April
27, 2006
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Know
somebody that would appreciate receiving 3E Links?
Please forward 3E Links to them and suggest they simply send a note to info@sustainablepittsburgh.org
asking to be added to the distribution list.
EVENTS
(Click on Links)
·
Champions
of Sustainability presents "Transportation - The Key to a Prosperous
Future"
·
Walk
and Ride Against Hunger
·
Municipal
Stormwater Issues and Solutions
·
Allegheny
Places Public Visioning Workshops
·
PA
CleanWays of Allegheny County, Inc. seeks volunteers for cleanup of site above
Liberty Tunnels
·
6th
Annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference
·
Citizens
Hearing on Health Care Reform
·
Department
of Human Services Town Meetings
LEGISLATIVE
ALERTS
·
PHFA
Requests Input on Tax Credit Allocation Plan
·
Minimum
Wage Bill Passes PA House
RESOURCES
·
Purchase table display
space at the 6th Annual 2006 Smart Growth Conference
·
Regional transportation
troubles, steady financing targeted again
·
Multi-Municipal Planning
Grant Program - Applications Due May 1
·
PennFuture Podcasts:
Global Warming
·
Route 30 Master Plan RFQ
Announcement
·
Energy can be the key to
revitalizing Northeast Ohio
·
PricewaterhouseCoopers’
report: business needs to commit to sustainable development
·
Gauging Pennsylvania's
Community Vitality in 2006: Addressing Planning and Land Use Challenges
Friday,
April 28
8
am - 9:30 am
Omni
William Penn Hotel, Downtown
Keynote:
Anne Canby, president of the national Surface Transportation Policy Project www.transact.org
9:45
a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Transportation Update session
No
fee to attend; but you must be registered in advance
LAST
DAY TO REGISTER!
To
register, call (412) 258-6642 or email info@sustainablepittsburgh.org
Anne Canby, president of the national Surface Transportation Policy
Project will address the critical role of transportation to the economic
vitality of regions as well as its importance to redeveloping communities and
social equity. She'll conclude introducing a reaction panel of local
leaders who will discuss what's at stake given the window of time for the
Governor's Transportation Finance and Reform Commission to make recommendations
for long-term reliable funding solutions to address the on-going transportation
funding crisis. A local
reaction panel will follow. Panel
members are: Micelle L. Mixell, AICP;
Mary Jo Morandini, Beaver County Transit Authority; and Richard C. Feder, AICP,
Port Authority.
Following the Champs forum, the public is also invited to attend a
transportation update session. This will include introduction to the 2006
Transportation Funding Initiative to be held in the same location from 9:45 a.m.
- 11:00 a.m. (See http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/TLC/transportation_reform_and_funding_commission_testimony_01_26_06.htm).
Anne Canby will provide an update on the new federal transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU)
and update will be provided on the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's
progress on the region's Transportation Improvement Program and Long Range
Transportation and Development Plan (Project Region).
Champions of Sustainability is supported by The Mellon Financial
Corporation and The Heinz Endowments. Media partner WDUQ 90.5 FM
Saturday,
April 29
Registration:
9 am
412-464-1892
http://pittsburgh.about.com/gi/pages/mevents.htm?ViewType=Event&evt_id=235780
Rainbow Kitchen is declaring W.A.R. against hunger! This 2nd annual ride
takes place Saturday, April 29, 2006 at
Tuesday,
May 2, 2006
8:30
am- 12 noon
$35
per person
http://www.abcsignup.com/reg/event_page.asp?ek=0039-0003-BE782697FA184F6FAD3559A647DCABA1%20
Whether your community has an existing stormwater management program, or
if you have not adequately addressed the issue, this program will provide you
with detailed information on how to work towards mitigating the effects of
stormwater runoff. 3 CLE Credits are
available.
May
3, 2006
Workshop
1: 4-5:30 pm
(
Workshop
2: 6:30-8 pm
(The
workshops will be identical. Please
attend the workshop that fits best with your schedule.)
