Just How Green is Grand Prairie Just

Just How Green is Grand Prairie?

Just How Green is Grand Prairie? A department-by-department look at the City of Grand Prairie’s Energy Conservation and Sustainability Practices.

City Manager’s Office • Reuse magazines by donating to nonprofits • Purchase recycled paper products • Use coffee mugs instead of disposable cups • Utilize flex schedule (when appropriate) to reduce driving during peak drive times • Use teleconferencing in place of person-to-person meetings when possible

Code Enforcement • Investigate and orchestrate clean-up of illegally dumped materials (about 270 cases/year) • Demolish substandard houses (10 this year) • Investigate and refurbish abandoned houses • Report over 20, 000 code violations (clear trash, remove derelict vehicles, etc. ) • Conduct auto-related business inspections • Reduce the amount of high grass and weed-infested areas • Work closely with Engineering for Storm Water prevention • Utilize paperless work system to create notices that are completely computerized

Equipment Services • Adopted a Clean Air Policy which includes: • Anti-Idling Policy (Staff must shut off vehicle ignition when vehicle is not attended) • City Utility Trainer trains staff on efficient energy usage • DFW Air Quality Training • Ozone instruction and training • Motivate Employees with signage: ie, More children have asthma due to poor air quality • Discuss the importance of having regular oil changes • Enforce PM Maintenance • Oil change, tire rotation, tires properly inflated = reduced emissions • 80 – 90% of Fleet Uses Alternative Fuel/Propane

Engineering • Utilize LEED principles for new buildings: • Fire Station 7 / Lake Parks Rescue facilities • Public Safety Building and Adult Activity Center • Exploring the potential for conversion of various facilities from traditional heating and cooling equipment to geothermal where that opportunity may exist.

Environmental Quality • Use an online system for all inspections to reduce paper consumption • Use rechargeable batteries for mobile electronics • Power off computers upon departure from work • Carpool to events attended by multiple staff • Report any vehicles with poor emissions to: http: //www. nctcog. org/trans/air/smoking/formn. asp • Use city vehicles that conserve petroleum gas

Environmental Quality • Protect storm drains from illegal dumping • Regulate the Installation of Onsite Sewage Facilities • Promote Energy Saving Practices in regulated establishments (Restaurants, Convenience Stores, etc. ) • Hold periodic Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Events

Facilities Services • Installed a control system on the City Hall fountain so that it only works from 7 am to 9 pm; also scheduled it to suspend on Holidays • Automated lighting timers in City Hall and the main restrooms • Motion-sensored lights • Programmable thermostats – Turn on/off at the times staff are in the building – Established set-points with only a 6 degree variance for individual comfort levels – Repositioned sensors to read the temperature more effectively (ie, not near a door or window) • Installed control software for Air conditioning and heating units that identifies potential issues before they arise and warns when maintenance is needed.

Facilities Services • Utilize energy-efficient bulbs wherever possible • Purchase A/C units in the highest energy-savings affordable (some are Energy-Star certified) • Utilize natural gas vehicles and schedule routes such that less driving is necessary • Train janitorial staff on recycling pickups • Send staff to LEED’s seminars • Use recycled carpet to replace worn carpet • Replace roofs with a white coating and white gravel which reflects light instead of absorbing it like darker roofs do • Utilize a modified granule roof on the Courts building the top-layer of which is all white

Keep Grand Prairie Beautiful • • • Adopt-A-Street Adopt-A-Stream Adopt-A-Senior Adopt-A-Cemetery Clean & Beautiful Neighborhoods • Clean Company Program • Community Art Program • Green & Clean Campus Program • Litter-Free Hotline • Median Litter Receptacles • Shade. Makers Community Forestry Program • Senior Environmental Corps • Tool Depot • Youth for Environmental Action! (YEA!) Program • Anti-Recidivism and Community Service Programs

Marketing • Turn out lights upon departure • • Recycle cans • Reuse paper (print on the unused side of scratch paper) Print documents double sided instead of single sided

Parks and Recreation • Installed drip irrigation in bed areas to reduce water run off and waste. • Include landscaping and irrigation in every capital improvement project. Native and adaptive plant materials are incorporated into each design to reduce water use, runoff and pollution. • Incorporate more hardscape to reduce water consumption. • Utilize Smart Irrigation controllers which have as a feature evapo-transpiration to ensure that irrigation is not operating during rain or freeze events.

