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City Showcase Highlights Successful City Programs
by Larry Foxman
 This is the first part of a series about cities featured during the City Showcase at the Congress of Cities in New Orleans. More City Showcase participants will be featured in an upcoming issue of Nation’s Cities Weekly.
Participants at the 2007 Congress of Cities in New Orleans had the opportunity to learn about unique city programs from across the country through the City Showcase Visitors to the City Showcase were able to talk one-on-one with city representatives to learn and share knowledge about the programs and ideas being displayed. Also included in the City Showcase were seven of the eight winning cities of the NLC Awards for Municipal Excellence.
Each of the cities chosen to participate in the City Showcase demonstrated successful program development in a variety of areas of interest to elected officials and city staff. More city programs will be presented at the 2008 City Showcase at the Congress of Cities in Orlando, Fla.
The following is a partial list of City Showcase participants with descriptions; the rest will be presented in a future issue of Nation’s Cities Weekly.
Alternative Energy
The Iris Glen Landfill Gas to Energy Project in Johnson City, Tenn., is a unique public-private partnership that was developed to convert landfill gas into viable, high British Thermal Unit (BTU) gas that provides power for a hospital, a college of medicine, a college of pharmacy and a convention center, resulting in the removal of 8,337 tons of methane gas and 20,617 tons of carbon dioxide from the environment each year. The project combines technology to convert methane to high BTU gas with a revenue-sharing model based on private market forces through the use of the New York Mercantile Exchange gas pricing market index. The project required no up-front costs from local government, and the city expects revenues of $500,000 increasing at 5 percent annually for a minimum of 19 years. Contact Phil Pindzola at (423) 434-6080 or Pindzola@johnsoncitytn.org.
The City of Portland, Ore., is the first city in the country with a local Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Approved by the City Council in 2006, the citywide RFS requires a minimum of 5 percent blend of biodiesel and 10 percent ethanol for all vehicle fuel sold within city limits. To encourage biofuel production, they city of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development created the Biofuels Investment Fund, a grant program to help transform transportation fuels and home heating oil markets by making high blends of biofuels readily available in Portland. Grant amounts range from $40,000 to $200,000. A complimentary, but separate, grant program is available to help retailers and fleets with infrastructure costs of installing, retrofitting and cleaning fueling equipment to offer the biofuel directly to end users. Contact Anne Hill at (503) 823-4807 or hilla@ci.portland.or.us.
Arts and Entertainment
Aurora, Colorado’s Art in Public Places makes it possible for local and national artists to enhance Aurora’s public spaces with art ranging from outdoor sculptures and murals to functional works integrated into architecture. Valued at more than $2 million, the public art collection has become a cornerstone of community identity. The program is funded by a 1993 ordinance requiring 1 percent of construction projects over $100,000 to be used for public art. Each project has an art selection panel made up of community members, commission members, artists, visual arts professionals, architects and a city council member. Contact Lori MacKenzie at (303) 739-7569 or lmackenz@auroragov.org.
The Festival of the Arts in Farmington Hills, Mich., is a week-long series of events that culminates in a free family festival showcasing the arts in the city and their value to economic development and education. The festival is facilitated by city staff and volunteers and funded through in-kind donations, earned revenue, shared costs and sponsorships. A large portion of the food, wine and other supplies are donated by local businesses. The festival features displays by more than 30 community organizations, artists clubs, professional artists and art students. As a result of community appreciation of the arts festival, the Cultural Arts Division has become the fastest growing division within the city’s Special Services Department. Contact Nancy Coumoundourous at (248) 473-1856 or ncoumoundouros@fhgov.com.
Brownfield Redevelopment
Camden, Arkansas’ Adams Avenue Redevelopment is a brownfield initiative that revitalized a dilapidated, crime-ridden area back into productive reuse for economic and business growth and recreation. The city, through partnerships with several federal and state agencies, received more than $2 million in grant funds to purchase, clean-up and rebuild the area, turning it into a thriving business and technology center. In addition, the Ouachita Riverfront was developed into a recreational area with a riverwalk and marina. The latest component to Camden’s brownfield program is the addition of a Brownfield Remediation Technician training program funded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield Job Training grant program and in partnership with Southern Arkansas University Tech. Contact Mayor Chris Claybaker at (870) 836-6436 or mayor.camden@cablelynx.com.
The City of Marion, Indiana’s Splash House at Junction Park is a result of redevelopment of an 11-acre environmentally contaminated manufacturing site in the heart of the community. The city was responsible for assisting in receiving state tax credits and issuing a park bond to plan, bid and construct the aquatic center. Previously housing a 400,000 square-foot abandoned manufacturing facility, the new, modern aquatic facility services all of Grant County and much of East Central Indiana. The facility includes a full service bath house, concession and eating area, zero entry pool, lazy river, small children water play feature and multiple water slides. Contact Jay Julian at (765) 668-4404 or jjulian@marionindiana.us.
Community Development and Outreach
The Community Outreach Program in Mountain View, Calif., provides information on city services in four different languages — English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian — particularly to those individuals who might not be reached through the city’s traditional communication methods. Information is provided on city services, city events and housing and mediation services. The program utilizes phone calls, event outreach, school outreach, non-profit and church outreach and translation/interpretation services. Community Outreach staff also work with the fire department to provide Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) in Spanish. Contact Nadine Levin at (650) 903-6301 or nadine.levin@mountainview.gov.
