What color goes with public works? Some might think orange, because of the brightly colored vests adorned by street crews. Others might picture yellow, for the center stripe of a freshly paved road. But did you think green?

Green has always had a bad rap. We're green when we're envious, and Kermit the Frog has long been at odds with his greenness. Well, green must have hired itself a serious PR firm, because it's now the hottest color around. It represents all things environmental and earth-friendly: green building, green living, green technology, green shopping — and green public works.

Like the color green, the city of Ventura's Public Works Department has undergone a transformation. Since Ron Calkins took the helm in 1993 as Ventura's public works director, he and his 225 employees have taken steps to become one of the greenest public works departments in the state.

Calkins was recently honored as one of the top-10 public works leaders in the nation by the American Public Works Association, and his environmental work was cited as one reason.

With oversight of the city's water and sewage systems, 75 public buildings and 388 vehicles, the department has a large environmental footprint. Over the years, it has taken advantage of new technology and innovative thinking to reduce environmental impacts.

In the late 1990s, the city installed a "cogeneration" unit that uses waste gas from the wastewater plant to produce electricity. This system produces 40 percent of the electricity used at the facility and shaves $300,000 annually off the city's bill. As a bonus, the system also produces hot water used in the treatment process.

Ventura also installed traffic signals using light-emitting diode technology. These signals use about 90 percent less energy than a traditional bulb and require less maintenance.

In 2005, Ventura installed a large-scale solar electric system. The 8,000-square-foot solar canopy, which produces enough electricity to power 35 homes, makes 40 percent of the power used at the city's maintenance yard and reduces the city's electricity bill by $25,000 a year.

The city also obtained more than $500,000 in grants and loans to install energy-efficient lights and heating and air-conditioning equipment at city buildings, cutting the power bill by 25 percent. In recognition, the state gave the city a Flex Your Power energy conservation award in 2007.

Besides electricity, the other 800-pound eco-gorilla in the room is gasoline and diesel use. The city uses more than 250,000 gallons of fuel each year to operate its cars, trucks and equipment. It has purchased 20 hybrid and 10 electric vehicles and set a goal of reducing fuel use by 10 percent over the next year. City employees are being encouraged to save fuel by driving less, combining trips and reducing idling times.

Other environmental successes include:

- Reducing pesticide use in parks through integrated pest-management techniques.

- Collecting more than 700,000 pounds of residential and small-business household hazardous waste each year.

- Promoting a recognition program for businesses and schools that have outstanding environmental practices.

- Reducing landfill disposal by 18,000 tons since 2005. This is equivalent to a 72-foot pile of trash covering an entire football field.

- Introducing organic foam as a herbicide replacement for weed control.

- Developing a green streets pilot program to improve street design to reduce storm-water runoff and provide other environmental benefits.

"The Ventura community expects us to operate in a way that protects our beautiful coastal environment. We need to continue to be progressive and do our jobs in ways that reduce our environmental impact," Calkins said. "We really want to serve as an example to other public agencies to show that being green is the right thing to do."

— Joe Yahner is an environmental services supervisor for the city of Ventura. Representatives of government or nonprofit agencies who want to submit articles on environmental topics for this column should contact David Goldstein at 658-4312 or david.goldstein@ventura.org.