Montage Enterprises: Surpassing the expectation in mower parts
If there is a constant during the spring and summer, it’s the wave of never-ending mowing. Highways, ditches, right-of-ways, parks and other municipal and DOT properties all require routine trimming to improve motorists’ visibility and the quality of public property. … More from our cover sponsor →
Healdsburg creates the nation’s largest floating solar array
The city of Healdsburg, Calif.’s, new floating solar array didn’t start out to be a triple threat of environmental responsibility, but since its completion in January, it’s been generating quite a bit of buzz. Not only does the 4.78-megawatt photovoltaic … Continue reading →
Building bright futures in public works
Finding qualified employees for any job can be difficult, and public works is no exception. With this in mind, Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Mich., has teamed up with municipalities and other entities in the surrounding area … Continue reading →
What to do when you find man-made toxic chemicals in your water system
Recent developments in groundwater testing and regulation have made it easier to ensure safe public drinking water for all. If harmful contaminants have been detected in your water source, it’s crucial to take action to comply with the law and … Continue reading →
AIMS Power offers tools to develop resiliency
Resiliency has become a buzzword nationwide amongst city officials as they move to ensure their municipalities can weather unexpected storms, literal and metaphorical. Unexpected power outages, in particular, can cause extensive disruptions to vital services and emergency responses. For this … Continue reading →
From the highest levels, Anacortes prioritizes alternative energy
From Mayor Laurie Gere and the city council to individual city departments, an emphasis on reducing Anacortes, Wash.’s, carbon footprint has been championed by all. Anacortes Public Works has strived to do its part by pursuing alternative fuel sources and … Continue reading →
Municipalities showing mercy with amnesty programs
Some municipalities are finding that showing a little mercy to their residents via amnesty programs is paying off for them. Cities like Reading, Pa., and Green, Ohio, enacted amnesty programs on real estate taxes, and Richmond, Va., was considering … Continue reading →
City uses splash pads to introduce children to nature
For the city of Little Rock, Ark., nature is a high priority when it comes to children’s growth. A book written by Richard Louv in 2005, called “The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,” … Continue reading →
USS Lexington Museum, Corpus Christi, Texas
She was pronounced dead at least four times, but she was a fighter and became a decorated war hero when she was barely a year old. Finally retired in 1991, she now rests in well-deserved quiet repose in Corpus Christi, … Continue reading →
A ‘complex’ situation: Johnsonville, S.C., opens new municipal complex
City halls are structures that play a variety of roles in a community. In addition to serving as the headquarters for local government officials, it is the place where bills are paid, plans are laid and decisions are made. While … Continue reading →
Buffalo Grove restructures public works to spark innovation
A suburb about 30 miles north of Chicago, Buffalo Grove, Ill., is a relatively young United States village with a population of a little more than 40,000. It was incorporated in 1958. Thus, much of its infrastructure is just over … Continue reading →
Kalamazoo County’s new animal shelter better serves pets and community
During a job interview 21 years ago, then job applicant Stephen J. Lawrence was asked a typical interview question: Where did he see himself in five years? His answer: As director of Animal Services and Enforcement, overseeing an upgraded facility … Continue reading →
Bay City’s airport is key to furthering tourism-based economy
Keeping a city alive and well when the economy makes a major shift requires generous touches of both creativity and courage. So, when Bay City, Mich., began the shift from an industrial economy to a tourism-based economy, city officials … Continue reading →
ABLE Project provides tools for intervention and officer well-being
Often, when an incident escalates out of control, the human tendency is to avoid stepping in. However, inactive bystandership can have disastrous consequences, particularly in policing. With this in mind, Georgetown University, in conjunction with the New Orleans Police … Continue reading →
M Top 10: Best cities for locavores
You might be wondering what a locavore is. Well, they are people who prefer to mainly eat foods sourced from their local region, and as LawnStarter.com notes, interest in locally sourced foods has only grown during the pandemic. “But not … Continue reading →
Pierre votes yes to water rate increase in exchange for park-based water treatment facility
The people of Pierre, S.D., voted for an increase on their water bill. The increase of nearly 40% was a stipulation of a project to build a new water treatment facility — to be uniquely situated in a municipal riverside … Continue reading →
Eminent domain: Last resort option to further public projects
Municipal construction projects are a necessary part of any city’s growth and development, whether new roads and sidewalks or sewer lines and other necessary improvements. However, there are times when projects require the acquisition of private property. Typically, a … Continue reading →
Charging Ahead: Fleet Electrification Takes Center Stage
Municipal fleet managers have been on the front lines of the electric vehicle revolution since the first modern passenger EVs began sharing our roads in the mid-1990s. While the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment and subsequent emissions regulations on automotive … Continue reading →
City pools and beaches adapt to COVID
Swimming is a favorite summertime activity, but when the COVID-19 pandemic stretched into June, July and then August last year, cities nationwide faced unique challenges when it came to staffing their municipal pools and beaches. Many simply closed altogether. … Continue reading →