6th
Floor Lecture Hall
Downtown
Campus
RSVP:
rsvp@alleghenyplaces.com,
or 412.922.6880
http://www.alleghenyplaces.com/docs/RMUflyer.pdf
Imagine
Saturday,
May 6
9
am – 2 pm
LaTolva
Restaurant
Lunch
Provided
Contact:
Lee Haller, PA CleanWays of
Hosted by PA CleanWays of Allegheny County, Inc. (PACWAC) and the Mt.
Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC), the cleanup will involve
the removal of household waste, furniture, appliances, construction debris, and
tires from an approximate 200 yard stretch of wooded hillside within the newly
created Grand View Scenic Byway Park. In
addition to cleaning up the site, volunteers will work to remove invasive
species from the cleanup area and plant native species. Volunteers should wear
long pants, long sleeves and sturdy shoes.
Coming Together to Revitalize Our Communities:
Cross-Community and
Friday, May 19
8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Omni William Penn Hotel,
Keynote: David
Soule, Associate Director
Center for
Urban & Regional Policy, Northeastern University
Cost: Early
Registration: $30. Registration
after May 12: $40 (free to elected officials)
Call (412)
258-6642 for early registration
http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/2006_Conference/main.htm
The 2006 SWPA Smart Growth Conference will address
strategies to revitalize the region's core communities and seek to identify a
set of policy opportunities around which there is consensus for collaboration.
Leading up to the conference, a series of
community forums will be orchestrated around the region to identify common barriers
and opportunities to redevelopment. Common needs and policy options identified
through the forums will be presented at the annual conference toward
developing consensus on policies to renew
Please mark your calendars for May 19 and
register today.
The annual Smart Growth conference and regional
forums are hosted by, Pennsylvania Department of County and Economic
Development, Regional Coalition of Community Builders, Southwestern
Pennsylvania Commission,
Sunday, May 21
1:30 – 5 pm
Contact: Sandy Fox, sm2fox@yahoo.com
Chaired by Congressman
John Conyers, Jr., the Prime Sponsor of HR 676 “United States National Health
Insurance Act” Also known as the “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All
Act”
Hear the testimony of
local citizens concerning the health care crisis in our region, learn about
single-payer solutions, also known as Expanded and Improved Medicare for All
Act, specifically HR 676, introduced by US Rep. John Conyers with 68
co-sponsors, and PA SB 1085, introduced by State Senator Jim Ferlo, and listen
to the responses of our state and national elected officials to single-payer
options.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
8am to 10am (Registration: 8 am)
Rivers Club, Downtown
One
Moderator: Professor Morton “Mo”
Coleman, Emeritus Director of the
Registration required by calling (724) 625-9953
or email coordinator@pittsburgh.uli.org
Registration Page: http://www.uli.org/register/index.cfm?id=1585
Information Page: http://www.uli.org/events/index.cfm?id=1585
The environmental
impact statement (EIS) process for the final phase of the Mon-Fayette/Southern
Beltway Toll Roads was completed in 2005. A favorable record of decision for two
toll road segments (from Clairton to Monroeville and from Clairton to
Where will the
construction money come from? What is the financing plan? How would the
construction funding of the toll road affect the funding of other transportation
projects planned for
Join a distinguished
panel of experts and transportation officials to discuss the findings of this
new study and other aspects of the financing plan. The panel discussion will be
moderated by Professor Morton “Mo” Coleman, Emeritus Director of the
Friday June 2
1 – 3 pm
Hosanna House (
Monday, June 5
6:30 – 8 pm
Tuesday, June 6
6-8 pm
Brashear Association (
Friday, June 16
11 am – 1 pm
YWCA (
Thursday, June 22
6 – 8 pm
Focus on Renewal (
Monday, June 26
2 – 4 pm
Hill House (
Info:1-800-862-6783
In order to better
serve the residents of
Each year, the PA Housing Finance Agency publishes a Qualified Allocation
Plan containing criteria for ranking housing development proposals submitted
under the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program. In recent years, there has been
controversy around some of the selection criteria, with developers feeling that
the QAP favors certain types of developments over others, whether intentionally
or unintentionally.
