Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 7

36 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 7 make recommendations to us when they see something we could be doing better. We have our Environmental Advisory Committee, as well as Green Ossining, which operates the annual Earth Day Festival at our waterfront – the biggest of its kind in Westchester County. The 4,000 people who might come for the music and activities walk away more environmentally educated with tasks that they can take on immediately to improve the environment. Education with the best in class solutions to reduce the carbon footprint is one of the core elements of the event.” The Village is currently working closely with Sustainable Westchester on an Energy Smart Homes project. It involves creating community campaigns to inform people who live in the Town and Village of Ossining, as well as the nearby Village of Briarcliff Manor, about what options they have for clean heating/cooling and energy efficiency. Sustainable Westchester vets www.b planning.com PLANNING URBAN DESIGN ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS REAL ESTATE CONSULTING TRANSPORTATION PLANNING 115 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK, NY 10003 T. 212.353.7474 F. 212.353.7494 info@b planning.com 677 WASHINGTON BLVD - STE 101 STAMFORD, CT 06901 CONTACT FRANK FISH T. 212.353.7476 f.fish@b planning.com high quality water source. The Mayor candidly admits, “Water is a big issue for municipalities in light of what we have seen transpire when elected officials do not pay attention to their water: It can create disasters. So from the political end, I am trying to get the word out that every municipality should look at where they’re getting their water from and the quality of that water. Because technology has leap-frogged in the last three decades, municipalities have to be on top of the existing infrastructure needs for a healthy future.” On the environmental front, Ossining has always been at the forefront of environmental initiatives and justice. They have just finished planting 80 trees in two local parks as part of an Urban Forestry initiative, as well as ‘greening’ the Village fleet and buildings. But that’s just scratching the surface, as Mayor Levin explains, “Ossining is fortunate to have a deep bench of environmental advocates that