The Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program seeks to provide quick, targeted technical assistance to 20 communities using a variety of tools that have demonstrated results and widespread application. This technical assistance will help selected local and/or tribal governments to implement development approaches that protect the environment, improve public health, create jobs, expand economic opportunity, and improve overall quality of life.

Each technical assistance project in a community will include:

·    Public engagement — for example, a one-day workshop that is open to the general public.

·    Direct consultation with relevant decision-makers.

·    A memo outlining specific steps the community could take if it wants to implement the ideas generated during the site visit.

Among the tools that will be used are zoning code reviews, walkability assessments, parking policy analysis, climate action planning, commuter benefits, complete streets, and fiscal and economic tools.

Applying for Sustainable Communities Building Blocks

EPA announced a Request for Letters of Interest (RFLI) on February 3, 2011 (PDF) (11 pp, 172K, About PDF). Letters must be received by February 23, 2011. See the RFLI for information on how to apply.

In a time where job creation is at the top of everyone’s lists it is hard to promote innovation as a solution.  However, most studies on this issue have shown that innovation is positively correlated to job creation by creating first-mover advantages for firms; creating a cycle of expanded employment; and leading to higher productivity, increased wages and lower prices.  The bottom line is that it is not important to create just any job – but rather to secure the right mix of jobs at the right wage levels – and innovation provides the best opportunity for that.

This report (which was also produced in 2002, 2007, and 2008), claims that in order for states to be well positioned to drive innovation-based growth they need to possess specific factors.  Twenty-six indicators have been identified and used to determine the degree to which a state economy is knowledge-based, globalized, entrepreneurial, IT-driven, and innovation based. WV ranked 49^th overall when assessing each of the indicators.

It is not all bad news though; there were some indicators where WV is showing success:

• WV ranks 27^th in the number of Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Inc. 500 firms as a share of total firms. This is up from 49^th in the 2007 assessment.
• WV ranks 24^th in the utilization of digital technologies in state government, up from 47^th in the previous ranking study.
• WV ranked 8^th in Health IT which was measured by the number of prescriptions routed electronically.

Given our low results in the other indicators, WV has a long way to go in addressing our capacity to develop a knowledge based economy.  Access to technology and infrastructure along with our rural nature are obvious impediments.  Less noted in this study is the importance of education and especially K-12 investment as an effective strategy to attracting new economy industries to our state.  Studies like this help to shine a light on what is working and what is not.  Hopefully WV can benefit from some new thinking in relation to the New Economy.

Read the full study

So here I am working on plans to develop Phase II of the Braxton Technology Center, and I’m trying to figure out how to pay for my upfront costs.  I don’t know what I would do without the graciousness of our architect who constantly defers payment until I can figure out how to pay for his work!  Now that I have that resolved, (and by that I mean I’m leaning on him again to give up his time to help me)  I need to locate funds to pay for the feasibility planning for the proposed end use. I’m sure I will muddle through—but, it would be nice to see a clear cut path for obtaining the resources for this phase of the project.  Architects, engineers, and other professionals should not have to wait months and sometimes years for payment until project funding is secured.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta used to have a program that helped to defray predevelopment costs on projects of a qualifying nature.  Those costs were advanced and then recaptured through its community development financing programs. To my knowledge this program doesn’t exist anymore. And I am not aware of anything in West Virginia to address the issue. If we want quality development projects, and we want more of them, it is going to take a concerted effort to address this problem.  I’ve talked about this for years—I know some of you are tired of hearing me! I’m tired of talking—let’s do something!  Anybody else interested?  Contact me.

Beth Zemsky and Dave Mann define movements as “a collection of persons or groups who come together around a common concern.  Typically their mission is to bring about some type of societal change relative to their concern.”*   In Ms. Katcher’s article she describes the essential roles of “movement networks” and their importance for providing flexibility within networks.  She warns that traditional networks can easily become rigid and block critical work and network vitality which is detrimental to social movements.

Movement networks succeed by fostering stronger member relationships.  Networks ‘help develop a movement consciousness:  thinking of self as part of something bigger than you,’ emphasizes Dan Petegorsky, a longtime network builder in the progressive movement.    Katcher states, “members must agree that by joining together within the network, not only do they gain benefits for their own work but also the work of the network adds up to more than the sum of its parts.  Networks facilitate and support coordinated action among organizational members.  Social movements need coordinated action to build momentum, demonstrate support, and push for change”.

To support the development of social movements, organizations should understand not only their role in the movement but also what it takes for them to come together in strong, fluid, adaptive, and effective networks.  This can be challenging because the process of creating and expanding networks can be complex, however as Ms. Katcher states success begins with the ability to learn, adapt and change.

To read Ms. Katcher’s complete article please go see Non Profit Quarterly Summer 2010.

