Overview

All Across America Cities Lead

The 2013 Congress of Cities and Exposition will showcase the dynamic ways cities are driving change and finding successful solutions to the most pressing challenges in local government.

City Officials and staff from across the country will come together in Seattle, Washington for a unique opportunity to share best practices and learn strategies to promote local economic and financial health, improve the built and natural environment, and ensure quality of life for all city residents.

Learn more about:

Schedule

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

• 12:00 pm
  Registration

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

• 8:00 am
  Registration

• 9:00 am
  L03: Making Shifts Happen: From Political Drama to Finding Common Ground (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.  
  Public leaders are often conflicted about what it means to find common ground. On
  one hand the public wants problems solved and progress made, and on another hand, many citizens want leaders to stick to their guns and never give in. In this critical time in history, with massive challenges looming everywhere we look, public leaders must be highly self-aware of their leadership traits that may stand in the way of forging common ground. This seminar is not for the faint of heart. You will be challenged to tell the truth about your personality traits, attitude or opinions that may stand in the way of creating common ground. This is not about fixing the other guy, or blaming circumstances on why common ground has not, or cannot, be achieved. This seminar is about taking the time to listen to what others have learned about how they let go of the need to be right, dominate, win or prevail at all costs. You will go home with a new sense of courage and willingness to develop your leadership qualities in a way that emphasizes your capacity to see in new ways, listen to others with an open heart and cultivate a genuine desire to work together.
  

• 9:00 am
  L04: Dilemmas and Decisions: Practical Ethics for Public Life (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  In the context of government, ethics is often seen as something which is lacking in public officials and therefore must be imposed on them, usually in the form of laws and codes. Such measures may promote compliance, but they do not promote ethical excellence. In this seminar, participants will explore the everyday meaning of values, virtue, character, morality, and obligation in their personal, professional, and public lives. Using cases, interactive exercises, and small group problem solving, participants will explore shared values, sources of moral authority, ethical obligations, use common principles of ethical reasoning to resolve dilemmas, apply these principles to administrative and policy decisions, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of different types of ethical reasoning. We'll also look at the moral dimensions and ethical virtues of leadership that help public leaders keep government focused on the public good.
    

• 9:00 am
  L02: Managing the Municipal Message (Show details)

  Rick Dancer - Mountaintop Insight Consulting
  Stacey McLaughlin - Mountaintop Insight Consulting
  

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  You have a story to tell. Understanding how to tell that story is important. With portable video and the Internet, cities and local officials now have the thrilling opportunity to better manage and create their message. Communicating with the public is so much more than posting agendas or City Council minutes on the city’s webpage. You-Tube, Twitter, and Facebook all offer unique and stimulating new opportunities for building community. Through and interactive and experiential process you will gain skill in storytelling and enhance your ability to effectively communicate through the various forms of media. Polish interview skills, learn the value and pitfalls of blogging, and shoot a real time video event to post back home. Optimize your use of unlimited and direct lines of communication leading to those deeper citizen connections every city hopes for.
  

• 9:00am
  L01: Leadership for Inclusion: Training Mayors and Elected Official How to Take the Lead in Building Communities Where Everyone Belongs, Eliminate Institutional Racism and Promote Racial Equity (Show details)

  Credits: (4) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  The morning session will focus on incremental, participatory activities that teach Mayors and elected officials a concrete set of skill practices in Welcoming Diversity. Learn hands on tools for interrupting bigoted comments and behaviors. Practice specific tools for becoming effective allies for all groups in the community. Learn a structured methodology for dealing constructively with entrenched community conflicts, enabling disputing parties to move toward cooperation. Learn how to listen to all sides in a divisive controversial issue and then reframe the issue in a way that builds bridges. Learn how you can build a leadership resource team for your community that institutionalizes these skill practices in every sector of the community. In the afternoon, participants will engage in an interactive session that focuses on the differences between individual, institutional and structural racism, learn a Racial Equity Tool for addressing institutional and structural racism, practice new skills for developing and implementing strategies to achieve racial equity, and increase ability to effectively communicate about race and racial equity. 
  

• 9:00 am
  2013 N.O.I.S.E. Policy Summit/Community Involvement Workshop

• 9:30 am
  Mobile Workshop: The Power of Community Engagement: Revitalizing a Neighborhood, Maintaining Its Character (Show details)

  Join Seattle Department of Neighborhoods staff and community leaders as they showcase the revitalization of a neighborhood with help from the departments’ community engagement programs. You’ll visit the Columbia City Landmark District which includes a thriving business district and residential properties and where several capital projects were conceptualized and completed by community members with the help of the city’s popular Neighborhood Matching Fund. Learn from community leaders how they used city resources and developed partnerships to make a difference in their neighborhoods. We’ll also stop by a community garden located in a low-income housing development that is managed by the department’s P-Patch Community Gardening Program to showcase the power of community engagement.  

