October 18, 2010Volume 77, Issue 16

Since 1933, the Official Publication of The United States Conference of Mayors

M A Y O RM A Y O RU.S. Build America Bonds Finance Las Vegas City Hall . . . . . . . . 3

Kautz Appointed to EPA Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Municipal Waste Management Association Fall Summit . . . 8

By Kay Scrimger

Conference of Mayors President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz out-lined the array of comprehensive strate-gies that U.S. mayors are using to fight climate change during the 82nd Plenary Session of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) of the European Union (EU) on October 5 in Brussels.

This was Kautz’ third time to speak before CoR, the EU’s assembly of local and regional officials from its 27 member nations. The first was in Octo-ber 2009 in Brussels, followed by an address to the CoR in December 2009 at the United Nations COP 15 Climate Protection Conference in Copenhagen.

US, European Mayors Share Common Goals on Climate Protection

Kautz emphasized the goals that U.S. mayors have in common with European local and regional leaders. “I am here to build on and strengthen our rela-tionship, our resolve, and our intent to work together to achieve sustainable development, a green economy, and environmental protection. We know that economic development and climate pro-tection go hand in hand, as evidenced by your cities and regions and ours in the United States,” she said.

She praised the continuing joint efforts of the Conference of Mayors and

Kautz Highlights U .S . Mayors’ Climate Protection Strategies at European Union Committee of the Regions in Brussels

By Laura DeKoven Waxman

Fifty-one percent of 608 police departments responding to a new sur-vey by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) have had to cut their budgets this year, and that cut has averaged seven percent. Among those departments whose budgets were cut this year, 59 percent are preparing to cut their budgets again next year, the survey found. Thirty-nine percent of all of the departments participating

in the survey anticipate budget cuts next year, and they expect those cuts to average 8.1 percent. These findings contrast with those of a similar survey that PERF conducted last year, which found that the budgets of these same departments increased by an average of six percent.

The report, released in Washington (DC) September 30, shows that there has been a three percent decrease in

More than Half of Police Departments Suffer Budget Cuts This Year, More Cuts Expected Next Year

See BRUSSELS on page 4

See PERF on page 4

Left to right, USCM President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, European Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard for the European Commission, and CoR of the European Union President Mercedes Bresso join together after signing a Memorandum of Understanding between USCM and CoR of the European Union, with the support of the European Commission on October 5 in Brussels.

Bridgeport (CT) Mayor Bill Finch recently hosted a dinner for non-member mayors in Connecticut to learn more about the benefits of USCM. Left to right, front row: Finch, USCM member Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia, Bristol Mayor Arthur Ward, and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti. Back row: USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran, Stratford Mayor John Harkins, West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka, and Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde.

USCM Membership Campaign Rolls On in Connecticut

October 18, 2010

October 15, 2010At our Fall Leadership Meeting,

Conference President Elizabeth Kautz launched a 50-state campaign to retain our current member mayors and to recruit non-member mayors.

Membership Chair Brian Wahler of Piscataway is leading the implementa-tion of 50 mayor/USCM staff teams engaged in our effort. My staff will work with our Board Member Mayors in each of their respective states. Our primary goal is to bring more non-members than ever to our Winter Meeting here in Washington, January 19 to 21, 2011. Many mayors and staff concur that if mayors come to our Annual and Winter Meetings, they will give us the opportu-nity to discuss the benefits of our organi-zation and they will return. Our strategy is quite transparent. We want all eligible mayors to be active as dues-paying members in our organization.

Last month, President Kautz and I, along with our USCM California staff team went to the 2010 League of Califor-

nia Cities Annual Conference and Expo in San Diego. We set up our booth. There was great interest. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and USCM Trustee Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster joined with President Kautz to host a membership reception. We were also joined by for-mer Long Beach Mayor and past USCM President Beverly O’Neill. Each mayor told the story of why he or she belonged to our organization, and we followed up with those mayors who came to our event. We are currently designing a sus-tainable effort as we recruit a diverse and large number of non-member may-ors in California.

Last week, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch hosted a dinner with me and Connecticut mayors for the purpose of talking membership to a number of non-member mayors of Connecticut. The din-ner meeting took place on the eve of the Connecticut Conference of Municipali-ties Annual Convention. Several mayors expressed a strong interest in joining the Conference. We thank Mayor Finch for his continued leadership. During the CCM meeting, we had an opportunity to hear the debate sponsored by that organization between Republican nomi-nee Tom Foley and Democratic nominee Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy.

Next week, we will have a team of

mayors and Conference staff going to Corpus Christi, TX - the site of the Texas Municipal League Annual Conference. Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck is working with us as we reach out and show Texas mayors how they are needed to join our organization and strengthen their voice in Washington to benefit their cities.

Other meetings will be scheduled in other states. USCM staff is charged to set up conference calls with leader-ship mayors in each state. We know that the best sales pitch for membership in our organization is the mayor-to-mayor approach. Mayors active within the Conference are absolutely the best when they are asked why they are active members of USCM.

This week, a letter goes out to non-member mayors with a special invitation to attend our 79th Washington Winter Meeting. We believe that when given the opportunity, mayors and Conference staff can show in a convincing manner why it is essential for all cities to par-ticipate as dues-paying members of The United States Conference of Mayors.

The response has been terrific at this stage of our campaign. We thank the mayors who have helped us in three states. We look forward to the next few weeks as others join us to get more may-ors to come to Washington for another dynamic Winter Meeting January 19 to 21, 2011. Together we will work in these challenging economic times to strengthen our organization, keeping our member-ship strong and active. Together, mayors working within The United States Con-ference of Mayors will make their cities stronger and better places for people to live and to work in cities large and small throughout our nation.

For more information on how you can help and benefit, please contact Debra DeHaney-Howard at ddehaney@usmayors.org or 202-861-6702.

Again, on behalf of President Kautz, I thank you for your continued support as we work together for a stronger United States Conference of Mayors.

Page 2 U .S . MAYOR usmayors.org

TO THE MAYORFROM THE CEO AND ExECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please e-mail address corrections to usmayor@usmayors .org . No telephone calls please .

