Good Stewardship of Natural Resources, Environmental Sustainability, & Civic Engagement

Safeguarding the natural resources that make our community beautiful is just as important as things like promoting economic growth and operating a responsive and sustainable local government. The commissioners are committed to providing good stewardship of the environment as well as management practices that will help preserve our world for future generations.

Public Facilities Management

The commissioners’ Public Facilities Management (PFM) staff oversees the administration and management of 40 county buildings, including the county jails, dog shelter, and more. These buildings and 31 other county facilities utilize 100% renewable energy sources.

PFM is also responsible for overseeing the management of new construction. Five county buildings are LEED certified, which is a recognition that they were constructed using methods and materials that help save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions, and create healthier places for people to live and work.

The county has two LEED Gold-certified buildings and three LEED Silver-certified buildings, including the two most recently constructed buildings, our state-of-the-art Forensic Science Center and the new James A. Karnes Corrections Center.

Fleet Management

Another way you can see the county’s commitment to environmental sustainability is by looking at its fleet of more than 500 vehicles. The commissioners’ Fleet Management agency maintains 128 alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrids, electric, propane, and biodiesel.

Utilizing Alternative Energy – a look at the county’s fleet:

57 - Flex fuel or E85

2 - All electric

44 - Hybrid*

3 - Biodiesel

20 - Plug in Hybrid

2 - Propane

*These vehicles are E85 capable. However, they use regular gasoline most of the time.

Fleet at a Glance:

5,166,196

Miles driven by county vehicles

927

Oil changes

318,895

Gallons of fuel provided by Fleet Management

518

Tires replaced

36

Alternative fuel stations

SWACO

Nearly ten years ago, the commissioners, the City of Columbus, and the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) launched the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan, and one of the plan’s goals was to create a more robust, sustainable local food system with less food going to landfill. When the food from our dinner plates is thrown away instead of eaten, all of the resources that went into producing that food are lost. The amount of food wasted in central Ohio every year is equivalent to wasting billions of gallons of water, millions of gallons of gasoline, and millions of potential meals.

51%

Franklin County’s current rate of recycling

34%

National rate of recycling

1 million pounds

Food waste arriving at the landfill every day

50%

2030 Franklin County food waste reduction goal

75%

2032 Franklin County total diversion goal

Fortunately, less and less food goes into the landfill every year, and SWACO continues to work to:

Create composting programs at schools, colleges, and universities.
Fund the Food Waste Drop-Off programs in ten central Ohio communities that diverted nearly 1 million pounds of food waste last year.
Support grocers and restaurants like Cameron Mitchell’s The Barn and food rescue organizations like Food Rescue US – Columbus, and the Mid-Ohio Food Collective to redirect prepared but unserved food into the hands of residents and families at risk of hunger.

Sanitary Engineering

Franklin County’s Sanitary Engineering department provides clean water and sewer services in more than 30 separate neighborhoods around the county, operating a water treatment plant and four sewage treatment plants.

4,431 households

Franklin County water customers

6,403 households

Franklin County sewer customers

253,003,139

Gallons of clean water delivered to customers

538,417 CCF

Sewage treated

MORPC

The commissioners also partner very closely with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC), which works with the county and more than 80 other local governments to plan for regional growth and to build solutions to regional transportation, development, and energy challenges.

2024-25 Population Growth Forecasts

Recent growth in Central Ohio is among the fastest-growing metros in the country.

Franklin County is expected to absorb half of the regional growth and will welcome more than twice as many newcomers as the next highest county (Delaware).

To learn more about MORPC’s programs and initiatives, visit www.morpc.org

Job Creation, Strategic Economic Development, & Fiscal Security
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