• 9:30 am
  Mobile Workshop: Making Your Community Digitally Inclusive: Strategies for Bringing Technology to Neighborhood (Show details)

  The National Broadband Plan contains strategies for greater broadband adoption in local communities.  Learn how local governments and communities are working to ensure that local residents have the access and skills to use government and essential service online.
  
  Take a tour of Seattle’s neighborhoods, visiting community technology learning centers to explore how they are partnering with the City of Seattle to help disadvantaged residents effectively use the Internet for education, job training, and civic engagement.  This workshop will present an introduction to the national Digital Inclusion Framework and share policies and strategies for building public, private, and non-profit partnerships to provide programs to residents.  Participants will also learn how to do local assessments of technology access and use.  

• 9:30 am
  Mobile Workshop: Community Emergency Hubs: Supporting the Community in their Resiliency (Show details)

  In this workshop we will explore additional ways that community members can work together to respond after an emergency. The Community Emergency Hub Program supports engaged residents to take action in a new way. The program expands the traditional concept of individual preparedness to include a greater community response. The main concept of Community Emergency Hubs is that in geographic communities throughout the city, the community determines a location to meet after a large-scale emergency to share information, resources, problem-solve and support one another. As a part of the workshop, you will visit the City’s Emergency Operations Center and an identified Community Hub.

• 10:00 am
  Walking Tour of Pike Place Market - The “Soul of Seattle” (Show details)

  Join us for a behind the scenes tour of Pike Place Market, the oldest continually operated farmers market in the United States.  Pike Place Market opened in 1907 and spans nine acres in the heart of downtown. Thousands of tales of immigration, renovation, and urban renewal have come out of Pike Place Market in its more than one hundred years of operation. See first-hand why over 10 million people visit the Market per year and why locals consider it the “Soul of Seattle.”  REGISTER NOW
  
  No more than one mile of walking and the site is completely ADA accessible (ramps and elevators).

• 12:00 pm
  Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO) Business Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Microbrew & Distillery Tour (Show details)

  Seattle is home to some of the best craft breweries and microbrews found anywhere.  The last few years have also brought huge growth in the number of craft distilleries.  We will tour, taste and learn about some of the best microbrews in the world, starting at the Freemont Brewery Company.  We will then head to the Fremont Mischief Distillery, where we will taste their handcrafted spirits, which have been featured in Sunset magazine’s Best of the West edition.   We will also visit two other local craft breweries. REGISTER NOW
  
  Transportation will be provided. This tour has limited space, so sign up today!

• 1:00 pm
  Mobile Workshop: City of Seattle’s Zero Waste Strategy: Tour of Republic Services Recycling Facility (Show details)

  In 2007, Seattle passed a Zero Waste strategy to increase recycling and reduce trash. Learn how the city is working with Republic Services to reach these goals. Using leading-edge technology, Republic ‘s facility processes 750 tons of material per day, nearly all of which goes back to domestic and international markets within days of processing.
  
  During this workshop, you will take a tour of Republic Services' state-of-the-art recycling facility, located at the heart of Seattle's SODO neighborhood. You will hear from representatives of Republic and Seattle Public Utilities about our partnership to meet these goals and how your community can reduce waste and save your citizens money.
  --Sponsored by Republic Services

• 1:00 pm
  Transportation Infrastructure and Services (TIS) Policy and Advocacy Committee

• 1:00 pm
  Mobile Workshop: Microsoft Campus Tour – Insight into Making Your City Safer Using the Power of Big Data (Show details)

  Visit the Microsoft campus in Redmond to see firsthand how to leverage the power of business intelligence and analytics to increase public safety.  Tour the Microsoft Global Security & Operations Center and see a demo of the intelligence and communications cities are using today to improve security and sustain operations during emergencies.  Includes a visit to the Microsoft Visitor Center and Company Store.  
  --Sponsored by Microsoft

• 1:00 pm
  Energy, Environment and Natural Resources (EENR) Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Mobile Workshop: Community Schools Collaborative (Show details)

  Community Schools Collaboration (CSC) was established as a public/private partnership in Tukwila, Washington in 1998. The objective was to provide a safe place afterschool for students in the Tukwila School District to receive academic support and enrichment. CSC had great success, improving graduation rates and school attendance, and decreasing mobility rates and high school drop-outs. Today, CSC has extended their full-service community school model to 20 elementary, middle and high school campuses throughout the region. This mobile workshop will include an insider look at some of the neighborhoods served by CSC, a first-hand visit to an afterschool CSC activity at the elementary, middle or high school, and will end with opportunities for open dialogue and questions/answers.  Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the single most diverse school district in the nation located in Tukwila, Washington, were 62% of the population is minority and more than 49% speak a language other than English at home.

