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Sustainable Jersey Certification Report

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This is the Sustainable Jersey Certification Report of Jersey City, a Sustainable Jersey silver certified applicant.

Jersey City was certified on December 13, 2021 with 360 points. Listed below is information regarding Jersey City’s Sustainable Jersey efforts and materials associated with the applicant’s certified actions.

Contact Information

The designated Sustainable Jersey contact for Jersey City is:

Name:Amanda Diamond
Title/Position:Director, Division of Sustainability / Infrastructure
Address:13-15 Linden Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07305
Phone:2015473035

Actions Implemented

Each approved action and supporting documentation for which Jersey City was approved for in 2021 appears below. Note: Standards for the actions below may have changed and the documentation listed may no longer satisfy requirements for that action.

  • Community Partnership & Outreach

    Create Green Team

    10 Points
    Bronze Required Silver Required

    Program Summary: In September of 2014, the City Council passed ordinance 14.105, which identified the Jersey City Environmental Commission as the official Green Team of the city. An updated proclamation of support for the Green Team and intent to participate in Sustainable Jersey was issued by the Mayor on August 28, 2017. In October 2010, the City reorganized the Environmental Commission, and their first meeting was held on May 23, 2011. The Environmental Commission is served by nine members who are residents of the City appointed by the Mayor. The Sustainability Program Manager with the Jersey City Office of Sustainability serves as the Secretary of the Commission and as a liaison between the City and Commission. The Environmental Commission works on a number of environmental issues for the city and provides recommendations for actions, initiatives, and policies. The Commission meets monthly; all meetings are open to the public. In 2017 the Commission created a working group specifically focused on Sustainable Jersey Certification and actions. Since then the Environmental Commission has certified 28 local businesses with the Jersey City Green Business Certification Program. The Commission also received its first Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) grant to fund a pollinator garden, which was a successful project thanks to newly formed partnerships with local community organizations and the school district. The Commission also worked on engagement and education on Jersey City’s Bag Ban by partnering with ANJEC to co-host a virtual event on plastics in the time of Covid-19.

    Community Education & Outreach

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Jersey City has been chosen to join the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Food Matters Mid-Atlantic Regional Initiative. Joined by Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC, this initiative will help to advance regional food waste prevention, rescue food surplus, and recycle food scraps. The Jersey City team includes staff from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Division of Recycling. The campaign also promotes the Division of Recycling’s composting programs. In keeping with the practice of designating a yearly Jersey City Office of Sustainability theme, the entire year of 2021 was established as the Year of Rethinking Food Waste. The logo for this theme was released the week of January 4, 2021. Community education and outreach is an important component for the Year of Rethinking Food Waste. The city worked with NRDC staff to update the Food Waste and Composting pages on our sustainability website and launched a focused social media campaign - #FoodForThoughtFridays. Every Friday, the Office of Sustainability posts tips on food waste prevention at home. The second campaign Rethink Your Fridge launched in summer of 2021. The month-long campaign featured food storage tips via social media, paid digital and print advertisements and interactive kiosks across the city.

  • Diversity & Equity

    Diversity on Boards & Commissions

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The Jersey City Green Team conducted a survey in August 2017 of the diversity on the City's Boards and Commissions. This survey was sent out to the members of the following boards and commissions: Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Environmental Commission, Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and the Redevelopment Agency Board of Commissioners. Of the forty-one members of the boards and commissions active at the time of distribution, twenty-five completed the survey, or 61%. The Google Form that was sent out to these boards can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13GSrONR3QBakz2V6THSLAH3UabECPi0t66TPIgVGWps/edit?ts=5970f5d3 The results of the survey and the final recommendations are attached. The results and recommendations were distributed to the boards that answered the survey as well as the Mayor's Office and City Council. The Green Team presented the findings to the City Council at the Council Caucus Meeting on Monday, November 13, 2017. A recording of the Council Caucus meeting can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwufZ85mJ2w. The specific minutes/discussion can be found at 30:32 and 35:38.

