California Cities Helen Putnam Award for Excellence

Palmdale gives residents a way to help address critical infrastructure challenges.

The city worked with its major employers, the local transit agency and Reedley College to address a shortage of workers with needed skills.

The program offers an enjoyable way for children and adults to learn organic gardening, be physically active, make smart food choices and work together.

The City of Clovis transformed a three-acre unimproved lot into an educational community recreation area that protects natural resources and promotes healthy living.

Technology will soon be radically transforming agriculture and the Salinas Valley, home to an agricultural industry that generates over $8 billion annually.

The city is the first in the nation to have a full-time police officer position funded by a private company.

Young people help inform and shape policies that improve healthy eating and active living.

Plastic bag litter and increasingly stringent regulations signaled it was time to act.

The city developed a proactive model and software to streamline inspections.