• 1:00 pm
  Human Development Policy & Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy & Advocacy Committee

• 1:00 pm
  Finance Administration & Intergovenmental Relations Policy & Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Information Technology and Communications (ITC) Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Community and Economic Development (CED) Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting

• 1:00 pm
  Woodinville Wine Tour (Show details)

  Washington State is the second largest premium wine producer in the country, with over 750 wineries producing world-class wine.  This tour will take you just 20 minutes from Seattle to Woodinville, where you can taste some of the best wine made in the United States at four separate wineries, including the Delille Cellars Chateau, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Sparkman Cellars and more!  REGISTER NOW

• 1:30 pm
  L08: Breaking Down the Silos Between Economic Development and Smart Regional Planning (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  Based on Good Jobs First's extensive research on how economic development incentives are too often "siloed" away from transportation/land use planning/community development, and also based on the positive examples established in the Dayton and Denver metro areas, where cooperative codes and programs actively encourage localities to cooperate (instead of competing in narrow, zero-sum ways), this session will equip attendees with the tools they need to argue for a cooperative system in their own metro area.

• 1:30 pm
  L06: Seize the "Movement": Making the Local Food Movement Work for your Community (Show details)

  Andy Huckaba - City of Lenexa
  

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  The local food movement is sweeping the country. One indicator is the explosive growth of farmers markets which are driven by a need to connect with others as well as to buy fresh, natural and local foods. But, with no clear definition, local (is it 50 miles or what?) has taken on larger meaning. It is no less than a movement to build local community in what many would agree is a bewildering world consisting of information proliferation and contradictory claims. So where does training for local officials enter the picture? The local food movement is about these things: health, access and affordability, environmental concerns, safety and indigenous economic development. All are part and parcel of great communities and the growing consciousness of the citizenry. It should also be mentioned that while this is a "trendy" topic, it is one of the few that actually delivers on all cylinders.This half day workshop will assist local communities in building a local food economy. This includes the challenges and opportunities for those cities which "seize the moment (movement?)" and build a truly local economy that enriches peoples' lives at the same time. This highly interactive workshop will (1) provide an overview of the local food movement; (2) provide examples of models that can work in their cities; and (3) the various "pieces and parts" that constitute the menu of building blocks.
  

• 1:30 pm
  L05: Energizing Communities with Social Media (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  Connect, energize, and invigorate your communities using social media. Learn the latest tools and trends to enhance your community network using social media. This session will focus on the future of strengthening the fabric of our communities by integrating social tools and social media enabled dialog.
  

• 1:30 pm
  L07: Denver’s Peak Performance: Planning, Resources, and Continuous Improvement (Show details)

  Sylvia L. Lovely - Sylvia Lovely & Associates
  

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  The City of Denver started the Peak Performance Initiative as a way to build a culture of innovation throughout every city agency. The initiative utilizes the Lean methodology—a business process improvement framework focused on the elimination of waste and an improved customer (or citizen) experience. In this seminar, members of the Peak Performance team will provide an overview of the program, talk about successes and lessons learned, and teach several of the process improvement tools they currently offer through their Peak Academy courses.     
  

• 1:30 pm
  L09: Priority Based Budgeting Part I: Achieving Fiscal Health- Tools and Techniques for Diagnosis and Treatment (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  During this half-day training, you will hear about the five (5) basic principles of “Fiscal Health” and then learn how to use proven tools and techniques to help ease your organization’s fiscal stress for the short-term and improve its financial sustainability for the long-term.  You will learn how to “self-assess” your own financial situation through a series of diagnostic questions that will validate where your organization is “healthy” and pin-point where your organization can improve. The workshop will also demonstrate the use of a simple, interactive diagnostic tool that can help any organization more effectively communicate its fiscal position to all interested stakeholders (including staff, elected officials, bargaining units, and ultimately, citizens) as well as serve as a monitoring tool to ensure that the organization remains the “picture of Fiscal Health”.    
  

• 2:30 pm
  Mobile Workshop: LED Street Lighting Conversion: Saving Your Community Money, While Improving Public Safety (Show details)

  Join representatives from Seattle City Light and the director of the Municipal Solid State Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC) as they highlight how converting your city’s streetlights to LEDs can save your community money while improving public safety in your neighborhoods. Participants will travel to Seattle’s Lighting Design Lab to look at lighting option and learn how you can collaborate with your local utility, neighborhoods, law enforcement and other entities to transform your neighborhood through better street lighting. To date, the LED conversion program has saved the City of Seattle millions of dollars in energy and maintenance costs. Attendees will also learn about the activities of the Consortium and how Consortium tools and resources can be utilized to advance their own LED street lighting programs. From there, attendees will travel to see firsthand how LED street lighting can transform a streetscape.

