Report on Creating and Retaining Affordable Housing (April 26)
A recent report from the Urban Institute, Keeping the Neighborhood Affordable, describes fifteen strategies that local governments, developers, and nonprofit organizations can use to create and retain affordable housing in their communities.

Toil and Trouble (April 26)
Illegal immigrants working as day laborers present one of the toughest, most divisive issues to land on local government’s doorstep in recent years. More from Governing.

Ivy League Training Available to Government Employees (April 26)
eCornell recently announced the signing of a distribution agreement with the National Technical Information Service to provide discounted tuition for online management training and executive development to government employees at the federal, state, and local levels. More from Government Technology.

New Wal-Mart in Town? (April 26)
If your city or county is facing down a Wal-Mart or dealing with its aftermath, you may want to take a look at a recent study published by the Ohio State University Extension service. More from NACo's County News.

County Saves by Buying High-Tech Equipment on eBay (April 26)
St. Louis County, Minn., recently made headlines with a pilot program using eBay to purchase $250,000 worth of communications equipment for its sheriff’s department - for about $20,000. More from NACo's County News.

Cities Offer Incentives for Green Vehicles (April 26)
While most drivers have to empty their pockets in search of meter money for downtown parking, some cities are offering free parking to drivers of fuel-efficient vehicles. More from American City & County.

Truck Emission Standards Set to Tighten in 2007 (April 26)
By next year, emission level requirements for new diesel trucks are going to tighten substantially, raising sticker prices and operation costs. More from American City & County.

Study: People Look to Local Leadership to Reduce Poverty (April 26)
A survey of eight states in the Northwest released last month by the Northwest Area Foundation showed that residents of the Northwest strongly believe that their local elected officials have an important role to play in reducing poverty. More from NACo's County News.

NLC Report Defines New Typology for Cities (April 18)
A report from the National League of Cities (NLC), From Meltingpot Cities to Boomtowns: Redefining How We Talk about America’s Cities (1141kb), analyzes data from nearly 1,000 cities and defines a new typology for cities to assist policy makers and researchers.

Model Smart Growth Codes Available from APA (April 18)
The American Planning Association (APA) has just released a set of 11 Model Smart Growth Development Codes, including a narrative on the structure of development codes and how to evaluate and update them to achieve smart growth goals.

Where Did All the Books Go? (April 18)
If you were worried about the future of libraries, relax. In many places, these are boom times for library construction. Just one thing, though: Don't expect to find many books in these new buildings. More from Civic Strategies.

Online Via Power Line (April 18)
Small towns and cities are finding high-speed Internet access is as close as their electric grid. More from Governing.

Aerial Imaging Swoops Low Down (April 18)
A new aerial imaging technology helps law enforcement and other government agencies prepare for high-security events, respond to emergencies, and pick up after disasters. More from Wired Magazine.

The Grocery Gap (April 18)
Supermarkets are slowly returning to the inner city and some governments are clearing roadblocks to help build the stores. More from Governing.

New Urbanism Comes Of Age In Atlanta (April 18)
National Public Radio (NPR) covers the success of Glenwood Park, a new urbanist development in car-dependent Atlanta. More from NPR.

Analyzing Investments in Bicycle Facilities (April 18)
A recent Transportation Research Board report, Guidelines for Analysis of Investments in Bicycle Facilities, provides methodologies and tools to estimate the cost of various bicycle facilities and for evaluating their potential value and benefits.

New FCC Report on High-Speed Internet Connections (April 18)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently released a report on the availability of high-speed connections to the Internet in the United States (566kb), including state-by-state data.

Best Practices for Managing Professional Services Contracts (April 12)
A report from the IBM Center for the Business of Government, Effectively Managing Professional Services Contracts: 12 Best Practices (442kb), gleans best practices for managing professional services contracts currently used by successful government managers.

Web Sightings - Youth Programs (April 12)
Local government youth and teen programs include youth councils, recreational programs, crime prevention programs, and educational activities. Youth programs are the focus of this month's Web Sightings:

The Task Ahead for Smart Growth (April 12)
It's hard to be against smart growth. It's like being against marriage or an orderly society. Some of the best minds in urban America are laboring in smart growth efforts. There's just one problem: It isn't working. More from Civic Strategies.

Trust, Leadership, and Courage: Keys to Local Innovation (April 12)
Robert O’Neill, ICMA Executive Director, brings his broad experience in local government to answer the question, "What does it take to innovate at the local level?" More from Governing.

It’s Broke — Fix It (April 12)
Is American federalism, a remarkable invention by our founders to keep a new nation from splintering, up to the challenges of the 21st century? More from Governing.

Survey Documents Impact of CDBG Funding Reductions (April 12)
A report by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, Consequences for American Communities (135kb), documents the real-world impact of the recent and dramatic decline in the Community Developemnt Block Grant (CDBG) program's formula allocation.

Hey, Big Spender - What it Takes to Attract Today's Conventioneers (April 12)
Convention center designs are maturing. What once were big boxes that had a life of their own but killed surrounding neighborhoods are becoming architectural icons, multiple-use facilities, and rainmakers for their communities. More from Planning Magazine.

In the Face of Gentrification (April 12)
A recent report from the Urban Institute, In the Face of Gentrification: Case Studies of Local Efforts to Mitigate Displacement, explores strategies that have been used to ensure low- to-moderate-income residents can live in revitalizing neighborhoods.

New Telecomm Bill a Questionable Deal for Local Communities (April 12)
Local government officials remain concerned that rhetoric has led Congress to believe that competition and innovation will flourish in the telecommunications industry only if local government is removed from the equation. More from NACo.