Parks and Recreation • Control irrigation by computers so that leaks in main lines are identified and controlled within minutes • Mulch beds twice a year to reduce water use, moderate soil temperatures and reduce weeding and chemical use • Reduce the number of mowing cycles per year by employing a three herbicide program that includes post (kills weeds) and preemergent herbicides • Incorporate native turf grasses to reduce mowing • Recycle plastic and aluminum at special events

Planning • Three staff persons are members of the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) and attend sessions to learn more about green building practices • Allow Windmills for lots of 2 acres and larger • Encourage native/adaptive options which conserve water: – Permits use of nonpotable/grey water for landscaping – Requires irrigation controls to be weather-based with moisture, wind, and freeze sensors – Requires drip irrigation on all groundcover and shrub areas – Underground irrigation required along street frontages – Provides tree credits to encourage retention of existing trees – Encourage the use of rainwater harvesting devices except in utility easements or required setbacks – Provide a listing of native/adaptive trees, shrubs, ground cover and grasses

Planning • • Reduced parking requirements for new projects Allow cellular grass paving systems for overflow parking Green (i. SWM) practices Depictions of Integrated Design Practices and Site Design Techniques: – conforming to natural topography – utilizing natural drainage – 15% common/public open space for all residential development with more than 20 units/10 acres – one mile separation between large multi-family complexes • Under Review – Green Building Standard adopted by Dallas City Council (4. 9. 2008) to determine which elements may be incorporated into Grand Prairie’s Unified Development Code. • Internal study, The Greening of Grand Prairie, now underway for older area of Grand Prairie looking at the Conservation, Economy, Livability of the area from IH-30 to SH-303 between the Tarrant County Line and east City Limits of Grand Prairie. Study should be completed with recommendations in about 12 months.

Public Works • • Conduct water wise tours around Grand Prairie Perform Grand Prairie well site beautifications Use propane in city vehicles Offer Water Conservation and Wastewater Education Classes: – – – Let's Talk Dirt: Preparing Landscape for Spring and Summer Does your Grass have a Drinking Problem? Are You Throwing Water Up-Hill? : Situational Gardening Make It & Take It Rain Barrel Class Annuals: Crayons in the Landscape Get Smart: Smartscape Principals Dream Smart: Smartscape Design Play Smart: Smartscape Maintenance Keeping It Contained: Container Gardening Butterfly Gardening Spring Clean –Up

Solid Waste & Recycling • Litter Collection Contract • Wetland Mitigation Project • Buy recycled products • TV Take-back program • Large Venue and Event Recycling • Composting Classes • Rain Water Harvesting Classes • Kirby Creek Experiential gardens • Community education • Onsite Xeriscape • Mulching service • Recycling Drop-Off Sites for Residents

Solid Waste & Recycling • Methane Gas Project – determines ways to utilize naturally-occurring methane gas as an energy source • Drop-Off Location for tires & bulky items (couches, stoves, refrigerators, etc) • City Offices Recycling of paper, aluminum & plastic

Streets • Dirt and material are recycled and shred into flex-base to build/support temporary roads and make alley repairs • Asphalt is milled off and stock piled for road repairs • Silt is removed from creeks, dried out and used as backfill for sidewards and to put grass back when it has had to be damaged for repairs • Six vehicles have a plug-in unit that monitors idling time (alarms after five minutes of idling). • Use GPS units to plan routes and track drivers.

Transportation • Signals are timed to keep the traffic moving and avoid engines idling at the signal • The Grand Connection, the City’s elderly and disabled transit system, reduces emissions by using a dispatch software to combine and coordinate trips

So…. Just How Green is Grand Prairie? GREEN

Just How Green is Grand Prairie? Questions. . . Comments. . Recommendations ? ?

Just How Green is Grand Prairie? Created by Marchella Bell-West Senior Environmental Specialist mbell@gptx. org under the advisement of Jim Cummings, Director of the City of Grand Prairie’s Environmental Services Department