Mayors Donald L. Plusquellic of Akron, Ohio, Joseph P. Ganim of Bridgeport, Connecticut and Gene Daniels of Paramount, California were awarded top honors in the 1999 City Livability Awards Program, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Waste Management, . The awards were announced in New Orleans on June 12 at the 67th Annual Conference of Mayors.

The City Livability Awards were presented at the Conference of Mayors’ Annual Luncheon by Mr. Rod Proto, President and Chief Operating Officer of Waste Management, Inc., the world’s largest provider of comprehensive waste services. Waste Management’s support makes the City Livability Awards Program possible.

City Livability Awards recognize and honor mayors for exemplary leadership in developing and implementing programs that improve the quality of life in America’s cities. The winning cities were determined by an independent panel of judges, selected by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

In addition to the awards won by Mayors Plusquellic, Ganim and Daniels, Outstanding Achievement awards were received by Mayors Dennis W. Archer of Detroit, Michigan; Bruce Furness of Fargo, North Dakota; Morris Lanning of Moorhead, Minnesota; Paul Helmke of Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Gus Morrison of Fremont, California for cities with populations of 100,000 or more. Outstanding Achievement Awards were also won by Mayors Bruce H. Tobey of Gloucester, Massachusetts; Patrick J. McManus of Lynn, Massachusetts; Allen Settle of San Luis Obispo, California; and John F. McKeon of West Orange, New Jersey for cities with populations of 100,000 or less.

Honorable Mention Citations were awarded, for cities with populations of 100,000 or greater, to Mayors Gerald D. Jennings of Albany, New York; Kirk Watson of Austin, Texas; Richard M. Daley of Chicago, Illinois; Wellington E. Webb of Denver, Colorado; James B. Gibson of Henderson, Nevada; Frank C. Roberts of Lancaster, California; Sue Bauman of Madison, Wisconsin; Joseph DeStefano, Jr., of New Haven, Connecticut; JoAnne Darcy of Santa Clarita, California; Daniel P. Malloy of Stamford, Connecticut; and Carty Finkbeiner of Toledo, Ohio. Mayors Arlene J. Mulder of Arlington Heights, Illinois; Bill Ham, Jr. of Auburn Alabama; Donald T. Cunningham of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Karen M. Rosenthal of Claremont, California; Jay Alperin of Delray Beach, Florida; David Ragucci of Everett, Massachusetts; George Pettygrove of Fairfield, California; Larry R. Stobbs of St. Joseph, Missouri; Albert J. Boro of San Rafael, California; Richard F. Archer of Sierra Vista, Arizona; Joe Schreiber of Tamarac, Florida; and John R. Rooff III, of Waterloo, Iowa received Honorable Mention Citations for cities with populations of 100,000 or less.

In addition to the City Livability Awards, Mr. Proto and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley presented the Richard J. Daley Award to New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial. The Daley Award is presented annually to the host mayor of the Annual Conference of Mayors in appreciation for the hospitality shown the conference participants.

AKRON - JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS

"My deepest thanks go out to the members of my staff who are here with me today," Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic said in accepting his 1999 City Livability Award for Akron’s Joint Economic Development Districts. "Their support helped to make this program possible because it was truly a collaborative effort and we are all very honored to have received this prestigious award in recognition of our efforts."

Mayor Plusquellic created the idea for Joint Economic Development Districts (JEDDs) in 1998 as an economic development alternative to annexation. Faced with an ongoing struggle between the central city and its surrounding suburbs regarding growth and development, the mayor pondered strategies for a solution that would benefit, rather than antagonize, urban and suburban interests. Through JEDDs he provided a means for townships to obtain property tax-paying development while retaining their sovereignty. At the same time, Mayor Plusquellic’s plan allowed for cities to receive municipal income tax from business by providing central water and sewer services to unincorporated areas without annexing them.

Mayor Plusquellic then worked with the region’s state representatives and pushed for legislative measures that would permit the establishment of JEDDs in Ohio. Mayor Plusquellic demonstrated that the JEDD is a mechanism that allows community leaders to work locally while thinking regionally. The concept helps reduce the inherent conflict between cities and suburbs. For his leadership and creativity in addressing a common problem, Mayor Plusquellic earned First-Place Honors in the 1999 City Livability Awards program.

