2007-2009 Local Records Grant Program (May 30)
The Office of Secretary of State, Washington State Archives, is once again offering their Local Records Grant Program for the 2007-09 biennium. A new website contains information, instructions, forms and a guidebook.

2010 Census Local Update of Census Addresses Program (May 30)
The Local Update of Census Addresses (LUCA) program is a 2010 Decennial Census Program that will provide the opportunity for state, county, local and tribal governments to review and update the Census Bureau’s Master Address File and geographic database for the 2010 Census.

Housing the Masses (May 30)
With wages stagnant and the cost of housing inflated, less than 20 percent of American families earn enough to afford a median-price home in many East and West Coast markets, where housing the masses has become the top challenge for the 21st century. More from Urban Land.

The Tacit Knowledge of Leadership (May 30)
You can no more teach someone to be a leader than you can teach someone to ride a bike. You can only help them to learn. More from Bob Behn's Public Management Report.

Watered-Down TEA (May 30)
This is supposed to be the era of enlightened federal transportation policy. Sometimes you have to wonder. More from Governing.

Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention Program (May 30)
In 2003, with the assistance of $250,000 in federal grant funding, the Beaverton, Oregon Police Department created an award winning Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention program. More from The Police Chief.

Move Toward Neighborhood-Scale Schools Gains Momentum (May 30)
New urbanists and health advocates call for overturning state standards that result in overly large school sites. More from New Urban News.

Telecom vs. Cable Battle Moves to States (May 30)
To get into consumers’ homes more quickly, the phone companies, who are now competing with cable companies to deliver TV programming, want to bypass the city-by-city approval process cable companies have followed for decades and are seeking statewide agreements instead. More from Stateline.org.

Guidelines for the Selection of Snow and Ice Control Materials (May 30)
A recent Transportation Research Board (TRB) report, "Guidelines for the Selection of Snow and Ice Control Materials to Mitigate Environmental Impacts," explores guidelines for the selection of snow and ice control materials through an evaluation of their cost, performance, and impacts on the environment and infrastructure. More from the TRB.

Preventing Pathogenic Contamination of Drinking Water (May 30)
A new primer developed by The Groundwater Foundation, "Protecting Our Water: A Primer for Preventing Pathogenic Contamination of Drinking Water Sources," describes how communities can take action to reduce pathogenic threats to their source water.

Technology - Pulling it Together (May 30)
By linking Enterprise Asset Management and Geographic Information System technologies, several departments can see others' assets and coordinate maintenance tasks more easily. More from American City & County.

Pandemic Influenza Planning Best Practices Report (May 23)
The Department of Homeland Security's report,"Pandemic Influenza: Best Practices and Model Protocols (401KB)," focuses on the need for a community to plan and prepare for a pandemic outbreak and includes best practices to support planning and preparedness.

Performance Measurement E-Newsletter (May 23)
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) recently launched a new free monthly e-newsletter on performance measurement. More from ICMA.

Smart City - Urban Redevelopment (May 23)
Urban redevelopment has been fun to watch over the past decade. Surprising projects are popping up everywhere, and this week's guests on Smart City are behind some of the most interesting.

Smart Growth Resources: Aging in Place (May 23)
There are many resources available to assist in creating communities that are livable for older people. More from Smart Growth Online.

Visual Tools for Planners (May 23)
A new feature on the Lincoln Web site, Visual Tools for Planners, provides planners with a comprehensive set of tools for communicating planning ideas.

EPA Releases Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox (May 23)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox, a set of Web-based resources designed to assist communities across the U.S. conduct locally effective watershed outreach.

Billboards vs. A 'Greener' America (May 23)
There's lots of talk about the "greening'' of America in this time of climate change and soaring energy costs. But don't count the billboard industry in. More from the Washington Post Writers Group.

Budding controversy (May 23)
What do park maintenance workers who spend the summer mowing ball fields and clearing debris from trails do in the winter when parks are scarcely used? More from American City and County.

Technology - Making a Splash (May 23)
When IT is outsourced, a CIO will do almost anything to meld public and private workforces. More from Governing.

Putting Green (May 23)
Quality golf facilities are increasingly maintaining their courses and the environment. More from Parks & Recreation Magazine.

New ADA Technical Assistance Materials (May 15)
The Department of Justice recently released new technical assistance materials to help state and local governments comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). More from Government Technology.

Web Sightings - Congestion Pricing (May 15)
Congestion pricing is the practice of charging fees to motorists to use a roadway, bridge or tunnel, especially during periods of heavy use, to ease traffic and encourage use of alternative modes of transportation. The topic for this month's Web Sightings is congestion pricing:

• MRSC Web page on Congestion Pricing Policies
• Value Pricing Home Page, University of Minnesota – Useful, well-organized site with definitions and links
• Congestion Pricing, EPA - Overview of topic
• Congestion Pricing, Transportation Alternatives
• Congestion Charging, Transport for London - London requires drivers to pay £8 per day if they wish to drive in central London during peak hours
• Destination 2030 – Taking An Alternate Route, Prepared for King County by Booz Allen Hamilton and Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC), March 2007 - King County report on regional tolling that has been in the news
• Congestion Pricing, Intelligent Transportation Systems, California Center for Innovative Transportation at the University of California at Berkeley and Caltrans
• "London Congestion Pricing: Implications for Other Cities," by Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Jan. 2006

Get Ahead of the Age Wave with Smart Growth (May 15)
The "age wave" created as the baby boom generation moves through the demographic cohorts is threatening to swamp communities across the country. More from Smart Growth Online.

