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Greetings from ILG!
Yesterday our office observed a statewide holiday honoring the great Caesar Chavez. The holiday commemorates the work of the iconic labor leader and serves as a tribute to his commitment to social justice.
Social justice and equity are key values that shape ILG’s work- as we provide local governments with trainings, resources, and assistance to make their communities better and more inclusive. Whether it’s our engagement efforts related to the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project in Stockton, our new registered apprenticeship intermediary initiative, or our technical assistance work that focuses on under-resourced communities throughout the state, ILG is committed to incorporating equity into everything we do.
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In March, several members of the ILG team attended MMANC’s inaugural Equity Summit, the Winter Forum, focusing on “Equitable Representation: Advancing BIPOC Leadership in Local Government.” There, our own Nikita Sinha and Melissa Kuehne led an interactive workshop on Empowering Diversity in the Public Sector.
We celebrated Women’s History Month with numerous events celebrating women leaders, advocating for equitable policy, and honoring local government public servants.
On a personal note, I was humbled to be included in a brand-new book by Analiza Quiroz Wolf titled “The Myths of Success: A Woman of Color’s Guide to Leadership,” which includes insights from female CEOs in the public and private sector about leadership, navigating change and overcoming adversity. The stories shared by the women featured in this book are a poignant reminder that as we explore diversity and equity in local government, it’s important for us to apply a broad lens that includes gender, race, age, and so much more.
Our April newsletter highlights some of our climate and sustainability work in recognition of Earth Day this month. Local governments continue to make historic progress in working with their communities to address climate change and become more resilient to the changing climate, and ILG is proud to be your partner in that fight.
In addition to details about upcoming webinars, trainings and new survey, below you’ll find updates on our flagship Beacon program as well as a link to our latest Western City article, which details how some cities are using data and transparency to advance climate equity.
Hope you enjoy!
Erica L. Manuel
CEO & Executive Director
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SUSTAINABILITY IS ALWAYS IN SEASON | |
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Beacon Program Awards Launch April 15th
Now in its 14th year, our Beacon Program continues to support cities, counties, and special districts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy, and adopting policies that address our climate crisis. This month we are connecting with our Beacon Program participants to offer our help in collecting data to apply for our annual awards program. ILG will open its Beacon Award Application on April 15th.
More information available here.
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UPCOMING EVENTS, WEBINARS AND TRAININGS | |
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TIERS Public Engagement Training Returns
Learn How to Build a Comprehensive Public Outreach & Engagement Strategy
April 24-25 | Virtual
Are you getting the results you want from your public engagement efforts?
Would you like to connect with other local government agencies tackling similar challenges?
You’re invited to join the thousands of California local government staff and elected officials trained in ILG’s T.I.E.R.S. Public Engagement Framework. The two-day T.I.E.R.S. training gives you a step-by-step framework to master the public engagement process and build trust in your communities. The T.I.E.R.S. training will help you operationalize your outreach and engagement efforts in a more sustainable and collaborative way and provide you with resources and digital tools to authentically engage your community.
This comprehensive training is open to any local government agency in California and can be applied to a variety of common public sector outreach efforts ranging from housing and sustainability to participatory budgeting and public safety.
Register today!
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Lunch & Learn Webinar: An Election Year Update on California’s New Governance and Ethics Laws
May 1, 2024 | Virtual
Starting in 2024, the Levine Act requires elected officials to disqualify from certain contract and entitlement decisions involving a campaign donor. Although this law has been in place since the early 1980s, it previously only applied to appointed bodies, such as the boards of joint powers authorities. Members of legislative bodies will now have to consider the impact of conflict-of-interest laws when accepting contributions. This webinar will focus on election year ethics with an emphasis on the Levine Act. Attendees will learn about the nuances of this new paradigm and what council and board members (and the executives serving them) will need to be aware of as campaign season begins in earnest.
Read more and register here.
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WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS | |
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Facing A Skills Gap?
New Survey Helps Pinpoint the Jobs You Need to Fill
Take the Survey today!
As part of our ongoing efforts to understand and anticipate the workforce needs of cities, counties and special districts, we want to know what your current and future staffing needs may be. Your answers to this new survey will help us shape ILG’s new public sector registered apprenticeship program for non-traditional occupations. Please fill out our survey today or share it with your Human Resources Directors.
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California Climate Policy Summit
ILG was amongst the 350 policy experts, elected leaders, business leaders, scientists, and advocates who attended the Climate Center’s Climate Policy Summit in Sacramento to collaborate in addressing California’s most pressing climate issues.
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MMANC Advancing Equity Conference
ILG recently hosted a conference session on “Empowering Diversity” in local government at the MMANC Advancing Equity Conference last month. This lively discussion focused on opportunities for public sector employers to reimagine recruitment and retention and embrace diversity, culture, belonging, and more.
