Common use of Best Practice Clause in Contracts

Best Practice. Engage & Protect Vulnerable Populations in adaptation planning & action to decrease risk to those who are more susceptible to climate change effects Best Practice: Mainstream Climate Resilience into Capital Planning & Budgeting to ensure investments decrease risk & enhance resilience to a changing climate Best Practice: Integrate Climate Adaptation into Land Use and Environmental Regulation to minimize future risk & costs for new and redevelopment Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Best Practice: Become a Green Community pursuant to M.G.L. c. 25A §10 to realize the energy & environmental benefits Best Practice: Construct Zero Energy Buildings (or communities) to eliminate GHG emissions, reduce cost, & enhance resiliency Best Practice: Provide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure to facilitate the purchase & use of electric vehicles Best Practice: Become a Solarize Mass or Solarize Mass Plus Community in order to help achieve renewable energy use & GHG reduction goals Sustainable Development and Land Protection Best Practice: Complete a Master or Open Space & Recreation Plan to guide land conservation & development decisions including zoning & land acquisition Best Practice: Zone for Natural Resource Protection, Transfer of Development Rights, Traditional Neighborhood, or Transit Oriented Development Best Practice: Invest in Land Conservation or Park Creation/Restoration via Community Preservation Act or other funds to protect land & provide outdoor recreation Best Practice: Plant Trees or Adopt a Tree Retention Bylaw/Ordinance to preserve and enhance tree cover Water Resource Management Best Practice: Require Localized Flood Protection Best Practices, including Stormwater Management Measures to increase recharge, manage water movement, reduce pollution, and control flooding to protect lives, public safety, infrastructure, the environment, & critical assets. Best Practice: Protect Public Water Sources in order to reduce potential threats to water quality and the public health of system customers; establish and maintain emergency connections with other municipal or regional systems.

Best Practice. Engage & Protect Vulnerable Populations in adaptation planning & action to decrease risk to those who are more susceptible to climate change effects Improve the alignment and integration of YouthWorks and Connecting Activities programs for local high school students pursuing summer jobs and paid internships. Best Practice: Mainstream Climate Resilience into Capital Planning & Budgeting Strengthen partnerships between public safety, social services, healthcare providers, and local public and private schools to establish systems and protocols for assessing and identifying children and young adults who present risks to themselves or to others, in order to ensure investments decrease risk & enhance resilience effective and pro-active responses that can prevent violence and provide timely supports to a changing climate individuals in need. Energy and Environment Best Practices Greenhouse Gas Reduction‌ Best Practice: Integrate Climate Adaptation into Land Use Plan Ahead to mitigate climate change by establishing goals, creating an action plan, assigning responsibility, and Environmental Regulation to minimize future risk & costs for new and redevelopment Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy tracking progress Best Practice: Become a Green Community pursuant to M.G.L. c. 25A §10 to realize the energy & environmental benefits Use Renewable Energy instead of fossil fuels by generating or purchasing clean power and by zoning for renewable power generation Best Practice: Construct Zero Increase Energy Buildings (or communities) Efficiency in order to eliminate reduce power consumption, fuel costs, and GHG emissions, reduce cost, & enhance resiliency emissions Best Practice: Provide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Promote Zero or Low Carbon Transportation to facilitate reduce municipal transportation emissions & those from people living/working in the purchase & use of electric vehicles community Best Practice: Become a Solarize Mass or Solarize Mass Plus Community Encourage Sustainable Development to reduce, through higher density & mixed-use, the number distance of car trips & resulting GHG emissions Best Practice: Protect and Manage Natural Resources to reduce carbon emissions from loss of natural land cover and to encourage carbon sequestration Best Practice: Reduce Municipal Solid Waste and Increase Recycling in order to help achieve renewable energy use & reduce GHG reduction goals Sustainable Development emissions associated with solid waste disposal Climate Change Adaptation and Land Protection Resilience Best Practice: Complete a Master or Open Space & Recreation Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program to guide land conservation & development decisions including zoning & land acquisition assess local risks from climate change and identify potential actions to enhance community resiliency Best Practice: Zone for Natural Resource Protection, Transfer of Development Rights, Traditional Neighborhood, Use Municipal Vulnerability Action Grant or Transit Oriented Development Best Practice: Invest in Land Conservation or Park Creation/Restoration via Community Preservation Act or other funds Other Funding to protect land Implement Adaptation Actions that utilize nature-based solutions & provide outdoor recreation Best Practice: Plant Trees or Adopt a Tree Retention Bylaw/Ordinance to preserve and enhance tree cover Water Resource Management Best Practice: Require Localized Flood Protection Best Practices, including Stormwater Management Measures to increase recharge, manage water movement, reduce pollution, and control flooding to protect lives, public safety, infrastructure, the environment, & critical assets. Best Practice: Protect Public Water Sources in order to reduce potential threats to water quality and the public health of system customers; establish and maintain emergency connections with other municipal or regional systemsengage Environmental Justice communities.

