The Middlesex County Showroom of Environmental
Technology (MCSET) Program
Middlesex County Sustainability Committee
Common Cents Cooperative Purchasing Program
The
Middlesex County Showroom of Environmental Technology (MCSET) Program
The MCSET
Program is a unique partnership between Middlesex County, the NJ Board
of Public Utilities and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection
to promote clean air and water initiatives through the use of alternative
fuels, energy efficiency and "green" technologies. MCSET will assist
municipalities, schools and the private sector to identify and implement
"green" technologies by coordinating state grants, technical assistance
and county resources.
For more information on MCSET, please visit www.mcset.com
Middlesex
County Sustainability Committee
On September 6th, 2007 the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
adopted a resolution, which created the Middlesex County Sustainability
Executive Committee, consisting of county department heads and elected
officials. The Executive Committee (EC) is co-chaired by Freeholder
H. James Polos and Camille Fernicola.
The EC has been charged with convening a larger Middlesex County Sustainability
Committee, made up of community leaders from business, education, civic
organizations, and stakeholders, to provide insight and feedback throughout
the development of the plan.
Through a $75,000
Smart Future grant from the Office of Smart Growth (OSG) in the State
Department of Community Affairs, Middlesex County has hired the New
Jersey Sustainable State Institute (NJSSI) as a consultant to help the
county draft a strategic plan for sustainable development over the next
16 months.
Middlesex County is the only county in New Jersey creating a formal
Sustainability Plan. The state grant will allow the county plan to be
a model for other counties throughout New Jersey.
The Sustainable Middlesex Plan will set goals for the future, use indicators
and set targets to track progress, and develop action plans for county
departments, municipal governments, citizens, businesses, and civic
organizations.
This project will
provide a critical model that we hope can lead to improved performance
at the county level and coordination with the state and local levels
to protect the resources and systems that support us today so that they
will be available for future generations.
Common
Cents Cooperative Purchasing Program
The Middlesex County Cooperative Purchasing Program was created by the
Board of Chosen Freeholders in 1998 to promote shared services and bulk
purchasing to reduce operating expenses for participating municipalities.
In 1998, the County offered municipalities participation in the first
county wide aggregated purchase of Natural Gas. Participants benefited
from approximately a 6% savings.
The MCIA is assisting
the County with the electricity aggregation and the water/wastewater
partnerships segments of the Cooperative Purchasing Program. Since 1992,
the MCIA's Pooled Equipment Financing program has saved local governments
more than $3.3 million in equipment costs and debt service, while $145
million in equipment has been leased purchased.
Today, the Cooperative
Purchasing Program offers municipalities four ways to save tax dollars.
- Natural Gas Purchasing
- Electric Supply
Purchasing
- Water/Wastewater
Program
- Equipment, Services
and Supplies
By pooling purchases
- whether it be energy, water, landscaping services or road salt, municipalities
take advantage of the cost savings only bulk purchasing can provide.
There are no upfront costs and municipalities can take advantage of
some or all of the items offered and purchase as much or as little as
they need(except electrical supplies).
What's more, some
purchases may qualify for financing under the Middlesex County Improvement
Authority's Equipment Lease Financing Program
