Invitation to Gov. Easley for February Mayors' Meeting The Honorable Michael Easley The State Capitol Raleigh January 29, 2002 Dear Governor Easley: The N.C. Metropolitan Coalition's Executive Committee and the mayors of some of our state's largest cities would like to invite you to join them during their upcoming meeting in Raleigh, February 13 and 14. The mayors are meeting in Raleigh as part of an effort to establish their goals and plans for the urban cities coalition. They would like the opportunity to share their ideas and collaborate with you on the issues that face our state's cities. They are very interested in your One North Carolina Initiative and would enjoy the chanceto have an informal conversation about the role of urban areas in this important effort. The mayors will be meeting at the Sheraton Capital Center in downtown Raleigh beginning at Noon Wednesday, February 13. The meetings will conclude with a press conference at 10:00 am on Thursday, February 14. Ideally we would like to have a chance to visit with you at 3:30 pm on Wednesday, but we would be glad to accommodate your schedule at anytime during the timeframe the mayors are in town. The North Carolina Metropolitan Coalition was formed last year for cities of 25,000 or greater and is a full affiliate of the League of Municipalities. The cities are represented in the Coalition by their chief elected officials, and these mayors direct the Coalition's goals and activities. To date the Coalition has worked at the state level to support public transportation and relieve traffic congestion, revitalize downtowns and sought ways to protect and enhance the quality of life in our state's cities. In an effort to more effectively target the key issues facing our cities the Coalition has embarked on a strategic planning initiative that will culminate later this spring with a shared state-level agenda for the Coalition cities. The meeting in February is an important step in this strategic planning initiative where the mayors will learn more about each other's cities and their specific challenges and goals. The opportunity to work with you and your Administration, especially at this early stage in our Coalition's priority setting initiative, is vital to the collaboration between state and local government that can help protect and enhance the quality of life for all our citizens and make our state a world class leader in this new century. I look forward to hearing from your staff shortly. Please call if you have any questions about this request or the Metropolitan Coalition in general. Best Regards, Beau Mills, Director Cc:Mayor Patrick McCrory      Mayor Keith Holliday      Ann Lichtner