By Yuriy Dyudyuk and Kay Scrimger
February 6, 2006

Conference Vice President Dearborn Mayor Michael A. Guido presided over the Janurary 26 Luncheon of the Winter Meeting, which focused on four outstanding best practices in Anchorage, Atlanta, Wichita, and Fort Wayne.

In December 2005, Anchorage launched “The One'stop Citizen Information Search Solution.” As Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich observed, the city’s new computerized database answers questions that citizens commonly ask, such as, “Where do I vote?”

“Getting information out to the citizens in the quickest way, is one of the biggest challenges mayors face,” he said. Our system is “easy, cost-effective and personalized,” and can be accessed on the city’s website (muni.org) by simply entering an address or an intersection, Begich said.

In its first 12 hours, there were 10,000 hits. It averages about 1100 hits a day, providing information on property, recreation, local services, development plans, and other issues. Hardware, software, and training were $150,000, and maintenance per year is about $85,000. Developing the system took eight months for three full-time working staff.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin described the dynamic public/private partnerships that she has initiated to tap the significant leadership, insights, resources, and energy of the private sector. The result has been “massive government reform,” e.g. major court consolidation, and a growing sense of ownership and involvement in her community.

Determined to erase an $82 million deficit and public cynicism in Atlanta, early in her first term Franklin built public confidence and leveraged private sector expertise by inviting local business, civic, faith, and non-profit leaders to lead 18 task forces examining ethics, homelessness, affordable workforce housing, and other issues.

The private sector has responded with effectiveness, ingenuity, and involvement. Lessons learned are engaging the community, leveraging its expertise, developing policies to avoid potential conflicts, asking, and then implementing.

Wichita Mayor Carlos Mayans presented the Gilbert and Moseley Project, which remodeled and cleaned up contaminated ground water from the downtown area. Innovative aspects include the use of tax increment financing, never before applied to environmental issues, and “certificates of release,” letting businesses that do not contribute to pollution remain open, which keeps property values and economic performance stable during construction.

In addition to administrative innovations, Mayans described how polluted water was transported to a treatment plant, which routes clean water to parks, a fish observatory and then the Arkansas River, in lieu of dumping.

This renovation project both cleaned polluted groundwater and used the treated water in a socially beneficial way. In addition, the project revamped downtown, which now boasts 28 businesses, 8 nightclubs, 43 retail stores, museums and a theater district.

Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard described his city’s success in expanding the Internet, the first Midwestern city to build a broadband, free wireless network covering 85 percent of its citizens, including 87 schools, 2000 teachers, 54,000 students, and all libraries and airports.

Richard emphasized, “Delivery of online learning in the future is critical for teacher training, as well as for connecting parents and teachers,” and for retaining intelligent individuals in the community by allowing collaboration and sharing of ideas.

Innovative programs undertaken include virtual diabetes diagnosis with retinal scans and the “Net Literacy” program, in which young people teach seniors about computers.