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Regional Community Development News - August 12, 2009 [regions_work]
A compilation of news links about and for regional communities pursuing
local and regional development.
Published on line since November 11, 2003.
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Contents
Top Regional Community stories . 1. - 2.
U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - news articles
. 3.01 - .13
Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet . 4.01 - .03
Announcements .. 5.
_________________________________________________________________________
Note: Short issue - Vacation time. Ed.
Top Regional Community stories
1. Baby steps to regionalization - Asbury Park Press
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it is certainly the mother of
regionalization. Municipal budget woes are prodding some officials to look
into that concept and to find other ways to save taxpayer dollars. As Red
Bank Mayor Pasquale "Pat" Menna said, "Municipal budgets are being torn
asunder at every turn."
Red Bank officials last week signed a resolution to join a study of
regionalizing garbage collection in more than half of Monmouth County. The
Central Jersey Council of Governments is seeking a state grant to fund the
study, expected to cost $418,000. Officials of participating towns, which
make up about 72 percent of the county, predict potential savings up to 20
percent or more by combining trash-collecting resources.
But Red Bank officials are also looking at cutting costs of other borough
services, such as hiring low-bid private contractors for cutting down fallen
trees and to supplement the borough's public utilities staff for jobs such
as snow removal. .
Regionalization and the privatization of some functions of municipal
responsibilities are ideas that could help cut down the hefty costs of local
government. It's long past time for municipalities to consider them.
Municipalities that have consistently balked at sharing services need to get
on board and explore these possibilities for the sake of the beleaguered
taxpayers within their borders.
<http://www.app.com/article/20090805/OPINION01/908060309/1029/OPINION>
http://www.app.com/article/20090805/OPINION01/908060309/1029/OPINION
2. Break down old town lines - The Daily News of Newburyport - North
Andover, MA, USA
If taxpayers could choose their public services, would they choose the
services they receive today?
Government is a monopoly defined by geography, and our geographic
boundaries, laid-out hundreds of years ago, determine what services we
receive and who provides them.
As voters we choose our elected officials and they decide what services we
receive. This year candidates are again promising fiscal responsibility,
greater accountability and greater efficiency. Some might even mention how
we fund government and some might mention service levels provided for our
tax dollars. They are all talking about regionalizing our local governments.
None of them mention consolidation - they should be.
Massachusetts is over-governed. We have 351 cities and towns, 393 school
districts, 139 other districts (water, fire and electric), 106 retirement
boards and numerous other public entities. Consolidating many of these
political subdivisions would increase service levels and reduce costs.
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue Division of Local Services recently
completed an Enhanced Regionalization and Merger Analysis for the Towns of
Hamilton and Wenham (available on the DOR/DLS Web site). The report's
conclusions "support the fundamental premise that the merger of two towns
into one can produce overall dollar savings, higher service levels and
efficiencies in the operation of local government." It projects an annual
savings of $752,438 - 1.7 percent of the combined operating budgets of the
two towns - $42,925,744.
.
In contrast, the proposed regionalization of the Amesbury, Salisbury and
Newburyport health departments optimistically represents less than one-tenth
of 1 percent of the combined operating budgets of the three towns. The
return on this investment doesn't justify the time expended and the negative
costs like anger and mistrust directed at our local leaders or embarrassing
press stories. .
Let's redraw our local boundaries creating municipalities based on service
parameters, efficiency and effectiveness. .
<http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_217230715.html?k...
=secondarystory>
http://www.newburyportnews.com/puopinion/local_story_217230715.html?k...
secondarystory
3. U.S. Regional Communities - sub-State, State or multi-State - in news
articles.
