Category Archives: General Sustainability

Salt Lake City Searching for New Sanitation Program Director

Sanitation-Director

Salt Lake City is looking for a new Sanitation Program Director that will help the City achieve it’s goal of zero waste by 2040!

Apply at SLCgov.com.

Position: SANITATION PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Job Code: 001609
Job Bid: 150228
Department: Public Services
Salary: (031) $4,933.00 – $8,538.00
Close Date: 6/4/2015

Directs and manages the City’s operations for the Sanitation Program. As Program Director, incumbent is responsible for managing operations associated with the City’s recycling and waste collection programs, including but not limited to: curbside refuse, compost and recycling collection; neighborhood clean-up; enforcement and education; and container maintenance. Plans, develops and implements city-wide waste diversion and reduction policies and initiatives to meet the City’s goal to reach Zero Waste by 2040.

Position requires specialized knowledge of best management practices for waste diversion, sanitation operations and requires the knowledge and ability to address local challenges.

Plans for and directs operations associated with the delivery of citywide sanitation services, including: curbside refuse, compost and recycling collection; neighborhood cleanup; enforcement and education; and container maintenance programs. Develops and implements strategies for aggressively moving the City towards Zero Waste. Designs, implements, and monitors program including the implementation of best management practices, environmental stewardship, operating budgets, performance measures, personnel and equipment maintenance. Recommends and initiates process improvements, cost saving measures, operational efficiencies and other program changes necessary to achieve Zero Waste.  Directs the preparation and necessary adjustments to the program budget, including the support needed for updates and revisions to the annual budget document. Monitors and manages budget, resources, and financial transactions. Ensures appropriate processes, procedures, and policies are in place and followed for all financial transactions. Analyzes and develops program policies, goals, and objectives to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Creates strategic plans to support the policies, goals and objectives of the program. Resolves complex issues involving operations and environmental stewardship. Ensures operations comply with City, State and Federal regulations to protect the environment and ensure safe work practices. Presents the program’s policies and positions in meetings, negotiations, and communications with the public, citizen and industry groups, Mayor and City Council members, other government agencies, the media and other public forums within assigned area of authority.

Ensures employee productivity and effective use of resources by coaching, mentoring and training supervisory staff and building an effective team. Evaluates and documents performance of program managers and office staff, administers appropriate employee recognition and disciplinary actions. Develops technical specifications, project design and standards for procurement bids and proposals related to sanitation. Reviews bids and proposals and assists with the selection of contractors. Ensures contractor performance. Plays key roll establishing disaster and emergency preparedness program. Represents the department in public meetings and/or on various committees as directed. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Business Management or closely related degree, plus six (6) years progressively responsible experience managing public programs including a minimum four (4) years in a supervisory capacity. A combination of six (6) years of directly related program and/or management experience may be substituted for the required education.

Thorough knowledge of materials, techniques, equipment, personnel management and best management practices associated with waste diversion, recycling, resource management, composting, and landfill operations.

Experience in budget preparation and administration, and ability to implement budget requirements into departmental operations.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, department directors, employees, and the general public. Highly effective collaboration and communication skills.

Possession of a valid driver’s license or Utah driving privilege card, including the ability to travel between office and external locations.

Apply at SLCgov.com.

Earth Day, Every Day!

Earth-Day-Banner

Here are some #EarthDayEveryDay tips for Earth week!

Monday– Meatless Mondays!

Tuesday– Transportation Tuesdays

Wednesday– Wildlife Wednesdays

Thursday– Green Thumb Thursdays

  • Tend to your garden today. Or start a garden! Spring is the perfect time to plant in Salt Lake City!
  • Need gardening space? Consider community gardening! 

Friday– Idle Free Fridays

Saturday– Crafty Saturday- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

  • Go to a yard sale, host a clothing swap, find a new use for something you were going to throw away, buy a used item instead of a new item!
  • Crafty Saturday upcycle ideas! 

Sunday– Solar SUNdays

  • Try to abstain from using one thing that depends on fossil fuels today (like your car or heater)!
  • Learn something new about solar power today:

“Obama touts solar initiative” 

“The world is now adding more capacity for renewable power each year than coal, natural gas, and oil combined.” 

Vancouver commits to 100% renewable energy use! 

On the cost of renewable energy. 

Happy Earth Day from SLCgreen!  #EarthDayEveryDay

SLCgreen director touts city’s efforts toward sustainability, meets with President Obama during Utah visit (FOX13 Story)

VickiFOX13

SLCgreen Director Vicki Bennett was recently profiled by FOX 13 News during President’s Obama’s visit to Utah. Click on the screenshot above to view the video. Here is the transcript:

SALT LAKE CITY — Vicki Bennett has been with Salt Lake City for 14 years, and she said this city in particular has been on the forefront of sustainability.

