State Municipal League Staff Workshop--Denver!

Monday

July 28, 2008

Day 1 observations by Dave Worthams

5:45 AM (EDT):
I have a feeling that, unlike many of my colleagues, I am one of the least traveled folks on staff for the League, which could be a bit ironic as I am the transportation guy on staff.  How little traveled am I?  Well, I can count on one hand the number of airports that I have been to (for those who are curious, they are AZO, DTW, DCA, LAX, MIA).  So part of me is very excited to be able to add Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) and Denver International (DEN) to this list.

8:00 AM (CDT):
On our approach into Minneapolis/St. Paul, I was able to see the Metrodome (maybe the Tigers will get another win there sometime this year) and the I35W bridge that collapsed last year.  They are in the middle of building the new bridge that will replace it.  I had a chance to research the new bridge and noticed the following in the FAQ section of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s website:

The new bridge will be Light Rail Transit-ready.  The design includes 14 foot wide shoulder lanes that allow for future development, including possibly adding light rail, dedicated bus lanes, or additional lanes of traffic.

There is an important lesson that we can learn here.  As we face a transformation in Michigan’s transportation system, a transformation that is going to be spurred by the fact that we must do something to adequately fund the system, we should make the most of the opportunity to bring in new technologies and ideas into the system—specifically transit opportunities.  Rebuilding a bridge and keeping it transit capable in the midst of a tragedy is very forward thinking.  Road agencies at all levels are going to need this type of thinking in the months and years to come.

A quick side note on the MSP airport—the Wolfgang Puck Express is highly recommended as you spend time between connecting flights!

10:45 AM (MDT):
For some reason, I expected to see mountains by now as we come into Denver International (DEN).  As we approach the airport, I see nothing but corn, desert plains, corn, and yes, more corn.  As we take the last turn in the landing pattern, I think I can make them out in the distance. 

DEN is about 30 minutes from downtown and the best way to get there is to use the “Super Shuttle,” which the MML crew has decided to do.  The mountains, as well as the city itself, slowly become larger and larger as we follow I-70 to the west.  As we get into the downtown area, I quickly recognize the signs of a walkable downtown.  There’s a mall on 16th street that is about 1.25 miles long.  Supplementing the mall is a free bus rapid transit called the “Mall Ride.”  It’s a hybrid bus that stops at every intersection along the mall.  There are also light rail trolleys throughout the city and what appears to be millions of dollars of investment and plenty of people enjoying the day outdoors.  This is a brilliant place and just the type of thing that millennials my age are looking for.

The NLC staff workshop kicks off tomorrow with a series of sessions.  It will be a busy day and our League staff will come away with a lot of good information and new tools to press Michigan cities forward.

Tuesday

July 29, 2008

Day 2 observations by Dave Worthams

8:30 AM (MDT):
Good remarks about collaborative change from Denver’s Mayor John Hickenlooper.  We all know that change is being pushed, but we have to accept the fact that change is going to be pushed at the local level because change isn’t going to happen in Washington, DC.  The thing about change is that for change to be successful, it will require passion.  Mayor Hickenlooper gave this as an example of passion:

A young man received a ticket to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  He quickly discovered that it was the ticket to the last one of the highest nosebleed seats in the arena.  During a break in the action, he noticed that there was a seat open down in front on the Blue Line – about three rows back.  Being a very resourceful person, the young man snuck passed security and the ushers and walked down to the seat.

As he walked closed to the seat, he noticed that an old man was in the next seat over.  The young man, figuring that he really didn’t have anything to lose, asked the elderly man
“May I sit here?”

The old man replied, “Yes.  This seat belonged to my wife of 26 years and we never missed a game.  But she passed away.  You can still sit here anyway.”

The young man felt bad and asked, “Well, why are you here alone?  Don’t you have any brothers or sisters or children that would like to see this game with you?”

The old man replied, “Oh yes, I have 4 brothers, 6 sons, and 3 daughters who really love hockey and would just kill to be here.”

“Well, where are they?” the young man inquired.

“Well … I supposed they’re at the funeral right now,” the old man said as a fight broke out on the ice.

That’s some good stuff … maybe not the exact type of passion that we need to move our cities forward, but hey – it might explain why Detroit’s got the Cup!

10:05 (MDT):
The last portions of the morning session involved Neil Westergaard (Editor-In-Chief, Denver Business Journal) and Mayor Kathleen Novak (Mayor, Northglenn, CO and First Vice President of the National League of Cities).  Both speakers mentioned about the collaborative leadership that is moving the 2.1 million people who live in the Denver Metropolitan area.  There has been a revitalization of the regional transit system (not just buses but light rail and airports as well).  Years ago, 32 mayors got together and agreed that regional transit would not only help downtown Denver, but the suburbs as well.  Twice they successfully asked voters to approve bond proposals to upgrade and expand their system.  32 mayors in the region worked together and brought millions of dollars of new economic development to both downtown and the surrounding area.

Hearing this I have to wonder, can we find 32 mayors in Southeast Michigan to support something like this?  Can we find 32 mayors in Michigan to support any form of positive support for transit?  Can we find 32 mayors, council members, or citizen legislators to support House Bill 6114 (D-Donigan)?  Can Michigan support a transit oriented development philosophy to our urban areas?

