Congressional City Conference

  • Date: March 9, 2013 - March 13, 2013
  • Location: Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C.
  • Category: Annual Conference

Overview

The Congressional City Conference is an annual legislative forum that brings together more than 2,000 elected and appointed city leaders to focus on the federal policy issues that are important to local governments. In addition to providing opportunities to learn about innovative practices implemented at the local level, the conference connects city leaders from across the country with NLC-the organization that members of Congress, the White House, and federal agencies look to for solutions to addressing the nation's economic challenges.

Stand up for the issues that matter to cities.

As the 113th Congress gets underway, come to Washington, DC and join your fellow city leaders in calling on House and Senate members and the Administration to set aside partisan differences and break through the gridlock in order to find ways to support economic recovery and job creation efforts in our communities.

Make your voice heard at NLC's annual legislative conference, where you can share your hard-won insights with members of Congress, the White House, and federal agency representatives, as well as with your colleagues from across the country.

Key federal policy issues to be addressed include:

  • Federal budget deficit reduction plans
  • Federal job creation and economic development strategies
  • Federal tax code reform and municipal finance
  • Immigration Reform
  • Water and transportation infrastructure investment
  • Public safety 
  • Regulatory reform and streamlining

NLC's Congressional City Conference offers city leaders from across the country a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights into and influence actions in Washington that will impact local communities.

Schedule



Saturday, March 09, 2013

  • 7:30 am
    Registration

  • 9:00 am
    L01: Building Public Private Partnerships (Show details)

    Time: 9:00am-5:00pm
    Registration Fee: $190
    Competency: Catalyst/Competent Practitioner (4 Credits)

    Public‐private partnerships (PPPs) are a popular policy tool used by governments around the
    world to finance, build, operate, and maintain public infrastructure assets. The incentive for government to partner with for‐profit and nonprofit organizations is driven largely by the desire to leverage expertise, experience, and the ability to finance projects that government does not have the capacity to develop and execute. In this session, participants will gain a thorough understanding of the type of PPP arrangements that can be used by local governments, an introduction to the range of frameworks used to develop, implement, and monitor PPPs, and learn how to evaluate and manage risk throughout the PPP process while developing the skills needed to effectively engage stakeholders at different points of the process to maximize goal alignment and partnership performance.
    Instructor:
    David M. Van Slyke, Professor, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY

  • 12:00 pm
    Democratic Municipal Officials Media and Social Media Training

  • 1:30 pm
    L04: Managing Your Message in a Multi-Mass Media World (Show details)

    Time: 1:30pm-5:00pm
    Registration Fee:  $125
    Competency:  Communicator (2 Credits)

    Historically, leaders dealt with newspapers, magazines and television as the primary media outlets. Their responses would be recorded through press releases or television statements and the information would often take an entire day before it would reach the target audience. With the Internet, new media forms have emerged with the capability of reaching audiences instantaneously. Today, people are just as, if not more so, attentive to social networking (i.e. Twitter and Facebook) as they are to more traditional forms of media. It is advisable for every leader to have a New Media Plan in place designed for dealing with the media in the event of a publicity crisis. Bad publicity can have the power to affect funding and ultimately destroy the affected leader and their city's image. Participants of this seminar will learn valuable tools to effectively manage each type of media in times of crisis, and learn to develop a clear message that can be communicated when needed.
    Instructor:
    Carolyn Sawyer, President, Tom Sawyer Company,
    Columbia, SC

  • 1:30 pm
    L02: The Ethical Leader: Rules and Tools (Show details)

    Time: 1:30pm-5:00pm
    Registration Fee: $125
    Competency: Competent Practitioner/Cornerstone (2 Credits)

    Ethical public leadership is more than simply following the law. This seminar enhances municipal leaders’ abilities to assess ethically difficult situations and to make ethically defensible choices. Beginning with fundamental elements of ethical decision making, this seminar draws the audience into active participation to establish the elements of a personal ethical framework, and then challenges participants to apply that framework to ethically difficult choices involving real municipal government actions. Examine the three key elements of ethical decision making (values, facts, and principles), and observe various ethical principles and how they guide decision makers in applying relevant values to a specific set of facts. Learn how to cultivate, guide, and encourage public service reflecting a very high standard of ethical thinking and conduct.
    Instructor:
    Scott Paine, Associate Professor, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL

