August 21, 2024

Feedback-graphic Friday deadline: Make your voice heard in AWC’s membership survey
Don’t miss out on this important opportunity to share your feedback with AWC. By participating in the AWC membership survey, you will ensure that your city’s unique perspective is included as we develop AWC’s next strategic plan and set the course for the coming years. City elected officials and city staff who engage with AWC on a regular basis are encouraged to participate. The survey should only take about 15 minutes to complete and is open until 5 pm on Friday, August 23.

Social media 101: Using social media wisely, legally, and effectively
September 18 | Online
Join us for the next webinar in AWC’s Elected Officials Essentials series to explore what elected officials need to know about social media. Discover how social media intersects with public records legal requirements, Washington public meeting laws, and the First Amendment. Get your questions answered and learn how to use social media wisely, legally, and effectively. Register now.

Register today for the fall Mayors Exchange!
October 3–4 | Ellensburg
Who understands the unique challenges of being a mayor better than other mayors? Attend AWC's popular Mayors Exchange, where you and your fellow mayors will have the opportunity to share insights, experiences, and best practices for doing your work at city hall. In addition to the full day of learning and collaborating on October 4, we invite you to join us for a welcome reception and guided walking tour of downtown Ellensburg the evening of October 3. Register today. This event is exclusively for those currently serving as mayor.

Could online shopping mean the end of potholes?
In this episode of the CityVoice Podcast, we sit down with AWC Government Relations Advocate Brandy DeLange to discuss the state of the transportation budget and some of the sustainable funding challenges confronting Washington. With possible new sources on the discussion table, could online shopping mean the end of potholes? Tune in to find out.

Pension Funding Council and LEOFF 2 Board adopt new contribution rates for 2025
The state Pension Funding Council (PFC) and LEOFF 2 Board both met in July to recommend new employer contribution rates for the upcoming 2025-27 biennium. The Legislature will ultimately decide contribution rates in 2025, but they typically follow the PFC and LEOFF 2 recommendations. The contribution rates for city PERS and PSERS employers are expected to come down slightly at the start of the new biennium, while LEOFF 2 contribution rates are expected to remain the same.

Other news & resources

Deadline extended: Apply by August 29 to serve on a state board or advisory committee. More

New and updated facts sheets on legislative initiatives available. More

NLC offers strategies for promoting community civility to reduce local political violence. More

Check out MRSC’s article on Building trust: Effective tools to help local government. More

Interested in serving cities at the national level? Apply for NLC leadership opportunities including the NLC Board, federal advocacy committees, member councils, and constituency groups. Applications due September 9. More

Commerce seeks public comment on draft Construction and Lead Service Line Project Funding Guidelines through September 16 and encourages you to apply for funding by November 30. More

Culvert funding opportunity: Federal program offers competitive grants to support fish passage improvements. Apply by September 23. More

Commerce opens grant funding cycle for Energy Efficiency Retrofits with reduced matching funds requirement. Apply by September 25. More

Now accepting applications: WCMA and UW Evans School partner to offer Building Resilient Local Governments graduate certificate program to train professional staff in organizational resilience. More

Save the date: Washington Supreme Court’s public hearing on proposed indigent defense standards is set for September 25. More

aiart All about AI: Envisioning a new world (for cities), bravely
Technology continues to change the world exponentially. Finding ways to safely and wisely incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into city governance will take all of us—and collaboration is a great way to put many minds to work on this pervasive and quickly evolving challenge. Read this article from Cityvision magazine.

AWC trainings & events

AWC and Governor’s Office: Local and state response to asylum seeker and migrant arrivals in Washington (exclusively for AWC city members) | August 22 | Online

AWC: Energy audit grants information meeting | August 28 | Online

AWC: Elected Officials Essentials webinar series | Multiple dates | Online

September 18: Social media 101
October 17: Tribal government relations 101
November 7: Human resources 101

AWC: Mayors Exchange | October 3-4 | Ellensburg

AWC: Member Expo | October 9-10 | Chelan

Trust: Wellness Planning Workshops | Multiple dates | Multiple locations

D&A: Supervisor training | Multiple dates | Multiple locations

Other trainings & events

MRSC: Ethical considerations for local government policy makers | August 29 | Online

Ecology: 2024 Washington brownfield workshops: Connecting the dots—Renew. Reuse. Revitalize. | September dates | Multiple locations

MRSC: Embracing AI: Opportunities, challenges, and implementation | September 17 | Online

IRS-SPEC: Prevention of Scams Symposium | September 26 | Online

State Archives: Records management workshops | Multiple dates | Online

NLC: City Summit 2024: A Century of Strengthening Cities | November 13-16 | Tampa Bay, FL

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