Honoring and recognizing the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Partners for advancing the local economic potential and environmental and social benefits of Green City, Clean Waters.

WHEREAS

, Green City, Clean Waters

is the ambitious stormwater management plan for the City of Philadelphia. The long-term control plan, signed in 2011, sets aside $2.4 billion over 25 years for Philadelphia to manage our urban stormwater and meet EPA Clean Water Act regulations; and

WHEREAS, The Philadelphia Water Department aims to convert one-third of the City’s existing impervious cover to green stormwater infrastructure; and

WHEREAS,

Green City, Clean Waters

catalyzes public and private investments, considerable potential emerges to grow the local economy and rejuvenate communities; and

WHEREAS, GSI offers multiple benefits, including: growing local businesses, including small, women, and/or minority-owned firms; increasing the number of quality jobs in a variety of sectors, including engineering and design, landscape maintenance, and material supply; and

WHEREAS, The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance a more local and sustainable economy in the Philadelphia region; and

WHEREAS, The GSI Partners is a signature project of SBN working to advance the regional GSI industry and GSI innovation by ensuring the greenest stormwater management approaches are facilitated and incentivized, and public and private investments remain as local as possible; and

WHEREAS, The GSI Partners, a growing subset of SBN members, are currently 65 local businesses offering GSI design, build, and maintenance services and materials to public and private clients; and

WHEREAS, The GSI Partners offer Continuing Education Grants to members to support the expansion of their portfolios in GSI; to date the GSI Partners have distributed $82,000 in grants to 35 local firms; and

WHEREAS, The GSI Partners led the development and implementation of the region’s first GSI Operations and Maintenance Course, designed to increase the knowledge of local landscape contractors and landcare managers as it related to public and private GSI operations and maintenance; and

WHEREAS, The GSI Partners help manage the Philadelphia Water’s Rain Check Program, directly connecting local small business to investments in SI; and

WHEREAS, The GSI Partners are hosting the region’s first Excellence in GSI Awards Ceremony, which will celebrate and elevate the many public and private projects and stakeholders actively engaged in and contributing to the local GSI industry; and

WHEREAS, A March 2015 survey of 40 locally-owned businesses providing green stormwater infrastructure services and products reported a 14 percent increase in aggregate annual revenue between 2013 and 2014. This survey also showed a 5% increase in total full-time jobs in addition to a 20% increase in seasonal and part-time employment; now,therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That Council does hereby honor and recognize the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Partners for advancing the local economic potential and environmental and social benefits of

Green City, Clean Waters

.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Jamie Gauthier, Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Network as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End