PM. Public Management

Copy Correction

Letters

Mark Levin V. advice on how to deal with elected officials was the best I have seen in my 16 years as a chief executive officer, and I encourage my fellow managers to act on this advice, even though it is often extremely hard to do.

Check Your Emergency Supply Kit

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit * Prescription medications, eyeglasses, contact lenses, and supplies and denture needs. * Infant formula, powdered milk, bottles, diapers, diaper rash ointment, medications, and moist zZ towelettes. * Pet food and extra water for your pet. * Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification, bank account records, and Medicare cards, all in a waterproof, portable container. * Cash or traveler's checks ...

Asking People for Money: Go for It, but Prepare Well

[...] I couldn't help but wonder why I was doing this at all, and whether it was appropriate for cities to partner with private donors to build municipal projects. [...] I wondered if it there were ethical considerations to worry about. [...] if the city council concludes that building the new project or program is a top priority, then not only does it behoove the manager and staff to aggressively pursue that agenda, but support from the elected officials can provide cover for the manager w...

More Thoughts On Fund-Raising Ethics

With the Increasing need to form public-private partnerships to pay for a variety of public services and facilities, it may be helpful to adopt a general policy concerning fund-raising efforts for your agency. There are a number of reasons for this: * Staff time is a public resource because it is paid for with taxpayer dollars.To avoid any charges that staff time is being misused for private charitable purposes, the governing body should give its blessing for any fundraising efforts.

Cost Savings and Achievement Potential of Prevention Programs: Smart Cuts, Dumb Cuts, and a Process to Tell the Difference

Here are examples of the horizontal approach: * Schools depend on the work of parents, preschool organizations, and health agencies to achieve school readiness. * Child welfare agencies depend on substance abuse treatment agencies for working with the two-thirds of parents who are reported for child neglect caused by substance abuse. * Economic and job development agencies rely on public transportation and other support programs to get people in rural areas to jobs and to the services they ne...

Support the Farm Stand to Feed 'Locavores' and the Economy

Besides finding the vendors of local fruits, vegetables, plants and trees, spices, and baked goods - no small chore in a region of disappearing farmland and large-scale farming - she lines up free activities, including tai chi, gardening workshops, cooking demonstrations, and children's activities. [...] a 2007 Urban Land Institute-sponsored discussion between city leaders and real estate experts resulted in practical recommendations for a latent downtown redevelopment effort.

From the Periphery to the Core: Wellness at Work

All the programs described below involve leaders who championed a revamped commitment to employee wellness in the spirit of promoting physical fitness, improving employee productivity, or responding to an elected body concerned with rising health costs. In December 2006, the city's wellness committee decided to tackle health issues that were driving up the city's insurance costs.\n This step assists with employee buy-in later as the program rolls out, especially if it involves a change to in...

Wellness Strategies Are Popular

"WORKING WELLA Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies," conducted by Buck Consultants, a human resource and benefits consulting firm, finds that although there is strong global growth for wellness programs, they are still most prevalent in North America, with 82 percent of responding employers offering them.

Effective Supervisory Practices

The same skills apply to organizations as to the playing field or the concert hall: you are the director of your team. Effective coaches are able to pinpoint the reason for performance problems - for example, lack of ability versus lack of resources or lack of information - and give employees whatever tools they need to get the job done well. Source: "Coaching, Counseling, and Mentoring," Effective Supervisory Practices, Fourth Edition. 2005, published by ICMA Washington, D.C. (For Informat...

Cover Story

Disaster Recovery: A Local Government Responsibility

According to FEMA, long-term recovery refers to the "need to re-establish a healthy, functioning community that will sustain itself over time." Based on a survey and a series of meetings and workshops, ABAG identified four areas that cities and counties should address to prepare for longterm disaster recovery: * Financing. * Expediting long-term housing recovery. * Supporting recovery of downtown businesses and the local economy. * Ensuring local government facilities and services recover sm...

Fyi

Catching Wind for Clean Water

SEATTLE AERATION SOLUTION Many golf courses have beautiful ponds as water hazards or landscape features. Because of lack of water aeration, however, they often emit rotten and unpleasant smells, and they can easily become cloudy and dirty looking. Tharp says his crew has tried "beneficial organisms" as an alternative to chemicals but has not had much luck with them. Since the pond was built, it has become a magnet for ducks and other birds.

Cities, County, Tribe Collaborate On Airport

In forming the BCAA, Brookings discovered that this provision has apparently never been used. [...] city officials were faced with breaking new ground and dealing with such issues as open-meeting laws, financial reporting, liability, and public contracting.

Calendar of Events

Overcoming the Realities of Managing in Fiscally Difficult Times, ICMA University Workshop, Belton, TX April 25-May 2 ICMA SEI, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA May 5-9 Commonwealth CCHPO Performance Improvement Conference, Omni Hotel, Charlottesville, VA May 6-9 ICMA Gettysburg Leadership Institute, Gettysburg, PA May 13-15 Transforming Local Government Conference May 15 Deadline for Leadership ICMA Applications, Class of 2011 May 24-27 LGMA (Local Government Managers Australia) N...

A Kinder, Gentler Firing: Seven Best Practices for Handling Layoffs and Downsizings

An impulsive, "letting the chips fall where they may" approach has no role in affirming and constructing a proper termination policy. Because preparedness is vital, termination procedures must be embedded in a written policy and, over time, instilled in the organization's culture. Assure your employees that you'll be a good reference for them. Because the primary rationale for termination with dignity is to empower the employee and enable the employee to move ahead with life, letting peopl...

On Retirement

Reduce Your Taxes and Build Retirement Security

With a Traditional IRA, your investments grow tax-deferred, and you pay taxes only when withdrawing funds from your account during retirement. [...] you reach age 59 1/2, withdrawals from a Traditional IRA are generally subject to a 10 percent penalty in addition to income tax, although there are several penalty exceptions.

Profile

Village Administrator Elected President of State City/County Management Association

NYSCMA is a professional association of appointed chief executive officers, administrators and other appointed municipal officials, as well as educators dedicated to the improvement of local government and the quality of urban life.

Ethics

Managing Conflicts of Interest

A week after the planning commission granted its approval, the media disclosed that a member of the planning commission who actively participated in discussions on the issue and voted to approve the plans had a conflict of interest as a result of his financial dealings with the lead developer for the project. Most state ethics laws are simply financial disclosure regulations that require public officials to file annual reports detailing sources of income, real estate investments, debts, and ...