In preparation for the 2007 QAP, the Agency is conducting a survey of Tax
Credit developers. The survey examines the various selection criteria, including
housing need, set-asides, leveraging resources, amenities, supportive services,
and accessibility. We encourage everyone who participates in the Tax Credit
program to lend your voice and complete the survey.
www.phfa.org/forms/tc_survey.pdf.
HB 257, the Minimum Wage bill sponsored by Rep. Mark Cohen (D-Phila.),
passed the Pa. House of Representatives on April 5. Prior to final passage, the
bill was amended to raise the hourly wage to $7.15. The bill had previously been
amended in committee to lower the wage rate to $6.25. Earlier amendments had
also created a lower rate for teenage workers.
As the bill now stands, the minimum wage in the state would be raised to
$6.25 on July 1, 2006, and $7.15 on July 1, 2007. There is a training wage
allowed (federal minimum wage) for the first 60 calendar days of employment for
workers under the age of 20. The bill would also preempt local efforts to raise
the wage higher, such as Living Wage campaigns taking place in some cities. The
bill now goes to the Senate.
Limited Space
Available!
Cost: $150 for shared
table space/ $225 for a whole table
Contact: (412) 258-6646
or info@sustainablepittsburgh.org
For the first time ever
This is a prime
opportunity to show your product to 150 - 200 targeted community leaders, public
officials, city and county planners, community development organizations, and
many, many more! Please call (412) 258-6646 to reserve your table space.
Local organizations have teamed up to head off a
looming transit crisis at year's end and try again to convince lawmakers that
dedicated funding is the long-term solution.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06116/685065-147.stm
More information available at: http://www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/TFI/
The
http://www.localgovernmentacademy.org/files/mmp%202005%20grant%20guide%20bro.pdf
EPA is announcing a new series of webcast
training sessions for municipal stormwater managers. Designed for those
unable to attend out-of-town or multi-day workshops, this series will provide a
mix of basic and advanced topics in two-hour blocks. These webcasts will
allow participants to listen to lectures and see presentations through their
computers. Webcasts will be scheduled approximately every other month from
now until September.
First Webcast: Post-Construction Overview
and Introduction to Smart Growth and Low Impact Development. March 8,
2006, 1-3 pm EST. Nikos
More than 5,000 municipal stormwater permittees
are required to develop a post-construction program to address stormwater runoff
from new development and redevelopment. The post-construction programs must
include requirements to install BMPs and ensure maintenance of those BMPs. To
implement an effective program, municipalities need to look beyond the
individual site to assess how post-construction controls will affect the entire
watershed. This presentation will describe the post-construction program
requirements and how innovative programs such as Low Impact Development and
Smart Growth can be used to help meet these requirements.
PennFuture presents two new podcasts.
The first is a tongue-in-cheek song (to get you in the Springtime spirit)
about global warming called “Enjoy Global Warming While It’s Fun!” by
composer/educator/musician Julia Haines. The second is a series of short
discussions with speakers at a recent global warming seminar for municipal
leaders focused on what local leaders can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
and the importance of taking action at the local level.
Woodbury County Board of Supervisors today took
another bold step to revitalize the county's rural communities by adopting the
'Local Food Purchase Policy'; a resolution to mandate the purchase of locally
grown organic food, through its food service contractor, when departments of
Woodbury County serves food in its usual course of business. The
resolution has the potential of shifting $281,000 in annual food purchases to a
local farmer-operated cooperative, thus increasing local demand that will spur
increased production and processing. "The Local Food Purchase Policy
will create local jobs in the food sector and expose our producers, who produce
organic and non-organic farm products, to markets outside of the immediate
area," said Rob Marqusee, Director of Rural Economic Development for
www.woodburyiowa.com/departments/economicdevelopment
Traffic on
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_432117.html
For more than two decades, the United Auto
Workers has grudgingly allowed
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_15/b3979092.htm
The Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland
County in affiliation with
http://www.smartgrowthpa.org/news_detail.asp?ID=342
Regional tax sharing can help to reduce these
problems by allowing all communities to benefit from growth anywhere in the
region. Recently, there have been some encouraging signs that elected officials
in