U .S . MAYORPublisher, Editor-in-Chief

Tom CochranISSN 1049-2119

Kathy AmorosoDebra DeHaney-Howard

David GattonLarry Jones

Kathryn Kretschmer-Weyland

Eugene LoweKevin McCartyTom McClimon

Geri PowellJudy Sheahan

Crystal SwannElena TempleRon Thaniel

Laura DeKoven WaxmanJim Welfley

Contributing Editors

U.S. MAYOR (ISSN 1049-2119) is published semi-monthly except for August, September and December by The United States Conference of Mayors, 1620 I Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006-4005. Tom Cochran, Executive Director.Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC and additional offices.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to U.S. MAYOR, 1620 I Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20006 or by e-mail to: usmayor@usmayors.org.Subscription: $35 annuallyU.S. MAYOR is printed on recycled paper usmayors.org

Produced by: Cicuye StudiosProofreader: Kathy Amoroso

Account RepresentativeDoug Baj

advertise@usmayors.orgFax: 703-832-8317

Managing Editor: Ed Somers

We know you have good news to share

about your mayor or about an unique

local program. Tell us about it so other

cities can learn from your success!

Send your press releases and photos

for publication in the U.S. MAYOR

newspaper to

the Conference of Mayors

Public Affairs Office:

etemple@usmayors.org/202-861-6719

SHARE YOURGOOD NEWS!

October 18, 2010 U .S . Mayor Page 3usmayors.org

By Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman

Construction is now underway on the new city hall in Las Vegas and city lead-ers are excited. At a time of economic challenge, our city is taking the lead by investing in its community, putting peo-ple to work, and helping create a more vibrant, economically robust downtown area, which will support the develop-ment of new hotels, casinos and other visitor-serving facilities. As a catalyst for this urban redevelopment, the new city hall will not only create jobs and con-struction activity, but it will help stimu-late private investment in the downtown and the city that has the potential to generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue. Plus, it’s a unique opportunity to establish a new sense of place and vitality in one of Las Vegas’ most trea-sured historic areas—downtown. A key component to financing a portion of the $150 million construction cost is Build America Bonds—part of the federal stimulus package created for cities as an alternative to municipal bonds.

By building the city hall now, the city is able to create jobs at a critical time and take advantage of cost reductions resulting from the current economy and thereby avoid increases in future con-struction costs. Our development part-ner, Forest City/LiveWork, will construct the approximately 300,000-square-foot city hall building on a fee basis. Site preparation work has begun and ver-tical construction began this summer and is estimated to take approximately 24 months to complete. LiveWork is a development company that teamed up with Forest City—a national real estate firm headquartered in Cleveland (OH) with a long history of successful public/private partnerships, especially in the urban arena.

As approved by the city council, the new city hall is being financed through Certificates of Participation issued under the Federal Build America Bonds (BAB) program. BABs, which were created as part of federal economic stimulus legisla-tion, are designed to increase spending by state and local governments on large capital projects that can quickly gener-ate construction work and jobs. They essentially allowed our city to finance the project at a lower effective tax rate.

“Once President Obama passed the stimulus package, we focused on using Build America Bonds, but throughout the pre-development period, we presented several financing structures to the city to find a solution. This was no easy task given that the real estate and municipal financing markets were deteriorating right before our eyes,” said Dimitri Vaz-elakis, Chief Operating Officer of Forest City West. “We worked through many different funding ideas until we finally found a method that worked.”

The State of Nevada and the Debt Management Commission approved the city’s request to issue up to $267 mil-lion of debt for the new city hall proj-ect. However, direct project costs are now estimated at $146 million, with total costs including financing costs, inter-est reserves, closing and underwriting costs, etc. amounting to $185 million. Under the BAB program, a local munici-pality issues taxable bonds, which are generally paying 1.5 to 2 percentage points more than comparable U.S. Trea-sury debt. The federal government then rebates 35 percent of the interest costs on the bonds back to the municipality, allowing state and local governments to sell the bonds at net rates that are com-petitive with corporate securities. The city hall bonds were sold through an underwriting team to institutional inves-

tors at an average net interest rate of 5.26 percent. While the investor receives a higher, taxable interest rate on its investment, the bonds are still issued by the same public agencies that are con-sidered to be excellent credit risks, like Las Vegas.

To qualify for the bonds, the financ-ing plan had to receive high credit rat-ings from each of the three major rating agencies: Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. The high ratings received by each of the rating agencies (AA- or equivalent from each agency) reflect the city’s strong financial reserves and low debt levels, the result of prudent operating policies and practices,. Given the state of the economy, we are under-standably pleased with our ratings. They were critical to securing an affordable interest rate on the financing transac-tion. The federal subsidy on the bonds is expected to save as much as $82 million over 30 years.

We believe we are in a good finan-cial position to more than cover the future bond payments. There is no pay-ment due in the first three years, and the first full payment ($13.4 million) isn’t due until FY2017, at which time we expect the economy to have rebounded. The full payment is less than three percent of total General Fund revenues. The city typically has spent five to six percent of its General Fund on capital projects, and so the lease payment should eas-

ily fit within our future capital project funding plans. Even with this project, the city’s total debt burden is the second lowest in Nevada, and the city maintains an AA credit rating. It’s a gamble we are definitely willing to take—especially given the payoffs of redevelopment, job creation and new tax revenue.

RESERVED FOR THE MAYOR

New Las Vegas City Hall Financed with Build America Bonds to Spur Economic Development

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman

Las Vegas and its partner, Forest City/LiveWork, plan to build a new city hall on First Street and Clark Avenue in the downtown area. The move would free up land where city hall is currently located, a key component to the city’s overall downtown redevelopment efforts. Image courtesy of Forest City.

At a time of economic challenge, our city is taking the lead by investing in its commu-nity, putting people to work, and helping create a more vibrant, economically robust downtown area, which will support the development of new hotels, casinos and other visitor-serving facilities.

usmayors.orgPage 4 U .S . MAYOR October 18, 2010

CoR to make national and international leaders fully aware of the crucial role that regional and local officials play in climate protection.

Mayors Central to Climate Protection Efforts

“Last year at the 81st Plenary Ses-sion of the Committee of the Regions, we were all 'On the Road to Copenhagen.' We joined together here in Brussels and later in Copenhagen to forcefully remind national leaders making key decisions about the climate protection strategy for the planet that mayors and regional offi-cials are the key to climate protection,” Kautz said. “And we will continue to work together – now and in the future – to emphasize our central importance in this effort,” as climate negotiations continue.

U .S . Mayors Climate Protection Agreement: 1,044 Signatories and Growing

U.S. mayors work hard to shape our nation’s climate protection agenda.

For example, Kautz said, “As the world well knows, the United States did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

“But on February 16, 2005, the day when the Kyoto Protocol took effect in 141 countries, including those repre-sented here today, 141 mayors of the United States, symbolizing the 141 com-mitted nations signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, com-mitting them to local action to reduce global warming.

“I am proud to say that that number of signatories has grown to 1,044 may-ors, representing more than 84 million Americans.”

Mayors in the U.S. are:• Pushing for programs that protect our

environment;

• Partnering with business to find inno-vative solutions to environmental challenges; and

• Taking serious action to mitigate global warming.Kautz gave specifics of programs in a

number of cities, including:• The Solar Boston Program, which has

increased solar capacity in that city by 300 percent;

• Cleveland’s commitment to reduc-ing energy and fuel consumption by ten percent over the next three years, with its public power company agreeing to supply 25 percent of energy from advanced and renew-able sources by the year 2025;

• Chicago’s green roof program, a model for the nation;

• Los Angeles’ reduction of CO2 by 1.6 million tons by building 1,280 megawatts of solar power;

• Greener Denver Business Program to educate local companies and con-nect them to resources that help reduce their impact on the environ-ment while at the same time saving money; and

• Her own city of Burnsville, hav-ing adopted a Sustainability Guide Plan; developed a strong program to increase solar energy capacity and is capturing methane gas from its landfill in order to power homes and businesses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Kautz also extended congratulations

to the European Commission’s Covenant of Mayors, modeled on the U.S. Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, through which European cities and towns pledge their commitment to strong climate pro-tection measures.

the average number of officers sworn between FY 2009 and FY 2010 across the surveyed departments. While police chiefs overwhelmingly say that when budgets must be cut, they give highest priority to maintaining sworn officer positions, because personnel costs often account for 90 percent or more of police budgets, and it can be impossible to make enough cuts elsewhere. There was also a one percent drop in the number of civilian personnel.

Among the personnel actions police departments have taken:• 66 percent cut overtime spending;

• 58 percent eliminated or reduced police employee salary increase;

• 43 percent instituted a hiring freeze for sworn positions;

• 43 percent also instituted a hiring freeze for civilian positions;

• 36 percent reduced staffing levels through attrition;

• 22 percent laid off employees; and• 16 percent implemented unpaid fur-

loughs. “For the last 20 years, we have been

making fundamental improvements in policing, and have achieved significant results,” said Philadelphia Police Commis-sioner Charles Ramsey, PERF’s President. “The national homicide rate plummeted 47 percent between 1990 and 2009, according to the latest FBI figures. But

many chiefs are concerned that these advances are being threatened by cuts in our resources. Hiring of officers, training, and policing technology are all being cut. Our concern is that the underpinnings of our successes are being dismantled.”

Among the other budgetary actions police departments have taken:• 72 percent reduced out-of-town

travel• 68 percent reduced or discontinued

training;• 60 percent are considering increas-

ing fees for police services;• 55 percent have cut back or elimi-

nated plans to acquire technology;• 38 percent are discontinuing special

units (e.g., gang, traffic enforcement);• 30 percent are implementing or con-

sidering a tax increase to avoid police service cuts; and

• 31 percent discontinued take-home cars.“Our sense is that over the next year

we will begin seeing the impact of these budget cuts,” said PERF Executive Direc-tor Chuck Wexler. “Departments have gone through the first round of cuts—slashing overtime, furloughing officers, cancelling new hires, and cutting tech-nology. These cuts are like pulling the support beams out of a building one by one. The building won’t fall down imme-diately, but eventually the damage will become evident.”

PERFfrom page 1

USCM President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, right center, with U.S. Ambassador to the European Union William E. Kennard, left center, and CoR of the European Union President Mercedes Bresso, center, cel-ebrate the signing of the MOU between USCM and the CoR in Brussels, surrounded by American and European students studying in Brussels.

USCM President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz describes U.S. may-ors' strong commitment to climate change at a session of CoR of the European Union on October 5. Left to right, Laurent Thieule, CoR Director of Press and Communications; Kautz; CoR President Mercedes Bresso; and President Nichi Vendola of the Puglia Region, a CoR member.

See BRUSSELS on page 5

BRUSSELSfrom page 1

usmayors.org U .S . MAYOR Page 5October 18, 2010

Conference of Mayors, CoR Sign MOU

Recognizing their shared goals in climate protection, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and CoR of EU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on October 5. The ceremony took place before several hundred regional and local leaders as well as leading Euro-pean Union officials.

As stated in the introductory state-ment, the aim of the MOU is engage-ment in “joint efforts aimed at tackling climate change and bridging the experi-ences of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protec-tion Agreement and of the EU Covenant of Mayors.”

The two entities pledge to cooperate closely in order to:• Raise awareness of the importance

of climate protection among citizens and local leaders;

• Join local and regional forces in global climate policy-making;

• Exchange best practices in fighting climate change; and

• Sharing results of their cooperation.The MOU signatories are Kautz;

Mercedes Bresso, President of CoR of the European Union and Councillor of the Piemonte Region, Italy; U.S. Con-ference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran; and Gerhard

Stahl, Secretary General, CoR of the European Union.

In a press conference following the signing ceremony, Kautz and Bresso answered questions about the MOU and the goals of cooperation between the two organizations as well as about climate change efforts in Europe and the United States.

Kautz Meets with U .S . Ambassador to European Union Kennard

Kautz had a breakfast meeting Octo-ber 5 with CoR President Mercedes Bres-so and with the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union William E. Kennard.

Kautz took the opportunity to share information about the Conference of Mayors 2010 Metro Economy Agenda with Kennard, appointed by President Barack Obama, including the Confer-ence of Mayors energy and transporta-tion agenda, as well as other issues.

Bresso and Kautz also discussed U.S. mayors’ and European local and region-al leaders’ climate protection efforts with the Ambassador.

“On behalf of U.S. Mayors, I was glad to have the opportunity to meet with Ambassador Kennard and to learn more about our U.S. Mission to the European Union. His support and interest in trans-atlantic cooperation between the Con-ference of Mayors and the Committee of the Regions of the European Union is

welcome and appreciated,” Kautz said.

Sixty American, European High School Students Studying in Brussels Have Lively Q & A Exchange with Kautz, Bresso, Vendola

Later in the morning, President Kautz, President Bresso, and President Nichi Vendola of the Region of Puglia, Italy, engaged in a fast-paced question-and-answer session with about 60 high school students, both American and European, studying in Brussels.