"The mayor was the driving force behind this initiative," said the panel of judges, "and he found a way to make peace with the suburbs and schools in an overall win-win situation. Now that’s leadership!"

BRIDGEPORT - CLEAN AND GREEN PROGRAM

"If you build it, they will come," Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim said at the Annual Luncheon, referring to his city’s new minor league baseball stadium. This ballpark is the cornerstone of Bridgeport’s resurgence following implementation of its extensive Clean and Green program. "This award is a wonderful tribute to the hard work we have done in Bridgeport to turn things around, and we are very proud to receive it today," Mayor Ganim said upon receiving his City Livability Award.

Mayor Joseph P. Ganim’s Clean and Green program was born in 1996 as an effort to address the blight, decay and general fatigue in the city of Bridgeport. In the late 1980’s and early 1990's, Bridgeport was in dire financial straits and on the brink of bankruptcy. During that time, little to no resources could be spent on the city’s physical upkeep. Roads remained unpaved and parks were in disrepair while blighted buildings added to the overall deterioration of some residential neighborhoods.

Mayor Ganim’s leadership enabled city officials to get a handle on Bridgeport’s financial problems. After balancing the city budget and cutting taxes, they turned their attention to the state of Bridgeport’s infrastructure. The mayor initiated an ambitious and continuous beautification campaign aimed at reviving the residents’ pride in Bridgeport and animating their historically strong sense of achievement. The Clean and Green program made dramatic changes throughout the city--demolishing more than 500 buildings, constructing five new downtown parks, and developing 12 new parks throughout the city.

"Again, mayoral leadership was the key to the success of this program," said one City Livability judge. "Once Mayor Ganim got the ball rolling, the Clean and Green program worked wonders to engender pride in the community and empowered citizens to do even more by themselves." Bridgeport residents are once again proud of their city.

PARAMOUNT - POCKET PARKS PROJECT

"Please don’t confuse us with Paramount Studios, although we’re very close in proximity," Paramount Vice Mayor Manuel Guillen joked in accepting his city’s award on behalf of Mayor Gene Daniels for the Pocket Parks Project. "This award means a great deal to us and we are very proud of your recognition of our achievement," he added.

The Pocket Parks Project was created by Paramount Mayor Gene Daniels to address the problem that blighted vacant lots presented to neighborhoods in his city. Vacant lots were continual maintenance problems and often attracted illicit activities. Although owners of the lots would respond to Code Enforcement citations and occasionally clean them, the problems would inevitably recur because the lots were vacant and unattended.

Mayor Daniels saw a way to turn this problem around . While negotiating for the right-of-way during a street-widening project, the mayor also offered to clean up the lot and turn it into a green space. The owner agreed and the first pocket park was born. Since then, seven other formerly vacant lots have been transformed into neighborhood parks.

Total expenditures for the program and the creation of eight pocket parks are approximately $78,000, yet the benefits have far exceeded the costs. For this small financial investment, the city has removed long-existing blighted conditions that foster economic decline and crime. Of equal importance, unsightly vacant lots, which neighboring residents had come to dread, were transformed into restful spots that citizens can use and enjoy.

The pocket parks also provide additional open space for children to play and families to gather. Although the city has ten larger parks, the pocket parks are of a neighborhood character and residents of the immediate area can easily walk to them.

"The Pocket Parks Project is a true "win-win-win" situation for the owner of the vacant lot, the city, and the community, ì noted the panel of judges.

Members of the 1999 City Livability panel of judges were William Althaus, former Mayor of York, Pennsylvania, and former President of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, currently serving as a consultant to several organizations; Betty Jo Rhea, former Mayor of Rockhill, South Carolina, a long-time member of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Executive Board, and a City Livability recipient herself; and Randel Hernandez, Vice President of Bank of America, and former Chief of Staff for Mayor Beverly O’Neill of Long Beach, California.

 Waste Management, Inc. based in Houston, Texas, is the global leader in providing waste management services. In North America, the company operates throughout the United States, and in Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, serving municipal, commercial, industrial and residential customers.