West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio has been awarded a “Large City Honorable Mention” in the 2018 Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards, an initiative sponsored by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Walmart. The announcement was made during the Mayors’ Climate Protection Awards luncheon, which was held in conjunction with USCM’s 86th Annual Meeting in Boston, MA. Celebrating its 12th anniversary, this mayors’ awards program recognizes mayors for their energy and climate protection efforts, selected by an independent panel of judges from a pool of mayor applicants.

“We are committed to enhancing the viability of West Palm Beach as a modern model of healthy, environmentally progressive, ecologically sustainable and resilient urban living,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio. “We are realizing this through key initiatives including our very innovative Stormwater Master Plan which will help us reach our target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

In 2014, the City committed to a vision for its stormwater program through the development of a holistic Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP). The SWMP is the first stormwater plan of its kind in South Florida that not only includes traditional development of capital improvement projects but also drives the City’s vision to proactively modernize and adjust to the new realities of climate change specific to stormwater management. The SWMP leverages the best of traditional technologies and integrates the use of resiliency planning and catered technologies to better prepare the City for future conditions. Some of these technologies include green infrastructure and low impact development, as well as modernized methods to better manage hydrology, hydraulics, and water quality throughout the City.

- Advertisement -

“It is really quite an honor for West Palm Beach to be recognized for our climate protection efforts in the large city category, sharing the Honorable Mention Award with the likes of New York City, Phoenix and Minneapolis,” said Resilience and Climate Change Manager Penni Redford.

“U.S. mayors are well into their second decade of climate leadership, showing others that there are effective and affordable responses to our climate challenges,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “The creativity and imagination in crafting these local initiatives and strategies should serve as an inspiration to others, especially for leaders in our nation’s capital.”

Mayors of Austin, TX and Schenectady, NY also took home top honors.

—

- Advertisement -

Mayor Jeri Muoio Awarded National Honor for Climate Protection Efforts