A celebration called “Signing Up for Climate Action” followed at noon in which Presidents Bresso and Kautz dis-cussed the MOU to be signed later that afternoon. The Brussels American School Pep Band contributed peppy music to the celebration, attended by members of the U.S. community in Brussels, European Union officials, CoR mayors and regional leaders, exhibitors, and pupils from the U.S. and European schools in Brussels.

“Open Days:” Exhibits, Workshops Surrounding CoR Meetings, Brussels, October 4-7

The Plenary Sessions of the CoR take place within a four-day festive and educa-tional array of thirty-six workshops, orga-nized by companies, financial institutions, associations, and the CoR; a media cen-ter; and a large exhibition, in which local and regional governments and compa-

nies showcase projects, demonstrate best practices, present public-private partner-ships showing the green economy, and offer examples of green solutions.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors exhibit area offered the opportunity to demon-strate its programs and discuss its many activities with the many hundreds of local and regional leaders, businesspeople, and other participants in “Open Days.”

In addition to the Conference of May-ors exhibit, Kautz also visited a number of the other exhibits, including those of international businesses. “We were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with local leaders as well as business representatives from a variety of inter-national companies,” she said.

Summary“Our continued cooperation with the

Committee of the Regions of the Euro-pean Union, signified by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, is very important,” Kautz said.

“We have a significant message – local leaders are central to climate pro-tection. We are more committed than ever to climate protection strategies in our own communities and nations and to joining with local leaders in Europe and elsewhere to exchange ideas and best practices and thus to continue to learn from each other.”

Left to right, Former Transportation Secretary Sam Skinner, Former Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, President Barak Obama, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, and USCM Vice President Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa. Additional mayors who attended the meeting are: USCM Second Vice President Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, USCM Transportation Chair Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, USCM Past President Charleston (SC) Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, Columbus (OH) Mayor Michael Coleman, and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

President Obama Meets with Mayors, Governors on Infrastructure

BRUSSELSfrom page 4

Hope4Gaston Celebrates 2010 City Livability Award

Left to right, Gastonia Mayor Jennie Stultz, NBA Hall of Famer James Worthy (native Gastonian) and Mayor Pro Tem Walker E. Reid, III cele-brated the Fourth Hope4Gaston Program October 9. Hope4Gaston is a partnership between the city and the faith-based organizations, community leaders, and volunteers who work together on a prede-termined day to repair homes in a targeted neighborhood.

usmayors.orgPage 6 U .S . MAYOR October 18, 2010

Mayors Encouraged to Apply Now

The United States Conference of May-ors and Americans for the Arts are seek-ing nominations for the 2011 Public Lead-ership in the Arts Awards for local lead-ership. These awards are given annually in recognition of a mayor whose vision, leadership, and role in advancement of

the arts and arts education within his or her community provided heightened vis-ibility to the value of the arts.

In response to a high number of nom-inations for mayor, beginning in 2011, two Mayoral Awards will be presented. One award will honor a mayor of a city with a population under 100,000 and the other will honor a mayor of a city with a population over 100,000.

The United States Conference of May-ors and Americans for the Arts will for-mally present next year’s recipients at The United States Conference of Mayors 79th

Winter Meeting. Recent award recipi-ents include: Honolulu (HI) Mayor Mufi Hannemann (2010), Seattle (WA) Mayor Greg Nickels (2009), and Las Vegas (NV) Mayor Oscar Goodman (2008).

The deadline to submit a nomination for these awards is November 19. For more information or to submit a nomi-nation for the 2011 Public Leadership in the Arts Awards, visit the website: http://www.americansforthearts.org/news/annual_awards/public_leadership/default.asp or send an e-mail to Jocelyn Bogen at The United States Conference

of Mayors at jbogen@usmayors.org or Jay Dick at Americans for the Arts at jay@artsusa.org.

2011 Leadership in the Arts Awards Competition Kicks Off

By Tom Vanderbilt

American roads are safer than ever, according to the Department of Trans-portation. But that positive development masks a more regrettable trend: once the world’s least dangerous place to drive, the U.S. is now 12th in its rate of road deaths per miles driven, a new Interna-tional Transport Forum report shows. On a per capita basis, the U.S. falls to 28th, pinched between Cambodia and South Korea.

While there are myriad factors in this slide, one in particular deserves a look. Roundabouts, the circular alternatives to stoplights, are common abroad, where they eliminate one of driving’s most

dangerous moves—the left turn against oncoming traffic—and can reduce fatal accidents by as much as 90 percent.

Fortunately, the U.S. is also starting to think inside the circle. Maryland, Mis-souri, and Georgia have built dozens of roundabouts in recent years, and hun-dreds more are in the works nationwide. But Carmel, Ind., is leading the nation, having built about 60 since 2001. For a city that claims “one of the country’s first automatic stop-and-go traffic signals,” it’s saying something that the lights are now being torn down. The benefits, however, may say something more: in the revamped intersections, there has been an 80 percent drop in crashes involving injuries.

REPRINT: Newsweek, October 4, 2010A Safer Route on the Roads in Indiana

Mayor Brainard Encourages Installation of RoundaboutsBy Ron Thaniel

Carmel (IN) Mayor Jim Brainard has encouraged the construction of roundabouts in place of traditional signaled intersections, which reduces vehicle emissions. According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Center, Carmel is a non-attainment area designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agen-cy. This designation can adversely affect aspects of federal funding and

growth. Roundabouts help improve overall air quality by cutting down on idling engines that occur at four-way stops and signalized intersections.

When compared with signalized intersections roundabouts save an average of 24,000 gallons of gas per year per roundabout with traf-fic counts ranging from 14,000 to 47,000 AADT (Insurance Institute of Highway Safety). This amount is a sig-nificant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as cars continue to move through roundabout intersections by yielding at the entry rather than hav-ing to stop and idle.

Brainard’s commitment to round-abouts led to Carmel receiving first place in the small cities category in the 2008 Climate Protection Awards from The U.S. Conference of Mayors.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agen-cy (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced the appointment of Con-ference of Mayors President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz October 14 to serve on the agency’s Local Gov-ernment Advisory Committee (LGAC). The committee advises EPA on a broad range of environmental issues affecting communities.