The word sustainability can mean different things to different people, but for Bennett and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker’s administration, it comes down a pretty basic concept.

She said: “How do we ensure we keep Salt Lake City the best we can, for now and for our children? We want people to want to continue to want to live here, we want a healthy environment.”

During Becker’s nearly two terms, Bennett has helped lead the mayor’s sustainability team by developing solar energy projects, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging local business owners to meet air quality and energy targets by evaluating their building’s energy use, setting energy-saving goals, and conducting energy-saving improvement projects.

“And what’s so exciting is that Salt Lake’s sustainability program, if you talk to our peers, is considered one of the top 10 in the nation, for a small city,” Bennett said.

Those efforts have also been noticed by leaders in Washington D.C.

Mayor Becker and President Barack Obama share a similar vision regarding sustainability, and it has helped them forge a strong, working relationship. Bennett said that in turn helps the effort back in Salt Lake City.

“He’s been able to get us a voice in the White House,” she said. “Because of that, we’ve been able to get funding for grants that a lot of cities aren’t even invited to apply for.”

Bennett knows there will soon be a new mayor but said she believes Salt Lake City’s advances in walkable housing, transportation, solar power and recycling are here to stay.

“We always have to be improving our environment, we always have to be ensuring we have healthy air to breathe, that we have water quality and water quantity for our residents,” she said.

Bennett was able to briefly meet President Obama Thursday night during his visit to Utah, and she said the honor gave everyone on their staff a renewed sense of determination to move forward with sustainability efforts.

Full story, including video, available at FOX13Now.com.

Exchange your old gas can (for free!) on Saturday, April 11

5450_7_UCIAR_GasCan_lawnsign_v2-300x204

Exchange your old empty 2.5 or 5 gallon gas can for a free, brand new, environmentally friendly can of equal size!

UCAIR and Chevron are exchanging over 4,500 gas cans. That’s equivalent to eliminating 540 cars off Utah’s roads per day over the 5-year life of each gas can. Making this small change can have large impact on our air quality. Together we can make a difference in Utah’s air quality.

The Gas Can Exchange Program will be the first of its kind in Utah and help our state come into compliance with the EPA standard.

The event will be held on April 11, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the following locations:

  • 2100 S. 300 W., Salt Lake City, Chevron Station
  • 1997 E. 3500 N., Layton, Davis Landfill
  • 1855 Skyline Dr., South Ogden, Chevron Station
  • 1200 Towne Center Blvd., Provo Towne Center Mall

Why exchange your old can? Old gas cans contribute to volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by:

  • Permeation of vapors through walls of containers.
  • Escaping fumes while fuel is being dispensed.
  • Spillage and over filling as fuel is being poured into equipment.
  • Spillage and evaporation through secondary vent holes.
  • Evaporation through inadequately capped spouts.

The new cans have several improvements including:

  • Automatic shut-off feature to prevent overfilling.
  • Automatic closing feature.
    • Sealed when it is not in use.
    • Prevents leaking vapors.
    • Protects children from accidental spills and ingestion.
    • Secondary venting holes are eliminated to stop venting of fumes into the air.
    • Thicker walls to reduce vapor permeation.

Please contact Angie at coordinator@ucair.org if you have any questions about the gas can exchange.

Source: http://www.ucair.org/hot_topics/ucair-chevron-gas-can-exchange/

Your Utah. Your Future. Take the Survey!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9eO2iHG9cg]

 

Envision Utah needs 50,000 Utahns like you to help make history and participate in the Your Utah Your Future project. Over the past few months, they have been using your input from the BUILD YOUR 2050 UTAH WEB APP and working with more than 400 task force members to create a survey to find out what you want Utah to be like in 2050.

Take a few seconds now and reserve your spot in the survey. Envision Utah will send you a link to the online survey when it goes live this spring.

Learn more about the Your Utah Your Future initiative below, or visit EnvisionUtah.org.

EnvisionUtah - Infographic

 

 

SLCgreen Kicks Off Katharine Hayhoe’s Week in Utah

Katherine Hayhoe

The Salt Lake City Green team was honored to meet with Katharine Hayhoe, renowned climate scientist, communicator and educator, to kick off her week in Utah. We had a fascinating discussion about Salt Lake City, Utah and climate change, and explored the unique opportunities in our community to move forward on climate action.

Dr. Hayhoe (@KHayhoe) will be in Utah much of the week speaking about faith, science and climate action.

Monday, March 23:

Tuesday, March 24:

  • Logan LDS Tabernacle (50 N Main Street) — 5 p.m.

