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Focus Archive - September 2005

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.

New Ask MRSC E-newsletter (September 30)
MRSC is pleased to announce the debut of our new Ask MRSC e-newsletter. Ask MRSC is a free, subscription-based, monthly e-mail newsletter featuring answers to selected questions received by our consultant staff. It's one more way for you to stay informed on current issues affecting city and county government. View a sample issue or go directly to our subscription page and sign up to receive Ask MRSC today. It's free!

The Great Revival of Public Markets (September 27)
Public markets are making an unprecedented comeback across North America, calling into question a widely accepted notion that we are moving inexorably toward a landscape dominated by big box stores and fast food chains. More from the Project for Public Spaces.

Updated WSDA Direct Farm Marketing Book Available (September 27)
The Washington State Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) Green Book is a valuable resource for farmers, county health departments, farmers market managers, agricultural professionals and anyone who wants to know the ins and outs of selling farm products direct to consumers.

Where'd All the Bankers Go? (September 27)
Thirty years ago, if you had made a list of the top 10 leaders of any city, it's likely that one or two of them would have been bankers. And today? Probably nary a one. Where did they all go? More from Civic Strategies, Inc.

Transportation Planning - Lessons From Katrina and Rita (September 27)
A recent paper from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, "Lessons From Katrina and Rita - What Major Disasters Can Teach Transportation Planners," (Adobe Acrobat Document150kb) examines failures in hurricane Katrina and Rita emergency response and their lessons for transportation planning.

Emergency Management Guidebook (September 27)
Characteristics of Effective Emergency Management Organizational Structures, published by the Public Entity Risk Institute, is a self-assessment manual designed to help local governments strengthen their emergency management structure.

Collaboration Between Cities and Schools is Key to Reform (September 27)
Although each community and school district has its own specific needs, challenges in every jurisdiction can be addressed through more effective collaboration between cities and their schools. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Safer Firefighting - Near-Miss Reporting System (September 27)
The International Association of Fire Chiefs has launched the National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System to track "close calls," identify emerging trends and notify firefighters and fire departments of significant safety issues.

The Economics of Historic Preservation (September 27)
A recent discussion paper from the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, reviews the current findings on the value of historic preservation and the methods used to assess that value. More from the Brookings Institution.

Metro Bus Riders Test County's First Rolling WiFi Hotspots (September 27)
King County Executive Ron Sims and Metro Transit officials recently launched a pilot effort to turn transit buses into rolling WiFi hotspots. More from Government Technology.

Seattle Public Library Patrons Can Download Digital Audio Books (September 27)
The Seattle Public Library recently announced a new online service that will offer patrons access to a collection of hundreds of downloadable digital audio books and eBooks from their home computers. More from Government Technology.

An American Diaspora Mapped (September 21)
E-Podunk used 40,000 Internet postings by Katrina survivors to create a compelling map showing the exodus of Gulf Coast refugees across the United States. More from E-Podunk.

Katrina Calls Attention to Race and Poverty in Cities (September 21)
Hurricane Katrina's effects on the city of New Orleans and other communities in the Gulf Coast are shining a spotlight on issues of race, poverty, inequality, and class in America's cities. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Smart City - Improving Schools and Family Circumstances (September 21)
Two of the most vexing problems cities face are how to improve their schools and how to improve family incomes for those at the bottom of the economic ladder. This week's guests on Smart City™ talk about new approaches to improving schools and family circumstances.

The Incredible Shrinking Box (September 21)
Some big box retailers are reshaping themselves into downtown-ready formats having discovered the benefits of locating in close-in urban neighborhoods. More from the Michigan Land Institute.

Chip on Your Shoulder (September 21)
Radio frequency identification technology offers government some breakthrough possibilities. It also scares people. More from Governing.

Emergency Communications - Building Safety Nets (September 21)
To collaborate across organizational boundaries in emergencies, first responders need technologies that meet five requirements. More from American City & County.

Wellness - Carrots and Sticks (September 21)
There’s danger in expecting wellness programs to work miracles and abandoning them when they don’t. More from Governing.

Facilities Maintenance - Building a Plan (September 21)
What city and county managers need to know to create an effective facilities maintenance and capital plan. More from American City & County.

Successful Approaches to Watershed Management (September 21)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Community-Based Watershed Management Handbook describes highly successful approaches to watershed management implemented by the 28 National Estuary Programs.

Costing Out Security (September 21)
The economic burdens of "hardening" transit systems are huge — and raise politically divisive questions. More from Governing.

Grantwriters Conference (September 15)
"Grantwriting: Tools of the Trade," sponsored by the Puget Sound Grantwriters Association, will be held on October 26 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.

Web Sightings - Climate Change (September 15)
With recent weather-related disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, global climate change has come into the spotlight, and local governments are starting to get into the act, including a conference sponsored by King County in Seattle in October 2005 - The Future Ain't What It Used To Be: Planning for Climate Disruption. For more information on climate change, see these web sites:

U.S. Government

Washington State and Local Governments General Resources

Financial Management - Slimming Down (September 12)
"Lean thinking," is an approach to organizational improvement that helps cities and counties save money by making quick, yet efficient changes. More from American City & County.

NPR Interview - The Challenge of Rebuilding New Orleans (September 12)
The former director of city planning for New Orleans, talks to National Public Radio (NPR) about what has to be done to rebuild the city after the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. More from NPR.

Battle of the Badges (September 12)
Tense relations between police and fire departments, long a fact of life in many cities, are now emerging as a serious domestic-preparedness problem. More from Governing.

Performance Measurement - Apples to Umbrellas (September 12)
Criteria and formulas for basic performance measures are so varied, comparing data from one state to another is often a fruitless exercise. More from Governing.

NACo's Meth Action Clearinghouse Now Online (September 12)
The National Association of Counties (NACo) Meth Action Clearinghouse provides information on federal, state and local efforts to combat the meth epidemic in America.

Planning for a Disaster-Resistant Community (September 12)
The American Planning Association's workbook, Planning for a Disaster-Resistant Community,
(Adobe Acrobat Document1576kb), contains information to help you learn about hazards and how they affect communities and how risk assessment is the fact base for mitigation planning.

ICMA Homeland Security Survey Results (September 12)
Following the events of September 11, 2001, local governments have taken steps to increase their capability to deal with future emergencies, according to a homeland security survey conducted by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). More from ICMA.

Sounding the Alarm on False Activations (September 12)
Overburdened by the costs and demands on personnel, many municipalities are developing penalties for frequent false alarms. More from American City & County.

New Initiative to Look at the Maturing of America (September 12)
The National League of Cities has joined forces with four other national organizations to assess the “aging readiness” of America’s communities and to identify solutions. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Metropolitan and Central City Demographic Shifts Since 2000 (September 12)
A new report from the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, Metropolitan America in the New Century: Metropolitan and Central City Demographic Shifts Since 2000, analyzes population and migration change using decennial Census data and estimates from 1960 to 2004.

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