Time to talk Toga

A group from Minnesota is coming to Saratoga to chat.

The group, Strong Towns, wants to talk about local government and infrastructure, among other things, but it wants to get a clear point across. Strong Towns wants small town USA to rethink the way they fund large infrastructure.

Strong Towns aims to support a model for growth that allows America’s towns to become financially strong and resilient. The way Strong Towns gets its message across is in an on-going nationwide presentation called “Curbside Chat: A candid talk about the future of America’s cities, towns and neighborhoods”.

“It’s a conversation that we have been having with communities around the country,” said Charles Marohn, a speaker for Strong Towns.

Marohn will speak in Saratoga Oct. 8 at two separate times, once at noon and then again at 6 p.m. at the Platte Valley Community Center. Additionally, Marohn is scheduled to hold a workshop meeting at 3 p.m., in which many decision-makers in Carbon County are invited, including Carbon County Commissioners, the Saratoga Town Council and planning and zoning boards.

Marohn said the 3 o’clock meeting is geared toward talking about the “nuts and bolts” of Strong Town’s views, whereas the other two meetings will be for a more formal presentation.

Marohn said he will present hard facts about small towns in a general sense. He said one of the points he wants to get across is that all towns should do things differently.

“We have created one national system, and when it gets down to the local level, it is not adaptable enough,” he said.

The Curbside Chat discussion is funded by a Wyoming Community Foundation Grant through the Sonoran Institute.

Stacy Crimmins, executive director of the Saratoga-Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the chat could be useful to give Saratoga residents and decision makers a new perspective, Crimmins said. She was asked to facilitate the event. Crimmins made council members in each community, Saratoga, Encampment and Riverside, aware of the presentation, she said.

“Anytime we get an opportunity to host somebody that can give us somethings to think about always turns out to be a good experience,” Crimmins said.

Marohn said he started giving talks in 2010 in Minnesota, but more communities in different states began requesting the Curbside Chat presentation.

“We have been all over the country and have had good conversations,” Marohn said.

Marohn said he never presented in Wyoming, but Strong Towns has planned a series of presentations in the state starting Oct. 7 in Lander. Strong Towns will also present Oct. 9 in Laramie and Oct. 10 in Douglas.