• 2:30 pm
  Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) Nominations Hearing and Board of Directors Meeting

• 4:30 pm
  Aviation NOISE Reception

• 4:30 pm
  New Member/First Time Attendee Session

• 5:45 pm
  Young Elected Officials and NLC Board of Directors Joint Reception

• 6:00 pm
  Texas Municipal League Reception

• 6:00 pm
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Board of Directors Meeting and Nominating Committee Hearing

Thursday, November 14, 2013

• 7:00 am
  Registration

• 7:15 am
  Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO) Membership Business Meeting

• 7:30 am
  Louisiana Municipal Association Delegates Breakfast

• 7:30 am
  State League Executive Directors and President's Breakfast

• 8:00 am
  Maryland Municipal League Breakfast

• 8:30 am
  Corporate Partners Leadership Council Meeting

• 8:30 am
  Board of Directors Meeting

• 9:00 am
  L10: Priority Based Budgeting Part II: Looking at the Budget through a New Lens (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 201 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  Local governments continue to face previously unknown financial and political pressures as they struggle to develop meaningful and fiscally prudent budgets.  Revenues are at best stable (or even declining), while demand for services continues to increase.  Citizens believe that government budgets are “fat” and that this is ample waste to “cut”.  Civic leaders more often than not, focus on “across the board” cuts that spreads the pain equally – but also encourages mediocrity rather than excellence. Priority Based Budgeting is a unique and innovative approach being used by local governments across the Country to match available resources with community priorities, provide information to elected officials that lead to better informed decisions, meaningfully engage citizens in the budgeting process and, finally, escape the traditional routine of basing “new” budgets on revisions to the “old” budget.   This holistic approach helps to provide elected officials and other decision-makers with a “new lens” through which to frame better-informed financial and budgeting decisions and helps ensure that a community is able to identify and preserve those programs and services that are most highly valued.  
  

• 9:00 am
  L11: Creating Immigrant-Friendly Cities and Communities: A Focus on Strategies, Policies, and Programs (Show details)

  David Edinger - City of Denver, Peak Performance
  Melissa Field - City of Denver, Peak Performance
  Scotty Martin - City of Denver, Peak Performance
  

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  Cities and metro-areas around the country –where 95 percent of immigrants live- are thinking about and responding to immigration-related challenges and solutions.  Recognizing that: cities and metro-areas are experiencing the greatest impacts of globalization and migration; in order to remain competitive, cities must attract and retain newcomers; immigrants, regardless of legal status, are residents of cities, and that residents must have equal access to services and resources in order to promote general welfare; and immigrants and immigrant integration benefit the civic, economic and cultural life of cities.  This session will provide a framework for localities to consider by highlighting innovative strategies through policies and programs.  Participants will also receive a toolkit of blueprints developed by the NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs that can be employed by local governments to help foster economic growth and civic and cultural vibrancy by promoting the well-being and integration of immigrants in cities and communities.

• 9:00 am
  L12: Authentic Youth Civic Engagement (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  Across the country, municipal leaders are discovering one of their greatest assets: the youth of their city. Increasingly, youth are working with elected officials and other city leaders to tackle the important issues of local government. More and more young people are also discovering that their voices matter to their communities, and that they can make their communities better places to live. Authentic Youth Civic Engagement invites young people to participate in the democratic process through meaningful roles in public policy, planning and decision-making, which can lead to improved outcomes for youth and the community. AYCE thrives in a climate of reciprocity and respect where young people, in partnership with adults, are prepared and supported to tackle relevant issues and effect change. The AYCE framework presents four critical elements for a successful initiative: Setting, Structure, Strategy, and Support. This session will help local elected officials and other city leaders address each of the critical elements of the AYCE framework. In turn, local officials can use this framework to find workable solutions for their own community.
  

• 9:00 am
  Exposition Hall

• 9:00 am
  L13: Collaboration Multiplier: Working Across Sectors to Foster Healthy and Safe Communities (Show details)

  Credits: (2) Course Level: 101 *Please Note: As of November 2013, we are no longer assigning competency levels to our seminars.
  Many cities are invested in ensuring optimum health and safety and want to implement solutions to foster wellness and peace in their communities. Improving health and safety in communities requires a multi-sector approach in which elected officials are working in close partnerships with various city departments and agencies, as well as non-governmental partners representing local businesses and community-based organizations. This session will provide an introduction to Collaboration Multiplier, a framework for a deeper understanding of effective multi-sector collaboration. Participants will engage in an exercise to practice using Collaboration Multiplier and explore how it can be used in different stages of collaboration to establish partnerships, strengthen existing collaborative efforts, and to think strategically about potential partners to engage.
  

• 9:30 am
  Mobile Workshop: Going Metro: Suburban Transformation in the 21st Century (Show details)

  Bellevue has transformed from strawberry fields to bedroom community to major metropolitan center in the past 60 years. Tour downtown with its high-rise residential and office development and learn about what is happening to make it more walkable, livable and vibrant while accommodating future growth. Tour the industrial area that is planned for TOD around new light rail stations. Finally, visit the Jubilee REACH to learn how Bellevue is partnering with the non-profit and private sector to mobilize Resources, Education, Assistance, Community and Hospitality to serve Bellevue’s kids and families.

• 9:30 am
  Mobile Workshop: Pathways to Careers: Public-Private Partnerships to Fill Skills Gaps (Show details)

  See Seattle’s Pathways to Careers Initiative, an innovative partnership offering foundational classes to low-skilled students in key growth sectors. Tour a joint public/private training center at Vigor Marine and learn about how this initiative is providing industry recognized skills through a sequence of classes in maritime, composites and or other related fields of study.  

