So its Sunday of Labor Day weekend, a gorgeous Sunday mind you and yet I’m inside writing a blog.  Well, when the youngest offspring is home from college for the first time and shopping is on her list, its mom that goes and not dad. Typical Mars and Venus stuff. So instead, I decide to relax and read. Not anything heavy like a novel but something related to work. I can’t help it.  And of course reading such material gets me to thinking… a dangerous state for me, just ask my family or co-workers.                                         

That’s the setup. What I was reading was Governing magazine. It’s a great magazine for those involved or interested in state and local governments. And a small article in the August issue (ok, I’m a bit behind) discussed the controversy over “Agenda 21”.  What is Agenda 21 and why is it controversial? A recent poll shows that’s what 85% of Americans would like to know that as well. 

Agenda 21 is the name given to a non-binding resolution adopted by the United Nations in 1992 that encourages sustainable growth through development in dense areas while encouraging conservation of open land.  Key phrase here… NON-BINDING. Nonetheless, those who believe there are plotters among us seeking to create a one-world government through the United Nations have drawn their focus on the measure, to the point where the national Republican Party platform has strong language against Agenda 21.( “We strongly reject the U.N. Agenda 21 as erosive of American sovereignty, and we oppose any form of U.N. Global Tax,”)

Now, from where I sit a non-binding resolution is just that, non-binding, meaning you don’t have to do anything to follow it. On the other hand in an era of scarcer and scarcer financial resources and a growing federal deficit, shouldn’t we have a honest discussion about where those resources are to be placed and how?  Of course we should, the message of having to make tough decisions was a constant at the recent Republican national convention. And yet, when it happens and government seems to do the right thing, its still wrong.

Case in point, the new $14 billion levee system that seems to have worked and saved New Orleans form major flooding during Hurricane Issac.  But, water has a tendency to create its own path and when it was essentially blocked from New Orleans, it found its way to smaller communities who were not hit as hard from Katrina. That has led to an outcry and proclamations from elected officials to seek a full investigation and ensure that it doesn’t happen again. 

You know the old saying about not being able to have it both ways.  Well, if there is an expectation that, given scare financial resources, we want government to act like a business and get the biggest bang for the buck, then there will be winners and there will be losers. This too is part of the tough discussion.  The levee system is a classic case in point. Spend money and improve infrastructure where it will make the most difference.  

That seems to me be the real the point of Agenda 21… develop plans, strategies and programs that will yield the most efficient and effective use of taxpayer dollars, especially when it comes to land use planning and infrastructure.  Actually seems quite similar to the Michigan Municipal League’s “Center for 21^st Century  Communities” initiative. Quite frankly one would think such a school of thought would be supported by all, but especially by conservatives. 

Hurricane Issac provides a great opportunity for the leaders in both parties to have that “tough discussion” with Americans in an honest manner, even in an election year, and not in 30-second sound bites. It’s crunch time folks, pay close attention.

Once upon a time in a land far, far, away….Oh wait wrong fairly tale.  What am I talking about? The fact that not too long ago the provision ofr services in Michigan used to be a shared responsibility between state government and local government.  But, over the past decade or more what we have seen is a devolving of those responsibilities to primarily locals as the state has used nearly $5 billion meant for locals to fill its own budget hole.  As a result we’ve seen locals layoff police and fire personnel, close parks and libraries, and put off much need upgrades to important infrastructure such as local streets and sewers. At the same time, getting state government (governors and legislators) to come together on the need for additional revenues has been virtually impossible.  Take additional revenues to help fix our roads and bridges and support transit alternatives.  Even with federal dollars at stake, the legislature can’t seem to find a way to agree to something…anything that would bring such areas into the 21st century.

And yet, at the local level, residents are passing millage after millage to support any number of services.  As a matter of fact at the August election, 90% of all local millages were approved.  This included 100% of all public transit millage requests!   The story has been the same the past couple of years. In the August 2010 election, 86% of all millages were approved and in May of 2011 more than 80% were adopted.

So what’s the deal in the halls of Lansing or Washington?   Clearly, local voters are more than willing to support additional revenues for items when the case is made for specific services that add to our quality of life.  Lets just be sure that the next time we hear a state legislator say the public is against raising taxes to remind them of the reality.

As you ponder how to balance your community’s finances and make tough choices about what you can afford, have you stopped and asked if you are exacerbating an already tough situation?  If your rates and charges for your utility systems are not set properly you just may be doing just that.

When elected officials sit down to plan out their year, it is highly unlikely that their most anticipated activity is adjusting water and sewer charges.  Adjusting utility rates is certainly not the most desirable endeavor an elected body can engage in, but it is one of the most important.  If your community doesn’t perform an annual review and adjustment of your water and sewer rates that fully captures the costs of the system, you are negatively impacting the rest of the community’s operations.  At this point you are probably asking: why?  The answer is really quite simple.  If the rates and charges your community charges don’t fully cover the costs of the service, where do you suppose the revenue comes from to make up the difference?

There is also a real equity problem.  A taxpayer’s SEV has nothing to do with the amount of water utilized.  Residents and businesses alike that are high users of water benefit immensely from inadequately set water and sewer rates.  Conversely, low users carry an unfair burden.  Would you offer to pay your neighbors electric bill when he has 4 kids, 8 TV’s, and lights on 24/7 when you live alone and manage your electric usage?  Of course not, but that is effectively what happens when rates are improperly set.

No one wants to raise utility rates, but if they don’t capture all your costs you are adding to the already difficult circumstance of managing your community’s finances and delivering services.  Make sure everyone pays their fair share.  No more,but certainly no less.

