Optimize fire safety programs with good hydrant care
Fire hydrants are a critical piece of every city’s infrastructure. While they spend most of their time idle, firefighters depend on their operation to save lives and property. Water operators can extend the life of hydrants through correct installation, regular … More from our cover sponsor →
Diverging diamond interchanges gain traction
Gilbert Chlewicki of Fulton, Md., deals in diamonds — the bigger the better. And in some cases, the cost runs around $3 to $4 million. The diamonds Chlewicki, professional engineer and director of Advanced Transportation Solutions, works with are outdoor … Continue reading →
Josiah White: Jim Thorpe, Pa.
Josiah White and Jim Thorpe never met; White died 37 years before Thorpe was born. Yet the confluence of the two men’s impact forged the town of Jim Thorpe, Pa. White (1781-1850) was an industrialist and entrepreneur with a staggering … Continue reading →
‘Hog Capital of the World’ Kewanee, Ill.
Secessionists in the antebellum South invoked the slogan “King Cotton” to advocate establishing the Confederacy as a separate nation. Kewanee, Ill., population 12,676, and its surrounding Henry County, use the phrase “King Hog” to summarize the role hog farming has … Continue reading →
February 2017 Issue of The Municipal Available Now
In this Digital Issue: Page 16 – Focus on Streets & Snow Page 18 – Focus on Streets & Snow: Diverging diamond interchanges gain traction Page 22 – Focus on Streets & Snow: Holland, Mich., heats up its sidewalks Page … Continue reading →
Innovations cutting costs, overtime
Another season of snowfighting is underway, with most of those in our readership — those of us who receive snow, anyway — having received some decent snow events already. And with winter’s return, so too comes the long hours spent … Continue reading →
An attachment to tackle any job
Having the right tool available can make every difference at the end of the day. Horst Welding is comprised of three divisions: HLA Attachments, HLA Snow and Horst Wagons, all of which specialize in providing attachments and other equipment that … Continue reading →
Amanda Edmonds, mayor and food systems champion
While Amanda Edmonds might be mayor of Ypsilanti, Mich., she is also the full-time executive director of the nonprofit Growing Hope, which came out of her work on beginning an educational garden at Ypsi’s Perry Child Development Center in 1999. … Continue reading →
Municipalities using GPS system monitoring for fleet management
One of the most important parts of running any business is assessing the risks and finding ways to manage said risks. When it comes to managing an entire fleet this can become even more difficult. Many cities have begun to … Continue reading →
Municipalities bring light to ‘dark store’ strategy
It’s a trend that seems to be sweeping the nation — Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, Alabama and Florida are among the many states that have found themselves in a battle with the “big box stores” over property tax revenue — … Continue reading →
Oakwood, Ga.: More than 30 P3s and counting
Oakwood, Ga., City Manager Stan Brown, who has been with the city for 13 years, has accomplished a great deal in the area of public- private partnerships within the last five to 10 years. More than 30 such partnerships have … Continue reading →
‘The Quietest Town in America’
Welcome to the hushed confines of Green Bank, W.Va., noted as “The Quietest Town in America.” Within the tiny unincorporated hamlet of 143 residents, cell calls and texting are prohibited; car radios scroll across the dial in the vain search … Continue reading →
Pollinators find support among cities
To bee or not to bee? With apologies to The Bard of Avon, more and more municipalities are saying yes to bee … raising bees. The town of Carrboro, N.C., with a population of about 19,582, for example, has been … Continue reading →
Getting the best value out of the bidding process
While bid processes are guided by law, regulation and sometimes policy, the smaller the entity the less likely it is the municipality will have codified its procurement process — and certainly the less likely it will put out any sort … Continue reading →
William Butler: Saugatuck, Mich.
For several years, William G. Butler (1799-1857) and his wife, Emily, were the only white inhabitants of what would become known as Saugatuck, Mich., and its surrounding county of Allegan. They were by all historical accounts “on the most kindly … Continue reading →
January 2017 Edition of The Municipal Available Now
In this Digital Issue: Page 20 – Focus on Budget & Finance: Getting the best value out of the bidding process Page 24 – Focus on Budget & Finance: Pollinators find support among cities Page 26 – Focus on Budget … Continue reading →
Cooperative buying saves time and money
by DEE WARREN | Land Pride Marketing Manager In today’s world of tight budgets and lean staffing, it is imperative that city, county, municipal and state agencies make the most of their grounds maintenance budgets with reliable equipment at reasonable … Continue reading →
Infrastructure major priority in 2017
Many municipalities are undoubtedly still grappling with budget woes, even though as a nation, we seem to be well on the road to recovery. However, there is still work that needs to be done. In particular, underfunded pensions remain a … Continue reading →
Why sticking your head in ‘the cloud’ is a good thing
It wasn’t too many years ago you wouldn’t see a computer in an office … let alone laptops, smartphones and tablets. Wow, how things have changed; it’s hard to imagine getting our job done without a computer, or even a … Continue reading →