MRSC Closed Monday Due to Weather (December)
Because of poor weather and road conditions, MRSC will be closed Monday, December 22. It is anticipated that MRSC will be providing services as usual on Tuesday, December 23.

EPA gives more Policy-Making Voice to Local Governments (December 18)
State and local governments will have more involvement in developing federal environmental rules thanks to a new EPA policy that broadens the agency’s consulting efforts. More from NACo's County News.

Cities Take Action on Poverty (December 18)
Recent reports from city officials indicate a growing array of responses to the needs of low-income families. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Smart City - Christmas in the City (December 18)
This week Smart City kick starts the holiday season with a program about celebrating the holidays in an urban environment.

Bloggerly Love (December 18)
Techies and their interactive tools may be the way to lure tourists to local fairs and state parks. More from Governing.

For Modern Urban Growth, Don't Forget the Ballpark and River Walk (December 18)
Can urban amenities -- like ballparks, aquariums and river walks -- help stabilize U.S. cities and improve their economic outlooks? More from Knowledge@Wharton.

The Role of Transit in Emergency Evacuation (December 18)
A new publication from the Transportation Research Board, The Role of Transit in Emergency Evacuation (pdf 3.35MB), explores the roles that transit systems can play in accommodating the evacuation, egress, and ingress of people from and to critical locations in times of emergency.

Welcome Home Soldier (December 18)
Local agencies team up to help wounded war veterans to heal. More from Parks & Recreation.

The Role of Leadership in Building High-Performing Organizations (December 18)
Despite the current economic situation, all is not doom and gloom for public-sector managers. There is an alternative to slashing services, laying off employees, and raising fees. More from Government Finance Review.

Law Enforcement Looks to Video Surveillance Networks (December 18)
2008 may have been The Year of the Large-Scale Wireless Video Surveillance System, as several cities and their police departments joined the growing market, while others expanded existing systems. More from Government Technology.

Web Sightings – Transportation Planning (December 18)
This month we’ve selected sites and organizations from the vast array of resources that can help counties and cities prepare regional and local transportation plans.

As a starting point, MRSC has a comprehensive Web page on this topic: Transportation Planning and Policy Development

Federal and State Agencies

• Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program, U.S. Department of Transportation - Collaborative effort of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA); provides information, training, and technical assistance to help transportation professionals create effective transportation plans and programs. Information on Statewide, Metropolitan, and Rural and Small Communities transportation planning.
• Federal Transportation Policy Framework, prepared by the Florida Department of Transportation - Links to federal codes and regulations, and related U.S. Department of Transportation information.
• Transportation Planning Office, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) - Links to state transportation plan, state highway plan, route development plans, trends report, guidebooks, and more.

Regional and Metropolitan Transportation Planning

• Metropolitan Transportation Planning, WSDOT – Basic information about Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO)
• Sound Transit Projects and Plans - Includes projects by clickable map and projects by service.

Local Transportation Planning

• Local Transportation Plans and Plan Elements, MRSC
• Bellingham Transportation Planning - Projects programs and reports
• Olympia Transportation Plans - Studies and Data
• Pierce County Transportation Planning and Programming Division
• Sumner Transportation Plans

Free on Friday (December 18)
Whether it’s to save energy or lure young workers, states and localities are testing the four-day work week. More from Governing.

Telecoms and Advocacy Groups Unite over Broadband "Stimulus" (December 11)
A “Call to Action” statement advocating a national broadband strategy was issued by a diverse array of America’s communications providers in Washington, D.C. on December 2nd. More from ars technica.

West Coast Estuaries Initiative for Coastal Watersheds (December 11)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 (EPA) recently issued a competitive grant announcement, soliciting assistance agreement proposals under the region's West Coast Estuaries Initiative. EPA has approximately $2.8 million to award to coastal communities in Oregon, Washington and Alaska. More from the EPA.

The Disaster Tripwire (December 11)
The tough choices on emergency response are gradually migrating to Washington. More from Governing.

Local Management in a Global Era (December 11)
Thinking globally, acting locally isn’t about changing the world. It’s about changing ourselves. What we need is a global context for our local responsibilities—becoming “g/local” in our outlook. More from Public Management.

Finally a Green Light For Smart Infrastructure? (December 11)
Even as America plunges into recession, a bright shaft of light has appeared.It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity, driven by a popular president-elect, to mount a massive national infrastructure rebuilding program. More from Citwire.

Cutting Benefits: The Wrong Way and the Right Way (December 11)
Although federal aid to state and local governments from the Obama administration seems likely in January, painful cutbacks are inevitable. More from Governing.

New Clerk/Treasurers Reference Tool (December 11)
The Association of Washington Cities, in partnership with the State Auditors Office and the Washington Municipal Clerks Association have developed a new reference tool for clerks and clerk/treasurers in small cities.

Early Warning Signs of Revenue Problems (December 11)
Managers need indicators that anticipate revenue crises with sufficient advance warning that remedial action can be taken. More from ICMA.

Going for an Upturn (December 11)
Faced with stagnant tax revenues and a dwindling jobs base, elected officials — and their appointed economic developers — feel tremendous pressure to do something to turn things around. More from Governing.

Euroburbia: A Personal View (December 11)
Contrary to the mythology embraced by romantics among planners and ‘green’ politicians, urban areas of Europe sprawl just as much as any American or Western city. More from New Geography.

Cutting for Excellence (December 11)
Slashing spending offers opportunities for positive change. But a government’s workers need to be part of the process, and they need to know they are being treated fairly. More from Governing.

Can the Can (December 04)
The idea that graffiti-spraying and other forms of low-level delinquency promote further bad behavior has now been tested experimentally. More from The Economist.

Local Management in a Global Era (December 04)
Cross-national policy learning can lead to significant advances in the practice of local government management in the United States. More from Public Management.

Broadband makes Tiny Town an English-Teaching Hub (December 04)
Ten Sleep, Wyoming, population 350, is just as connected as any place these days, and home to a new company that is outsourcing jobs not from the United States to the Far East, but in the opposite direction. More from Forbes.

Return on Perception (December 04)
Four key elements of urban design create value: architecture, green spaces, water settings, and transportation. More from Urban Land.

Workers' Compensation Insurance Premiums Increasing by 3 Percent (December 04)
The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) recently announced that premiums for workers’ compensation insurance will go up, on average, 3 percent in 2009. More from L & I.

Guide to Managing Stormwater (December 04)
A new publication from the Center for Watershed Protection, Managing Stormwater in Your Community: A Guide for Building an Effective Post-Construction Program (PDF, 22MB), provides stormwater professionals with practical guidance, insights, and tools to build effective programs.

Dealing with Resistance (December 04)
Resistance is a vital ingredient in change, especially in achieving transformational change, which is just the kind of change we need to deal effectively with a fiscal crisis. More from Governing.

IRS Announces 2009 Standard Mileage Rates (December 04)
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2009, the IRS standard mileage rate for the use of a car will be 55 cents per mile for business miles driven. More from the IRS.

In an Epic Fiscal Storm, New Strategies Sprout (December 04)
The recession is driving America’s city governments into an epic fiscal storm. Unlike earlier downturns, all three big revenue sources income, property and sales taxes are falling together. More from Citiwire.

Legislating-for-Results Municipal Action Guides (December 04)
The Urban Institute and National League of Cities have developed a series of 10 guides for city and county elected officials, and their staffs, to help them obtain and use information about the results of their governments' services. More from The Urban Institute.