Blaine County Citizens for Smart Growth is offering scholarship tickets to the 2006 Sun Valley Sustainability Conference, which starts today and runs through Friday.
"We've heard from some of the cities that want their policy makers to attend the conference," said Doug Abromeit, Smart Growth board president, "But, they don't have the funds to send all that want to go. Since they feel the conference is an important opportunity—and Smart Growth agrees—we want to help make it possible."
Smart Growth purchased tickets to the Sustainability Conference and is making them available to government officials—council members, planning and zoning commissioners and staff—who believe attending conference sessions will help with their jobs, but who don't have it in their budgets. Last year, Smart Growth bought tickets and offered them to Bellevue and to Carey.
"We had several council members attend the Sustainability Conference last year," said Tom Blanchard, Bellevue city administrator. "What they brought back from the experience affected what the city has done all year. We appreciate Smart Growth making the extra effort again this year to ensure that all our council members have the opportunity to attend."
Smart Growth is a Hailey-based non-profit promoting a regional vision that builds vibrant communities and protects the land. Smart Growth is co-host of the Sun Valley Sustainability Conference, which brings nationally and internationally recognized speakers to the valley to share their experiences with "green" building, renewable energy and smart growth.
The Sustainability Conference will culminate with a keynote presentation by Teresa Heinz and William McDonough Friday evening at 7 p.m. at the Sun Valley Opera House. The Exhibit Hall, a public fair, Friday from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and a Sustainability Tour, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., are free to the public.
More conference information is available at sunvalleysustainability.org. Smart Growth information can be found on their site at citizensforsmartgrowth.org.
