City of Kettering, Ohio

BVM: What’s happening with green initiatives? Schwieterman : “The biggest ‘green’ thing we do is repurpose. I believe the trendy term is ‘upcycle’. We do everything we can to use existing land and buildings. Sometimes it requires demolition, but we believe there is value in reuse.Our Government Center sits in a parklike setting that was built in the late 1960s, right in the center of town. Rather than build new, about seven years ago,we initiated a complete renovation.We kept the bones but gutted the interior and re-built a LEED-certified building; it was a major undertaking, but it is much more energy efficient.Our new fire stations,while not be- ing LEED-rated, have also taken advantage of best practices for sustainability.” BVM: What are the most important points people should knowabout Kettering? Gorsuch : “Without a doubt, it’s the quality of life. Economic development is the lifeblood of the city.We work on it every day because we couldn’t provide residents with all the great programs and projects if we weren’t financially stable.” Schwieterman : “We truly believe that Kettering is home.We have a tremendous mix of residents and businesses.When you add those together, our tax base is strong.That allows us to be a progressive community in our redevelopment.” Patterson : “Frommy standpoint as Mayor, I real- ize that, for us to provide the services our residents expect,we need a strong business environment and a strong regional presence.We work every day for that.We have a great staff and they all buy into this community spirit.We talk things through.We have trust and strong relationships with our citizens because we reach out to them,we meet with them. To be successful that’s what you need to do.We’re very proud of that and will continue to do so in the future. It’s great to hear, as I often do, that people love living in Kettering.” PREFERRED VENDOR n CommunityTissue Services www.communitytissue.org