CRESTVIEW — An environmental exposition in downtown Crestview will emphasize innovative green technologies and their practical — and money-saving — uses in local homes and businesses.
The expo, a project close to Crestview City Council President Ben Iannucci III, also would display the city's resources and quality of life for potential new technology businesses seeking to locate in the city, he said.
"We're talking (about) vendors coming in that have technology that we've never seen before," Iannucci said. "The catalyst here is jobs, new industry (and) lower taxes because of this.
"It's more than just the community. We're talking about the future for the city of Crestview."
Public Works Director Wayne Steele, who has been working with Iannucci on the expo, said the city's water management consultant, CH2M Hill, has offered expertise and sponsorship in planning the event.
"The staff of CH2M Hill has really enlightened us," Steele said. "There's new technologies out there we have never seen before, such as cars that run off water."
"This is a unique opportunity for the city of Crestview," the company's local manager, Jane Swift, said. "This has the potential to really blow up into something really big. What we're trying to do is gear this toward residents, not just businesses: how to get these things in your home. We're trying to facilitate bringing businesses in here as well as the technology."
To help promote the event, Swift said her company would sponsor a poster design competition among local art students. The winning student's poster would be "key to our advertising," she said.
Iannucci said he hoped to hold the expo on Main Street on Earth Day, April 20, but the annual Spanish Trail Cruisers Club car show also would take place then.
Moving it a week earlier would mean Main Street would host three Saturday events in a row, including the April 6 Triple-B barbecue festival.
That would put a strain on Public Works staff, Steele said.
"I know the Main Street merchants don't like having the streets closed off, especially on Saturday," Councilman Charles Baugh Jr. said. "That would be three consecutive weekends we'd have downtown events that would have some sort of distraction or disruption on Main Street."
Iannucci agreed to move the event to May 4, "but keep it downtown on Main Street. Call it an energy and environmental expo instead of Earth Day," he said.
The council unanimously approved having the event on May 4 following a motion of support by Baugh.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Environmental/economic expo gaining momentum