Homeland Security - Making the Cut (April 12)
The Department of Homeland Security's new formula only funds communities with the highest risks, sparking strong criticism from federal, state and local officials. More from American City & County.

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

• City presses bid to cut parking (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 29, 2006)
• Years of cuts prompt Redmond tax vote (Seattle Times, April 29, 2006)
• Quake-drill report: "We are not prepared" (Seattle Times, April 28, 2006)
• New rules: No parking in your front yard (Seattle Times, April 26, 2006)
• City government puts more online (The Olympian, April 26, 2006)
• Puyallup might ask voters for road relief (Tacoma News Tribune, April 25, 2006)
• Art unveiled in downtown Kennewick (Tri-City Herald, April 25, 2006)
• Grant may help curb Shelton sewer rates (The Olympian, April 25, 2006)
• City giving away free bike helmets (Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader, April 25, 2006)
• Bellevue mediation service marks 10 years of successes, growing caseloads (Seattle Times, April 22, 2006)
• Lynnwood adds real estate excise tax (The Enterprise, April 21, 2006)
• Council vetoes bids for growth (Everett Herald, April 20, 2006)
• Council gives OK to equine proposal (Enumclaw Courier Herald, April 19, 2006)
• More police accountability urged at public hearing (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 19, 2006)
• Cities, county must clean creek (Seattle Times, April 19, 2006)
• Lacey program makes dent in apartment crime rates (The Olympian, April 19, 2006)
• City pushing ahead on large wetlands mitigation (Anacortes American, April 19, 2006)
• Bonney Lake is officially a city for trees (Bonney Lake & Lake Tapps Courier-Herald, April 19, 2006)
• Sims wants to boost bus service with tax (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 18, 2006)
• A tale of two cities' laws on homeless (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 18, 2006)
• Counties seek ways to ease jail crowding (The Olympian, April 17, 2006)
• People east of Federal Way could vote their way into city (Federal Way Mirror, April 15, 2006)
• City sidewalks, parks to grow from utility tax (The Olympian, April 15, 2006)
• Officials discuss reaction to influenza (The Olympian, April 15, 2006)
• Sumner looks at fire options (Tacoma News Tribune, April 14, 2006)
• City, shelter reach compromise on program to track homeless (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 14, 2006)
• Yakima SWAT team gets a new weapon (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 14, 2006)
• Tumwater police may pursue outside help to finance new K-9 unit (The Olympian, April 14, 2006)
• Spokane neighborhood state's largest historic district (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 13, 2006)
• County buys animal shelter (Bellingham Herald, April 13, 2006)
• Sewer plant to break ground (Everett Herald, April 12, 2006)
• Town Center taking shape (Seattle Times, April 12, 2006)
• City takes unusual tactic in bid to acquire parkland (Seattle Times, April 12, 2006)
• Council endorses "restrictive" ADU rules (Islands Sounder, April 12, 2006)
• Council sets stage for advisory ballot on Iraq (Islands Sounder, April 12, 2006)
• County’s needle-sharing program gets a boost (Whidbey News Times, April 12, 2006)
• Sheriff wants Tri-Area shooting stopped (Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader, April 12, 2006)
• Info-Net aims to snare suspects (Tacoma News Tribune, April 11, 2006)
• Lakewood could annex military bases (Tacoma News Tribune, April 11, 2006)
• Tri-City police lower the boom on noisy vehicles (Tri-City Herald, April 11, 2006)
• Seattle ranks as nation's best-educated big city (Seattle Times, April 11, 2006)
• City council approves measure to raise building heights (Seattle Post Intelligencer, April 3, 2006)
• Pretend patients needed for disaster drill (Tacoma News Tribune, April 3, 2006)
• Richland's cash-for-deals rakes in dough (Tri-City Herald, April 1, 2006)

Ten Public Involvement "Hot Spots" (April 04)
While most public involvement strategies offer positive results for all, some efforts are not as effective as sponsors and participants would like. California's Institute for Local Government offers ten public involvement "hot spots" where extra attention may mean the difference between success and failure.

NLC Webcast - Bringing Down Barriers to Affordable Housing (April 04)
This National City Network TV presentation is one of a series of National League of Cities (NLC) roundtable discussions on removing barriers to affordable housing and home ownership in America’s cities. Watch it on the Web.

Tracking Team (April 04)
If the physical condition of a neighborhood is a significant indicator of its overall health, then few cities in the country are taking the measure of neighborhood well-being quite as accurately as Worcester, Massachusetts. More from Governing.

Who Pays the Property Tax? (April 04)
A critical aspect of the property tax, but one that is rarely addressed in public debate, is its "economic incidence," or who actually bears the burden of the tax, as opposed to its statutory incidence, or who literally pays the tax. More from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.

White Paper on Municipal Fiber Projects (April 04)
Jim Baller and Casey Lide have written a concise white paper (174kb) discussing the experiences of various municipalities across the country that have developed their own fiber projects to provide advanced telecom capabilities to their local residents and businesses.

Why Municipal Wi-Fi May Be a Bad Investment for Cities (April 04)
This is a response by Walter White, vice president state and local government, for Verizon Communications, to a March 18 article by John Eger titled: "Freeing Cities from Cable and Telco Monopolies." More from Government Technology.

Local Officials Have Concerns With Telecom Bill (April 04)
The National League of Cities has identified several provisions in proposed draft telecommunications legislation that are of serious concern. More from Nation's Cities Weekly.