NLC wishes to congratulate the 2006 Awards for Municipal Excellence finalists. The awards are sponsored by NLC and CH2M HILL, a corporate partner of NLC.

These nominees were chosen for their outstanding programs that have improved the quality of life in their communities. The winners of the awards will be announced at the Congress of Cities and Exposition, to be held Dec. 5-9 in Reno, Nev.

The finalists of the awards are listed below. For more information on the awards or to register for the Congress of Cities, go to www.nlc.org.

Population Under 50,000
Ada OK  Explore Ada

Addison TX Addison Arbor Foundation?s Comprehensive Street Tree Planting and Management Master Plan program

Addison TX  Making Community Service A Team Effort

Apple Valley MN  High Performance Partnerships (HiPP) Project

Avalon NJ Avalon School-Library Project: Center for Culture and Intellectual Recreation

Bedford OH  Broadway Avenue Streetscape Program

Bell Gardens CA  Bell Gardens Sports Center

Belton TX  T.B. Harris Community Center Project

Bonney Lake WA  Beautify Bonney Lake

Chambersburg PA  Orchard Park Power Station

Clinton TN  Mayor?s Commission on Clinton?s 21st Century Riverfront

Daphne AL  Emergency Information Website ? In the Eye of the Storm

Dublin OH  Bed Tax ? An Investment in the Community

Dublin OH  Tara Hill Traffic Calming Task Force

Duluth GA  Duluth Fall Festival

Duncanville TX  Main Station: Revitalizing through New Urbanism

Dunedin FL  Dunedin Middle School Co-Location Project

El Centro CA A Cooperative Solution to Emergency Communications Problems

Elmhurst IL  City?s Intergovernmental Agreement Benefits Community

Enfield CT  Road 2000 Program

Enterprise AL  Children?s Festival in the Park

Erlanger KY  Tiered Advanced Life Support System for Emergency Medical Services

Fairhope AL  Committee on Public Art (COPA)

Fitzgerald GA  Fitzgerald Redevelopment Program

Franklinton LA  1 Percent Sales Tax Project

Glasgow KY  Liberty Street School Campus

Glasgow KY  Plaza Theatre Restoration and Renovation Project

Greenbelt MD  Greenbelt Assistance In Living Program

Hattiesburg MS  Hattiesburg Depot Renovation

Jackson MI  Jackson Fire Department Automatic Mutual Aid

Jackson MI Partnership Park ? Neighborhood Revitalization Program

Junction City KS  Discovery Days

Lafayette CO  Comprehensive Juvenile Safety Program

Lauderdale Lakes FL  Citizens Master Plan

Lewiston ME  Lewiston Youth Advisory Council

Lexington SC Partnership, Accountability, Customer Service, Teamwork (PACT): Building Effective Public/Private Partnerships in Rural South Carolina

Littleton CO  Greater Littleton Youth Initiative

Maumee OH  Arts and Athletics

Maumee OH  Cooperation for Dollars ? The Dana Project

Mission KS  East Gateway Redevelopment Plan

Monroe NC  Community Bulletin Board

Morganton NC  Catawba Meadows Sports Complex

Natchitoches LA  Community Oriented Police Station (C.O.P. Station)

New Hope MN  Making a Hat Trick

New Ulm MN  New Ulm Sales Tax Referendum Projects

Newark DE  Downtown Newark Partnership

Newton NC  Working Together:  Regional Water Partnership Benefits Thousands

Ozark AL  Preserving Our Past, One Project at a Time

Park City UT  Park City Ice Arena

Park City UT Resolving Historic Mine Legacies with an Environmental Management System

Pepper Pike OH  Pepper Pike Disaster Preparedness Course

Pinellas Park FL Advance Pinellas Park through Local-Government Excellence (APPLE)

Pocomoke City MD  Community Youth Programs

Sanford FL  Goldsboro Front Porch Initiative

Scarborough ME  Land for Scarborough?s Future

Sedona AZ Highway 179 Public Outreach Program

Shaker Heights OH  Certified Shaker: Encouraging Reinvestment in Rental Housing

Solebury PA Solebury Township Land Preservation Program

Spring Lake NC Spring Lake Multipurpose Community Center ? A Catalyst for Community Change

