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Focus Archive - June 2006

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.

MRSC Launches New Search System (June 28)
We have a launched our new search system for the MRSC Web site, sample documents, RCW, WAC and court decisions (Legalwa.org). (In the near future, we will also be transferring the city and county codes into the system.) Locate Web pages and documents more quickly and with greater precision than before, and sort your search results (ordinances, contracts, job descriptions, forms, RFPs, etc.) by jurisdiction, population or form and class of government. Try out the new system and let us know what you think.

New MRSC Publication on Public Records (June 28)
Our latest publication, Public Records Act for Washington Cities and Counties (Adobe Acrobat Document704kb), incorporates the new statutory numbering system and includes recodification tables with references to the Attorney General's Model Rules. The report also discusses disclosure exemptions and mandatory procedures for responding to records requests. Paper copies will be mailed to city clerks, city attorneys, and county prosecutors shortly.

What Young Adults Want In Cities (June 28)
College-educated young adults are very much in demand by economic development officials these days. Find out what young adults want in cities and which city topped the most preferred list of cities and which city was least preferred on this week's Smart City.

Teardowns (June 28)
Across the nation a teardown epidemic is wiping out historic neighborhoods one house at a time. More from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Middle-Income Neighborhoods in Decline (June 28)
A new study from the Brookings Institution, Where Did They Go? The Decline of Middle-Income Neighborhoods in Metropolitan America, shows that middle-income neighborhoods as a proportion of all metropolitan neighborhoods have declined dramatically between 1970 and 2000.

Supreme Court Offers No Clear Guidance in Wetlands Decision (June 28)
Anyone hoping for a bright line rule from the U.S. Supreme Court on exactly when filling or dredging a wetland requires a federal Clean Water Act permit because it is "adjacent" to "navigable waters" probably was disappointed on June 19 when the Court issued five separate opinions, none with a majority. More from the Environs Hot Sheet.

State of the Nation's Housing Report (June 28)
According to a new report published by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, The State of the Nation's Housing 2006 (Adobe Acrobat Document5mb), affordability problems are escalating even as the housing market cools.

Suburban Counties Show Most Growth (June 28)
The U.S. Census Bureau's listing of the top five fastest growing counties in the country indicates that people are moving away from cities. More from American City & County.

Transportation - A Bridge Too Far (June 28)
Whether it’s widening an old road or upgrading an intersection, transportation changes the way an area develops and functions. More from Governing.

New Homeland Security Report (June 28)
A new report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Nationwide Plan Review - Phase 2 Report (Adobe Acrobat Document3,885kb), finds that the current status of plans and planning gives grounds for significant national concern and calls for a fundamental modernization of our Nation’s planning processes.

Washington's State and Local Taxes Ranked 29th-Lowest in Country (June 20)
Washington's state and local taxes were the 29th-lowest in the country during Fiscal Year 2004, according to figures just published by the U.S. Census Bureau. More from the Washington State Department of Revenue.

New Search Product "Googles" Government Sites (June 20)
Google recently announced "Google U.S. Government Search," a new search product that will make it easier to find U.S. government (including state and local government) information and keep up to date on government news. More from Government Technology.

The New Suburbanism: Communities in Profile (June 20)
Suburbs have borne the major share of growth over the past half century. Now, some architects, developers, and planners are looking at ways to make them better places to live. More from the Urban Land Institute.

Is There Anything Wrong with Fake Downtowns? (June 20)
The Wall Street Journal took aim recently at what it called "faux downtowns" popping up in suburbs around the country. These "fake towns," the Journal said, offer "urban life without the grit." But, really, is there anything wrong with that? More from Civic Strategies.

The State of Police Department WebSites (June 20)
Today's most effective communication tool is the Internet, and more departments are developing their Web sites. More from The Police Chief.

Report on Organizational Performance Accountability (June 20)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, "Performance Accountability: The Five Building Blocks and Six Essential Practices" sets forth tools and techniques for constructing effective performance measurement systems for organizations.

Supreme Court Narrows Speech Protection Rights for Public Employees (June 20)
The Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment provides no protection for speech made by public employees in the course of their official job duties in a 5 - 4 decision on May 30. More from NACo's County News.

Burien Leaders Embrace Diversity as a City Asset (June 20)
The City of Burien is using its equity agenda to address a classic American challenge: how to meld disparate groups into a cohesive community. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

RFI Issued for Wireless Network in Pierce County (June 20)
The Rainier Communications Consortium, representing Pierce County and 14 municipalities, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on the best ways to deploy municipal broadband system to serve the needs of its member jurisdictions and their residents. More from MuniWireless.