  • Emergency Management & Resiliency

    Climate Adaptation: Flooding Risk

    20 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The City has gone above and beyond the requirements for this task by creating a Resiliency Master Plan which will be adopted as an element of the Jersey City Master Plan this summer, along with an Adaptation Master Plan, and a Green Infrastructure Plan. Three other documents were also created as part of this project: a Capital Improvement Plan, proposed Zoning & Building Code Amendments, and a Design Standards. The Resiliency Master Plan addresses flooding risk, storm surge risk, vulnerable infrastructure, and vulnerable populations within the City. Based on the above vulnerabilities, the Resiliency Master Plan prioritizes area for infrastructure improvements that will protect the City during significant storm events. The Adaptation Master Plan identifies which infrastructure improvements should go where and also identifies other adaptive measures that can be implemented citywide to make Jersey City more resilient. The Green Infrastructure Plan identifies the types of green infrastructure improvements that should be implemented in different topographical areas of the City and looks at a few specific projects and how these would benefit the City. The Capital Improvement Plan prioritizes the infrastructure projects that were identified in the Adaptation Master Plan and creates a timetable for implementation. The proposed Zoning and Building Code Amendments document identifies areas of the City Code and the State building code that need to be updated in order to reflect the recommendations of the Adaptation Master Plan and includes draft versions of the recommended changes. Lastly, the Design Standards document is an approachable guide for residents, developers, and City staff that outlines different green infrastructure and resilient design elements that can be incorporated into new and existing buildings. This document includes many visuals so that the concepts are easy to understand. The City compiled a large group of internal and external stakeholders to craft these documents and had several meetings to discuss the findings of the project as well as the recommended adaptive measures that the City should take. Stakeholders included City staff, the Environmental Commission, the Jersey City Innovation Team, the MUA, Rutgers University, members of the public, and other organizations that are part of the Jersey City Green Infrastructure Municipal Action Team (GI MAT). The GI MAT meets regularly to address various environmental issues related to climate change and sea level rise. Communication between the various organizations about actions to remedy Jersey City’s deficiencies were exchanged and green infrastructure, policy, and outreach solutions were identified. The meeting minutes and sign-in sheets from several of the GI MAT meetings where this project was discussed are included in the supporting documentation. The City held an Open House on October 25, 2016, and a Public Meeting on March 23, 2017, to discuss this project with members of the public. Draft copies of the Resiliency Master Plan, Adaptation Master Plan, and Green Infrastructure Plan were available on the City website for members of the public and comments on the drafts were accepted for three weeks after the public meeting date. Changes were then made to the plans to reflect these comments. More detailed information about this project is available on the City website at http://www.jerseycitynj.gov/resiliency/. In order to meet the requirements of this Sustainable Jersey Action, the City has also utilized the NJ Flood Mapper Tool and the GTR Tool. The maps generated through the NJ Flood Mapper Tool were used to give our team a good visualization of the various scenarios of sea level rise. We noticed that Jersey City is extremely vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change and steps need to be taken soon to address these problems. The GTR Tool was very helpful for addressing individual deficiencies of the municipal plans, policies, agencies, and for identifying resources that can be utilized to better tackle the issues of climate change. The required documentation for these tools has been provided.

  • Energy

    Energy Efficiency for Municipal Facilities

    40 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The City of Jersey City has gone through the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities’ (NJBPU) Office of Clean Energy Local Government Energy Audit Program (LGEA) program and is in the process of finalizing its Energy Savings Plan (ESP) as part of the NJ Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP). In 2016, the City of Jersey City audited 26 buildings through the LGEA Program. At the time, these were all of the City buildings that were eligible for the program. The 26 buildings assessed had a total combined area of approximately 412,000 square feet. The LGEA provided a list of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) that could potentially save approximately $223,600 in energy costs per year. The City then engaged Gabel Associates to identify new opportunities and assist in determining strategies for implementing these cost saving measures. With Gabel the City developed a request for proposals for an ESCO to conduct an Industrial Grade Audit (IGA) and prepare an ESP. The ESCO Schneider Electric was chosen to perform this work and they completed the IGA and ESP in 2021. The ESP now includes 24 buildings, as some of the buildings that were originally audited are no longer in use. The City has finalized the construction contract for these energy efficiency upgrades and expects construction to begin in early 2022. The ESP provided a list of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) that are projected to provide energy savings of 20.5%.

