Tri-Valley Mayors' Summit on September 23

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

The leaders of the five cities of the Tri-Valley will assemble behind the podium for the 5th annual Mayors' Summit on Tuesday, September 23. Mayors Jennifer Hosterman of Pleasanton, Janet Lockhart of Dublin, Marshall Kamena of Livermore, Candace Anderson of Danville, and H. Abram Wilson of San Ramon will all take part in a panel discussion examining significant regional and local issues and how each city is responding.

Moderated by Mark Curtis, the former Bay Area news anchor and now a multimedia consultant and political blogger, the discussion will touch on a wide range of topics, from disaster preparedness to attracting new business to "going green" initiatives.

According to Carolyn Degnan, President and CEO of the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce, which is hosting this year's Summit, the once-a-year forum represents a special opportunity "to hear from all of the Tri-Valley mayors as they answer some tough questions about the direction their city or town is taking to address important issues."

The question of emergency preparedness will come up as the mayors will be asked about the additional tasks needed in each city to get ready for a natural disaster. Energy is another high-priority issue, and the five officials will have the chance to talk about the role cities can play in the effort to reduce energy consumption and increase energy generation.

The mayors will also be fielding some very targeted questions on economic development. The chambers will be asking about "the policies, systems, and incentives each city is using to attract and retain businesses," as well as "the policies, systems, and programs that currently exist in each city that could be considered a deterrent to business attraction, retention, and expansion."

On the subject of regional cooperation, the mayors will be asked what they are doing to advocate the needs of their city and the region at the state level. "What's working, what's not, and what can be done differently?" are questions they will address. They will also be queried about whether they favor more or less regional control in transportation and housing, or if cities should have the final say.

The impact of the Livermore airport expansion on each of the cities will also be explored.

The mayors will have two minutes to respond to each question.

The Tri-Valley Mayors' Summit is sponsored by the five local Chambers of Commerce, each of which takes its turn as annual host. The luncheon runs from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at Bridges Golf Club, 9000 S Gale Ridge Rd., San Ramon. Reservations can be made by calling the San Ramon Chamber of Commerce at (925) 242-0600. Chamber membership is not required, but luncheon capacity is limited to 300.

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