GOP Candidates Tout Sustainable Efforts

To the editor:

As we mentioned last week in the first Campaign Corner note, the intent of these columns is to highlight the accomplishments of the Republican led Township Committee over the last several years. This week we would like to discuss the success of Hillsborough’s Sustainability Program and our vision for a reasonable approach to leveraging green technology and other sustainable initiatives for generating taxpayer savings.

Since the inception of the Sustainable Hillsborough Steering Committee in 2006, Hillsborough Township has strived to implement a sustainability development plan, which covers the important economic, social and environmental conditions necessary to sustain the high quality of life already enjoyed in Hillsborough.

In November, 2009 it was announced that Hillsborough met the rigorous requirements to achieve Sustainable Jersey Certification. Hillsborough was one of only 28 towns out of the 240 registered municipalities in NJ that attained certification in the first year of the program. To become Sustainable Jersey certified, Hillsborough, with tremendous assistance from our Sustainable Hillsborough Steering Committee, completed a number of the required sustainability actions, and took on initiatives to help go green, control costs and save money, and take steps to preserve the quality of life in the Township over the long term.

To receive the Sustainable Jersey Certification, the township completed the 11 requirements that were part of the Sustainability criteria. These requirement include: performing an energy audit on the municipal building, holding “green” events such as our Sustainability Fairs, pledging regional cooperation on land use issues (e.g., Hillsborough belongs to the Sourland Mountains Municipal Alliance), participating in a municipal health and wellness campaign, and preparing a Natural Resource Inventory.

This year, the Hillsborough Township committee took the next critical step in energy improvements by adopting the Siemens’ Energy Savings Improvement Plan and Investment Grade Audit that includes an energy cost savings guarantee from Siemens. The plan includes the replacement of the municipal building’s original twenty year old roof. It also includes the replacement of the outdated and inefficient HVAC system and the other facility improvement measures. By executing the improvement plan and audit, Hillsborough will see a minimum of $1.2 million in energy costs savings, while getting a new roof, 34 HVAC units, a central control system, lighting upgrades and solar derived power. By installing a more energy efficient HVAC system and solar panels, Hillsborough will significantly offset the cost of replacing the roof and HVAC. This plan provides energy efficiency with an upfront investment that will continue to pay dividends for generations.
If you would like to learn more about our platform, our accomplishments and our vision for Hillsborough’s future, please visit www.HillsboroughGOP.com . Also, you may follow us on Facebook (Elect Gloria McCauley and Doug Tomson in Hillsborough).

Mayor Gloria McCauley
Doug Tomson