They have created a number of community gardens around the county and support thoughtful community planning, and zoning and code enforcement to improve the quality of life and safety of county residents. They also work hard to engage the residents of Franklin County in their county government to help make sure that our local government is working for all of us.
The commissioners' Fleet Management agency provides purchasing, maintenance, repairs, towing, fuel, and other services for the more-than 500 vehicles belonging to 56 county departments, including those operated by non-commissioner agencies. That total includes cars, trucks, passenger busses, ATVs, and the sheriff’s SWAT and bomb squad vehicles.
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is a designation awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council for buildings that help save money, improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions, and create healthier places for people to live and work. Construction projects earn points for how well they address carbon, energy, water, waste, transportation, materials, health, and indoor environmental quality, and they can receive one of four LEED classifications: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Certified.
A partner agency that works closely with the commissioners and their team to help keep our community clean and green is SWACO, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, which operates the Franklin County Sanitary Landfill and offers programs and services designed to help residents and businesses reduce their reliance on the landfill.
In addition, SWACO provides hazardous waste disposal, works on the Environmental Crimes Taskforce, offers grants to encourage waste reduction, and partners with local schools to provide recycling infrastructure and education.
MORPC is working to transform mobility, investing in a sustainable future, and building infrastructure for the modern age. Through programs to help homeowners improve efficiency and lower energy bills, MORPC is building sustainable neighborhoods with improved quality of life and tracking community progress through the Sustainable2050 program.
One of their tasks is monitoring patterns impacting air quality in Central Ohio. During the 2020-21 season, temps were higher than average and precipitation was below average. Despite those conditions, the region didn’t experience any high ozone pollution days and environment.
MORPC also oversees the Central Ohio Greenways board and is working to expand the region’s 230-mile trail network, and is an invaluable resource for data and maps as the communities in Franklin County work to maximize the return on their public infrastructure investment.