6 NATION’S CITIES WEEKLY
April 16, 2012
NLC Offers Webinar on U.S. Communities Online Marketplace
NLC and the U.S. Communities
Government Purchasing Alliance are
sponsoring a webinar for city officials to
learn about the many features and ben-
efits of the U.S. Communities Online
Marketplace.
The U.S. Communities Online
Marketplace offers access to thousands of
products from multiple suppliers with a
single payment using a p-card, credit card
or purchase order. The marketplace is
available at no cost, provides quick insight
into products and pricing and integrates
many U.S. Communities supplier con-
tracts into a single shopping environ-
ment, making it easier than ever for city
departments to shop and compare prices.
The webinar will be held on Thursday,
April 19, at noon Eastern time. In addi-
tion to highlighting the many features
and benefits of the U.S. Communities
Marketplace, the webinar will describe
how to get purchasing and other city
departments started. Topics covered will
include registration of users, creation of
a link from cities’ purchasing sites to the
Marketplace and training.
The webinar will also introduce local
leaders to Applied Industrial Technologies,
the most recent supplier partner to join
the U.S. Communities Marketplace, offer-
ing industrial components and supplies.
Other suppliers currently available on the
Marketplace are BSN Sports/U.S. Games,
Fisher Science Education, Graybar, HD
Supply, Hayworth, Hertz Equipment
Rental, Independent Stationers, Insight
Public Sector, Knoll, Tech Depot and Zep.
Details: Register for the webi-
nar at http://www.uscommunities.
org/r/?q=e-aitnlc&id=43, or for more
information about the webinar, con-
tact Marc Shapiro at shapiro@nlc.
org.
City Planners Urge Support for Better Quality
Communities Plan During American City Quality Month
The nation’s city planners are calling
on President Obama, Congress, gover-
nors, mayors and corporate chief executive
officers and boards to support the prepara-
tion, adoption and implementation of a
nationwide “Better Quality Communities
Plan” to create jobs, stop urban sprawl
and lower taxes. The intergovernmental
and private sector plan would guide physi-
cal development to meet the needs of the
34 million additional citizens projected
b the U.S. Census by the year 2020, and
100 million in the years beyond that,
who will reside in cities and surrounding
regions. This is the equivalent of building
11 new cities the size of Chicago.
The commitment is being sought dur-
ing the 24th annual, month-long, nation-
al American City Quality Month program
held every April to focus on improving the
quality of cities and regions. The program
aims to raise public awareness about the
status and future of our nation’s cities and
regions, and promote better quality city
planning, decisions, design, development,
management and action.
In announcing this year’s program, NLC
President Ted Ellis, mayor of Bluffton,
Ind., again stressed the continuing need
for the federal Community Development
Block Grant, as well as transportation and
water infrastructure funding to implement
the planning and action program. Further,
U.S. Conference of Mayors President and
Antonio R. Villaraigosa, mayor of Los
Angeles, noted that the plan and infra-
structure investment are critical to creating
more jobs for the nation’s metro areas.
Details: For further information, call
your city planning director or American
City Planning Directors’ Council/
American City Quality Foundation office
at (207) 712-6333 or send e-mail to
acqf@aol.com.
