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January 2, 2013

Building livable communities that improve people's lives

Leadership and Management

You can't force people to improve themselves
Companies should think twice about requiring employees to attend mandatory training sessions, Google's Karen May says. "People learn best when they're motivated to learn. If people opt in, versus being required to go, you're more likely to have better outcomes," May says. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/29)

Ohio city council will lose 2 members amid population decrease
The Cleveland City Council will go from 19 members to 17 this year after the city lost more than 30,000 residents since 2009, the last time districts were redrawn. The ward map that the council must develop by April 1 will consider that the population is moving out of the northeast quadrant and becoming more dense in the western parts. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (12/30)

Budgeting and Finance

Mich. city council creates fund-balance policy
The Jackson, Mich., City Council unanimously approved a plan to increase the unassigned fund balance and to establish a formal fund-balance policy. The policy will increase the maximum percentage of budget expenditures allowed in the fund balance to 30% and will set the minimum at 15%. The recommended unassigned fund balance for municipalities is 17%, according to the Government Finance Officers Association. Jackson Citizen Patriot (Mich.) (12/30)

Emergency Management and Public Safety

Colo. county's proposed ambulance-code change draws criticism
The Weld County, Colo., Commission is considering a code change that would leave final decisions on ambulance service to commissioners. The proposal has drawn fire from Windsor-Severance Fire Rescue, which was in negotiations with University of Colorado Health before the commission decided to deny an ambulance license. The change would also establish a tiered-licensing system for ambulance provision. Windsor Beacon (Colo.) (12/27)

Economic Development, Restoration and Sustainability

Okla. city gathers economic-development feedback online
The Tulsa, Okla., City Council's FeedBack website has seen more than 300 visitors since it launched Nov. 28. The forum is meant to be like a public hearing and allows users to leave comments or respond to others' comments. "We know that not everyone has the time or the inclination to visit City Hall," Tulsa's planning director said. "There is an audience out there that is willing to participate if we get to them on a format they are comfortable with, and that is online." Tulsa World (Okla.) (12/26)

Legislation, Policy and Grants

Calif. city council considers rules for fitness enthusiasts
In light of resident complaints, the Santa Monica, Calif., City Council is considering restricting use of fitness equipment at Palisades Park, limiting the size of exercise classes and imposing an annual fee on trainers who use the park for group workouts. The city's director of community and cultural services says she has received complaints about exercisers blocking pedestrian paths, making a lot of noise and damaging grass and trees with workout equipment. ABC News/The Associated Press (12/30)

Public Works and Infrastructure

New Zealand city council offers leniency on parking tickets
The Christchurch, New Zealand, City Council waived more than $934,000 in parking tickets between November 2011 and October 2012 to be more lenient after an earthquake struck the city in February 2011. Parking rates also remain low as the council considers the emotional and financial impact of the earthquake, an official says. Stuff (New Zealand)/Fairfax NZ News (1/1)

ICMA News

Attention, ICMA members and strategic partners! Call for ideas closes Friday!
Don't miss this opportunity to submit ideas and vote on sessions you would like to see at ICMA's 99th Annual Conference, scheduled Sept. 22 to 25 in Boston. Contribute to the sharing of innovative ideas and practical strategies in local-government management and leadership by responding to ICMA's annual conference call for ideas. Submit a session, and vote on ideas that have been submitted! Visit the Call for Ideas website for details.

ICMA publishes sixth edition of financial-management classic
ICMA has released the sixth edition of "Management Policies in Local Government Finance," the latest in the classic ICMA Green Book series. A comprehensive update of the 2004 edition, this version offers managers, chief administrative officers and up-and-coming chief financial officers a thorough grounding in the principles of financial management as well as a review of financial policies and practices used by local governments throughout the U.S. Order at ICMA.org/press/finance.

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