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MRSC Insight Blog


Posts for September 2023

Close up of hand of one person giving money to another person

Handling Payroll Overpayments

September 27, 2023  by  Eric Lowell
Category:  Accounting

What happens when an employee is accidentally paid a higher salary for several months or even several years? It could raise concerns about gift of public funds. Local governments must be careful to follow the processes outlined in the statutes when handling payroll overpayments.

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New PRA Exemption Available to Protect Employee Safety

September 25, 2023  by  Sarah Doar
Category:  Public Records Act

New in 2023, ESHB 1533 amends the Public Records Act to exempt from disclosure certain information on employees (and dependents) who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking or who are enrolled in the state's Address Confidentiality Program.

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Blank agenda sitting on a meeting table

The Basics of Meeting Agendas

September 20, 2023  by  MRSC Insight
Category:  Legislative Body

For open public meetings, a comprehensive, well-prepared agenda can keep things moving while ensuring all members of the governing body are on the same page. But what should be included according to statute, who should prepare it, and what happens if it needs to be amended?

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Female colleagues, one wearing a hijab, working at computer desk

New Supreme Court Ruling Clarifies Undue Hardship Standard, Makes It Harder to Prove

September 18, 2023  by  Kendra Rosenberg
Category:  Guest Author ,  Court Decisions and AGO Opinions

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled on a religious accommodation claim in the case of Gross v. DeJoy, rejecting the prior standard that employers could deny a requested accommodation if the cost would be “more than de minimis."

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How Local Governments Can Effectively Partner with Community Land Trusts

September 13, 2023  by  Carson Bridges
Category:  Guest Author ,  Housing

Local governments can tap into numerous financial, administrative, and related tools to help community land trusts kickstart affordable housing development efforts, sustain ongoing operations, or promote new development. 

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An architectural model of a dense area of town

2023 Planning Legislation Impacting Local Governments

September 11, 2023  by  Jill Dvorkin
Category:  Comprehensive Planning-Growth Management ,  Annexation ,  Design ,  Housing ,  New Legislation and Regulations

Common themes among these six new planning-related bills include streamlining local project review, decreasing the planning burden on smaller communities, incentivizing annexations, and increasing housing supply throughout the state.

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Close up of a hand choosing a mini wooden house from among several models offered

Building Affordable Housing Through Community Land Trusts

September 6, 2023  by  Carson Bridges
Category:  Guest Author ,  Housing

Affordable housing options developed via community land trusts offer significant community development benefits, such as stabilizing hot real estate markets, ensuring long-term tenant stability, and providing investment opportunities to can build household wealth.

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