    Purchase Alternative Fuel Vehicles

    10 Points

    Program Summary: In order to reduce emissions within municipal operations, the City of Jersey City started incorporating plug-in EVs into the fleet with the acquisition of 4 Nissan Leafs in 2019. In 2020 the Mayor committed 100% of new municipal fleet vehicles to be fully electric by 2030. The municipal fleet has 12 Nissan LEAFs. 11 of the electric vehicles have been assigned to the Jersey City Quality of Life Task Force and the remaining vehicle has been assigned to the Office of the Business Administrator.

    Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

    15 Points

    Program Summary: In 2019, Jersey City installed its first municipally-owned electric vehicle charging station near the downtown business district. In 2020 and 2021, the city rolled out 9 additional level 2 dual-port charging stations across the city. These accessible sites were chosen to incentivize and encourage people to purchase electric vehicles and own them in the city. Electric vehicles may park at the designated spots without additional permits or fees associated with street parking. The city only charges a low fee of $1.60 per hour for level 2 charging. To bring attention to charging spots for EVs, the city added signage next to the ChargePoint stations and green striping within the parking spots' boundaries. The process is simple: drivers pull into the designated street parking spot, plug their EV into the charging station, run errands or shop and return to a charged vehicle. Drivers may utilize the ChargePoint application or their ChargePoint RFID card. (The letter signed by a municipal authority will be uploaded before the final deadline.)

  • Green Design

    New Construction

    20 Points

    Program Summary: Green Design Municipal Buildings The Mayor and Council of Jersey City have embraced these standards and held to them. There have been two new construction municipal buildings proposed, both meeting LEED requirements. One, referred to as the Jersey City Public Safety communications Center, (AKA the Bishop Street Facility), is completed and has been awarded LEED Silver. The certificate is attached. The second is a New Municipal Public Works Complex that will house the , Engineering & Traffic Divisions, Department of Public Works, municipal garage, and the City Police K-9 Unit. The application for receipt of certification is pending.

