Nils’ Response to Candidate Questionnaire – Idaho Mountain Express

Below is the second in my series of three candidate questionnaires I completed during this campaign. I am providing them here to give you more information on where I stand on the issues. This one is from the Idaho Mountain Express:

Idaho Mountain Express

Sun Valley city council candidates, 

Here are the five questions for the election section coming out on Oct. 28. All candidates have received the same questions, and each answer is to be limited to a maximum of 50 words. In the paper, your responses will be printed verbatim. If you go over that limit, we’ll have to cut your answer, out of fairness.

DUE DATE: Thursday, Oct. 22

Also, please provide the following….

Age:                                     54

Occupation:                           Business Owner – Venture Capital

Education:                             B.S. Business Administration

Government experience:       4 years – Sun Valley City Council; 6 years – Sun Valley Planning & Zoning Commission

Why running (limited to 40 words):         

As a 21-year full-time Sun Valley resident, I bring a clear understanding of what is important to our community. I’m able to look out for our citizen’s best interests and their concerns for the livability and stability of our community.

QUESTIONS

 1.) Do you think the city is doing enough to promote the development of affordable housing in Sun Valley? Why or why not?

The focus of workforce housing in Sun Valley should be on providing a minimum level of housing for critical emergency service workers to be located in the City. This can and should be accomplished through public/private partnerships and cooperative arrangements.

2.) Would you encourage a merger of Sun Valley and Ketchum’s emergency services if it saved money? Why or why not?

Saving money is only half the equation for our taxpayers. A merger would also need to maintain or improve the level of service to Sun Valley citizens. We can save money and improve the level of service by encouraging continued cooperation between the departments through existing mutual aid agreements.

3.) What’s the most pressing short-term issue facing Sun Valley, and how would you go about facing it?

Short-term we should focus on protecting the City at the urban/wildland fire interface. We are surrounded on three sides by public lands which are a wildfire threat. The safety of the City can be significantly enhanced if we place a priority on seeking FEMA grants to mitigate this hazard.

4.) What’s the most pressing long-term issue facing Sun Valley, and how would you go about facing it?

Long-term it is vital to keep Sun Valley fiscally sound. We will do this through careful financial management and support of a strong resort economy, while maintaining our appropriate infrastructure and the level of essential city services our citizens and visitors expect.

5.) Should the city use public funds to support nonprofit organizations in the Wood River Valley, like the YMCA and Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau?

Public funds should not be used to simply “support nonprofit organizations.” If the City has a specific identified need, it should only enter into a Contract for Service with a vendor that can provide the needed service. An example would be the Chamber for Sun Valley specific tourism marketing services.

Sun Valley City Council Passes Sound Budget for FY2010

Last night the Sun Valley City Council, with the help of the Mayor, passed a $6.1 million budget for Fiscal Year 2010 (October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010).

I feel very good that we passed a sound budget that focuses first on the health, safety and welfare of our citizens and then works to ensure that our local economic output and tax base is kept strong to the benefit of all Sun Valley citizens. 

After listening to the public during the official Public Hearing, we adjusted the budget accordingly. Council Member Briscoe and I worked out a compromise to further reduce the total budget by lowering total staff salary increases, reduced the contract with Sustain Blaine, funded a stronger Fire Department and funded tourism marketing at last year’s level. Our amendment to the budget passed on a tie-breaking vote with Mayor Willich’s help. Following our amendment, the Mayor asked for further discussion on the budget, hearing none from the Council, he called for a vote and the overall budget passed 3-2 with Council Member Briscoe, me and Mayor Willich voting in favor. 

During the lengthy Council discussion following the Public Hearing, I presented an updated Unreserved Fund Balance Analysis. Based on the FY10 Budget, my analysis showed the projected financial condition of the City at the END of the next Fiscal Year (September 30, 2010). As you can see from the analysis below, we should retain a strong fund balance to get us through another tough year or so, if the economy continues to stay in the dumps. 

 

I pointed out during the Public Hearing that this has been the most transparent budget process I have seen or been involved with since I’ve been associated with the City. We began the FY10 budget process over 3 months ago and yesterday’s Hearing was the seventh budget meeting in that process. The actual detailed budget we considered last night had been before the public for 38 days. Every person who wished to have a say in the budget was given an opportunity to do so and they were heard. Thank you for your participation.

Is Consolidation Really Over?

