Sustainable Williamson

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There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, `What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.' Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?
-Jesus cited in the Gospel of Luke 14:1-2,10-12

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Executive Summary
The mission of Sustainable Williamson is to create a replicable sustainable community model for lowwealth communities throughout Central Appalachia. Our vision is to connect community stakeholders with concepts of sustainability and to activate personal engagement in sustainable development. We believe that Central Appalachian communities will make the choice to actively participate in community development and retain the investment within local economies, creating good paying jobs and increasing the local tax base. Diverse participation in the development of triple-bottom line markets will stimulate vital economic growth and improve health, wealth, and well-being. This citywide effort became possible when Williamson Mayor Darrin McCormick spoke at a town council meeting encouraging the city council and local citizens to accept energy efficiency and renewable energy as a means to sustain a way of life for future generations. In 2011, the Williamson Redevelopment Authority adopted a new slogan: Where Development Meets Sustainability. Sustainable Williamson is a collaborative initiative of the Williamson Redevelopment Authority (WRA) in partnership with the JOBS Project (JOBS). The WRA acts as central governance board, making decisions about funding, technical assistance and progress. The WRA Board appoints committees for each Sustainable Williamson project. WRA committees draw human and financial assets to each project and make decisions regarding project management. JOBS brings together community members recommended by the WRA with sustainability experts to ensure that each community development opportunity involves sound project planning. The projects have essentially triple-bottom-line accounting, taking social, economic, and ecological indicators into consideration. JOBS helps WRA leverage financial assets for these projects, including private, state, and federal grants. JOBS also promotes the development of a community foundation or revolving loan fund for solar and energy efficiency investments. WRA and JOBSs goal for Sustainable Williamson is to advance rural economies by attracting sustainable expertise and facilitating the development of replicable sustainable demonstration projects. The organizations will be agents of change in Central Appalachia as they inform research and development; empowering local entrepreneurs to start new sustainable energy businesses; and ultimately employing a workforce in sustainable development careers. JOBS works with WRA and other sustainable development partners to reduce brain drain, increase the quality of life, and create an atmosphere in which local entrepreneurs can thrive.

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Challenges and Opportunities

Once a favorite retailer for shoppers in Mingo County and surrounding counties, and the hub of the coal industry and banking in the region, the City of Williamson is no longer the bustling center of commerce it once was. Williamsons economic decline began as a result of the devastating 1977 flood, followed by another flood in 1984 just as most businesses were beginning to recover from debt. In 1990, the Clean Air Act regulations began to affect the coal industry as fewer mining permits were issued in the region. In Appalachia, local and state governments are dependent on the coal industry; 40% of jobs are directly reliant on the coal industry in some counties. In Williamson, the coal industry provides financial support to community schools, local organizations, and political campaigns. Williamson is the county seat of Mingo County, West Virginia, the Heart of the Billion Dollar Coalfield. The Appalachian Regional Commission ranks Mingo County as one of the most economically distressed counties in Appalachia based on three economic indicators: average unemployment rates, per capita market income, and poverty rates. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 21% of local residents in Williamson are living below the poverty threshold, compared to the national average of 14.3%. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that 12.5% of adults in Williamson have diabetes and 35.3% are obese - both numbers are above the national average. Williamson is located in what the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls a "food desert." A food desert is "a census tract with a substantial share of residents who live in low-income areas that have low levels of access to a grocery store or healthy, affordable food retail outlet." The USDA Food Environment Atlas reveals that 12.18% of households in Mingo County (1,347 households) have no car and are located more than one mile from a grocery store. The atlas also shows that Mingo County residents consume about 1.7 pounds of prepared foods and 0.6 pounds of packaged sweet snacks for every pound of fruits and vegetables they consume. Although the U.S. Census Bureau found seven grocery stores in the county in 2007, anecdotal evidence from residents suggests that most individuals living in the Williamson area travel across the border into Kentucky to go shopping. New businesses tend to relocate to unincorporated South Williamson in Kentucky, which is just across the Tug River outside the city limits. The relocation exempts businesses from the Business and Occupation Tax, which provides nearly 70% of Williamsons general operating budget each year. According to the West Virginia Health Statistics Center, much of the state's out-migration has been younger people who have been forced to move away to find work in other regions because of fewer economic opportunities. According to the Health Statistics Centers report, they marry and raise their families elsewhere. Then, after they retire, many West Virginians come back home to enjoy life in the Mountain State (2002). After years of low economic growth, Williamsons city government leaders are consistently looking for new ways to survive and spark economic recovery. The city has attempted hiring freezes, layoffs, and levying greater percentages of employee contribution to health care insurance, yet essential services that the city provides continue to decline. The consideration of geographic and topographic disadvantages plays an important role in shaping our strategy to diversify coal dependent communities. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission 4|Page

