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Focus Archive - November 2004

Please note that Focus section links were valid at the time of their original posting. However, since Web sites and addresses change frequently, we cannot guarantee that all links will remain operative.

Congress Passes Compromise on Internet Tax Ban (November 23)
A compromise version of the Internet Tax Non Discrimination Act (S.150) passed the lame-duck Congress last week. More from Nation’s Cities Weekly.

New IT Project ROI Guidebook for Public Sector Managers (November 23)
The Center for Technology in Government (CTG) recently published a new guidebook, Return on Investment in Information Technology: A Guide for Managers (Adobe Acrobat Document1.4mb). The guide provides a general overview for the types of ROI analyses most often conducted for government IT projects, and includes case studies for each.

E-Government 2004 Survey from ICMA (November 23)
Local governments cite improved customer service and communication with the public as major benefits of e-government according to the results of the International City/County Management Association's (ICMA) 2004 E-Government Survey. The aggregate results (Adobe Acrobat Document407kb) are available online.

King County Library System Offers Online Digital Audio Books (November 23)
The King County Library System is now offering digital audio books online. Area residents with a valid KCLS library card can choose from a growing list of fiction and non-fiction titles including popular authors.

Voting On How We Grow: Big Election Day Deal (November 23)
Ballot-box zoning and big-ticket transportation decisions -- citizens bypassing elected officials to make critical decisions on how their communities develop -- had a field day on Nov. 2. More from the Washington Post Writers Group.

Best Performing Cities Index (November 23)
The Milken Institute recently released its annual index of Best Performing Cities. The index ranks U.S. metropolitan areas based upon their economic performance and their ability to create, as well as keep, the greatest number of jobs in the nation. More from the Milken Institute.

EPA Announces 2004 Smart Growth Award Winners (November 23)
On November 17, EPA announced five winners of the 2004 National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC. More from EPA.

Powerful Leaders: A Four-Way Test of Power (November 23)
A simple four-way test for powerful leaders is FRSR – Future; Relationships; Simple; and Results. More from Nation’s Cities Weekly.

Awards Program for Removing Regulatory Barriers (November 23)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced a new awards program to recognize communities that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in eliminating regulatory barriers to housing affordability. More from HUD.

Police Supervision in the 21st Century (November 17)
Can traditional work standards and the contemporary employee coexist? More from The Police Chief.

Report: Aging Boomers to Alter Nation's Landscape (November 17)
A recent report from the National Governors Association, Measuring the Years: State Aging Trends and Indicators, focuses attention on the far-reaching effects of an aging America.

Correcting a Wrong Write (November 17)
How a failed strategy to correct a false news story led to a successful campaign for the truth. More from PM Magazine.

Stop Pushing - I’ll Pull: New Promise for Cable Technology (November 17)
Because of a sea change underway in the cable industry, there are some tremendous new opportunities for county and city governments to provide more and better government programming to constituents. More from NACo’s County News.

Wrenching Decisions – When to Outsource Vehicle Maintenance (November 17)
Outsourcing vehicle maintenance can make fiscal sense: for a monthly fee, local governments eliminate wages, health benefits, garage upkeep and safety compliance — in other words, all the costs of running a fleet maintenance operation. More from American City & County.

Affordable Housing Task Forces and Regulatory Reform (November 17)
As communities across the nation face increasingly high housing costs, many have responded by establishing task forces to examine affordability issues and identify what local governments can do to help. More from HUD’s Breakthroughs Newsletter.

Technology - Broadcasting News (November 17)
A free system could help states and localities improve the way they alert responders and residents to emergencies. More from Governing.

Open Source Content Management Strategy for E-government (November 17)
A Web Content Management System can ease the management of complex e-government websites. More from Urban Insight.

Wireless World: City WiFi Networks Growing (November 17)
Large-scale wireless data networks are emerging as the latest high-tech economic development tool across the United States, appearing in major metro area downtowns and smaller suburban central business districts. More from the World Peace Herald.

Cable Lobby Says Forget About the Broadband Needs of Cities (November 17)
The battle over the future of cable broadband is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Recent filings to the court by municipal governmental groups and the cable lobby reveal important issues at stake for communities in the U.S. More from the Center for Digital Democracy.

Test Your Knowledge of Washington’s Ethics Laws (November 09)
You can test your knowledge of Washington’s ethics laws by taking the Washington Executive Ethics Board "Ethics Challenge." The challenge consists of ethics scenarios based on actual situations in public government (Note: Internet Explorer is required).

Domestic Violence by Law Enforcement Officers (November 09)
The Washington Attorney General's office Web site offers several resources relating to domestic violence involving law enforcement officers, including a handbook, a link to a model policy developed by WASPC, and the state law.