Law Enforcement - Interagency Information Sharing (May 15)
The public rightly expects that criminal justice agencies and especially law enforcement agencies at all levels of government will cooperate and share information seamlessly. More from The Police Chief.

Lassoing GASB 45 (May 15)
Texas is leading a charge to get rid of the accounting rule that forces states and localities to tally the future costs of health benefits for retirees. More from Governing.

Counties Victorious in Supreme Court Flow Control Case (May 15)
In one broad stroke, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the legality of flow control, and local governments came out the winners. More from NACo's County News.

Market Trends Favor New Urbanism (May 15)
At a time when real estate in its sprawling forms appears to be losing value more quickly than compact urban development, analyses of the market for New Urbanism and smart growth are relatively favorable. More from New Urban News.

Flames Sear Historic Market — Why We Care So Much (May 15)
Americans’ interest in farmers markets and fresh foods seems to be on the rise. Why? More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Traffic Tickets Going Digital (May 15)
Even the most maddening of life's minor irritants -- getting a traffic ticket -- is going digital as more and more states adapt computer technology to enforce the rules of the road. More from Government Technology.

Healthy Communities: Let's Plan on It! (May 15)
Learn how planning commissioners can coordinate with health advocates to ensure that neighborhood and community design is supportive of healthy lifestyles. More from The Commissioner.

Preservation of Affordable Homeownership (May 09)
A recent policy brief from the Center for Housing Policy, Preservation of Affordable Homeownership: A Continuum of Strategies (286KB), provides an overview of the range of mechanisms that local governments use to ensure that housing funds invested in affordable homeownership today are able to serve additional families into the future.

National "Call Before You Dig" Telephone Number Launched (May 09)
Created to eliminate the confusion of multiple "Call Before You Dig" numbers across the country and to be an easy-to-remember resource, 811 will make it easier for Americans to call before attempting any digging project. More from Government Technology.

The Listening Post (May 09)
One of the toughest things for states or localities to do is get bona fide input from citizens on how they’re doing. More from Governing.

Your Budget: From Axe to Aim (May 09)
Budgeting for outcomes (BFO) is a budget process that aligns resources with results produced. Instead of starting with the previous year’s budget and justifying increases from that base, BFO starts with a set of results and encourages creative ways of achieving them. More from Public Management.

Getting Around in an Aging Society (May 09)
It is important that communities provide public transportation for older people to ease the transition from driving to nondriving, while still supporting an active lifestyle. More from Planning Magazine.

Ten Years of Smart Growth (May 09)
As of 2006, nearly 20 states have implemented smart growth-oriented directives, and many local and regional entities have also incorporated smart growth practices into their comprehensive master plans. More from Cityscape ( 275KB).

Diversity Training Helps Local Inclusiveness (May 09)
Many municipalities are taking a proactive approach to promoting inclusion and preventing discrimination by using diversity trainings for city staff. Diversity trainings address tensions, enhance understanding among personnel and improve service to community residents. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

Working Without Wires (May 09)
Municipal WiFi is coming. Government employees, not citizens, may be the biggest users. More from Governing.

U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Local Governments (May 09)
On April 30th, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down two rulings favorable to local governments. The National League of Cities (NLC) joined amicus briefs in support of the prevailing parties in both cases. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

eNATOA Seminar set for May 21st (May 09)
This web-based seminar deals with "Strategic Planning for New Funding for PEG." Those dealing with PEG channel funding will get tips on how to diversify their funding base.

Court Approves Agreements among Cities for Court Services (May 03)
In a May 3 decision (City of Medina v. Primm), the state supreme court upheld interlocal agreements by a number of cities to share municipal court facilities. The supreme court determined that each municipal court had the authority to hear cases outside the geographical boundaries of their respective city.

The Disability Dilemma (May 01)
Police officers and firefighters injured in the line of duty receive generous benefits. Can localities afford to keep paying for them? More from Governing.

Inclusionary Zoning - Pros vs. Cons (May 01)
Smart Growth experts debate inclusionary zoning strategies in an effort to win diverse affordable neighborhoods. More from On Common Ground.

Libraries that Matter (May 01)
Reaching beyond the buzz of high design, libraries are redefining themselves as community centers for the 21st Century. More from Making Places.

New Toolkit for Meeting Needs of Aging Population (May 01)
The Washington-based International City/County Management Association, the National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties have created a "Viable Futures Toolkit" to help communities provide better service for aging residents and, by extension, all ages.

A Guide to Multi-Lingual Law Enforcement (May 01)
A recent publication from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS), Overcoming Language Barriers: Solutions for Law Enforcement, is designed to provide law enforcement agencies with strategies to best ensure language access to the limited English proficient populations in their jurisdiction. More from COPS.

Firefighting: Among Top Three Jobs for Satisfaction (May 01)
A new report from the University of Chicago found firefighters to be some of the most satisfied and happiest of American workers, directly behind clergy. More from the International Fire Chiefs Association.

Smart City - Transforming Anchor Institutions (May 01)
What would happen if every anchor institution in your city -- your universities, libraries, parks, major sports facilities, and museums -- were in perfect alignment around a few big goals, contributing their maximum to your city's success and their own? More from Smart City.

Clean Water Act Change May Impact Local Governments (May 01)
Lawmakers in the House and Senate are poised to introduce legislation that would respond to two recent Supreme Court decisions by expanding the scope of federal regulation of "waters of the United States." More from Nation's Cities Weekly.

NATOA Annual Conference in Portland this October (May 01)
This year you can stay up-to-date on telecommunications issues by attending the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors annual conference right here in the Northwest.