Presentations

Finding Savings and Revenue
Every city is looking for ways to be more efficient and save money, and every city is looking for revenue sources to cover costs. This panel will present four innovative approaches to finding savings or revenue that your city can learn from.
• Mayor Craig Lowe, Gainesville FL (see the Briefing Book section)
• Dale Doerr, Sheboygan WI Waste Water Treatment Plant Superintendent
• John Flansberg, Reno NV Director of Public Works
• Ronald Rakow, Boston MA Commissioner of Assessing
• Rebecca Rhynhart, Philadelphia PA Budget Director

How to Talk About Government
Dominant public perceptions of government undermine efforts to engage citizens in the day-to-day work of the public sector and the many challenges, decisions and competing priorities that face our public systems. However, it is possible to create a more productive conversation about government if we can reconnect people to its unique mission, purpose and role. To do so we must understand the default mindsets we face and tap into alternative and more supportive public perspectives.
• Patrick Bresette, Associate Program Director, Public Works, Demos

Keynote Speaker
David Agnew, Deputy Director, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper
Great cities have great public spaces, but do great public spaces have to cost a lot of money? This panel will examine ways that cities can create livable neighborhoods and corridors and engage in placemaking without breaking the bank.
• Fred Kent, President, Project for Public Spaces - webcast - Part 1 - Part 2
• Jason Roberts, Team Better Block - video
• Mayor Paul Dyster, Niagara Falls NY
• Douglas Burnham, Architect, ProxySF - Part 1 - Part 2
Contact us for the full presentation
• Councillor Heather Deal, Vancouver, BC

Planning for Economic Development
Economic development budgets (like all budgets) are limited, but there’s a lot of demand from the private sector for help from public sector. How do you choose where to target your efforts? We’ll hear from several cities that are getting information, setting priorities, and leveraging their resources.
• Mary Kay Leonard, President and CEO, Initiative for a Competitive Inner City - webcast
• Patrick Quinton, Portland Development Corporation Executive Director
• Cathy Polasky, Minneapolis MN Director of Economic Policy and Development