St. Charles IL Supervisory Modules In Leadership Excellence (SMILE) Program

St. Louis Park MN  Appreciative Inquiry Community Visioning Process

Stuart FL  Haney Creek Watershed Protection and Improvement Program

Tualatin OR  Tualatin Heritage Center

Tukwila WA    Salmon Habitat Plan for the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed

Valparaiso IN  Fit City Valparaiso

Waycross GA  Hazzard Hill Revitalization

Webster TX  The Power of Public/Private Partnerships: City of Webster, Texas, and Cherokee Investment Partners Join Forces to Remediate and Redevelop Unsightly Brownfield into Vibrant, Mixed-Use Destination

West Hollywood CA  Russian Advisory Board

Westerville OH  Citizens Police/Fire Academy ? Alumni Volunteer Program

Westlake OH  Fit for Life: Starting Kids Out on the Right Foot

Winchester VA  Office of Housing and Community Development

Winchester VA  Our Health Inc.

Woodridge IL  Latino Outreach Program

Population 50,001 to 150,000

Alhambra CA Summer Jubilee Helps Promote Downtown Alhambra?s Renaissance

Apple Valley CA  Apple Valley Road Traffic Safety (AVRTS) Program

Asheville NC  Cultural Renaissance Arts Program

Avondale AZ  Healthy Avondale 2010

Avondale AZ  Video Initial Appearance System

Beaverton OR  Beaverton Central Plant

Bellevue WA  Cascade Water Alliance

Boca Raton FL  I Prevent Crime Campaign

Broken Arrow OK Shared Leadership: The Broken Arrow Police Department Leadership Team

Bryan TX  A Community of Respect

Carmel IN Rapidly Growing City of Carmel Takes High-Tech Approach to Wastewater Treatment

Carmel IN Saving Time, Money and the Environment with  Roundabouts in Carmel

Carson CA  Youth Conference 2006

Cary NC  The Town of Cary and North Carolina State University Study Fats, Roots, Oils, Greases (F.R.O.G.):A Partnership

Cathedral City CA Neighborhood Assessment District Funded Sewer and Street Improvements

Coral Springs FL  Phase I of Downtown Coral Springs ? One Charter Place

Cuyahoga Falls OH  Doodlebug Memorial Garden Site

Dubuque IA  Housing Education and Rehabilitation Training (HEART) Project

Farmington Hills MI  New Fire Station/Jon Grant Community Center City   State Project Title

Fayetteville AR  Pay-As-You-Throw Trash Program

Fayetteville NC  Linear Park

Flagstaff AZ  Bicycle Motocross Freestyle Facility, the Basin

Greenville SC  Falls Park on the Reedy

Greenville SC  West End Development

Hartford CT  Keeping Hartford Clean: A Cornerstone to Quality of Life

Hollywood FL  Economic Development Roundtable

Hollywood FL  Summer Youth Program

Independence MO  Independence Citizen Corps Program

Largo FL  Employee Relations and Diversity Committee

Lauderhill FL  City of Lauderhill Hurricane Preparation Program 

Lawton OK  City Wide Sewer Rehabilitation Program

Lee?s Summit MO  Lee?s Summit Parks & Recreation Board and the R7 School District

Livermore CA  Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center: A Partnership Between the California Cities of Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin and San Ramon, and the Town of Danville

Longmont CO  Focus on Longmont

Medford OR Lone Pine Creek Pedestrian Pathway/Developer Agreement Process

North Richland Hills TX  Neighborhood Initiative Program

Palm Bay FL  Neighborhood Clean Up Blitz
Palm Bay FL  Small Business Incubator Technical Assistance Program

Palmdale CA  The Aerospace Education, Research and Operations Institute  (AERO Institute)

Pasadena CA  Vi?a Vieja Park

Port Orange FL Florida Coalition Katrina Relief Mission

Portsmouth VA Portsmouth Online Legislative Information Tracking and Intergovernmental Communications System (POLITICS)