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Planning Commissioners Academy
ILG hosted Ethics and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for more than 300 Planning Commissioners who attended CalCities’ Planning Commissioner Academy in Long Beach. Thank you to our partners at Best, Best & Krieger LLP and Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, PC for presenting with us.
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STEP Incentive Events
The ILG team is spending lots of time in Stockton for our work with the San Joaquin Council of Governments on the Stockton Mobility Collective Project (STEP). We helped distribute mobility incentives that can be used on things like electric car share and public transportation. We also hosted a peer learning conversation to connect community organizations and teams leading state grant efforts in the region to discuss outreach and community engagement efforts.
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Don Benninghoven honored in Santa Barbara
This month we paid our respects to ILG's Board Member Emeritus and former Cal Cities CEO, Don Benninghoven. Don spent 26 years as Executive Director of the League of California Cities and helped co-found the Cities-Counties-Schools Partnership. Hundreds of colleagues and friends attended the memorial service in Santa Barbara, including many current and former ILG board and staff members. Don leaves behind a legacy of invaluable service to local government, and he will be dearly missed.
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How Cities are Using People Power to Advance Climate Equity
Check out Nikita Sinha’s article on how the cities of San Diego and Richmond are using open-source data to monitor their climate action plans, improve transparency, and ensure that their most vulnerable communities are protected.
Read more..
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How Can More U.S. Cities Become More Walkable? Here's One Urban Planner's Approach
Imagine everything you need—shops, parks, schools, and more—is within walking or biking distance of your home. Urban planner Jeff Speck is bringing a walkable lifestyle to cities across the U.S.
Read More.
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Understanding the Role of New Housing in Reducing Climate Pollution
Whether and how new housing is built has important consequences for the climate. Improving urban land use policy is an important way to reduce global climate pollution (what is commonly referred to as “climate mitigation”). It is likely essential for reaching global climate targets, and it may decrease environmental and social harms of expanded lithium mining as we transition to electric cars.
Read more.
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WEBINAR: The Brown Act: The People's Business and Right to Access
California’s Ralph M. Brown Act guarantees the public's right to attend and participate in local legislative bodies’ meetings. Codified under California Government Code sections 54950 et seq., the Brown Act covers essentially every type of local government body, elected or appointed, decision-making or advisory. BBK attorneys Megan Garibaldi and Patrick Donegan cover key provisions of the “open and public” law and some authorized exceptions.
Read more.
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Professional Video in the Era of TikTok
With the rise in popularity of social media video content, some professional videographers feel threatened by the ease with which content can be created. Certainly, apps like TikTok, an evolution from Vine and other meme-posting platforms, have legitimized a certain style and format of video production. Find out how this applies to local governments.
Read more.
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MMANC Women's Leadership Event
Inspiring panels, empowering conversations, and dynamic networking opportunities are on the schedule for MMANC’s Women’s Leadership Forum. Register soon for this one-day event held in Oakland on Thursday, May 2, as it is sure to sell out!
Read more and register.
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ICMA Thrive in Local Government Coaching Program
Our friends at ICMA are offering a to equip you with the tools needed to elevate your administrative prowess and leave a lasting impact on the communities you serve. Attendees can embark on a transformative journey where you will explore indispensable strategies for navigating communication “potholes” and creating effective conversations with the community! This virtual event takes place Wednesday, April 17 at 10:30am.
Read more.
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Join us in Sacramento! Last Chance to Register for Cal Cities and CSAC Legislative Conferences!
The League of California Cities’ City Leaders Summit and the CSAC 2024 Legislative Conference are both coming to the SAFE Credit Convention Center in Sacramento in just a few weeks! These are great opportunities for both city and county leaders to network and meet with legislators to advocate for the priorities of their constituents. See below for details.
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2024 CSAC Legislative Conference
April 17-19, 2024
SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, Sacramento
The 2024 Legislative Conference schedule is packed. Attendees can attend policy committee meetings, workshops, County Caucus meetings (with a new reception for each caucus), time to connect with statewide legislators, a CSAC Board of Directors meeting, and more!
Learn more and register here.
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2024 Cal Cities City Leaders Summit
April 17-19, 2024
SAFE Credit Union Convention Center, Sacramento
The City Leaders Summit offers opportunities for city leaders from across the state to influence policy decisions in the Capitol and gain top-notch leadership skills. City officials can meet with legislators to advocate for cities’ top priorities and participate in peer-to-peer discussions and in-depth sessions covering topics ranging from leadership to emerging issues facing cities.
Read more and register here.
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Nominations Open for CSDA Annual Awards
From General Manager of the Year to Exceptional Public Outreach and Advocacy, the CSDA Annual Awards celebrate valuable contributions Special Districts make to the communities they serve. Nominations are accepted through May 1, 2024. Get involved today!
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