Gov News

The City of Fort Collins, CO is again inviting and encouraging citizens to recycle their vegetable oil waste, including Thanksgiving used cooking oil from their turkey deep fryers. This is the second year the City will host its Annual Holiday RecycOil®.

The City of West Hollywood and local Neighborhood Watch groups will launch the “Lights on West Hollywood” program to enhance public safety in residential and commercial neighborhoods. The goal of the “Lights on West Hollywood” program is to aid residents and business owners by providing free motion detector lights to qualifying addresses. Proper lighting is an important part of crime prevention.

Rio Rancho, New Mexico has been named by BusinessWeek magazine as the State of New Mexico's best place to raise kids in 2009.

The City of Arvada, Colorado is Jefferson County, Colorado's first community with 100 percent smoke-free workplaces. Arvada unanimously passed ordinance CB08-02, “Restricting Smoking in Public Places and Limiting the Exposure of Children to Tobacco and Smoking Products,” which strengthens the City’s 2005 Smoking in Public Places Ordinance.

The offices of the Alliance for Innovation will be closed on Tuesday, November 11. We wish everyone a safe and happy Veteran's Day holiday.

The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) bestowed its highest national award, the Gold Medal Award, to the Grand Prairie, Texas Parks and Recreation Department at the 2008 NRPA’s Congress and Exposition in Baltimore. Grand Prairie, Texas won the award in the population group of 100,000-250,000.

Downers Grove North high school senior Kelsey Graczyk, 17, said that her experience serving on the Community Events Commission and working on Heritage Festival has made her consider a career in community planning. "I'm not quite sure about politics, but I definitely have an interest in some sort of public service," she said.

Washington, DC Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, joined by directors of the Departments of Public Works (DPW) and the District Department of Environment (DDOE), announced further achievements in reducing vehicle emissions by eliminating more than 300 light vehicles from its fleet and initiating a one of a kind motor pool operation called Fleet Share. Given the uncertain state of the US economy, this initiative, based on the Zipcar model, is part of the administration’s proactive approach toward cutting fleet costs for the District.

The Purchasing Department at the City of Edmond, Oklahoma was recently recognized, for the third straight year, with the National Purchasing Institute (NPI) Achievement in Excellence in Procurement Award. The 2008 achievement award was presented to Brenda Mayer, Purchasing Manager, at the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing Annual Forum earlier this year.

The city of Las Vegas, Neveda Department of Leisure Services has once again proven it is one of the top parks and recreation agencies in the country. The department recently received national re-accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).

With most of its firefighters and police officers living outside the city, Mountain View, California is eyeing a program to increase the number of local first responders.

The City of Plano Fleet and Equipment Services Division has been named one of the 100 Best Fleets in North America by Government Fleet Magazine and CCG/Faster Fleet Management Systems.

The Nevada League of Cities & Municipalities (NLC&M), which represents many diverse cities and municipalities around the state of Nevada, presented the City of Sparks with the 2008 NLC&M Innovation Award for the construction of Golden Eagle Regional Park.

The city of Glendale, Arizona was recently presented the 2008 Outstanding Regional Contribution Award by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

MuniGov 2.0 is a coalition of local and municipal governments focused on exploring the use and principles of Web 2.0 in an effort to improve citizen services and communication via technology. The site is currently looking to expand its base of local leaders applying Web 2.0 strategies and leaders interested in learning more about Web 2.0.

Nine of Central Arkansas’ leading construction companies will embark on a one year mentoring program. Each company has agreed to mentor up to two MBE (Minority-owned Business Enterprises) construction companies. According to Bob East of East-Harding, Inc., “The mentors have committed to act as mentors, share their business and construction expertise, and provide sub-contracting opportunities and crucial industry exposure.”

The Florida Department of Health (DOH) Deputy Secretary/State Health Officer for Children's Medical Services (CMS), Joseph Chiaro, M.D., announced that Hospice of the Nature Coast and CMS Gainesville has been approved to provide pediatric palliative care services to the children and families of Alachua County who are enrolled in the Children's Medical Services Network.

The Tampe, Florida Mayor’s Alliance for Persons with Disabilities will hold its 21st Annual Job Fair. Approximately 35 select area employers and hundreds of job seekers with disabilities will participate in the free event. The job fair will take place at the offices of Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance.

Durham, North Carolina is named the "Best Place to Retire" by Black Enterprise Magazine in their October 2008 issue. In determining this ranking of the top retirement destinations, Black Enterprise's editorial team took into account factors such as quality of life, healthcare facilities, taxes, general climate, and availability of culture and leisure activities.

Old Town Wichita, one of 10 American Planning Association Great Neighborhoods for 2008, is singled out for the City’s bold vision, astute planning, collaborative partnerships and innovative practices that transformed a derelict warehouse and light industrial district into a bustling and successful mixed-use quarter.