Best Practice. Engage & Protect Vulnerable Populations in adaptation planning & action to decrease risk to those who are more susceptible to climate change effects Improve the alignment and integration of YouthWorks and Connecting Activities programs for local high school students pursuing summer jobs and paid internships. Best Practice: Mainstream Climate Resilience into Capital Planning & Budgeting Strengthen partnerships between public safety, social services, healthcare providers, and local public and private schools to establish systems and protocols for assessing and identifying children and young adults who present risks to themselves or to others, in order to ensure investments decrease risk & enhance resilience effective and pro-active responses that can prevent violence and provide timely supports to a changing climate individuals in need. Energy and Environment Best Practices Greenhouse Gas Reduction Best Practice: Integrate Climate Adaptation into Land Plan Ahead to mitigate climate change by establishing goals, creating an action plan, assigning responsibility, and tracking progress. Best Practice: Use Renewable Energy instead of fossil fuels by generating or purchasing clean power and Environmental Regulation by zoning for renewable power generation. Best Practice: Increase Energy Efficiency in order to minimize future risk reduce power consumption, fuel costs, and GHG emissions. Best Practice: Promote Zero or Low Carbon Transportation to reduce municipal transportation emissions & costs for new those from people living/working in the community. Best Practice: Encourage Sustainable Development to reduce, through higher density & mixed- use, the number distance of car trips & resulting GHG emissions. Best Practice: Protect and redevelopment Manage Natural Resources to reduce carbon emissions from loss of natural land cover and to encourage carbon sequestration. Best Practice: Reduce Municipal Solid Waste and Increase Recycling in order to reduce GHG emissions associated with solid waste disposal. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Best Practice: Become a Green Community pursuant to M.G.L. c. 25A §10 to realize the energy & environmental benefits benefits. Best Practice: Construct Zero Energy Buildings high performance all electric buildings (or communities) to eliminate reduce GHG emissions & enhance resiliency. Examples include Zero Energy or Passive House buildings. Best Practice: Convert streetlights to LED technology to reduce cost and GHG emissions, . Best Practice: Reduce energy use at times of peak demand to reduce cost, & GHG emissions and enhance resiliency resiliency. Best Practice: Provide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure electric vehicle infrastructure to facilitate the purchase & use of electric vehicles Best Practice: Become a Solarize Mass or Solarize Mass Plus Community in order and when replacing municipal vehicles evaluate feasibility to help achieve renewable energy use & GHG reduction goals Sustainable Development and Land Protection Best Practice: Complete a Master or Open Space & Recreation Plan to guide land conservation & development decisions including zoning & land acquisition Best Practice: Zone for Natural Resource Protection, Transfer of Development Rights, Traditional Neighborhood, or Transit Oriented Development Best Practice: Invest in Land Conservation or Park Creation/Restoration via Community Preservation Act or other funds to protect land & provide outdoor recreation Best Practice: Plant Trees or Adopt a Tree Retention Bylaw/Ordinance to preserve and enhance tree cover Water Resource Management Best Practice: Require Localized Flood Protection Best Practices, including Stormwater Management Measures to increase recharge, manage water movement, reduce pollution, and control flooding to protect lives, public safety, infrastructure, the environment, & critical assets. Best Practice: Protect Public Water Sources in order to reduce potential threats to water quality and the public health of system customers; establish and maintain emergency connections with other municipal or regional systemsintegrate electric vehicles into existing fleet(s).