This past week I was asked by a number of constituents if the consolidation effort with Ketchum is truly over. Their sense was there still seems to be something brewing. 

There has been a continuing beat of consolidation talk in the media since Dave Chase and Charles Conn, the two spokesmen for the “One Community, One Town” (OCOT) consolidation effort, announced on April 29^th that it was “…time to move on, at least for now.” 

Editorials in both the Idaho Mountain Express and the Times-News continue to push for consolidation, the Ketchum police consolidation with Blaine County has moved to the front burner, the headline page at SunValleyOnline regarding the end of OCOT’s effort reads “…Maybe, Later”, and Ketchum’s Mayor is once again pushing to consolidate Sun Valley’s Fire Department into his. 

On the positive side, it was good that the OCOT promoters finally acknowledged their efforts were counterproductive to the communities’ interests. 

In the same tone as Messrs. Chase and Conn launched their campaign to consolidate Sun Valley into Ketchum, so did they end it. The first sentence in their “…time to move on, at least for now…” Letter to the Editor explains perfectly why they created an acrimonious process between the proponents and opponents. They state: 

“…we proposed…citizens have a conversation about the merits and disadvantages of some sort of consolidation.”

As they had done numerous times throughout their 75 day campaign, they continue to distort the truth and misrepresent the facts right up to the end, as the letter shows. As we know, they actually proposed an immediate petition drive to put a total, complete and final consolidation of both cities to an immediate vote, not have a conversation about some sort of consolidation. 

Near the end of their letter, Councilman Chase notes: 

“Until the public demands…public interest over self-interest from their elected officials, it won’t happen. Until that day Thomas Jefferson’s comment seems apt, ‘the government you elect is the government you deserve.’ ” 

The citizens of Sun Valley learned plenty about elected officials who pushed self-interest very hard over public interest during this consolidation effort. It is clear the citizens of Sun Valley want less of that kind of government representation and they certainly continue to demand that at our Council meetings and will at the next City Council election. 

Contrary to the title of that Chase and Conn Letter to the Editor as it appeared in the Idaho Mountain Express, “The merger debate that wasn’t”, there actually was a good debate concerning the merits of the merger. It just didn’t turn out the way the promoters of the consolidation thought it would. As John Adams so aptly stated, “Facts are stubborn things…” 

Another Fire Department Consolidation Effort:

I feel compelled to respond briefly to Ketchum Mayor Hall’s remarks at the May 4, 2009 Ketchum City Council meeting and in the Idaho Mountain Express concerning reviving his attempt to take over the Sun Valley Fire Department. 

Unfortunately, the Mayor of Ketchum continues to make the same erroneous statements about Sun Valley and our Fire Department as he and former Mayor Thorson did slightly over a year ago when the City of Sun Valley rejected such a consolidation effort. Like the OCOT spokesmen did when they tried to sell the City consolidation, Mayor Hall has publicly stated several factual errors about Sun Valley and our Fire Department, none of which will help lead to any constructive dialogue. This is an unfortunate way to begin such a discussion. 

There are opportunities to continue to find more efficiency in coordinating certain fire department operations like automatic aid, mutual aid and joint training. Fortunately, the fire departments already have a good operational working relationship. However, for any successful effort to take place which may expand those opportunities, it will need to be based on factual information and done in a coherent manner. I am hopeful the leadership in Ketchum is willing to work with us in an open and cooperative way.

You can read my April 11, 2008 blog with data and an explanation on why the City of Sun Valley rejected Mayors Thorson and Hall’s previous attempt to consolidate the two fire departments at this link.

So the answer to my constituent friends was not a simple one. We never heard from the 10-15 nameless “citizens, non-profit and business leaders, current and former elected officials and second homeowners” who formed OCOT. We don’t know if these unidentified people have thrown in the towel, only that their two spokesmen have…sort of…  

I am extremely proud of the positive and transparent way the citizens of Sun Valley came together throughout the consolidation process. As citizens and elected officials, we have reaffirmed our commitment to our community and clarified our community values.  Contrary to some of the negative things a couple of our Council members say about our City, we can be extremely proud of our City’s strong financial position, low debt ratio, reasonable tax rates, high bond rating, highly efficient and lean staff, balanced budget, good working relationship with the City’s major employer, and the extremely responsive, high level of service the City provides its taxpayers and citizens. 

