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| Collaboration |
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The federal departments of Defense, Agriculture, and the Interior are partnering to preserve and restore natural areas on and near military bases while promoting military readiness. Under the Sentinel Landscapes program, a mix of federal, state, local, and private monies will be used to prevent development on more than 2,600 acres of farmland and prairie surrounding Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Washington. The protection of species outside of the military installation will also reduce pressure to restrict military training exercises on the base. Although a pilot effort, federal monies through Sentinel Landscapes may also be used as a response to the needs of hundreds of endangered and at-risk species living within or near to the 29 million acres of land managed by the DoD.
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| Recycling |
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Connecticut is now the first state in the nation to require mattress manufacturers to collect and recycle mattresses. The move is expected to save local governments around $1.3 million annually, which currently must find ways to process over 175,000 discarded mattresses every year. The program will be funded by a small fee of $8 to $12 collected from consumers at the point of sale. Similar legislation just passed in Rhode Island and is pending in California.
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| Emergency Management |
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In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, New York has launched an emergency tracking system to help state human services facilities locate patients and employees during an emergency evacuation. The New York State Evacuation of Facilities in Disasters System (NYS e-FINDS) will provide patients and facility residents with barcode wristbands that can be tracked in real-time with the use of handheld mobile devices, scanners, and even paper tracking in the event of a service outage. The system is expected to be ready for this year’s hurricane season.
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| Long-Term Care |
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With a federal grant from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Johns Hopkins University has embarked upon an initiative that takes small human capital investments in the form of nurses, occupational therapists, handymen, and others to enable elderly people to continue to live independently. Under the Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders program, inexpensive improvements are made such as fixing an unsteady banister or having a visiting medical professional assist and educate persons with complex medication regimens. It is expected that the effort could save millions in potential long-term nursing care and enhance the lifestyle of older Americans. A large pilot is currently being conducted among 800 low-income seniors in Baltimore and is being monitored by Medicaid officials in other states as a way to improve and coordinate care.
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| Public Infrastructure |
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Several European cities are making strides towards erecting greener transit systems while facing the constraints of tighter budgets. Vienna is transitioning to a first-of-its-kind fleet of electric buses that recharge their batteries using the overhead power lines of older trams but that can go anywhere. Heilbronn, Germany, is one of several cities looking to connect forms of electric transport options; it has built an inner-city light-rail system and linked it to regional services, adapting these “Tram-Train” vehicles to both types of lines so passengers don’t have to switch vehicles during trips. The moves are part of a larger goal of the EU to make improvements that lessen the impact of transportation on climate change, reduces air and noise pollution, and adds more convenience that attracts additional passengers.
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| Social Services |
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Hopewell, Virginia, has recently created a new program designed to assist individuals who have difficulty complying with city ordinances related to issues such as grass-cutting, trash and debris pick-up, and general upkeep of property. Under the Adopt-A-Neighbor Outreach Program, volunteers from businesses, churches, civic clubs, and local residents are matched with elderly or disabled people meeting certain qualifications to avoid code citations. Subsidiary benefits of the program include reducing the crime associated with deteriorating property appearances and the strengthening of community ties.
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| Asset Management: a Framework for Unlocking the Value of Infrastructure |
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Good asset management helps to ensure that the asset accomplishes its public mission instead of merely realizing the highest-price sale or the lowest recurring cost. If governments employed a true capital budgeting approach, infrastructure would be better understood as the asset it is and managed accordingly.
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| Wisconsin and the Politics of Coercing Public Employees to Live in Town |
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Residency requirements for municipal workers make it harder to recruit the best and the brightest, but a statewide ban like Wisconsin's may not be the best way to end them.
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| Making Ice in the Desert: Glendale, Ariz.'s Multimillion-Dollar Hockey Bet |
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Investing in sports teams and stadiums is usually a bad deal for cities. Glendale, Arizona's multimillion-dollar bet on its hockey team looks like one for the penalty box.
Newsletter produced by: Jessica Engelman, editor; Brendan St. Amant, researcher and writer.
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About the Ash Center
The Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide. Through its research, education, international programs, and government innovations awards, the Center fosters creative and effective problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most pressing needs of the world's citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor of the Center. Additional information about the Ash Center is available at http://ash.harvard.edu.
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