Bold font words are Google search terms. Bold italic words considered worth
noting. In this and section 11, links to websites of organizations are
added to the news excerpt when this is the first time an organization has
been found. A goal of this newsletter is to find every regional council in
the U.S. in a news story as well as recognizing other regional
organizations. In most cases, where a full name is present, a Google search
will quickly get one to that organization. News reports do not always get
the organization name correct. Contents
.01 Reconfiguration Lawsuit Superior Court Rules in Favor of Region 14
Voicesnews.com - CT, USA
The Superior Court decision states that it is not clear if the
reconfiguration changes conflict with the language in the 1968 regional
plan. "The plan recommends: 'that grades K through 5 be housed in elementary
school buildings in Bethlehem and Woodbury'," the memorandum of
understanding stated. "Strictly speaking, that is still true. Both schools
remain elementary schools. Grades K through 5 are still housed in the
elementary school buildings in Bethlehem and Woodbury." The court ruling
stated that the Region 14 Board of Education's actions fall within the
mandate of state statute 10-220(a), that states, in part, that boards of
education shall designate the schools which shall be attended by the various
children within the school district. ...
<http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20354619&BRD=1380&PAG=461&d...
=157533&rfi=6>
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20354619&BRD=1380&PAG=461&d...
157533&rfi=6
.02 Against Region 12 Supreme Court Finds in Favor of Bridgewater in
Lawsuit
Voicesnews.com - CT, USA
The state Supreme Court ruled that a referendum on a proposed elementary
school consolidation by Region 12 could not take place until each of the
three towns in the region - Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington - amends the
original August 1967 regionalization plan. The ruling explains that voters
in each town must amend the 1967 plan, since the plan allows for individual
town elementary schools. Each town has to pass the change. ...
<http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20354841&BRD=1380&PAG=461&d...
=157533&rfi=6>
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20354841&BRD=1380&PAG=461&d...
157533&rfi=6
.03 Guard troops may be needed in troubled Ala. county
The Associated Press -
The sheriff in Alabama's most populous county may call for the National
Guard to help maintain order, a spokesman said Tuesday, after a judge
cleared the way for cuts in the sheriff's budget and hopes dimmed for a
quick end to a budget crisis. Circuit Judge Joseph L. Boohaker ruled that
leaders in Jefferson County - now trying to head off a municipal bankruptcy
filing of historic proportions - could go ahead with plans to slash $4.1
million from the budget of Sheriff Mike Hale, who had filed a lawsuit that
temporarily blocked spending cuts for his office. ... (Gov.) Riley
previously refused to declare a state of emergency in Jefferson County,
which has about 640,000 residents and includes the state's largest city,
Birmingham. But he hasn't ruled out sending in Guard members or state
troopers if needed. ... The budget crisis comes as the county seeks to avoid
filing what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy ever over some $3.9
billion in sewer bonds it can no longer afford to repay. .
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izJ-eI7ggPK2ka48kM0...
NQgD99S83QO2>
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izJ-eI7ggPK2ka48kM0...
QgD99S83QO2
.04 Regionalization boards set first meeting
Fall River Herald News - MA, USA
The town's Regional School Planning Committee will meet with the Berkley
Regional School Planning Committee at 6 p.m. tonight in the conference room
at North Elementary School. It will be the first meeting for both
committees. A regular School Committee meeting will follow. Both Berkley and
Somerset voted to establish their committees at their respective annual Town
Meetings. Somerset Town Moderator Lucia Casey appointed the members of
Somerset's regionalization board: School Committee member Elizabeth White,
Parent-Teacher Organization member Julie Ramos-Gagliardi and Joe Quinn, a
commissioner for the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development
District. ...
<http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x1543597820/Regionalization-boards-set...
-meeting>
http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x1543597820/Regionalization-boards-set...
meeting
.05 Montpelier moves forward on regional ambulance study
Barre Montpelier Times Argus - Barre, VT, USA
The Montpelier City Council voted Wednesday to move forward in researching a
regional public safety agreement between area communities, tapping two
councilors to serve on a Regional Public Service Committee to move the
proposal forward. ... Mayor Mary Hooper expressed frustration that past
attempts at regionalization on this and other issues have failed, although
she thanked the others for being willing to try yet again. "Just for the
record, I've done this five times now," said a clearly skeptical Hooper....