Additional mayoral appointments to the LGAC announced by Administrator Jackson are: Ashville (NC) Mayor Terry Bellamy, Gary (IN) Mayor Rudy Clay, Grand Junction (CO) Mayor Teresa Coons, Prichard (AL) Mayor Ronald K. Davis, Greensburg (KS) Mayor Bob Dixson, Phoenix (AZ) Mayor Phil Gor-don, Denver (CO) Mayor John W. Hick-enlooper, Pleasanton (CA) Mayor Jen-

nifer Hosterman, Arcadia (OK) Mayor Marilyn Murrell, Edmonston (MD) Mayor Adam Ortiz, Ithaca (NY) Mayor Carolyn Peterson, Camden (NJ) Mayor Dana Redd, Newark (CA) Mayor David Smith and Fitchburg (MA)Mayor Lisa A. Wong.

EPA will seek advice from the local leaders on finding innovative solutions to the challenges of climate change, clean-

ing our air, protecting our waters, and cleaning our communities. The LGAC will also focus on how to better engage and serve disadvantaged communities historically underrepresented in environ-mental decision-making.

USCM President Kautz Appointed to EPA Advisory Committee

usmayors.org U .S . MAYOR Page 7October 18, 2010

By Kathy Amoroso

Plenary Session in the East Room

The first ever White House Summit on Community Colleges was convened on October 5 by Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, to highlight the role community colleges play in developing the U.S. workforce and reaching nation-al educational goals. U.S. Conference of Mayors Workforce Development Coun-cil (WDC) President Baltimore Office of Employment Development Director Karen Sitnick attended this historic Sum-mit on behalf of the Conference.

Biden opened the Summit by welcom-ing approximately 150 attendees in the East Room of the White House. At a time when the Administration is concentrating on a mix of K-12 reform initiatives, Biden has worked hard to train public atten-tion on these institutions, which educate some 40 percent of the undergraduates in the country. “Community colleges are America’s best kept secret,” she said. The Summit was designed to change that by showcasing the important role community colleges play in educating and training Americans for the jobs of the 21st century, according to Biden.

The audience was then privileged to hear from President Barak Obama, who described community colleges as the “gateway to good jobs and better lives.” The President told the attendees that the increasingly competitive global economy requires a highly educated and well-trained workforce and that his economic advisors recommended a sig-nificant expansion in both education and job training. “In order to keep pace with the demand of industry’s fastest growing jobs, we need to ramp up the number of people with post secondary education,” he said, adding, “By 2020 America will again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world, and community colleges will produce an additional five million graduates.”

President Obama highlighted the role community colleges play in help-ing more Americans acquire the educa-tion and skills needed to fill jobs in our growth industries.

The President also acknowledged it is time to “reform our community colleges”

and usher in innovative ways to increase completion and graduation rates. Today, only 25 percent of community college participants earn a certificate or an AA degree within three years.

To that end, the President, Biden, Melinda Gates of the Gates Foundation, and Penny Pritzker, a member of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, announced several new funding opportunities to promote postsecond-ary completion and improve graduation rates including:• Community College and

Career Training Initiative – funded under the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, this $2 billion four year grant through the Department of Labor is designed to build the capacity of community colleges to accelerate learning and improve retention. The first competi-tion of $500 million will roll out this year.

• Completion by Design – a $35 million investment by Bill and Melinda Gates over a five year period aims to dramatically improve community col-lege graduation rates by building on evidence-based practices that dem-onstrate positive outcomes.

• Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence – will offer a $1 million annual prize to recognize, award and inspire exceptional results in student completion and gradua-tion rates. The first winners will be announced in 2011.

• Skills for America’s Future – this initiative will build high-impact partnerships with industry, labor unions, community colleges and other

training providers to ensure training is relevant and leads to jobs.

Break Out SessionsFollowing the plenary session, Summit

participants moved into one of six work-ing break-out sessions: Industry-Com-munity College Partnerships, Increasing Community College Completion, and Pathway to a Baccalaureate, Affordabil-ity/Financial Aid, Community Colleges in the 21st Century and Importance of Community Colleges to Veterans.

Sitnick participated in the Industry-Community College session, moder-ated by Department of Labor Secretary

Hilda Solis and Pritzer, Skills for Amer-ica’s Future. Participants included DOL Employment and Training Administration Assistant Secretary Jane Oates, Depart-ment of Education Assistant Secretary Vocational and Adult Education Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier, several community college presidents, deans and instructors, business CEOs, labor union representa-tives— and Sitnick, representing the pub-lic workforce system’s Workforce Invest-ment Boards and One-Stops.

The discussion focused primarily on promoting better linkages with business so that “what is taught in the classroom reflects what is needed in the board-room” and the importance of becoming more innovative in supporting students throughout their matriculation.

Wrap-Up SessionAfter the breakout sessions, Summit

participants gathered back together to hear the highlights of each work group. ”We need to do better and find better ways of being creative because only one quarter of our students are graduat-ing after three years. We need to get dramatically better at a faster pace,” observed Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

White House Holds Historic Summit on Community Colleges

“By 2020 America will again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world, and community colleges will produce an additional five million gradu-ates.”

– U.S. President Barak Obama

usmayors.orgPage 8 U .S . MAYOR October 18, 2010

By Susan Jarvis and Judy Sheahan

More than 70 public and private sector environmental professionals met September 28 through October 1 in Baltimore (MD) for the 2010 Munici-pal Waste Management Association (MWMA) Fall Summit. Led by MWMA President Robin Davidov, Executive Director of the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority, attendees shared best practices with each other, issue experts, and private sector part-ners, and explored such timely issues as new technologies, recycling, green vehicles, and benchmarking.

After a candid public sector only discussion during the Urban Summit, attendees toured the Wheelbrator Bal-timore Refuse Energy Systems Company (BRESCO) plant. This Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility is celebrating its’ 25th year in operation and processes 2,250 tons of waste per day. The energy is sold on the PJM grid and powers down-town office buildings, including many city offices. After touring BRESCO, the attendees moved on to the Baltimore Convention Center, which is home to the country’s only convention center food waste composting system. This innova-tive program truly “closes the loop” by composting the food waste generated by events and then using the compost to nourish the roof top herb, vegetable and flower gardens.

Best Practices in Recycling: Philadelphia’s Story

Four years ago, Philadelphia’s recy-cling rate was hovering at six percent. Today, the city’s recycling rate is 16 per-cent and is on track to meet its goal of 25 percent in the next few years. This notable upswing is due, in no small part, to the city’s innovative partnership with Recycle Bank, which encourages city residents to recycle in exchange for “points.” Residents can use their points in businesses throughout the community, securing significant savings on goods and services they use regularly. The city’s pilot program was launched in a neighborhood of single-family homes that already benefited from weekly, single stream collection. Many of the characteristics that made this neighbor-hood attractive for a pilot program were not available in other areas of the city. The city’s Streets and Sanitation Depart-ment, led by Commissioner Clarena Tol-son, identified the challenges that would make replicating the success of the pilot program difficult. “In other neighbor-hoods, there was no room for storing large containers; there was no street

parking; and most importantly, we were only collecting recycling every other week and it was not a single stream col-lection,” began Commissioner Tolson. “We had to modify the pilot program to make it work throughout the city.”