I think so.  I think so because Denver did and I know that collaboration is what allowed Detroit to sweep the Colorado Avalanche on our way to the Stanley Cup.  We did that in hockey, imagine what we’ll do elsewhere!

Wednesday

July 30, 2008

Day 3 observations by Dave Worthams

11:00 AM (MDT):
We’re hearing stories from staffers from Kentucky, Georgia, and Alaska about the trouble with their legislatures.  It looks like we’re not the only ones that have to deal with legislators who don’t agree with our point of view.  In fact the folks from Kentucky played a video of a floor speech given by a former mayor who called for a decrease in state funding for local governments (their version of revenue sharing).  Astounding!

They played that video as a lead into why it is important to use research to assist our legislative advocacy efforts.  The biggest lesson that we can learn here is that research helps in countless ways, but we have to know how to use it.  We have to avoid what folks in Kentucky call “SWAGS” (Scientifically Wild A** Guesses), we have to plan ahead of time and be willing to partner up with other organizations who can help get data in a timely manner (remember yesterday’s lesson on collaborative leadership?).

But beyond this, we must be willing to get data from our members and we must have members who are willing to answer our requests for information.  This last part is very important.  Earlier this year, in response to a request from the Michigan Transportation Funding Task Force (TF2), we sent out a survey regarding the amount of money spent on various road improvements during FY 2000–04.  While it was helpful to get just over 50 of the surveys back, if the TF2 is really going to understand the depth of the transportation funding problem cities and villages are facing, we need more than just 10% of our members to give feedback.

If the League is going to continue to be a leader in proper policy development, we are going to need the help of all our members.  Without you, we cannot be successful with our legislative advocacy in Michigan.

One other interesting from session—the Texas Legislature is part-time.  Their constitution limits their sessions to 140 calendar days and bills do not carry over from one year to another.  In those 140 days, on average, 6,500 bills are introduced and reviewed.  Compared to Michigan’s Legislature, which is full-time, that’s a lot.  We have approximately 3,500 bills introduced in our two-year sessions.

I guess they are serious when they say “Everything is bigger in Texas!”

I am flying back home tomorrow and will leave the remaining days in the hands of my colleagues.  Overall, I am happy to have come to the NLC Staff Workshop.  This has been a good reinforcement for the things that we do in the State and Federal Affairs Division.

Thursday

July 31, 2008

Day 4 observations by Mary Charles

First a couple of thoughts on the sessions I attended earlier in the week, particularly the concept of using an on-line university to train elected officials, as well as staff.  A step up from the CDs the Foundation did earlier and certainly a conversation to have with our IT department when we get back.  The concept is intriguing, but like most things, the devil is in the details.  Fortunately, a member of our IT department was in the session as well to help with those.

I also attended a couple of sessions on communications—both internal and with members.  We learned that we are doing lots of things right but as always there is room for improvement—particularly a couple of interesting “tweaks” on things we are already doing.  Probably most important was the reinforcement of the need for active communication on both levels and going both ways, rather than just assuming “everyone knows that.”

Dan’s presentation on branding was a great success and we keep hearing from other Leagues not only how informative it was but also snippets of ideas and plans I know had to have come from his presentation.

Friday evening’s activities included a baseball game at Coors Field.  Our seats were high in the stands, looking out over the mountains.  A perfect seat for watching the sunset and the city’s lights come on.  As much as I like Comerica Park, I have to admit the view we had was astounding.  Oh yes, and the Rockies won.

Saturday morning sessions included another roundtable on communications, this time focusing more on communication with members, including an active discussion on various awards given by the other state leagues and the pros and cons of each type and means of selection. 

Saturday afternoon our final activity for the workshop was an excursion to Georgetown to ride the Georgetown Loop, but also a chance to visit one of the smaller towns in the area—and to learn of its vital importance to the Denver area.  If Colorado suffers a black out similar to ours a few years ago, the whole electric grid will be restarted again from the 150+ year old hydroelectric plant in Georgetown.  Another interesting fact—Georgetown is the only “special charter” city in Colorado, much as the City of Mackinac Island is the only “special charter” city in Michigan.

Friday

August 1, 2008

Day 5 observations by Mary Charles

So, what have I learned this week?  First, the city of Denver—at least the downtown area—is a shining example of the lessons learned in our Public Policy Forums.  The easily accessible public transportation (buses and light rail), the diversity of the people (not just millennials but baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Y—and everything in between, not just black and white but everything in between) and the activities (from chess to professional baseball and everything in between) and the architecture (from the 19th century gold dome of the State Capitol to the 21st century glass expanse of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts and yes, everything in between). 

What I didn’t get to visit, but heard much about, are the unique and close-knit neighborhoods of the city, each proudly retaining their own identity while proudly claiming to be a part of Denver.  As we traveled through the suburbs and industrial areas on the way to the airport, it became apparent that the Denver metropolitan area had been able to devise a cooperative arrangement from which Michigan could learn a lot.

And what did I learn from the workshop?  First, that the problems Michigan is currently facing are not unique.  They may be more severe in some respects, but they are not unique.  And though not all solutions work in all areas, there are certainly some ideas that can be tweaked for Michigan.

I also learned that our “League family” is unique not only in its creativity, but also in its commitment to its members.  We all hope you will see things in the upcoming months that will make you scratch your head and say “Wonder if they learned that in Denver.”