Community Covenant with US Armed Forces

Lat week during the regular meeting of the West Valley City Council, I as the acting mayor, was able to present the West Valley City Community Covenant to the Utah National Guard. This pledge was signed by the City Council as well as administrators, employees and community leaders.The West Valley City Community Covenant reaffirms the city’s long-standing commitment to support military service-members and their families.  Framed Copies of the Community Covenenat will be displayed at WV City Hall and at Utah national Guard Offices.

By participating in the Community Covenant program, West Valley City recognizes:
The commitment and sacrifice that men and women in uniform and their families makefor us each and every day.
That service members find strength through their families, and their families find strength through the community in which they are a part.
The strength of the community comes from each individual in it.
That all individuals in the community have the ability to make a difference.


Additionally, West ValleyCity will commit to:
Build partnerships that support the strength, resilience and readiness of service members and their families.
Go above and beyond our normal call of duty to support and recognize the military families in our community.
Ensure that the needs of military families are met, especially in times of deployment.
Rememberour service men and women and the sacrifices they make for our freedom.

National Committee Work Official Release

Here is the official press statement jointly released by the National League of Cities and West Valley City:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 28, 2010
Contact: Corey Rushton, Councilmember At-Large, 801-963-3346
West Valley City Councilmember Corey Rushton Explores Redevelopment Solutions at National League of Cities Meeting
West Valley City – During a recent meeting of the National League of Cities’ (NLC) First Tier Suburbs Council in Garland, Texas, West Valley City Councilmember Corey Rushton explored innovative solutions to redevelopment issues and learned how to translate these ‘best practices’ into reality for West Valley City.
“This committee is very ambitious in identifying and researching innovative solutions to the common challenges that our communities all share” said Rushton.
Local officials from first tier suburban communities struggle with the challenges of redevelopment, including aging housing stock and infrastructure, outdated land use regulations and sprawl.
In response to these challenges, city officials learned about downtown revitalization efforts that spur new growth while retaining community character, as well as efforts to plan and leverage new development around Dallas Area Rapid Transit stations. The cities of Garland, Plano, Duncanville, North Richland Hills and Richardson took advantage of the opportunity to bring new life to their communities by combining deliberate growth patterns, public/private partnerships and community support and participation.
In addition to touring successful redevelopment projects, city officials heard from national experts and discussed challenges and solutions to regionalism; retail revitalization; transit-oriented development; neighborhood vitality; changes in the real estate market; and strategic approaches to economic development attraction.
Chaired by Garland Councilmember Douglas Athas, the First Tier Suburbs Council is comprised of local officials from communities outside of central cities and inside the ring of developing suburbs and rural areas.
The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

National Committee Meetings

COUNCILMEMBER RUSHTON
COUNCIL REPORT
JUNE 15, 2010
NATIONAL NLC COMMITTEE CONFERENCE
SUMMARY
From June 9-12 I attended and represented West Valley City at my National League of Cities Committee Meeting held throughout the Dallas, Texas region. The conference major speakers and presenters included a variety of municipal officials, developers, and academics that investigated important issues identified by the committee. The meetings were very intense and took place from breakfast through dinner meetings. Clinical Professor and Real Estate advisor Michael Buckley, was given keynote status as he laid out technical information regarding transitions in real estate waves. The presentation impacts towards future development was explored by a firsthand bus tour of recent redevelopment and transit-oriented development through the region. The convening of this committee featured ten PowerPoint presentations with over 450 slides of information. I acquired electronic copies of these presentations in case of expressed interest or application to our City. Additionally, I gathered materials and discussed numerous best practice solutions and innovations in order to share them with executive staff for informational purposes.
PRIORITY ISSUES
1. Regionalism: Karen Walz, Project Manager for Vision North Texas, discussed the efforts of public-private partnerships in addressing the future quality of life, economic desirability and long term sustainability or regions using North Texas as an example.
2. Retail Revitalization: Anne Ricker, Leland Consulting Group, shared retail revitalization strategies and implementation tools.
3. Transit Oriented Development: Art Lomenick, managing Director, Trammell Crow Company discussed elements of successful transit oriented developments.
4. Neighborhood Vitality: Garland Planning and Neighborhood vitality department described the efforts of the City of Garland, Texas neighborhood vitality innovations.
5. Federal Agenda: Council discussed the shift in Department of Housing and Urban Development philosophy and programs toward more 'sustainable' development.

