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Excellence Awards Honor Community Achievement
by Ann Swing Kelly
Programs from eight cities that improve the quality of life in the community will be recognized as recipients of the 2007 Awards for Municipal Excellence co-sponsored by NLC and CH2M HILL this week.
Chosen for incredible collaborations, strategic outlooks, economic development, affordable housing, environmental initiatives and preparations for an aging population, these cities will be honored at NLC’s Congress of Cities in New Orleans during the morning general session on Friday, November 16.
The Gold winners are:
Population Category Under 50,000
Lenexa, Kan.: Rain to Recreation, A Watershed Management Program
Population Category 50,001 – 150,000
New Haven, Conn.: Elm City Immigration Project
Population Category 150,001 – 500,000
Plano, Texas: Management Preparation Program of Plano (MP3)
Population Category Over 501,000
Milwaukee: Lapham Park Venture
The Silver winners are:
Population Category Under 50,000
Selma, Ala.: TRUSTBuild
Population Category 50,001 – 150,000
Tinley Park, Ill.: Economic Development Plan for Success
Population Category 150,001 – 500,000
Pembroke Pines, Fla.: State Hospital Campus: Human Services Collaborations & Redevelopment
Population Category Over 501,000
Austin, Texas: Spring Terrace
“These eight winning cities show that the most creative and innovative solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges often begin at the local level,” said NLC President Bart Peterson, mayor of Indianapolis. “NLC recognizes and celebrates these programs so that other local leaders can use these ideas to create similar efforts in their own hometowns.”
Details of the award-winning programs include:
Lenexa created Rain to Recreation, A Watershed Management Program, which treats stormwater as a community asset rather than a problem. The program aims to reduce flooding, protect water quality and the environment, and provide new recreation and education opportunities.
The Elm City Immigration Project in New Haven is a series of innovative, comprehensive and far-reaching policies and initiatives aimed at strengthening the relationship between the city and its immigrant community while improving public safety.
Plano created the Management Preparation Program of Plano (MP3) to prepare for the tidal wave of retiring baby boomers and help transition the next generation of leaders.
Lapham Park Venture, a public housing development in Milwaukee, is the nation’s first assisted living retirement community for low-income seniors.
TRUSTBuild (Teaming to Restore Unity, Safety and Trust) is a community development and outreach strategy that provides a safe and secure community for all citizens of Selma.
The Economic Development Plan for Success has made Tinley Park one of the most diverse economies in the Midwest, with one of the lowest property tax rates in the region, and one of the best credit ratings in the nation.
Through its State Hospital Campus: Human Services Collaborations & Redevelopment program, Pembroke Pines turned a vacant hospital into Pines Place, providing hundreds of new affordable rental apartments for senior citizens, as well as offices for agencies providing critical recovery, rehabilitation and health services, and the new Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center for citizens with substance abuse issues.
Spring Terrace is a supportive housing community built by Austin for extremely low-income and homeless single adults and the first to use green building techniques.
“As we strive to be a global leader in full-service engineering, construction and operations, CH2M HILL delivers innovative, practical, sustainable solutions to our clients,” said Ralph Peterson, chairman and CEO of CH2M HILL. “We celebrate the good work of our municipal leaders as they follow a similar path, resulting in a brighter future for their citizens.”
These awards have been given jointly by NLC and CH2M HILL since 1989 and are divided into four population categories, with two winners in each category, Gold and Silver. Gold winners will receive cash awards of $2,000 and silver winners receive $1,000. The cash awards will be donated to community non-profit organizations of the city’s choice. Information regarding the awards program can be found at www.nlc.org.
The winning cities will also have booths at City Showcase in the Exhibit Hall at the Congress of Cities.
The award winners were selected by a panel of judges, including Karen Anderson, former president, National League of Cities; Janet Areson, Virginia Municipal League; Cy Behroozi, Brookings Institution; Jacqueline Byers, National Association of Counties; Del D. Borgsdorf, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce; Saul Ramirez Jr., National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials; Carol Rhea, American Planning Association; and Toni Samuel, American Society of Public Administration.
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