Best Practice. Engage & Protect Vulnerable Populations in adaptation planning & action to decrease risk to those who are more susceptible to climate change effects Utilize Advanced Financing Tools such as an enterprise fund, stormwater utility, full cost pricing, or water bank for water/waste/storm water systems Waste Management Best Practice: Mainstream Climate Resilience into Capital Planning & Budgeting to ensure investments decrease risk & enhance resilience to a changing climate Enhance Waste Ban Compliance so that recyclable and hazardous materials are diverted from the waste stream and reused or recycled Best Practice: Integrate Climate Adaptation into Land Use Develop Waste Contracts that are fiscally, environmentally, and Environmental Regulation otherwise beneficial to minimize future risk & costs for new and redevelopment Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy the community Best Practice: Become a Green Community pursuant Adopt Pay-As-You-Throw so that residents have an incentive to M.G.L. c. 25A §10 to realize the energy & environmental benefits reduce trash disposal and save money Best Practice: Construct Zero Energy Buildings (or communities) Increase the Recycling Rate through regulatory improvements, service expansion, and other mean in order to eliminate GHG emissions, reduce cost, & enhance resiliency waste and disposal costs Best Practice: Provide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure to facilitate Enhance Education via Recycle Smart MA, the purchase Recycling IQ Kit, etc. so residents throw away less, recycle more, & use of electric vehicles Best Practice: Become a Solarize Mass or Solarize Mass Plus Community in order to help achieve renewable energy use & GHG reduction goals Sustainable Development and Land Protection follow smart waste practices Site Cleanup Best Practice: Complete a Master or Open Space Brownfields Inventory so that the community is aware of all abandoned & Recreation Plan to guide land conservation underutilized properties & development decisions including zoning & land acquisition can develop plan of action Best Practice: Zone for Natural Resource Protection, Transfer Conduct Site Assessments to determine the nature and extent of Development Rights, Traditional Neighborhood, or Transit Oriented Development contamination and develop a plan of action Best Practice: Invest in Land Conservation Clean Sites to prevent further releases or Park Creation/Restoration via Community Preservation Act or other funds the spreading of contaminants and to protect land & provide outdoor recreation bring sites back into productive use Best Practice: Plant Trees Facilitate Site Cleanup and Reuse to encourage assessment, cleanup, & reuse of privately held sites offer tax incentives or update regulation Agriculture Best Practice: Adopt a Tree Retention BylawRight to Farm By-law/Ordinance to preserve clearly indicate that agriculture is a local priority and enhance tree cover Water Resource Management to minimize abutter conflicts Best Practice: Require Localized Flood Protection Establish an Agricultural Commission to advocate for local farms, administer a right to farm bylaw, & otherwise represent agricultural interests Best PracticesPractice: Support Sustainable Forestry to help the forest economy in rural areas, including Stormwater Management Measures to increase recharge, manage water movement, reduce pollutionimprove forest habitats, and control flooding to protect livesassist in the conservation of forest land Best Practice: Support Local Agriculture including Urban Agriculture, public safetyAquaculture, infrastructure, the environmentFloriculture, & critical assetsHorticulture, via marketing, food sourcing, & Farmers Markets to help local businesses and increase awareness of and access to fresh agricultural products Financial Management Best Practices Best Practice: Establish a Budget document that details all revenues and expenditures, provides a narrative describing priorities and challenges, and offers clear and transparent communication of financial policies to residents and businesses. Best Practice: Protect Public Water Sources in order Develop, document and implement Financial Policies and Practices including reserve levels, capital financing, and use of Free Cash. Such policies should identify the responsible parties and procedural steps necessary to reduce potential threats to water quality and carrying out the public health of system customers; establish and maintain emergency connections with other municipal directed strategy or regional systemsaction.

