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| County opens two-way portal to greener future By Greg Thomas [ greg@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 2:40 PM PST In step with San Mateo County’s trek toward greener pastures for its agencies and residents, officials launched the Green Portal Web page in late November. The site, online at www.co.sanmateo.ca.us/green, serves residents as a comprehensive “one-stop resource” for information on green living, business practices and government initiatives, said Peggy Jensen, deputy county manager. Jensen also coordinates a working group of eco-minded county representatives — one from every agency. The group, called the Green Team, was created in January to contrive initiatives and oversee the new site. “What we’re trying to do is let people know that we’re serious about taking the lead in proactive environment action,” Jensen said. “This (site) shares the information about what we’re doing in the county and makes suggestions to the county folks as to what they can do to lower their carbon footprint.” A “Green Tips” link on the Web page informs people how to green up their daily routines — from the garden to the office. County officials say they welcome suggestions from residents as well. “I believe we don’t have all the best ideas in the government, so the citizens can contribute if they want to,” said Supervisor Rich Gordon, who also chairs the Environmental Quality Committee. “The portal can be two ways. It can provide information to the citizens, but they can also help us refine our practices.” The Green Team also began a “green star” program this year, Jensen said, which will give a monetary award to the greenest county department to invest in initiatives for 2009. Right now the team is juggling coordination of a few new programs county officials hope will take off next year. One is the Solar San Mateo initiative, aimed at promoting solar panel installations. It will operate under the supervision of a community roundtable that is currently in the works. “I’m hoping to get that started later this month,” Jensen said. “If anyone is interested in joining, they can contact me through the Green Portal.” |