• 9:30 am
  Mobile Workshop: Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (Show details)

  Meet with community service providers, city officials and youth participants to learn how they work together to reduce youth violence. The workshop will be held at the King County Boys and Girls Club at Rainier Vista, which serves as the Southeast Seattle hub for the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (SYVPI). This LEED-certified, $17 million, 40,000 square foot facility is a state-of-the art club featuring a gym, art studio, technology center, dentist office, music studio and more. Southeast Seattle is an area of the city that has been  affected by youth violence. The Boys and Girls Club serves an important role  as a safe haven for all youth, and a broker of services to at-risk youth through its role in SYVPI.

• 9:30 am
  Mobile Workshop: Microsoft Campus Tour – Modernize Your City with Connected Citizen Services (Show details)

  Tour the Microsoft campus in Redmond to get a glimpse of the future. With 125 buildings, spread over 500 acres, hosting over 41K employees, the Microsoft Headquarters has become a model for the “City of the Future”. Tour energy efficient buildings, try services delivered to citizens on the go, and visit the leading edge operations center to see vision become reality for a more connected and responsive city government. Includes a visit to the Microsoft Visitor Center and Company Store. --Sponsored by Microsoft

• 10:00 am
  Walking Tour of Pike Place Market - The "Soul of Seattle" (Show details)

  Join us for a behind the scenes tour of Pike Place Market, the oldest continually operated farmers market in the United States.  Pike Place Market opened in 1907 and spans nine acres in the heart of downtown. Thousands of tales of immigration, renovation, and urban renewal have come out of Pike Place Market in its more than one hundred years of operation. See first-hand why over 10 million people visit the Market per year and why locals consider it the “Soul of Seattle.”  REGISTER NOW
  
  No more than one mile of walking and the site is completely ADA accessible (ramps and elevators).

• 10:00 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) New Member Orientation

• 10:00 am
  Chocolate Tour of Seattle (Show details)

  The coffee bean isn’t the only bean Seattle is known for!  Come join us for a unique chocolate experience as we give you a special look into Seattle’s booming chocolate industry.  We will tour and taste at a few of Seattle’s most famous chocolate making spots, including Theo Chocolate, the country’s only bean-to-bar organic and fair trade chocolate factory, and Chocolate Vitale, where they produce the perfect cup of hot “drinking chocolate”.  We will learn all about the chocolate making process, meet some of the famous chocolatiers in the Pacific Northwest and of course, taste, taste, taste!  You will also receive a goody bag of samples to enjoy at home (although it might not last long!).  REGISTER NOW
  
  This tour is limited to 25 people so reserve your spot soon! 

• 10:00 am
  Cities United and Leaders to Promote Black Male Achievement

• 11:30 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Membership Luncheon & Awards Program *Ticketed Event*

• 12:00 pm
  Mobile Workshop: The Living Building Challenge: What Your City Can Learn from the Greenest Commercial Building in the World (Show details)

  Tour the Bullitt Center, the Greenest Commercial Building in the World, and learn how your community can implement strategies to increase your city’s green building foot print and other sustainable development practices. We will discuss green building incentives, including priority green permitting, zoning, and the living building challenge.

• 12:00 pm
  Youth Delegate Orientation

• 12:00 pm
  Mobile Workshop: Transformation of South Lake Union Neighborhood (Show details)

  Now home to high-tech business and health research institutions, the South Lake Union neighborhood was only recently home to light industrial businesses and hampered by inadequate infrastructure to support redevelopment.  Join city and business leaders for a tour of the neighborhood and learn how public investment has led to private development in this up and coming Seattle community. And hear how the neighborhood has grappled with this change.

   

  Please note:  the South Lake Union tour will not include a bus. Participants should be prepared to walk 4 blocks to the street car that goes through the neighborhood.

   

• 12:00 pm
  Afterschool Policy Advisors Network Meeting

• 12:00 pm
  Mobile Workshop: Reaching Maximum Velocity: How the City of Kenmore is Leveraging Local Businesses to Strengthen Economic Development Efforts (Show details)

  Kenmore, with a population of nearly 21,000, is an economically healthy city in northern King County where innovative businesses soar without limits. Kenmore is building an innovation hub to attract and support health care and technology start-ups, as well as help existing multigenerational businesses seeking to expand. Join City and business leaders as they highlight how Kenmore is leveraging local businesses to strengthen economic development efforts. The mobile workshop will visit Kenmore’s LEED Gold City Hall and Bastyr University, the top natural medicine university and research institute in the United States featuring a LEED Platinum Student Village.

• 12:00 pm
  LLUN: Leadership Luncheon (Show details)

  Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Certificate level recipients will be recognized. Enjoy a special opportunity to network with colleagues and support colleagues and fellow seminar participants’ training activities and leadership work.
   

