LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Onondaga County's Save the Rain program
upon the occasion of its designation as recipient of the 2013 New York
State Environmental Excellence Award

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those organizations and institutions dedicated to increasing
public awareness of, and appreciation for, the natural resources of New
York, recognizing the role all citizens have in protecting the environ-
ment and the quality of life in this Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Onondaga County's Save the Rain program upon the occasion of its desig-
nation as recipient of the 2013 New York State Environmental Excellence
Award; this esteemed award was presented on Tuesday, December 10, 2013,
at the 10th Annual New York State Environmental Excellence Awards cele-
bration, co-hosted by the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation and Price Chopper/The Golub Corporation in Schenectady, New
York; and
WHEREAS, The Environmental Excellence awards program was established
in 2004 to recognize ingenuity, creative partnerships, and leadership
efforts that result in outstanding environmental, social, and economic
benefits for New York State; and
WHEREAS, Onondaga County's Save the Rain program is an exemplar of
exceptional environmental sustainability, social responsibility and
economic viability; and
WHEREAS, The Save the Rain program features an innovative and compre-
hensive combined sewer overflow abatement program that integrates
conventional wastewater/stormwater treatment technologies with advanced
green infrastructure practices to improve water quality in the Onondaga
Lake watershed; and
WHEREAS, Through Save the Rain, Onondaga County has transformed the
civic strip in downtown Syracuse, New York, into a green infrastructure
corridor; and
WHEREAS, Several marquee projects for the Save the Rain program are
located within the civic strip, including a 66,000-square-foot green
roof, a water reuse cistern system, bioretention plantings, underground
infiltration systems and porous pavement; and
WHEREAS, In addition, multiple state-of-the-art green energy technolo-
gies have been incorporated, including LED lighting, solar-powered trash
compaction, and electric car charging stations; and
WHEREAS, The remarkable and resourceful civic strip projects are
capturing approximately 6.2 million gallons of stormwater annually,
resulting in an energy savings of approximately 12,450 kilowatt hours
each year; and
WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon all citizens to recognize and applaud
the efforts of municipalities such as Onondaga County that work tire-
lessly on behalf of preserving and protecting our natural resources for
the benefit of present and future generations of New Yorkers; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Onondaga County's Save the Rain program upon the occasion of its
designation as recipient of the 2013 New York State Environmental Excel-
lence Award; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Onondaga County.