(ARC), rural communities in mountainous regions experience limited economic opportunity and slow growth rates. For example, these regions typically lack diverse inter-industry relationships between counties, coal field communities typically mirror the coal-dependent economies of their spatial neighbors. For this reason, Even with these limitations present, community leaders continue to develop innovative approaches to economic development and community health promotion. For example, Vicki Hatfield of Williamson Memorial Hospital and the Diabetes Coalition works in Williamson to promote healthy lifestyles and nutrition. In June of 2011, Vicki summarized her efforts: We have about 170 seventy Lunch Walkers promoting physical activity in Williamson. Hopefully this is the first of many things we are going to do to promote better health. Dr. Beckett comments, Youll see people walking around in Williamson just to promote more healthy lifestyles, and thats kind of what were doing with the Farmers Market and all of our sustainability projects. We are trying to create a better Mingo County, so that the region can be successful in reducing the risk factors According to the 2007 Census on Agriculture, there are 37 farms covering 3,993 acres in Mingo County. The broader Williamson foodshed (areas within 50 miles of Williamson) contains 1,321 farms producing on 202,555 acres and producing approximately $5.5 million in products in 2007. The Williamson Farmers Market Research and Outreach Coordinator has identified more than ten farmers in Mingo County alone, and will continue to visit farms and solicit participation in the Williamson Farmers Market through September in order to launch a weekly market beginning in 2012. According to the West Virginia Department of Commerce in a presentation on workforce projections (2010), 75% of all job openings in West Virginia through 2016 will fill existing positions. Many jobs will disappear by 2016, and 80% of these jobs would only require skills upgrades training to prevent the job loss. Opportunities in renewable energy and energy efficiency will define new career pathways for atrisk youth and/or students who excel in technical skills, math, and sciences. New local opportunities will encourage youth to re-connect with the community and reduce outmigration. Workforce West Virginia measures existing jobs and projected annual openings for each occupation until 2016. Among these are construction laborers (9,029 total jobs; 100 annual openings) carpenters (7,969; 161), electricians (5981; 165), plumbers/pipefitters (2712; 63), and construction supervisors (4594; 87). Additionally, the National Center for O*NET Development (2009) has identified emerging jobs that would provide economic diversity, including installers and technicians for solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and energy efficiency systems. West Virginia will have greater need for these services. The Smart-Office program of use will offer core training based on the Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC), which identifies key competencies for existing workers need in order to remain competitive. Workforce training for the Sustainable Williamson project will build upon existing technical skill sets among local workforce professionals in building construction, retrofitting, and solar installation. Solar photovoltaic (PV) production has been increasing by an average of 20% each year since 2002, making it the fast-growing renewable energy technology today. Global PV installations were 2.826 GW peak GW in 2007, and 5.95 GW in 2008, 7.5 GW in 2009, and 18.2 GW in 2010. The three leading countries (Germany, Japan and the US) represent nearly 89% of the total worldwide PV installed capacity. In short, PV may be more expensive in regards to initial costs, yet when one considers present market trends over the next 25 years, the necessity for investment in new technologies and workforce training becomes paramount.