We set the bar high during this consolidation process by responding to misinformation and personal attacks with only factual information, something you insisted upon from the beginning.

I will continue to update my website and blog with current information on additional consolidation efforts. If you would like to receive automatic updates to my sites by email, you can subscribe at this link.

Great thanks for all your input, comments and support throughout this effort.

Wildfire Festival This Weekend

Join the Sun Valley Fire Department this Saturday at the Wildfire Festival in Hailey at the Community Campus.

This new event, put on by our local fire departments, the Sawtooth National Forest and Blaine County Firewise is free. It will help property owners and others learn how to deal with living in wildfire country.

I’ll be there and I hope to see you too.

Happy New Year Sun Valley 2009!

In my 2008 New Year’s message I wrote that I was “very optimistic” looking forward to this year and that there “would be changes and that change can be good.” All of that rang true during the year. I am pleased to report that we had a very good year in Sun Valley despite the poor economy. 

2008 was a very good year for our City as we made positive changes in how we do business. We are realizing the potential of how good we can be on many fronts. Our finances, staff and spirit are stronger than ever and we are dedicated to bringing the best government possible to the citizens of Sun Valley. Through these turbulent economic times it is vitally important for us to stay a steady course and not upset a boat that is sailing quite well. 

Our will was tested in many ways during the year, and each time it made us take a close look at ourselves, our operations and how we serve the people. It renewed our commitment to provide the highest level of professional service at the most reasonable cost to the taxpayers. 

Our City’s finances are sound and we have perhaps the most fiscally responsible budget in the entire valley. The City is well positioned to weather the economic storm that is lashing our economy. We have a lean, dedicated staff of hard working individuals who are very efficient at operating in a complex resort environment. We are focused on taking care of our core infrastructure to make sure it doesn’t crumble to the detriment of our health, safety and welfare. I have been working directly with some of our key outside contractors, like the Chamber of Commerce, Mountain Rides and Sustain Blaine, to ensure that our investment with them pays the best returns to our City. We continue to seek solutions to regional issues such as consolidated dispatch, housing and the airport, where working together is vitally important. And, we have become fully transparent in how we operate our City government – an accomplishment of which I am truly proud. 

Looking ahead to 2009 I will continue to see that we focus on the basics of good government – responsible care of our tax dollars, respect for each other’s property rights, and an absolute commitment to open and transparent government. I will add to my focus list this coming year, my long held goal of securing a second, redundant high-voltage power transmission line to our end of the valley from Hailey. This weakness in our critical infrastructure is a major risk to our community from a life/safety perspective and a serious threat to our economy. I will also continue my efforts to seek sustainable economic development solutions that can capitalize on opportunities to add vitality by increasing our full-time population which in turn strengthens our tourism economy. It is good to see that there is growing support for sustainable economic development. 

I greatly appreciate all the feedback, thoughts and comments you have given me this past year. It has been invaluable in helping me represent you on the City Council. 

It is an honor to serve you. 

My best wishes to you, your family and friends for a healthy and happy 2009. 

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A Special New Year’s Story

(Dennis Patterson, Carey Fire Chief  – December 20, 2008)

On rare occasion I get the opportunity as a Councilman to experience a special moment when my soul is deeply touched. On Saturday, December 20, 2008 I was lucky to experience one of those special events. 

Earlier this year the Sun Valley Fire Department needed to upgrade its 26 year old fire engine to meet the growing needs in Sun Valley. We determined that it made sense to give that old engine to the Carey Fire Department who can make good use of it. Well, on Saturday the 20th of December, we finally delivered the old engine to Carey. The Mayor and I went along with Chief Carnes and two of our firemen for the handover. You can’t begin to imagine how happy the entire crew in Carey was to receive our old engine. Their eyes were beaming and the smiles were from ear to ear. It was the most genuine show of appreciation I have seen in ages. That act of kindness on the part of the Sun Valley Fire Department was absolutely overwhelming. It nearly brought tears to the eyes of some of the toughest firefighters we have up and down this valley. I was proud to be there to represent the citizens of Sun Valley as our City helped out our fellow citizens in Carey. 

Reporter Karen Bossick captured the day in this story she wrote for the Twin Falls Times-News. 

I had my camera along and shot some pictures of the occasion. Here is a short slideshow of the handover. I thnk you can get a feel for the happiness in the smiles of everyone present.

Sun Valley’s Newest Heroes

The citizens of Sun Valley are fortunate that four newly qualified firefighters have joined our Fire Department. All four just completed the State of Idaho Basic Firefighter class which began this past August. 

These dedicated, hardworking, and energetic folks have made an enormous commitment to serving all of us here in Sun Valley. They have undergone more than 160 hours of training, classes and exercises, giving up numerous weekends and evenings to become qualified firefighters. In true Sun Valley style, these fine folk have gone above and beyond the basics and have taken additional classes to enhance their skills and understanding. 

Please help us in congratulating and welcoming Sun Valley’s newest heroes. 

 

You can meet our new firefighters, and the rest of our great crew, this Saturday, November 22^nd at the annual Sun Valley Ketchum Volunteer Firefighters Ball. It’s the best deal in town. Don’t miss it! 

 

Great thanks to Tiffani LaMonica for the graphics!

Living in the Urban-Wildland Interface

Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to meet and discuss forest issues with Regional Forester Harv Forsgren, head of the U.S. Forest Service’s Intermountain Region. The Intermountain Region, which includes the Sawtooth National Forest among its 13 National Forests, covers 6 states and nearly 34 million acres of forest and grasslands.

We had an excellent discussion concerning the huge impact that fire is now having on the Forest Service’s budget, the past 100 years’ policy of fighting fire, drought conditions, and especially the urban-wildland interface. Currently 50% of the agency’s annual budget is spent fighting fires.

We received a massive local dose of this reality last year during the Castle Rock Fire, especially on how volatile a fire can be, and what a precarious situation we have created by building so close to the forest with indefensible materials. I took this picture out Adams Gulch during the Castle Rock Fire last summer.

The Los Angeles Times today has an excellent article on how development in the urban-wildland interface is a contributing factor to the escalating cost of fighting forest fires. Click here to read the LA Times article.

We are certainly aware of the situation here in Sun Valley and recently added a used heavy wildland fire engine purchased from the BLM to our City Fire Department’s arsenal. In addition, we recently banned wood roofs on all new construction and major renovations in the City. Protecting the City is one of our principal missions. Doing it with limited resources is always a challenge.

Locally, Fire Chief Jeff Carnes has been encouraging residents of Sun Valley to work with Blaine County Firewise to take steps to make their property safer from the threat of wildfires. Last year Patti and I worked with the Forest Service to “firewise” our cabin. This year we invited Blaine County Firewise to survey our home in Sun Valley. They came up with several recommendations which we are currently implementing. Click here to go to the BC Firewise website. Give the Firewise folks a call; they are great people to work with on finding ways to protect your home.

 

Special Sun Valley City Council Meeting on 6/13/08

Update: 6-12-08 10:45 a.m. This special meeting has been cancelled. The owner of the helicopter was unable to provide the appropriate liability insurance to the City in time for the event, so they cancelled the appearance.

Please note that the Fire Services Appreciation Day will still take place at the City’s 5-acre parcel on Sun Valley road this Saturday, June 14, 2008 from 11 am to 3 pm. This is an excellent opportunity to come out and see the fine folks who make up our Fire Department.

On Friday, June 13, 2008 at 11:00 am we have a special City Council meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to consider approval of an Aircraft Takeoff and Landing Permit for a Life Flight Helicopter to use the City’s 5-acre parcel on June 14, 2008 as part of the Fire Services Appreciation Day celebration.

You can always see the full Council schedule and additional information at my website.

Fire Department Consolidation with Ketchum

Update (4-18-08): After a lengthy discussion of the facts and a good debate, the Sun Valley City Council voted unanimously (3-0 as Councilman Chase was absent) at its April 17, 2008 meeting to reject the consultant’s recommendation for total consolidation with the Ketchum Fire Department. The Council found that it was not in the best interest of the City at this time. I presented an analysis of the total effect the proposed consolidation would have on the taxpayers of the City of Sun Valley, something the consultants left out of their report. You can click here to see my financial analysis. We also heard testimony from citizens regarding the considerable intrinsic value our fire department brings to the City. The one proponent of the consolidation failed to provide evidence that it would improve the level of service or save the taxpayers of Sun Valley any money in the long term. The Council also accepted certain recommendations of the consultants dealing with improvements which can be made to the Sun Valley Fire Department, many of which are already underway.

