COMPANY NEWS

SERA/CORONA/INTERMOUNTAIN TEAM ENLISTED TO ASSIST FORT COLLINS RECYCLING INITIATIVE

FORT COLLINS, CO (Oct. 24, 2005):  The City of Fort Collins has hired a Colorado-based consulting team to help it accomplish an ambitious goal of diverting into recycling programs half the garbage that presently ends up in area landfills.  The 50 percent target was adopted by the City Council in 1999 as part of a larger effort to improve the City’s solid waste management.

“The Council established a two-stage goal: to achieve 35 percent diversion by 2004 and 50 percent diversion by 2010,” explained project manager Susie Gordon, Senior Environmental Planner in the Fort Collins Natural Resources Department.  “An inventory in January 2005 showed we are within a range of success for the first phase goal, depending on the types of waste being measured.  The plan for the next five years is to further refine our measurement methods and select the strategies we need to achieve the 50 percent goal.  I believe we have brought on board the talented and experienced team of consultants that we need to get there.”
 
The project team is lead by Lisa Skumatz, principal of Skumatz Economic Research Associates, Inc. (SERA).  Established in 1990 and headquartered in Superior, SERA is a research and consulting firm specializing in helping utilities, municipalities, counties and other clients develop effective programs and strategies for energy, environmental and solid waste management.  Under Skumatz’s guidance, SERA has developed measuring and reporting methods for monitoring progress in waste diversion programs for the cities of Superior and Boulder, as well as for Boulder County and dozens of other cities and counties nationwide.

Denver-based Corona Research, the leading market and demographic research and strategic planning firm in the Rocky Mountain region, will help guide SERA’s efforts by conducting a statistically-valid public opinion survey to assess citizens’ willingness to support various recycling measures.  According to Corona president and founder and Fort Collins project team member Kevin Raines, more than half of the firm’s “end use” clients are governmental agencies.  Among the local entities Corona has worked for are Adams and Delta counties, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Colorado Department of Transportation and Denver Public Schools.

In addition to surveying the public, the City will make a concerted effort to solicit comment and participation in the project from not only citizens but also other stakeholders, including the Fort Collins business community, waste haulers and environmental groups.  The stakeholder involvement initiatives will be managed by Drew Kramer of InterMountain Corporate Affairs.  A strategic communications firm based in Denver, InterMountain has extensive expertise in designing and conducting public forums for the thoughtful exchange of ideas regarding complex public policy issues.  InterMountain has organized public and stakeholder meetings for several major transportation, environmental and economic development projects in Colorado.

Gordon noted that, in addition to their other experience, all three member firms on the project team bring to the table a first-hand understanding of the dynamics and sensibilities of Fort Collins.  SERA consulted with the City on the first phase of the waste diversion initiative, Corona conducted research for the City as it considered new ordinance related to housing occupation and InterMountain has directed public and stakeholder outreach and marketing efforts for the City’s effort to reduce truck traffic through downtown.

“We are excited to be moving ahead and look forward to engaging the citizens and businesses of Fort Collins in this important endeavor,” said Gordon.

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