• 12:00 pm
  Conference Wide Lunch in Exhibit Hall

• 1:00 pm
  University Communities Council (UCC) Session: A New and Catalytic Way to Use Universities to Advance Your City Agenda

• 1:15 pm
  Large Cities Council

• 1:15 pm
  Military Communities Council Meeting

• 1:15 pm
  Small Cities Council Meeting

• 1:15 pm
  First Tier Suburbs Council Steering Committee Meeting

• 1:15 pm
  International Council Meeting

• 1:30 pm
  Democratic Municipal Officials - Council of State Chairs Meeting - Hosted by theDMO.org

• 1:30 pm
  Council on Youth, Education and Families Meeting

• 1:30 pm
  Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Local Officials (GLBTO) Business Meeting

• 1:30 pm
  NLC Resolutions Committee

• 1:30 pm
  NLC Advisory Council Meeting

• 1:30 pm
  Democratic Municipal Officials - Council of Policy Leaders Meeting - Hosted by theDMO.org

• 3:15 pm
  Opening General Session

• 5:30 pm
  Welcome Reception in Exposition Hall

• 6:00 pm
  League of California Cities Reception

• 6:30 pm
  NLC Nominating Committee Public Hearing

• 7:00 pm
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Reception

Friday, November 15, 2013

• 7:00 am
  Registration

• 7:30 am
  Democratic Municipal Officials Breakfast - Hosted by theDMO.org

• 8:30 am
  State League Legislative Briefing

• 9:00 am
  Using Technology to Bolster Economic Development (Show details)

  The information superhighway is just as important as the four-lane highway to the businesses of today and tomorrow. Local governments must provide the right infrastructure and institutional capacities to create better access to business development and other revenue generating opportunities.  Field experts and local stakeholders will offer insights on how you can help drive your community to booming economic and fiscal growth.

• 9:00 am
  Extreme Weather Events and Adaptive Infrastructure (Show details)

  Communities across the country, regardless of size or geography, are seeing the impact of extreme weather events on critical infrastructure.  Explore innovative mitigation and adaptation strategies cities are using that lie at the heart of water, transportation, and energy infrastructure, in order to better prepare for and respond to a changing climate.

• 9:00 am
  Making Your City More Business Friendly (Show details)

  Too often, businesses perceive local government as a barrier, with cumbersome red tape that can impede growth and speed to market.  Low hanging fruit strategies can transform city hall and ensure the right environment  for businesses to stay and grow in your community. Improve and streamline business regulations and effectively communicate the right message with businesses to support development and growth.

• 9:00 am
  Successfully Reintegrating Veterans to Meet Community Needs (Show details)

  After years of service in the military, thousands of veterans return home with unique experience and skills. However, many also struggle with employment, job retraining, mental health, and housing issues that can be barriers to successful reintegration to civilian life. Connect your community’s veterans to necessary resources in order to unlock their potential once they have come home.

• 9:00 am
  Fiscal Realities, Innovative Solutions (Deep Dive) (Show details)

  Declining revenues and federal and state aid, obligations to employees, and increased service demands from residents means city leaders are often faced with tough choices between short-term interests and long-term fiscal health.   This deep-dive session will explore the constraints and policy options to influence revenues and reserve levels.  In interactive roundtable discussions, city leaders will have an opportunity to discuss alternative service delivery processes to manage costs, such as regional collaborations, public private partnerships, technology solutions, and priority-based budgeting.

• 9:00 am
  Shifting Expectations for Neighborhoods in Transition (Show details)

  The foreclosure crisis and economic downturn have exposed the fragility of local communities.  Significant demographic changes are underway that will likely alter the direction of development and force many cities into a state of transition.  Examine how public expectations are likely to evolve and what the shifting social and economic landscape means for local planning and development.

• 9:15 am
  Democratic Municipal Officials Board Meeting - Hosted by theDMO.org

• 10:00 am
  Walking Tour of Pike Place Market - The "Soul of Seattle" (Show details)

  Join us for a behind the scenes tour of Pike Place Market, the oldest continually operated farmers market in the United States.  Pike Place Market opened in 1907 and spans nine acres in the heart of downtown. Thousands of tales of immigration, renovation, and urban renewal have come out of Pike Place Market in its more than one hundred years of operation. See first-hand why over 10 million people visit the Market per year and why locals consider it the “Soul of Seattle.”  REGISTER NOW
  
  No more than one mile of walking and the site is completely ADA accessible (ramps and elevators).

• 10:00 am
  Ferry Ride and Lunch on Bainbridge Island (Show details)

  Join us for a quintessential Washington State experience with a ferry trip to scenic Bainbridge Island and a visit to the newly opened Bainbridge Art Museum, followed by shopping and lunch in the charming downtown.  Bainbridge is just a 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Seattle, and from the boat you will see some of the best views of the Seattle skyline.   REGISTER NOW

• 10:00 am
  Exposition Hall

• 10:45 am
  Ready To Work (Show details)

  Does your local workforce have the talent necessary to compete in today’s highly demanding economy?  The ability to attract, retain, and expand business in your community relies on the health of your local workforce.  Support career pathways and postsecondary credentials with job market value for both youth and adults.