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Gilliam Solar is a start-up based in Williamson that was launched in 2011 to meet the growing demand for solar installations in the city of Williamson. The Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy (AIRE) and JOBS staff are working with local business owners and residents in Williamson to aggregate solar development for a citywide rooftop Solar Williamson initiative, where residents will either partially or completely own the local energy resources. Local ownership of renewable energy technology improves the local tax base, reduces tax burdens on individuals with medium to large tax appetites, promotes entrepreneurship, provides revenue to local investors, and reduces the energy burden and utility bills for the city. Building upon a strong energy economy in southern West Virginia, Sustainable Williamson aims to demonstrate economic diversification by catalyzing local investment in municipal and neighborhood solar and energy efficiency projects to reduce energy burdens for residential households and city municipal buildings. Sustainable energy professionals from across the nation have traveled to Williamson to share knowledge with professionals in coal-based industries and community residents, including at-risk youth. Discussions have focused on the economic feasibility, research and development, operations and maintenance, design and installation of new sustainable energy technologies. A partnership between The Department of Labor, the Department of Energy, Commerce, and Education, the Small Business Administration and the National Science Foundation supports the growth of Energy Regional Innovation Clusters (E-RIC). JOBS staff engages state and national agencies to showcase the Sustainable Williamson model as a link between rural areas and urban centers. In this respect, Sustainable Williamson functions as an innovation hub within a regional cluster of firms and industries that do business with one another and have common needs for workers, technology and infrastructure. Through this federally supported model of economic development, Central Appalachias competitive strengths are leveraged and regional innovation networks are nurtured for business financing, education, and workforce development.

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Strategies
1. Engage in asset mapping to offer the Sustainable Williamson network a comparative account of the full range of existing and potential energy sources and applications in Williamson and to build upon existing human and financial resources. 2. Bring industry experts in efficiency and renewable energy to Williamson to provide residents with the expertise they need to start an enterprise. 3. Educate and influence local policymakers to provide funding and create incentives for investment in Energy Regional Innovation Clusters (E-RIC) and sustainable energy markets. 4. Offer short-term employment opportunities in solar installation and building efficiency retrofits in order to expose the local workforce to demonstration projects. 5. Provide access to grants, affordable-interest loans, and private investment for early-stage planning, feasibility and design of energy projects. 6. Demonstrate costs and benefits of sustainable energy technology and local investment. 7. Match community volunteers and new leaders with the resources needed to achieve their goals. 8. Demonstrate the importance of healthy communities through the Williamson Health and Wellness Clinic.

