By Mayor Mary Ann Lutz
Information and information sharing is critically important to an elected official. Finding out what works well in some cities – and what doesn’t, and why – helps communities like Monrovia identify new solutions and opportunities. To that end, earlier this year I had an idea to pull together a group of Mayors from our region.
The vision was to have a Mayor’s workshop with our Congressmen David Dreier. A working meeting whereby each Mayor from the 26th Congressional District could sit across from the Congressman and conduct an honest discussion of the challenges facing our communities and how they relate to the Federal Government.
Our City staff and I spent the better part of the summer planning, scheduling and rescheduling this workshop; coordinating with Mayors, the Congressman’s office, and reviewing potential topics for the meeting.
The vision became a reality at the Monrovia Public Library Community Room, on November 1, 2010. Even though this was the day before the mid-term elections, the Congressman and thirteen Mayors of the seventeen cities in the District embarked on this challenging discussion.
During the two hour session, we divided the discussion into four main topics: Transportation and Transit, Job Creation, Public Safety, and Water and Open Space. Ultimately, we covered a wide range of important topics that affect our individual cities, in addition to the region, the state, and in some cases, the nation.
The main themes of the wide-ranging discussion were:
* The inability to return to the former process of using appropriations earmarks to secure federal funding for local projects. That said, the Congressman indicated that the massive transit/transportation appropriation “SAFETEA-LU” must and will move forward;
* The priority that the Gold Line Foothill Extension and Alameda Corridor East (ACE) have been among Congressman Dreier’s key projects. The Congressman will use every effort to close funding gaps for these hugely important projects;
* The harsh reality that some programs – even popular endeavors like the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants, – may be sacrificed in order to help rein in federal spending. However, the Congressman was very interested in hearing from the Mayors about the effectiveness of the COPS program; and
* The need to preserve and protect wildland areas and water resources in our region. Congressman Dreier discussed at length his Wilderness Preservation Initiative, as well as the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act.
In summary, this workshop provided an excellent forum to have an open and direct dialogue with our Congressman, David Dreier.
The Mayors are grateful for the time the Congressman took away from his busy schedule – on the day before Election Day, no less. I am just as appreciative to the Mayors for their time and invaluable perspective.
The continued vision: that these beneficial workshops continue as we all strive to move our communities, and the nation forward.
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