In This Issue:
Reminder: Coalition call on Thursday, September 8 @ 4pm EST
Federal Policy Update
Ohio Launches New Brownfield Action Plan Pilot Program
Connect, Collaborate, Create Solutions at Upcoming Conference
Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference
Submit a Session Proposal to the 4th Annual Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
Reminder: Coalition call on Thursday, September 8 @ 4pm EST
SGA’s regular monthly coalition call will take place on Thursday, September 8 @ 4:00pm EST on this conference line: 712-432-0111, 668783#. One of the exciting topics that will be covered on this call is state-specific anti-sprawl research by Robert Liberty. Please join us to learn more.
Federal Policy Update
Congress will return from August recess next week. We anticipate the Senate Appropriations Committee to move as many of the FY2012 appropriations bills through the committee process as they can before the end of the fiscal year on September 30th. This is an especially critical time to weigh in with your Senators to support continued funding for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities and its work at HUD, DOT, and EPA. We also anticipate the House Appropriations Committee will move the appropriations bill that funds the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development through the Committee but House leadership has indicated it will not be considered by the full House. Instead, the House will move a short term continuing resolution before the of the fiscal year.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has also announced they will mark up a four month extension of the surface transportation bill on September 8th with the hope that during those four months a longer term bill can be passed. The Environment and Public Works Committee continues to work on passing a two year bill with level funding, while the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee would like to pass a longer term reauthorization bill that would result in cuts in current spending levels.
Just before recessing for the month of August, Congress raised the debt ceiling and as part of the negotiation to raise the debt ceiling Congress created a super committee to identify $1.5 trillion in additional savings by Thanksgiving. The super committee members have been named and will start to meet regularly when Congress returns next week. Please keep an eye on your email for future updates and opportunities to take action.
Ohio Launches New Brownfield Action Plan Pilot Program
This week, Ohio’s Department of Development (ODOD) announced the Brownfield Action Plan Pilot Program, an innovative new initiative aimed at helping communities impacted by multiple brownfields sites create area-wide plans to address them. For more information, see our blog post about the program.
Connect, Collaborate, Create Solutions at Upcoming Conference
Registration is open for Solutions for Sustainable Communities: 2011 Learning Conference on State and Local Housing Policy in Washington, DC September 26-28, organized by the National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy. You can find information about this conference, all other upcoming conferences, events and more on SGA’s coalition member-only calendar. You can also add this conference to your Google Calendar.
Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference
The Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference will feature teams of leaders from Austin, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Louisville, and Seattle sharing how they developed green infrastructure to complement gray and turned waste to precious resources while engaging public support and saving dollars. Smart Growth America has signed on as a a partner in the upcoming conference, sponsored by the Clean Water America Alliance, to highlight the strong relationship between an inter-disciplinary approach to water management and smart growth. The conference will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from October 3-5. Sign up by September 26th for reduced rate and get more information here. You can also You can also add this conference to your Google Calendar.
Submit a Session Proposal to the 4th Annual Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
The Center for Community Progress will convene the 4th National Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, scheduled for June 20-22, 2012 in New Orleans. The theme, “Remaking America for the 21st Century,” is designed to ignite information-sharing, brainstorming and brass tacks discussions about how to turn challenge into opportunity for our nation’s cities and towns in the second decade of the new century. You can find information about this conference, all other upcoming conferences, events and more on SGA’s coalition member-only calendar. You can also add this conference to your Google Calendar.