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10/16/2018 12:00 AMThe Town of Madison is one of the first Connecticut municipalities to achieve certification as a Sustainable CT community. The town met high standards in a broad range of sustainability accomplishments to qualify for the Bronze certification.
Sustainable CT, a statewide initiative that supports and recognizes sustainability action by Connecticut communities, was launched last year and announced its first group of certified towns last week. In its application for Sustainable CT certification, the Town of Madison demonstrated significant achievements in actions in nine sustainable impact areas ranging from thriving local economies and vibrant arts and culture to clean transportation and diverse housing. Madison’s successfully completed actions included: assessing climate vulnerability by working with the Nature Conservancy to hold a community resilience building workshop, installing an electric vehicle charging station in the municipal parking lot behind the Madison Art Cinemas, and the installation of energy-efficient LED street lights throughout Town of Madison.
First Selectman Tom Banisch stated that in addition to these examples, Madison’s adoption of a Complete Streets Policy has “created a system to encourage non-motorized transportation throughout town in an effort to ensure that Madison does its part to decrease vehicle emissions and address the very real threat of climate change.”
Additionally, “Town staff and the Energy and Efficiency Committee have worked diligently to achieve high energy performance and recognition as Energy Star facilities for Daniel Hand High School, Brown Middle School, and Polson Middle School,” Banisch said.
“Congratulations to our 2018 certified Sustainable CT communities,” said Lynn Stoddard, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, which administers the program. “We are inspired by your leadership and eager to share your accomplishments in building efficient, thriving, and resilient communities.”
With input from municipal leaders across the state, Sustainable CT was developed under the leadership of the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University. The program is independently funded, with significant support from three Connecticut philanthropic foundations. The founding funders include the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Hampshire Foundation, and the Common Sense Fund.
The Town of Madison and other certified communities will be recognized on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at the annual Convention of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, followed by additional local and regional recognition events in the coming months.
For more information, visit www.sustainablect.org.