  • 1:30 pm
    L03: Making Shifts Happen: From Political Drama to Finding Common Ground (Show details)

    Ms. Donna Zajonc - Bainbridge Leadership Center

    Time: 1:30pm-5:00pm
    Registration Fee: $125
    Competency: Collaborator/Catalyst (2 Credits)

    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.
    Instructor:
    Donna Zajonc, Executive and Leadership Coach, Bainbridge Leadership Center, Bainbridge Island, WA

  • 3:45 pm
    Corporate Partners Leadership Council Meeting

Sunday, March 10, 2013

  • 7:30 am
    Registration

  • 8:30 am
    Board of Directors Meeting

  • 9:00 am
    L07: Hiring and Evaluating the CEO: What Councils and Managers Need to Know (Show details)

    Julia Novak - The Novak Consulting Group

    Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
    Registration Fee:  $125
    Competency: Competent Practitioner/Cornerstone (2 Credits)

    Selecting the manager or administrator for your city, town or village is arguably the most important decision you will make as an elected official. Yet, responsibility for this selection is not usually your major reason in running for office, or your primary motivation to continue in tough economic times. When your community needs to hire a new manager and/or evaluate the your current manager, the process can potentially be overly politicized, rushed, or mishandled due to a lack of experience. In most other key decisions, elected officials can depend on staff expertise to inform their deliberations, including input from the manager or administrator. However, in hiring and evaluation processes, staff is not usually in a position to advise elected officials as they might on other issues. This session is designed to help elected officials navigate the processes of hiring and evaluating their top appointed official. It is also designed to assist the manager/administrator in effectively working with elected officials during the evaluation process so that their resulting feedback is constructive, meaningful, and useful in improving the manager/administrator's performance.
    Instructors:
    Julia Novak, President, The Novak Consulting Group

  • 9:00 am
    L05: Civil Discourse in the Face of Incivility: Leading to a Succesful Resolution of Community Conflict (Show details)

    Malcom Chapman - City of Rapid City

    Time: 9:00am-5:00pm
    Registration Fee:  $190
    Competency: Collaborator/Communicator (4 Credits)

    Learn to develop your leadership skills in both every day and divisive situations, explore listening with the goal of understanding as an essential part of leadership, and provide an opportunity to
    practice your skills to plant seeds of leadership and civility in the governing bodies of your communities. Participants will be introduced to The Five Powers as a roadmap to work in groups to develop a plan that could be implemented for success. This interactive session will use the case study as a way to explore the tools presented in the seminar. You will group and re-group, adopting the role of different characters in the case study, to explore the situation from different leadership positions. Ultimately, you will formulate a plan in which all characters in the case study can come together to lead their community through the challenging situation. After exploring the tools, you will be encouraged to think of how you can apply the tools you used in the hypothetical situation, to a real situation in your community.
    Instructors:
    Malcom Chapman, President, The Chapman Group,
    Rapid City, SD

  • 9:00am
    L06: Innovative Strategies for Involving and Engaging Citizens (Show details)

    Mr. Steve Brigham - America Speaks
    Mr. Theo Brown - America Speaks

    Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
    Registration Fee:  $125
    Competency: Competent Practitioner/Communicator (2 Credits)

    In these days of instant access to information,
    citizens expect and in some cases demand better  engagement and communication, not only online, but in person as well. Through this session, participants will learn about specific ways to improve the recruitment of citizens for public meetings and learn about the benefits of having demographically representative groups of people participate. We will explore innovative ways to actively engage participants during meetings and, in particular, will demonstrate some of the ways that technology can be used to get detailed input about citizens’ priorities.
    Instructor(s):
    Theo Brown, Senior Associate, America Speaks, Washington, D.C.

