Lebanon's Principles for Sustainability

Originally adopted September 2, 2009; Revised and Adopted March 4, 2015

Sustainable: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Lebanon's Principles for Sustainability

Principle #1 – Community Access, and Engagement
Does the action. . .

A. Promote public trust, accountability, and transparency; communicate effectively?
B. Increase citizen participation and leadership at all ages, and in all aspects of government?
C. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in local government decisions?

Principle #2 – Sense of Place
Does the action. . .

A. Foster the traditional character of Lebanon and Northern New England?
B. Sustain a good quality of life?
C. Ensure that development retains and enhances the traditions, goals, and values of our community?
D. Preserve the rural landscape?

Principle #3 – Environmental Responsibility and Energy Efficiency
Does the action. . .

A. Sustain and enhance a healthy natural environment: air, water, soil, and ecosystems?
B. Promote and reinforce a network ("green infrastructure") of protected open space and natural areas?
C. Improve energy efficiency and reduce the City's carbon footprint?
D. Engage the Lebanon community to conserve energy and adopt more sustainable technologies for heating, cooling,
lighting, transportation, and so forth?

Principle #4 –Intelligent, Coordinated Development and Transportation
Does the action. . .

A. Control sprawl by maintaining traditional compact settlement patterns?
B. Use existing land, resources, and investments in infrastructure?
C. Conserve and enhance environmental and cultural resources?
D. Harmoniously combine mixed uses—housing, employment, shopping, services, educational, recreational, cultural,
and social opportunities—within walkable neighborhoods?
E. Create a balanced, multi-modal transportation system that plans for increased transportation choice?
F. Create livable, walkable communities with greater accessibility for people of all ages and abilities?

Principle #5 – Economic Vitality
Does the action. . .

A. Promote community prosperity and proactively position our community for a changing world?
B. Support and enhance innovative, diversified, green, and creative enterprises?
C. Promote jobs and wages that help families become more resilient and self-sufficient?
D. Encourage partnership between the public and private sectors to achieve shared goals?
E. Support educational, cultural, and entrepreneurial opportunities that attract young people?
F. Attract, develop, and retain a capable, creative, and highly motivated workforce?

Principle #6– Fiscal Responsibility
Does the action. . .

A. Strengthen the City’s tax base and maintain or enhance property values?
B. Offer cost-effectiveness, and preferably pay for itself?
C. Promote other forms of revenue to help reduce the fiscal burden on taxpayers?
D. Balance current demands with investments necessary for long-term viability, with particular attention to core
services?
E. Ensure transparency in government fiscal policies by linking spending to outcomes?

Principle #7 – Regional Partnerships
Does the action. . .

A. Work with neighboring towns to achieve common goals and address common problems more effectively?
B. Encourage a regional view of community interdependence while respecting local autonomy?
C. Manage growth locally and collaborate regionally?
D. Promote positive innovation and excellence by achieving and exceeding best management practices?

Why Are "Lebanon's Principles for a Sustainable Community" Important?

In order to best serve its citizens, the City of Lebanon must provide a more sustainable, effective, and responsive
government. The following principles address 7 essential areas in which better local government can make a positive
difference in our community.

Principle #1 – Community Access and Engagement
Good government requires that we welcome the public’s participation and honor the public trust. Cornerstones of public
trust include effective outreach, communication, accountability, and transparency. Encouraging broad, inclusive
collaboration in local government decisions recognizes that all levels of government, together with the non-profit and private
sectors, have a stake in creating and implementing mutually beneficial policies. Improving public access to information and
processes can make City government more accountable, transparent, fair, and responsive to community needs. At the
same time, because state and federal government decisions affect our community, we can effectively advocate our
interests by advancing our participation at those levels.

Principle #2 – Sense of Place
The traditional character of Lebanon and Northern New England anchors our community identity, civic pride, and quality of
life. Preserving the character of existing neighborhoods, and promoting harmonious character in new neighborhoods, helps
keep our community unique. Revitalizing and supporting our two downtowns, Lebanon and West Lebanon, helps maintain
key focal points for community activity. Preserving the rural landscape supports farm- and forest-based activity, contiguous
tracts of open space for people and wildlife, and highly valued scenic assets.

