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June 16, 2009 Portlandbiz

Portland to hire sustainability officer

By The Mainebiz News Staff

Portland City Council voted Monday to spend $168,000 of federal stimulus money to hire the city's first full-time sustainability coordinator. The amount covers the position's salary and benefits for three years, reported the Portland Press Herald.

The position is part of a the city's plan to spend $700,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The remaining $520,700 is earmarked for energy improvements such as new lights, insulation, heating system improvements and weatherization, the paper reported.

Earlier this year, Portland hired a Massachusetts firm to do a $150,000 energy audit and develop options for how the city can lower its energy bill. Councilor David Marshall, chairman of the council's Energy and Environmental Sustainability Committee, said the audit will provide a basis to easily calculate savings, putting Portland in a strong position to seek more money for similar programs from the federal government, according to the Press Herald. The first phase of the stimulus funding -- $250,000 -- is expected by month's end.

Reader comments

From Suzan Elichaa (Wed 6/17/2009 9:30 AM)

Once again, a waste of the dollars that all taxpayers have provided. The city would be better off to send there operations manager to some training classes to understand the options out there. Solar power, effeciency upgrades, and green measures should be a way of operating permantly. We need to change our mindset. When new ways of doing things present themself, we should expect our staff to develop these skills, not create a new job opening and let the existing staff stay in the dark. There are plenty of local busineses willing to provide the answers (we dont need to go to MA). The city just needs to evaluate the proposals and pick the best. I do hope the existing staff is smart enough to learn to do this. It is not rocket science. Look at Europe. .

From Brock Foreman (Tue 6/23/2009 11:43 AM)

Hiring an out-of-state firm to do the audit is a little weak. But hiring a sustainability coordinator is a smart move for Portland to demonstrate leadership on sustainability.  

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