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Accomplishments
WRA and JOBS have successfully brought energy efficiency expertise to Williamson, demonstrated sustainable development projects, educated a local workforce, sparked solar entrepreneurship, and leveraged human and financial resources to support Sustainable Williamson projects. WRA and JOBS have made significant strides in reducing stigma around renewable energies in the coalfields by integrating sustainable practices within local and regional development and planning. Bringing expertise to Williamson: In February, 2011, JOBS hosted Solar Week in Williamson with presentations from Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy (AIRE) and SolarWorld, a United States manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. Asset Based Community Development: In 2010, JOBS and Mountain View Solar completed more than ten site assessments for businesses and residential solar PV and solar thermal systems. In January of 2011, the City of Williamson received an award from the Appalachian Regional Commission granting $75,000 towards sustainable energy projects. Through this grant, JOBS hosted public meetings for the city on April 25-27th with guests from the Sustainable Cities Institute, WV Sustainable Communities, and the Appalachian Electric Power energy efficiency program, GoodCents. The 3-day intensive planning sessions engaged local stakeholders in the development of an energy savings plan for Williamson by building upon the existing natural, human and financial resources. Demonstration projects in energy efficiency and solar showcase measurable energy savings: On March 25th, a Williamson homeowner set an example in the west end neighborhood of Williamson by installing a solar PV and solar thermal system onto his roof. JOBS staff documented the installation and conducted interviews with the crew that will be used in local workforce training. On March 27th, a 11.27kW solar PV system with 46 solar panels was installed on the Williamson Health and Wellness Center downtown. The Emergency Services building completed energy efficiency retrofits, including replacement windows and HVAC systems. Educating a local workforce: In 2010, Mountain View Solar worked with JOBS to hire electricians and construction workers from the Mingo County workforce to participate in on the job training in preparation for a solar installation on the Family Care Center. The JOBS Project received funding from the City of Williamson through the Appalachian Regional Commission energy grant to launch the Smart-Office demonstration zone in 2011-2012. This project will provide hands-on instruction in energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies, and sustainable building science theories. Working with existing events and community groups: In 2010, JOBS worked with the Appalachian Leadership Academy at the Williamson campus of Southern WV Community and Technical College. (THE STUDENTS?) surveyed Williamson civic organizations like the Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Garden Club and the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce regarding their views on widespread community participation in sustainability efforts. Solar Entrepreneurship: Gilliam Solar, a West Virginia company based in Williamson, launched in 2011. The company is led by Matthew Gilliam, a third-generation coalmine electrician with business/project management experience, and Murphy Poindexter, who recently moved back to his home state after designing solar systems and working with manufacturing and installation companies in Japan. Gilliam Solar is a start-up company poised to meet the demand for residential, commercial and utility-scale PV integration in Williamson and southern West Virginia.

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The Williamson Farmers Market: The market launched its first successful market day in June 2011, and garnered $721 in revenue. Williamson Farmers Market Outreach and Research Coordinator Zach Beckett has identified several food growers within a 200-mile radius of Williamson, and will continue to recruit local farmers for trial markets in July, August, and September. The farmers market research is funded through a $10,000 grant awarded to the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition by the West Virginia Development Office to support the Williamson market. Dorothy Stewart, Farmers Market expert from the Wayne County, spoke about the Williamson market, Weve had more than 70 customers in Williamson today, and it is still early afternoon. Weve sold out of a lot of our products, our green beans, corn, cucumbers, and new potatoes. Weve enjoyed the customers, and they seem to enjoy buying the fresh fruits and vegetables. Williamson Health and Wellness Clinic: Dr. Donovan Beckett has opened the Health and Wellness Clinic, providing health care services at no charge to patients once every other week. Regarding healthy lifestyles and prevention, Dr. Beckett says, We are promoting local fresh foods so diets improve, nutrition improves, and health markers are also improving. People are losing weight, their blood pressure is coming down, and cholesterol is doing much better. These are all positive effects from some simple things like eating fresh food and getting some exercise. In partnership with Write Choice Network, Dr. Beckett and the JOBS Project submitted a federal grant proposal for their plans to expand the Health and Wellness Clinic, which would enable the practice to provide additional services and hours of operation to lowincome individuals and families. Widespread Public Support: Collectively, Sustainable Williamson has received media attention from National Public Radio (NPR), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World News, Photon Magazine, and 100+ news sources including video and posts to Green for Alls national blog for activities in southern West Virginia, with a predominant focus on our solar initiatives.

