current issue
July 2008
Columns
Ahead of the curve
Long before it was cool to be green, King County, Wash., Executive Ron Sims was interested in environmental issues. In fact, in 1988, as a county councilmember,...
Seat at the table
After the fiasco of the 2000 presidential election, when Florida's voting process threw the nation into an electoral crisis, Congress proposed standards...
Can you afford green power?
In May, Thousand Oaks, Calif., opened a 584-kilowatt solar array at its Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant that is expected to move the utility closer...
Issues & Trends
Legislation could spell foreclosure relief
City and county budgets are shriveling as the ongoing rise in foreclosures drains property tax revenues from local government coffers. Officials are hopeful...
High gas prices cause transit surge
With gas prices creeping past $4 a gallon, city and state transit agencies are reporting surges in ridership. However, higher fuel prices also are straining...
As residents leave, locals shrink smartly
In an era when smart growth is the norm, Youngstown, Ohio, is embracing shrinkage. Officials are downsizing the city that lost half its population between...
Disabled residents sue over sidewalks
While cities across the nation have faced litigation from disability advocacy groups charging their sidewalks are not compliant with Title II of the Americans...
New NACo leader wants partnership
This month, Don Stapley, county supervisor for Maricopa County, Ariz., will be named president of the Washington-based National Association of Counties...
Local gun control
On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that Washington's ban on handgun ownership by residents of the nation's capital is unconstitutional. Washington...
Dotted Line
Plugged in
The Edmonds, Wash.-based Washington Economic Development Association has contracted with Woodbridge, Va.-based Economic Development Strategies & Technologies...
Etc.
Arlington, Texas, has contracted with San Diego-based The Active Network to evaluate its assets and design a municipal marketing partnership program....
Getting there
San Leandro, Calif., has contracted with San Diego-based Ninyo & Moore to provide geotechnical consulting services on the city's Eden Road expansion project....
Safe at home
The Lexington, Ky., Division of Police has purchased 150 stun guns from Scottsdale, Ariz.-based TASER International. The St. Paul, Minn., Police Department...
Roll Call
Atlanta Development Authority Tom DiGiovanni has joined the agency as chief financial officer. Previously, he was president for Seattle-based New-house...
EXTRA, EXTRA
New book keeps the well from running dry
A growing number of local officials are taking a broader view of their water supplies and considering the long-term effects of their decisions. Total...
Pasadena takes green thinking online
Pasadena, Calif., residents who may be a little behind in their environmental conservatism can pick up some tips from the city's new online Green Training...
Colorado mural wins newspaper's acclaim
The Colorful Colorado Histories mural in the lobby of the El Paso County, Colo., courthouse recently received an award in the local newspaper's Best of...
NLC program helps integrate immigrants
The Washington-based National League of Cities is launching a new program to help city officials integrate immigrants into their communities. The Immigrant...
N.H. goes green
On June 11, New Hampshire joined a 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), passing a law in which the state mandated efforts to reduce pollution....
Columns
Don't talk funny
Leave it to the British to remind us how to use their language. Last December, The Local Government Association (LGA) issued a list of 100 non words it...
Warnings that work
Sharing warnings about unusual dangers always has been a basic function of any community. As governments' ability to detect and forecast hazards has grown,...
Coming to terms
Equipment financing is a strategic option for governments to consider regardless of the economic climate. But, as budgets are cut and equipment demands...
Ways & Means
A home for town heroes
Stafford County, Va.'s Sheriff's Office, and Fire and Rescue Department operated in separate buildings for years. The sheriff's staff worked in the county...
Saving computing power
For the last few years, the Orlando, Fla., Technology Management Division has been leading a citywide effort to clean out 3,000 outdated, inefficient...
Switching out the lights
The New York Public Library, a landmark historical building that fills two blocks along Fifth Avenue, uses a variety of systems for functional and ambiance...
Buyer's Index
Grounds Maintenance Mowing deck Cub Cadet The Select Cut System mowing deck features a sloped front skirt that increases the space between the deck and...
Across America
Kingman gets its kicks
Kingman, Ariz., does not claim to be extraordinary. In many ways, the 28,000-resident community is like any other small Southwestern town that grew up...
Granting more access
With more than 21,000 residents in 1950, Westfield, N.J., completed a new civic center in 1954 that would allow officials to serve its growing population,...
postcards
Show me the money? During the tough economic times that are gripping the nation, Huntington, W.Va., Mayor David Felinton is refusing a pay raise. In June,...
