(Radio Iowa) – Two Iowans are among the nearly 200 elected leaders from across the nation attending the United States Conference of Mayors, underway in Tampa, Florida. Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart says he and his counterparts are discussing solutions to a wide range of issues facing cities large and small. “Whenever I come here, this is one of the greatest places to be able to exchange ideas — or steal ideas — from other communities and bring them to yours,” Hart says. “I am looking forward. I am an open book. I’m taking notes for all of these different sessions to see what I can bring back and what actually fits for our community.”

Workshops for the mayors cover all sorts of topics, including housing, public safety, tariffs, climate protection, the economy, and infrastructure. One of the first sessions Hart attended was on children, health and human services. “The conversation was talking about mental health services for young people, health and well-being for young people,” Hart says. “How do we bring out the best for some of the youth in our communities? And, of course, that was near and dear to my heart, hearing all the things that are taking place on a national level.”

Mayor Quentin Hart (City of Waterloo photo)

Dubuque Mayor Brad Cavanagh is also at the event. With more than 85 percent of Americans living in U.S. metropolitan areas, Hart says mayors are on the front lines of today’s challenges. “Another area is just overall safety and how elected officials are somewhat living in a time where it’s challenging and there are safety issues for us and our personal families,” Hart says. “How can we make sure that we are safe and our families are safe as well?” Hart says last weekend’s shootings of two Minnesota legislators and their spouses — which left two of them dead — are weighing on many people’s minds.

The conference opened Thursday and runs through Sunday.