By Quincy Midthun and Katya Spear, Mayors Innovation Project
The Mayors Innovation Project Innovation Showcase is a lightning round session where mayors get just three minutes to share an innovative policy, program, or practice that they have implemented or are working to implement. The Winter 2026 Showcase offered many great ideas for mayors to take home to their cities, from supporting nonprofits to creating protections for tenants to protecting trees. Read on to learn more about the great ideas shared and get inspiration for ideas to implement in your city!
Mayor Kim Norton of Rochester, MN spoke about the City’s partnership with the National Civic League (NCL) to find better ways to run public meetings. In Rochester both local government officials and residents expressed dissatisfaction with the city’s public meeting processes. In response, Rochester joined an NCL cohort that studied and surveyed Rochester residents and government officials to find and test new solutions. Based on the NCL’s findings, Rochester will be piloting new strategies for the next 6-8 months to improve their public meeting processes.
Mayor Lacey Beaty shared about Beaverton’s Nonprofit Incubator which provides space and business expertise to the nonprofits. The City partnered with the Oregon Startup Center (OSC)—a local nonprofit already running a successful for-profit business incubator—to house and manage the Incubator. While it doesn’t provide direct funding, the Incubator equips nonprofits with the tools (operating plans, fundraising strategies, etc.) and mentorship needed to succeed. To learn more, please read our member city spotlight.
In March of 2025, after nearly two decades of attempts and under the leadership of Mayor Diana Merdian, the City passed its Rental Inspection Program. This program requires all residential rental properties to be registered with the city and to be inspected at least once every four years to ensure that health and safety standards are being met. Sterling successfully registered over 130 landlords (over 1,000 units) in the program at its first open house in December.
When the federal government shut down in October 2025, Mayor Theresa Rich organized a community task force of nonprofits, public schools leaders, religious institutions, and businesses who collaborated to provide food and resources for residents in need. Even after the shutdown, Mayor Rich has continued to convene the task force to find solutions to support neighbors, providing meals, laundry vouchers, diapers, soap, and more.
Mayor O’Connor of Frederick, MD presented on the City’s Returnship program, a first of its kind program designed to support workers as they re-enter the workforce after a gap of at least six months. The program was started in response to the number of mothers who left the workforce during the pandemic. The Returnship program offers part-time, competitively paid, structured work opportunities that serve as pathways back into the workforce.
Mayor Kerry Thomson spoke about Bloomington, IN’s Hopewell South Planned Unit Development. The current development plan was revamped from earlier plans to make the development more dense and affordable. The development will create nearly 100 homes in a wide range of styles and will be available to Bloomington residents at 100% or less of the area median income.
Mayor Barbara Buffaloe presented on Columbia, MO’s Community Connectors Program, a concept she learned about from a previous MIP Innovation Showcase! Columbia’s program allows four part time staffers to perform community outreach on everything from tornado relief to energy efficiency grants. The connectors canvas the community, providing residents with information on city resources and programming that they’re eligible for. This program helps to provide assistance to residents and build community trust.
In Takoma Park, MD, buildings account for 36% of energy emissions. Mayor Talisha Searcy shared two programs that the city has to help reduce building emissions. The Green Homes and Businesses Grant awards up to $30K per project for businesses and up to $15K her home for energy efficiency projects like HVAC upgrades, new windows, and insulation. The Multifamily Building Improvement Grant provides funding to building owners for energy audits and energy efficiency projects of up to 80% of the total project cost.
Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati of Moline, IL spoke about the immense environmental, recreational, and economic benefits of hosting a section of the Great American Rail Trail, and why now more than ever, it’s important that Mayors advocate for funding parks and trails. The state of Illinois gains $18.8 million in visitor spending from the trail each year, as well as about 200 jobs. The City of Moline has made great efforts to connect its trails so that residents and visitors can enjoy them and reap the economic and health benefits.
Mayor Hollies Winston shared about Brooklyn Park, MN’s Community Intervention Unit, Brooklyn Park Voices. Unlike a violence prevention program model that contracts with outside groups, Brooklyn Park Voices is an inhouse program which allows the City to share real time data about the city’s youth. The program explicitly targets the top 20% of high risk youth, meeting them where they’re at and providing them with resources. Since the program began, crime has decreased by nearly 10% and community surveys indicate that most residents think highly of the program.
As a growing city, Madison, WI is undergoing a lot of construction which can cost a city some of its most valuable assets—trees. Trees benefit community health, reduce energy usage, filter stormwater, and provide valuable shade that makes communities more walkable and connected. Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway presented Madison’s new tree protection ordinance which establishes a tree protection zone based on the size of the tree. The ordinance also has enforcement mechanisms so that if developers don’t respect the protection zone, the City can impose fees or suspend or revoke building permits.
Access all Winter 2026 Meeting resources on our webpage.