• 10:45 am
  Strategically Investing in Green Infrastructure Projects to Get the “Most Green for Your Greenbacks” (Show details)

  In many parts of the country, storm water runoff is the biggest water quality threat to our streams, rivers, and lakes.  Green infrastructure is a great compliment to the “gray” infrastructure being used to address a community’s water needs.  Understand the cost benefit analysis for green infrastructure projects while gaining a comprehensive understanding of the tools, regulations, and financing options available.

• 10:45 am
  Mobile Vending: Emerging Industry, Outdated Regulations (Show details)

  Food trucks have expanded rapidly in both number and popularity over the past few years, and many cities are finding themselves ill-equipped to deal with these vendors.  Communities across the country are part of a burgeoning movement to find ways to better manage and encourage mobile vending.  Learn local policy options to regulate mobile vendors, such as food trucks, and incorporate them into the fabric of your city.

• 10:45 am
  Aging and a Shared Community Vision (Show details)

  As the baby boom generation enters into retirement their housing, transportation, and entertainment needs are changing.  Reshape your community footprint in order to fulfill those needs and allow your older residents to continue to call their present community “home.”

• 10:45 am
  Supporting Start-ups and Entrepreneurs (Show details)

  As the primary job creators in the U.S., new businesses are essential to strengthening your local economy.  Cities are in a prime position to foster entrepreneurship.  Learn how cities of all sizes can implement innovative and effective ways to support start-ups and entrepreneurs, including development regulations to provide cost-effective workspace and partnerships to provide capital and expertise.
  
  

• 12:00 pm
  Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) Leadership Award Luncheon and Membership Meeting with WIMG Award Program *Ticketed Event*

• 12:00 pm
  State League Executive Director's Luncheon

• 12:15 pm
  Youth Delegate Forum

• 12:30 pm
  Conference Wide Lunch in Expostion Hall

• 1:00 pm
  Underground Tour of Seattle and Ride the Ducks Tour (Show details)

  Enjoy Seattle’s most popular and unique tour with a guided walking adventure beneath Seattle’s sidewalks and streets.  These paths comprised the main roadways and first-floor storefronts of old downtown Seattle, before the Great Fire of 1889.  The fire consumed 25 blocks of downtown Seattle, and the current city is built 20 feet above the old city.   After the tour we will hop on Seattle’s amphibious tour vehicle, the Duck Boat, to tour around town on both land and water to experience what makes Seattle one of the most beautiful cities in America. REGISTER NOW
  
  A short amount of walking is required on the Underground Tour.

• 1:15 pm
  Poster Session: Innovative City Solutions Presented by the First Tier Suburbs Council

• 2:30 pm
  Economic Development Financing Tools (Show details)

  Do you have the right tools in your toolbox when it comes to financing your economic development efforts?  Engage in roundtable discussions about local financing tools to support local economic development at a depth that is relevant to policy makers.  Gain an understanding of which tools are most applicable to your projects and how to communicate with economic development staff to ask for the information you need before making policy and financing decisions.

• 2:30 pm
  Unconference Session

• 2:30 pm
  Strengthening Our Communities, Promoting Public Safety (Film) (Show details)

  One of the most important responsibilities of a city is to ensure the public’s safety to support healthy, thriving communities.  But across the country, many cities are presented with a multitude of challenges in their efforts to do so, such as incidences of youth and community violence.  After watching a provocative documentary about one city’s effort to confront community violence, join a discussion with your peers about strategies that promote public safety.
   
  

• 3:00 pm
  Western Municipal Association

• 4:30 pm
  Youth Delegates and Local Officials Socials

• 4:30 pm
  Networking Happy Hours

• 5:00 pm
  Republican Mayors and Local Officials Reception - Hosted by RMLO

• 5:00 pm
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Regional Directors Nominations Session

• 5:00 pm
  Iowa League of Cities Reception

• 5:00 pm
  State League President's Reception

• 5:00 pm
  Florida League of Cities Reception

• 5:00 pm
  Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Local Officials (GLBTO) Reception

• 5:00 pm
  Kansas/Missouri Reception @ The Space Needle

• 5:00 pm
  Association of Washington Cities/League of Oregon Cities Reception

• 5:30 pm
  Digital Cities Surveys Awards - Hosted by Center for Digital Government

• 5:30 pm
  Alabama League of Municipalities Reception

• 6:00 pm
  Colorado/Wyoming Reception

• 6:00 pm
  League of Arizona Cities and Towns Reception

• 6:30 pm
  Joint Constituency Group Reception (APAMO-HELO-WIMG)

• 6:30 pm
  Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Dutch Treat Dinner

• 6:30 pm
  Tennessee Municipal League/Bond Fund/The Pool Reception

• 7:00 pm
  League of Minnesota Reception Honoring Mayor Chris Coleman

Saturday, November 16, 2013

• 7:30 am
  Registration

• 7:30 am
  Democratic Municipal Officials Policy Training - Hosted by theDMO.org

• 7:30 am
  Resilient Communities for America Campaign Breakfast, ICLEI-USA

• 7:30 am
  Eggs & Issues - Joint Council Networking Breakfast

• 8:45 am
  Small Cities Council Steering Committee Meeting

• 9:00 am
  Revving the Economic Engines of Smaller Communities (Show details)

  Ninety-three percent of cities in the United States have populations of 25,000 or less. These smaller and rural communities are home to extensive untapped economic growth potential.  Identify funding opportunities for small cities, learn to leverage existing assets, explore unique regional opportunities, and exchange ideas with colleagues from communities like yours.
  
