“These eight winning cities show that the most creative and innovative solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges often begin at the local level,” said former NLC President Bart Peterson (2007), mayor of Indianapolis, Ind.  “NLC recognizes and celebrates these programs so that other local leaders can use these ideas to create similar efforts in their own hometowns.”      

Congratulations to the 2007 Awards for Municipal Excellence Winners!

The Winners of the 2007 Awards for Municipal Excellence were recognized at the National League of Cities' Congress of Cites on November 16, 2007.  Click on the Population categories to read more about these outstanding programs.

Population Categories:  under 50,000 | 50,001 to 150,000 |150,001 - 500,000 | 500,001 and over

Population Category Under 50,000:

Gold Award Winner:  Lenexa, Kansas
Rain to Recreation,  A Watershed Management Program  (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

The City of Lenexa created “Rain to Recreation,” a storm water management program that treats storm water as a community asset rather than a problem.    The goals of the program were to incorporate federal regulatory requirements and reduce flooding, protect water quality and preserve the environment, and provide new recreation and education opportunities for its residents. In order to achieve these goals, a systems approach was adopted, using the natural features of the land to slowly move water along the system, improving water quality using the land and native vegetation and building new lakes to provide regional retention for new development and new recreational areas for its citizens.

 “With Rain to Recreation, the City of Lenexa has taken a proactive, systems approach to stormwater, turning issues surrounding flood control and water quality into community assets.  We have created new recreational opportunities through preservation of stream corridors and construction of community lakes for regional detention,” said Lenexa Mayor Michael Boehm.

No Dumping Marking on Sewer Drains                                      Lake Lenexa Dam Spillway

Silver Award Winner:  Selma, Alabama
TRUSTBuild   (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

The City of Selma developed TRUSTBuild (Teaming to Restore Unity, Safety, and Trust), a community development and outreach strategy to build trust between citizens and city government and to provide a safe and secure community to all citizens.  Neighborhood Sweeps were implemented to correct deficiencies within city departments that provided services to the community, while a Community Outreach Department was created to reach out to residents providing information about concerns on safety and city services. Since the implementation of TRUSTBuild, the needs of many citizens have been met through a continuous collaboration with many public and private agencies, faith-based organizations and the City of Selma. 

“I thank the citizens of Selma for giving this new idea a chance.  I thank the TRUSTBuild team for their continued commitment to helping our people.  I thank the National League of Cities and CH2M HILL for recognizing the innovation, success, and significance of our efforts,” said Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr.

           
 Staff and Mayor for the TRUSTBuild Iniative                          Neighborhood Visit

Gold Award Winner:  New Haven, Connecticut

Elm City Immigration Project  (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

The City of New Haven has recently tackled the rapid growth of its Latino immigrant population by creating the Elm City Immigrant Rights Project.  This project, a collaboration between the city, faith-based organizations, financial and educational institutions and community members, has implemented comprehensive policies and initiatives aimed at strengthening the relationship between the city and its immigrant community while improving public safety.

Among the initiatives that the city created are multi-purpose municipal identification cards for all city residents; established an Office of New Residents to provide assistance; enacted an order prohibiting law enforcement officers from inquiring about a person’s immigration status; increased collaborations to improve immigrant crime reporting; facilitated immigrant access to financial institutions and financial literacy services; and translated city documents to Spanish.  As a result of this project, new coalitions have been built, public safety has improved, and there has been an increase in communication and participation between immigrant residents, the community and the city. 

“Our Elm City Resident Card is an important symbol of what New Haven stands for – a city that believes in unity, acceptance, opportunity and respect for all residents,” said New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr.  “It is essential that we institute a fundamental acknowledgement of an individual's worth and dignity by giving a name to those among us.  Not to name them by a stereotype, or by ignorance, or by a prejudice. We work to unite all residents, to ensure that they have the resources and services they need made available to them to be productive members of the community and to know that they are valuable members of our society.”

Elm City Resident Identification Card

Silver Award Winner:  Tinley Park, Illinois

Economic Development Plan for Success    (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

The City of Tinley Park has followed an aggressive Economic Development Plan for Success, allowing it to boast as having one of the most diverse economies in the Midwest, one of the lowest property tax rates in the region, and one of the best credit ratings in the nation.   Tinley Park has distinguished itself as a well-planned community with a broad tax base supported by diverse manufacturing, health care, office, education, distribution, retail, service, transportation, communication, entertainment, and hospitality industries. The primary economic development goal is to expand the tax base for the benefit of all their citizens, property owners, and employers.