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Community Participation
The WRA and JOBS help to align volunteer commitments with desired changes in communities. Residents are invited to take part in the development of Sustainable Williamson through community outreach and inclusive public meetings, public surveys, open forums for workers, and Sustainable Williamson committee meetings. Project milestones are celebrated with the internal Williamson community and external partners to encourage ongoing and diverse community participation. Trainings and demonstrations in sustainable energy benefit energy industry professionals and the workforce of low wealth, rural communities. The demonstrations enhance the skills of local electricians, contractors, plumbers, and engineers in order to increase competitive advantage and value of services delivered. Solar installations and building retrofits have positive effects on the economy, reducing energy costs for business owners and sparking local entrepreneurship in the emerging sustainable energy industry. Community-based energy projects and trainings also increase revenue for hotels and restaurants in lowwealth communities. Opportunities in renewable energy and energy efficiency will define new career pathways for at-risk youth and or students who excel in technical skills, math, and sciences. New local opportunities will encourage youth to re-connect with the community, and participation may reduce the trend of outmigration to find education and employment in other states. In Williamson, we are presently conducting a feasibility study to develop a community renewable energy model for Central Appalachian communities to become active owners and investors in scalable renewable energy. We promote financial structures that allow low wealth individuals to invest in municipal and neighborhood solar initiatives with small capital (e.g. $1000 shares) or with "sweat equity," so that wealth is not a barrier to investment and participation. Ultimately, decisions about financial buy-in are not up to our organization, but to the citizens who comprise the LLC. The Sustainable Williamson Municipal and Neighborhood solar initiatives will model ways to aggregate financing, purchasing, permitting, and installation of locally owned renewable infrastructure in low wealth communities. These renewable energy LLCs develop bylaws, elect leaders, explore governance and financial structures, and market their resource to others in the community and to renewable energy developers.

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Building Strategic Partners

The Williamson Redevelopment Authority is the central governing body for Sustainable Williamson. The seven person WRA board oversees Sustainable Williamson projects in monthly meetings and ongoing meetings among Sustainable Williamson committees. WRA members also garner support from community stakeholders and local officials in Sustainable Williamson projects. The JOBS Project is crucial to the Sustainable Williamson project because our organization brings together community members recommended by the WRA and sustainability experts in order to ensure that each development opportunity involves sound project planning,. JOBS helps to leverage grants and other financial assets and promotes the development of a community foundation or revolving loan fund for solar and energy efficiency investments. The Sustainable Williamson Coordinator will be hired by the Williamson Redevelopment Authority and will work with the JOBS Project to carry out Sustainable Williamson plans according to Williamsons performance agenda by keeping committees on target, assisting with project financing and reporting, and overseeing energy management for municipal buildings to reduce the utility burden for the city. The West Virginia Community and Development Hubs Communities of Achievement Program (CAP) assists Williamson by providing technical resources to support community development efforts and project planning. Sustainable Williamsons CAP coach, Barbara Wycoff, helps create measurable outcomes and achievable goals. She encouraged our community development team to celebrate our early wins with the Williamson community in order to keep momentum behind each Sustainable Williamson activity and ensure high levels of participation among committees in communication with the Williamson Redevelopment Authority. Williamsons Local Energy Action Plan (LEAP) was developed in May of 2011 with community stakeholders during a 3-day intensive planning charette facilitated by Robert Reed from the Sustainable Cities Institute through an Appalachian Regional Commission grant awarded to the City of Williamson in partnership with the JOBS Project. In March 2011, the JOBS Project launched the downtown Williamson rooftop solar initiative in order to demonstrate the cost effective nature of solar technology. The 11.27 kW SolarWorld PV system was the largest in southern West Virginia when it went online in August 2011. Dr. Donovan Dino Beckett invested in the system, installed over the Williamson Family Care Center, after JOBS helped to secure low interest loans and a USDA rural energy grant for 25% of the investment. Williamson resident Vinnie Kudva invested in a demonstration residential solar project the same week, installing solar thermal panels for hot water in addition to a solar PV array on his home. The Williamson Farmers Market Steering Committee, formed by the Williamson Redevelopment Authority in 2010, was awarded $10,000 in partnership with the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition in a FLEXE award from the states Development Office. Wayne County Farmers Market set up a market schedule to run four trial markets in Williamson in 2011 at the established Freight Depot location. Bill and Dorothy Stewart from the Wayne County Farmers Market assist farmers in Mingo and Pike Counties with running the market. The Smart-Office provides work space for JOBS Project staff in addition to ongoing rotations of 11 | P a g e

