It is the goal of the City of Yonkers to use best efforts to
purchase commodities, services and technologies that are cost effective,
which minimize potential adverse impacts on public health and the
environment when compared with competing commodities, services or
technologies that serve the same purpose. To further that goal, the
City's Director of Sustainability, in consultation with the Director
of the Bureau of Purchasing, shall develop, establish and implement
environmental purchasing standards and an environmentally preferable
products program to conserve energy and water; increase the use of
recycled and reused materials; reduce hazardous substances, with an
emphasis on persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals; decrease
greenhouse gas emissions; utilize fuel-efficient or energy-efficient
vehicles, lighting, computers, heating, cooling, and fuel sources;
improve indoor air quality; promote end of life management and reduce
waste.
The Director of the Bureau of Purchasing shall, to the extent
practicable and in accordance with the General Municipal Law and City
Charter, incorporate the City's environmental purchasing standards
for every City procurement. The Director of Sustainability, in consultation
with the Director of Purchasing, shall submit an annual report to
the Mayor and the City Council by April 1 of each year detailing the
City's progress in meeting the purposes of this program.
The Director of Sustainability shall:
A. In consultation with the Director of Purchasing, develop, establish
and implement (1) environmental purchasing standards and (2) an environmentally
preferable products program; the purposes of which shall be to conserve
energy and water; increase the use of recycled and reused materials;
reduce hazardous substances, with an emphasis on persistent bioaccumulative
and toxic chemicals; decrease greenhouse gas emissions; utilize fuel-efficient
or energy-efficient vehicles, lighting, computers, heating, cooling,
and fuel sources; improve indoor air quality; promote end of life
management and reduce waste.
B. Partner as appropriate with other levels of government or jurisdictions
to establish joint environmental purchasing standards, including working
with and encouraging state agencies that supervise contracts from
which the City purchases goods pursuant to meet or exceed any relevant
City environmental purchasing standard.
C. Monitor compliance by any department, office agency, commission,
board or authority of the City with the City's environmental purchasing
standards.
D. Provide guidance to any department office, agency, commission, board
or authority on how to ensure that their procurements are in compliance
with these standards and encourage them to establish annual environmentally
preferable product procurement goals.
E. Support development of appropriate training and outreach on procuring
environmentally preferable products and identification of their fiscal,
environmental and health benefits.
[Added 3-9-2021 by G.O. 5-2021]
A. Electric
vehicle (EV) requirement for light-duty vehicles (sedans, vans and
SUVs).
(1) The
City, including its departments and any entity that utilizes City
fueling facilities for its vehicle fleet, shall procure only EV models
of light-duty vehicles.
(2) Waivers
to this requirement may only granted where an EV option for a given
application is unavailable or cost-prohibitive. Requests for waivers,
together with the justification for any waiver granted, must be in
writing.
B. EV prioritization
for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
(1) The
City, including its departments and any entity that utilizes City
fueling facilities for its vehicle fleet, shall prioritize the procurement
of EV models of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles when such an option
is available for the given application at a cost of purchase and operation
comparable to conventional (gasoline or diesel) fuel vehicles and
where service levels are not negatively impacted.