  • 9:00 am
    L08: Enhancing Council Effectiveness: Part I-Understanding and Enhancing Emotional Intelligence (Show details)

    Dr. Neil Katz - Nova Southeastern University

    Time: 9:00am-12:00pm
    Registration Fee:  $135 (includes $10 survey tool fee)
    Competency: Communicator/Collaborator (2 Credits)

    Studies demonstrate that among capabilities that drive outstanding performance, Emotional Intelligence was twice as important as Technical Ability or Cognitive/Conceptual Reasoning, and accounted for up to 90% of the difference in the profile between “average” and “star” performers at senior levels of professional practice. This workshop will present some of the important research findings and skill building being done in the area of Emotional Intelligence. Daniel Goleman’s four part framework on emotional intelligence—Self Awareness, Self- Management, Awareness/Understanding of Others, and Relationship Management—can be viewed as a template for assessing and displaying competencies in influencing others with integrity. This workshop will follow the Goleman framework and work with theories, concepts, exercises and skill practice in each of the four critical segments of emotional intelligence to enhance confidence and competence in understanding and managing ourselves and working collaboratively with others.
    Instructor:
    Neil Katz,Professor, Training Manager, NOVA Southeastern University and Syracuse University  

  • 12:00 pm
    Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Local Officials (GLBTO) Business Meeting

  • 12:00 pm
    Leadership Luncheon

  • 1:00 pm
    Policy and Advocacy Committee Meetings

  • 1:30 pm
    L11: Violence Reduction: Comprehensive Planning and Funding Strategies (Show details)

    John Calhoun - National Crime Prevention Council

    Time: 1:30pm-5:00pm
    Registration Fee: $125
    Competency: Competent Practitioner/ Flex Competency (2 Credits)

    Learn how to develop community-anchored violence and gun violence reduction initiatives and marshal the resources to build and sustain them. Cities that tackle community violence effectively do so by committing themselves to a comprehensive strategy that blends prevention, intervention, and enforcement.  This training session will help participants develop skills to:
    clarify desired results and develop comprehensive strategies; engage the right partners (including non-traditional stakeholders); present a strong case for investment; evaluate potential funding strategies and opportunities to “blend” and “braid” funding from multiple sources; and build a leadership structure that sustains and improves the city’s efforts over time.
    Instructors:
    John A. "Jack" Calhoun, Senior Consultant, Office of
    Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice and Senior
    Consultant, Institute for Youth, Education and Families,
    NLC
    Andrew O. Moore , Senior Fellow, Institute for Youth,
    Education and Families, NLC

  • 1:30 pm
    Advisory Council Meeting

  • 1:30 pm
    L10: Leading a Diverse Generational City (Show details)

    Todd Arwood - Todd Arwood Performance Partners

    Time: 1:30pm-5:00 pm
    Registration Fee:  $125
    Competency: Collaborator/Cornerstone (2 Credits)

    Today’s city is a blend of people from various generational backgrounds. How does a “fifty-something” manage, sell or even work with a “twenty-something”? And what on earth do we do with those teenagers sporting orange hair and body piercings? The differences of the generations lead to differences in values, perspectives, motivators, and work ethic. This fun and exciting program will arm you with the information necessary to understand how to deal differently with people from the generations.
    Instructor:
    Todd Arwood, President, Todd Arwood Performance Partners, Louisville, KY

  • 1:30 pm
    L09: Enhancing Council Effectiveness: Part II- Managing Conflict in the Workplace (Show details)

    Time: 1:30pm-5:00 pm
    Registration Fee:  $125
    Competency: Communicator/Collaborator/Catalyst (2 Credits)

    Conflict is an inevitable aspect of organizational life. The ability to manage and resolve conflicts constructively is a critical skill that affects morale and productivity. The principal focus of this workshop is developing skills of conflict awareness, assessment, and management. Participants will identify their own style of dealing with conflict, and will learn the process of moving a conflict to a problem-solving mode. The resolution of two types of conflicts will be learned: resolving conflicts of needs and resolving conflicts of values. A specific model for conflict resolution is introduced that allows one to manage the negative emotional states involved in typical conflict situations and negotiate constructive agreements.
    Instructor(s):
    Neil Katz,Professor, Training Manager, NOVA Southeastern University and Syracuse University

  • 2:00 pm
    Youth Delegates Orientation

  • 4:00 pm
    Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO) Business Meeting

