The CityVoice Podcast

Cities work with public employee unions on a variety of issues, and good working relationships with unions are critical for making sure that the important work of cities continues each day. That’s why at AWC we think it’s important for city management to hear labor-side perspectives. We sat down with Michael Rainey, the new President of the WA Council of County & City Employees , and his colleague...

We will soon welcome Matt Lehrman to the AWC Annual Conference stage in Vancouver, Washington, to talk to 400 city officials and staff about how to think about community interactions in a new way. This podcast offers an inspiring sneak peek at his Friday closing keynote session. AWC Member Services Director Tonia Sugarman sits down with Matt for a preview of his most popular training, which helps...

On this edition, we’ve produced an episode for our HR & Labor Relations newsletter, HR insights. AWC’s Candice Bock sat down with Rod Younker, CEO and attorney at Summit Law Group, to talk about current trends in HR and labor relations law and to give a sneak peek at Summit Law’s content for the upcoming AWC Labor Relations Institute conference in the first week of May.  

The end of the 2022 legislative session is coming into view. The AWC Government Relations team sat down to talk housing, transportation funding, policing, the victories and challenges cities have faced so far, and what battles are still being fought. 

Are introverts more successful at working from home than extroverts? How can managers best support their teams? AWC spoke with Ken Zuckerberg, VP of Training at ComPsych, about how to navigate the challenges of remote work. Listen in and read the article here: https://wacities.org/news/2022/01/27/distance-learning.

At City Action Days this year, we had the rare opportunity to welcome leaders from all four corners of the Legislature—that’s the caucus leaders of the Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, House Democrats, and House Republicans. They joined together to talk candidly about their priorities and their work on city issues. Listen in to hear their thoughtful and insightful discussion about housing, pu...

We sat down with AWC Government Relations Deputy Director Carl Schroeder to get his expert take on the status of key housing-related bills he’s been tracking and working on this session. Carl offers us a deep dive into the issues that’s both informative and easy to follow. Listen in to learn what’s at stake, what’s our stance, hear our proposed solutions, and discover why we need your help. More

Listen in to what has become our most popular podcast episode each year, the legislative kickoff! You’ll hear our four lobbyists Candice, Carl, Sharon, and Brandy discuss their predictions for the short, remote legislative session. This is a quick and informative explainer of the issues that each lobbyist covers and what they expect to see. They also answer a few fun questions at the end about how...

AWC’s own Candice Bock recently sat down (virtually) with Greg Prothman of the Prothman Company, a recruitment consulting firm that specializes in local government hiring. After serving as city manager at the City of Des Moines, WA, Greg went on to found the Prothman Company in 2001 where he helps local governments across the state and country find top talent for their executive-level and manageri...

This episode offers an audio version of two stories from the Fall 2021 issue of Cityvision magazine. Find out how Long Beach converted municipal sewage sludge into pay dirt and how Kenmore hatched a plan for long-term financial sustainability.

Interviewed on location at AWC's Member Expo, Jim Kilmer of the Opal group gives sobering warnings and practical advice for cities and towns in Washington facing cybersecurity threats.

After a 45 year career in association management, Peter King announced his retirement as CEO of AWC. Before he left, he sat down with Brian Daskam and the CityVoice podcast to relive his worst memories while discussing infrastructure, economic development, and more. 

Check out our state of transportation in cities infographic and listen is as we take an even closer look at city transportation systems and our urgent need to partner with the state and pass a transportation revenue package. We explore the state of transportation and welcome two special guests from Tacoma and Ephrata to hear about local transportation funding efforts in their cities.

Starting in 2021, cities began receiving direct federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Many cities quickly set to work determining how funds should be used in their communities. During this episode of CityVoice, we hear from three cities – Lakewood, Walla Walla, and Lake Stevens – as they share where they are at in their planning process as well as some ideas of how they are usin...

This episode offers an audio version of three stories from the Summer 2021 issue of Cityvision magazine. Find out how you can provide leadership even when you’re not in a leadership position, assess how you present yourself in those numerous online appointments, and learn how the city of Granite Falls was able to improve their police station without costs getting out of control.

Listen to part two of a two part episode. Excerpted from a presentation at this year's Annual Conference, you'll hear an update from the AWC Government Relations team on advocacy skills and actions you can take here at home during the legislative interim.

Listen to part one of a two part episode. Excerpted from a presentation at this year's Annual Conference, you'll hear an update from the AWC Government Relations team on advocacy skills and actions you can take here at home during the legislative interim.

This episode offers an audio version of three stories from the Summer 2021 issue of Cityvision magazine. Find out how Fife dealt with a potentially volatile housing protest, learn about Darrington's new Wood Innovation Center, and get the back story on AWC and NLC working together on the American Rescue Plan Act. 

At Annual Conference, we spoke with planning professionals from across the state about the local impacts of climate change. Climate influenced events can add significant risks and costs to cities, impacting operations, finances, and budgets as well as local economies. Listen to our discussion to examine how climate change may affect your city, learn how to identify, and prepare for risks and costs...

We welcome our four AWC lobbyists to discuss the remaining two weeks of session. Get insider information about current legislation with city impacts, including tax increment financing, open public meetings, fiscal flexibility, multifamily tax exemption, growth management, city planning, police reform, the Blake decision, broadband, utilities, and transportation revenue.

Listen to this recorded briefing by Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Maria Cantwell on important policy such as COVID-19 response and recovery, infrastructure and transportation funding proposals, and broadband expansion assistance. The health and vitality of local economies are critical to a robust and dynamic national economy. Local leaders must build strong relationships with Congress to help shape f...

Congress is close to agreement on passing the American Rescue Plan Act with good news for cities. Unlike the CARES Act from last year, this federal package includes direct and flexible aid to cities totaling $65 billion. If it passes, how much will your city receive? When can your city expect funds? How will they be distributed? Listen to our latest CityVoice podcast to find the answers as we welc...

Police reform roundtable podcast At City Action Days, Representatives Debra Entenman, Jesse Johnson, and Jacquelin Maycumber joined us for a roundtable discussion about police reforms and their goals for this legislative session. Rep. Johnson discussed how his police reform bills came together through community outreach and input from law enforcement officers. Rep. Maycumber spoke to the need for...

Grab your copy of AWC’s new housing report and join us as we welcome AWC’s Carl Schroeder to the podcast and get his inside take on the housing affordability crisis throughout the state. We explore the report’s research findings to bust some common myths and misconceptions about affordable housing in cities. You’ll gain a big-picture understanding of cities’ challenges and solutions, hear about ci...

Hear from AWC's Government Relations team and glean insights into the 2021 Legislative Session.