“This certification is the result of the collaboration of many volunteers and community organizations with the Township Council and Administration,” said Palomaki. “It shows that great things can be accomplished when we all work together toward common goals. Through this process, we are protecting our environment, providing lasting value to the people who live and work in Bloomfield, and helping people find ways to save money with energy efficiency and conservation.”

“I’m honored to accept this prestigious environmental designation on behalf of the township,” said Mayor McCarthy. “This certification recognizes that Bloomfield is a community on the move, and truly one of the best places to live, work and play in New Jersey.”

The township was notified in a letter by Sustainable Jersey on November 6 of their newest credential. According to the letter, “Municipalities that earn the certification are considered by their peers, by state government, and by the experts and civic organizations in New Jersey, to be among the leading municipalities in the state.”

Bloomfield is one of 28 towns out of the 240 registered municipalities that have attained certification in the first year of the program. Bloomfield will be honored at the Sustainable Jersey awards luncheon on Tuesday, November 17 at the Sheraton Hotel in Atlantic City with Greener Bloomfield Coordinator John Palomaki accepting the award on behalf of Mayor Raymond J. McCarthy and the Township.

“This certificate is the equivalent of the People’s Choice Award for a municipality,” said McCarthy.

“From passing an anti-idling ordinance to purchasing hybrid vehicles to installing energy efficient lighting in our public buildings, we are leading the charge to make our community more sustainable.”

To become Sustainable Jersey certified, Bloomfield submitted documentation to show it had completed a balance of the required sustainability actions, meeting a minimum of 100 action points. In addition to reaching 100 points, each community had to create a Green Team and select at least 2 out of 4 priority action options. Bloomfield did 2 of the 4 priority actions by completing a Sustainable Land Use Pledge and a Water Conservation Ordinance.

Bloomfield’s Township Council passed a resolution in March 2009 designating Palomaki and Greener Bloomfield to coordinate the township’s Sustainable Jersey application. The core team included leadership assistance from Greener Bloomfield members Pat Gilleran, who coordinates Essex Freecycle, Christine Bruncati, a Sr. Research Architect at NJIT, and 2nd Ward Councilman Nicholas Joanow. The Green Team included members of the Township Council, Administration, Recycling Committee, Open Space Committee, Board of Education, Bloomfield College, and Bloomfield Tech; local organizations including the Brookdale Park Conservancy, Essex Freecycle, and Bloomfield Neighborhood Association; and local businesses, students, and members of the Greener Bloomfield organization.

Bloomfield submitted documentation for the following actions:

• Green Team*
• Sustainable Land Use Pledge*
• Water Conservation Ordinance*
• Community Education and Outreach: articles in the Bloomfield Buzz and local papers
• Community Education and Outreach: GreenerBloomfield.org website
• Green Fairs
• Green Design Commercial and Residential Buildings: Bloomfield Center Redevelopment Plan
• Anti-Idling Education and Enforcement Programs
• Natural Resource (Tree) Protection Ordinance
• Recycling Depot
• Electronics and Clothing Recycling
• Waste Reduction: Grass Cut It and Leave It program
• Waste Reduction: Backyard Composting program
• Paperless Council Innovative Demonstration Project

*Priority actions

About Sustainable Jersey

Sustainable Jersey is a certification program for municipalities in New Jersey that want to go green, control costs and save money, and take steps to sustain their quality of life over the long term. The innovative new program is an initiative of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities’ Mayors Committee for a Green Future, the Municipal Land Use Center at the College of New Jersey, the New Jersey Sustainable State Institute at Rutgers University, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Rutgers Center for Green Building, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, and a coalition of New Jersey non-profits, state agencies, and experts in the field. To learn more about the Sustainable Jersey certification visit www.sustainablejersey.com. Program sponsors include the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, PSEG, Church and Dwight, New Jersey Natural Gas, Covanta Energy, Nautilus Solar, the Smart Energy Group and Xerox.

TIDY ALTERNATIVE A view of Church Street in Bloomfield, a place with tightly packed houses, a great commute, and lower prices than Montclair and Glen Ridge. (NY Times, May 22, 2009)

The May 22 New York Times Real Estate section features an article on Bloomfield as a town that is “charming in an old-fashioned kind of way” with “a great commute” and “lower prices” than its neighboring towns. They also mention Bloomfield’s Smart Growth Award from New Jersey Future. Read more at “Living In Bloomfield, N.J.: A Starter Spot for Suburbanites”.