Learn about AWC's Municipal Excellence Award winners
AWC’s Municipal Excellence Awards were created to recognize innovative city projects that significantly improve the quality of life for their communities. The competition has been open annually to any Washington city or town with winning projects recognized by AWC.
Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to have your city’s program or project recognized and spotlighted for cities across the state. In the meantime, explore past winning projects for inspiration!
ARPA Innovations at the City of Kenmore
Category: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) response
The City of Kenmore dedicated $1 million of its $6.4 million ARPA allocation to launch a direct cash assistance program for low-income residents called Kenmore Cares. To help inform its project and funding decision-making, the city embarked on an ambitious community outreach campaign where city staff doorbelled, mailed postcards, and held citywide events at the library, senior center, community clubs, vaccine clinic, and other locations. Plus, a fun and creative online survey tool garnered widespread community input on funding priorities. Kenmore Cares successfully served hundreds of households across the city. The program incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts throughout using community listening sessions, new outreach approaches, translation services, and funds targeted to serve Kenmore’s lowest-income residents.
Pasco: Increasing Housing Access and Opportunities
Category: Housing
The City of Pasco made significant strides to address the growing housing crisis in Washington. After adopting its twenty-year Comprehensive Plan, city staff began utilizing a variety of local, regional, and state resources to identify practical housing policy solutions. The city adopted reforms eliminating restrictive zoning policies while increasing housing opportunities that improve mobility options. Pasco enacted code amendments increasing lot size flexibility, allowing accessory dwelling units citywide, and re-allowing missing middle housing on residentially zoned parcels. Additionally, they added density and flexibility incentives to allow more housing near public transit and facilities. Pasco utilizes community input to identify practical, innovative, and actionable steps to address the housing needs of their growing city.
Port Townsend & Jefferson County Intergovernmental Collaborative Group
Category: Program
The City of Port Townsend and its local county, port, and PUD have a long history of working together, but their efforts were sometimes inefficient. When the COVID-19 pandemic brought new challenges, it became clear that they needed to work better together. They ultimately formed a new Intergovernmental Collaborative Group (ICG) composed of 16 elected officials from all four agencies. They gathered community groups and focused on six local priorities, then adopted an action plan using community guidance and CARES Act funding. The ICG has evolved to tackle a range of other issues, including economic development and climate change. The ICG has helped set the table for multi-sector collaboration and success through difficult times.
Walla Walla Valley Blue Zones Project
Category: Project
Walla Walla Valley Blue Zones Project (BZP) is a community-led, evidence-based public health initiative that is improving health outcomes throughout the valley. The cities of Walla Walla and College Place joined forces after a community site visit indicated a need to invest in community well-being. Meeting and survey data helped inform the BZP’s strategic implementation plan, which takes a policy, systems, and environmental approach to helping the community thrive by making healthy choices easier. The BZP also emphasizes health equity, working directly with community partners to engage historically under-resourced neighborhoods. The community is seeing vast enhancements to community pride and social connectedness, traction on policies and programs, and increased awareness of health and well-being.
More information
Judging was done by city members–your peers! Judges looked for these elements in each entry:
- What is the value to the community?
- What tools or processes did you use to engage the community in this initiative?
- What role did diversity, equity, and inclusion play in the planning or execution of this initiative?
- Is the project innovative and forward-thinking?
- Did it look to partnerships to help get the job done?
- Is it a model for other cities to use?
Questions?
Contact OnlineEducation@awcnet.org.
