2021 American City & County Crown Communities Award winners

From responding to the pandemic to working to mitigate the impact of natural disasters, addressing community needs to communicating with a constituency riled by national politics, it has been a tumultuous year for local governments.  

In recognition of the vital and oftentimes unseen work that’s daily completed by administrators, American City & County annually awards governments that positively impact their constituents with America’s Crown Communities Award. 

This year, five communities from across the United States were selected, taking into account the challenging pandemic-afflicted work environment administrators worked in, the projects’ innovation and scope, and the impact each initiative had on residents. 

1. Aurora, Ill.’s Pop-up Food Pantries 
   From May to December 2020, and again last spring, Aurora, Ill. offered monthly “Pop-Up Food Pantries” to help feed a growing number of residents who found themselves struggling financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, an estimated 46,000 residents have been served through the program.
2. Benicia, Calif.’s COVID-19 response
   Benicia, Calif. began its COVID-19 response before the pandemic was declared an emergency in the United States. From a COVID-19 Citizen’s Assistance Program that has so far delivered more than $170,000 to residents in need, to a BOOST Business Grants Program, the city’s response has been robust and comprehensive.
3. Clark County, Nevada’s County Clerk Customer Service Website Redesign
   Clark County, Nevada, is the “Wedding Capital of the World,” with approximately 129,000 marriage licenses issued over the past two years, 80 percent for out-of-towners. In 2019, the County Fiscal Officers Association of Nevada (CFOA) was able to secure a steady source of technology funds, so the clerk’s office was able to develop Weddings.Vegas, an innovative website that serves as an information portal for getting married in the county.
4. King County, Wash.’s COVID-19 response
   King County, Wash., was the country’s ground zero for COVID-19, with the first reported death happening in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland in February 2020, followed by an outbreak at a skilled care facility with more than 80 cases and at least 40 deaths. King County Executive Dow Constantine stepped in to lead an enterprise-wide COVID-19 response to help slow the spread of COVID and save lives, becoming a national model for COVID response.
5. Minot, N.D.’ Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project, Phase 1
   The region’s most devasting flood ever was documented in 2011, reaching water levels that were expected not once in a lifetime but once over the course of several centuries. In the aftermath of the disaster, the Mouse River Enhanced Flood Protection Project (MREFPP) was initiated by the Souris River Joint Board (SRJB). Construction for Phase 1 concluded in fall 2021, and included concrete floodwall and other structural components. It also included approximately 3,000 feet of roadway; a 190,000-gallons-per-minute pump station; a 40,000-gpm sanitary lift station; and 18,000 feet of utility reconstruction.