Richmond CA  Turning Rust Into Rosie

Rochester MN  Water Quality Protection Program

Skokie IL  Future Focused ? The Opportunity of a Generation

South Bend IN  Adopt-A-Block

Southfield MI  Miracle League of Southfield

Southfield MI  Oakland County Urban Search & Rescue

Sparks NV  Leisure Without Limits

Spokane Valley WA  CenterPlace

Sunnyvale CA  Truancy Abatement Program

Thousand Oaks CA  Hill Canyon Wetlands Creation Project

Torrance CA  Torrance Green Team

Torrance CA  Torrance Treehouse

Waco TX  Lot Sales Program

West Palm Beach FL  Promote Yourself First Program

Westminster CO  The Promenade

Population 150,001 to 500,000
Arlington TX CityNet

Arlington TX Foundation Communities? Shadow Brook Affordable Housing and Tax Center

Aurora CO  Asian/Pacific Partnership

Aurora CO  Home of Our Own

Birmingham AL  Mayor?s Office Division of Youth Services Streamline Process

Chula Vista CA  Chula Vista Bullying Prevention Program

Colorado Springs CO  Community Action Team

Fort Lauderdale FL  Club Carter and Reaching Our Kids Now (ROKN)  Project

Fremont CA A Perfectly Cultured Environment to Grow Your Biotech Company

Fremont CA  Fremont Oak Gardens

Glendale AZ  Grand Avenue Marketing Plan ? All Part of the Grand Plan

Greensboro NC  A Working Partnership: Greensboro Beautiful Inc.

Huntsville AL  Litter Awareness Campaign: 53-CLEAN

Irvine CA  Community Energy Partnership

Lexington KY  The Live Where You Work Program

Long Beach CA Code Enforcement: Communication + Coordination = Compliance

Long Beach CA  Renaissance Square

Oakland CA  Neighborhood Law Corps

Orlando FL  University of Central Florida?s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy

Oxnard CA  Mobile Satellite City Hall

Oxnard CA  South Oxnard Public Library Xeriscape Demonstration Garden

Pembroke Pines FL  Affordable Rental Housing & Support Services for Senior Citizens

Pembroke Pines  FL  Forman Human Services Campus Redevelopment

Raleigh NC Corporate Leisure Services? Blurring the Line Between Work and Play

Raleigh NC  Improving the Process for Parkland Acquisition Using a Geographic Information System

Reno NV  Reno Whitewater Park

Riverside CA  Grease to Gas to Power

Riverside CA  Neighborhood Livability Program

Salt Lake City UT  Salt Lake City Green

Salt Lake City UT  Salt Lake City Restorative Justice Program

Scottsdale AZ  Scottsdale Teens On a Mission for Progress  (STOMP)

Scottsdale AZ Scottsdale?s Revitalization Program: A Commitment to Education, Conservation and Environmental Excellence

St. Louis   MO  Downtown St. Louis Retail Attraction Program

St. Petersburg  FL  Mayor?s Mentors & More

Tallahassee   FL  Multi-Departmental Electronic Development Review Initiative

Tempe AZ  CARE 7 Crisis Response Team

Virginia Beach VA Developing and Sustaining a Culture of Integrity in the Virginia Beach Police Department

Winston-Salem NC  Beyond Soul and Salsa: African-American/Hispanic Relations

Population Over 500,000
Austin TX Austin Energy?s Energy Conservation & GreenChoice Programs

Austin TX  Plug-In Partners

Columbus OH  Quick to Construct Initiative

Chicago IL  Troubled Buildings Initiative

El Paso TX  The Plaza Performing Arts Centre

Indianapolis IN  Fall Creek Place

Las Vegas NV  Arts District Task Force

Las Vegas NV  Neighborhood Indicators System

Los Angeles CA  Los Angeles City Council Video Connection System

Los Angeles CA  Sun Valley Environmental Justice Improvement Area

Louisville KY  Mayor?s Healthy Hometown Movement

Louisville KY  Partnership for a Green City

Milwaukee WI  Department of Public Works Field Headquarters Facility

Milwaukee WI  Financial Literacy

Nashville TN  Metropolitan Parks and Greenways Master Plan

Tucson AZ  Online Auction Program

Tucson AZ  Pennington Street Garage

Washington DC  Strengthening Partners Initiative