesses
• Generate electricity from landfill, wastewater, or refuse
• Purchase electric power from renewable sources or install renewable energy technology (solar, wind, or geothermal) for use in government facilities. The total of purchased renewable energy and on-site produced renewable energy must equal at least 1% of the energy use of all government facilities [v5]
• Provide recharging stations for electric vehicles: number ___
Land use and smart growth
• Adopt land-use plans that allow higher-density development either near public transit nodes or in areas with existing infrastructure AND encourage mixed-use communities [v16]
• Promote the use of permanent conservation easements on private property within your community and/or implement a permanent conservation easement on public land [v17]
• Adopt a land use or development tool that preserves open space, farmland and forests such as Purchase of Development Rights (PDRs) or Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) [v18]
• Indicate other actions to preserve open space or agricultural space: indicate policies and amount of land preserved
• Implement other urban planning activities to reduce sprawl: indicate these activities
• Encourage food sustainability, such as through
o urban gardening,
o community gardens,
o farmers’ markets [check all that apply]
• Preserve aquifers
• Preserve/restore water features (lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, bays, coastline, etc.)
• Preserve/restore appropriate biodiversity (such as restoring native plants)
• Utilize brownfield sites
• Increase use of pervious surfaces (to reduce urban heat island and storm-water runoff)
• Plant low-water-use deciduous/shade trees (to reduce urban heat island)
• Encourage residents and businesses to plant in ways that provide habitat, reduce water use, reduce storm-water runoff, reduce urban heat island, encourage interaction
• Provide home purchase assistance for local government staff to reduce commuting
Recycling and waste reduction
• Implement an internal government program that reduces, reuses, and recycles paper, plastic and other materials [v11]
• Establish methane collection at landfill
• Establish a community-wide recycling collection program [v13]
• Implement yard debris and organics collection
• Implement composting of yard debris and organics
• Reuse demolition material for construction
• Establish a procurement policy of a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content for everyday office paper use (consistent with the current federal government policy) [v12]
• Encourage industrial recycling (including through taxes or subsidies)
• Encourage local industries to use recycled and recyclable materials
• Encourage local industries to reduce post-consumer waste
• Charge for waste (residents and businesses)
• Institute deposit systems (such as bottle charges) [indicate if state mandated]
• Provide hazardous waste collection and recycling including of computer equipment
• Provide an asbestos abatement program
• Provide a lead paint abatement program
Pollution prevention and reduction
• Address air pollution reduction (e.g., VOC reduction, dust reduction, CO2 reduction)
• Address water pollution reduction (e.g., pesticide runoff)
• Address land pollution reduction (e.g., illegal dumping)
• Establish pedestrian/bike-only city cores
• Develop and implement a plan for tree preservation & planting [v19]
Water and wastewater management
• Ensure high-quality tap water
• Ensure high-quality waters (such as lakes, streams, bays, etc.) for human and other animal use
• Develop appropriate storm-water runoff systems
• Institute programs to ensure water treatment, storage, and distribution are energy efficient
• Encourage water conservation behaviors by city, residents, and businesses: Indicate types of promotion or incentives—
• Provide incentives for installing water-saving fixtures
• Use water price structure to encourage conservation
• Institute water systems that allow for energy recovery and use, such as anaerobic digesters, methane recovery systems with cogeneration, etc.
• Check for, fix, and prevent leaks
• Engage/participate in groundwater recharge
• Develop grey-water and reclaimed-water use systems
• Monitor and maintains local aquifers
• Replace aging/undersized pipes and storm drains
• Adopt a Low Impact Development (LID) storm water management policy and/or Environmental Site Design (ESD) guidelines [v20]
Green buildings
• Encourage staff to become LEED AP
• Require all new government projects to be LEED certified [v9]
• Approve or build a LEED certified government or school building OR renovate an existing building to the LEED certified level. (5 points for the first building, and an additional 5 points for the second) [v10] [indicate number from 2007 to present]
• Require all retrofit government projects to be LEED certified
• Require new business and institutional developments to be energy efficient and water
• Require new homes to be energy efficient and water efficient
• Encourage reuse of existing buildings
• Provide weatherization assistance to improve energy efficiency
Education and outreach
• Develop an employee education program on policies/practices relating to the environment and energy conservation [v24]
• Develop and implement an education program for the local community dealing with the environment and energy conservation [v26]
• Implement a program in one or more schools that connects students to local farms and/or local produce (such as the Farm to School program.) [v29]
• Provide an environmental resource center with information about environmental hazards in communities
• Engage in demonstration projects
• Encourage civic participation
• Encourage sustainability partnerships with schools, institutes and universities
• Establish an advisory commission composed of local residents and business representatives to advise and assist the local governing board on policies and practices dealing with the environment and energy conservation [v25]
• Establish a Safe Routes to School program, which encourages walking and bicycling to neighborhood schools [v27]
• Establish clubs or waste management teams dealing with the environment or energy conservation in at least half of your high schools [v28]
Governance
• Encourage civic engagement
• Promote consultation with diverse sectors of historically disadvantaged communities, especially those who suffer the greatest environmental risk.
• Incorporate environmental justice review in new development
• Correct conditions producing environmental injustice
• Work with other governments in region, state, and nationally
• Provide a green business directory online
• Promote e-government to reduce paper/fuel transactions [alternate access covered below]
• Encourage GIS systems to make data available in print and online
• Regularly assess community quality of life including education, cultural, diversity, social well-being
Economic sustainability
• Promote high-wage jobs
• Provide workforce development and education programs
• Promote/provide affordable housing
• Provide incentives for renovation and development of neighborhoods
• Provide transportation from low-income areas to work and commercial centers
• Provide access to services for transportation-dependent individuals
• Provide programs to reduce homelessness
• Provide programs to reduce unemployment
• Promote an industry mix (local economy not reliant on one or two sectors)
• Provide fiscal sustainability (utilize appropriate tax structure)
• Focus on attracting industries that match assets in your location
• Focus on attracting /encouraging sustainable/green industries
• Support self-employment and small business loans
• Promote development of local companies
Community livability
• Provide a policing strategy that works in partnership with the community
• Provide access to affordable health care
• Provide high-quality and accessible communications infrastructure
• Provide access to information technology and alternatives to electronic service and input channels for persons without connection to the internet
• Provide access to safe and affordable care for pre-school children
• Provide access to safe and affordable after-school programs
• Provide recreational programs appropriate for all ages and abilities
• Provide/enhance opportunities for intergenerational activities.
• Provide community fitness and exercise programs
• Provide/preserve sense of place and community character
• Support efforts to monitor and promote social justice
• Support cultural relations and diversity integration
• Provide access to libraries
• Support educational access and school improvement
Innovations [v30]
• Other efforts, policies, activities beyond those identified above that have (a) reduced carbon emissions, (b) enhanced the environment, (c) promoted sustainable economic development, or (d) promoted social equity.
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September 28th, 2009 at 10:40 am