Building a Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network: What Local Leaders Need to Know
Wednesday, June 6, 2:00 p.m. EDT

In February, Congress and the Administration seized an opportunity to take a major step forward by replacing the current patchwork of voice-only first responder communications with a modern nationwide 4G wireless network that will ensure our first responders receive the information they need when disaster strikes. Now it is up to federal, state and local leaders to work together to build and operate the network. 
 
Anna Gomez, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information for the U.S. Department of Commerce, will provide an overview of the path to creating the network and the role state and local governments will play in making the network a reality. As local first responders will be the primary users of this network, municipalities have a key role to play in the network's planning and construction. 

In addition to NLC, the National Association of Counties, International City/County Management Association, and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors are co-hosting the webinar. 
 
To Register:  Go to http://my.nlc.org/eweb under "Upcoming Events."

A New Approach to Transportation and Housing Development 
Thursday, June 14, 2:30-4:00 p.m. EDT 

One of the biggest planning challenges local elected officials face is how to make the best land use decisions with regard to transportation and housing. Factoring the growth and development of these two components can have serious implications for overall community development. Being able to look at housing and transportation development together can help improve decisions that will create communities that meet current needs and flexible enough to adapt for future development. 

The Center for Neighborhood Technology has developed a Housing and Transportation Affordability Index which calculates housing affordability not just in terms of housing costs but also considering the transportation costs associated with a home's location. This tool has been used to impact urban development decisions in regions across the country in a variety of applications ranging from public engagement, to the siting of affordable housing, to the selection of corridor alignments for public transit, to garnering support for passenger rail, to the formation of special-purpose funds to finance transit-oriented development. This webinar will share the methodology of the development of the tool and several replicable ways it has been used in municipalities across the U.S. 

Speakers: 

· Jim Brooks, Program Director, Community Development and Infrastructure, NLC

· Julia Pulidindi, Senior Associate, Infrastructure Program, NLC 

· Stephanie Shull, Policy Analyst, Center for Neighborhood Technology 

 
To Register: Go to http://my.nlc.org/eweb under "Upcoming Events." Contact Julia Pulidindi at pulidindi@nlc.org with any questions. 


The TIFIA Federal Credit Program Overview 
Wednesday, July 11 1:30-3:30 p.m. EDT 

NLC and the Federal Highway's Office of Innovative Program Delivery (IPD) is pleased to host a webinar on the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program. This webinar will help city, county and public transportation leader's gain an understanding of innovative financing techniques used to construct large infrastructure projects. This webinar will provide an executive overview of TIFIA Federal Credit Assistance program, whose objective is to leverage Federal transportation funding to attract private investment to the U.S. surface transportation sector. After successfully completing this webinar participants will understand the benefits of federal credit assistance and the intricacies of securing this funding to build needed infrastructure. 

There is no cost to participate in this webinar and it is open to everyone who is interested. Through the use of Web conferencing technology, participants can view the speakers' presentations on their computer and hear the audio portion of the presentations either via the computer or telephone, depending on preference. 

To Register: go to https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=24589. Contact Thay Bishop of the Innovative Program Delivery Office at 404-562-3695 or thay.bishop@dot.gov with any questions. 

 

State and Local Legal Center on Recent Supreme Court Cases
Thursday, July 19, 1:00 p.m. EDT

The State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) will present a webinar on significant United States Supreme Court cases from this term affecting state and local governments. 

This webinar will provide participants a unique opportunity to hear from and address questions to the attorneys intimately involved in many of the important cases currently before the Supreme Court. Speakers will talk about the practical implications of the Affordable Care Act cases, the Arizona immigration case, and Filarsky v. Delia, involving qualified immunity for government contractors, among a number of other cases. 

Speakers will include Paul Clement, who argued cases surrounding the Affordable Care Act, Arizona immigration, Texas redistricting, and four other cases before the Supreme Court this term, and Patricia Millett, who argued three cases before the Court this term impacting state or local governments. Lisa Soronen, executive director, SLLC, will moderate the session.  

Since 1983, the SLLC has filed briefs to the Supreme Court representing the interests of state and local governments. The National League of Cities serves as a SLLC trustee. 

To Register: Go to https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/599978554 or on the State and Local Legal Center's website: http://www.statelocallc.org. Contact Lisa Soronen at lsoronen@sso.org if you have any questions.