The National League of Cities Congress of Cities and Expo differs from the other annual conference held in Washington. The Legislative Conference is focused on interfacing with federal elected officials and agencies and considering the national agenda. This year’s conference in Boston is the one that focuses on bringing together local officials from all over the country to share ideas and solutions to local issues.
This year’s foci were on promoting strong local economies, building sustainable communities, and strengthening neighborhoods and families. There were workshops on how businesses, individuals, groups, governments, and communities are being affected by the recession. There were presentations and roundtable discussions on common issues and ongoing solutions.
The most impressive of those I attended was one on stabilizing families through financial empowerment. San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisneros discussed a program developed to get workers connected with banks so that they could take advantage of direct deposit to protect their paychecks and reduce the cost of accessing their own earnings. It includes low- and no-cost checking accounts and education, when needed, on the use of debit cards.
San Francisco also has a program for initiating education savings accounts for each kindergartener enrolled and to which parents can add even tiny amounts as able that cannot be withdrawn until post-secondary enrollment.
There were discussions on micro-loans and micro-enterprise programs better suited to individuals than existing small business programs. The SNAP program has promoted the ability of sellers at farmers markets being able to accept the EBT (food stamps) card so that families in need of food assistance can have access to locally grown produce.
There was a discussion on an approach to housing development requirements. One example was of “inclusion zones” wherein code could call for any development containing more than X number of units include a percentage of affordable units.
STEP Up Savannah explained a poverty simulation program they use which educates human resources and social services professionals as well as others about the economic realities for people whose income is very low. With the significant number of hard-working lower economic citizens in Oak Ridge and surrounding areas, this could be a useful program for one of our volunteer organizations to explore. Understanding leads to better decisions by public officials and social services personnel.
In addition, one of the more over-looked federal assistance programs has been the Earned Income Tax Credit. If volunteers doing federal tax returns for folks are more aware and prepared to fill in the form, thousands more dollars can be available to the local economy through the people who do nearly all of their spending locally.
Hundreds more ideas and dozens of innovative products crossed our paths. How does all this translate to useful for Oak Ridge? So far, for example, I have been passing along interesting product and service ideas to our public works director who has been gracious enough to thank me. I figure he already has seen and evaluated most of what I forward, but maybe one new product will pop up and save us time and money. Mr. Cinder is very conscientious about finding efficient and effective. I hope to add some useful ideas to council’s next policy session as well as pass some along to local volunteer organizations and city boards.
In addition, I met a number of interesting officials from other cities, including Ann Davis from Athens, Tenn. Reaching out to other cities can prevent some reinvention of the wheel costs as well as give us ideas we hadn’t thought of.
As for expenses, this conference probably cost about $2,100 for me. The city’s travel agency booked my flight, and the city clerk’s office arranged the registration so I am not sure of the cost. I requested a hotel that I knew to be near the conference and 20-25 percent cheaper than other rates. I used the bus for transportation to and from the airport in Boston at $2.50 each way and did not charge the city of Oak Ridge for any meals since I would be eating wherever I was and love exploring new restaurants. I did charge for airport transportation to and from McGee Tyson, but I am rethinking that.
Anne Garcia Garland is an Oak Ridge City Council member.
Angi Agle says
Oak Ridge’s problem isn’t a need for “inclusion zones;” we already have an oversupply of subsidized housing. Our problem is more a need to redevelop some of the older areas to make them attractive to young, working professionals, and to attract more of the retail establishments where these young, working professionals shop (keeping their sales taxes at home).
Surely the conference included something about fostering commercial growth? Infrastructure improvements? Those would seem to be a prime issues for cities everywhere. We’re not the only ones with a dead mall, or with infrastructure needs.
An improved economic base would enable the city to consider ways to help the less fortunate who live here. Without that, it’s just a $2,100 daydream.
Sam Hopwood says
Thanks for your informative report, Ms Garland. It would be great to hear other council members do the same when they represent the city at such meetings. Of course there will always be a few with their own axe to grind who will do just that. Keep up the good work and thanks again.