The puzzle isn’t quite finished, but the pieces are starting to come together in the big picture of Wilkes-Barre’s downtown development. The latest piece partners Wilkes-Barre with the National Resource Network.

In a unanimous vote the council voted to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the National Resource Network, which will provide Meridian with technical assistance focused on the development of a downtown health care sector district.

In a vote of 5-0 the Meridian City Council Tuesday passed a memorandum of understanding that will provide Meridian with assistance from the National Resource Network to help provide various expertise for improving Meridian and the surrounding areas.

Sounding as if it were tailor-made for Trenton, the Network offers direct access to experts, technical advice and information that can help city leaders address the “challenges of growing inequality, high unemployment, under-performing schools, aging infrastructure, and vacant and blighted properties.”

The network will employ a distinct approach. Rather than starting with a bold new theory of urban change, it will be listening to what cities need first and then customizing the right action-based solution for them.

The city is one of four cities in the state eligible to participate in the National Resource Network, a pilot program launched by the Obama administration last Thursday to serve as a "311 for cities."