A project started by two Ivins residents in January to improve, preserve, and protect the night sky over Ivins and get the City officially designated as a Dark Sky Community has grown quickly. Now, barely two months later, the Ivins Night Sky Initiative is a Utah nonprofit corporation, has a four-person board of directors, ten volunteers, four technical advisors, and some funding to sponsor community events and selected night sky friendly retrofit demonstration projects.
City Council Acts
And they are already getting results. At the last Ivins City Council meeting, the Council agreed to review the draft outdoor lighting ordinance submitted by the Initiative and pursue designation from the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) as a Dark Sky Community.
Adam Dalton, the Dark Sky Places Program Manager at IDA, commented that, “Things are moving really quickly. It is fantastic to see the progress the Initiative is making; their passion and organization skills are clearly evident.”
The Initiative’s 40-page draft ordinance will now go to the City’s Technical Review Committee (TRC) before heading to the Planning Commission and public hearings. The Initiative’s Technical Committee is working on several research reports to help the TRC evaluate the proposed ordinance.
Mike Scott, the Initiative’s president, said, “The draft not only includes requirements set out by the IDA, it also incorporates a number of best practice additions we discovered while reviewing about a dozen other ordinances passed in the past few years by other communities, mostly in the Southwest.”
Students to be Honored this Week
As for community outreach, the Initiative recently sponsored a student art contest at Vista School, with awards for the best interpretation of the night sky over Ivins. The Mayor and City Council invited the five winners to its next meeting this Thursday, March 21st to formally honor the students for their vision and interest in the night sky. Their artwork is currently on display at City Hall.
But Wait… There’s More Coming
That’s just the beginning according to Patty Dupre, a founding director of the Initiative. She says, “Our new Events Committee is working on two exciting events for April, and more after that. We will post information about the April events on our website at IvinsNightSky.org next week.”
We can use your help in two ways
First, tell us you support our efforts. Here’s why this is important.
Second, join us. We need help and expertise on organizing events and conducting research on outdoor lighting issues important to Ivins. To learn more about getting involved, either a little or a lot, contact us.