Dealing with Snow and Ice on Streets and Sidewalks

October 28, 2019 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Snow and Ice Removal

What can or should a municipality do to deal with accumulations of snow and ice on sidewalks and streets? Who is liable when a citizen falls due to an icy sidewalk? This blog post covers some basics. 

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Records Requests from Agency Elected Officials

October 24, 2019 by Oskar Rey
Category: Public Records Act

What happens if your elected official files a public records request with your local government? This blog post looks at how to handle what should be a simple request, but often isn't due to extenuating circumstances. 

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Cyber Response and Insurance

October 22, 2019 by Laura Crandall
Category: Cybersecurity

How should your agency prepare itself for a cyberattack? This blog post looks at the role an emergency plan and cyber insurance can play in helping an agency recover from a cyber incident. 

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Announcing an Updated Homelessness & Housing Toolkit

October 18, 2019 by Steve Butler
Category: Housing , Homelessness

In 2017 MRSC partnered with the Association of Washington Cities to develop the Homelessness & Housing Toolkit for Cities. This publication has been updated for 2019 and covers such hot-topic items as SHB 1406, Martin v. City of Boise, and more. 

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Please Stop: Handling Public Requests

October 15, 2019 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Public Records Act

Municipal employees sometimes must deal with a variety of requests, and some can be quite challenging. This article looks at what local governments can and cannot broadly do in terms of responding to large public records requests and complaints.  

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Budget Hearings: How Many Do You Need to Hold?

October 11, 2019 by Toni Nelson
Category: Budgets and Budgeting , Legislative Body

One question we get asked often this time of year is: “How many public hearings are required for the budget process?" This post reviews the requirements. 

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Sanctioning Rogue Board Members

October 8, 2019 by Ann G. Macfarlane
Category: Legislative Body

This post looks at how a board can sanction a member that repeatedly disrupts the work — and progress — of that governing body.

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Cyber Plans: What to Do If Your System Is Attacked

October 4, 2019 by Laura Crandall
Category: Cybersecurity

This blog is the first installment of a 2-part series on cybersecurity preparation, with a focus on the most popular ways criminals are using to gain access to systems and how to plan for a service interruption.

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