  • Health & Wellness

    Building Healthier Communities

    25 Points

    Program Summary: Jersey City has a long history of providing health and wellness programming to its residents. The city’s focus on its diverse population and a variety of health issues results in tackling a wide range of health concerns in the community. In 2020, the COVID-19 response led to the collection and distribution of supplies including: • 24,000 cloth masks. • 250,000 face shields. • 2,500 dated N95 masks that were updated by the “Sewing Angels” a group of volunteer high school students. “The efforts we’re making on the municipal level will have an immeasurable impact on the overall health of our community for years to come, which is why Jersey City is proud to be a leader in implementing innovative solutions and policies to help urban areas like ours overcome the systematic issues that have plagued underserved communities for far too long. This pandemic has disproportionately affected the more economically challenged areas and exacerbated societal issues, which is why we are committed to expanding our efforts, and we look forward to continued progress for the health of our residents,” said Mayor Steven M. Fulop. The 2020 New Jersey Health Town to Watch application question: The pandemic has shed light on the importance of social determinants of health and their effects on New Jersey residents. There are 5 key areas of social determinants of health (https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-of-health). Explain which of the 5 areas you feel your community needs the most improvement in and which area your community is the most successful in. Provide justification for each response. (No word limit)* 0 of 750 max characters Jersey City's response: Jersey City’s immigrants need the most improvement in social determinants of health related to economic stability. • While more than 51% of Jersey City’s frontline workers are immigrants, many of these industries suffer from low wages and poor job security. • Although emergency pandemic programs have alleviated some food insecurities and housing instabilities, the need continues to grow. • Immigrants constitute the majority of frontline workers, yet many are excluded from social safety nets that the native-born have used as a lifeline. • This exclusion is because of explicit immigration requirements, such as the state of NJ’s 5-year bar for new permanent residents seeking benefits, or because of implicit and far-reaching fear of benefits programs fomented by the confusing and seemingly draconian aspects of the updated Public Charge rule. Jersey City is succeeding in creating the most improvements for immigrants in health and health care indicators. • JC HHS has been instrumental in closing the divide between immigrant communities and public health systems. • X thousands have been tested, and multi-lingual Covid vaccine campaigns are currently being developed and launched. • Jersey City was chosen as one of twelve cities in the nation with exemplary integration of immigrants in Covid response, • Multi-lingual awareness campaign on the public charge rule have helped immigrants make informed decisions about retaining and seeking benefits, esp. WIC, city clinic, & food assistance. • In 2020, Div of Immigrant Affairs provided nearly 15,000 inquiry responses and one-on-one consultations on emergency health benefits and services, and their immigration implications. Expanded shower and toilet access and provided COVID testing and flu shots to persons experiencing homelessness, serving an average of 84 persons per week. Partnered with Garden State Episcopal CDC and Jersey City Medical Center to coordinate outreach and service access, especially for mental health and housing-related services. Deployed online Mental Health First Aid classes to support community identification and response for mental health and substance abuse issues, training 516 people despite the COVID-imposed program shutdown for 5 months. Each participant complete an online evaluation. Sponsored restorative yoga classes for 22 trauma survivors. Program was evaluated informally with participants reporting satisfaction. Sponsored Soaringwords online resiliency workshops for the public as part of COVID lockdown response, and for three violence-affected school communities (Snyder HS, Innovation HS, Sacred Heart Grammar School). Participants asked to complete an optional survey. Initiated treatment program for domestic violence offenders referred by the Municipal Court. 10 people served in the first cohort with expansion planned. Program facilitator conduct on-going case evaluation, and participants will be asked to complete a survey upon program completion.

    Smoke-Free and Tobacco-Free Public Places

    10 Points

    Program Summary: All of Jersey City's parks are smoke-free. The ban was enacted through ordinance 13.110, adopted by City Council on October 9, 2013. Signs have been placed throughout the City's parks. The signs used can be seen in the photos in the attached article.

  • Innovative Projects

    Innovative Community Project 2

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Through the 2020 ANJEC Grants for Open Space Stewardship Award, the Jersey City Environmental Commission and the Bergen Hill Park Association created a pollinator garden to enhance pollinator habitat and education. The Environmental Commission had been awarded $1500 for the garden project at Bergen Hill Park in Jersey City. Launched in spring of 2021, the pollinator garden features regionally-appropriate plants that attract bees and butterflies. Specific plant varieties have been identified that coincide with the ecoregional planting guide for the Eastern Broadleaf Forest available on pollinator.org, as well as the native New Jersey plants identified on www.jerseyyards.org. The garden also features signage that explains the importance of pollination to the environment and food sources. PS #38’s fourth grade class partnered with the Environmental Commission and Office of Sustainability to create pollinator houses to install at the garden. • Educational brochures: In the summer of 2020 the Office of Sustainability partnered with Greener JC, a local environmental nonprofit group, to develop a draft brochure that provides information on how to grow a pollinator garden in residents’ backyards or windowsill boxes. In Spring 2021 both parties worked together to make final changes to the brochure with the help of students from P.S. 38. The brochure was distributed at the May planting event. • Spring planting event to launch the garden: The Bergen Hill Park Association and the Jersey City Environmental Commission worked together to promote the planting event in the community and via digital platforms. In order to comply with social distancing measures, prospective attendees were asked to register for the event. Local community members attended the event as well as the P.S. 38 students that created pollinator houses for the garden. • Garden with A Grandparent (or Elder) event: The workshop was hosted by the Canco Park Conservancy. Recruitment was focused on nearby senior living facility Grandview Terrace using flyers. Event were also marketed and promoted through social media channels.

