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February 15, 2013

Building livable communities that improve people's lives

Leadership and Management

Vision is no substitute for strategy
Too many executives think that having a clear vision or clear goals is the same as having a clear strategy, writes Ken Favaro. That's like a baseball player knowing that he wants to hit a home run but having no idea how to go about doing so, Favaro argues, quoting former IBM CEO Lou Gerstner. Strategy+Business online (free registration) (2/11)

Calif. city council garners resident accolades
Residents who attended a meeting of the Vallejo, Calif., City Council publicly thanked the council for prompt action on issues concerning squatters in vacant homes and changes to a residential view district ordinance. The council voted to give neighbors more time to challenge projects and leave the burden of paying for challenges on project applicants. Times-Herald (Vallejo, Calif.) (2/13)

Ga. city council weighs need for manager
Three City Council members in Warner Robins, Ga., are proposing to add a city manager, saying an elected mayor does not necessarily have the experience to operate the city, which employs 560 people. The manager would answer to the council and work alongside the mayor. Mayor Chuck Shaheen opposes the idea and instead wants a city operations manager who would report to him. The Macon Telegraph (Ga.) (2/13)

Budgeting and Finance

Okla. city manager freezes hiring amid revenue shortfall
McAlester, Okla., City Manager Pete Stasiak announced a hiring freeze after projecting a revenue shortfall of more than $1 million for this fiscal year. Stasiak told the City Council that sales tax revenue and water sales are down significantly. He says sales tax revenue dropped 9% in January and that the city is unlikely to make up the shortfall solely by cutting expenses. McAlester News-Capital (Okla.) (2/13)

Emergency Management and Public Safety

Ore. city council approves draft disaster-readiness plan
The Seaside, Ore., City Council approved a 30-page draft of a natural-hazard mitigation plan that seeks to address high vulnerability to tsunamis and other disasters. The plan contains risk assessments for major buildings and infrastructure and notes that several bridges key to evacuation are at risk of collapse in an earthquake. It also proposes contracting with an engineer to estimate costs for retrofitting bridges to meet seismic standards. Daily Astorian, The (Astoria, Ore.) (2/12)

Ethics

Md. city council votes to update ethics rules
The Aberdeen, Md., City Council has updated the town's ethics ordinance to comply with state rules. City Manager Douglas Miller says he is also pursuing amendments to clarify how councilors may interact with religious and charitable organizations. He told councilors to be careful in fundraising until such rules are adopted. The Record (Havre de Grace, Md.) (2/13)

Legislation, Policy and Grants

Ill. city council toughens gun-reporting law
The Chicago City Council has stiffened the penalty for gun owners who fail to report when their firearms are lost, stolen or sold. The ordinance, proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, changes the maximum sentence from three months to six months in jail. The move aims to reduce "straw purchasers." Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, Ill.)/The Associated Press (2/13)

Public Works and Infrastructure

Tenn. city looks to improve safety with traffic signals
Chattanooga, Tenn., is installing a different kind of traffic signal to improve safety along Highway 153. City Traffic Engineer John Van Winkle says the lights come with a solid yellow arrow and a blinking yellow arrow to better direct left-hand turns. The signals will carry an explanation sign, he said. Nooga.com (Chattanooga, Tenn.) (2/13)

Recognitions and Transitions

Fla. city gets first minority manager
Deric Feacher has become the first minority city manager of Winter Haven, Fla., after he was sworn in by the City Council. Feacher, who is black, celebrated by playing the trumpet and leading a high-school jazz band in a Fat Tuesday parade. Feacher says he aims to emphasize unity and adopt the motto "One City, One Vision." The Ledger (Lakeland, Fla.) (2/12)

Veteran manager leaves retirement to aid nearby Calif. city
Former Kerman, Calif., City Manager Ron Manfredi is leaving retirement to become interim city manager in nearby Firebaugh. Manfredi is tasked with addressing an expected budget deficit of $1.2 million and supervising the hiring of a permanent manager. Manfredi was Kerman's manager for 18 years. The Business Journal (Fresno, Calif.) (2/13)

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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Mistakes are part of the dues that one pays for a full life."

--Sophia Loren,
Italian actress

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