by Christine Becker

Phoenix will be the site for the 2011 Congress of Cities.

The selection came during the Board of Directors meeting last week in Reno, Nev., in conjunction with the 2006 Congress of Cities.  Phoenix last hosted the conference in 1995, drawing more than 4,000 paid delegates and total attendance of more than 7,000.

Phoenix Councilmembers Claude Maddox, Peggy Neely and Michael Johnson, and City Manager Frank Fairbanks presented the bid. 

Maddox said the city is ?ready and excited about the opportunity to host this important conference.? He added that officials in Phoenix were working with surrounding communities to offer a comprehensive program that would meet the needs of city officials from large and small communities.

The dates for the 2011 Congress of Cities are November 8 through November 12, 2011 ? which is two weeks before Thanksgiving.

The city boasts a rebuilt convention center, which will eventually have more than 900,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.  In addition, several new hotels have been added or are under construction in downtown Phoenix, eventually providing more than 2,700 hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center.

Arizona Board members Joe Donaldson, mayor of Flagstaff, and Shirley Scott, councilmember from Tucson, moved and seconded to choose Phoenix for the 2011 Congress of Cities.

Other confirmed sites for upcoming conferences are New Orleans, November 13?17, 2007; Orlando, Fla., November 11-15, 2008; San Antonio, November 10-14, 2009; and Denver, November 30?December 4, 2010.

In other business, the Board reviewed year-end results on the Partnership for Working Toward Inclusive Communities, reviewed progress on membership recruitment goals and developed a short-term advocacy strategy that will rely on early contacts with the 110th Congress to maximize results for cities and towns. 

Components of the recommended advocacy strategy include:

? enhanced use of strategically created strike teams when key issues are on the Congressional agenda rather than relying on the March City Lobby Day to communicate messages;

? outreach to new committee chairs before the end of the year outlining who NLC is and what its priorities are;

? regular briefings on municipal issues with Congressional staff; and

? a sustained partnership with the state municipal leagues to maximize local connections with members of Congress who have influence over key priorities.

The NLC Officers will use the input from the Board of Directors to initiate early action during the coming weeks and to refine the NLC advocacy agenda and strategy at the January 11 leadership meeting.