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MRSC Insight Blog

Posts by Laura Crandall

Keeping People Housed: Homelessness Prevention Strategies to Bridge Emergencies

September 10, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Housing , Homelessness , COVID-19

This blog post identifies root cause contributors to homelessness and details a variety of prevention strategies for local governments.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts in Washington State

August 6, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Inclusive Communities

This blog post offers an overview of how some Washington State local governments have approached efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Fire Season, Meet Coronavirus

July 15, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Fire Protection , COVID-19

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, wildland firefighting will be following updated guidance to combat wildland fires but also reduce the chances of transmitting the virus among firefighting crews.

FCC Declaratory Ruling Expands Guidance for Certain Existing Wireless Facilities

July 6, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Telecommunications

This blog post reviews the major points of a new FCC ruling that affects a local government's review of modification proposals to existing wireless infrastructure.

The Fourth of July in the Shadow of a Pandemic

May 12, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Administration and Management , COVID-19

As Washington local governments are still grappling with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in their communities, many across the state are deciding how to celebrate the Fourth of July in a safe and responsible manner.

Events and Programs: A COVID-19 Community Conundrum

April 23, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Programs , COVID-19

This blog looks at what Washington local governments are doing when it comes to their scheduled summer events and programs.

Engaging in a Pixelated Public Square

April 20, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Legislative Body , COVID-19

This blog post looks at which video platforms are best for what use, how public comment may be made for remote public meetings, and discusses various electronic public engagement platforms.

Working on Council Guidelines? What About Remote Meeting Attendance?

February 6, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Legislative Body

This blog post addresses remote meeting attendance, including what is possible and permissible under the Open Public Meetings Act.

Elected Officials Guide — What’s Personal and What’s Public?

January 9, 2020 by Laura Crandall
Category: Open Public Meetings Act , Administrative and Elected Officials , Public Records Act

This blog covers questions about the use of social media and cell phones with regards to privacy and public records and focuses on their use from the perspective of an elected official.

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.

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.

Electronic Vendor Fraud: How to Protect your Agency from the Latest Cybercrimes

August 26, 2019 by Laura Crandall
Category: Cybersecurity

Ransomware, phishing schemes, and plain old hacking are just a few of the cybersecurity issues that local governments must contend with now. This blog covers the most recent electronic vendor fraud cases and the steps that your agency can take to protect itself against this type of fraud.

From Tenant Protections to Vaping: A Peek at New Local Legislation

June 24, 2019 by Laura Crandall
Category: Licensing and Regulation , Housing , New Legislation and Regulations

This post presents a potpourri of interesting legislation that local governments in Washington State have passed, from the City of Kenmore to Clark County.

Does the Shutdown Mean Shutoffs?

January 23, 2019 by Laura Crandall
Category: Utilities - Billing and Collection

For utility deferments and fee waivers, the key is to have policies in place to avoid gifting of public funds, and to ensure that the jurisdiction is not being arbitrary in its decision-making.

FCC’s Declaratory Ruling on 5G Small Cell Wireless Facilities

January 8, 2019 by Laura Crandall
Category: Telecommunications

The FCC recently issued a 2-part Declaratory Ruling with the intent to streamline the deployment of 4G and 5G mobile communication infrastructure. Key points of the ruling are listed and briefly discussed in this post.

HB 2578 Prohibits Source of Income Discrimination

December 3, 2018 by Laura Crandall
Category: Housing

Passed in 2018 by the legislature, HB 2578 enacts source of income discrimination protections that prohibit landlords from discriminating against prospective and current tenants based on alternative, non-wage sources of income.