When the citywide program began, “We were paying a lot of overtime,” said Commissioner Tolson. “The three-man crew was working manually to weigh and dump each container. It took a lot of time.” Secondly, the city needed to find a solution to the space problem: where would city residents without yards, drive-ways and garages, store their large recy-cling containers? In order to encourage recycling for city residents, a decision was made. “We would accept any container. Laundry baskets, trash cans and plastic bins could all be used to collect the resi-dents’ recycling,” said Tolson. Instead of weighing, dumping, and recording each individual resident, each neighborhood was collectively rewarded.

“The residents’ containers were out-fitted with a Radio Frequency Identifi-cation Tags (RFID) tag, which was then scanned for participation.” The truck was weighed upon completion of its route and the neighborhood was “col-lectively rewarded,” said Recycle Bank Regional Manager Michael D’Angelo.

D’Angelo spoke about the registra-tion, fulfillment, and rewards process, noting that residents receive two points for recycling and one point for trash reduction that is every pound less than the original baseline collection. Residents

can use their points at local or national restaurants and retailers or donate them to the public schools.

Both Tolson and D’Angelo spoke about the “pay for performance” aspect to the relationship, which minimizes risk and maximizes benefits for the city. Ini-tially skeptical about implementing the program citywide, Tolson is now pro-nouncing the program a success. “The increased recycling rates speak for themselves.”

Going Green: Exploring Green Vehicle Technologies, Fuels

Over the last few years, public works and solid waste departments have become the foundation of their city’s “green prints.” The city often looks to the environmental fleet for cost savings and environmental innovation. In order to provide the most up to date informa-tion a panel briefed attendees about new fuel, fuel cell, and green vehicle technologies.

Dr. Joseph Kovach, Vice President of Technology and Innovation for Parker, gave an overview and update on the company’s Hydraulic Hybrid Garbage Trucks. Kovach touted the trucks brake energy recovery of 71 percent com-pared to 21 percent for electric, the fuel savings, and overall improvement in drivability, braking and reduction in noise. The Hydraulic Hybrid Garbage Truck eliminates up to 45 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year and may realize a cost savings of $6,700 in CO2 taxes per year.

Montgomery County (MD), just out-side of Washington (DC), is demonstrat-ing its commitment to sustainability by requiring all refuse and recycling trucks to be powered by compressed natural gas (CNG). Starting in 2010, all trucks must meet 2010 Environmental Protec-tion Agency (EPA) air quality and emis-sion standards, must be fueled by CNG, and all supervisors vehicles must be hybrid or CNG vehicles.

2010 MWMA Fall Summit Explores New Technologies, Best Practices, Environmental Regulations

2010 MWMA FALL SUMMIT • BALTIMORE (MD)

MWMA Past President Orlando Solid Waste Services Bureau Chief Mike Carroll thanks 2010 MWMA President Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority Executive Director Robin Davidov for her leadership this year.

DRC Emergency Services, LLC COO Mark Stafford briefs attendees on the Gulf Oil Spill and DRC’s role in the ongoing clean up efforts.

Philadelphia Commissioner Clarena Tolson shares her recy-cling success stories with meeting participants.

See MWMA on page 9

usmayors.org U .S . MAYOR Page 9October 18, 2010

Robin Ennis, Chief of Collection Ser-vices for the county, briefed attendees on the transition. “It’s cleaner, cheaper, quieter, and it’s domestic,” she said. CNG reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 80 percent and green-house gas emissions between 10-15 percent. “Replacing our diesel powered fleet of refuse and recycling trucks with those powered with compressed natural gas has the same emissions benefits as taking 33,000 passenger cars off the road annually,” she said. Ennis also dis-cussed some of the challenges of CNG vehicles, including the cost of the vehicle, limited fuel stations, and slightly less fuel efficiency than diesel.

The contractors were hired through a competitive procurement, with the first RFP (request for proposal) issued in October of 2009. The first trucks rolled out in April 2010 and the entire fleet will be CNG by June 2012.

Clean Energy Business Development Manager Greg Martin went into more depth about the benefits of CNG fleets. Martin echoed Ennis’s “cleaner, cheaper, and domestic” mantra. “It’s the clean-est burning fuel out there,” he began. In 2008, there were 150,000 natural gas vehicles and 2,000 fueling stations throughout the United States. Taxis, cargo vans, pickups, town cars, shuttle buses, para-transit, delivery vehicles buses, street sweepers, refuse collection and transfer trucks are all fueled by natu-ral gas today. “There are currently 3,500 natural gas refuse trucks running in the United States today and more cities are choosing these trucks for residential ser-vice. Martin gave attendees an overview

of the vehicle tax credits available, which range from $2,500 to $32,000.

Fiberight Technologies CEO Craig Stuart-Paul briefed attendees on his company’s new technology that is a proprietary fractionation and digestion technology, which refines municipal solid waste into a series of value chain elements including cellulosic sugars and biofuel. This new option can handle hazardous materials in a way that other technologies could not. The technology is now operating at demonstration and pre-commercial levels.

Benchmarking: You Can’t Manage What You Can’t Measure

Waste Management Eastern Group Collections Operations Director Paul Pengeroth helped attendees identify and implement some basic metrics for collections, including safety, environ-mental, customer service, cost/efficiency, fleet/ maintenance and financial perfor-mance. “In order to start benchmarking, you need to identify either the need or the opportunity,” began Pengeroth. At Waste Management, they looked to identify the “Best in Class,” validate assumptions, determine best practices and key differentials, evaluate applica-bility, and finally implementation.

During the benchmarking process, it was determined that “top perform-ers” shared some similar characteristics, regardless of their area of expertise and excellence. In all of the company’s top performers, there was a commitment to continuous improvement, a passion for process, and a drive for accountability.

Mission to Zero (M2Z), a “systems” approach to health and safety excel-lence, was launched in 2002. M2Z is “more than a system or set of rules,”

said Pengeroth. “It’s a behavior focused on zero tolerance for unsafe conditions or actions.” According to the M2Z phi-losophy, safety is not a priority, but a core value.