Principle #3 – Environmental Responsibility and Energy Efficiency
A healthy natural environment in turn sustains human physical, mental, and fiscal health. Scientific data and practical
experience confirm the value of identifying, avoiding, minimizing, and repairing environmental harm. We benefit from clean
air, abundant drinking water, productive soils, and diverse ecosystems. Protecting and strengthening our community’s
natural resources—including the ability to raise food and timber— enhances our economy and capacity to withstand floods,
drought, and other potential disasters. Conserving "green infrastructure"—a network of open space, waterways, and other
natural areas—is vital to this effort. Partnering with citizens, landowners, schools, businesses, organizations, and other
governments, we can responsibly enjoy natural assets now and for many years to come. City government can lead by
example in following or exceeding best management practices for all operations. For example, energy efficiency is critical to
environmental health and community prosperity. Everyone can help promote energy conservation and more sustainable
technology.

Principle #4 – Intelligent, Coordinated Development and Transportation
Sprawling development detracts from many of the principles outlined here, and should be discouraged if we are to secure
those assets that make our community desirable. Coordinating infill development, adaptive reuse of existing buildings, and
conservation design for new development will maintain traditional compact settlement patterns and efficiently use existing
infrastructure. Developing attractive human-scale, mixed-use, walkable/bikable neighborhoods will help conserve and
enhance quality of life—especially with an integrated multi-modal transportation system to promote alternatives to the
automobile. Benefits include less traffic congestion, less air pollution, less wear and tear on roads, and safer access for
people of all ages and abilities. Managing an orderly pace of development will minimize negative effects on City finances
from associated needs for increased facilities and services as our community grows.

Principle #5 – Economic Vitality
The continued vitality of our local businesses depends upon proactively positioning our community for a changing world.
The City must foster a green, innovative and diversified business environment as it supports a healthy climate for existing
enterprises. Local companies have shown that they can compete and succeed in a global economy. Identifying sustainable
industry niches that we can fill and successfully compete within, and attracting sustainable businesses within those niches,
will strengthen overall quality of life. For example, encouraging local markets and community-supported agriculture can
revitalize the rural economy. Providing a range of affordable housing options and incubating high-tech, medical,
recreational, and creative businesses can help strengthen our job base, especially by promoting training for a skilled,
diverse, productive workforce earning good wages. In partnership with the private sector, the City should support
educational, cultural, and entrepreneurial opportunities that attract young people. Moreover, economic vitality depends upon
the ability to attract, develop, and retain a capable, creative, and highly motivated workforce. All of these activities will
encourage further community investment, reduce poverty, and promote prosperity.

Principle #6 – Fiscal Responsibility
Municipal finances must be managed such that current and future generations of residents can afford to live here. The
alternative would erode the traditional socioeconomic diversity that has distinguished our community from some of our
neighbors. City budgets must judiciously assess and prioritize current demands and outcomes, keeping debt low while
making selective investments such as energy efficiency to meet future needs, while not diminishing core services such as
public works and public safety. Careful attention to land use and tax policy, such as promoting redevelopment in order to
increase asset valuations, can raise new revenues without incurring new costs for municipal services. Incentives for
sensible frugality can yield further savings. Above all, fiscal responsibility depends on continuing to improve transparency
and public understanding of municipal budgetary matters by linking spending to outcomes.

Principle #7 – Regional Partnerships
Lebanon has become the hub of the Upper Valley. Our community, as well as the region, can benefit by actively engaging
with neighboring towns to achieve common goals and address common challenges and opportunities more effectively. To
the benefit of Lebanon, financial and operational efficiencies may result from economies of scale. Encouraging a regional
view of community interdependence while respecting local autonomy can enable the community to manage growth locally
and collaborate regionally. We should promote positive innovation and excellence by achieving and exceeding bestmanagement
practices.