Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam mayors were on stage at the Union of BC Municipalities' convention this week to accept awards for their cities' energy efficiency, waste reduction and online communications services.
Yesterday, PoCo Mayor Greg Moore received the first-place prize in the best practices leadership and innovation category for large urban municipalities to recognize environmental leadership, and an honourable mention in the best practices website category.
"Solid waste services and engaging your community are core to a city's service delivery. We provide many services to our citizens but it's most important that we deliver our core services well," Moore said in a news release.
Visits to the city's website rose by 10% in the past two years, with 2.34 million page views between September 2009 and July 2011. As well, the city was the first municipality in Metro Vancouver to bring in a mobile website for smartphones.
And on Wednesday, Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart took the honourable mention accolade for his city's approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from city buildings. By the end of this year, Coquitlam - under energy manager Trevor Billy - is projected to reach 50 energy-conservation projects, cutting emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes or about 13%, and saving taxpayers $175,000 a year.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
