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 →
Cities seek curbside balance
Traffic has been increasing phenomenally in cities, and planners have had to make adjustments with their curb space in order to accommodate pedestrians as well as vehicle parking, ride-hailing services, micromobility services, trash collection, loading zones and front stoops. Waiting … Continue reading →
Safety innovator: Walter Barrett prioritizes employees’ well-beings
As the organizational manager for the city of San Antonio, Texas’, Solid Waste Management Department, Walter Barrett is the safety, reliability and quality assurance chief who oversees the training of nearly 700 employees who serve 358,000 households on a weekly … Continue reading →
McAllen casts off unflattering perception
Civic pride encourages competition among cities for enviable titles and distinguished awards while hoping such acclaim will draw in new residents, businesses and tourists to their hometowns. A mortified southern Texas town, however, walked off with a humiliating title in … Continue reading →
The Municipal Top 10: The least stressed states
We could all do with a little less stress in our lives, and WalletHub examined all 50 states and the District of Columbia to see which harbored more and less stressful elements. To determine the rankings, the site “compared the … Continue reading →
Columbus, Ohio, tests out self-driving shuttle connecting community and resources
In February 2020, two self-driving shuttles were launched in Columbus, Ohio, to operate in a residential setting. These autonomous shuttles were designed to provide free transportation for up to 12 people. Each shuttle can accommodate strollers and wheelchairs and has … Continue reading →
Missoula integrates composting into wastewater operations
The city of Missoula, Mont., purchased EKO Compost in November 2016. You could say it is now organically reaping the rewards of this investment in more ways than one. Gene Connell, who acts as the treatment facility superintendent in … Continue reading →
Wilmington, Del., welcomes Jacobs in one of nation’s largest wastewater partnerships
A good partnership can be hard to find, but Wilmington, Del., knows precisely what it is looking for in a wastewater facility operator. The city recently hired Jacobs/OMI to operate its wastewater treatment plant, combined sewer overflow facility and renewable … Continue reading →
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve was millennia in the making. The 618-square-mile lava field underlying the attraction near Arco, Idaho, was formed during eight major periods of countless eruptions between 2,000 and 15,000 years ago. No volcanoes … Continue reading →
Saving the environment, one municipality at a time
Global Environmental Products has always envisioned an all-electric, environmentally friendly street sweeper. The company’s pursuit of this goal led first to a hybrid electric/diesel model in 2011, which was followed in 2018 by its first fuel cell model that used … Continue reading →
Joining forces: Public Safety Executive Partnership proves successful
President Ronald Reagan once said, “There is no limit to how much good you can do, if you don’t care who gets the credit.” It’s a mantra that the Public Safety Executive Partnership in Buckeye, Ariz., takes very seriously, and … Continue reading →
Gardner, Kansas, provides relief through utility bill
On the Kansas side of Kansas City’s metropolitan area is Gardner, one of the poorest cities in Johnson County, according to Mayor Steve Shute. With an estimated population of just over 21,000 people, the largest employers are United School District … Continue reading →
Martha’s Vineyard town responds to climate change, beach erosion
Martha’s Vineyard has long been a destination spot for tourism, the allure of the island drawing visitors and summer residents from hundreds of miles away. Beneath all of the serenity and beauty, however, lies a problem that remains a reality … Continue reading →
Cities nationwide deal with urban wildlife
Cities in Arizona In Arizona, the state, rather than individual cities, is responsible for urban wildlife problems. In turn, according to Darren Julian, Arizona Game and Fish Department Region VI urban wildlife specialist, the state relies heavily upon municipalities to … Continue reading →
Solving problems, one creative solution at a time
A city on an island, Anacortes, Wash., is home to approximately 17,000 residents and has a working waterfront with a strong maritime industry that employs fishermen, ferry workers and fish plant workers. Creating a sustainable maritime economy has been a … Continue reading →
Elko, Nevada, holds diverse offerings
What puts a city or town on the map in 2020? Many factors go into the equation, and it seems Elko, Nev., has cracked the code when it comes to livability. After securing the honor of “The Best Small Town … Continue reading →
The pros and cons of green streets
Shawnee, Kan. Shawnee has just begun its green streets projects with a couple of trial projects starting construction soon, aimed at spurring development on its west side. Assistant City Manager Caitlin Gard, senior development engineer Raegan Long and community development … Continue reading →
Thomas Edison National Historical Park West Orange, New Jersey
His family called him “Al.” His teachers called him “too stupid to learn anything.” But through a lifetime of stratospheric curiosity, unrelenting inventiveness and an unrivaled work ethic, Thomas Alva Edison has earned the invariable honorific uttered even now across … Continue reading →
Tucson pilots street ambassador program to promote Move Tucson initiative
Beginning last fall, a webinar highlighting the New York City street ambassador program inspired Gabriela Barillas-Longoria, livability planner for Tucson, Arizona, to think up new ways to increase community engagement. “I started thinking of how we could scale it down … Continue reading →