I-747 Reinstated (November 30)
During a one-day special session, the Washington Legislature approved House Bill 2416, as requested by Governor Gregoire, reinstating the provisions of Initiative 747 retroactively to 2002, restoring the 1% limit on property tax increases. The Governor signed the legislation Thursday night making it effective immediately.

Back to Basics in Transportation Planning (November 28)
Rediscovering our roots can solve 21st Century traffic woes. More from the Project for Public Spaces.

Governor Announces Grants to Help Businesses Track Permits (November 28)
Governor Chris Gregoire recently announced $175,000 in grants to support local government efforts to develop electronic permit tracking systems to allow businesses and local leaders to find timely information about the status of land use and development projects. More from the Governor's Office.

Green Playbook (November 28)
The Playbook, a web-based resource, provides strategies, tips, and tools that cities and counties can use to take immediate action on climate change through: Green building, green neighborhoods, and sustainable infrastructure.

Nine Ways to Go Green (November 28)
Is it enough to purchase products made with recycled materials or can you find "cradle to cradle" products and go truly green? More from NACo's County News.

Building Character (November 28)
Many cities today are concerned about not having enough "there" there as they compete to attract businesses and residents or seek to create more attractive environments for current residents. More from American City & County.

Focused Nuisance Abatement Program Works (November 28)
Little Rock, Arkansas' successful Criminal Abatement Program (CAP), a focused nuisance abatement program, brings multiple city departments together to concentrate their manpower and resources in targeted areas. More from ICMA.

Unreconstructed (November 28)
States are poised to spend billions on fixing infrastructure. They might want to fix the construction industry first. More from Governing.

FCC Issues Two 'Report and Order' documents in 2007 (November 28)
In 2007 the Federal Communications Commission has moved toward big changes in how local governments franchise new competitive providers, and the FCC is providing significant relief to existing cable providers in regard to refranchising. More from Municipal Communications Law.

Can LEED Survive the Carbon-Neutral Era? (November 28)
The rating system is beginning to gain wide acceptance, but critics now wonder whether the checklist approach can meet the daunting challenges ahead. More from Metropolis Magazine.

NACo Assistance Available for Energy Tracking, Assessment (November 28)
Counties interested in reducing their energy consumption should take a look at a new and free tool that can help them measure their energy consumption. More from NACo's County News.

Informal AG Opinion on Street Gang Ordinances (November 20)
The attorney general's office has issued an informal opinion on the constitutionality of criminal street gang ordinances that have been enacted or are being considered by a number of eastern Washington cities.

Web Sightings - Energy Conservation and Efficiency (November 20)
Local governments and consumers in general are interested in energy conservation to conserve scarce non-renewable resources, save energy costs, and to help reduce global warming pollution associated with carbon dioxide emissions. The topic for this month's Web Sightings is energy conservation and efficiency:

• MRSC Energy Conservation Web page and related MRSC pages on Green Building Design and Climate Change
• AWC's Energy Program
• Smart Communities Network - Creating Energy Efficient Communities, "Community Energy," National Center for Appropriate Technology
• U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency
• Rocky Mountain Institute - Energy Efficiency
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute - Energy Conservation and Emission Reduction Strategies, TDM Encyclopedia
• Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance and Washington State University - Energy Ideas Clearinghouse
• California Local Energy Efficiency Program - CALeep Workbook (To help plan, organize, implement, and assess energy efficiency activities at the local and regional level)
• British Columbia - Community Energy Planning Toolkit

Finance - Going after GASB (November 20)
Many public finance officials worry that a series of new accounting rules from the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) will burst their budgets. More from Governing.

"Feeling Heard" a Key Factor in Citizen Participation (November 20)
The recurring theme among all cities that successfully involve citizens in the government process is that citizens feel heard. More from MuniNetGuide.

Personnel - The Future is Now (November 20)
It's one thing to attract young people to government jobs. It's another to keep them there. More from Governing.

Public Safety - Partnering with a Purpose (November 20)
Police agency administrators and university faculty should encourage partnerships to help research and craft viable solutions to community problems and to expand problem-solving efforts. More from The Police Chief.

EPA's 2007 National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement (November 20)
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the recipients of its 2007 National Awards for Smart Growth Achievement including an award for the Seattle Housing Authority.

Environment - The Only Way to Fly (November 20)
Airports are going green — partly on principle and partly because it makes good business sense. More from Planning.

Public Safety - New Communications Tools (November 20)
New frequencies in the radio spectrum and new technologies offer the law enforcement community additional tools that supplement voice operations with data, imaging, and video. More from The Police Chief.

Parks & Recreation - Walk this Way (November 20)
Starting a walking program only takes a few easy steps. More form Parks & Recreation Magazine.

Initiative 747 Unconstitutional (November 08)
The Washington Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, has held that Initiative 747, passed by the voters in 2001 to limit property tax levy increases, is unconstitutional. See also the dissenting opinion.

The Danger of Using Too Few Measures (November 06)
The management cliché is unambiguous: "What gets measured gets done." But there is a corollary: "What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get done." More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report. ( 268 KB)

A Magic Merger? — High Tech, Calmer Lifestyles (November 06)
Broadband. Telecommuting. Taming our roaring highways instead of multiplying them. Walking or cycling to work. Less tension, better health. "Work to live, not live to work." Could all those values come together? More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

HECB Seeks Applicants to Form Health Sciences and Services Authorities (November 06)
The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) is seeking applicants from Washington cities and counties to form health sciences and services authorities to promote bioscience-based economic development, advance new therapies to combat disease and to promote public health. More from the HECB. ( 38 KB)

A Blueprint for Building the Leadership Pipeline (November 06)
The cascading impact of retirements, the rising expectations among employees for development opportunities, and the need for increased leadership competencies are just some of the management challenges looming in the decade ahead. More from Public Management.

Information Technology - A Vote for Better Design (November 06)
In a digital democracy, designing user-friendly electronic interfaces is a responsibility, not a luxury. More from Governing.

Engaging Citizens in Measuring/Reporting on Community Conditions (November 06)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, "Engaging Citizens in Measuring and Reporting Community Conditions: A Manager's Guide," ( 2.98 MB) presents two case studies where government agencies and citizen groups reported their own or their government's performance respectively.

Supercharging the Long-Term Financial Planning Process (November 06)
The City of San Clemente, CA, found that revitalizing an already successful long-term financial planning process to be a valuable exercise in improving the city’s current and projected fiscal health. More from Government Finance Review. ( 8.31 MB)

Fueling Doubts (November 06)
Ethanol and biodiesel may not offer the net environmental benefits many city and counties seek from switching to alternative fuels. More from American City & County.

Is Water the Next Carbon? (November 06)
While discussions of reducing humans’ carbon footprint have only recently emerged, people have been conserving and reusing their water supplies for thousands of years. More from Urban Land.

County Library Computers in Short Supply (November 06)
Far from making libraries obsolete, computers are increasing demand for their services, according to a recent American Library Association study. More from NACo's County News.