Partnership to Address City’s Environmental Challenges
In a unique public/private partnership designed to forge solutions to St. Petersburg’s most critical environmental challenges, Mayor Rick Baker announced that the city, located in northern Florida, will launch the ‘EcoZone,’ program designed to fund important technologies and solutions to measurably improve the local environment in the areas of air, water, energy and greenspace — at no additional cost to taxpayers.
Mayor Rick Baker praised the program by stating that “St. Petersburg is an environmentally green city, and we’ve been one of the frontrunners in programs for sustainable communities. Our city has a history of implementing programs such as yard waste recycling, reclaimed water, land acquisition for green spaces and promoting our CityTrails pedestrian and bike-friendly plans. Through EcoZone, we will build on these programs with a great public/private partnership that will benefit our entire community.”
Paul Polizzotto, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, EcoMedia, added: “We applaud Mayor Baker’s vision and commend him for his commitment to the quality of life in St. Petersburg by joining forces with businesses to launch this EcoZone program. The mission of EcoZone is ‘media with meaning and strategy with substance’ — it is only by offering our cities and states real solutions to overwhelming environmental problems while at the same time connecting them with educated and motivated sponsors that we can afford to keep bringing the additional funding in and execute the messages and solutions.”
The city of St. Petersburg has entered into an agreement with EcoMedia to implement the EcoZone program. EcoMedia is a leading environmental media company that brings together government and industry to forge solutions to pressing environmental problems. The initiative will be funded solely through corporate sponsorships, with half of all EcoZone revenues generated from educational outdoor signage going to fund the city’s pre-determined environmental and clean energy projects in each of the EcoZone’s four signature areas: air, energy, water, and greenspace.
Rick Kriseman said, “Yesterday was my last Council Meeting as a St. Petersburg member of City Council. I can think of no better way to depart my tenure on Council than to introduce and adopt this program for the future of our city and its fragile environment. I would like to thank Paul Polizzotto for bringing forth the EcoZone partnership, the sponsors who will participate, and the Mayor and City Council for their support.”
Under the EcoZone program, educational signage featuring environmental messages will be posted throughout the district. The signage will include EcoZone’s public education messages reminding consumers to recycle, ride-share, turn lights off when not in use and avoid littering, among other eco-friendly tips. In the city of St. Petersburg, there will be EcoZone signs located throughout the city.
Half of the revenues from the EcoZone corporate sponsorships of educational outdoor signage will go directly to a dedicated and audited government account to fund the pre-determined environmental projects selected by the St. Petersburg government. This will help the city comply with Federal environmental regulations, and/or fund new local environmental programs that otherwise would not happen. Cleanup projects can include:
— Storm drain catch basin insert filters that mitigate storm water runoff,
— Hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles for municipal fleets that improve both air quality and energy efficiency,
— Solar paneling on city facilities to provide alternative, cleaner energy,
— Greening projects to convert industrial lots into green space.
EcoZone leverages program sponsorships to fund, produce and administer comprehensive public education and environmental outreach programs, including local cable television and radio public service commercials, grassroots education campaigns, podcasts, mobisodes, branded merchandise, local community events and online media.
EcoZone is an aggressive multi-pronged environmental program whose goal it is to launch nationally in the top 25 major markets by year-end 2007, and the next 25 in the following 12 months. Additional cities and states to be included in a 2006 national rollout of the EcoZone program include: Washington, D.C. (launched June 20, 2006); Miami, FL (June 29, 2006); Sacramento County (launched October 16, 2006); Hermosa Beach; Redondo Beach; Hawthorne; Malibu; Inglewood; Huntington Beach; Baltimore; Westchester County (NY); and Nassau County (NY); among others.
Based in New York City, EcoMedia is a environmental media company dedicated to pioneering market-based media solutions that generate necessary funds and resources to address critical environmental challenges. For more information, log on to: www.ecomedia.us
