VOV groups to tackle energy issues

Voices of the Valley is moving forward by forming working groups designed to take on large issues related to energy development in Carbon County.

“The objective we have for tonight is to begin to form working groups that will take on issues,” said VOV member Jim States in a meeting Thursday.

VOV plans on having four working groups working on four different topics, land use planning and house infrastructure, natural resource value, sustainable economy and interface with government and fiscal impact.

VOV, an organization built around gathering the opinion of the people living in the Valley, generated the four topics of discussion after a presentation in May. In that presentation, two guest speakers from Pinedale shared their personal experiences, having lived through rapid energy development. In that same meeting, VOV representatives gathered questions and categorized them, thus forming reasonable topic areas for residents to work in.

“We have come far enough in this process to realize that there is much more to be done than can be done by a small steering committee and a large group of interested participants who come and go unpredictably,” wrote a VOV representative in the working groups orientation guide.

The organization also realized, to make these groups work, there needed to be guidelines for discussion, States said in the meeting. He also said community members who want to get involved in a working group should put VOV’s agenda, as a facilitator, for the public ahead of their own.

“We have to be clear about what our agendas are and what the organization’s is,” States said.

If you would like to get involved with VOV, join a working group or learn more about the organization and meeting guidelines, call 307-710-8646 or send an email to [email protected].