    Innovative Community Project 3

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Since 2019, Jersey City Public Schools and Jersey City’s Office of Sustainability have partnered to challenge students to identify and solve local issues related to sustainability. Engaging students in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) is one of the most important factors in preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow. The Jersey City Public Schools Sustainability STEAM Challenge addresses this issue. The challenge offers students the opportunity to be engaged in authentic hands-on experiences that will challenge them to identify, research and solve problems in their neighborhoods. Through this annual challenge students explore the world of design and engineering and are afforded the opportunity to collaborate with experts and present their solutions to their peers and community. Students in every grade level participate. Yearly Themes THE 2021 CHALLENGE – ENVIRONMENTAL AMBASSADORS This year’s challenge was for students to become ambassadors for the environment on a local, national or global level. Find out more here. THE 2020 CHALLENGE – CLIMATE ACTION Last year’s challenge was for students to identify and solve an issue related to climate change. Find out more here. THE 2019 CHALLENGE – SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS More than 20 schools district-wide accepted the 2019 challenge to identify and solve a sustainability issue in their neighborhood.

  • Land Use & Transportation

    Sustainable Land Use Pledge

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: Sustainable Land Use Pledge Our Mayor and the Council, Chief of Staff, Green Committee, Planning and Zoning, and Environmental Commission members all worked together with the Division of City Planning to compile the sustainable practices of the City and craft a Sustainable Land Use Pledge. It incorporates all the SJ proclamation elements and specific initiatives unique to Jersey City. This extensive resolution was adopted by the City council on March 23, 2011. Discussion on the initiatives within the resolution and its goal to continue the implementation of Smart Growth Practices was discussed with City Council members and aired via the Local Cable Station for wider visibility. As per the requirements of SJ, this and other resolutions associated with Conservation and sustainable practices were originally distributed in April of 2011 to all Development Board members, Department and Division Directors and other key staff members for implementation. Many of these individuals were consulted on the drafting of the resolution, but were provided with a memorandum containing a collection of all the most recent resolutions and ordinances advancing the goals of sustainability and environmental balance. The Sustainable Land Use Pledge, along with a new resolution reaffirming the City's commitment to Environmental Sustainability and combatting climate change, was redistributed to the Planning Board, Zoning Board, Redevelopment Agency, and Environmental Commission on September 7, 2017. The memorandum accompanying this distribution and copies of the emails sent have been up-loaded for your reference.

    Bicycle and/or Pedestrian Plan

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Jersey City's Transportation Planner worked with collaborating agencies to adopt a Bicycle Plan in the Circulation Element of the City's Master Plan. This Circulation Element adopts as a City standard a street-regulating plan that regulates the form of all streets, bike lanes, where feasible, and sidewalks in accordance with the street typologies and illustrated hierarchy of streets in the City. What has been accomplished is a new policy that will be used to guide the design of all streets within the city to promote bicycle-friendly development.

    Transit-Oriented Development Supportive Zoning

    20 Points

    Program Summary: Most of the City is transit-oriented. Additionally, a number of the City's Redevelopment Plans have density and affordable housing requirements around transit hubs. The TOD element to the Morris canal plan has effectively turned the surrounding area into a Transit Oriented Development. The buildings that have been developed in this area permit fewer parking spaces (.9 per unit), require higher density, give affordable housing bonuses, allow for mixed uses, encourage bicycle usage, encourage walking, have park-and-ride facilities, and provide access to the Liberty HBLR Station.

  • Natural Resources

    Natural Resource Inventory

    20 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: In 2015 the Jersey City Environmental Commission and the Jersey City Division of Planning began working with the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and the Center for Urban Environmental Sustainability (“CUES”) of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, to conduct an updated Environmental Resource Inventory for Jersey City. The inventory was completed in the spring of 2017 and was posted to the City's Data Portal. The document can be found here: http://data.jerseycitynj.gov/dataset/jersey-city-environmental-resource-inventory. In addition to a written document, this project also included a "data dictionary" that indicates the source of all of the data used so that both City officials and members of the public can easily access this data and use it in other projects. The Environmental Resource Inventory was adopted as part of the Jersey City Master Plan on June 13, 2017, by the Planning Board. The Environmental Commission will continue to have the responsibility of maintaining the Environmental Resource Inventory and insure that it is updated at least every 10 years. The Environmental Commission will partner with Rutgers and other universities to maintain the inventory.