<http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090723/NEWS02/907230323/1003/NEWS02>
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20090723/NEWS02/907230323/1003/NEWS02
.06 Dowd explains regionalization options to freeholder board
Shore News Today - Ocean City, NJ, USA
Atlantic County Executive Superintendent Thomas Dowd spoke to the Atlantic
County Board of Chosen Freeholders Tuesday, July 14 about his recommendation
for feasibility studies with regard to regionalizing area school districts.
He told the board about the New Jersey Accountability Code, saying it
focuses on fiscal responsibility, efficiency and budget procedures. ...
<http://www.shorenewstoday.com/news.php?id=3121>
http://www.shorenewstoday.com/news.php?id=3121
.07 More cops on street a key benefit to regional 911 project
Gloucester Daily Times - MA, USA
Much of the discussion of the planned Essex County 911 emergency dispatch
center, which has now gained the endorsement of both of Gloucester's public
safety chiefs, has focused on how much the project can generate in savings
for cities, towns and their taxpayers. But another key aspect that shouts
volumes in support of the regionalization effort can be seen in the idea
that shifting Gloucester's dispatch services to the regional center planned
for Middleton would free up as many as six police officers to work the
city's streets, rather than in the department's own dispatch room. ...
<http://www.gloucestertimes.com/puopinion/local_story_201234600.html?k...
=topstory>
http://www.gloucestertimes.com/puopinion/local_story_201234600.html?k...
topstory
.08 Regionalization of health services up for vote tonight
The Daily News of Newburyport - CT, USA
As the City Council prepares to vote on a three-community regional health
agreement, Mayor John Moak admits he's unsure that the agreement will get
the needed approval to take effect in the city. "I'm not real optimistic
about it," Moak said. Under the regionalization plan, first presented by
city officials in May, Health Director Jack Morris would have the
responsibility of overseeing all administrative tasks associated with health
services: inspection, animal control, public health nurse and administrative
backup services for Amesbury, Newburyport and Salisbury. ...
<http://www.newburyportnews.com/punews/local_story_210214613.html>
http://www.newburyportnews.com/punews/local_story_210214613.html
.09 Officials ponder policing
Altoona Mirror - Altoona, PA, USA
Area police departments face similar struggles: including rising costs,
manpower and scheduling. Now they may work together to try to solve them. A
workshop between borough officials and police representing Carrolltown,
Hastings, Northern Cambria and Patton had those involved encouraged late
last week. Their hope: to get enough support from their local councils to
study the possibility of forming a round-the-clock regional force or, at the
very least, find a way to strengthen cooperation among existing departments
to improve the region's coverage. "Nobody ever wants to use the 'R' word,
but it's coming to a point I think we should look at [regionalization],"
Patton Mayor Steve Bakajza said. ...
<http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/521065.html>
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/521065.html
.10 Petition opposes regional veterans department
Marshfield Mariner - Marshfield, MA, USA
Instead of each town having its own veterans service office, multiple towns
would share a single office, thereby creating one regional district. ... "We
might also have to have (protest) signs made up and go down to town hall and
let them hear it," he said, claiming that regionalization of veterans
services would severely disrupt Marshfield's active group. "We don't want to
do it because we got more people on our rolls then they do . they're not
active at all." While the veterans services in Scituate, Duxbury and Norwell
may be lumped into one program along with Marshfield's, they do not
participate in organized affairs like Marshfield, Tramonte said. Marshfield
spends close to $11,000 per veteran each year compared to that of Scituate,
which spends approximately $200 per veteran per year. ...
<http://www.wickedlocal.com/marshfield/news/x2015103267/Petition-oppos...
ional-veterans-department>
http://www.wickedlocal.com/marshfield/news/x2015103267/Petition-oppos...
onal-veterans-department
.11 Towns may regionalize shelters
Providence Journal - Providence, RI, USA
Regionalization in Rhode Island draws its share of talk. Add some barking
and meowing to the mix. An idea to bring homeless animals from Lincoln to
Pawtucket's expansive new shelter .. officials are at the discussion stage
and there is no formal proposal, according to officials from both
communities. ... officials in both communities have to consider costs,
including feeding animals and veterinary examination. Regionalizing services
has drawn interest as a cash-strapped state examines how it does things.