In 2000, Waste Management launched a customer service initiative, establishing a service standard across the entire company. Seven metrics were developed, in the areas of set up, resi-dential, recovery, maintenance, com-mercial, industrial, and customer han-dling. In 2007, they introduced JD Power as the key metric for customer services, bridging the gap between internal scor-ing and external perceptions.

Fina l l y, Waste Management explored Employee Engagement as a key to organizational excellence. There are five key areas to measure employee engagement, encompass-ing evaluations, feedback, professional development, goal setting, and man-aging change effectively. Of course,

concluded Pengeroth, data collection is worthless if you are not willing or able to implement new plans and solutions.

Exploring New Technologies to Meet Waste Reduction Goals

“Is zero waste a possibility?” asked Florida Waste 2 Energy Technical Direc-tor David Brosan. After giving a brief overview of current waste-to-energy technology, including anaerobic diges-tion, gasification, mass burn, pyrolsis, and plasma, Brosan spoke extensively about pyrolsis, the technology his com-pany employs. Pyrolsis is a thermal decomposition that takes place in an environment with little or no oxygen so that gasification does not occur, or is limited, depending on system used. Advantages to using this technology include diversion from landfill, fossil fuel replacement, green electricity and bio-

2010 MWMA FALL SUMMIT • BALTIMORE (MD)

Attendees share their challenges and successes during the Urban Summit, a public sector-only discussion that kicked off the 2010 Fall Summit.

Fall Summit participants toured the Wheelabrator BRESCO plant in Baltimore Energy. The Waste To Energy facility processes 2,500 tons of waste per day, providing energy for many buildings in downtown Baltimore.

City and County of Denver Recycling Manager Charlotte Pitt and Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Solid Waste Services Operations Manager Kevin Bennett are among those listening to the staff at the Baltimore Convention Center talk about their food waste composting system.

MWMAfrom page 8

See MWMA on page 10

usmayors.orgPage 10 U .S . MAYOR October 18, 2010

By Eugene T. Lowe

Representative Luis V. Gutierrez (IL) introduced H.R. 6334, the American Community Investment Reform Act, on September 29. The measure would sig-nificantly expand the Community Rein-vestment Act (CRA) by increasing public involvement and penalizing poor CRA performance. Representatives Al Green (TX), Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX) and Maxine Waters (CA) are cosponsors of the legislation.

Originally passed in 1977, CRA has been one of the most important laws for building wealth and revitalizing neighbor-hoods, requiring banks to meet the credit needs of all communities consistent with safety and soundness. In general, CRA requires financial institutions to provide credit services, deposit services, transac-tion services and community development services to the communities in which they are chartered to do business.

H.R. 6334 would expand CRA to a variety of non-bank financial institutions including independent mortgage com-panies, investment banks, and hedge funds. Credit unions would be exempt. Nevertheless, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) says

that, “As a result of its broad application of CRA throughout the financial indus-try, the bill would leverage hundreds of billions of additional dollars for loans, investments, and services to low-and moderate-income communities.”

Community development lending and investments that finance affordable housing, economic development and community facilities would be weighed at least equally with any other factor in bank exams. This is not presently the case. CRA exams would become more rigorous. It will be more difficult for a financial institution to get an Outstand-ing rating; the institution must receive at least three Satisfactory ratings in a row before it can apply for an Outstanding rating. And while the exam for the rating is in process, public input is required.

There are other significant provisions in the bill, such as the opportunity for public comment into how a financial insti-tution can improve in geographical areas where its performance is weak. An insti-tution can also be downgraded if it offers a product that the new Bureau of Con-sumer Financial Protection (authorized in the Wall Street Reform Act) deems to be unfair, deceptive or abusive.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has very strong policy in support of the expansion of CRA. The policy adopted at the annual Conference of Mayors meeting in Providence in June 2009, “calls on Congress to pass an expanded Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) that would leverage substantial sums of addi-tional credit and capital for America’s working families and communities.”

Bill Introduced to Expand Community Reinvestment Act

WASHINGTON OUTLOOK

fuels. While public perception of this technology is that it is “untried, untested and unproven,” Brosnan believes that pyrolysis is key to reducing landfilling.

Gershman, Brickner & Bratton Inc. President Harvey Gershman said that waste-to-energy is higher on EPA’s Waste Management Hierarchy, ahead of land-filling. Currently, there are 87 Waste-to-Energy Facilities in the United States, with $14 billion in productive assets and with communities continuing to explore conversion technologies as part of their integrated waste management plans. Gershman identified potential risks and issues for communities and urged com-munities to strive for a truly integrated waste management system.

“Energy from Waste” is Covanta Energy’s new technology, designed

to meet the challenges from climate change, security, and job creation. In 2007, Covanta tested the technology to convert solid organic matter to mineral diesel fuel, renewable diesel, not bio-diesel. “This technology can save the equivalent of 78 coal fired power plants in greenhouse gas emissions,” said Christine McCoy

Attendees then heard from Energy

Vision President Joanna Underwood on the “green fuel revolution.” “Between 2002-2005, the number of natural gas trucks expanded by 84 percent,” said Underwood. She congratulated cities for leading the way on this important step towards a greener fleet.

What’s Next: Legislative, Regulatory Update

Jim Eddinger, from EPA’s Energy Strategies Group, gave an update on the new EPA rulings for Industrial, Com-mercial, and Institutional Boilers. There are new proposed limits and standards impacting local governments and local businesses that would reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants from existing and new industrial, commercial, and institu-tional boilers.

EPA has estimated that the cost for implementing control technology for local governments is $2.5 billion, with

an annualized cost of $1 billion. The cost for local businesses is estimated to be dramatically more.

On the climate change legislative front, Scott DuBoff, an attorney with Garvey Schubert Barer, said the answer “is complex, far reaching and contro-versial.” After briefing the attendees on what has happened until now, DuBoff declared the situation a “stalemate.” Additionally, DuBoff updated the attend-ees on the “tailoring rule” and its rela-tion to biomass and Waste-to-Energy, Green House Gas Emissions and Coal Combustion Residue.

MWMA is the environmental affiliate of The United States Conference of May-ors. For more information on MWMA, or to download the full presentations for the fall summit, log onto www.usmayors.org/mwma. For membership information, contact Susan Jarvis at 202-861-6760 or by e-mail at sjarvis@usmayors.org.