Fiber Optics Available to 15,000 Chelan County Homes and Businesses (June 20)
Chelan County Public Utility District's fiber-optic network is now the largest open-access, fiber-to-the-premises network in Washington state. More from Yahoo Finance.

City Practices Database (June 13)
The National City Network's searchable "City Practices Database" contains information on over 2,200 programs from around the country that cities have implemented on a variety of issues from after school programs to transportation initiatives.

Big Northwest Cities are 'Most Sustainable' (June 13)
The Pacific Northwest trumps SustainLane’s 2006 ranking of the nation's most sustainable cities, although a number of older East Coast cities also make the top ten. More from Marketwatch.

The Bungalow Bind (June 13)
Middle-aged suburbs with a disproportionate number of small houses from the 1950s and ’60s are in trouble. More from Governing.

Putting More Blues on the Street (June 13)
Want more police officers but don't have the money? The answer for a growing number of places: some kind of civilian force. More from Civic Strategies.

Things to Consider Before Deploying Free Wireless Access (June 13)
The ultimate success of wireless deployments depends not on bandwidth, coverage or content, but on the clarity and execution of the overall vision. More from Western City Magazine.

Cul-de-Sacs: Suburban Dream or Dead End? (June 13)
Urban planners, anti-sprawl activists and architects, as well as some city managers and mayors, are opposed to cul-de-sacs. But one important group is still in love with them: homebuyers. More from National Public Radio.

Using the Internet to Prepare Citizens for Pandemic Flu (June 13)
How will cities inform and educate their citizens in the event of an avian flu pandemic? One tool many cities are turning to is the Internet. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Harnessing the Wisdom of the Crowds (June 13)
Governments wanting to improve innovation and decision-making in the public sector should build mechanisms to aggregate information and knowledge from diverse groups of citizens. More from Management Insights.

From Brownfields to Art Parks (June 13)
When is a brownfield not a brownfield? When it's transformed by artworks, as in Seattle and Los Angeles. More from The Trust for Public Land.

Telecommunications - Safety First (June 13)
Cities and counties are using high-speed wireless (WiFi) networks to support their mobile workers, including those in law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical service. More from American City & County.

Putting Communities at the Center of Branding (June 06)
Branding efforts of various groups, although individually well executed, often work against each other with counter messages if they are not coordinated. More from Public Management.

Smart City - Communicating the Vibrant City (June 06)
How to make a city vibrant and then communicate that vibrancy in a compelling way is the subject of this week's Smart City radio show.

Performance Measurement - Rivals with a Cause (June 06)
Comparing local government practices and performance among neighboring communities is rare but rewarding. More from Governing.

Web Sightings - Public-Private Partnerships (June 06)
To augment limited public funding resources, local governments are collaborating with private businesses to provide a range of projects, including transportation and parks facilities and economic development activities. The topic for this month's Web Sightings is Public-Private partnerships:

The Power of Public-Private Partnerships Networks in Policing (June 06)
Internet-based public-private partnership networks allow law enforcement agencies to leverage the vast resources of the private security industry, as well as community-based civic organizations, to significantly enhance public safety. More from The Police Chief.

Locals Step up Fight for Video Franchises (June 06)
Despite their eagerness for competition in video services, local government officials are wary of bills before Congress that would create a national video franchise process managed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). More from American City & County.

Economic Development - Making Friends with Franchises (June 06)
Can a Whopper help disinvested urban neighborhoods? Magic Johnson thinks so and has bet on the famous Burger King sandwich by purchasing 30 franchises in four major cities in an effort to help in their retail renaissance. More from Planning.

Rising Energy Costs Spur County Innovation (June 06)
In response to soaring energy costs, counties have been getting creative in devising ways to cut energy costs in their buildings and vehicles. More from NACo's County News.

Fleet Management - Hybrid Investment (June 06)
Hybrid vehicle sales are soaring despite risks that they may not show expected returns. More from American City & County.

Water Security Handbook (June 06)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has produced A Water Security Handbook: Planning for and Responding to Drinking Water Contamination Threats and Incidents (Adobe Acrobat Document8,827kb), which will help drinking water systems understand the basics of planning for and responding to threatened or actual incidents.

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