reduce the environmental impact of municipal
operations.
"We’re determined to make Peoria an innovative leader
in sustainable activity by refining our practices and improving the
quality of our services while being mindful of our environment,"
Daluddung says. "The challenge for departments is to maintain services
to residents but deliver them in a way that doesn’t do any harm."
Working in small teams, members of Daluddung’s group
are studying the gamut of city operations, as well as looking for
potential private-sector partners and ways to involve Peoria
residents.
Meanwhile, city management isn’t waiting to pick the
low-hanging fruit.
Swenson has directed employees to turn off lights, computers and
peripherals at the end of the day; refrain from using personal
electrical items in their work spaces; set office thermostats higher
in the summer and lower in the winter; and re-evaluate the use of city
vehicles, adding more hybrids to the fleet. The city manager would
like to see the municipal government reduce the amount it spends on
energy by 10 percent in the next 12 months – nearly $770,000.
For more information, visit
www.peoriaaz.gov/sustainability.