Mayor Bernie Platt and staff attended the banquet and awards ceremony to accept Cherry Hill’s “Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award” in the category of “Safe and Healthy Communities” Thursday, December 4th at New Jersey’s Executive Mansion. The event was co-sponsored by The New Jersey Corporation for Advanced technology and the State League of Municipalities.The awards program is coordinated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to commend outstanding environmental performance. They founded the program in 2000. Since the establishment of the awards program, the state has recognized over eighty businesses, individuals, municipalities and institutions for their beneficial environmental actions.

The award recognized the Cherry Hill Green Action Plan, which includes: a municipal energy audit, carbon emissions inventory, solar panels on town hall, a green purchasing plan and the development of a community partnership called “Sustainable Cherry Hill.” The judges indicated that the element differentiating Cherry Hill’s sustainability plan from the other towns’ green plans was the community grass roots partnership.

At the Drumthwacket, the name of the mansion, award winners enjoyed an extensive dinner buffet and dessert, followed by a tour of the house and the awards ceremony, where Mayor Platt proudly accepted Cherry Hill’s award.