Story By Canan Tasci | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren is looking to once again be enlightened by attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week.
In its 82nd year, the winter conference invites the nation’s mayors to discuss and receive data on job growth and economic development as well as receive information on clean energy.
This will be Warren’s fourth year at the conference, which will focus on the economy, jobs, innovation and transportation Wednesday through Friday in Washington D.C. at the Capital Hilton. The only other Inland Empire mayor to attend will be Rialto’s Deborah Robertson.
“It really is amazing. Every time I go, it enlightens me and I’m so impressed,” Warren said.
More than 280 mayors have signed up for the three-day conference, which includes workshops on health, education, economics, community development and housing as well as what mayors needs to know to be financially responsible, trading initiatives, and more.
Rialto’s Robertson is one of the presenters in the mayor’s water council on Wednesday for “Innovative Water Financing.”
She will discuss how in 2012 city officials went into a public-private 30-year agreement with Rialto Water Service for their water and waste water, and the agreement to improve its infrastructure.
“We’re not just waiting on government to give us the money or funds to take care of different structures,” Robertson said.
Since the partnership Robertson said she’s been asked to speak at the Inaugural Inner Los Angeles Water Summit that was held in October in Long Beach and spoke to a select group that assemble of Southern California Associate Government members.
“Other cities are looking at it as a way to help restructure and re-engineer the things that they need to get done,” she said. “Often times community’s don’t tend to look at the things that we have as assets that we can leverage and be able to accomplish something in a way to generate revenue and jobs.”
Warren, who has been on the conference education reform task force in the past, said she’s planning on joining it again this year. The task force is led by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Sacramento’s Mayor Kevin Johnson contacted Warren last year and asked her to serve on the task force.
Duncan is expected to discuss gun violence prevention and Race to the Top, which is a federal incentive program to drive education reform.
“He’s always been so open to listening to our needs for more vocational training and getting our youth ready for the next wave of technical jobs coming down,” she said.
But it’s the invitation to speak to President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday that has Warren excited. Given the opportunity to meet the president, Warren said she’ll stress the importance of education and vocational training as well as the ability to attract infrastructure funding.
Both women plan on attending sessions that will discuss human trafficking prevention.
Read the full article at Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reach the author at canan.tasci@langnews.com or follow Canan on Twitter: @JournoCanan
