By Nicole Friedman, The Oregonian, February 12, 2013
Federal officials will kick off a series of visits to 100 cities around the nation Thursday as part of a White House program to support urban revitalization. First stop: Beaverton.
The city will host the feds at a daylong symposium to discuss how government agencies, nonprofits and businesses can help the city.
The event is the first in a new White House “Connecting Your Community” program, in which national leaders plan to meet with representatives of 100 cities to pair federal programs with local needs. The next 99 cities in the program have not been named.
Beaverton’s agenda includes revitalizing its downtown urban renewal district, redesigning Southwest Canyon Road and constructing a community health center.
Perhaps best known in the Portland area for its sprawling school district and traffic congestion, Beaverton has been quietly setting itself in the federal government’s sights.
The city has received nearly $2 million in federal grants and assistance since 2011.
“The city deserves no less than trying to get ourselves help from the federal government,” said Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, whose travels to the nation’s capital exceed those of his predecessors.
Both men will attend Thursday’s symposium, along with representatives from the EPA, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Highway Administration and state and regional offices. Oregon’s First Lady, Cylvia Hayes, will also speak.
“This is our chance,” said Cindy Dolezel, Beaverton’s sustainability manager and organizer of the event. “We are strategically positioning ourselves to get funding for our key vision projects.”
Continue reading: Beaverton to host first of 100 White House meetings on federal-city cooperation
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