Crunching Numbers (May 29)
With residents routinely demanding information about how their tax dollars are used, local governments are searching for ways to effectively account for and report finances. Used wisely, business intelligence (BI) software can help cities and counties more accurately show financial plans. More from American City & County.

City Government Business Drives Wireless Network Implementation (May 29)
Despite the high profile collapse of deals to build and maintain large wireless networks for public Internet access in San Francisco and Philadelphia, many cities continue to express interest in building wireless networks. More from Government Technology.

Eds, Meds and Urban Revival (May 29)
In many cities, a big university is becoming the economic engine that a big corporation used to be. More from Governing.

Formulating Best Practicies for Nightlife Establishments (May 29)
After a series of events that culminated in the separate murders of two young women who had visited popular nightclubs prior to their deaths, the New York City Police Department was determined to address issues of crime and disorder associated with bars and clubs in New York City. More from The Police Chief.

Post-Bureaucratic Government (May 29)
Today's government systems were built to cure the ills of the 19th century's spoils system. But what was a good idea a hundred years ago is not what we need now. More from Governing.

Generations of Planning Commissioners (May 29)
Planning and zoning commissions need to be diverse to make sure the broad range of issues and concerns are considered. That requires commissioners who are from different parts of town, different walks of life, different ethnic backgrounds, and now, different age groups. More from Planetizen.

Soon You Won't Be Able to 'Drive Until You Qualify' (May 29)
When gasoline costs $5 a gallon, and diesel $6, who is going to buy a house in the exurbs? More from the California Planning & Development Report.

A Mug Full of Change (May 29)
Employees don't need another new mug with a catchy slogan. They need context. More from Governing.

Improving Reentry from Jail to the Community (May 23)
Two new reports from the Urban Institute demonstrate how increased collaboration between jails and communities can improve the return of inmates to society. More from the Urban Institute.

Gas Price Spike Hits County Budgets Hard (May 23)
This spring’s spike in gas prices is wreaking havoc on many county budgets at a time when revenues continue to shrink as a result of the housing and foreclosure crisis, and decreased investment earnings. More from NACo's County News.

At Work on the Web (May 23)
Government policies aimed at restricting Web access may be doing as much harm as they are preventing. More from Governing.

A Powerful Combination (May 23)
King County's Department of Transportation reports on the success of their recent hybrid utility truck pilot project. More from American City & County.

ICMA TV (May 23)
ICMA TV is a web television channel dedicated to covering the events and issues of importance to International City/County Management Association (ICMA) members. The channel is regularly updated with new films, features and coverage on topics which emerge at home and overseas.

It Takes a Village to Build a Great City (May 23)
Most of us want to live in places where we can easily walk to stores, restaurants and public spaces. But these kind of classic neighborhoods are often illegal under modern zoning codes. More from Making Places.

Measurement is Rarely Enough (May 23)
Performance management is more than performance measurement. To produce real results in any organization—public or private—requires performance leadership. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Easing the Pain—and Cost—of Land Use Disputes (May 23)
A new report by the Public Policy Research Institute at the University of Montana and the Consensus Building Institute, Responding to Streams of Land Use Disputes: A Systems Approach, provides strategies to help municipalities prevent land use disputes from erupting.

Receive RSS Feeds of In Focus (May 23)
We’ve added another option for you to receive information from MRSC: RSS Feeds. Simply click on the RSS button to create an “MRSC In Focus” folder in your email program or RSS reader. You will automatically begin receiving updates to our main Focus page, “Local Governments in the News,” the four Advisor columns, and our “What’s New” section. You can unsubscribe at any time by simply deleting the folder from your RSS reader or email program.

State Audit Report on Public Records Compliance (May 23)
The State Auditor’s Office recently released a report, Open Public Records Practices at 30 Government Entities, reviewing the performance of ten counties, ten cities, and ten state agencies in responding to public records disclosure requests.

Podcasts Feature Municipal Market Commentary (May 15)
MuniMarket PulseTM,is a series of podcasts featuring interviews with a variety of leading professionals in the municipal bond industry, who share their perspectives on the market and controversial issues.

The (Big) Green Apple (May 15)
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation is considering the environment around every turn. More from Parks & Recreation Magazine.

The City's Own Series of Tubes (May 15)
Would municipal broadband service for all residents be better and cheaper than what the free market is providing now? Seattle City Hall wants to find out. More from Crosscut.

EarthLink Ends Philadelphia Wi-Fi Story (May 15)
EarthLink officials recently announced that the company is shutting down the troubled municipal Wi-Fi network in Philadelphia. More from Government Computer News.

New Report Examines Impacts of Mortgage Meltdown on Rental Housing (May 15)
A new report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), America’s Rental Housing: The Key to a Balanced National Policy, examines recent mortgage market events in the context of long-standing affordability problems that plague millions of renters. More from JCHS.

Microsoft E-gov Tool Free for Governments (May 15)
Microsoft is making its Citizen Services Platform for creating Web-based electronic government services available for free to local and regional governments. More from Government Computer News.

Employee Benefits in State and Local Governments (May 15)
The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in State and Local Government, September 2007, is the first release of data on benefits in state and local government since 1998.

Managing Risk in Jails (May 15)
A new publication from the National Institute of Corrections, Managing Risk in Jails, will help jails both to understand risk and its implication for jails and to develop a formal, effective risk management program that uses all of the jail's basic resources.

