The Branson Board of Aldermen continues its education series on sustainability Tuesday evening with the sustainability coordinator for the city of Fayetteville, Arkansas making a presentation.

John Coleman is the full-time sustainability coordinator for Fayetteville, which was recently ranked 6th out of 650 "small cities" for sustainable development. The city’s Solid Waste and Recycling Division, for example, installed programmable thermostats and more efficient lighting, reducing its energy bill by 40%. Fayetteville had budgeted $1.9 million for total utility costs in 2007, but the final number came in about $180,000 less than that.

A 2008 Fayetteville Sustainability Summit helped citizens, students and local businesses learn how Fayetteville, its business partners and its corporate citizens are leading the way in sustainable initiatives. Coleman will recap their successes and lessons learned along the way,

The Branson sustainability series with Coleman begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, prior to the regular Board of Aldermen meeting in Council Chambers at City Hall. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Mayor Raeanne Presley and the Board of Aldermen have scheduled Sustainability Education Series before each Board meeting through December 8. The purpose of the series is to educate the Board, city staff and citizens on the meaning of sustainability and how it can be implemented in both public and private sectors.