  • 4:00 pm
    National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Member Networking Open House

  • 4:00 pm
    Policy and Advocacy Steering Committee Meetings

  • 4:30 pm
    Democratic Municipal Officials - Council of Policy Leaders Meeting

  • 4:30 pm
    Democratic Municipal Officials - Council of State Chairs Meeting

  • 4:30 pm
    Louisiana Municipal Association Caucus

  • 5:00 pm
    Michigan Municipal League Reception (Petits Plats)

  • 5:15 pm
    Orientation for First Time Attendees

  • 5:30 pm
    Alabama League of Municipalities Caucus

  • 5:45 pm
    National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Board of Directors

  • 6:30 pm
    Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials (APAMO)- Hispanic Elected Local Officals (HELO) - Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Local Officials (GLBTO) Joint Reception

  • 8:30 pm
    National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) Evening Out

Monday, March 11, 2013

  • 7:00 am
    Registration

  • 7:30 am
    First Tier Suburbs Council Steering Committee Meeting

  • 7:30 am
    Corporate Partners Sponsored Breakfast Session: Solution: Investing in America's Water

  • 7:30 am
    Celebrate Diversity Breakfast (Show details)

    Rev. Al Sharpton - National Action Network

  • 7:30 am
    Corporate Partners Sponsored Breakfast Session: Smarter Cities and the Possibilities from Smarter Social Programs

  • 7:30 am
    Corporate Partners Sponsored Breakfast Session: Understanding the Cost and Benefits of Cloud Computing for Your City

  • 7:30 am
    Corporate Partners Sponsored Breakfast Session: Preserving Homeownership, Properties, and Neighborhood Stabilization

  • 9:00 am
    Opening General Session (Show details)

    Frank Luntz - Washington Speakers Bureau

  • 11:00 am
    Innovation Clusters and Business Accelerators: Leveraging Federal Resources (Show details)

    It’s usually private sector businesses, large and small, that tap the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) for resources to develop and promote innovation clusters and business accelerators.  However, these resources are paying off for local officials and their cities too.  Join this session to learn about EDA’s investment priorities and how your community can take advantage of them.  Collaborative regional innovation; access to capital for small, medium-sized, and minority-owned enterprises; local economic adjustment; and business accelerators are among the priorities that will be discussed.  

  • 11:00 am
    Building Better Water Infrastructure: Financing for Local Governments (Show details)

    Local governments construct, operate, and maintain the vast majority of the country’s water infrastructure networks, which are essential for economic development and quality of life in our communities. But cities face a backlog of projects and challenges funding much needed water infrastructure improvements. Federal mandates, along with the amount of aging infrastructure, are straining local resources to make these investments.  Meanwhile, federal options for grants and loans are dwindling. This session will explore alternative financing mechanisms for water infrastructure projects that are being considered in Congress.

  • 11:00 am
    Can Government be Smarter About Housing? (Show details)

    Housing market recovery and the immediate challenge of helping homeowners prevent foreclosure have largely pushed federal rental assistance programs into the background for local officials.  However, the costs of subsidizing rents for families in need continues to climb, requiring larger shares of federal funding and squeezing federal resources available for neighborhood development programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs.  In this session, experts from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide an overview of housing assistance programs across the rural-urban spectrum, through the Section 8, rural housing, and other programs, and share their insights on ways local officials can help more families in an environment of fewer federal resources.  

  • 11:00 am
    Reducing Gun Violence in America’s Communities (Show details)

    Every day we are reminded of the toll of gun violence whether by mass shootings, homicides, drive by shootings, or accidental gun firings.  And every day thirty or forty more Americans die because of gun violence.  Can anything be done to stop this?  In this interactive session, a panel of experts will discuss local action being taken to reduce gun violence and the effectiveness of current federal policy and proposals being considered to support those efforts.  

  • 11:00 am
    Building Healthy Communities (Show details)

    Cities are healthiest when their youngest residents have access to healthy food, exercise and recreational opportunities, and health care.  This session will offer participants information about opportunities for cities to connect to federal and NLC initiatives and/or funding that promote access to healthy food, opportunities for physical activity and access to health benefits for families.  Hear from experts about what is happening in these areas at the national and federal levels, and learn from a peer city about local efforts to improve the health of children in their local community.