*Beth Zemsky and Dave Mann, “Building Organizations in a Movement Moment”, Social Policy:  Organizing for Social and Economic Justice, vol.28, no.3, 2008.

The project began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement, with organizations and individuals creating new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts around the world.

PARK(ing) Day as a model is successful in its local focus and ability to develop projects to fit the interests and needs of the individual community participants. Community organizers identify specific values and use the event to draw attention to issues that are important to their local public. The end goal is to challenge existing notions of public urban space and empower people to help redefine space to suit specific community needs.

Learn more and have your own PARK(ing) Day in 2011.

See more images of PARK(ing) Day 2010

The Asset Development Summit was held at the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services at Institute and included over thirty participants statewide.  A sampling of attendees included the IRS, BB&T, Barbara Pryor from Senator Rockefeller’s office, WVU Extension, Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Southern WV & the Panhandles, and WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities. 

The group discussed best practices for assisting the disability community and hurdles facing low-income persons with disabilities.   Issues facing many include knowing what resources are available and the impact that building wealth has on existing benefits that are affected by asset limitations.  The NDI is compiling key findings and recommendations based on the group’s conversations during the summit.

Disability outreach will include working to offer more opportunities for the free tax preparation services through the IRS’s VITA (volunteer income tax assistance) program.  If you or your organization would like to volunteer for the upcoming tax season please contact Kelli Hinkle khinkle@te-associates.com.    According to the IRS an estimated 1.3 to 1.5 million taxpayers with disabilities are not filing and missing out on an estimated one billion dollars in available tax credits.

The WV Alliance for Sustainable Families is a non-profit organization leading the Statewide Asset Building coalition and EITC outreach and managed by Terrell Ellis & Associates.

The study also points to a connection between commuting and emotional well-being.  Among employees who take more than 90 minutes getting from home to work, 40% experienced worry for much of the previous day. This is significantly higher than the 28% among those with negligible commutes of 10 minutes or less. Conversely, workers with extremely long commutes were less likely to have experience enjoyment for much of the previous day or to say they felt well-rested that day.

These findings demonstrate a need for employers to mitigate the effects of long commutes on their employees. Suggestions include telecommuting and helping to defray commuting costs for employees.  This growing body of evidence further illustrates the need to develop employment opportunities locally, especially in WV where a lot of the rural labor force has to travel outside of their local communities and counties for employment.  Focusing on entrepreneurism, small business development, and the further deployment of high quality broadband may increase local employment opportunities thereby reducing commute times and improving the quality of life for our citizens.

Learn more about the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index

GuideStar’s President and CEO, Bob Ottenhoff stated “It’s more important than ever that nonprofits are transparent about their earnings and offerings so that donors and grant makers will know that their dollars are going to organizations that will use their gifts wisely.”

Highlights of the survey include:

• 8% of NPO’s reported that they were in eminent danger of closing
• 17% have reduced services; 11% have laid off employees
• 17% of organizations that use volunteers have converted one or two paid staff positions to volunteer positions
• 32% said they had increased their reliance on volunteers

See GuideStar’s survey results 

 As you can see from the survey it is increasing important that NPO’s maintain a competitive edge in planning, grant writing and marketing.    TEA has over 15 years experience in the non-profit management arena and currently staffs both an Executive Director and Program Manager.  We recently achieved non-profit management certification from Duke University’s non-profit management program.    TEA has extensive experience in grant writing, grant management and strategic planning and implementation.  

In WV, there are over 13,000 non-profit organizations (NPO),   this number up 25.6% from ten years ago.   NPO’s include public charities, private foundations and other groups such as social and recreational clubs and trade associations.

One solution to the issue of blight that is being used successfully in many shrinking cities across the US is land banking.  A land bank is a public authority created to hold, manage, and develop foreclosed properties.  One of the best examples of a successful land bank is the Genesee County Land Bank in Michigan which covers the city of Flint.  Here the county was able to streamline and simplify the tax foreclosure process to give the Land Bank the opportunity to strategically plan the reuse of the parcels it holds.  Through the Genesee County Land Bank nearly 1,000 abandoned homes have been demolished, 90 affordable housing rentals units and 80 single-family homes have been reconstructed, and 700 “side yards” have been sold to adjacent landowners for upkeep. A study by Michigan State University showed that the land bank’s efforts have increased local property values by more than $100 million due to the removal of blight.

As some cities are learning growth is not always going to be the answer for every community.  For some cities, shrinking in a controlled and strategic way may be the best solution.  In those areas, land banks can be an important revitalization tool.  In WV we would need reforms to our tax code in order to allow for land banking; however, efforts are underway to explore this through the current Tax Modernization Project.

Visit the Genesee County Land Bank to learn more.