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February 14, 2013

Building livable communities that improve people's lives

Leadership and Management

Reward your employees to maximize productivity
Rewarding your employees for their hard work is a good way to keep them motivated and create a strong community, writes Jacob Kache. "[T]he most effective rewards programs combine smaller, regular rewards, with bigger, more extravagant rewards at greater intervals," he writes. LeadChangeGroup.com (2/11)

Calif. city manager is asked to do more with added tax money
The Sacramento, Calif., City Council has asked City Manager John Shirey to revamp his spending plan for $5 million in sales tax revenue, saying his plan to restore services to the Fire Department and pools doesn't go far enough. The money comes from Measure U, which was approved by voters in November and raises the city's sales tax rate by one-half percentage point. The increase is expected to bring in $27 million annually. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (2/13)

Budgeting and Finance

Texas city council forms plan to spend $14M surplus
The Austin, Texas, City Council has decided to spend a $14 million midyear budget surplus on low-income housing, wildfire prevention, school programs, the Police Department and additional staff. A mayoral proposal to provide property-tax relief was not approved by the council. The surplus is a result of lower-than-anticipated spending in city departments and higher-than-projected sales tax revenue. Austin American-Statesman (Texas) (free registration) (2/12)

Ore. city council raises franchise tax
The Stayton, Ore., City Council unanimously approved increasing franchise tax on electric bills from 5% to 7%. The average residential bill will go up $2. The increase will make up for decreased property value and lower-than-expected tax money collected on alcohol and tobacco sales. The Stayton Mail (Ore.) (2/12)

Emergency Management and Public Safety

Pa. city council is presented with public-safety bills
Pittsburgh City Councilman Ricky Burgess has proposed two bills aimed at improving public safety. The bills would require the Police Department to publish policies and to install a gunshot-locating system in the East End district, which Burgess says suffers from "constant violence." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (2/12)

Del. city police chief outlines plan in closed session
Wilmington, Del., Police Chief Christine Dunning addressed the City Council in a closed session about her plan to battle crime. The plan, which Councilman Michael Brown Sr. says includes changing the number of officers and their placement, was discussed in private so details wouldn't be televised for criminals to see. "It's just not fair to put that out there," Brown said. "It's not fair on the police officers; it's not fair on the community." The News Journal (Wilmington, Del.) (tiered subscription model) (2/13)

Economic Development, Restoration and Sustainability

N.H. city council OKs Main Street preliminary redesign
The Concord, N.H., City Council has accepted a preliminary plan to redesign Main Street. The design covers 12 blocks and includes parking spaces, a pocket park, heated sidewalks and public art. Construction is expected to begin in September. Concord Monitor (N.H.) (2/12)

Kan. city council sets path toward bike friendliness
The Topeka, Kan., City Council plans to apply to the Kansas Department of Transportation for a $1.4 million federal grant to cover 80% of the first phase of the Bikeways Master Plan. The plan, meant to make the city more bike friendly, includes almost 35 miles in pilot routes and the Topeka Bikeway System, which will be developed over 15 years. The Topeka Capital-Journal (Kan.) (2/12)

Public Works and Infrastructure

Ala. city council takes no action on bond sale
Capital projects, street paving and park spending are on hold in Birmingham, Ala., after the City Council delayed the sale of $73 million in bonds. Although voters approved bond funding in October, a stalemate has resulted in no action on appropriation. AL.com (Alabama)/Real-Time News from Birmingham blog (2/12)

Recognitions and Transitions

Calif. city manager will depart before successor is named
Simi Valley, Calif., City Manager Laura Behjan plans to retire at the end of the month, even though the city has not found a replacement. Behjan has been in the position temporarily since July and says her intention always was to retire in February. The City Council has been interviewing candidates since December but says it likely will appoint a transitional manager. Ventura County Star (Calif.) (free registration) (2/12)

ICMA News

2012 edition of stats book focuses on essentials for local-government managers
ICMA has released the second edition of "Statistics for Public Administration: Practical Uses for Better Decision Making," an accessible and informative update of the 2010 edition. While this second edition describes research design and basic applied statistics, the book's primary purpose is to demonstrate how statistics can help local-government professionals do their jobs more effectively, rather than help readers master statistical theory. To find out what's new in the second edition, visit ICMA.org/press/statistics.

Join ICMA's Leonard Matarese and Joseph Pozzo in webinar on fire/EMS innovation
Does having more paramedics always produce a better outcome? Can emergency medical dispatch create efficiency in fire and emergency medical service delivery? What is the real story behind compressed air foam? Get answers to these questions and a few of your own in an interactive Web conference at 1 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday. Learn more and register.

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