The Construction Source America

4 | City of Cincinati And in terms of strategies for sustainability; that is, adopting practices to reduce its car- bon footprint and operate with greater eco- sensitivity, Cincinnati started blazing a trail while some communities were still strug- gling to find a path. The city had established an Office of Environmental Management more than twenty years ago which sought solutions to the future and benefitted from support of city leadership, but in 2003, bud- get problems combined with political ten- sions and turnover to see that office and all its potential, suddenly eliminated. A little over two years later, in his cam- paign for City Mayor, Mark Mallory (a for- mer Member of the Ohio House of Repre- sentatives and Ohio State Senate) ran on a platform that pledged to restore the office. After winning the election, he fulfilled that promise and established what is recognized today as Cincinnati’s Office of Environ- mental Quality. That decision has not only helped reduce annual city operational costs in the millions of dollars, but has also led to new jobs and greater potential for the city to reap further benefits vital to its future. Metro Hybrid Bus