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NARC Co-Hosts White House Sustainable Communities Meeting
Local Government Associations Provide Recommendations to Guide Federal Programs, Regulations and Funding
Washington, DC (December 17, 2009) – The National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) yesterday co-hosted a White House-led meeting, the Federal Interagency Roundtable on Sustainable Communities with the National League of Cities (NLC), National Association of Counties (NACo), U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the Brookings Institution. This first-of-its-kind discussion provided the White House and key federal agencies local and regional perspectives on how best to advance and implement strong integrated regional planning for sustainable communities by examining the coordination and reform of federal programs, funding flows and policies.
NARC was represented by the Honorable Stephen Cassano, NARC President and Selectman, Town of Manchester, Connecticut; Anthony Reams, NARC Vice President and President of the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG); and, Charles "Chick" Krautler, NARC Executive Directors Council First Vice Chair and Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC).
"It was an honor to be a part of this important dialogue with my fellow local elected colleagues, the White House and federal agencies," said President Cassano. "I am pleased and encouraged to see the outreach and commitment to achieving livable and sustainable communities through local and regional approaches within the priorities of the Obama Administration and our association partners. Now is the time for the federal government to assist regional efforts – urban, suburban and rural – through incentives, flexibility, streamlining and direct funding to our local governments and their regional planning organizations."
"Regions play a critical role in advancing federal livability goals and providing on-the-ground successes," said Vice President Reams. "From a regional practitioner’s perspective, we believe the local government-supported network of regional councils, with our broad spectrum of issues, 40-plus year history, and expertise in programming federal, state and local funds and services, is a natural vehicle through which the federal government can realize efficiencies in linking and delivering federal programs."
"For decades, regional councils have been at the forefront of working with local governments to establish livable and sustainable communities,” said First Vice Chair Krautler. “We must use our successes and lessons learned to help guide this national initiative and emphasize strategic and integrated regional planning and implementation efforts that take into account transportation, the economy, jobs, housing and the environment."
NARC offers its assistance to the White House, the federal agencies and our fellow associations in pursuing a regional agenda at the federal level that will help restore economic prosperity in our nation’s communities and foster partnerships and innovative practices that make all of our counties, cities, towns, townships, villages and boroughs great places to live, play, work and invest.
Click here to access NARC’s Federal Livability Framework: A Central Role For Regions.