MRSC In Focus

TVW Report on County Budget Challenges

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Commissioners Josh Brown, Kitsap County; Todd Mielke, Spokane County; and Steve Stuart, Clark County were recently interviewed on TVW's "The Impact" about the challenges counties are facing as a result of the economic downturn. More from WSAC.

Web Sightings - Affordable Housing

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:01:16 PDT

Communities are seeking innovative ways to encourage the development of affordable housing. This month we’ve selected a variety of Web sites that address affordable housing.

The Aughts: The Decade of Infrastructure

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

As the decade ends, there's little to cheer save a notable exception: infrastructure. More from Governing.

The Great Recession and the State and Local Government Workforce

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Hiring freezes, pay freezes, layoffs, and furloughs top the list of ways that local and state governments are cutting costs, according to a Center for Excellence online survey of government managers. More from The Center for State & Local Government Excellence.

Issue Brief - Pension Obligation Bonds

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

A recent Issue Brief from The Center for State & Local Government Excellence, "Pension Obligation Bonds: Financial Crisis Exposes Risks," examines POBs, evaluating whether they represent viable pension financing instruments or are simply a device used by cash-strapped governments.

Fighting Foreclosures Using Emergency Management Tactics

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Local governments are building ad-hoc networks to tackle housing foreclosures. More from Governing.

A Bike-Ped State of the Union

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.: 2010 Benchmarking Report is an essential resource and tool for government officials, advocates, and those working to promote bicycling and walking. More from the Alliance for Biking & Walking

Cities Embrace Mobile Apps, 'Gov 2.0'

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Twitter, iPhones, and new sites like SeeClickFix make it increasingly easy for citizens and governments to communicate. More from CNN.

The Technology Touch

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Evolving high-tech trends that are driving communities into the future. More from American City & County.

Finance Advisor - Do You Know Where Your Cash Is?

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:10:00 PDT

In this month's Finance Advisor column, Mike Bailey, Finance Director, City of Redmond, shares some thoughts on managing cash (and investments) in this difficult economic climate.

HR Advisor - When Conflict is Good (and when it’s not)

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:12:00 PDT

In his first HR Advisor column, Eric Svaren, Principal, Groupsmith, Inc., offers guidance on how organizations can increase good cognitive conflict and reduce bad emotional conflict among employees, to produce better ideas, stronger work relationships, and improved business outcomes.

Council Commission Advisor - Council Meeting Conduct and Citizen Rights under the First Amendment

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:10:00 PDT

In this month's Council/Commission Advisor column, Steve DiJulio, Attorney, Foster Pepper PLLC, focuses on the common public comment period at council/commission meetings as a "designated public forum," as provided by many municipal governing bodies, and those portions of public meetings that are "nonpublic forums."

Planning Advisor - A Hybrid Approach to Form-Based Codes in the Northwest

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:20:00 PDT

In his first Planning Advisor column, Bob Bengford, Partner, MAKERS, offers some things to think about if you are considering updating your land use/design codes using a form-based approach.

What's New

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 PDT

Explore our new Geographic Information Services (GIS) Examples web page. This page contains current and innovative GIS services that local governments are making available to their citizens.