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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for May 2015

Contracting – Some General Principles for Cities

Contracting – Some General Principles for Cities

May 27, 2015  by  Paul Sullivan
Category:  Purchasing and Contracting

When contracting for services, public works, or purchases, what are the responsibilities of the city council and the mayor/administration? This post addresses a few general situations.

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Sign Code Update: Finding the Sweet Spot between Flexibility & Clutter Management

Sign Code Update: Finding the Sweet Spot between Flexibility & Clutter Management

May 26, 2015  by  Bob Bengford
Category:  Guest Author ,  Sign Control

A case study in integrating form-based and street graphic approaches into the sign code update for the City of Lacey.
 

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State Supreme Court Says Cities Can Ban Collective Gardens, but the Legislature is Replacing Them with Medical Marijuana Cooperatives

State Supreme Court Says Cities Can Ban Collective Gardens, but the Legislature is Replacing Them with Medical Marijuana Cooperatives

May 21, 2015  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Cannabis Regulation

Cannabis Action Coalition v. City of Kent upheld the constitutionality of the city of Kent’s ordinance banning collective gardens as a valid exercise of the city’s zoning authority. But new legislation is replacing collective gardens with medical marijuana "cooperatives."

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Beyond the Annual Financial Report: Communicating Your Agency's Financial Data

Beyond the Annual Financial Report: Communicating Your Agency's Financial Data

May 12, 2015  by  Toni Nelson
Category:  Financial Reporting

As financial reporting to the State Auditor's Office wraps up, Toni Nelson explains some other types of financial reports you should be providing to management and elected officials.

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Charting Your Future Part 2: Conducting a Strategic Planning Retreat

Charting Your Future Part 2: Conducting a Strategic Planning Retreat

May 12, 2015  by  Stan Finkelstein
Category:  Guest Author ,  Management

Stan Finkelstein continues his series on strategic planning by describing the role of retreats along with key strategies for conducting them effectively.

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New Legislation Provides Some Flexibility for County Legislative Bodies as to Meeting Locations

New Legislation Provides Some Flexibility for County Legislative Bodies as to Meeting Locations

May 7, 2015  by  Bob Meinig
Category:  Legislative Body

In one bill, the 2015 Legislature addressed the issue considered in a 2014 attorney general opinion that was discussed in a December 2014 MRSC blog post, May a County Legislative Body Meet Outside its County to Hold a Joint Meeting with the Legislative Body of Another County? That attorney general opinion, AGO 2014 No. 7, concluded that, absent specific statutory authority, the legislative authority of one county may not meet outside its borders with the legislative authority of another county. HB 1145 (Ch. 74, Laws of 2015) amends state law to provide that specific statutory authority when the legislative bodies want to address matters of mutual interest.

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Highlights from the 2015 National Planning Conference

Highlights from the 2015 National Planning Conference

May 5, 2015  by  Steve Butler
Category:  Planning

Last month, over 6,400 planners from across the country came up to Washington State for the National Planning Conference, which took place in Seattle, April 18-21.  MRSC Planning Consultant Steve Butler joined the wonk-filled activities and shares some of his thoughts and highlights from the four-day event.

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