sustainability experts and interns and for local meetings related to Sustainable Williamson projects. The headquarters will be located in a high-visibility downtown location adjoining the Historic Mountaineer Hotel and next door to Williamsons Chamber of Commerce, a building called The Coal House after its principal construction material. Residents of low wealth communities in five at-risk and distressed counties will be invited to participate in Smart-Office hands-on demonstrations to learn from LEED certified building science professional including Thom Worlledge from McKinley and Associates and Ryan Hess from Mills Group. Training will include energy efficiency and renewable energy equipment installations and both lectures and hands-on learning in building science theories. Trainees will upgrade the Smart-Office commercial space as a LEED certified demonstration zone for Smart technologies. Each new sustainability upgrade for the work space will be a teaching opportunity for the local workforce.

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Our Projects in Brief

Sycamore Trail: Providing a template for sustainable tourism, this Sustainable Williamson project will provide connected, accessible, multi-use recreational opportunities for our community and visitors that will adhere to the three pillars of sustainability and provide a source of revenue for the citys Parks and Recreation Department. The plan developed by the Mills Group, West Virginia based Architecture firm, provides a development plan in five phases. In year one, the goal is to install energy efficient Recreational Vehicle hook-ups to generate parks and recreation revenue from Hatfield McCoy tourists and for temporary workers staying in Mingo County for the short-term. By year five, the Sycamore Trail will have a full campground. Sustainability Hub at Freight Depot: In year one, the outdoor Williamson Farmers Market will continue to thrive, first as a trial market on the third Saturday of the month (June-September 2011) and then as a weekly outdoor market in summer 2012. By 2013, the sustainable building retrofits will be complete and the freight depot will provide space for the Williamson Farmers Market indoors, providing reuse of a historic building for sustainable commerce. Residents from Mingo and surrounding counties will sell products such as local foods, plants and crafts. By year five, the freight depot is intended to provide not only space for the farmers market but also a storage space for the resale of recycled building materials collected during building demolition (similar in concept to the Charleston ReStore facility, please see below). Smart-Office: Beginning in 2011, the Smart-Office will provide quality training opportunities for small businesses and train the local workforce in energy efficiency and renewable energy equipment installation. The Smart-Office will expose businesses, public building managers, and residents in Williamson and the surrounding area to new technologies. The Smart-office will also provide train the trainer opportunities for community and technical colleges and workspace for interns and consultants working on Sustainable Williamson projects. Finally, the Smart-Office will help to draw expertise to the region by achieving recognition from US Green Building Council as a LEED certified commercial interior building. Municipal and Neighborhood Solar: The JOBS Project will assist Williamson in bringing solar projects to scale so that the supply of sustainable energy in Williamson is locally owned and managed. Municipal and Neighborhood Solar Williamson initiatives designed in collaboration with the Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy will launch in 2011-2012. By year two, community members will form Limited Liability Companies and begin to raise equity. The JOBS Project will help to arrange aggregate investments, select technology and help to reduce transaction costs by buying in large quantities. Within two years, multiple local investors will have become owners of municipal and neighborhood solar arrays generating revenue from the investment and reducing the energy burden for the city. A Williamson-based solar install company, Gilliam Solar, will install solar systems for municipal buildings, businesses, and neighborhood systems generating community wealth and wealth for individuals and communities. Local Energy Action Plan: Developed in collaboration with Sustainable Cities Institute, the Local Energy Action Plan (LEAP) will reduce energy expenses for five public buildings as well as Williamsons businesses and residences. West Virginia Sustainable Communities (WVSC) will host Sustainability Awareness Training in August 2011 for the WRA and a group of 30 engaged citizens. After two more rounds of community energy planning with JOBS, WVSC will connect citizens with opportunities to participate as Sustainable Williamson committee members, investors, or to receive project development or workforce training in sustainable industries. This will expand the community network of support for the local energy plan in the course of one

