§ 6-108. Purpose and intent.

The purpose is to establish goals, programs and procedures that will help Lake County become a more sustainable community. This program shall establish new environmental goals for Lake County, define a certification-based green-building and development program with incentives, and define new measurement parameters and reporting criteria to track Lake County's performance toward its environmental goals. This program will promote economic and environmental health in Lake County, through the design, construction, operations and deconstruction of its own facilities and provide leadership to both the private and public sectors in the arena of green building and development practices including resource efficiency and disaster mitigation. Specific practices are outlined below.

(1)

Promote a sustainable future that meets today's needs of a stable, diverse and equitable economy without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs by:

a.

Protecting the quality of the air, water, land and other natural resources;

b.

Conserving native vegetation, wildlife and habitat;

c.

Minimizing human impacts on local ecosystems and ecosystems worldwide; and

d.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

(2)

Become a leader in setting policies and practicing service delivery innovations that promote environmental sustainability.

(3)

Create a sustainable jurisdiction by delivering renewable energy and energy-efficient projects, developing green buildings and water-thrifty landscapes, resource education, and utilizing recycling and environmentally sound solid-waste services.

(4)

Establish a green building program to:

a.

Improve the economic and environmental health of Lake County through measurable objectives;

b.

Track and analyze key indices to measure performance;

c.

Commit Lake County to achieve green designations;

d.

Provide incentives for voluntary compliance;

e.

Provide green building educational opportunities for the community; and

f.

Execute a green building and development program to help local government. meet its overall goals of reducing emissions, reducing energy needs, and water consumption consistent with the states' initiative.

(Ord. No. 2008-52, § 2, 8-5-08)