2010 MWMA FALL SUMMIT • BALTIMORE (MD)

MWMAfrom page 9

The policy adopted at the annual Conference of Mayors meeting in Providence in June 2009, “calls on Congress to pass an expand-ed Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) that would leverage substantial sums of addi-tional credit and capital for America’s working families and communities.”

usmayors.org U .S . MAYOR Page 11October 18, 2010

SAVE THE DATE . . .

The U.S. Conference of Mayors

79th Winter Meeting

January 19-21, 2011Capital Hilton Hotel

Washington, DC

USCM FALL LEADERSHIP MEETING • WASHINGTON, DC

Left to right, USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran, USCM President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, Mayors Business Council Steering Committee Co-chair Sprint National Director Daniel Gillison, and Starbucks Coffee Company Senior Manager of Government Affairs Kimberly Winston.

USCM Mayors Business Council Managing Director Geri Powell, left, and USCM President Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz, center, with HDR Vice President and National Director of Civic Affairs David Cobb, Comcast Senior Director of Government Affairs Ron Orlando, and Bruce Todd of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP., sponsors of the USCM Winter Leadership meeting.

2010December 8-9

Mayors Water Summit, Washington, DC. Contact: Rich Anderson (202-861-6795)

2011January 19-21

79th Winter Meeting, Wash-ington, DC. Contact: Carol Edwards (202-293-7330)

June 17-2179th Annual Conference of

Mayors, Baltimore. Contact: Carol Edwards (202-293-7330)

Calendar of Events(Updated 10/14/10)

For updates or changes, visit our web site at

usmayors.org

Title Sponsor:

usmayors.orgPage 12 U .S . MAYOR October 18, 2010

While many cities have embraced the “Green Movement” and implemented community gardens, Miramar is pio-neering something a little unique in the South Florida region, an initiative that expands on the community garden con-cept – a micro-urban farm.

The 3,100-square-foot Miramar Com-munity Garden is a project championed by Miramar Mayor Lori C. Moseley. “Unlike your typical community garden, it is a micro-urban farm where people can learn about the sources of fresh produce, receive vocational training in sustainable agriculture and learn about the impor-tance of environmental stewardship,” explains Moseley, a member of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Advisory Board.

Decentralized Urban FarmingWhile community gardens generally

provide qualified applicants with a fixed number of plots to harvest individually, the Miramar micro-urban farm provides a communal area where individuals can work together, learn from experts and from each other, and experience how small areas can become engines that drive productive growth.

“Urban farming is an environmental-ly and economically sustainable system that creates a network of secure healthy food sources of naturally grown vegeta-bles and fruits, while providing a con-tinuing source of local living wage jobs and training in the agricultural indus-try,” says architect Michael Madfis, who designed the garden and is a leading proponent of decentralized urban farm-ing. He also hopes to secure a skilled

farmer who is assisted by volunteers and earns a living from wages generated by 75 percent of the harvest profits; the volunteers would receive a share of the remaining 25 percent.

A Green Garden and its Eco-Friendly Components

The vision for the garden was trans-formed from a simple raised-bed gar-den into an efficient farming system. The city provided the land, basic materials and guidance. The project is supported by resident-volunteers. ``You have to work the garden to reap its bounty – its sweat-equity,’’ explains Moseley.

Some of the garden components are:• Raised Planter Bags (“Jack Bags”)

are made of an innovative fabric that helps aerate the roots, pro-motes flower and fruit proliferation, increases resistance to diseases and accelerates plant growth.

• Fencing has been repurposed from a building scheduled for demolition.

• Rain Barrels are twelve 96-gallon recycling containers retrofitted and interconnected to capture rain from an adjacent roof.

• Rainwater is channeled from the bar-rels to the crops by using Drip Irriga-tion.

• Composting Barrel is also a 96-gal-lon recycling container retrofitted to turn 360 degrees, which churns the contents and produces compost tea.

• A Florida Wildflower Garden is planted around the perimeter of the project to attract pollinating insects.

Educational and Vocational Training with a Social Experience

Miramar resident volunteers have been actively involved since the garden’s first planting on May 22, 2010, produc-ing the following results:• The garden blossomed successfully

and has afforded the opportunity to become a hands-on laboratory to eager volunteers – even though it was started in May during the worst time to start a garden in Florida.

• The group meets every Thursday at the garden and the meetings have become social events where members outdo each other by incorporating freshly picked crops into specialty dishes. (Volunteer member Scott Lewis has been nicknamed “Mr. Besto-Pesto” for his ability to transform freshly cut garden lemon-basil into something the group considers “the best pesto ever!” Other succulent dishes from the garden have included, mint tea, pickled habaneros, callaloo with cod-fish, rosemary scones with oregano infused butter, and golden brown breaded okra accompanied with an herb dressing.)

• The micro-urban farm is viewed as an outdoor classroom where educa-tional events are already being held.

• The group is currently collaborating

with DeVry University to create a blueprint for an urban farm and to fund internship opportunities to pair agriculture students with a micro-urban farm as a business enterprise.

Basic Elements of Miramar’s Program

The city purposely selected a site for the garden with specific properties, including plenty of direct sunlight, open public access, proximity to a nearby roof for rainwater harvesting and ready access to electricity, water and parking.

The garden was funded 100 percent by corporate sponsors, offering them great marketing value for their con-tributions and organizations. Among the garden’s financial supporters were Whole Foods Market, Florida Power & Light, Memorial Hospital Miramar, Spirit Airlines, Hampton Inn and Suites, All Service Refuse, and Ana G. Mendez University System.

Local restaurants also chose to become founding sponsors, not solely for the marketing benefits but also for the right of first refusal over the har-vest to include in their signature dishes. Ongoing financial sustainability for the garden is currently being coordinated by volunteers and these include offering the harvests at local green markets and other sustainable events.

For more information about the Mira-mar Community Garden, visit the website www.ci.miramar.fl.us/green/garden.

Miramar’s Micro-Urban Farm Yields More than Bountiful Harvests

Mayors are invited to submit the “Best Practices” of their cities to U.S. MAYOR.

Contact Public Affairs at 202-293-7330 or send eMail to info@usmayors.org

U.S.MAYOR1620 I Street NW, Fourth FloorWashington, DC 20006

Miramar Mayor Lori C. Moseley

Left to right, Miramar Vice-Mayor Barbara Sharief, Miramar Mayor Lori C. Moseley, Miramar City Manager Robert A. Payton and his daughter Krista, Miramar Assistant City Manager Wazir A. Ishmael, Ph.D., and his son Aaron.