Voting Begins in Days!
WCPN
A group of state and local officials hopes to expand local communities’ ability to pool resources with one another as a cost saving tool. ideastream’s Bill Rice reports that as the idea of resource sharing gains traction, the law may need some tweaking.
In July 2009, Kent State University’s Center for Public Administration and Public Policy and its Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative released a study that assesses alternative approaches for managing vital infrastructure in cities that are losing population. The report makes it clear that infrastructure management is best viewed from a regional perspective, and it includes recommendations about potential areas for management improvements.
“We identified a series of long-term steps that can help improve the management of our water, energy, and transportation infrastructure in cities that are losing population,” said Dr. John Hoornbeek, one of the study’s co-authors.
Some of the long term recommendations included in the report are:
The report focuses on Cleveland’s water, sewer, energy and transportation infrastructure and was developed based on interviews with engineers, public works professionals and the people who manage infrastructure in Northeast Ohio. The report may also be of interest to observers and professionals in other cities with declining populations.
Ms. Terry Schwarz, a co-author of the report and Senior Planner with the Urban Design Collaborative said that “we found no evidence that decommissioning infrastructure on a widespread scale would outweigh the opportunity costs of removing usable roads, sewers and water lines.”
Rather, the study suggests that infrastructure may constitute a comparative advantage for Cleveland in the future and this should be taken into account as infrastructure management decisions are made.
The study was supported by a grant provided by the Northeast Ohio Research Consortium, a research arm of the Ohio Urban University Program. You can download a copy of the report at www.kent.edu/cpapp.
Note: EfficientGovNow’s partners include six Northeast Ohio institutions of higher education. Representatives from these institutions have offered valuable insights and resources throughout the work of EfficientGovNow program. From time to time, we will post some of their news, ideas and helpful information toward accelerating government collaboration and efficiency under the blog heading “resources.” We look forward to continuing to share more resources in the future.
On June 2, 2009, a coalition of Ohio universities is sponsoring a forum in Columbus, Ohio, on Financing Water Infrastructure for policymakers and stakeholders. The forum is designed to assist state policy makers and water stakeholders in improving water infrastructure management in the State of Ohio.
The forum will highlight insights from a panel of experts on water infrastructure financing, and will include discussions of current water infrastructure needs, available funding sources, and ways in which water and wastewater systems can work together to improve infrastructure financing and services. The panel of experts discussing these issues includes: Mr. Ken Kirk, executive director, National Association of Clean Water Agencies in Washington, D.C.; Mr. Steve Grossman, executive director, Ohio Water Development Authority, and; Mr. Bill Jarocki, director of U.S. EPA’s Environmental Finance Center in Boise, Idaho.
Dr. John Hoornbeek, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Public Administration and Public Policy at Kent State University, will moderate the discussion. Mr. Kevin O’Brien from Cleveland State University (CSU), Director of the Ohio Urban University Program, will host the forum and provide introductory remarks.
The forum is being held at the Athletic Club of Columbus, 136 E. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 on Tuesday June 2, 2009, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. To register, please complete a registration form at www.urban.csuohio.edu/uup/. For more information, please contact John Hoornbeek at 330-672-7148 or Claudette Robey of CSU at 216-687-2188.
Note: EfficientGovNow’s partners include six Northeast Ohio institutions of higher education. Representatives from these institutions have offered valuable insights and resources throughout the work of EfficientGovNow program. From time to time, we will post some of their news, ideas and helpful information toward accelerating government collaboration and efficiency under the blog heading “resources.” We look forward to continuing to share more resources in the future.
Twelve elected officials from local governments throughout Northeast Ohio recently completed a 10-week Academy on developing and delivering local government services. The Academy enables today’s leaders to become informed about the roles of local elected officials and ways in which they provide for the delivery of efficient and effective services for Northeast Ohio residents.
The Academy concluded on April 30th with timely discussions led by State Representative Kathleen Chandler, Chairperson of the State Assembly’s Local Government Committee, and Dr. Thomas Pascarella, who currently serves as Director of Administration for the City of Tallmadge. They both provided insights about the trend toward intergovernmental collaboration and ways in which it can be fostered and improved. The course facilitator, Mr. Dale Helsel, a former City Manager with four decades of local government experience, also offered remarks and insights for those in attendance.
Kent State University’s Center for Public Administration and Public Policy has offered the Elected Officials Academy for more than 20 years, but this year marked the first time it was offered simultaneously at Kent, Ashtabula and Salem campuses via the distance learning technology of Kent State University. If you have questions about the Academy or are interested in participating in a similar program next year, please contact Mr. Dale Helsel or Ms. Kerry Macomber of the Center at 330-672-7148 or kmacomb1@kent.edu.