Thursday, March 26:

e2 Business Best Practice Lunch Series Returns, Tackles Core Values

IMG_2968

Today marked the first Salt Lake City e2 Business Best Practice lunch, hosted by Sustainable Startups and catered by Bud’s. The topic of discussion was incorporating new core values into existing business frameworks, and the group heard from eBay, USANA and Larry H. Miller Group about their sustainability initiatives, successes and missteps.

Group

Ken Vance with eBay shared how they have used the core value of reuse to drive innovation, including building the country’s first LEED certified data center, and integrate with other businesses and nonprofits, Patagonia’s Common Threads program among them, to forward that goal.

Jeff Robertson with USANA shared how the company has been shifting from a traditional sales model to a more modern one based on the value of health promotion and better health outcomes. He shared that they have found most success with the “light and often” approach to talking about heavier issues like climate change and air quality.

Robert Bell with Larry H. Miller Group shared how their efforts to clearly define their core values has laid the groundwork for further sustainability initiatives in their growing company.

Ian_SustainableStartupsThanks to Sustainable Startups for hosting us at your new location! Learn more about how Sustainable Startups is helping incubate new businesses in Salt Lake City.

CoffeeThe e2 Business program is a free program offered to Salt Lake City’s businesses. Participating businesses receive expert consultation and guidance in incorporating sustainable business practices that will save money and reduce their impact on the environment. The Best Practice Lunch Series takes place March-August and features in-depth discussions on a variety of topics pertinent to today’s business community.

 

The Future of the Central Wasatch Mountains Comments Due March 16th!

11551787204_c02d3fc12f_b

Clean water, open space, and the beauty of nature—the qualities valued most in the Central Wasatch.

This valuable and pristine natural resource is facing pressure from increasing population and visitation, sprawling development, and changing climate. On peak days, the Central Wasatch supports 50,000+ visitors. Annually, there are 5.7 million visitors—this is more than the annual number of visitors to the Grand Canyon and nearly twice the number of annual visitors to Zion National Park! Mountain Accord was established as a collaborative effort to make critical decisions and implement solutions to preserve the Central Wasatch and ensure long-term vitality for future generations.9349348438_bcb4dc87c1_k

Here are some of their ideas:

  • Secure protections on federal lands to provide permanent and predictable management, and work with ski areas to place lands into public ownership.
  • Broaden watershed protections.
  • Protect key wildlife corridors
  • Connect the regional trail network for recreation
  • Generate sustainable economic growth to reinvest in the Central Wasatch
  • Expand transit services to potentially include:
    • Mountain Light Rail service in Little Cottonwood Canyon and possibly full corridor service all the way to Kimball Junction. This would be made possible by one tunnel between Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood and another tunnel (or aerial transportation) between Big Cottonwood and Park City.
    • Millcreek shuttle service
    • Year-round Big Cottonwood bus service

Over the last year, Mountain Accord has worked to develop goals and define an “ideal” future for each system: environment, recreation, economy, and transportation. Their plans are summarized in a blueprint that is open for public review and comment until March 16. The blueprint contains several links to more detailed documents. Consider reviewing these documents for additional information and to develop a comprehensive response.

Visit: mountainaccord.com/get-involvedMA_Poster_020415

Comments may be emailed to comment@mountainaccord.com or mailed to:

Mountain Accord

375 West 200 South, Ste. 275

Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Please take the time to share this with others.  It is the future of the Central Wasatch!

e2 + Green Drinks = A Great Event

Green Drinks 1

On Tuesday, Salt Lake City Green Drinks joined forces with SLCgreen’s e2 Business Program to host an evening of delicious food, refreshing drinks and amazing networking among SLC’s sustainability community at Local First Utah.

Green Drinks 3

Peter Nelson with SLCgreen’s e2 business program welcomed the group to SLC Green Drinks and talked about how the e2 Business program helps businesses pave the way towards more sustainable practices. Learn more.

Green Drinks 2

The group noshed on delicious food from Mazza Middle Eastern Cuisine and enjoyed beverages from both Epic Brewing Company and Uinta Brewing (all Salt Lake City e2 businesses!)

Green Drinks 4Local First Utah generously donated their space, located in the heart of the Central Ninth Business District, for the event. Thanks to everyone who attended!

 

e2 Business Yearbook: 2014

Did you know that Salt Lake City maintains a network of local businesses committed to reducing their environmental impact? These green businesses belong to the e2 Business Program, a 100+ list of SLC businesses that are taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of their operations and seeing a positive return on their balance sheets.

The e2 program recently hosted their annual Members Night with Mayor Ralph Becker at Wasatch Brew Pub in Sugar House. At that event, they unveiled the 2014 e2 Business Yearbook, highlighting a year of standout initiatives and fantastic networking by SLC’s top businesses.

Check out the new e2 Business Yearbook for the full scoop!

e2 Yearbook 2014_Cover_Page_01

//e.issuu.com/embed.html#15522782/11352530