The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) gathered in Atlanta Wednesday for the inaugural meeting of the Public-Private Partnerships (P3) Council. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, appointed chair of the taskforce, is presiding over the two-day meeting which brings together mayors and business leaders across the country to discuss opportunities and challenges for public-private partnerships.
“It is an honor to lead this newly formed Task Force and I look forward to working with a stellar bipartisan group of mayors on how best to collectively move our cities forward,” said Atlanta Mayor Dickens. “Mayors have audacious goals on public safety, transportation and our other priorities, but we can’t realize them alone. The private sector plays an important role in delivering. In Atlanta, we have shown how public-private partnerships like the Atlanta BeltLine and At-Promise Centers can be a powerful tool to build key infrastructure investments. I look forward to our work to share best practices on how we can invest in our infrastructure through these innovative partnerships.”
The P3 Taskforce was announced last year at the USCM’s 90th annual meeting with the goal of empowering mayors to utilize business and non-profits in their communities to improve infrastructure and services. With nearly all cities operating on thin budget margins, stretching those dollars can make a big difference. Public-private partnerships offer an opportunity to save money and also improve services for residents. These types of partnerships allow a degree of innovation and nimbleness that can be difficult for municipal governments.
“Mayors uniquely understand the critical role of public-private partnerships in encouraging job growth, advancing public and social infrastructure and ensuring connected communities across our cities,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors last year when the Task Force was launched. “That was the impetus behind the creation of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ new Public-Private Partnerships Task Force, and I can’t think of a better chairman for that Task Force than Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. I’m grateful for Mayor Dickens’ leadership in championing collaboration between our public and private sectors as we work together to foster vibrant, resilient communities.”
In addition to the long history of public-private partnerships, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is still offering funding opportunities to transform municipal infrastructure easing travel and benefitting commerce.
Joining Mayor Dickens on the dais for the event is David Guilford, Head of Policy and Strategic Partnerships of Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP), a former subsidiary and now standalone company from Alphabet (Google’s parent company). SIP styles itself as the infrastructure partner for the future, noting technology expertise, infrastructure experience – the Google Fiber project likely offered a wealth of infrastructure learning opportunities – and capital. They have proprietary platforms for a range of issues, from electric vehicle infrastructure planning to recycling. Being on both the funding side and the development side, SIP sits at the center of the P3 world and will certainly have an attentive audience in Atlanta.