  • 12:30 pm
    Youth Delegates Forum

  • 12:30 pm
    State Municipal League Executive Directors Luncheon Roundtable

  • 12:30 pm
    Women in Municipal Government (WIMG)"A Capital Feast" Luncheon

  • 12:30 pm
    Afterschool Policy Advisor's Network Luncheon

  • 12:30 pm
    Suburban Cities: Confronting Decline and Charting a Path to Renewal (Show details)

    David Sander - City of Rancho Cordova

    Changing demographics, economic decline, and aging infrastructure are creating a number of unrecognized challenges for most suburban cities across the nation.  The good news is that there is no need to address these challenges on your own.  This session will offer a comprehensive look at the realities suburban cities are encountering and focused roundtable conversations for how to address them.  This session is being presented by the First Tier Suburbs Council at the National League of Cities.

  • 12:30 pm
    Small Cities Council Meeting

  • 12:30 pm
    International Council Meeting

  • 12:45 pm
    University Communities Council Meeting - Speeding Towards Solutions

  • 1:00 pm
    National Organization to Insure A Sound Controlled Environment (NOISE) Legislative Summit - Aviation Noise Help

  • 2:00 pm
    Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO) Business Meeting

  • 2:00 pm
    Winning Advocacy Strategies (Show details)

    In this informative and entertaining session, city leaders will learn some of the latest strategies for advocating for NLC’s legislative priorities on Capitol Hill or at home.  With Congress poised to consider legislation this year that could have significant impact for the better or the worse on local communities, you won’t want to miss out on this special opportunity to learn how to be an effective advocate for your communities during the Conference and the other 51 weeks of the year.    

  • 2:00 pm
    World Cafe/Film/Advocacy Training

  • 2:00 pm
    Federal Agency Round Robin (Show details)

    In this session, participants will have opportunities to connect with representatives from federal agencies about various federal programs and opportunities available to cities and towns.  The representatives will answer questions about federal resources, tools, grants, and programs of interest to local governments in a series of 20 minute facilitated small group discussions.  

  • 2:00 pm
    Western Municipal Association

  • 2:00 pm
    DETROPIA, Film Screening and Discussion (Show details)

    This award-winning documentary by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady explores the complex challenges of globalization, race relations, urban decay and the disconnections between citizens and government facing cities today with a focus on the City of Detroit.  This special sneak peak screening of the film precedes the May release to national public television stations.  A discussion of the film and its major themes will follow the screening.

  • 3:45 pm
    Afternoon General Session (Show details)

    Kathleen Sebelius - Department of Health and Human Services
    Gen Martin E Dempsey - Department of Defense
    Shaun Donovan - U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Devt.

  • 5:00 pm
    League of Kansas Municipalities Legislative Briefing

  • 5:00 pm
    Florida League of Cities Reception

  • 5:00 pm
    Organization for Local Progress Cocktail Reception

  • 5:00 pm
    Colorado Municipal League Issues Briefing

  • 5:00 pm
    North Carolina League of Municipalities Caucus

  • 5:15 pm
    National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) General Membership Meeting

  • 5:15 pm
    Youth Delegates and Elected Officials Event

  • 5:30 pm
    Association of Washington Cities Reception

  • 5:30 pm
    League of Arizona Cities and Towns Reception

  • 5:30 pm
    Texas Municipal League Reception (Ticketed Event)

  • 6:00 pm
    League of California Cities Reception

  • 6:30 pm
    Maine Municipal Association/North Dakota League of Cities Informal Dinner – Petit Plats French Restaurant

  • 7:00 pm
    Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Dutch-Treat Dinner

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

  • 7:00 am
    Democratic Municipal Officials National Breakfast Meeting

  • 7:15 am
    Council on Youth, Education and Families Meeting

  • 7:15 am
    Large Cities Council

  • 7:30 am
    Republican Mayors and Local Officials Breakfast

  • 7:30 am
    Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) Board of Directors Meeting

