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MRSC FOCUS › Focus - October 2002
 

Note: Some of the information on this archival Web page may no longer be current.

Focus - October 2002

Display Your POW/MIA Flags on Veteran's Day (October 29)
Remember to display the National League of Families' POW/MIA flag on Veteran's Day, November 11. Chapter 293, Laws of 2002 requires the state and every county, city, and town to display the POW/MIA flag along with the state and national flags "upon or near its principal buildings" on six different days during the year. See also: Information on Purchasing and Displaying POW/MIA Flags.
Learn to Create a Customer-Friendly Central Business District (October 29)
The Washington State Downtown Revitalization Program will host two "Building a Customer-Friendly Downtown" workshops in November. Nationally recognized speaker, author and trainer, Kent Barnes will share what it takes to satisfy customer's expectations of traditional commercial district businesses and the downtown areas in which these businesses reside. Daylong workshops will be held on Nov. 13 in Spokane and on Nov. 14 in Tacoma.
In-House Customer Service Training (October 29)
The city of Bothell reports good success with their new "Experience Bothell" customer service workshops for employees. The program brings small groups of city employees together to share information about their departments' customer service efforts and to mingle with employees they normally wouldn't have a chance to meet. Seventy percent of the employees who have attended are asking for more. For more information, contact Cecelia Duncan, Sr. Management Analyst at 425-486-3256.
CATV Customer Service Standards (October 29)
A recent article, "Enforcement of Cable TV Customer Service Standards," by Timothy A. Stratton, an Illinois attorney, gives a good overview of local government authority to enforce CATV customer service standards, including the ability of local governments to adopt standards that are more stringent than the minimum federal benchmarks. Be sure to review your franchise agreement when dealing with these issues.
Measuring Sprawl and its Impact (October 29)
A new report by Smart Growth America, "Measuring Sprawl and its Impact - The Character & Consequences of Metropolitan Expansion," represents the most comprehensive effort yet undertaken to define, measure and evaluate metropolitan sprawl and its impacts. The report ranks Seattle near the middle of the 83 metropolitan areas rated.
Federal Per Diem Rates Updated (October 29)
The federal per diem rates for travel within the continental U.S. have been revised and updated effective October 1, 2002. The updated rates have also been incorporated into the state's travel policies.
Septic System Repair Program Helps the Needy (October 29)
In Kitsap County, the on-site sewage industry and the County Health District are working together to fix failing septic systems for homeowners financially unable to do the work themselves. The program is called the "Self Help Repair Program" for failing on-site sewage systems. More from the Courthouse Journal.
Share your ideas! (October 28)
We'd like to hear about anything you've done to improve service delivery or save money in your community. These don't need to be major initiatives; it's often the small and simple ideas that have the greatest impact. Let us know about anything you're doing that your residents appreciate or that has improved the internal workings of your city, town or county offices. We'll post the best suggestions on the MRSC Web site so that others can benefit from your ideas, and you can benefit from theirs.
Get Your .US Domain Name by January 30, 2003 (October 23)
State and local governments must register their .us domain names by Jan. 30, 2003, or risk losing them. State and local government .us domain names that are not registered by the deadline will be released to the publicly available pool of .us names. More from Government Technology's Web site.
Featured Page - Military Leave (October 23)
This may be a good time to review job rights and military leave for reservists and members of the National Guard in light of the current situation in Iraq. MRSC has compiled a series of questions, answers and links to assist cities and counties in responding to these issues.
State Funds Available for Rail Safety Projects (October 23)
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, through its Rail Safety Division, has funds available for grade crossing safety projects that upgrade or install signaling and other warning devices at rail/highway intersections. More from the Courthouse Journal.
Rural Broadband Grant Program Available (October 23)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service is offering a grant program to provide broadband transmission service in rural America. More from the Courthouse Journal.
Washington Cities Recognized for Performance Management Programs (October 23)
Bellevue, Kent and Lynnwood were among seventeen localities recently recognized by the International City/County Management Association's (ICMA) Center for Performance Measurement for their performance measurement programs. More from ICMA's Web site.
Portland Proves that Energy Efficiency Pays (October 23)
Over the last decade, the City of Portland, Oregon has saved $10 million in energy costs. Read City Energy Challenge 1991-2001: A Decade of Success to see how they did it.
Scoring Big with Special Events (October 23)
