March 5, 2007

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is featured in the February issue of Governing magazine. Under the theme of “Mayor in the Middle,” the article, a lengthy profile, states that Villaraigosa campaigned from left of center, but is governing from the center of L.A.’s body politic.

The mayor, a former union leader, has been in the middle of many pressing issues, such as unions attempting to pass living-wage policies that would raise wage payments against opposition from many businesses. And, the article continues, “The 53-year old mayor is laboring to convince each of the diverse segments of this famously fractious city — black and brown, Asian and Anglo, labor and management, homeless advocates and downtown developers, environmentalists and business executives — that he takes them seriously.”

Other parts of the article document the mayors background as an immigrant rights activist, a field organizer for the United Teachers of Los Angeles, then president of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and of the L.A. local of the American Federation of Government Employees. After that, he was, in 1995, a California state assemblyman and then, for two years as Democratic Speaker of the Assembly in the late 1990s.

Other parts of the article cover the mayor’s attempt to ease racial discord in the city, deal with housing issues and reform the city’s public schools.

Cory Booker, elected mayor of Newark (NJ) last summer, is profiled in the February 10 Economist magazine. His attempts to promote a sweeping package of ethics legislation in the middle of inheriting what the magazine says is a “fiscal nightmare” is mentioned as well as other goals is also documented. These include a priority of making Newark safe so the city can attract more residents and jobs and working on Newark’s long-term growth and development for the city of 280,000 residents.

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson met with Bosnian Ambassador to the U.S. to help ease tensions following a February 12 shooting by an 18-year old Bosnian immigrant who killed five people in a mall and hitting multiple other victims before being killed by police.

The Bosnian community members about 3,000 in Utah. Anderson also led a community candlelight vigil following the tragic incident and he and city officials reached out to the Bosnian community to assure them they are a valued part of the community.

Pembroke Pines (FL) Mayor Frank Ortis is at the forefront of a drive to make his city the first to go “green.”

A December 26 article in the South Florida Sun Sentinel documented the many initiatives launched the Ortis and city commissioners. They include mandatory standards so new and renovated buildings are environmentally friendly and help reduce emission of greenhouse gases.

Two developments spurred Pembroke Pines.

The first “green” building owned by Broward County is nearing completion in Pembroke Pines. The 70,000 square-foot, two'story facility will be shared by Broward Community College and the Broward County Library Division.

Also contributing to Ortis’ proposal were presentations at the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meetings. He told of learning that buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and the United States Green Building Council created a program called LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environment Design, to establish guidelines for construction.

St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay joined Human Services Director Bill Siedhoff, representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and homeless service providers February 27 to announce a 26 percent reduction in homelessness and an $8.45 million grant from HUD to continue the program.

In August 2005, Slay set a goal of ending chronic homelessness within ten years. In combination with St. Louis County, the city created a ten-year plan that changed the focus from temporary shelter to the provision of permanent housing and support services.

Since that time, St. Louis has invested millions in the plan. The city recently finished a homeless census count at 44 sites. In 2004, 1,870 people were counted as homeless compared to 1,386 last month, a decrease of 26 percent. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that the city has added 235 permanent housing beds over that time. Additionally, 194 permanent housing beds will become available within the next year.

“We are reaping the benefits of our efforts,” said Slay. “More importantly, the homeless people now in permanent housing are the real winners in all of this.”

The Roger Williams Park Botanical Center officially opened its doors to the public March 2. Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline joined Parks Superintendent Alix R. Ogden and other dignitaries to cut the ribbon on the 12,000 square-foot facility.

The state-of-the-art facility, which is the largest indoor public display garden in New England, houses a colorful array of flowers, rare plants, waterfalls and unique exhibits, including towering palm trees and carnivorous plants. The Botanical Center also features classroom and lecture space as well as facilities for indoor and outdoor events.

The Botanical Center has been referred to as “a model for collaboration” with 12 partner organizations including the Rhode Island Rose Society, Rhode Island Orchid Society, New England Carnivorous Plant Society and Master Gardeners.

The $7.7 million facility was financed with federal, state and city dollars, as well as major support from the Champlin Foundation.

Washington Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and District of Columbia Public Schools Launch Safe Water Initiative

The Fenty Administration and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) on March 1, announced the launch of a Safe Water Initiative to ensure DCPS students are protected from potential lead exposure through water devices within the district’s public schools.

The Administration and DCPS are also working with the Public Charter School Board to determine appropriate procedures for ensuring that public charter school students have access to safe drinking water.

The program will begin March 2 and will include the flushing and disabling of drinking water systems and testing of lead in water devices in public schools across the city. Because children under the age of six are at greatest risk of health effects associated with lead exposure, testing will begin in elementary schools. Over the next four weeks, 127 schools will be tested. As drinking devices are deemed safe, each will be restored for use. Those devices that test below safety levels will be enabled and restored once repaired.

Schools began receiving water contracted through Deer Park Water today. Elementary schools will receive up to five water dispensers and middle and high schools will receive pallets of half-liter bottles of water for students and staff.