ALAMOSA—Alamosa has joined other San Luis Valley groups in deciding to “play nice in the same sandbox,” as Alamosa City Manager Heather Brooks described it.

The Alamosa city council unanimously adopted the SLV Code of Ethics, which began with Upper Rio Grande Economic Development and has now received endorsements from communities, counties, economic development groups and others throughout the San Luis Valley.

“It’s really just how do you play nice in the same sandbox,” Brooks said. “The code of ethics addresses that we are going to work well together.”

For example, if one community is courting a new business, other communities in the San Luis Valley will support that community rather than competing with it, Brooks explained. If one community doesn’t land the new business, it will support other communities who might still be in the running for it, she added.

Basically communities would promise to work together for each other’s economic good and for the good of the Valley as a whole, she explained.

She said the city staff feels this is a very positive step.

She added that the goal is for every community and economic development group to sign off on the SLV Code of Ethics.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Alamosa City Councilor Liz Thomas Hensley. “We have to work together.”
Councilman Ty Coleman added that the SLV Code of Ethics works hand in hand with the Valley branding initiative.

Alamosa Mayor Josef Lucero said he and Councilors Coleman and Michael Stefano as well as Brooks attended the Upper Rio Grande Economic Development’s presentation of the SLV Code of Ethics.
“I totally agree with you, Heather. We all need to play nice in the sandbox we are in,” Lucero said.
Following are the SLV Code of Ethics principles:

• We are committed to the promotion of the San Luis Valley as a desirable business location for new and expanding companies. When representing the SLV, we shall endeavor to sell the “San Luis Valley First” and our individual communities, entities and projects second.
• We shall honor the confidentiality requested by both our fellow SLV partners and our prospects. Information shared with our fellow partners in confidence shall remain in confidence. Transactions are to be driven by the individual town, city, county or EDO. In the event a company chooses to relocate from one community to another, every effort will be made to contact the affected community to let them know of the potential move. Violation of this commitment shall be viewed as the single most serious breach of our Code of Ethics.
• We are committed to the concept of competition for locations and expansions among our individual communities and projects, provided that the prospect has asked for specific proposals or has settled on a specific San Luis Valley location.
• At no time shall any SLV entity solicit a fellow partner’s prospects.
• We are committed to working together with the real estate community and are in no way in direct competition with them. Economic development organizations are a resource and facilitator in the site selection process.
• We are committed to sharing among our partners as much information as is necessary and prudent on any activity undertaken by or in the name of the SLV. Our guiding principle shall be that “more information is better than less.”
• At no time shall any partner of the SLV advertise or promote its respective area to companies within another partner’s geographic area in a manner that is derogatory or insulting to the other geographic area. “Selling against” another SLV partner or direct solicitation of intra-valley relocations, is forbidden.
• We are committed to locating prospects in the San Luis Valley. In the event that our local jurisdictions cannot meet the needs of a particular prospect we shall communicate with our fellow partners in an effort to meet the company’s needs elsewhere in the San Luis Valley.
• Economic development organizations shall hold all site and building information provided to SLV by partner real estate brokerage firms in the strictest confidence. Said information shall not be printed, copied, and shown in any manner to any entity other than prospects or their direct representatives.