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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for December 2016

Grassy meadow with trees, lake, and mountain in background

Land Use Case Law Update Recap

December 21, 2016  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions ,  Land Use Administration

In our recent Land Use Case Law Update webinar, Phil Olbrechts and Jill Dvorkin discussed key land use cases decided, for the most part, within the past six months. In this blog post, I will briefly recap the cases we covered during the webinar.

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Electronic Document Transmittals and Options for Electronic Signatures

Electronic Document Transmittals and Options for Electronic Signatures

December 19, 2016  by  John W. Carpita, PE
Category:  Legal

The bad old days of taking weeks to circulate and gather all signatures for a document are gone, only to be replaced by the fast-paced, and sometimes confusing, world of electronic transmittals and digital signatures. This post covers the different levels of sophistication local governments can employ when trying to get documents circulated and signed within an all-electronic format.

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Avoiding the Pitfalls of the Next Economic Downturn

Avoiding the Pitfalls of the Next Economic Downturn

December 16, 2016  by  Stan Finkelstein
Category:  Finance ,  Guest Author

Are local governments destined to experience the problems they encountered between 2009 and 2012? How can elected officials respond in a fiscally prudent manner to an uncertain future? Advisor Stan Finkelstein suggests guidelines for local governments in order to avoid “falling over the cliff” during a rough economic cycle.

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Spokane County Uses Lean to Improve Emergency Response Efforts

Spokane County Uses Lean to Improve Emergency Response Efforts

December 12, 2016  by  John Dickson
Category:  Guest Author ,  Performance Management-Measurement

The fourth article, from the series on how Spokane County has been using Lean principles to improve government performance at all levels, focuses on improvements to the county’s addressing process through the development of a new, regional addressing standard.

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PRA Performance Audit: 5 Tips for Improving the PRA Experience

PRA Performance Audit: 5 Tips for Improving the PRA Experience

December 9, 2016  by  Flannary Collins
Category:  Public Records Act

The SAO’s performance audit on the PRA highlighted ways to improve records management and the PRA response experience for both agencies and requestors. This blog post will focus on those tips, as well as adding some anecdotes and insights I have gleaned over the past 14 years from working with the PRA.

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New EEOC Rules Affect Employer Wellness Programs

New EEOC Rules Affect Employer Wellness Programs

December 7, 2016  by  Beth Kennar
Category:  Guest Author ,  Personnel Policies ,  New Legislation and Regulations

The EEOC recently issued a final rule to amend the regulations implementing Title I of the ADA and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 as they relate to employer wellness programs. This post discusses the impact of this new rule.  

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Windstorms, Blizzards & More: What Can Be Done When Weather-Related Issues Cancel a Public Meeting?

Windstorms, Blizzards & More: What Can Be Done When Weather-Related Issues Cancel a Public Meeting?

December 5, 2016  by  Robert Sepler
Category:  Open Public Meetings Act

Bad weather cancel your public meeting? Fear not, the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) provides a relatively straightforward procedure through which your public meeting can quickly be rescheduled to a day with clearer skies (or potentially working lights). That procedure is outlined in RCW 42.30.090 and allows a public agency to adjourn any type of public meeting to a later time and place.

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Federal Single Audit and the New Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR 200

Federal Single Audit and the New Uniform Guidance, 2 CFR 200

December 2, 2016  by  Toni Nelson
Category:  Purchasing and Contracting

Federal awards given to local governments are now subject to revised audit standards under New Uniform Guidance 2 CFR 200. Learn more about these new standards and what it means for your entity's policies regarding procurement, purchasing, and grant and contract management.

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Take Advantage of the End of the Year

Take Advantage of the End of the Year

December 1, 2016  by  Lynn Nordby
Category:  Administrative and Elected Officials ,  Emergency Management

The end of the year is typically a busy time for local governments, but it also offers opportunities to help orient newly elected officials and to review citywide emergency management plans.

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