New Tax Break for Volunteer Firefighters and EMTs (February 27)
The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 passed by Congress late last year also contained a number of other smaller tax relief packages, one of which contains a tax break for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Smart City - Main Streets (February 27)
This week's guests on Smart City are on the frontlines of making cities sustainable with their work on housing, mixed use development and Main Streets.

Counties Warm up to Climate Action (February 27)
Whether counties are motivated by global warming, air quality, national security, sustainability or financial savings, they are taking action to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. More from NACo's County News.

Stemming Foreclosures: No Time to Lose (February 27)
What can America’s cities do about the tsunami of home foreclosures engulfing so many communities? More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

EPA Website on Air Quality Projects for Local Communities (February 27)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new website highlighting projects that local communities can undertake to reduce indoor and outdoor air pollution. More from the EPA.

Benchmarking Fleet Operations (February 27)
One of the most common areas to benchmark within any government involves fleet accidents and incidents. More from the Public Entity Risk Institute.

Miles to Go (February 27)
Higher prices are driving fleet managers to extend truck life. More from American City & County.

The Footprint Factor (February 27)
Cities of all sizes are banding together to reduce their own — and eventually the world's — carbon emissions. More from Governing.

Use of Biodiesel in a Transit Fleet (February 27)
A new report from the Transportation Research Board (TRB), Use of Biodiesel in a Transit Fleet, explores potential benefits offered by biodiesel in order to help transit agencies make informed decisions regarding its use. More from the TRB.

EPA Issues Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Guide (February 27)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a new guidance document for construction site operators who require National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit coverage for their stormwater discharges. More from the EPA.

Citizens’ Basic-Services Imperative (February 22)
Mayors have real and significant operational responsibilities. They have to pick up the garbage, plow the snow, clean the parks, and fill the potholes. If they fail to provide these very basic, very visible services, they quickly become ex-mayors. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

The Next Slum? (February 22)
The subprime crisis is just the tip of the iceberg. Fundamental changes in American life may turn today’s McMansions into tomorrow’s tenements. More from The Atlantic.

Cities: A Smart Alternative to Cars (February 22)
Creating compact communities—and eliminating the need to drive everywhere—may be the best way to slash greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. More from Business Week.

Five Management Challenges in an Internet-Enabled World (February 22)
The Internet, along with its enabling technologies, has transformed the world and the way we live. However, like all transformations, it brings with it many unique management challenges. More from The Business of Government Magazine.

Public Health Preparedness (February 22)
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Public Health Preparedness: Mobilizing State by State, finds state and local governments are better equipped to detect and investigate disease outbreaks than they were in 2001, but challenges remain. More from the CDC.

Transit Development's Chicken-or-Egg Hitch (February 22)
If development justifies transit, and transit justifies development, how can both be initiated at the same time? More from American City & County.

Unscripted Ending (February 22)
Public access TV now faces a more uncertain future than at any time since its inception in the 1970s. More from Governing.

Year of Preventing Identity Crime: It Can Happen to Anyone—Even Chiefs (February 22)
Seldom do we in the law enforcement profession carry the mantel of crime victim. However, that is exactly what happened to this author. More from The Police Chief.

Spokane Fights Climate Change and Peak Oil Together (February 22)
Many cities have plans in place to reduce greenhouse gases, and a growing number are planning for declining global oil production. But the city of Spokane has become the first to tackle climate change and global oil depletion together. More from Post Carbon Cities.

Working GIS Miracles (February 22)
It took a catastrophe to do it, but Washoe County, Nevada, now has a fully coordinated GIS system that is making life easier for the entire staff. More from Planning.

Do You Really Want to be the Best? (February 14)
Cities see both benefits and drawbacks to being ranked a top place to live. More from Governing.

Reimagining Cities (February 14)
The latest issue of Science is dedicated to looking at cities, their development and the changing demographics that are shaping our urban lifestyles. More from Science Magazine.

Little Good News for Cities in President's Budget (February 14)
While there were increases for defense spending and the extension of tax cuts in the $3.1 trillion proposal, there was little good news for cities in the President's fiscal year 2009 budget proposal. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Improving Government Practices without Breaking the Bank (February 14)
These commonsense reforms prove that the perceived dilemma of having to choose higher taxes, service and staff cuts, or the politics of privatization is a false one. More from Governing.

