By Ed Somers
February 9, 2004

The first general session of the Winter Meeting was a special mayors'only information exchange luncheon that provided mayors with the opportunity to discuss a variety of priority issues and local best practices in a roundtable setting.

As Conference President Hempstead (NY) Mayor James A. Garner said in beginning the meeting, "We hope that this luncheon will provide the opportunity for greater mayoral involvement, and for the discussion of a wide variety of issues that impact small, medium and large sized cities, center cities and suburban cities, cities with varying demographics, and cities from different geographic regions of the nation."

The issues for discussion were determined based on a survey sent to all member mayors regarding the following question: "What actions should the federal government take that would truly help improve my city and help me accomplish my objectives as Mayor?"

• Homeland Security: Direct Funding for First Responders, Border Protection
• Transportation and Communications Investment: Airports, Ports, Transit, Rails, Roads and Telecommunications
• Housing: Affordable Production, Homeownership, Homelessness and CDBG
• Economic Development and Job Creation: Brownfields, Military Bases, Small Business, Minority Business Development, Trade Policy, Immigration
• Crime Reduction, Drug Control and Public Safety
• Education and After'school
• Health Care, Prescription Drugs, Insurance
• Environmental Infrastructure and Sustainability: Water, Waste Water, Air, Energy, Corps of Engineers, and MTBE
• Parks, Arts, Public Lands, Amenities
• Tax Incentives, Federal Tax Policy, Fiscal Assistance, Promotion of Manufacturing
• Workforce Development and Youth Employment

A major survey response was also the issue of unfunded and funded federal mandates, which cut across the topic areas and was discussed at many of the roundtable meetings.