Click here to skip to main content.
scenic picture from Washington state
MRSC FOCUS › Focus Archive

Note: Some of the information on this archival Web page may no longer be current.

Focus Archive - March 2006

Please note that Focus section links were valid at the time of their original posting. However, since Web sites and addresses change frequently, we cannot guarantee that all links will remain operative.

Innovative Solutions To Vehicle Parking Problems (March 29)
A cost-effective, integrated parking management program can often reduce parking requirements by 20-40%, while improving user convenience and helping to achieve other planning objectives. More from Planetizen.

Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (March 29)
The Department of Homeland Security's Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) allows federal, state and local agencies to communicate over existing public telephone networks with a high likelihood of call completion during the most severe conditions of high-traffic congestion and disruption.

Skagit County's Best SELF Program Wins National Award (March 29)
Skagit County’s Best SELF program, a summer education and learning program, was selected as the winner of the Acts of Caring Award from the National Association of Counties at their annual meeting in Washington DC earlier this month. More from Skagit County.

Federal Way Outreach Program Wins Top National Award (March 29)
The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials, a constituency group of the National League of Cities, recently honored the City of Federal Way in its annual City Cultural Diversity Awards. Federal Way won a coveted 1st place award for its Korean Outreach Program. More from the City of Federal Way.

Innovations in American Government Awards (March 29)
The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government -- in cooperation with the Council for Excellence in Government -- recently announced its picks for the Top 50 Government Innovations for 2006. More from Government Technology.

Assessing the Economic Impact of Bicycle Facilities (March 29)
A recent Transportation Research Board study, Bikeways to Prosperity: Assessing the Economic Impact of Bicycle Facilities (Adobe Acrobat Document86kb), shows that public investments in bicycle facilities can yield economic returns that are nearly nine times their initial cost.

Comprehensive E-Government Bibliography (March 29)
The E-Governance Institute at Rutgers University's National Center for Public Productivity has compiled a comprehensive collection of articles, papers, and books on the subject of electronic government. More from the E-Governance Institute.

Citizen/Employee Organizational Assessment Survey in Skagit County (March 29)
Washington State University's Division of Governmental Studies and Services recently conducted an organizational assessment survey for Skagit County to provide information on how citizens and employees of the county view budget priorities and policy issues. More from Skagit County.

Brownfields Resources (March 29)
The "Creating Community-Based Brownfields Redevelopment Strategies Resource List," (Adobe Acrobat Document160kb) developed by the American Planning Association, highlights recent books, articles, and government document citations that discuss the topics of brownfields and redevelopment as they intersect with community organizations.

Action Alert - Protect Local Franchising (March)
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee will be considering legislation that would strip local governments' authority to enter into franchising agreements with new video providers and possibly terminate existing cable franchise agreements. It is very important to call members of the committee ASAP. More from NACo.

Survey Shows Mounting City Concerns (March 21)
According to the National League of Cities' annual State of America’s Cities Survey, municipal officials are feeling increasingly optimistic about their city’s fiscal health, but are concerned about mounting health care costs, increasing traffic and a shortage of affordable housing. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Gaining Acceptance for Affordable Housing Development (March 21)
The California Institute for Local Government's Housing Resource Center now includes a section on gaining neighborhood acceptance for affordable housing development.

Smart City - What Makes Cities Successful? (March 21)
This week's Smart City radio show guests talk about the characteristics of successful cities, one with a very local view and the other with a global outlook.

Economic Development - Making Sense of Clusters (March 21)
A new report from the Brookings Institution, Making Sense of Clusters: Regional Competitiveness and Economic Development, reviews the academic literature on industry clusters, explains why they matter for regional economic development policy, and shows how cluster analysis can be used as a guide to policy and practice.

Bloom to Grow (March 21)
Community gardening provides education, enrichment and eggplants all in one plot. More from Park & Recreation Magazine.

Slow Pursuits Lead to Fast and Safe Apprehensions (March 21)
In the world of reality police television, high-speed pursuits are nearly always entertaining. But in everyday police work, high-speed pursuits are anything but entertaining. More from The Police Chief.

New Technologies Let Locals Customize Applications (March 21)
Recent advancements in technology allow even small local governments to customize their applications to match existing processes and operational changes. More from American City & County.

Homeland Security - Rational Readiness (March 21)
An effective anti-terrorism program demands tough decisions about where to spend the money. More form Governing.

NATOA Seminars via Teleconference (March 21)
The National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors is offering a series of seminars via teleconference. "eNATOA and eNATOA BROADBAND" are designed to offer a high-quality learning experience to NATOA members and supporters. For specialized training at low cost, it's hard to beat.