Bellevue Rated Best Place to Live and Launch (May 15)
Citing its growth as a high-tech hub, balanced by cozy neighborhoods and nearly 100 parks, Fortune Small Business rates Bellevue, WA the best place in the United States to live and launch a new business. More from Fortune Small Business.

Working in Wiki (May 15)
People who learn how to harness wikis and other new tools to the benefit of government, will be hailed as the next great visionaries. More from Governing.

Counties Take Different Routes to Same ‘Green’ Goals (May 09)
The “greening” of America’s county buildings is proceeding apace on a number of fronts. More from NACo's County News.

Parks & Recreation - A Level Playing Field (May 09)
When it comes to playground surfacing, acessibility is the name of the game. Our experts show you how to answer the question, What is considered an accessible play surface? More from Parks & Recreation.

Guidebook on Demand Response Transportation (May 09)
The Transportation Research Board's (TRB) Guidebook for Measuring, Assessing, and Improving Performance of Demand-Response Transportation is designed to help demand-response transportation (DRT) systems to measure, assess, and improve their performance. More from the TRB.

Pushing the Envelope (May 09)
Every year, more people vote by mail. Could the hallowed American polling place be a dinosaur? More from Governing.

Smart Growth Technical Assistance Program Summaries (May 09)
The U.S. EPA is posting summaries of the technical assistance projects conducted under the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program. More from the EPA.

Smart City - Green Buildings (May 09)
This week on Smart City Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels talks about his efforts to convince 800 mayors to sign on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and to make Seattle a model for sustainability.

AIA Study on Design of Transportation Projects (May 09)
Moving Communities Forward, a project by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), measures the benefits that well-designed transportation projects bring to communities. More from the AIA.

Competing Interests (May 09)
Toothpaste and taxes can teach us a lot about simplifying government for citizens. More from Governing.

Lessons from the Private Sector and the Coast Guard During Katrina (May 09)
According to a study from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Making Hurricane Response More Effective, the lessons learned from the poor preformance of the federal government and the comparatively effective response from private retailers and the Coast Guard after Hurricane Katrina offer guidance for all disaster relief efforts.

Driven to the Brink (May 09)
A new analysis from CEOs for Cities shows that high gas prices are not only implicated in the bursting of the housing bubble, but that the higher cost of commuting has already re-shaped the landscape of real estate value between cities and suburbs. More from CEO's for Cities.

Fail-Proofing Telecom (May 01)
Government employees rely so heavily on communications systems that many assume they will be available whenever they need them, even in an emergency. More from American City & County.

A Guide for Reducing Collisions Involving Bicycles (May 01)
A new report from the Transportation Research Board (TRB) provides strategies that can be employed to reduce collisions involving bicycles. More from the TRB.

City Road Networks Grow like Biological Systems (May 01)
French and US physicists have shown that the road networks in cities evolve driven by a simple universal mechanism despite significant cultural and historical differences. More from New Scientist.

The Power of Collaborative Innovation (May 01)
A new report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Transforming Government Through Collaborative Innovation, describes how two important tools— collaboration and innovation—can be used together to transform government in the years ahead.

Contractual Conflict of Interest Issues (May 01)
The prohibitions in chapter 42.23 RCW relating to conflicts of interest are broad in scope and may surprise you. If you are a municipal officer, it is important to take them seriously and act in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. More from Municipal Research News.

Is Congestion Pricing Ready for Prime Time? (May 01)
Acceptance of congestion pricing is increasing, prompted by the growing awareness of gridlock, local governments' well-publicized fiscal distress, and a broadening knowledge of climate change. More from Planning Magazine.

Letting It All Hang Out (May 01)
The latest political buzzword is transparency. But it may not be the cure-all it’s cracked up to be. More from Governing.

Web Sightings - Water Conservation (May 01)
Web Sightings - Water Conservation This month we’ve selected water conservation sites that address general tips on water conservation as well as activities of cities, counties, and special districts:

General Resources

• MRSC Web page on Water Conservation
• Water Conserve – Water conservation portal and search engine
• Water Sense, U.S. EPA - Information on Water-Efficient Products
• Partnership for Water Conservation, Puget Sound area
• Water Wiser, American Water Works Association - A comprehensive clearinghouse of resources on water conservation, efficiency and demand management for conservation professionals and the larger water supply community.

Washington State

• Water Conservation Tips, Washington Department of Ecology
• Water Use Efficiency, Washington Department of Health
Saving Water Partnership - A group of local utilities that fund water conservation programs in Seattle and King County.

Washington Local Governments

• Bellingham Water Conservation
• Bremerton Water Conservation
• Kirkland Water Conservation
• Olympia Water Conservation
• Richland Water Conservation
• Spokane County Water Conservation
• Tacoma Water – Water Conservation
• Tumwater Water Conservation

Housing + Transportation Affordability Index (May 01)
A new interactive mapping website launched by the Center for Neighborhood Technology in partnership with The Brookings Institution shows how affordability changes from neighborhood to neighborhood based on housing and transportation costs.

New Puget Sound Growth Management Plan Already Outgrown? (May 01)
The Puget Sound Regional Council's recently released Vision 2040 plan may have been outrun by seven years of population growth in the very outlying areas the plan is intended to protect. More from Crosscut.