Joint Grant Application Considered to Result in 'Greener' Communities

 supervisors are mulling a grant application that would help the community determine the feasibility of making its municipal fleet more green.

Township Manager Frank Siffrinn on Tuesday told supervisors that the community was approached to jointly apply for a $25,000 grant through The Heinz Endowment with nearby Peters Township and Upper St. Clair.

The money, he said, would be used to evaluate the communities' fleets and assess what it would take to make them greener.

That evaluation, Siffrinn added, would include all vehicles in the township—including those used by the fire department.

He warned that while there is no guarantee that the assessment will come back with positive results, there is additional grant money available if it does.

Siffrinn also explained that if supervisors choose to apply for the grant at their next meeting Tuesday, there will be a 10 percent match required. That $2,500, he said, would be split among the three communities applying for the grant.

"Look at this closely," he said. "I suspect it could benefit North Strabane."

According to information on the grant given to supervisors at Tuesday's meeting, the grants will be awarded to municipalities "that commit to encouraging and engaging with surrounding municipalities to share lessons learned about improving municipal vehicle fleets."

The ultimate goal?

The information indicated it is to "encourage municipalities to go green and save money by reducing emissions and their carbon footprint."

Information from The Heinz Endowment continues, "Creating a more sustainable fleet is essential to improving local air quality and addressing climate change. By using more energy-efficient vehicles and educating drivers about how they can improve gas mileage, municipal governments will save money, reduce air pollution and make transportation in the 10-county southwestern Pennsylvania region more sustainable."