    Environmental Commission

    10 Points

    Program Summary: The Jersey City Environmental Commission was reorganized by ordinance in January 2011 after being dormant for five years. A whole new commission was appointed, and the focus of the Commission was restructured to have more of an advisory role to the Planning Board and City Council in regards to the City’s natural resources and open space. Additionally, the newly formed Commission also has a strong emphasis on environmental education and outreach to Jersey City residents. The first meeting of the newly-formed Environmental Commission was May 2011, and they meet on a monthly basis. All meetings are open to the public. The Environmental Commission has overseen the completion of a number of important projects, most notably the Shade Tree Inventory and the Environmental Resource Inventory. The Environmental Commission also serves as the official Green Team for Jersey City. Since 2018 the Environmental Commission has certified 28 local businesses through the Jersey City Green Business Certification Program. The Commission also received its first Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) grant to fund a pollinator garden, which was a successful project thanks to newly formed partnerships with local community organizations and the school district. The Commission also worked on engagement and education on Jersey City’s Bag Ban by partnering with ANJEC to co-host a virtual event on plastics in the time of Covid-19. As of 2021, there are eight active members in the Environmental Commission. For more information on the Jersey City Environmental Commission, please visit https://jerseycitynj.gov/cms/one.aspx?pageId=11808642.

    Water Conservation Education Program

    10 Points

    Program Summary: 2017 is the Year of Water for Jersey City. During this year the City hopes to educate the public on ways to help decrease localized flooding, educate the public on water issues surrounding combine sewer overflow, conservation and more. For more information visit water.innovatejerseycity.org Dates: McNair High School May 7th, 2017 Ward C- June 23rd, 2017 Ward D- June 25th, 2017 Ward E- June 10th, 2017 Ward B- July 8th, 2017 Ward A/F- August 5th, 2017

    Community Forestry Management Plan & NJUCF Accreditation

    20 Points

    Program Summary: The City is actively participating in the Community Forestry program. In 2015 the City completed a shade tree study that inventoried the City's tree cover and identified the tree cover deficiencies of the City. The City's Municipal Forester, Edward O'Malley, is overseeing the City's tree-planting program and execution of the Community Forestry Management Plan.

    Tree Hazard Inventory

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Davey Resource Group completed a tree inventory for Jersey City during the months of November and December of 2020 and January, June, and July of 2021, collecting data on trees and stumps along the street right-of-way, and continuing the inventory work started by students from New Jersey City University (NJCU) in August of 2018. DRG analyzed the inventory data from both efforts to understand the structure of the city’s inventoried tree resource. In total, 12,916 sites were inventoried - 9,980 sites (77%) were collected by DRG and the remaining 2,936 (23%) were collected by the students – a significant but partial inventory of the City’s trees. The i-Tree Eco analysis of Jersey City’s inventoried trees quantified the functional benefits of three critical ecosystem services that they provide: air pollution removal, carbon sequestration, and avoided surface runoff. The city’s annual tree maintenance budget is $514,867 making Jersey City’s return on investment almost 24% annually. Urban environments have unique challenges that make the estimated $122,400 of functional benefits provided by Jersey City’s inventoried tree population an essential asset to the city. Carbon dioxide (CO2) impacts people, property, and the environment as the primary greenhouse gas driving climate change, valuing the 196,620 lbs sequestered by Jersey City’s tree resource at an estimated $16,800 annually. Avoiding stormwater runoff reduces the risk of flooding and combined sewer overflow, both of which impact people, property, and the environment, valuing the 7,018,700 gal of runoff avoided with Jersey City’s tree resource at an estimated $13,300, annually. Finally, compared to rural landscapes, urban landscapes are characterized by high emissions in a relatively small area, valuing the 5,560 lbs. of airborne pollutants removed by Jersey City’s tree resource at an estimated $92,300, annually. The replacement value of the city’s inventoried tree population is estimated to be $ ,100,000. In Jersey City, only ten species account for almost half of the public tree resource and half of the functional benefits it provides. If any of these species were lost to invasive pests, disease, or other threats, the loss would have significant costs. It is critical to promote species diversity with future plantings to minimize susceptibility to potential threats, and to plant large-statured broadleaf tree species wherever possible to maximize potential environmental and economic benefits. See Appendix C for a tree species list recommended by DRG. To implement the maintenance schedule, Jersey City’s tree maintenance budget should be: • No less than $977,000 for the first year of implementation • No less than $1,679,000 for the second and third years • No less than $1,365,000 for the final two years of the maintenance schedule Annual budget funds are needed to ensure that High Risk trees are expediently managed and that the vital Young Tree Training and Routine Pruning cycles can begin as soon as possible. If routing efficiencies and/or contract specifications allow more tree work to be completed in a given year, or if this maintenance schedule requires adjustment to meet budgetary or other needs, then it should be modified accordingly. Unforeseen situations such as severe weather events may arise and change the maintenance needs of trees. If maintenance needs change, then budgets, staffing, and equipment should be adjusted to meet the new demand. For more information on our tree inventory work, please see https://jcmakeitgreen.org/tree-mapping/

