Like most Americans, Adam Culbertson remembers exactly where he was on Sept. 11, 2001, when he heard that planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. Unlike all of them, Culbertson has crafted a stunningly poignant and beautiful firefighter’s helmet … Continue reading →
Electric and hybrid vehicles have unquestionably carved their place into the market of the immense and indispensable U.S. automobile industry. They offer advantages, including environmental friendliness, quieter operation and fewer maintenance requirements. Their cost per mile can amount to a … Continue reading →
No municipality is immune from the effects of one of America’s most insidious enemies: methamphetamine. Its impact on individuals, families and communities is ruthless; its purveyors are relentless; and the costs of both ignoring it and fighting it are enormous. … Continue reading →
There’s a lot of gold in them thar hills. “Gold,” in this case, refers to municipal solid waste that can be recycled, reused, composted or converted into energy. It also includes the waste’s by-product of methane, some of which can … Continue reading →
The bad news is, Americans generate trash. Lots of it. Now, the good news: An increasing number of municipalities are finding ways to turn that refuse into fuel, reusable material and revenue. The problem Amid the convenience of disposability and … Continue reading →
Geographic information systems have been incorporated into the administration of most cities and towns. Those systems are being used to map jurisdictions’ real estate parcels, complete with zoning and property tax information. But once an entity has the map and … Continue reading →
While feathered friends are among the more attractive ingredients of a city’s flora and fauna, they present challenges. Birds cause an incalculable number of dollars to be spent each year in cleaning, maintenance, repairs and remediation of avian-generated health problems. … Continue reading →
Wind farms, those sprawling orchards of sleek, towering energy generators, now dot the country. Necessitated by a growing consumer demand for clean, renewable energy sources and incentivized by government subsidies and favorable tax treatment, their construction meets with general approval. … Continue reading →
Street and public utility departments are experiencing, in varying severity, the tandem perennial fiscal scourges of diminishing budget funds and increased operation costs. Fortunately, a burgeoning technology has added a cost-effective weapon to municipal arsenals. Infrared asphalt repair, though gaining … Continue reading →
Tax incremental financing is sometimes hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread. Other times it’s denounced as a poison pill for local government budgets. TIF, a taxing method to entice urban redevelopment, was invented by the California legislature in … Continue reading →
Meet Stephen Shelley, Homestead, Fla.’s municipal equivalent of the backup quarterback. Shelley was elected last year to a two-year term as the city’s vice mayor, on the same ballot by which he was also reelected for another four years as … Continue reading →