Merging school districts, fire departments and, in one lawmaker's ill-fated
try, five towns into one, are concepts bandied about in a time of recession.
...
<http://www.projo.com/news/content/LINCOLN_ANIMAL_SHELTER_08-02-09_SKF...
295.32a7a76.html>
http://www.projo.com/news/content/LINCOLN_ANIMAL_SHELTER_08-02-09_SKF...
95.32a7a76.html
.12 BNP Media and Spectrum Gaming Group Team Up for New England Gaming
Summit
PR Newswire (press release)
The explosive potential for gaming in the New England region will be the
focus of a new conference from BNP Media Gaming Group and Spectrum Gaming
Group. The first New England Gaming Summit will be held September 13-14,
2010, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn. ... "Two of the largest
casinos in the world are located in Connecticut, while gaming operations in
Rhode Island and Maine are also part of this vibrant market," added Charles
Anderer, Group Publisher, Gaming, for BNP Media. "With Massachusetts and New
Hampshire legislative leaders likely to reconsider casino-style gaming,
there may be more to come. The region is ready to explore gaming's current
impact and future potential in a dedicated conference environment." ...
<http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=...
tory/08-03-2009/0005070789&EDATE>
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=...
ory/08-03-2009/0005070789&EDATE=
.13 Making Connecticut and Westchester Towns More Livable - Regional
Plan Association
A new study by Regional Plan Association examines how mayors from six
communities in Connecticut and New York can revitalize their downtowns,
promote transit oriented development, and provide residents with more
walkable and livable communities. The 18-page report summarizes
recommendations that resulted from a two-day-long intensive planning
exercise in which the mayors of six cities, towns, and villages from New
York and Connecticut worked with a resource team consisting of experts in
planning, design, development, transportation, and landscape architecture.
Each mayor presented his/her case study or specific problem to resolve,
which was then followed by an hour and one-half brainstorming session about
the solutions.
<http://www.rpa.org/2009/07/making-connecticut-and-westchester-towns-m...
vable.html>
http://www.rpa.org/2009/07/making-connecticut-and-westchester-towns-m...
able.html
4. Other Regional Community News for Our Local Planet Contents
.01 First H1N1 Flu Death in Region
Solomon Islands News - Suva, Fiji Islands
The first death from the H1N1 flu in the region has been reported from Guam.
... The A(H1N1) flu or Swine Flu is now no longer a traveler's disease as it
was considered before and is now being spread locally in countries in the
region through person to person contact.
<http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=4245>
http://www.solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=4245
.02 Mind the gap: Fixing Canada's EI system
rabble.ca
Prime Minister R.B. Bennett proposed payments for jobless workers during the
Depression in 1935, and Unemployment Insurance (UI) was introduced in 1940.
In the early 1970s, changes made UI easier to get, covered more people, and
increased the payouts. Cuts in the 1980s and 1990s decreased the amount paid
out, required more hours to qualify, and linked the amount of benefits to
unemployment rates in different regions. The name changed to Employment
Insurance in 1996. "It used to be one of the most generous in the world, but
now it's becoming similar to other countries," says Jim Struthers, a
professor who has studied EI at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.
Unlike other countries, Canada uses EI as a tool to redistribute wealth to
poorer regions and to benefit seasonal industries like fishing. Struthers
believes EI has a role to play in the recession as a fast, efficient
economic stimulus going to people who will spend the money they get. ...
<http://rabble.ca/news/2009/07/mind-gap-fixing-canadas-ei-system>
http://rabble.ca/news/2009/07/mind-gap-fixing-canadas-ei-system
.03 Try carpooling says Regional Council
Wellington.scoop.co.nz - Press Release - Greater Wellington Regional Council
Next Wednesday is Carpool Day and people in the Wellington region are
encouraged to give carpooling a go. Ping Sim, coordinator of Greater
Wellington's new Let's Carpool programme, says the national day is an
inaugural event for New Zealand. "The idea of Carpool Day was dreamt up by
Auckland woman, Sarah Painter, who tried carpooling some time ago and has
never looked back. ...