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year. Progress will be measured according to energy reduction goals as stated in the Sustainable Williamson performance agenda. Williamson Health and Wellness Clinic: The Health and Wellness Clinic will provide integrated, one-stop health care services at no charge or at reduced cost for patients once every other week during 2011. In partnership with Write Choice Network, a national expert in designing and implementing community health clinics, Dr. Dino Beckett and the JOBS Project submitted a federal grant proposal to expand the Health and Wellness Clinic, which would enable the practice to provide additional services and hours of operation to low-wealth individuals and families. This grant includes making the Health and Wellness clinic a sustainable workspace using LEED and Energy Star guidelines for air quality, energy efficiency, and ongoing energy management. Williamson Walkable Communities Program: This program challenges local citizens to take charge of their health by joining the Mingo County Diabetes Coalition Lunch Walk program and participate in a Walk at Lunch program. Lunch walk incorporates physical activity into community members work day and encourages them to increase their daily physical activity by walking at lunch every day. With over 150 participants to date, this program encourages healthy community members by decreasing the risk of a heart attack and type-2 diabetes; controlling weight and weight loss; improving muscle tone; and reducing stress. Community Gardens: The Williamson Community Garden project will help revitalize Williamson by performing four key functions: 1. Improving physical and mental health of community members 2. Facilitating unification and collaboration among community members 3. Beautifying the city 4. Facilitating economic growth The Williamson Community Garden project will use city and donated land to create public gardens. A steering committee led by the nonprofit Williamson Wildwood Garden Club and consisting of representatives from diverse community groups will manage these gardens. The project will reach out to students, children and families in need, and senior citizens. Under the management of the steering committee, community members will share the healthy and rewarding responsibility of cultivating flowers and produce on scheduled planting days. By encouraging gardening activity we hope to improve the physical and mental health of the community. The project will also offer the service of free gardening classes for groups of all ages, children, adults, and seniors. Students can visit the gardens on field trips to learn about various types of plants and produce, gardening practices, and healthy eating habits. Produce harvested from the gardens will be sold at the Williamson Farmers Market or to local businesses and all proceeds will be used to further support the project. Habitat for Humanity ReStore: While every ReStore outlet is a little different, most focus on home improvement goods like furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. Williamsons ReStore resale outlet will accept donated goods which will then be sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. The proceeds help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction of Habitat homes within their communities. In collaboration with Williamsons Sustainable Preservation, ReStore resale outlets will provide an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable materials captured by downtown historical upgrades out of the waste stream. Sustainable Preservation: Williamsons Sustainable Preservation project will ensure a robust waste stream of construction materials for future Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings. As an innovative approach to ensuring energy efficiency and preserving historical buildings, the Sustainable Preservation project will provide a replicable

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model for other communities throughout Central Appalachia to build a platform for sustainable construction. Smart Grid Test Site: The Smart Grid is a type of electrical grid that attempts to predict and intelligently respond to the behavior and actions of all electric power users connected to it suppliers, consumers and those that do both in order to efficiently deliver reliable, economical, and sustainable electricity services. The JOBS Project is presently working with some of the nations leaders in Smart Grid development in hopes of making Williamson a test site. Please see below for visual description of a Smart Grid.

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Measuring Success
Through the West Virginia Sustainability Hub Communities of Achievement Program (CAP) model, the Williamson Redevelopment Authority has aligned Sustainable Williamson projects with targeted outcomes based on our Performance Agenda, also known as the Williamson Road Map. The Williamson HubCAP team, members from the Williamson Redevelopment Authority, and the JOBS Project engaged in strategic planning similar to the SWOT method, where strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats are identified before goals are set. Our measure of success includes economic, social, and ecological indicators of sustainable development based around the Sustainable Williamson project. Indicators for energy efficiency will include Energy Star portfolio manager, LEED rating system, and utility bills. We will measure our success based on sustainable energy systems installed and the number of temporary and permanent jobs that are created as a result of the Sustainable Williamson project using a baseline from 2010. Data loggers will measure solar power production for renewable energy systems. We will also calculate workforce data on job creation and skills upgrades based on Smart-Office trainings.

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