Dear Editor:
On Tuesday, November 15, 2011 Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer accepted the Leadership Award on behalf of the city from Sustainable Jersey at its annual luncheon in Atlantic City The mayor has been the leading advocate for the greening of the city. The Quality of Life Coalition and its Committee for a Green Hoboken extend congratulations to her and the City of Hoboken for the award and for having begun the process of fulfilling the city’s 2008 commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Sustainable Jersey is a group that provides certification of sustainability efforts undertaken by municipalities in the state.
The QLC and its CGH are delighted to see recognition of the city’s work. The QLC is well aware of those efforts since it and the QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken have partnered with the city from the start. The QLC initiated the city’s adoption of the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement in 2008 and under the leadership of JD Capuano, first chairman of the QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken, assisted the city’s Environmental Services department in planning for and implementing an audit of municipal buildings in 2009. CGH also provided the research and direction in 2010 that led to the adoption of single stream recycling in the city. Two of the QLC’s board members, Tom Chartier and Brad Miller serve on the newly created Green Team.
The Coalition also congratulates the city employees who have worked to gain certification of the city to a Bronze status which designation will assist in obtaining funding for future green projects. David Calamoneri in Environmental Services has guided the city’s implementation of green projects since 2008. Recently Ryan Sharp in Parking and Transportation, supported by Director Ian Sacs, and Chris Brown in Community Development assigned by Director Brandy Forbes joined forces with Calamoneri and Maricela Rivera in completing a critical audit of the city’s entire automotive fleet. .
Other projects that have earned credit and points for the city with Sustainable Jersey are the Farmers’ Markets sponsored by the Quality of Life Coalition and overseen by the Coalition’s John Branciforte and Calamoneri; the tree planting last summer funded in part by a donation from The Taco Truck and matched at the direction of the mayor for a total of 100 trees planted. The city’s Shade Tree Commission also played an active part in the planting of the trees. The first audit and its implementation gained points from Sustainable Jersey as well as the partnership with citizen groups and the city’s
Shade Tree Commission members Steve Fahmie and James Tricarico. Calamoneri also chaired the commission in his spare time.
Helen Manogue