<http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=8995>
http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=8995
5. Announcements and Regional Links. Contents
.01 Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago
- 2009 Upper Midwest Planning Conference - September 24-26 - Chicago, IL
July 2009 marks the 100th Anniversary of the 1909 Plan of Chicago,
familiarly known as the Burnham Plan-after its principal author, architect
and city planner Daniel H. Burnham. A legacy planning document that
influenced and shaped the entire planning profession, it looked at the
metropolitan area from a regional perspective.
The annual Upper Midwest Planning Conference, whose sponsorship rotates
between Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota Chapters of the American
Planning Association, will consider the 100 years of planning practice since
the Plan of Chicago. To re-integrate professional fields that have become
too often separated from planning, the American Institute of Architects and
Landmarks Illinois have partnered in the conference design. It while
critically examine the trajectory of the planning profession for the next
100 years.
This conference is designed to make participants "think big!" The mobile
workshop-centric program will get participants out and about in one of the
world's greatest metropolitan areas. The goal is to expand the way attendees
view their work in shaping regional growth, development, and re-development.
For information and online registration:
<http://www.ilapa.org/conf/09/conf2009.html>
http://www.ilapa.org/conf/09/conf2009.html
.02 6th Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Roundtable - September 30 -
October 1, 2009 - Frederick, MD - APA Regional and Intergovernmental
Planning Division
The theme of this Roundtable centers around the potential impacts of the
long-term growth of Metropolitan Washington and Metropolitan Baltimore on
outlying areas in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. These
particular types of impacts are particularly important given the very
substantial immediate past and anticipated future growth of Metropolitan
Washington. There will be plenary panels on Thursday, October 1. On
Wednesday Afternoon, September 30, there will be Tour of Downtown Frederick
and Evening Dinner downtown. Frederick City has successfully combined
historic preservation, Smart Growth and New Urbanism.
2009 Agenda and presentations from prior events at:
<http://semanticommunity.wik.is/Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Planning_Roundta...>
http://semanticommunity.wik.is/Mid-Atlantic_Regional_Planning_Roundta...
To register go to: <http://www.mwcog.org/calendar/>
http://www.mwcog.org/calendar/ Scroll to the dates - September 30/October 1
and open the link. The form gives the option to register either or both
days. You may change your choices in the future.
My name is Tom Christoffel. I've worked in the field of intergovernmental
and regional cooperation since 1973. As a consequence, "I see regions work."
Regional Community Development News is published bi-monthly based on news
reports as of Wednesday of the publication week
Making visible such cross-boundary planning, collaboration and
cooperative action at multi-jurisdictional networked regional scales,
public, private and NGO is my purpose. "Think globally, act locally" was
innovative in its time. Today the local scale is often too small to address
today's needs and opportunities. "Think local planet, act regionally," is my
candidate paradigm. No one said we're only allowed one paradigm.
We can see that "regional communities of communities" are organized
locally and now act both to avoid tragedy in the commons and gain benefits.
An effective multi-jurisdictional regional community has DNA. It is
geographically Defined; has a common Name and its Alignment is inclusive of
smaller communities and participatory in larger communities. So, by scanning
this compilation, reading articles and checking organizations - you too will
be able to see the regional communities that already exist.
News references are found using the Google News search service. Media
article excerpts and links are "fair use" to transform globally scattered
reports to make regional approaches visible. Links go to the publisher and
do not compete with it. Such publishers are likely to have related stories
and thus be seen by new customers. "Regional" is an emerging news category.
There is no charge for this service and no profit is made from its use,
though any user can become more aware of the topic itself.
To search previous issues since 2003 go to:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/regions_work/
To join Regional Community Networkers and get a free subscription use this
email link - no additional information required:
regions_work-subscr...@yahoogroups.com
For the Google Groups version go to:
http://groups.google.com/group/regional-community-development-news
For the Blog and RSS feed go to: http://regional-communities.blogspot.com/
Questions, comments or items to feature in Regional Community Development
News?
Please email the editor: Tom.Christof...@gmail.com
Thomas J. (Tom) Christoffel, AICP - http://www.regional-communities.com/
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