“Tinley Park has been a model for economic development success for generations,” said Tinley Park Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rea.  “We have maintained a commitment to an economic development program that has turned a farming hamlet into a strong, self-sustained suburban community of 60,000 people.”

        
 Downtown Tinley Park                                                          Oak Park Avenue North Street

Gold Award Winner:  Plano, Texas

Management Preparation Program of Plano (MP3)   (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

The City of Plano developed the Management Preparation Program of Plano (MP3) when the city recognized the lack of preparation for transitioning to the next generation of leaders in preparation for the tidal wave of retiring baby boomers in the coming years. The City’s commitment to continuous excellence led to a preparation tool to enhance managers’ ability and skill to successfully compete for next-level positions of executive management.  A multi-tiered, twelve-month program, MP3, combines diverse training methods to maximize cognitive, affective, and social learning. 

 “The City of Plano is honored that the National League of Cities has awarded the 2007 Gold Award for Municipal Excellence to Plano’s Management Preparation Program (MP3).  This curriculum focuses on the anticipation of changing needs of an organization and a desire to remain, at the same time, a high-performance business,” said Plano Mayor Pat Evans.

 MP3 Workgroup Discussion                                                   MP3 Notebook and Training Material

Silver Award Winner:  Pembroke Pines, Florida

State Hospital Campus:  Human Services Collaborations & Redevelopment                                     (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

The city of Pembroke Pines converted a former mental hospital into the Forman Human Services Park, which houses Pines Place, an affordable rental apartment complex for senior citizens; agencies providing critical recovery, rehabilitation and health services, and the new Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center.  In a joint effort with many organizations, City Commissioners welcomed the opportunity to redevelop this stigmatized and underused eyesore -- and at the same time stay true to its designated land use of Health & Rehabilitation Services.  Forman Park is the City’s most recent effort to address the human services and housing needs in their community.  By maximizing resources and forging innovative partnerships, this blighted property has evolved into a vibrant campus offering benefits to the entire community.

“We are very proud that the Forman Human Services Park is being recognized by the National League of Cities,” said Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank Ortis.  “What was once a blighted hospital site is now a vibrant human services campus that is also home to hundreds of senior citizens enjoying their new affordable rental community. Together, we have built a better way of life for all in our proud city of Pembroke Pines.”

Senior Beach Babies Photo                                                  Senior Quilt Photo

Population Category of 500,001 and over: 

Gold Award Winner:  Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Lapham Park Venture    (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

Lapham Park, a public housing development in the City of Milwaukee, created the Lapham Park Venture - the nation's first assisted retirement community for low-income seniors, to address the problem of affordable housing and services for its senior population. The Lapham Park Venture was a group project formed to bring together practitioners in planning, housing, gerontology, and social services to provide on-site integrated care as well as to provide exam rooms, a therapeutic bathing space, and an exercise room for its residents.

“The Lapham Park Venture is a creative community-based strategy that has become a national model,” said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.  “This initiative provides low-income seniors with access to a critical range of coordinated health, social and support services, and it also saves taxpayers more than $1 million per year.”

           Chair Rockers Aerobic Exercise Group                          Social Worker with Resident

Silver Award Winner:  Austin, Texas

Spring Terrace    (Click here to view the Nomination Packet)

The City of Austin, in collaboration with local nonprofit Foundation Communities, opened its second supportive housing community, Spring Terrace, for extremely low- income and homeless single adults. With funding from several sponsors, Austin was able to renovate a 70,000 sq. ft., three story hotel into a building employing green techniques and providing 140 individual furnished units with kitchenettes, a common space laundry room, exercise room, meeting room, computer lab, three resident lounges, and offices for supportive service staff providing case management and social service support.  Rents at Spring Terrace are significantly below fair market rent for efficiency apartments in Austin, allowing Spring Terrace to serve people not reached by the market who might otherwise be living in emergency shelters, crowded conditions, or temporary transitional housing. 

“The opening of Spring Terrace reflects the strong public-private partnership between the City of Austin and Foundation Communities,” said Austin Mayor Will Wynn.  “By providing homes that low-income adults can afford, Spring Terrace maintains the social and economic diversity of Austin, while at the same time becoming the first such project in Austin to employ green building techniques.”

 Residents in Outside Area                                                        Cistern Courtyard at Spring Terrace