FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Kelly Vaughn
Director of Communications
970-922-2275
kvaughn@tosv.com
Snowmass Village, Colo.—January 6, 2013—Today, the Snowmass Village Town Council and Environmental Advisory Board recognized two staff members for their leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship. Nick Reitter, Facilities Maintenance Superintendent, and Mark Kittle, Chief Building Official received the annual Snowmass Village Staff Environmental Award at today’s Council Meeting.
"The projects that these employees have led require expertise, leadership, and a level of motivation that goes far beyond what is called for in their job descriptions," said Sally Sparhawk, Chair of the Environmental Advisory Board.
Nick Reitter, Facilities Maintenance Superintendent
Awarded for his leadership and innovation to dramatically reduce the energy consumption of Town facilities and systems
A 2010 energy audit of Town-owned facilities and snowmelt systems performed by SGM prompted the Facilities Maintenance Division to perform efficiency improvements with the goal to save the Town on their mounting energy costs.
Over the past three years, Reitter and his staff have performed a variety of improvements—namely the replacement of snowmelt boilers to higher efficiency models, improving insulation in Town-owned buildings, performing LED retrofits, and installing destratification fans in Town Hall and the Public Works Shop.
Such improvements have reduced our annual energy expenditure for Town–owned facilities and systems significantly from 2008-2012, and reduced annual tons of carbon dioxide emitted by Town-owned facilities 40.76 percent (from 2008-2012).
In addition, Reitter has been instrumental in Town efforts to take energy and carbon savings even further. For the past year, he has served on a steering committee to explore innovative options to implement an efficiency and/or renewable energy project to further reduce the energy use of Town-owned facilities, and has provided valuable technical input to partnering companies and organizations.
Mark Kittle, Chief Building Official and Acting Community Development Director
Awarded for his leadership in passing the Green Building Code
In October, the Town of Snowmass Village became of the first municipalities in Colo. to adopt the 2012 International Green Construction Code with amendments for commercial buildings, and the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code for both residential and commercial buildings.
Kittle spearheaded a long-term review effort of both codes with the support of a committee of local citizens and building industry professionals. Thanks to a grant from the Community Office for Resource Efficiency, independent consultants Jeff Dickinson, president of Biospaces, Inc., and Chris Green, president of Ago Studios were hired to review and comment on the ordinance.
By enforcing these codes, which went into effect December 1, 2013, the Town aims to make the local building stock more efficient and promote the design, construction, and operation of buildings that have a positive impact on health, safety, and community welfare.
