Click here to skip to main content.
scenic picture from Washington state
MRSC FOCUS › Focus - September 2003
 

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

Focus - September 2003

Young Adults Are Falling Behind in U.S. Workforce, Says NLC Report (September 30)
The nation's teenagers and young adults are being left behind in the U.S. labor market according to a new report released by the National League of Cities based on research by Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.
Local Government 101 - Knowing Your Roles (September 30)
It is essential for effective local government that municipal officials, particularly mayors, councilmembers, and city managers, understand the roles of their respective offices and their relationship with others. More …
Web Sightings - Leadership (September 30)
MRSC's quarterly Municipal Research News is featuring a series of articles on leadership starting with the Fall 2003 issue. Here are some of our favorite links on local government leadership and training: If you have links to other local government leadership sites that you recommend, please send them to ctobin@mrsc.org.
Smart City - How Art Can Transform a City (September 30)
Visit any big city on a pleasant fall weekend, and you're likely to run into a festival. There's a formula for most such events: tents full of colorful paintings and crafts, lots of food, and certainly music. A recent Smart City™ radio show discusses "How Art Can Transform a City."
Small Water Systems Eligible for ICMA's Free Water Security Training (September 30)
All water systems, small and medium-sized, are now eligible to receive free water security training and travel scholarships from ICMA. The training will help each system comply with the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. To register for a training workshop and to learn more, see ICMA's Water Security Web site.
Local Bridges are Falling Down (September 30)
Never mind London Bridge. Too many of America's 300,000-plus local bridges are the ones in trouble. They may be too narrow for today's thicker traffic or too light for today's heavier trucks. More from American City & County.
Access Control - The Guests are Here (September 30)
Cities and counties are finding new ways to protect buildings against dangerous visitors. There are no systems that can guarantee total security, but there are emerging visitor management systems designed to reduce or, at the very least, help manage risks. More from American City & County.
Free National Brownfields Conference in October! (September 26)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) are proud to announce Brownfields 2003: Growing a Greener America is coming to the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, October 27 - 29, 2003. More ...
It’s Official! The Increase in the IPD from July 2002 to July 2003 is 1.84 Percent (September 23)
On September 2, we announced that, based on unpublished data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the increase in the implicit price deflator (IPD) for personal consumption expenditures from July 2002 to July 2003 was 1.84 percent. However, the Department of Revenue does not consider this number official until it is confirmed by data published in the September 2003 issue of the Survey of Current Business (Adobe Acrobat Document1.4 MB). (Scroll down to Table B.2)
Where Have all the Leaders Gone? (September 23)
Too often we hear the plaintive cry - "where have all the leaders gone?" Has the quality of civic leadership really diminished in recent years, as many critics claim? This is the first article in a series that will explore key questions about the role of leaders and leadership in local government. More from Municipal Research News.
GFOA's Budget Presentation Awards Program Revised (September 23)
The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) recently revised the materials used in their Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program. While the program criteria remain essentially unchanged, the accompanying explanations have changed substantially and, in several cases, incorporate specific new program requirements. More from GFOA.
Help Wanted: Young People for Public Service (September 23)
Stop and listen. Do you hear the silence? It's the sound of nobody following in your footsteps. The baby boomers dedicated to public service are quickly approaching retirement age, and far fewer young people are following in their footsteps, creating a large "replacement gap" in the public sector. More from Western City.
The Challenges of Inclusionary Housing (September 23)
What does it really take to produce affordable housing units? In the American Planning Association's August Zoning News, Lynn M. Ross discusses the harsh reality of implementing an inclusionary housing program in "Zoning Affordability: The Challenges of Inclusionary Housing" (Adobe Acrobat Document367 KB).
Local Government 101 - Public Hearings (September 23)
Public bodies, such as city councils, boards of county commissioners, and planning commissions, are sometimes required by state law to hold public hearings. Since the issues addressed in these public hearings are frequently contentious, may involve due process rights of private parties, and generate litigation, it is important to know and follow proper hearing procedures. More…
Property Taxes Increase 2.49 Percent for 2003 (September 23)
According to the Washington State Department of Revenue, property taxes increased an average 2.49 percent statewide between 2002 and 2003, equal to a $62.28 increase on a $200,000 home. More from Access Washington News.
Counties Seek Versatile Emergency Alert Technologies (September 23)
If anything even remotely positive came of September 11, it may be that counties are catching up with technological prowess in order to keep the public informed of impending disasters and emergencies. More from NACO's County News.
PLANetizen Names Top 50 Urban Planning Websites (September 23)
PLANetizen, a popular online planning and development website, released its highly-anticipated annual list of Top 50 Urban Planning and Development websites. The list recognizes the innovative use of the Internet in urban planning and development. More from PLANetizen.
Improving commutes with ITS (September 23)
Many cities and counties benefit from applying information and telecommunication technologies to their transportation issues and challenges. Known collectively as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), the technologies can save time, money and lives in urban and rural areas. More from American City and County.
Property Tax Limitation in Washington State (September 17)
In 2001 the people of Washington passed Initiative 747, a measure designed to limit the yearly rate of increase in the property tax burden citizens must bear. The Washington Policy Center conducted a statewide survey to see if Initiative 747 is effective in holding down tax increases. Read the latest study in WPC's series on property taxes.
NLC Resource on Municipal Strategies for Supporting At-Risk Youth (September 17)
A new National League of Cities (NLC) guide for municipal leaders discusses the topic of at-risk youth and examines how municipal policy and strategies can support the positive development of all youth - even those most challenged. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.
YouthARTS Site for At-Risk Youth (September 17)
