Business View Magazine | February 2019

295 sustainable business practices at no cost to the business. “Twenty-six percent of the Longmont population is Latino-Hispanic, so our programs, seminars and resources will be bilingual to give every- one access to information on how to become a sustainable business,” Economic Sustainability Specialist, Berenice Garcia Tellez explains. “We work closely with the Longmont Chamber of Commerce, Boulder County’s Partners for a Clean Environment, and Longmont Power & Commu- nications. These partners offer many resources for businesses, including training and efficiency rebates, and they give back to the community as well.We love that. According to my research, we will be the first city in the country to implement social and economic measures in its Sustain- able Business Program, some of which include incentivizing volunteerism and local sourcing of supply materials. Green business programs often focus solely on the environmental aspect.” The Program will have three levels of recogni- tion: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. All recipients will receive public recognition by the Longmont City Council, a highlight in a press release, and an invitation to a special celebration where awards will be given to the top three businesses of the year. “We want to target small businesses first, because that equity piece is important,” Tellez adds.We also want to invite key sectors in the area, including breweries, restaurants, landscap- ing, construction, and manufacturing, so we have all the angles covered and can assess whether