Westfield has been honored for its initiatives to create an environmentally friendly city. The Indiana Association of Cities and Towns named Westfield as a 2013 IACT Green Community of the Year during its annual conference on Oct. 7.
“It was great to be recognized as a green community. In Westfield we make an effort to take care of the resources we are fortunate enough to have so finding ways to run a city in an environmentally friendly way is a priority and I’m thrilled that our efforts were honored,” Mayor Andy Cook said.
IACT launched the Green Communities Initiative in 2008 to identify potential cost savings to communities facing budget shortfalls, promote economically competitive quality of life concepts, and ultimately serve as role models for citizens while better protecting the environment. The initiative will expand educational opportunities for municipalities and create a consolidated clearinghouse of data and programs that can be accessed by municipalities.
Westfield had to fill out a 49-question survey in the areas of purchasing, operations, measuring success, and sample projects. Not only did the city meet the minimum score required to be a Green Community, but ranked highest among other communities its size. The city’s exemplary efforts in the area of green programs earned them the 2013 IACT Green Community of the Year award in the 10,000 – 49,999 population category.
Other 2013 Green Community of the Year award winners are Evansville and Whiting. IACT Green Communities designation recipients were Carmel, Cicero, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Westfield and Whiting.
