There is a never-ending supply of theories on how government should operate and function. Philosophies and theories are constantly evolving. Meanwhile, cities continue to struggle with cohesion, consensus, and execution. A lack of continuity and consistent practices are a frequent complaint of residents, and the pet projects of the few replace the needs and desires...
Governments are often obsessed with quantifying and measuring. The rationale makes sense; after all, how better to determine performance and effectiveness? In an industry that is known for both tangible and intangible results, an understanding is crucial. This is further demanded by a desire for accountability and transparency by citizens, the need to evaluate programs...
If there ever were a time to focus on ways to “future-proof” cities, COVID-19 certainly presented it. City governments are being tested, and frustrations and fears are everywhere. It is sobering to consider what daily life will look like six months from now. Nevertheless, we must move forward. This is not a dissertation on how...
Photo by Thomas Hawk In this series, staff from CoProcure break down the ins and outs of public purchasing. Local governments are collaborating on procurement to save public staff time and taxpayer dollars. Efforts like the NIGP Columbia Chapter’s ICP group and the Kansas City Regional Purchasing Cooperative help local agencies in a region share the administrative costs of purchasing and...
This Morning Buzz is by Christian Williams, a Planner with the City of Goodyear, AZ and an ELGL Board of Directors member! Planner of the Week My city has what is called a “Planner of the Week” (POW); my three colleagues and I rotate through being the POW (for a weeklong period). During this weeklong...
Cities aren’t cities without people. That’s, of course, why residential zoning makes up such a large part of every community. The talk of 2019 in planning circles largely focused on single-family zoning reform that made headlines in cities like Minneapolis and Seattle and led to sweeping changes in states like Oregon and Virginia. The realization...
In this series, staff from CoProcure break down the ins and outs of public purchasing. The case for public procurement collaboration Across the country, over 89,000 local governments annually spend $1T buying similar goods and services. To spend public funds, governments must purchase using contracts created through a formal competitive bidding process. Most governments initiate a...
When you work in a city, you know all about purpose, right? After all, there’s a purpose statement in every ordinance, every plan, every department. They are part of our budget books, our preambles, and the parts that rarely get read. Over decades, cities adopt plans and codes under the most honorable of intentions. Then,...
In this series, Mariel Reed and Brian Alexander of CoProcure break down the ins and outs of public purchasing. At the local level, public procurement manages the exchange of over $1T of U.S. taxpayer dollars each year. How these dollars are spent matters for equity in two ways: The responsiveness and quality of government services...