How is technology changing the way you innovate in your community?  Not all stories can be told in 140 characters, but when communities use the communication power of social networks, they are actually creating a less anonymous city and citizens are more encouraged, and willing to engage in community activities.  This small change in a communication/engagement strategy is a prime example of how technology is supporting municipal innovations.  Recently, I shared some useful insights on navigating and enjoying the power of the social media.  Here are some other trending technologies that I’ve come across on the Internet.

#BigData – “Data is a critical asset for state and local government.  What happens when you have too much data, and how do you make sense of it when data volume is growing 40% per year?”

#Cloud – “Cloud computing represents a fundamentally different way for government to architect computing resources.”

#Mobility – Global mobile data will increase 26-fold between 2010 and 2015 and there will be nearly one mobile device per capita by 2015.  Read how the Virginia Information Technology Agency is increasing employee productivity with BYOD.

#M2M – This is machine-to-machine communications, where one device transmits data wirelessly to another device.  Read The Center for Digital Government‘s piece on M2M and Smart Technology.

Advances in technology have allowed even the smallest municipalities to cost-effectively innovate.  Cutting costs and doing more with less is highly important in the municipal marketplace.  Don’t underestimate the power to effectively innovate because of the increases in the above technologies.  Communities should no longer be discouraged to try something “new” because they may fail.  Failure can be a learning opportunity and believe me, most of the above trending technologies, have failed somewhere along the way.

As new and improved technology solutions are introduced, local officials have many difficult decisions to make about implementing new technologies, sometimes at a sizeable investment, or stay with the status-quo and squeak out another year with their current software and hardware.  Don’t be fooled, both decisions have costs associated with them, and sometime staying with the status-quo will not save time or money.

So what is your community’s IT forecast?  Right now is the perfect time for you to look at cloud-based solutions for your community’s day-to-day operations.  Today, the cloud levels the playing field in terms of access to enterprise class hardware and software for communities of all sizes.  No longer do you need huge IT budgets and numerous IT staff to have the latest and greatest.

One solution that you can implement right away, is to look at moving your e-mail and office productivity applications to the cloud.  When I talk to different communities throughout Michigan, I find most are using Microsoft Office for their productivity suite of software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and Microsoft Exchange for their e-mail server. I also hear that costs associated with staying current with the newest versions of the applications are too high to implement across the board.  This leads to some city staff having different versions of the software and having to play the “Save As” game so that all documents can be shared.  This is a waste of time and can cause many problems.

Microsoft now offers Office 365, which is their cloud-based solution that combines the best of both worlds (desktop and cloud). You only pay for what you need, which can be determined by a per user basis, through subscription-based access.  It is easy to setup and use, your staff are already familiar with the applications. Office 365 allows your staff to work from virtually anywhere, with any device.  Office 365 for government can cost as little as $3.50 per user, per month.  All this while having your e-mail server protected and monitored 24/7 by a team of Microsoft specialists in a state of the art data warehouse.

Recently the Michigan Municipal League implemented Microsoft Office 365.  With Exchange online, we’ve moved our e-mail to the cloud and no longer have to spend resources keeping our on premise server patched, protected, backed up and monitored. The League’s plan includes the current Microsoft Office desktop applications.  By combining Office with Office 365, we have anytime, anywhere access to our applications, data and communications.

Discover Office 365 for yourself with this short video:

One of the eight assets of the MML’s Center for 21st Century Communities (21c3) programs is multiculturalism. Its the best way we could think of stating that being welcoming to all is as important as anything when it comes to communities prospering in the 21st century.

And someone who can be considered one of the forerunners in the discussion of “place”, Richard Florida, recently penned a article on the subject. It can be found in theatlanticcities.com, a on-line ezine from “The Atlantic” magazine. If you’re interested in issues involving cities, you should definitely have this in your twitter feed.

The article, titled “The Geography of Talent” discusses how places that are open to new ideas attract creative people from around the globe, broadening both their technology and talent capabilities, gaining a substantial economic edge.  Talent and technology are Florida’s other “T’s” for creating prosperous communities.

Florida notes that recent studies indicate that half of all Silicon Valley start-ups have at least one foreign born person as a founder.  Florida notes that “Tolerance  –  and openness to diversity and inclusiveness – is not an afterthought or something that happens when communities get rich. It is a key element of the new economic development equation.

Florida recently released a 10th anniversary revsied edition of his original work on the rise of the creative class. While one may not always agree with what he has to say, his work does provide for some thought provoking conversation.

Here are a couple of useful links to stories that will help you navigate the social media world.  Both social media neophytes and seasoned veterans will find this information helpful.

First up, from Mashable.com, a terrific social media resource on the Internet, a list of 12 essential cheat sheets on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.  Also includes some tips on social media etiquette.

Next, a friend e-mailed me this morning saying he came across A Politician’s Guide to Social Media, and thought it was another good reminder to those in public office on how to conduct themselves in the social media world.  There is a short little video that you can watch from GovGirl which gives the following advice:

1. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want to see in tomorrow’s paper.
2. Know your agency’s social media policy.
3. Talk like a real person.
4. Abide by campaign and open meeting laws.
5. Never cross the streams!

The best thing about the Internet and social networking sites can also be the worst thing. Too much information and it becomes a daunting task to figure out where to start.  I hope these links and sites give you some insight on navigating and enjoying the power of social media.  As always, feel fee to contact me or comment on this blog for additional discussion.