Citrus' Sustainability Template Plan to Pave Way For Greener Initiatives

reviewed a sustainability plan Tuesday, Oct. 5 that may help guide California's other community colleges to a greener future.

The sustainability template discussed at the Board of Trustees meeting is a partnership between Citrus College and the California Community College Chancellor's Office, with a $285,000 grant received earlier this year from the Public Utilities Commission.

The project, launched in April, gives Citrus a unique opportunity to be the only campus in the 112-community college system to test such a program.

The goal of this pilot program is to develop a roadmap to guide the state's community colleges to a more sustainable future and to address the greenhouse emission mandates under AB 32, according to Matt Sullivan of Newcomb, Anderson and McCormick, an energy and engineering consulting firm.

The San Francisco-based firm was awarded a contract by Citrus to oversee the process and help develop a strategy for planning.

"We want to develop a sustainability template that is designed with enough flexibility to be used at any community college," Sullivan said.

The project will encompass a wide area of a college's infrastructure, including energy, transportation, solid waste/recycling and "green" curriculum.

Citrus has established a Campus Committee composed of faculty and staff to help develop the template.

A broader state committee composed of members from the Chancellor's Office, Cabrillo College and Southern California Edison will help provide input and recommendations.

Citrus was chosen not only because of the campus' already-established green initiatives, but because of how well it handles grant money, according to Carol Horton, vice president of finance and administrative services.

"We've made lots of inroads into sustainability with waste management and water management," Horton said. "All the ideas they got in the template, are things we are doing, or are things that are important to us."

In 2007, Citrus College completed its central plant, chilled water storage and heated water plant, which helped the campus reduce its carbon footprint, according to Superintendent/President Geraldine Perri.

Citrus also has its Green Team, which allows the campus community to brainstorm new green initiatives. A is being grown on campus along with composting projects.

Four students are also serving on the Campus Committee under an internship with help through a grant from the Edison Foundation.

Horton said the campus will use the internship to integrate the students with the project.

Once goals, policies, implementation programs and projects are worked out, the campus will create an action plan to measure and report performance when testing the template at the college.

Citrus and their energy firm will present their progress at several conferences, starting with the Association of Chief Business Officials later this month in Temecula.

The plan will be rolled out this December, with a pilot demonstration scheduled to take place in January and February of 2012.