Inside Firestone

Firestone Manager, Mayor Attend National League of Cities Annual Legislative Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Firestone Town Manager Wesley LaVanchy attended the Community and Economic Development Policy and Advocacy Committee Meeting on March 11, 2012, in Washington, D.C. Key topics discussed included community development block grant funding, Environmental Protection Agency mandates and transportation issues.

LaVanchy is a member of the Community and Economic Development Steering Committee, which is responsible for developing policy positions on issues involving housing, community and economic development, land use, recreation and parks, historic preservation and international competitiveness.

One of the most impactful discussions was on Colorado’s proposed rules for EPA specific statutory or regulatory language creating a mandate, and whether the EPA has any funding to help local governments implement said mandates.

LaVanchy said the committee made a recommendation on new thresholds for bank capitalization. This would primarily affect small banks that facilitate lending opportunities to fund local economic development initiatives. He was also intrigued by the efforts to create a comprehensive sales tax collection for Internet sales.

Firestone Mayor Chad Auer joined LaVanchy for a meeting with Colorado Senators during the trip where they discussed updates on economic development and legislation in Colorado.

“It was a great forum for people to engage and ask our Senators questions,” Auer said. “It’s also good for Firestone to have that access to members of our Senate in Washington.”  

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities and centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.

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