NLC Membership Approves National Municipal Policy
by NLC Staff
NLC's seven policy and advocacy committees met at the Congress of Cities in Orlando, Fla., to make final recommendations on a wide variety of critical issues to the nation, ranging from home foreclosures, to infrastructure needs, to climate change.
All proposed policy amendments and resolutions were approved at the Annual Business Meeting by vote of the NLC membership, successfully culminating the annual policy development process and a year’s work by committee members.
The resulting National Municipal Policy is used to guide NLC’s federal advocacy efforts. Policy amendments update standing policy positions, while resolutions on specific, timely matters remain in effect for one year. The complete, updated 2009 National Municipal Policy (NMP) will be available on the NLC website in December.
A brief summary follows, highlighting some of the new positions in each chapter of the NMP. For further details on the approved changes or the policy process in general, contact the staff listed for each issue area, or call the policy office at (202) 626-3027.
Community and Economic Development (CED)
The CED committee considered a variety of issues related to housing, economic growth initiatives, aging commercial centers and work force development.
The subject of housing, housing finance and the home mortgage crisis became the central focus, both in terms of policy development and advocacy. A new resolution was adopted calling for specific actions by the federal government to mitigate the damage being done to neighborhoods and communities by the large number of home mortgage foreclosures.
In regard to economic development, new policy language was approved calling for a more vigorous federal role in export promotions generally, in support for small business exports, and in enforcement of existing trade rules.
Finally, because worker training and retraining are an important component of any sound economic development plan designed to stay competitive in a global economy, the committee adopted a new resolution calling for reauthorization and expansion of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act. (Staff contact: Jim Brooks, brooks@nlc.org)
Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations (FAIR)
Over the last year, the FAIR committee studied various aspects of the foreclosure crisis as it affects the municipal bond market. The committee analyzed global rating scales and the federal home loan banks letters of credit.
Two policy amendments passed, one regarding the American Community Survey and another regarding the need for a better intergovernmental partnership, which was also the subject of a resolution.
Two additional new resolutions focused on the municipal bond fairness act and continued funding for the 2010 Census. Five current resolutions were also renewed. (Staff contact: Julia Pulidindi, pulidindi@nlc.org)
Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (EENR)
The EENR committee continued its focus on implementing the NLC Action Plan on Sustainability, while also acting on a range of policy topics.
Four new resolutions address a series of significant issues: climate change, endorsing an international consensus position on emissions goals and asking that the local government perspective be included in negotiations; climate change adaptation, based on the need for cities to prepare for the many effects which may be unavoidable; bark beetles, which are causing devastation in the mountain west while similar problems are appearing across the country; and the condition of some federally maintained waterways, which in some cases have been constructed with armored walls, requiring innovative approaches to make these channels more environmentally friendly to their ecosystems.
Three existing resolutions were renewed, on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), water infrastructure financing, and federal support for local sustainability initiatives. A recurring resolution in support of the Land and Water Conservation Fund was incorporated into permanent policy. (Staff contact: Ken Rosenfeld, rosenfeld@nlc.org)
Human Development (HD)
The HD committee focused primarily on health care reform throughout 2008. The committee’s efforts resulted in policy amendments calling for federal efforts to control health care costs and ensure coverage.
In addition, a policy amendment on revising the federal poverty line was approved.
Three new resolutions passed, two concerning homelessness and one on 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Ten current resolutions were also renewed. (Staff contact: Katie Seeger, seeger@nlc.org)
Transportation Infrastructure and Services (TIS)
The TIS committee was heavily engaged in the future of surface transportation funding this year. The committee generated a resolution, passed first by the NLC Board of Directors at its summer meeting, which calls on the federal government to create a comprehensive, national surface transportation plan.
The committee also focused on land use policies as it relates transportation decision-making.
A policy amendment regarding bridge safety also passed, and resolutions were renewed on rail safety and the federal preemption of local authority related to railroads. (Staff contact: Julia Pulidindi, pulidindi@nlc.org)
Information Technology and Communications (ITC)
The committee updated and recommended renewal of three resolutions.
One is on local franchise authority, which remains a very high priority for the committee.
The other two resolutions are both related to broadband. One is focused specifically on municipal broadband networks, asking the federal government to be supportive of municipal initiatives. The second is on broadband deployment generally, emphasizing the dual needs for universal access for all Americans and for a standard of quality that allows America to be competitive internationally.
In addition to the resolutions, ITC focused this year on the digital television transition. While new policy was not needed, ITC pursued an aggressive outreach strategy to the NLC membership. (Staff contact: Ken Rosenfeld, rosenfeld@nlc.org)
Public Safety and Crime Prevention (PSCP)
The PSCP committee examined many issues related to disaster preparedness and public safety.
Main focuses included the ability for medical and health services to respond to increased needs in a disaster situation; and youth and gang violence; policy amendments on both topics were approved.
Eleven existing resolutions were renewed for 2009, and two new resolutions were approved, on the “cradle to prison pipeline” and the need for increased use of DNA collection and analysis in criminal cases. (Staff contact: Katie Seeger, seeger@nlc.org)
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