  
   

• 9:00 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) General Membership Meeting

• 9:00 am
  The Suburbanization of Poverty: Local Challenges, Regional Solutions (Show details)

  There are now more poor families and individuals living in suburban communities than in central cities.  These demographic changes are placing new pressure on local governments, schools, and service providers as they struggle with limited capacity to meet the needs of a more disadvantaged population.  Discuss why existing policies and programs create barriers to addressing these challenges and how cities can join together to develop effective regional approaches.

• 9:00 am
  Local Options to Finance Infrastructure (Show details)

  The need for new development paired with an aging infrastructure has increased the number of new construction projects.  State and federal funding for these projects has declined, leaving local governments scratching their hardhats to figure out how to finance vital infrastructure projects.  Prepare to tackle your projects head on by understanding the benefits and challenges of different financing options.

• 9:00 am
  Managing Emergencies: How Cities and Towns Can Prepare for Crisis Situations (Deep Dive) (Show details)

  When chaos strikes, either through a man-made or natural disaster, communities look to their local leaders to act calmly and decisively.  Hear from municipal officials who have faced a community-wide tragedy or destructive storm and how they responded.  Engage with local, federal, and university leaders in this deep dive session and explore strategies to help your community rebound swiftly and effectively after an emergency.

• 9:00 am
  Engaging Residents in Solutions: Using Data and Technology to Improve Local Government (Deep Dive) (Show details)

  Technology offers opportunities to engage citizens as partners in identifying and solving local problems. Join this deep dive discussion to learn how to use open data strategies, online engagement, and predictive analytics, to improve transparency, garner meaningful resident input, and enlist the help of local partners to improve the quality of life.    These strategies can assist large and small cities alike in tapping the passions and creative power of the community.

• 9:00 am
  Youth Wrap-Up

• 10:30 am
  Creating Active Transportation Infrastructures that Promote Walking and Biking (Show details)

  City leaders are looking to improve the health of their residents while increasing transportation alternatives.  You can make physical activity more easily accessible by enhancing infrastructure that supports biking and walking and creates more livable communities. Return home prepared to develop active transportation strategies, such as complete streets policies, to support economic development and vibrant communities.
   
  

• 10:30 am
  Tools and Techniques for Successful Downtown Revitalization (Show details)

  Downtowns have the potential to be a unique focal point of a community, a gathering place for citizens, and a thriving business environment.  Identify financing strategies and engage  with key players, including  developers, investors, retailers and your residents, to develop a strategy and turn your main street into a booming downtown destination.

• 10:30 am
  Veterans Homeless Roundtable

• 11:00 am
  National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) 2013 New Board Orientation

• 12:30 pm
  Closing General Session and Luncheon (Show details)

  Local Leadership for National Solutions
  A revolution is stirring in America. Across the nation, cities and metropolitan areas, and the networks of pragmatic leaders who govern them, are taking on the big issues that Washington won’t, or can’t, solve.  They are reshaping our economy and fixing our broken political system.  Bruce Katz, author of “The Metropolitan Revolution”, will present his findings on how cities across the nation are innovating and problem-solving on a whole new level to address the most important challenges in America. A panel of city leaders will join the conversation and share their own experiences and unique solutions in what will prove to be a provocative, informative, and engaging session.

• 2:30 pm
  Annual Business Meeting

• 6:00 pm
  Host City Closing Event (Show details)

  Join us on Saturday from 6-9 p.m. at two of Seattle’s most famous venues, the Experience Music Project (EMP) and the Chihuly Garden and Glasshouse. The EMP combines world-class architecture and the spirit of music that the city is known for. What better way to spend your last night in Seattle than at a leading-edge museum dedicated to celebrating music and contemporary popular culture through unique artistic collections and hands-on exhibits. In addition to this amazing venue, we will also visit Seattle’s newest art museum celebrating renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly. We will dine underneath the famed 100-foot long ceiling sculpture, one of the artist’s largest suspended pieces. Guided tours of the galleries will also be available!
   

Hotel/Travel

Washington State Convention Center
Seattle, WA
(206)694-5000

Book your room

Presenters

1. Dancer, Rick

   Mountaintop Insight Consulting
2. Edinger, David

   City of Denver, Peak Performance
3. Field, Melissa

   City of Denver, Peak Performance
4. Huckaba, Andy

   City of Lenexa
5. Lovely, Sylvia

   Sylvia Lovely & Associates
6. Martin, Scotty

   City of Denver, Peak Performance
7. McLaughlin, Stacey

   Mountaintop Insight Consulting