The Elm City Immigration Project is a collaborative between the City of New Haven, Conn., faith-based organizations, financial and educational institutions and community members to respond to the needs of the rapidly growing immigrant population. In order to strengthen the relationships between the immigrant communities and the city, and to improve public safety, the project has worked to implement the following initiatives: creation of a multi-purpose municipal identification card for all residents, establishment of an Office of New Residents, prohibition of the police department to inquire about immigration status, collaborations to improve immigrant crime reporting and relations with law enforcement, facilitating access to financial institutions and services and translation of city documents into Spanish. Contact Kica Matos at (203) 946-7907 or kmatos@newhavenct.net.
The Neighborhood Improvement Team in Pittsburg, Calif., was created as a means to establish partnerships between the city and its citizens in order to identify priority issues and apply existing city assets to develop programs and projects that achieve permanent, long lasting positive change within targeted neighborhoods. The mission and goals of the program are defined as “Pittsburg CARES”: Community, Action, Rehabilitation, Education, and Support. From neighborhood clean-ups to free paint and street tree programs, the initiative has increased citizen responsibility, enhanced neighborhood pride and improved community relations and involvement throughout the city. The team’s real success came from listening to residents, interdepartmental cooperation and expending all city funding sources in a more effective manner. Contact John Fuller at (925) 252-4003 or jfuller@ci.pittsburg.ca.us.
In San Antonio, the Family Economic Success Program moved low- and moderate-income taxpayers away from paid tax preparers and high interest rate Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs). The Department of Community Initiatives worked with the San Antonio City Employees Federal Credit Union to offer a “zero interest rate” alternative refund anticipation loan to EITC recipients, issuing more total loans in excess of $2.8 million and saving these taxpayers an average of $138 each in loan fees, and a combined average of more than $300 in RAL and tax preparation fees. More than 1,100 interest-free loans were issued with a combined value of over $2.8 million. Through the process nearly 200 taxpayers were also able to open their first bank account. Contact Dennis Campa at (210) 207-7209 or dennis.campa@sanantonio.gov.
Selma, Alabama’s TRUSTBuild (Teaming to Restore Unity, Safety, and Trust) is a community development and outreach strategy designed to build trust between citizens and the city government. The program consists of two phases — Neighborhood Sweeps and Community Outreach. In phase I, neighborhood sweeps were implemented as a tool to correct deficiencies within city departments that provided services to the community, and to identify code violations and nuisances within the community. In phase II, community outreach liaisons and police officers visit citizens in homes and neighborhoods, informing and educating through personal conversations and distribution of information. This interaction helps strengthen community policing and helps connect families to community and city services. Contact Sherri James at (334) 874-5680 or selmamayorasst@charterinternet.com.
Economic Development
Utilizing community partnerships between the City of Palm Bay, Fla., other government agencies, non profit entities and private industry, the Affiliate Membership Technical Assistance Program (AMTAP) offers an 11-month program of seminars to new and existing small business owners that gives them the chance to obtain knowledge and skills that are vital to long-term success. The AMTAP program consists of 40 weekly seminars presented by a variety of speakers, monthly workshops and quarterly roundtable meetings. In its first two years of operation, the AMTAP program has worked with approximately 41 start-up and small businesses. Contact Bill Pehaim at (321) 952-3426 or pehaib@palmbayflorida.org.
Once a farming community settled in 1845, Tinley Park, Ill., is today a community with a broad tax base supported by diverse manufacturing, health care, office, education, distribution, retail, service, transportation, communication, entertainment and hospitality industries. It also boasts one of the lowest property tax rates in the region and one of the best credit ratings in the nation. This change in community came as a result of an aggressive Sustainable Economic Plan for Success originating in 1971, and funded through municipal general revenues. In addition to attracting new and diverse corporate and industry businesses, Tinley Park promotes itself with an award-winning website to market its economic development vitality. Contact Ivan Baker at (708) 444-5030 or ibaker@tinleypark.org.
Environment and Infrastructure
Kansas City, Mo., instituted the Capital Improvements Management Office (CIMO) as a public-private partnership designed to revitalize the city’s lagging infrastructure improvement processes by accelerating the delivery of capital projects throughout the city and re-engineer organizational processes to procure professional and construction services. Initially charged with eliminated a $240 million backlog of projects, the CIMO program quickly expanded to handling more than $1.2 billion in projects at all levels of city government. By the completion of its second year in existence (2006) the office had implemented 100 new projects, completed work on 200 projects, and cut the time from bidding to project starting in half. Contact Sean Demory at (816) 513-0069 or sean-demory@kcmo.org.
Lenexa, Kansas’ Rain to Recreation Program treats stormwater as a community asset, rather than a problem. The program is an environmentally sound approach that balances flood control needs and federal regulatory requirements with citizens’ desire for recreational opportunities and preservation of the natural environment. The goals of the program are to reduce flooding, protect water quality and the environment, and provide new recreational and educational opportunities. A citizen driven initiative, the program was funded by a small sales tax, stormwater utility fee and a capital development charge. Using natural land features to slowly move water through the system, the water quality is improved through the land and native vegetation, eventually being retained in several new recreational creeks and lakes. Contact Michael Beezhold at (913) 477-7680 or mbeezhold@ci.lenexa.ks.us.
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