Helping Clients Discover Their Development Choices
Green Community Technologies was developed by YELLOW WOOD ASSOCIATES, INC. Yellow Wood is a consulting firm providing specialized services in rural community economic development since 1985. Yellow Wood’s services include economic research, market analysis, strategic planning, facilitation, program development and evaluation. Yellow Wood provides training programs in community capacity building and how to develop indicators and measures of community progress. Yellow Wood’s clients include cities and towns, non-profit organizations, federal, state and local governments, educational institutions, citizens’ groups, and foundations.
Our team
The way we work
Two aspects of the way we work with our clients distinguish Yellow Wood Associates from other consulting firms. First, we see our job as not only assisting clients in getting the final product that they really want, but also as transferring skills so that the people with whom we work can develop the capacity to achieve their goals without us in the future. The second distinguishing aspect of our work is the way we view expertise. We see ourselves as co-learners with the client, and value each contract as a process through which we will both share and expand our own skills and expertise.
What people are saying about Green Community Technologies
Every construction or rehabilitation project, no matter what size, should be evaluated for long-term cost benefits, even if more effort and funding must be expended in the selection process. The benefits of a thorough technology assessment are significant when the right technology is chosen for public investments. In the sense of a positive outcome, it’s instilled a collective thought of at least asking these questions at those critical points when you’re making decisions, whether they’re small or large, about how things are done and is there a better way.
—Ron Rodjenski, Town Administrator, Richmond, Vermont
We are enthusiastic about setting an example for other communities in New York State. This is the first time we will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of our buildings, and these facilities house activities that are the main service we offer to our taxpayers. Growing fuel and electricity costs, accessibility for everyone, and court mandates are all town concerns. GCT will bring this all together for the town and provide a set of recommendations for us to consider.
—Mary Ellen Keith, Town Supervisor, Franklin, New York
I think it was money well spent. In our case, we settled on the wastewater upgrade project, but it could apply to a whole number of projects. The result of this was that we put together an actual RFP for engineering design for the wastewater upgrade, and we’ve included this report as part of the materials that engineers have been receiving before they’re preparing their proposals. So this is sort of outlining a number of different alternatives that we’ve already investigated a little bit… it was a broad brush look at some of these alternatives. But we felt it was a pretty important part of this whole request package. I think there are a number of different projects that would be well served by this process. If a town hasn’t done an inventory, this would be a perfect opportunity. I would recommend this. I found it very useful.
—Rocky Martin, Director, Department of Building and Facilities, Hinesburg, Vermont
Yes, it [the GCT inventory and assessment] actually may have exceeded my expectations. The information on heating costs of existing buildings per square foot is telling and useful, especially if we consider another new town hall or town hall/library combination. You have also made me think for the first time that a new, consolidated building, including town garage or barn storage functions might make sense. I also was interested on the comments regarding culverts and vehicles. I’m going to forward the draft report to the selectmen, finance committee, DPW super, fire chief, and a few other town officers so they can also see it and am going to try like heck to finish my part of the inventory.
—Bruce Garlow, Town Administrator, Richmond, Massachusetts
Why did Yellow Wood create Green Community Technologies?
“The American Society of Civil Engineers released a report card for America’s Infrastructure, giving the U.S. an average grade of ‘D’ … As a society, the nation continues merely to patch up outdated and fragmented systems or focus efforts on ‘end-of-the-pipe’ solutions.”
-- USA Today, May 1999, by Daniel S. Turner.
Yellow Wood began developing the Green Community Technologies service in 2000 because we were struck by the adverse impacts of deteriorating infrastructure on communities throughout the United States on the one hand, and the many opportunities for improvement offered by rapid ongoing advances in alternative technologies on the other. Green Community Technologies is a logical extension of our mission which is to help our clients discover their development choices.
“Inadequate public infrastructure is viewed as the most significant roadblock to economic development in small town and rural America.”
-- The Pulse of Small Town and Rural America, Report from the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation eForum (August 30, 2004 national focus group of 210 regional development professionals supported by the Kellogg Foundation)
Green Community Technologies can also help communities understand how to become more sustainable by changing behaviors that contribute to climate change and by reducing their dependence on fossil fuels and non-renewable resources by making strategic investments in local resources and conservation.
Yellow Wood’s Green Community Technologies process uses a systems approach to assess a community’s infrastructure assets. For example, when we look at wastewater, we begin by looking at where the water comes from and what it has in it. Then we look at water conservation opportunities to reduce the wastewater stream. Next we look at how the wastewater is collected and how far it travels. Finally, we consider a range of centralized and decentralized treatment options, management options, greywater reuse, and sludge disposal options based on current and future needs and the goals of your community. We look at all the components of a possible solution including equipment and hard technologies, behavioral changes, and integrated approaches like low impact development.
Green Community Technologies helps decision-makers find sustainable solutions. Yellow Wood does not design, sell, or install technologies and can therefore provide an objective assessment of a wide range of infrastructure solutions.
Green Community Technologies® is a proprietary service of Yellow Wood Associates.
This project has been supported by the Small Business Innovation Research program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grant number #200433610-15010.