What makes a special event successful? With input from the National Recreation & Park Association, American City & County posed that question to communities large and small. More from American City & County.
Study Shows Big City Population Growth Occurs near the Edge (October 23)
A new report released by the Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, "Living on the Edge: Decentralization Within Cities in the 1990s" shows that most big-city population growth has occurred along suburban borders, compared to just 11 percent in city cores.
State Supreme Court to Reconsider Annexation Decision (October 14)
On Friday, October 11, the state supreme court granted motions by the cities of Moses Lake and Yakima for reconsideration of its decision invalidating the petition method of annexation in Grant County Fire Protection District v. Moses Lake. More ...
New Brownfields Grants Available from EPA - Proposals Due December 16, 2002 (October 11)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking proposals for brownfields assessment, cleanup, revolving loan fund and job training grants. Eligible entities include states, tribes, local governments, and coalitions of governments. Proposal guidelines detailing the grant programs, eligible activities, and how to apply are available on EPA's national and region 10 brownfields Web sites. Phase 1 assessment, cleanup and revolving loan fund grant proposals are due December 16, 2002 for possible funding in Summer, 2003.
Supreme Court Ruling - Department of Ecology must follow LUPA in Shorelines Challenge (October 9)
The state supreme court ruled on October 3 that the Department of Ecology had to challenge the city of Ferndale's issuance of construction permits under the Land Use Protection Act (LUPA), within 21 days of the permits' issuance, rather than later under the Shoreline's Management Act. More …
New Web Page - Siting of Secure Community Transition Facilities (October 9)
Our new Web page, Siting of Secure Community Transition Facilities contains information on statutory requirements, siting criteria, and sample ordinances.
New Web Page - Golf Course Facilities (October 9)
Our new Golf Course Facilities page includes a list of Washington city and county-owned golf courses and many golf course related links.
Local Government Records Retention Schedules and Management Guidelines Updated (October 9)
The Local Government General Records Retention Schedules and Records Management Guidelines Manual (Adobe Acrobat Document1.31 MB) has been updated as of September 2002. There are several new or revised series throughout the schedules, which are well marked.
Washington City/County History Quiz (October 9)
The earliest inhabitants of this area included bands of the Nez Perce, Umatillas, Cayuse, Snake, and Okanogan tribes. The first white settlers arrived in 1864. Phillip Ritz settled here in 1878 and later gave his name to the town that eventually became the county seat. The county's Articles of Incorporation were approved by Governor William Newell, Governor of Washington Territory, on November 28, 1883. In 1885, the county purchased it's first courthouse building, costing taxpayers $425.75. In 1888, the first county jail was built for $3,700.00. What county is it? And the answer is ~drum roll~ ...
Evans School 2002 - 2003 Public Service Clinics (October 9)
The UW Evans School of Public Affairs Public Service Clinics connect graduate student research interests with applied research, organization change, and capacity building activities identified by public and non-profit agencies. Students spend 200 - 250 hours researching or analyzing agency identified topics with faculty supervision and peer support. To take advantage of this program, agencies must submit applied research projects by October 25th, 2002. Early applications are strongly encouraged as students will be reviewing approved agency topic proposals as soon as they are posted.
Civil Service "Rule of Five" Upheld (October 3)
The state court of appeals has upheld a Seattle civil service rule allowing the appointing authority (the chief of police) to fill a position by selecting a candidate from the top five applicants by the civil service commission. More ...
Converting Dying Malls into New Town Centers (October 3)
See how some suburban communities are converting aging shopping malls into vibrant and pedestrian-friendly town centers. Read "After the Mall" from Governing Magazine.
Report Details Internet and E-mail Use by Local Officials (October 3)
A new survey report from the Pew Internet Project, Digital Town Hall, details how local officials are using the Internet and the civic benefits they cite from dealing with constituents online. According to the survey, 82% of online local officials use e-mail to communicate with citizens. Sixty percent do so at least weekly, and 21% do so every day.
Voters Reject Proposed New City of Gateway (October 3)
A proposal to incorporate the South Sound communities of Parkland and Spanaway into the new city of Gateway failed by a margin of 4-1 in September. More from the Tacoma News Tribune.
Web Sightings - Economic Development (October 3)
Here are some of MRSC's suggested economic development links and resources for Washington communities:
ICMA Primer on Environmental Liability (October 3)
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) recently released a Primer for Local Governments on Environmental Liability (Adobe Acrobat Document365 KB). The guide is designed to help local governments identify, manage, and mitigate environmental risks and liabilities.