skip navigation
MRSC logo

Have a Research Question?

Ask MRSC

Have a Research Question?

Ask MRSC
Share this:


MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for August 2012

Utility Billing and Termination in the Landlord/Tenant Context

August 29, 2012  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Utilities - Billing and Collection

MRSC frequently receives questions regarding the responsibilities of city utilities, particularly water, where the utility service is provided to a tenant. Here are some general considerations and some specific requirements that apply in this context that a city utility should be aware of to ensure compliance with state law and to respect the rights of both landlord and tenant:

Read more

the-three-envelopes3.jpg

The Three Envelopes

August 23, 2012  by  Lynn Nordby
Category:  Management

Lynn Nordby tells a city manager joke and offers some words of wisdom for how to navigate the city manager position successfully.

Read more

Local Governments May Assess "Reasonable" Service Charges for Stormwater Facilities Owned by the Federal Government

August 8, 2012  by  Pat Mason
Category:  Storm and Surface Water Management

A significant case decided last May resulted in a major victory for local governments in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington.  The case determined that federal agencies must pay local governments “reasonable service charges” for stormwater pollution control.  Some federal agencies had been paying such fees, but others had refused to pay based on the principle of...

Read more

The BUC Stops at the Bond Users Clearinghouse

August 7, 2012  by  Judy Cox
Category:  Debt

Every year when I work on our publication, Budget Suggestions, reading matter piles up.  When I turned to my stack last week, the first item I grabbed was The GO Report 2010: An Analysis of Local Government Outstanding General Obligation Debt from the Bond Users Clearinghouse (BUC) of the Washington State Department of Commerce.   This is always an interesting document and it had not...

Read more