Spokane Offers Citizens a "Budget Calculator" Web Site (November 09)
While city of Spokane leaders struggle to determine what services to fund in 2005, citizens can tackle those same budget issues using a new online tool on the City's Web site called the "Budget Calculator."

Police Chiefs Desk Reference (November 09)
The International Association of Chiefs of Police recently released A Police Chiefs Desk Reference: A Guide for Newly Appointed Police Leaders (Adobe Acrobat Document5214kb). The guide contains sections on ethics, leadership, policy and procedures, best practices and more.

Web Sightings - Non-motorized Transportation Links (November 09)
There is a rich array of information on non-motorized transportation, including pedestrian and bicycle programs, available on the Web. This month's Web Sightings emphasize pedestrian-friendly programs:

Locals Contain Sprawl by Transferring Development Rights (November 09)
Despite the complexity and weighty administrative drawbacks, many communities have successful Transferable Development Rights programs. More from American City & County.

Borrowers Beware (November 09)
The SEC is going after muni bond issuers who fail to supply adequate information when their debt goes on sale. More from Governing.

Digital Government Achievement Award Winners Announced (November 09)
Winners of the 2004 Digital Government Achievement Awards have been announced by the Center for Digital Government. More from Government Technology.

Bus Rapid Transit System Guide (November 09)
The Federal Transit Administration has released a new report, Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision Making , (Adobe Acrobat Document6270kb) designed to give transit operators, planners, and local decision makers assistance when considering Bus Rapid Transit as an option for local transportation needs.

2004 Transit Ballot Measures (November 09)
The Center for Transportation Excellence provides a summary of the results of over 60 transit-related ballot measures in several states on their Web site.

New Report Compares Smart Growth in 15 Cities (November 03)
A new report from Northwest Environment Watch, "The Portland Exception: Sprawl, Smart Growth, and Rural Land Loss in 15 US Cities," (Adobe Acrobat Document767kb) compares Portland's record at curbing sprawl and protecting rural land with 14 other US cities, including Seattle and Boise.

The Art of Strategic Planning (November 03)
Strategic planning can be a painstaking process. But done right, it can unite an organization, company or community — and give it a powerful motivation for moving ahead. More from Civic Strategies. (Adobe Acrobat Document95kb)

Risk Management Faces New Challenges in Counties (November 03)
The uncertainty caused by rapid changes in society and shrinking resources is challenging counties as they try to manage risk and serve their citizens. More from NACo’s County News Online.

How to Use a Roundabout (November 03)
Roundabouts can be confusing for motorists who have never encountered one before. The Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, presents an animated tutorial and website about how to use a roundabout.

Best Urban Journalism of 2004 (November 03)
Who is the best urban journalist in America? Which big-city paper does the best job of reporting urban news and trends? And what is the best newspaper article or series about urban life so far in 2004? More from Civic Strategies

USA Services — Your Front Door to the Federal Government (November 03)
A recently created federal government service called USA Services can assist local government offices by offering to be the place for them to refer all requests and inquiries regarding the Federal Government. More from Nation’s Cities Weekly.

New Rail Transit Report (November 03)
A new report from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, "Rail Transit in America--A Comprehensive Evaluation of Benefits," (Adobe Acrobat Document253kb) evaluates the benefits of rail transit in a study of major U.S. cities.

Local, State Groups Gear Up on VoIP (November 03)
The National Association of Counties (NACo), in coalition with other local and state advocacy organizations, has begun to develop a strategy to address the regulatory and fiscal challenges presented by the growing use of Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. More from NACo’s County News Online.

Homebuyers Prefer Walkable Neighborhoods (November 03)
The prospect of lengthening commutes is leading more Americans to seek walkable neighborhoods in close-in suburbs and cities, according to the 2004 American Community Survey sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America. More from Smart Growth America.

Broadband over Power Lines (November 03)
An emerging technology known as broadband over power lines, or B.P.L., may soon offer high-speed data through a somewhat improbable conduit: an ordinary electrical outlet. More from the New York Times

High Speed Internet: The New Amenity (November 03)
Fiber optics and high speed Internet are becoming as fundamental as plumbing in new developments. Some builders install fiber-optic networks, then keep ownership, hoping to collect fees in the years to come. More from Housing Zone.

Are the Boomburbs Still Booming? (November 03)
A recent Census Note (Adobe Acrobat Document344kb) from the Fannie Mae Foundation reveals that "boomburbs"—fast growing cities with more than 100,000 residents that are not the largest city in their metropolitan areas—continue to top the list of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.

Cities and Counties in the News (November)
Here are the latest news clippings from around the state highlighting current events, trends and other news affecting Washington city and county governments: