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 →
Municipal fleets show variety
Pity Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster; it now has competition in Brooklyn, N.Y.’s, Prospect Park Lake for interesting “aquatic specimen.” Its new opponent is arguably the same size albeit it’s bright orange. Meet Lake “Mess” Monster — though it has been … Continue reading →
More women step into leadership roles within city government
2018 was coined the “Year of the Women” due to the record number of high-profile midterm races that resulted in the election of a wave of female candidates. The path to city hall was no exception, with more women taking … Continue reading →
South Davis Sewer District captures energy from food waste
Landfills across the United States are growing larger and larger thanks to the reported 4.4 pounds of trash the average American throws away per day — much of it coming from food. In the United States, food waste is the … Continue reading →
Beyond run, hide, fight: The next steps in preparedness
By Tom Polera, Emergency Manager and Chief Fire Marshal, Falls Church, Va. The city of Falls Church, Va., Office of Fire Prevention and Emergency Preparedness, has developed a program called “The First 12 Minutes.” This is an innovative community active … Continue reading →
Helping streets make the grade
Ask any city mayor and they’ll tell you that the most diabolical enemy of their citizens is a pothole. While a small portion of a mayor’s job, road upkeep impacts how constituents perceive their quality of life — the fewer … Continue reading →
Battle of the Badges fights the good fight
There are the customary ways to make money — car washes, mowing lawns, babysitting, bake sales, et al. — and then there are the fun ways of bringing the whole community together and raising funds for a worthy cause — … Continue reading →
Where’s the fire? Meet Wilton, N.H., Fire Chief Jim Cutler
Jim Cutler does not like to let grass grow under his feet. Even though he had a full-time managerial position at Amherst Label in Milford, N.H., as well as a wife and daughter to support, he longed to fill his … Continue reading →
Out of the box thinking for police recruitment
There’s a favorite saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Municipal police departments across the nation thankfully don’t fall into that category as they’ve been coming up with … Continue reading →
Boydton, Va.
Boydton, Va., waited almost two centuries to get a city seal. It came as a pen and ink sketch by octogenarian Ruth Crowder, a dedicated town denizen who had earlier drawn up the seal for Mecklenburg County, for which the … Continue reading →
Putting the boot on the other foot
Fire departments are taking matters into their own hands by inviting city leaders and officials to experience a taste of what they go through in their line of work. In demonstrating their duties, firefighters have the opportunity to expose leaders … Continue reading →
Cliff Dwellings Manitou Springs, Colo.
Dismantling an entire village piece by piece and relocating it more than 300 miles away is no easy task — especially by oxcart, railroad and horse and wagon. Yet Virginia McClurg, a local resident of the Manitou Springs, Colo., area, … Continue reading →
California wildfires bring new fire behavior and fire safety issues to light
The United States Forest Service’s Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Mont., has been providing the forest service with research and development since 1960. As the only federal research lab focused on wildfires, its research directly aids in the management of … Continue reading →
Finding the public safety personnel of the future
Not everyone can rush into a burning building or confront armed robbers. It takes a special sort of person to enter the public safety arena. Finding those people is proving to be a challenge for departments of all different sizes … Continue reading →
Alabama county workers clear roads more quickly with cooperative purchasing
Equipment operators in a rural Alabama county are using a new wheeled excavator to turn difficult road work into a cakewalk, and residents are actually thanking them with sweet treats. Looking at a map, you can find Covington County, Ala., … Continue reading →
Building codes contribute to more resilient communities and economic growth
Mitigation efforts, such as building code adoption and enforcement, are the strongest strategies jurisdictions can take to protect a community against the effects of natural disasters. Learn how building codes can save billions of dollars when faced with natural disasters
Continue reading →Gogh-ing the creative route for common problems
Art can create and transform a city’s identity or revive it by drawing in the eyes of visitors. It gives residents a sense of home and culture that is unique to them and memorable to others. It can solve issues … Continue reading →
Kirksville launches its own asphalt mixing plant
Kirksville, Mo., a rural city in Benton Township with a population of 17,536, serves as the county seat of Adair County. For years it had contracted out for the laying of asphalt, including for repairs. One day in 2016, Ray … Continue reading →
Santa Fe uses bond to undertake infrastructure projects
Crumbling infrastructure is a weighty problem many U.S. cities face. Yet with reduced funding, some cities are scrambling to pay for necessary repairs and upgrades through alternative means. Santa Fe, N.M., is among them and it is looking to a … Continue reading →