The YouthARTS Web site, by Americans for the Arts, is designed to give arts agencies, juvenile justice agencies, social service organizations, and other community-based organizations detailed information about how to plan, run, provide training, and evaluate arts programs for at-risk youth.
Small Communities Guide for Getting Online (September 17)
The National Center for Small Communities recently published "Getting Online 2.0: A Small-Town Guide to Creating 21st-Century Communities" (Adobe Acrobat Document3.3 MB). The guide identifies the skills that enable youth, adults and communities to be successful in the digital age, and includes chapters on Web site development and encouraging public access and use.
The Squeeze is on for Public Works Departments (September 17)
Cities that made it through 2002 and 2003 by keeping a tight grip on spending or by distributing reserve funds are, in fiscal year 2004, reducing their budgets substantially. For public works departments, the crunch affects staffing, service levels and project priorities. More from American City & County.
Cities and Schools Districts: Partners in Community Schools (September 17)
In cities across the nation, municipal leaders are using community schools to address the hardest challenges that students, families and schools face. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.
Optimistic About Public/Private Partnerships (September 17)
The city of Charlotte and the Bank of America have their own reasons to believe in the benefits of public/private partnerships. More from Public Management.
States Cut $2.3 Billion in Aid to Cities and Towns (September 9)
State revenues to cities were cut by approximately $2.3 billion, for fiscal year 2004, a 9.2 percent decrease from 2003, according to a new National League of Cities study. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.
LID/RID Workshop in November (September 10)
The Municipal Research and Services Center and the Washington Chapter American Public Works Association are sponsoring a one-day workshop on the formation, financing and administration of Local Improvement and Road Improvement Districts on Thursday, November 6, 2003, in Tukwila. See the workshop flyer (Adobe Acrobat Document121 KB), agenda (Adobe Acrobat Document88 KB) and registration form (Adobe Acrobat Document125 KB).
2004 GMA Update Grants (September 9)
Grant funding is available for those jurisdictions that are required, under the State Growth Management Act (GMA), to review and, if necessary, revise their comprehensive plans and development regulations on or before December 1, 2004. More from the Washington State Office of Community Development. Additional grants are available on a competitive basis for other jurisdictions that must complete plan updates at a later date (and for buildable lands, emerging issues and other special situations).
Consolidating Police Services Examined by New IACP Study (September 9)
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has created a comprehensive planning model to aid police and their governing bodies in assessing all aspects of consolidating police services.
Is the Federal-State-Local Partnership Being Dismantled? (September 9)
In these remarks presented at a National League of Cities roundtable, Margy Waller reviews the academic literature and history of federal block grants. More from The Brookings Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy.
Essential Records Protection and Disaster Preparedness Workshops (September 9)
The State Archives Office will be presenting a series of Essential Records Protection and Disaster Preparedness Workshops (Adobe Acrobat Document3.5 MB) in 11 cities statewide from September 9, 2003 to December 17, 2003.
Outdoor Special Event Risk Management (September 9)
A recent article published by the Public Entity Risk Institute, "Outdoor Special Event Planning," identifies some important aspects of outdoor special event risk management, including identification of and planning for certain common risks associated with outdoor events.
Zoning Needs An Overhaul (September 9)
Cities would do better to loosen prescriptive zoning codes and give more flexibility to developers, writes Chris Fiscelli in a PLANetizen Op-Ed.
Integration of Planning, Public Health Builds Active Communities (September 9)
The American Planning Association (APA) recently released preliminary findings of a nationwide survey to measure how communities can create opportunities for citizens to be more physically active. More from APA.
MRSC Research Request Form (September 5)
If you are a frequent user of the MRSC Research Request and Library Loan forms (or other forms on the Internet), you might be interested in Google's new autofill feature that automatically enters your name, street address, phone number and e-mail address on selected forms. Download the Google Toobar or read more about autofill.
The Increase in the Implicit Price Deflator (IPD) from July 2002 to July 2003 Is 1.84 Percent (September 3)
This means, for most jurisdictions, the maximum allowable levy increase for 2004 is 1 percent of the 2003 levy (plus taxes on new construction and the change in the value of state-assessed utility property). More...
City Councils in U.S. Grow Older, More Diverse, But Stay Mostly Male (September 3)
Mirroring the nation's shifting demographics, city councils have grown older and more ethnically diverse over the past two decades, but the proportion of women serving on city council (about one in three) has stayed roughly the same, according to a survey released by the National League of Cities (NLC). More from NLC.
Cities and Counties in the News
Here are the latest news clippings from around the state highlighting current events, trends and other news affecting Washington city and county governments:
Free Workshop - Finding Census Information Online (September 3)
The Washington State Employment Security Department and the Office of Financial Management are sponsoring a free workshop on how to locate Census 2000 data online (Adobe Acrobat Document347 KB). The workshop instructors will explain what is available, offer tips on community comparisons, and answer any questions you have.
Zoning for Walkable Communities (September 3)
A new Web site from the Hamer Center for Community Design at Pennsylvania State University, "PennSCAPE," provides concrete strategies and sample zoning codes that planners can use to encourage compact and walkable communities.
Report Defines Scope of Brownfield Development (September 3)
Cities estimate they could generate $790 million to $1.9 billion annually in additional tax revenues if existing brownfields were redeveloped, according to a U.S. Conference of Mayors survey, "Recycling America's Land: A National Report on Brownfields Redevelopment, Volume IV" (Adobe Acrobat Document1.0 MB), released in June. More from American City & County.
Re-Engineering Public Utilities (September 3)
Faced with tight budgets and increased competition, public utilities are studying their operations to ensure they are as efficient as possible. More from American City & County.
Mayors Report Shows Early Signs of Recovery but Still Dismal Job Market (September 3)
The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently issued their second annual metro economies report demonstrating that America's metro areas are showing early signs of recovery. However, mayors voiced concern that the economy is still not generating jobs at a sufficient level for U.S. workers.