West Valley goes to Washington

Last week I was able to represent West Valley City to Congressional members and staff while presenting the federal goals and priorities of the City. I also attended and represented West Valley at the National League of Cities Conference. There I met for the first time with as a full steering member with the FTS committee. Below is the written report of this trip that I presented to other members of the City Council:

COUNCILMEMBER RUSHTON
COUNCIL REPORT
MARCH 22, 2010
NLC CONFERENCE & CONGRESSIONAL VISITS
SUMMARY

During March 12-18 I attended and represented West Valley City at the National League of Cities Conference and made Congressional visits to the Utah delegation in Washington D.C. The conference major speakers and presenters included a senior White House advisor and three members of the President’s cabinet, among others. The conference at the Marriott Wardman began on Saturday and concluded Wednesday. The committee that I was appointed to convened breakfast and lunch meetings on Sunday. The conference featured more than 30 workshops focused on economic development, safety, policy and programs. The seminars I attended this week included “The Broadband Connection” and “Successful Neighborhood Stabilization Programs” among others. The Congressional visits with both staff and members of Congress were received well and West Valley City earned praise for their partnerships and long term outlook.

VISIT HIGHLIGHTS

1. Administration Heads from respective Transportation, Education, and Energy Departments spoke on the need for quality communities and partnering roles. NLC President Loveridge expressed need for Job Creation.
2. Committee work consisted of plans and discussions about:
a. Many traditional development rules lead to social and economic segregation
b. Offering housing choices provides greater incentive for people to stay and invest in the community.
c. Impact of the recession on redevelopment initiatives.
d. Better local actions than Code Enforcement to combat blight (i.e. Rancho Cordova “Strong Neighborhoods”).
e. New trends in form based and technical zoning were presented by leading experts.
3. Both Senate offices generally approved of all the projects requested for funding and will begin further vetting and exploration of funding options. Congressman Matheson expressed strong support for the regional projects and agreed to use his committee post to look for telecom options.
4. The Utah League of Cities and Towns arranged a dinner for Utah delegates. Additionally, a breakfast was held with members of Congress featuring a question and answer period.

National Appointment

The following press release was issued by the National League Of Cities in Washington D.C. and locally by West Valley City public relations department:

West Valley City Councilmember Corey Rushton Appointed to National League of Cities’

First Tier Suburbs Council Steering Committee

Washington, DC – West Valley City At-Large Councilmember Corey Rushton was appointed to the National League of Cities’ (NLC) 2010 First Tier Suburbs Council Steering Committee. The First Tier Suburbs Council addresses the unique set of challenges located outside of central cities and inside the ring of developing suburbs and rural areas. The Council explores effective local solutions, supports research, provides guidance and recommendations to city officials, and allows city officials to network with each other.

The First Tier Suburbs Council Steering Committee provides leadership on issues including neighborhood and commercial revitalization, regional cooperation, housing and transportation.
“It is an honor to be appointed to this select group of leaders from across the country,” said Councilman Rushton. “This gives West Valley City a national voice in helping shape policy that is important to our community.”

The 2010 chair of the First Tier Suburbs Council is Garland, Tex., Council Member Douglas Athas. Working as this year’s vice chairs are Jim Woodward, mayor, Englewood, CO, Edward Schock, council member, Riverside, OH, and Joe Garcia, councilmember, Monrovia, CA.

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

Congress of Cities

Last week I represented West Valley City by attending the National League of Cities Congress of Cities in San Antonio, Texas. The conference major speakers and presenters included a senior White House advisor and a Wall Street Economist among others. Gathering at the Convention Center was a great opportunity to meet with leaders from around the country and discuss vital issues. The Congress of Cities provides a wealth of information and I was exposed to numerous rejuvenating programs and efficient policies . It featured more than 30 workshops focused on economic development, safety, policy and programs. The seminars I attended this week included “Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures: Building Community in Today's Economy” and “Doing More with Less: Getting Better Results for Children and Families” among others. I also participated in the First Tier Suburbs Committee where I have applied to be on their Steering Council. Additionally, I gathered materials on numerous best practice solutions and innovations and have shared them with executive staff for informational purposes in constructing a leaner budget and conducting quality investment. The conference kept me very busy, but I was able to take a few strolls down the famous San Antonio Riverwalk to muster ideas about the future potential of the Jordan River and West Valley City's River Marketplace.