  • 7:30 am
    Registration

  • 7:30 am
    University Communities Council Steering Committee

  • 7:30 am
    State League Legislative Briefing Breakfast

  • 7:30 am
    Military Communities Council

  • 7:45 am
    Small Cities Council Steering Committee Meeting

  • 9:00 am
    Educating America -- How City Elected Officials Can Influence School Reform (Show details)

    For many years business leaders, educators, politicians, and advocates have decried the “sorry state of education” in our country, and numerous reform proposals to improve the nation’s education system have been enacted or considered.  At the federal level, in 2001, “No Child Left Behind ” became law and committed millions of dollars to improve student test scores, teacher training, and school system outcomes.  Despite these investments, dropout rates remain too high, testing scores are too low, and disparate school systems are emerging.  Even though generally not responsible or accountable for the day-to-day management of their city’s school system, mayors and other city and town elected officials have been trying to help make a difference.  This plenary session will examine the state of federal education policy and efforts underway to improve it, and explore the role that local officials can play in improving their local school systems.  

  • 9:00 am
    Comprehensive Immigration Reform – What Does It Mean for Cities? (Show details)

    America's immigration system is broken with the burdens falling on local governments and the failure to take action to fix the system increasingly detrimental to the livelihood of our cities and towns.  As the nation’s leaders begin to consider proposals to reform the system, city leaders call for comprehensive immigration reform to help stimulate the economy, grow the nation’s workforce, and remain competitive in the 21st century global marketplace.  A comprehensive solution also must include eliminating illegal border entry, increasing enforcement of visa overstays, strengthening the worksite enforcement capacity, supporting a process to allow undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States to earn legalized status and providing local governments with financial and technical assistance to alleviate the local impact of new immigrants.  This session will look at the current prospects for reform legislation and prepare attendees to be a champion for it.  

  • 9:00 am
    Protecting Cities in the Federal Budget Debates (Show details)

    Ed Rendell - Fix the Debt

    As debates over how to reduce the federal deficit continue, city leaders call on Congress to adopt a bipartisan and balanced approach to address the deficit and avoid the harm that would result from automatic across-the-board spending cuts, also known as sequestration.  While eliminating or capping the federal income tax exemption provided to interest paid on municipal bonds (debt) is not part of any active proposal, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and the White House continue to consider it as a source of revenue to reduce the deficit or fund new programs.   If the federal income tax exemption is altered, cities will pay more to finance projects, leading to less infrastructure investment, fewer jobs, and greater burdens on tax payers who will have to pay higher taxes and fees. At the same time Congress is looking to close the federal deficit, it has an opportunity to provide cities with authority to collect sales taxes already owed on Internet and other remote purchases by supporting the recently introduced Marketplace Fairness Act. Come to this session to learn the latest on these proposals and others impacting the federal investments important to cities, and how you can protect your community as these debates move forward.  

  • 10:45 am
    Youth Delegates Wrap Up

  • 10:45 am
    Extreme Weather Events: Preparing Cities, Engaging Leaders (Show details)

    While cities across the country are seeing the devastation associated with a changing climate, recent extreme weather events have brought renewed attention to the need for cities to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to these events. This workshop will give an overview of the federal government’s efforts to address climate change and available federal resources. A panel of mayors will discuss their experiences in preparing for and responding to extreme weather events and share their perspectives on how these issues will impact cities across the country.

  • 10:45 am
    EPA Integrated Planning and Affordability: Working with Local Governments (Show details)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun efforts to help local governments meet their Clean Water Act requirements in an efficient and cost effective manner and examine the fiscal impact of regulatory compliance. This session will provide an overview of EPA’s integrated planning framework and the local government affordability dialogue and allow attendees to engage directly with Agency officials and other local elected officials on how to take advantage of these new flexibilities for local governments.  

  • 10:45 am
    Proper Venue? The Courts’ Effects on Local Authority (Show details)

    In addition to advocating on the Hill, cities increasingly have turned to the court system to preserve local authority and ensure judicial deference to policy determinations made by local governing bodies.   In this session, attendees will get an update on cases important to cities pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, including the FCC “shot clock” case, and those already decided that involved public official immunity, takings, and local government taxing authority.  Attendees also will learn about the state court battles against online travel companies and how the decisions in those cases affect local tax revenues.  