Downgrading Spells Trouble for Muni Bonds (February 14)
Just as governments across the nation are facing declining revenues and increasing demands for services and infrastructure improvements, one of their major sources of revenue may be in jeopardy. More from NACo's County News.

Institutionalizing Mentoring in Police Departments (February 14)
There are three primary goals of a mentoring relationship: to promote professional growth, to inspire personal motivation, and to enhance effectiveness of police service. More from The Police Chief.

Helping Families Achieve Financial Stability (February 14)
The National League of Cities' (NLC) Institute for Youth, Education, and Families has published a new action kit for municipal leaders on Helping Families Achieve Financial Stability. More from NLC.

Kirkland Wins "Healthy Community for Active Aging" Award (February 14)
The city of Kirkland recently received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s "Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging Achievement" award. More from the city of Kirkland.

King County District Court Wins Award (February 14)
King County's District Court was recognized at the 2008 Washington Technology Industry Association's prestigious Industry Achievement Awards for the development of a new call center system that provides improved service to the community. More from Government Technology.

USDA, FCC Launch Rural Broadband Web Site (February 07)
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced the launch of a new online resource that can be used to help deliver broadband services to rural communities. More from The USDA.

Web Sightings - Community-Supported Agriculture and the Local Food Movement (February 07)
Web Sightings - Community-Supported Agriculture and the Local Food Movement Interest in community-supported agriculture and local farmers markets has been growing as part of the trend toward sustainable agriculture. These are the subjects of this month's Web Sightings:

Community-Supported Agriculture

• Community-Supported Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Links to publications and information regarding CSAs.
• CSA organizations and Web sites, compiled by Mary V. Gold, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2006
• Community-Supported Agriculture, Washington State University Small Farms
• Sustainable Table, Community Supported Agriculture - Links to general information on CSAs.

Local Food and Farmers Markets

• Farmers Markets and Public Markets, MRSC Web page
• Puget Sound Fresh - Regional consumer education and product identification program covering 12 Puget Sound counties, sponsored by Cascade Harvest Coalition and King County
• King County Eat Smart Program - Information for King County employees and their families
• Clallam Grown – Why Eat Local?
• Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network - Grassroots, statewide advocacy organization for sustainable agriculture and family farms in Washington State
• Local Harvest - Website to find farmers markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.

For more information, see Washington Agriculture and the Economy, MRSC Web page.

City Hall and Religion (February 07)
The Government Innovator's Network Web site, City Hall and Religion: An Online Curriculum for Public Managers, was designed as a professional resource for mayors, and other public managers, interested in urban revitalization through cross-sector collaboration.

Next-Generation Retail (February 07)
Looking for ways to differentiate their projects from the pack, innovative developers are inadvertently nearing the tipping point of a new retail age where customer convenience rules and the local entrepreneur is king. More from Urban Land.

Management - Efficiency is a Ratio (February 07)
Efficiency is a ratio with not only a denominator for costs but also a numerator for results. Unfortunately, it is much easier to measure the denominator of the efficiency ratio than it is to measure the numerator. More from Bob Behn's Management Report.

Training Video on Pandemic Flu Preparation (February 07)
A new video on pandemic flu preparation has been launched by Public Health Seattle & King County to help businesses, government agencies and community-based organizations prepare for the ongoing threat of what could be a catastrophic, world-wide event. More from Government Technology.

Local Leaders in Sustainability (February 07)
The Local Leaders Report: A Study of Green Building Programs in Our Nation's Communities, from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) examines the current state of green building laws in American cities as of 2007. More from the AIA.

The Walkability Revival (February 07)
Will more people who can afford suburban privacy be attracted to the noise and bustle of the urban street? More from Governing.

Planetizen Top 10 Books List, 2008 Edition (February 07)
Planetizen recently released their seventh annual list of the ten best books in the planning field with titles covering some of the most timely issues in planning. More from Planetizen.

Environment - Powering Down (February 07)
Rising fuel prices, carbon footprints and e-waste have grabbed the attention of state and local government leaders, causing many to turn their operations inside out to reach “green” goals. More from American City & County.