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Every ten years or so the issue of consolidation of the Sun Valley and Ketchum fire departments comes up and is studied. In 2006 the Mayors and City Administrators of both cities hired a consultant and studied the possibility of consolidating the fire departments. That study was completed in August of 2007. With significant changes at Sun Valley City Hall following last November’s city election, we have now had the opportunity to do an in depth evaluation of the consolidation study. I got my first chance to see the consolidation report right after the November, 2007 election.

At the April 17, 2008 City Council meeting we will discuss the fire consolidation report and the direction the Council and Mayor wish to go on the issue. The City Staff Report on the consolidation is available at this link.

When I ran for my seat on the Council in 2005, I was very clear about how I would evaluate various consolidation issues. I wrote about it in a blog on October 29, 2005. You can read it in the blue at the bottom of this blog, or at this link.

The decision for me on fire consolidation will boil down to what is best for the taxpayers and residents of the City of Sun Valley:

• Will consolidation improve the level of service we receive in the city, or
• Will consolidation save the taxpayers of Sun Valley money?

I have set that threshold high because, from my personal experience living in the city for 20 years, and from conducting a thorough financial analysis of the consolidation report, if a decision is made to consolidate, it is clear we cannot go back to what we have now.

The cost to operate the Sun Valley Fire Department is only about 22% of what it costs to run the Ketchum Fire Department. The two departments have a good working relationship and operate under “auto-aid” and “mutual-aid” agreements. When either city has a fire call, the auto-aid agreement automatically sends manpower and equipment such as our jointly owned aerial tower to the other city. Under the mutual-aid agreement, either department can ask for specific additional resources if they are needed from any department in the valley. In addition, our staff has been assisting lately at the Ketchum fire station when they have had manpower shortages.

It is critical to always take a financially conservative approach to these types of decisions because they will have long-term consequences to the taxpayers of our City. It becomes even more important in this situation because the issue goes to the core of what we must deal with in the City – health, safety and welfare. Sun Valley currently has a highly cost efficient fire department that provides a high level of service to our citizens. That is something we can be proud of. Please plan to attend the Council meeting on April 17th at 4 p.m. and participate in the discussion on the possible consolidation.

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Here is my blog entry from October 29, 2005:

Nils Ribi on Consolidation of Services With Ketchum

Concerning the proximity and potential cost savings, I was asked if I would consider consolidation of any Sun Valley and Ketchum city services. Each City has unique requirements, situations and an identity. In most cases, previous studies have indicated that outright consolidation would not be cost-effective. Several joint cooperative relationships exist including EMT and ambulance service, police, fire, consolidated dispatch and KART. As our circumstances change with the growth expected in Sun Valley, we should continually evaluate consolidation and joint relationship possibilities for the benefit of each community. We should also be keenly aware of opportunities for consolidation as they arise, such as regional transportation.

I fully support the consolidation effort currently being pursued to bring KART and the Peak Bus under one regional transportation authority throughout the valley. It will also make sense to try to bring the resort’s transportation system under this authority. The regional authority will have the ability to tap into Federal funds to purchase rolling stock at very affordable rates. This will also help us work toward a fully integrated transportation system that could link to a potential new airport.

Sun Valley City Council Meeting the Week of 4/14/08

We have our one regular monthly City Council meeting in Sun Valley the week of April 14th.

On Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 4:00 pm we have our regular monthly Council meeting. Along with normal business, we have another fairly full agenda this month. The principal items of consideration include:

• Consideration of the Fire Department consolidation with Ketchum (click here to see my blog on this subject).
• Second reading of the International Building Code Ordinance.
• Approval of road and path work for this summer.
• Consideration of an Ordinance to lower the speed limit along Trail Creek Road  to Boundary Campground from 45 mph to 35 mph.
• Purchase of a wildland fire support vehicle from the BLM.
• Planning and Zoning Commission Appointment.

To see the full agenda and Council packet for the 4-17-08 meeting click here.

You can always see the full Council schedule and additional information at my website.

Congratulations – Castle Rock Fire Community – Idaho’s Brightest Star

Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and First Lady Lori Otter, on Thursday, March 27th recognized the 2008 Idaho “Brightest Stars” nominees in a ceremony in Boise. Over 100 nominations from around the state were made in the following categories: Individual, Youth, School, Organization, Small Business, Corporation, and Community. These Idaho “Brightest Stars” were all acknowledged for their outstanding volunteerism and service to others.