    Tree Planting Programs

    10 Points

    Program Summary: The 2020 Community Forestry Management Plan Status Report (attached) outlines the number of trees planted each year. The goal for last year and this year was to plant 500 trees a year so as to build up the canopy while replacing trees that have died. The City removed the fee from its residential tree planting program so that now residents are able to request a tree to be planted within the right-of-way in front of their house for free. You can find the 2021 Adopt-A-Tree Application here: https://www.cognitoforms.com/CityOfJerseyCity1/AdoptATreeApplicationFor2021. You can find a map of planted trees on the City's data portal here: https://data.jerseycitynj.gov/explore/dataset/tree-planting-locations/

  • Operations & Maintenance

    Adopt a Green Purchasing Policy by Ordinance *Retires 12/31/23*

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Green Purchasing Policy The best documentation is to show the action, which is what we have chosen to do. We are now applying for the Recycled Paper sub-action based upon information received from the Office o f the Business Administrator. As certified by our City Clerk, the Green Purchasing ordinance was distributed to all department heads. The certification letter of distribution is attached. Adopted ordinances are also posted on the City Clerk section of the WEB site, and in addition, this ordinance is posted on the Cover Page of the City of Jersey City HOME page in the NEWS SECTION, in the paragraph entitled “ 365 Days of Green Initiatives All Across Jersey City”, along with other Green Policy Ordinances. A PDF of the web page containing it is attached. You can also access the site on the WEB at: Green Purchasing Policy In your initial comments you questioned why we did not apply for sub-action credit if we had a Green Purchasing program. We got the message. The best documentation is to show the action, which is what we have chosen to do. We are now applying for the Recycled Paper sub-action based upon information received from the Office o f the Business Administrator. As certified by our City Clerk, the Green Purchasing ordinance was distributed to all department heads. The certification letter of distribution is attached. Adopted ordinances are also posted on the City Clerk section of the WEB site, and in addition, this ordinance is posted on the Cover Page of the City of Jersey City HOME page in the NEWS SECTION, in the paragraph entitled “ 365 Days of Green Initiatives All Across Jersey City”, along with other Green Policy Ordinances. A PDF of the web page containing it is attached. You can also access the site on the WEB at: http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/

  • Sustainability & Climate Planning

    Municipal Carbon Footprint

    10 Points
    Bronze Priority Silver Priority

    Program Summary: The Municipal Carbon Footprint was completed in 2020. This carbon footprint complements the community carbon footprint to provide an overview of greenhouse gas emissions in Jersey City. Data from the Municipal Carbon Footprint was used to identify priority actions for reducing emissions in municipal operations as part of the Jersey City 2021 Climate and Energy Action Plan.