  • 10:45 am
    Welcome Home: Ensuring Veterans Are Successfully Reintegrated in Your Community

  • 10:45 am
    America’s Multi-modal Transportation Network: What’s Ahead? (Show details)

    America’s interconnected, multimodal transportation network supports economic growth and community vitality.   Our national system of airports, ports, railroads, transit systems and highways move goods and people with substantial contributions from local governments and their citizens.  What is the federal role in supporting these vital networks?  How do we ensure that the local voice is part of the decision making process so that these crucial transportation infrastructure investments fit into larger community goals such as economic development and creating vibrant downtowns?   Congress will take up several important transportation programs this year including reauthorization of Amtrak, sustained transportation funding for highway, transit and bridge programs and renewal of the nation’s federal aviation system.   Come learn what these key legislative proposals mean for cities and how to make sure your voice is part of the debate.

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

    John McCain - United States Senate
    Tom Vilsack - U.S. Department of Agriculture

  • 2:15 pm
    Caucus for Maine Municipal Officials

  • 5:00 pm
    Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Policy Caucus Briefing

  • 5:15 pm
    League of Oregon Cities Briefing

  • 6:00 pm
    Mississippi Municpal League Congressional Appreciation

  • 6:15 pm
    The Capitol Steps Performance (Show details)

    The Capitol Steps began as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them.
    The group was born in December, 1981 when some staffers for Senator Charles Percy were planning entertainment for a Christmas party. Their first idea was to stage a nativity play, but in the whole Congress they couldn't find three wise men or a virgin. So, they decided to dig into the headlines of the day, and they created song parodies & skits which conveyed a special brand of satirical humor.
    In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored the conventional wisdom ("Don't quit your day job!"), and although not all of the current members of the Steps are former Capitol Hill staffers, taken together the performers have worked in a total of eighteen Congressional offices and represent 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience.
    Since they began, the Capitol Steps have recorded over 30 albums, including their latest, Take the Money and Run — for President. They've been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and can be heard 4 times a year on National Public Radio stations nationwide during their Politics Takes a Holiday radio specials.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

  • 8:00 am
    Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Congressional Delegation Breakfast

  • 8:00 am
    Alabama League of Municipalities Breakfast with U.S. Senators

Hotel/Travel

Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
Washington, DC
(202)328-2000

Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC  20008
Phone:  (202) 234-0700
 
You must be registered to book a room at the conference rate. To register and book a room, or add a room to your registration use the Book a Room link to visit the official registration site for the conference.
 
Room rates:
 
Marriott Wardman Park - $256 (standard)
Parking rate:  Self Parking:  $34/day;  Valet Parking:  $39/day
 
Omni Shoreham - $229 (standard)
Parking rate:  Self Parking:  $38.94/day

Book your room

Presenters

  1. Arwood, Todd
    Todd Arwood Performance Partners
  2. Brigham, Steve
    America Speaks
  3. Brown, Theo
    America Speaks
  4. Calhoun, John
    National Crime Prevention Council
  5. Chapman, Malcom
    City of Rapid City
  6. Dempsey, Martin
    Department of Defense
  7. Donovan, Shaun
    U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Devt.
  8. Katz, Neil
    Nova Southeastern University
  9. Luntz, Frank
    Washington Speakers Bureau
  10. McCain, John
    United States Senate
  11. Novak, Julia
    The Novak Consulting Group
  12. Rendell, Ed
    Fix the Debt
  13. Sander, David
    City of Rancho Cordova
  14. Sebelius, Kathleen
    Department of Health and Human Services
  15. Sharpton, Al
    National Action Network
  16. Vilsack, Tom
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
  17. Zajonc, Donna
    Bainbridge Leadership Center

Registration

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Spotlight

NLC Leaders Met with President Obama During the 2012 Congressional City Conference

SPONSORS

  • The Home Depot Foundation
  • IBM
  • Southwest Airlines is the Official Airline of the 2012 NLC City Showcase.

Contacts

Member Services
(877) 827-2385
memberservices@nlc.org