The Governor’s Brightest Star Awards program was established in 2001 to promote volunteerism that positively impacted citizens working on behalf of Idaho’s families and children. It was designed to affirm and encourage active civic engagement by citizens of all ages and focuses specifically on volunteerism. The program is now under the direction of Serve Idaho, the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism.

Among the three nominations in the “Community” category was our very own Wood River Valley community. The “Castle Rock Fire Community” was a grand prize award winner, receiving the First Lady’s Choice Brightest Star Award.

 

First Lady Lori Otter, in presenting the award, recited these words prepared by Cindy Jesinger in the nomination about our community. The First Lady added that she was very impressed with the volunteerism in the community while visiting during the fire:

“The Wood River Valley Community provided for food, shelter and safety during the Castle Rock Fire. 700 people volunteered shelter for evacuated families, food, animal care for small pets and large animals, automobile/RV/boat parking spaces, food for Command Center volunteers, coats, sunglasses and massages for firefighters, storage of valuables, and support of the Wildland Firefighters Fund. The Castle Rock Fire Community in Blaine County created a national model of volunteerism during disasters. From individuals answering telephones; to teams walking neighborhoods preparing residents for evacuation; to restaurants providing food for members of the Incident Command. Residents united to support efforts so save their community. Local, state and federal elected officials rallied to support and join the efforts of local residents. Thanks to all who helped during the time of need.”

From my personal experience during the fire, I can confirm this community redefined the term “volunteerism.” Every person, whether a full-time resident, second-homeowner, occasional tourist, business owner, you name it, stepped up to the plate to make the effort a success. The responses I received from down the street or from the other side of the world to my fire reports on this blog were heartwarming. So many offered to help in countless ways and fortunately we were able to take them up on those offers. Even those working on various aspects of the fire because it was their job went way beyond the call of duty and volunteered countless hours of personal time to the community. It shows the deep love everyone shares for our community.  

Blaine County Disaster Services Director, Charles Turner, led a group of valley residents to Boise to represent the 700+ volunteers who earned the Brightest Star Award. Chuck and Cindy Jesinger, who nominated the community for the Award, were congratulated by Governor Otter during the ceremony.

Earlier in the day, the contingent from Blaine County had its picture taken with the Governor and First Lady.

To see some of the volunteers in action, you can click here to view my slide show from the Castle Rock Fire.

Technology and the Environment

To kick off the New Year, I was thinking today about how we could do some positive things in the City of Sun Valley to improve our environmental image in the resort world. Right or wrong in the grading, the poor ranking the Sun Valley Resort has received the past two years from the Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition has probably not helped the tourism business for the valley from the growing number of environmentally conscious travelers which we so heavily depend on in this highly competitive business.

The Sun Valley City Council began 2007 by passing a Resolution adopting the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. That was a big step for our City, but the remainder of the year showed little follow through. Our neighbor Hailey was very successful in preparing and implementing a climate protection plan as this story by Gary Stivers at SunValleyOnline shows. I am hoping Hailey’s leadership will rub off on us and others.

Our local economy is significantly tied to the climate – both in the winter and summer. The warmer it gets, the shorter the ski seasons are becoming, and the larger the forest fires are becoming, the harder they are to fight and the longer they last. Both have already had impacts on our tourist visits. Our major competitors are taking significant strides to do something about protecting the climate (see Vail, Aspen, Park City, Jackson Hole). Even the little ski area in Montana where I learned to ski as a kid, Lost Trail Powder Mountain, runs its operations on biodiesel. Our neighbor to the south, Nevada and in particular the tourist mecca of Las Vegas has been finding out that clean energy and sustainable development pays off as well, especially in down real estate markets, as this story tells. It’s time for action in Sun Valley, not more studies, talk, finger crossing, wishful thinking or denial.

Being involved in various technology businesses, I thought about the marriage of tech and the environment. In my research I came across a website/blog called “EcoGeek.” They have a great site with ideas, insight and links to a resource of practical information. As they say, “EcoGeek devotes its pages to exploring the symbiosis between nature and technology.”

A story EcoGeek did the other day titled “7 Technologies that will Save the Earth in 2008” caught my attention. It has some very practical ideas and thoughts that can help improve our lives while also making sure that we don’t mess up the Earth at the same time. Give it a look.

Hopefully, the City of Sun Valley has the political will necessary to do the right things to make certain our local economy is strong long into the future by ensuring that our environment is also strong.