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Focus Archive - August 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.

Smart City - How Design Adds Value to Cities (August 31)
Design is a too-often overlooked asset that adds value to cities. A recent Smart City™ radio show featured a discussion about putting design to work to make cities more lively, more livable and more sustainable.

Government Technology – Storing Documents (August 31)
Today's document management systems provide the tools governments need to store and search for documents, and the security and controls to ensure access to authorized employees. More from American City & County.

National Brownfields Conference (August 31)
"Brownfields 2004: Gateway to Revitalization," September 20-22, 2004, in St. Louis, Missouri, offers an important new event to help facilitate the redevelopment of brownfields. More from ICMA.

Using Cost Analysis to Decide Whether to Outsource Public Services (August 31)
Many governments are considering outsourcing as a means of reducing costs and balancing their budgets. How can a government know whether outsourcing a given service will result in a cost savings or a cost increase? More from Government Finance Review. (Adobe Acrobat Document 1686kb)

Traffic Safety - Driving Out Death (August 31)
Local governments are struggling to find ways to curb the fatality rates on rural roads. Mendocino County, California, has created a cost-effective program that has achieved a 42 percent reduction in traffic fatalities over 10 years. More from American City & County.

Will the Chains Swallow Main Street? (August 31)
Cast your eyes up and down the streets of Boothbay Harbor, a wonderfully walkable Maine seaside town where lobstermen rub shoulders with summertime tourists, and you see scarcely a sign of a national chain. More from Neal Peirce, Washington Post Writers Group.

The Asphalt Rebellion (August 31)
After 75 years as pawns in the transportation system, pedestrians are asserting their rights to enjoy the health, fun, and community-building qualities of walking using a variety of traffic-calming strategies. More from the Michigan Land Use Institute.

Developing Smart Growth Zoning Codes (August 31)
The Local Government Commission recently sponsored a series of workshops to provide the tools to assist in either fine-tuning or completely revamping a community’s zoning codes and policies to create more livable communities. More from the Local Government Commission.

Can We Count on It? (August 31)
Four years after hanging chads made headlines, many people are worried about how electronic voting technology will perform this election season. More from American City & County.

Tacoma Wins Innovation Award from Sister Cities International (August 31)
The city of Tacoma was one of only 14 communities nationwide to be recognized by Sister Cities International for its 2003 achievements. More from the city of Tacoma.

Expanding E-Government Services and Access (August 19)
Some state and local governments have begun offering content formatted for the small screens of cell phones and PDAs. "It's the era of big .gov-ernment" details government efforts to provide an increasing range of services online.

Smart City - The Young and the Restless (August 10)
Cities are on a continual quest to catch the next big wave of economic development. Two of the trends generating the most buzz these days are the creative class and the creative economy. This week’s Smart City™ radio show features a discussion about how cities can capitalize on the young and the restless and the creative economy.

Access Board Issues New Guidelines for Accessible Design (August 10)
The U.S. Access Board announces the release of new design guidelines that cover access for people with disabilities under the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The guidelines update access requirements for a wide range of facilities in the public and private sectors covered by the law. More from the U.S. Access Board.

Studies Document Loss of Tax Revenues Due to Remote Commerce (August 10)
The University of Tennessee's Center for Business and Economic Research has completed two studies, The Growth of Multichannel Retailing (Adobe Acrobat Document 232kb), and State and Local Sales Tax Revenue Losses from e-Commerce (Adobe Acrobat Document226kb), that demonstrate the severe losses local and state governments are enduring due to remote, online sales.

Online TDM Encyclopedia (August 10)
The Victoria Transport Policy Institute’s "Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Encyclopedia" offers a comprehensive source of information about innovative management solutions to transportation problems.

Study Documents Economic Impacts of State's Military Bases (August 10)
A report recently completed by the state Office of Financial Management (OFM), Economic Impacts of Military Bases in Washington, (Adobe Acrobat Document103kb) documents the significant economic benefits provided by the state's military bases.

The Power of Place - ePodunk (August 10)
ePodunk provides in-depth information about more than 25,000 communities around the country, from Manhattan to Los Angeles, Pottstown to Podunk. Listings include geocoded information about thousands of parks, museums, historic sites, colleges, schools and other places across America.

Study Broadens Knowledge of Farm Conservation Easements (August 10)
A National View of Agricultural Easement Programs from the American Farmland Trust is the most in-depth and comprehensive analysis of agricultural easement programs undertaken in the United States.

Web Sightings - Resource Lands (August 10)
Protection of resource lands is an important part of conservation and growth management. Natural resource lands, as defined in the Growth Management Act, include agricultural, forest and mineral resource lands. See these links for more information on natural resource lands:

2004 Final B&O Tax Model Ordinance is Now Available (August 06)
In the 2003 session, the Legislature passed EHB 2030 (Chapter 79, Laws of 2003), the city B&O legislation. This new law requires cities with local B&O taxes to implement a modified version of the city B&O tax model ordinance by December 31, 2004 in order to continue to impose the B&O tax.

Smart City - Design and Cities (August 04)
Cities are capable of unexpected renewal, with change always a possibility. It’s one reason they are so exciting. The latest Smart City™ radio show features a discussion about strategies for renewing cities.

Mobile/Manufactured Homes - New Hope for Affordable Housing (August 04)
Amidst stigma and displacement, mobile/manufactured homes offer an affordable alternative to conventional, stick-built housing to millions of Americans. More from The Next American City.

New Section 8 Cuts Threaten Housing (August 04)
Recent changes in the way the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development calculates housing voucher payments, could force many of the nation's 2,500 state and local housing authorities to lower and/or eliminate them. More from American City & County.

Benchmarking for Improved Decision-Making (August 04)
"Benchmarking for Improved Decision-Making Capabilities in Today’s Public Sector" (Adobe Acrobat Document 149kb) is the first in a series of articles on benchmarking and performance measurement in public sector risk management, sponsored by the Public Entity Risk Institute.

Scared to Share (August 04)
Criminal justice agencies badly need to trade information with each other. But many are too turf-conscious to do it. More from Governing.

FCC Unanimously Approves Spectrum "Consensus Plan" (August 04)
The Federal Communications Commission has unanimously approved a plan aimed at eliminating cell-phone interference with hundreds of public-safety communication systems. More from NACo’s County News.

Safety and a Sense of Place (August 04)
Urban designer Elizabeth Macdonald talks about making streets safer while meeting the needs of drivers and pedestrians. More from the UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center Newsletter.

Schools, Communities Learn the Meaning of 'Co-location' (August 04)
To share construction and maintenance costs and reduce school crowding, many planners are working with school administrators to create mixed-use community schools. More from KnowledgePlex.

State Health Facts Online (August 04)
The Kaiser Family Foundation's State Health Facts Online contains the latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation.

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