by LaStar Matthews and Lesley-Ann Rennie

Members of the Small Cities Council (SCC) Steering Committee celebrated Small Cities and Towns Day and discussed best practices and NLC membership during the group?s meeting in Colorado.

The meeting was held in conjunction with the National League of Cities? Forum on Local Economic Vitality in Denver. On the final day of the meeting, the SCC members toured Estes Park, Colo., the hometown of this year?s SCC chair Lori Jeffrey-Clark, a town trustee, and celebrated the accomplishments and successes of America?s small cities and towns by highlighting the importance of local partnerships with other levels of government and nonprofit organizations that strengthen small communities.

The celebration of National Small Cities and Towns Day in Estes Park was a special event with participation by local, state and federal officials.

Jeffrey-Clark presided over the event and Sue Doylen, mayor pro tem of Estes Park, read a proclamation on Small Cities and Towns Day on behalf of the City of Estes Park. Other town trustees attended as well as a state legislator from the region.

Betsy Markey, regional director for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.) welcomed the group and brought a message from the senator.

?I applaud your efforts to focus on creating jobs, building homes, and starting businesses to maintain and revitalize our communities,? stated the message from Salazer. ?I also share your strong support of programs such as the Community Development Block Grant. I have heard from government officials and businesses across our state about the positive impact this program has had on Colorado communities, and agree we need to ensure that it can continue to serve in that role.?

NLC First Vice President James Hunt, councilmember from Clarksburg, W.Va., participated in the celebration of National Small Cities and Towns Day. He urged the council to champion a cause and begin to make that happen in their communities.

While in Estes Park, participants toured the Good Samaritan Village and Talon?s Point, an affordable housing project of the Estes Park Housing Authority.  Built with funding from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, Talon?s Point showcases the importance of maintaining the CDBG program. 

Committee members shared details about their cities? best practices and provided NLC staff with written descriptions of these programs to compile and share with the full Small Cities Council and to incorporate into NLC?s Examples of Programs for Cities Database.

One responsibility of NLC member councils, including the Small Cities Council, is to assist with NLC membership promotion. Committee members provided excellent suggestions on how NLC should develop membership campaigns targeted to small cities.

Examples of small-city programs and partnerships with other groups in the areas of youth, education and families were provided to NLC staff who are gathering information about and resources to support local efforts on behalf of children, youth, and families in their communities. Additionally, the committee reviewed and suggested changes to definitions of different types of cities that had been developed as a part of the NLC CityFutures Community and Regional Development Panel?s work on building quality communities.

Throughout the meeting Jeffrey-Clark emphasized the importance of small communities and the role they play in America?s society.

?We thought it appropriate to show examples of how the economic vitality of a community coincides with partnerships between city, private and agency operations to enhance the quality of life,? she said.