NLC Member Councils Finalize Agendas for Discussions in Washington

Febuary 20, 2012

by Member Relations

NLC’s member councils will convene in Washington, D.C., during the Congressional City Conference to discuss the unique issues that affect their type of community. Large cities, small cities, first tier suburbs, university communities and military communities will each gather to hear from experts and share challenges and success stories.

Participation in the sessions is open to all conference attendees. Attendees are encouraged to also join the councils in order to participate in similar discussions throughout the year and to stay informed of developments that affect their communities.

Large Cities Council

The Large Cities Council will be convened by Mesa, Ariz., Councilwoman Dina Higgins, chair, and Kansas City, Mo., Councilmember Jan Marcason, vice chair, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., on Monday, March 12. The agenda will include a presentation on the economic imperative for stable utility revenues and rate decoupling and how investor-owned utilities differ in their approaches compared to similar publicly-owned enterprises. Additionally, a Web tool for employee evaluations will be presented and demonstrated.

Small Cities Council

The Small Cities Council will be convened by Lumberton, N.C., Councilmember Leon Maynor, chair, Canandaigua, N.Y., Mayor Ellen Polimeni, first vice chair, and Burleson, Texas, Mayor Pro Tem Stuart Gillaspie, second vice chair, on Monday, March 12, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. The program will feature speakers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who will outline project grant resources for small cities. Attendees will also learn about NLC’s Service Line Warranty program, which allows small city citizens to save money on service line repairs. Additional topics of conversation will include updates on Internet sales taxes and the transportation reauthorization.

University Communities Council

The University Communities Council meeting will be convened by Moscow, Idaho, Mayor Nancy Chaney, chair, Grand Forks, N.D., Community/Government Relations Officer Pete Haga, vice chair, and Waco, Texas, councilmember Alice Rodriguez, vice chair. During the University Communities Council membership meeting, to be held on Monday, March 12, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., speakers will address health and safety programs, the Healthy Living Active Living (HEAL) program and Safe Routes to School.

First Tier Suburbs Council

The First Tier Suburbs Council will not be holding a formal meeting at this year’s Congressional City Conference. Rather than planning a standalone meeting, Beaverton, Ore., Mayor Dennis Doyle, chair, Rancho Cordova, Calif., Mayor David Sander, vice chair, and West Valley City, Utah, Councilmember Corey Rushton, vice chair, will identify a series of workshops with issues and topics important to the council members and will encourage those from inner ring suburbs to attend. The issues, concerns and opportunities of suburban communities are vast and the series will touch on a number of areas that are designed to help inner ring suburbs meet their unique challenges.

Military Communities Peer Networking Group

The Military Communities Peer Networking Group will meet on Monday, March 12, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. Participants will be joined by Brad Cooper, executive director, Joining Forces, The White House, for an open discussion about how cities can support military families and returning service members. In addition, Jim Brooks, NLC staff, will share information about NLC’s work on veteran housing, which has been made possible by a recently awarded grant from The Home Depot Foundation.

Details: For more information about any of the councils or to inquire about joining, please contact NLC Member Services at memberservices@nlc.org or call (202) 626-3100.