Mayor Blum to speak to House committee

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum will be in Washington, D.C., Wednesday to discuss the city’s efforts in helping small businesses become more energy efficient at a hearing of the House of Representatives Small Business Committee.

Mayor Blum will focus on how Santa Barbara is encouraging small businesses to explore renewable energy and will offer suggestions on how the federal government can help.
Mayor Blum told the Daily Sound she will give an overview of Santa Barbara’s sustainability program and will suggest starting an energy block grant program that will allow cities to distribute federal grants to local businesses to help with energy efficient projects, such as installing solar panels or retrofitting buildings to reduce their carbon footprint.
The mayor will also talk about the city’s fleet of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles, Green Building Policy and solar installations planned for city buildings, among other climate protection strategies. A few weeks ago, Santa Barbara received honors from the U.S. Conference of Mayors as one of the five “greenest” small cities in the country, Mayor Blum said, which drew the attention of the House committee.
Also slated to speak at the hearing are mayors from Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C.