WAstats Data Directory Available for Review & Testing (March 16)
The Statewide Information Coordination Consortium is pleased to announce the initial test release of WAstats - the Washington State Data Directory prototype. WAstats is a web-based, searchable directory of data sources for frequent users of government data in Washington State. Be sure to take the survey to help WAstats meet your data needs.

Best Practices for Making Informed Land Use Decisions (March 16)
The California Institute for Local Government's publication, An Ounce of Prevention - Best Practices for Making Informed Land Use Decisions, focuses on the underlying procedures that are common to all land use decisions and identifies practical strategies to reduce the risk of litigation.

Washington Peace Officer Certification (March 16)
Doug Blair, Peace Officer Certification Manager, Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission, answers frequently asked questions about the CJTC's basic law enforcement training requirements.

GASB Changes Rules on Post-Employment Benefits (March 16)
New Governmental Accounting Standards Board's (GASB) guidelines require all local governments to identify and disclose the liability and funding status of any post-retirement benefits they offer. More from NACo's County News.

Census Bureau Report on the Effects of Affirmative Action (March 16)
A report from the U.S. Census Bureau, Affirmative Action: What Do We Know? (Adobe Acrobat Document117kb), reviews the research evidence on the effects of affirmative action in employment, university admissions and government procurement.

Financing Infrastructure - The Big Thaw (March 16)
Voters may be coming around to the idea that government needs their money to keep public works up to speed. More from Governing.

Impacts of the Aging Population on Transit Ridership (March 16)
The Transportation Research Board’s report, Estimating the Impacts of the Aging Population on Transit Ridership (Adobe Acrobat Document1253kb), outlines the key demographic factors that affect public transportation use, with a particular focus on how the aging demographics of the country will impact future transit ridership.

Economic Development - Skybox Skeptics (March 16)
It’s getting harder and harder for baseball teams to wangle public money for new stadiums. More from Governing.

Smart City - How Local Businesses Change Cities (March 16)
One thing that differentiates one city from another is its mix of independent entrepreneurs. This week's Smart City radio show guests offer special insights about how local businesses get started and grow and how they change cities.

Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices (March 16)
The Department of Ecology is seeking applications for the 2006 Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices. Businesses, government agencies, schools and organizations may apply from April 3 to June 2.

Panel Reaches Accord on Telecom Legislation (March 10)
A federal panel agreed in principle on telecommunications overhaul legislation which would allow regional Bell operating companies to offer pay video services through a nationwide franchise -- bypassing the need to obtain franchises municipality by municipality. More from The National Journal.

Performance Measurement - Plugging In (March 07)
Performance measures are finally being taken out of the box and applied to agency plans and budgets. More from Governing.

Web Sightings - Grant Funding Resources (March 07)
Are you looking for federal or state grants to support local government activities? These sites can help to point you in the right direction:

Federal and General

Washington State Grant and Funding by Topic

Maps of Sprawl and Smart Growth in Northwest Cities (March 07)
Animated maps on the Northwest Environment Watch Web site show how several Northwest cities have fared at living up to growth limits set over the last decade. More from Northwest Environment Watch.

Connections Matter: Using Networks for Economic Development (March 07)
Using connections that people have to their communities is a key to economic development. More from Public Management Magazine.

New Computer Based, Multi-Media Support for Local Access Channels (March 07)
"Telvue Virtual Television Networks," a new cable network of local-government access channels, is using the convenience of the Internet and the popularity of television to help municipalities better communicate with their residents. To learn more, visit www.tvtn.tv.

Flexible Schedules Help Keep Baby Boomers on Board (March 07)
Flexible work arrangements that meet the needs of employers and retirement phasers will become standard practice as more members of the Boomer generation become eligible for retirement. More from American City & County.

Land Rush (March 07)
Inner cities are becoming hot places to live. Does government have any business telling developers to keep out? More from Governing.

Community Policing and Homeland Security (March 07)
Securing the homeland begins at the local level, and "first responders" must see themselves in more of a proactive role as "first preventers." More from The Police Chief.

For Whom the Road Tolls (March 07)
Communities with traffic problems are turning to a pay-as-you-go system for highways. More from American City & County.

King County Seeks Web Site Evaluators (March 07)
King County's Web site has won awards, but the county wants its Web pages to be even more user-friendly and is looking for volunteers to surf its Web site and offer suggestions for improvement. More from Government Technology.

Cities and Counties in the News (March)
Here are the latest news clippings from around the state highlighting current events, trends and other news affecting Washington city and county governments: