October 5, 2004

SUBJECT: Selection of Non-Profit Organization to Receive $1,000 from the National League of Cities’ James C. Howland Awards

On September 20, 2004, Mayor John Howe received a letter from the National League of Cities (NLC) informing him that Sunnyvale had won the Silver Award for the 2004 James C. Howland Awards for Municipal Enrichment in the 50,000 – 150,000 population category (see Attachment A – letter to Mayor from NLC). As part of the award, $1,000 will be donated by NLC to a non-profit organization of Council’s choosing. Staff recommends that Council designate a non-profit organization to receive the $1,000 donation.

The James C. Howland Awards for Municipal Enrichment recognize and highlight communities that, through effective policies and thoughtful planning, have preserved and/or enriched a high quality of life in cities, towns and villages (see Attachment B – description and application materials for the James C. Howland awards.) The awards are jointly sponsored by NLC and CH2M HILL. NLC represents municipal governments throughout the United States and has 1,700 member cities. NLC provides a powerful network for information sharing and for speaking on behalf of America's cities in Washington, D.C. and all state capitols. CH2M HILL, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is one of the largest engineering consulting firms in the country and is committed to the integration of technology with the environment.

In June 2004, Community Development Department staff sent application materials to NLC to be considered for the James C. Howland Awards for Municipal Enrichment (see Attachment C – Project Description and Project Summary submitted for the James C. Howland Awards.) NLC had invited Sunnyvale to apply for this award prompted by our winning the League of California Cities’ Helen Putnam award in the fall of 2003. The project highlighted was the E-OneStop, which allows customers to access property information, apply for permits, and schedule inspections, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, via an easy-to-navigate Web site.

Policy 7.3F Investigate and implement productivity improvements in order to enhance the effectiveness of service delivery.

Policy 7.2B.3 Community Organizations - Support local and neighborhood organizations and strengthen contacts between the City and community groups.

There is no fiscal impact to the City from this report.

Public contact was made through posting of the Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, posting of the agenda and report on the City’s web page, and the availability of the report in the Library and the City Clerk’s office.

ALTERNATIVES

1. Council designate a non-profit organization to receive the check for $1,000 from the James C. Howland Award.

2. Council does not designate a non-profit organization to receive the check for $1,000 from the James C. Howland Award.

3. Other action as directed by Council.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends Alternative 1: Council designate a non-profit organization to receive the check for $1,000 from the James C. Howland Award.

Reviewed by:

Coryn Campbell
Neighborhood and Community Services Manager

Prepared by:

Michelle Bromstead
Interim Community Outreach Coordinator

Approved by:

Amy Chan
City Manager

Attachments (pdf format)
A. Letter dated September 15, 2004, to Mayor John Howe from NLC
B. "2004 James C. Howland Awards for Municipal Enrichment"
C.  Description and summary of E-OneStop, submitted to NLC for consideration for the James C. Howland Award