    Community Energy Plan or Climate Action Plan

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Jersey City’s Municipal Council and Jersey City's Planning Board recently adopted the City’s first-ever Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP). This plan is a detailed and strategic framework for measuring, planning, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and related climatic effects. The CEAP lays out an implementable roadmap for Jersey City’s highest priority climate actions. Throughout the process the Office of Sustainability engaged Jersey City residents, local organizations, and other stakeholders in order to ensure that every member of the community had a chance to contribute their ideas to the plan. You can find the Plan here: https://us.ftp.opendatasoft.com/analyzejerseycity/files/Sustainability/Jersey%20City%20Climate%20Energy%20Action%20Plan_FINAL.pdf You can find Appendix E here: https://us.ftp.opendatasoft.com/analyzejerseycity/files/Sustainability/Appendix%20E_FINAL.pdf The resolution adopting the Climate and Energy Action Plan is attached. The transcript of the Planning Board meeting where Climate and Energy Action Plan is approved is also attached.

  • Waste Management

    Food Waste

    10 Points

    Program Summary: Jersey City launched its first-ever composting efforts in 2018 with a Residential Compost Drop-Off Program. For residents without backyards or gardens, the city partnered with community gardens, municipal facilities and a school to create easily accessible drop off locations. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the city expanded these efforts to increase the number of drop off sites citywide from 3 up to 11 total to meet the growing demand and increase accessibility to encourage more participants. Organics at each of the sites are picked up by Community Compost Company who then processes it into compost. The Jersey City Composting Program offered free community workshops to engage and educate interested residents. The city created a webpage to educate residents on what to include and exclude for composting. Frequently Asked Questions and workshop slideshows have also been uploaded to jcmakeitgreen.org/composting. As of August 2021, this program has diverted a total of 189,336 pounds of food waste from the waste stream. To view more data visit the following link: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/jersey.city/viz/2019Composting/Story1.

    Backyard Composting Program

    5 Points

    Program Summary: Jersey City launched its first-ever composting efforts in 2018 with the Backyard Composting Program. The city procured bins to distribute to residents interested in composting in their own backyard. The city created a sign up form and registered residents received free or discounted bins to process their household's kitchen scraps into finished organic compost for use in their own gardens. Residents are asked to voluntarily report an estimate of the amount of food scraps diverted on a weekly basis. The Jersey City Composting Program also offered free community workshops to engage and educate interested residents. The city created a webpage to educate residents on the basics of backyard composting. Frequently Asked Questions and workshop slideshows have also been uploaded to jcmakeitgreen.org/composting. Since June 2019, this program has diverted a total of 16,795 pounds of food waste from the waste stream. There are a total of 670 participants. To view more data visit the following link: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/jersey.city/viz/2019Composting/Story1

    Reusable Bag Education Program

    5 Points

    Program Summary: Jersey City began enforcing a city-wide ban on single-use plastic carry-out bags on June 28, 2019. The City of Jersey City Municipal Council passed Ordinance 18-065 ,which prohibits retailers from providing single-use plastic carry-out bags and non-recyclable paper bags to customers at the checkout counter of retail stores. Instead, customers need to bring their own bag or use an alternative bag provided by retailers. This ordinance affects all retailers, including grocery stores, restaurants, corner stores, pharmacies, clothing shops, hardware stores, beer and liquor stores, and every other retail store that provides bags to customers at point of sale. The purpose of this ban is to reduce litter, protect the environment, and remove hard-to-recycle bags from our waste stream. Before the ordinance went into effect, the Office of Sustainability attended neighborhood association meetings, Special Improvement District meetings, and other local events to educate the public and the business community. The office also visited major restaurant distributors in Jersey City and gave them flyers to give out and posters to display. During this outreach campaign, there were 13 canvassing events, 31 community events were attended, and 37 presentations were made. In November 2020, the Environmental Commission partnered with ANJEC to co-host a virtual event on plastics in the age of Covid-19 followed by a showing of a short film "The Story of Plastics".