Community Outreach and Empowerment

[James Lopez]

So, one of the things that I think Fort Collins focus should be is
more community outreach about Green Jobs and Green Employment. Even
though we have started to determine our stakeholders as green
employers...and stuff, but I really feel that the outreach about
programs and projects should be open to the whole community. Going
back to Berkeley's Climate Action Plan, there main focus is changing
their Green plan into a community centered "movement."

2 policies that I think Fort Collins should adopt is
1. A Stakeholders Databases. Design a climate action “stakeholder
database” that identifies the
many stakeholders that are playing or will play a role in implementing
local climate protection strategies. Essentially serving as a contacts
management database, the application will be searchable and
include given stakeholders’ contact information and areas of focus
or expertise (e.g., green jobs development, energy services,
recycling,
economic development, etc.). The main goal of the database
is to enable the efficient distribution of information and resources
to
a wide range of entities. For example, the database could be queried
to consolidate the contact information of organizations that have
expertise in water resource management. Such information would
be useful when designing a community outreach effort to conserve
water. The City will take the lead on developing the database, with
the goal of eventually making it available on-line so as to be
utilized
by the broader community.

2. Launch a Coordinated Outreach and Education Campaign program
-Create a public information program, so weekly workshops for
community and businesses
-Partnering with local radio and newspapers to create saliency of
green issues
-Educate Berkeley residents and employees about the significant
environmental
impact of air travel and about potential travel-mode alternatives.

These coordinated outreach programs would benefit because it would
allow green business employers AND employees to meet together and be
able to discuss issues and be on the same page about what it means to
be a "green business" this will also help to relay opportunities and
benefits of green employment.

Fort Collins does already implement their Business Environmental
program which relates a lot of information, but I feel that the idea
of Green Jobs needs to become a "movement" dominated ideology and move
away from cost/benefit analysis like it is right now. Check out the
different seminars that they are having. I think they are great, but
are limited in availability to the public and businesses. It needs to
be expanded.

Would anyone want to attend the event on the 16th titled Rx for an
Efficient Business? I think this will be very beneficial for our
project and where Fort Collins Green jobs should be going.

http://www.fcgov.com/news/index.php?id=3415