Best Practice. Engage & Protect Vulnerable Populations in adaptation planning & action to decrease risk to those who are more susceptible to climate change effects Utilize Financial Trend Monitoring, modeled after the ICMA’s Financial Trend Monitoring System (FTMS). Housing and Economic Development Best Practices Preparing for Success‌ Best Practice: Mainstream Climate Resilience into Capital Planning & Budgeting to ensure investments decrease risk & enhance resilience to a changing climate Create an Economic Development Plan that engages diverse stakeholders, leverages local and regional economic strengths and assets, encourages innovation and entrepreneurship, and/or promotes workforce development planning and implementation. Best Practice: Integrate Climate Adaptation into Align Land Use Regulations, especially zoning, capital investments, and Environmental Regulation to minimize other municipal actions with Housing Development, Economic Development, Master, Land Use Priority or other plans for future risk & costs for new growth. Promote development and redevelopment Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy reuse of previously developed sites. Best Practice: Become a Green Community pursuant Create and Distribute an Economic Development Guide/Manual to M.G.L. c. 25A §10 not only promote development goals and priorities, but also specifically and clearly outlines the community’s policies and procedures related to realize the energy & environmental benefits zoning and permitting. Best Practice: Construct Zero Energy Buildings (or communities) Create Opportunities for Engaging Diverse Stakeholders in economic development efforts, such as to eliminate GHG emissionsassist with identification of priority development projects, reduce costimprove local permitting processes, & enhance resiliency and proactively address obstacles to housing accessibility and affordability as well as job creation. Best Practice: Provide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Create Cross-Sector Partnerships to help carry out community-driven responses to community-defined issues and opportunities for economic development. Best Practice: Create a District Management Entity that engages public/private stakeholders to develop and support downtown revitalization efforts. Best Practice: Adopt as-of-Right Zoning and/or Streamlined Permitting to promote development in priority districts. Best Practice: Adopt Zoning for Mixed-Use Development, including Transit Oriented Development, where appropriate. Best Practice: Adopt Chapter 40R Smart Growth zoning to facilitate the purchase & creation of dense residential or mixed-use smart growth zoning districts, including a high percentage of electric vehicles affordable housing units, to be located near transit stations, in areas of concentrated development such as existing city and town centers, and in other highly suitable locations. Competitiveness Best Practice: Become Engage in an Economic Development Self-Assessment exercise to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity. Best Practice: Establish and Utilize Performance Data to evaluate the competitiveness of the community, conduct year to year comparisons, and measure performance against comparable communities. Best Practice: Create a Solarize Mass or Solarize Mass Plus Community Public Dashboard to benchmark, monitor, and communicate to the public regarding various housing and economic development performance measures. Housing Best Practice: Create a Housing Production Plan (HPP) that accounts for changing demographics, including young families, changing workforce, and an aging population. Best Practice: Amend Zoning By-Laws to allow for increased density and housing opportunities in order a manner that is consistent with neighborhood character and supportive of aging in community. Best Practice: Develop Sector Strategies and Plans in collaboration with various providers and stakeholders to help achieve renewable energy use & GHG reduction goals Sustainable Development and Land Protection address homelessness for specific high need population groups, such as homeless youth, veterans, older adults, and/or families. Best Practice: Complete an Assessment of Fair Housing Report, including strategic goals in alignment with HUD’s new rules to affirmatively further fair housing. Using HUD data, local data and knowledge, a Master or Open Space & Recreation Plan significant community participation process, and the assessment tool provided by HUD, the community will prepare, complete, and submit its AFH to guide land conservation & development decisions including zoning & land acquisition HUD. Urban Renewal Planning Best Practice: Zone Determine need and appropriateness of establishing an Urban Renewal Entity in accordance with MGL chapter 121B. If prepared to proceed, develop action plan and timeline for Natural Resource Protection, Transfer the creation of Development Rights, Traditional Neighborhood, or Transit Oriented Development Best Practice: Invest in Land Conservation or Park Creation/Restoration via Community Preservation Act or other funds to protect land & provide outdoor recreation Best Practice: Plant Trees or Adopt a Tree Retention Bylaw/Ordinance to preserve and enhance tree cover Water Resource Management Best Practice: Require Localized Flood Protection Best Practices, including Stormwater Management Measures to increase recharge, manage water movement, reduce pollution, and control flooding to protect lives, public safety, infrastructure, the environment, & critical assetsurban renewal entity. Best Practice: Protect Public Water Sources Prepare an Urban Renewal Plan Application in order to reduce potential threats to water quality accordance with MGL chapter 121B in partnership with the urban renewal entity. Human Resources Best Practices Best Practice: Cost-Out Collective Bargaining proposals so that the impact of the total package is known. This provides the municipality with a clear understanding of both short-term and long-term budgetary impacts. Best Practice: Develop a Workplace Safety program so that the public health risk of system customers; establish and maintain emergency connections with other municipal or regional systemson-the-job injuries is minimized.