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MRSC FOCUS › Focus - November 2001
 

Note: Some of the information on this archival Web page may no longer be current.

Focus - November 2001

Local Government Music Licensing Agreement - Amnesty Available until January 15

Most public performances of music by local governments require consent to avoid liability for damages and costs for infringing the writer/performer's copyright. Public performances can be as informal as playing a CD as background music at a public swimming pool. A new licensing agreement (Adobe Acrobat Document15 Kb), developed by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), in conjunction with the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA), enables government entities to perform music in public without liability for copyright infringement. Signing up for the license before January 15, 2002, provides amnesty for past infringement. More ... (November 30)

State Forecasts $813 Million Reduction in Revenues

The Washington State Office of the Forecast Council issued its Preliminary November 2001 Forecast on November 20. It shows a reduction in estimated revenue for the 2001-2002 biennium of $813.1 million. For more see the Forecast Council's press release (Adobe Acrobat Document5 Kb) and home page. The Washington State Association of Counties has provided a summary of the forecast. (November 21)

Get MRSC Web Site Updates and Quarterly Newsletter by E-mail

You can get a monthly e-mail notifying you of selected updates to MRSC's Web site along with an electronic copy of our quarterly newsletter, by subscribing to the mrscnews mailing list. Send a message to mrscnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of your message, type: subscribe [your name]. If you have any questions about subscribing, please contact listadmin@mrsc.org.

New MRSC Web Page - Reduction in Force

Our new “Reduction in Force - Layoffs” page contains information on a number of issues that must be addressed when layoffs or reductions in force occur. (November 1)

New MRSC Web Page - Energy Resources

Our new "Energy Resources" page contains information on energy policy issues, siting of energy facilities, facility planning, renewable energy sources and more. Sample land use policies and regulations are also included. (November 1)

Public Records Disclosure

Recent newspaper articles have raised issues concerning the adequacy of local government responses to requests for disclosure of public records. All city and county agencies should periodically review their public records policies and train employees who handle requests for public records. More ... (November 6)

OFM Paper Examines Economic Impacts of Boeing Layoffs

The state Office of Financial Management (OFM) has undertaken a preliminary examination of the state's revenue situation in the wake of the attacks in order to provide some idea how projected Boeing layoffs may affect the state Economy and state-government revenue. More... (November 8)

Minimum Wage to Increase January 1

The Washington State minimum wage will increase to $6.90 per hour on January 1, 2002. This is 18 cents an hour more than the current minimum wage of $6.72. As of January 1, it appears that Washington will have the highest minimum wage in the nation. More … (November 1)

NLC Survey - Dealing with Terrorism

Most American cities will reassess their preparedness for terrorism in light of the September 11 attacks, according to a survey of 456 cities (Adobe Acrobat Document9 Kb) in the United States conducted by the National League of Cities. (November 1)

Inquiry of the Week

This week's "Inquiry of the Week":

Request for list of Washington cities and counties that have established Martin Luther King Day as a holiday.

[Previous inquiries of the week]

Get the Big Picture

If you like to get the big picture, then you'll like our new "Browse All Subjects," and "Browse All Issues" pages. The new links found at the top of our home page "Browse Subjects" and "Current Issues" menus give you convenient access to all of our major subject and current issue pages. (November 1)

DOR Answers I-747 Questions

The Department of Revenue has issued a memo with questions and answers about Initiative 747. (October 8)

Featured Page: Looking for Grant Money?

Our "Grants for Local Government" page has lots of helpful information on grant sources, administration, applications and the awards process. (November 1)

Online Recreation Registration in Kent

The City of Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services department's WebReg site gives citizens the flexibility of recreation program registration 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (November 1)

Job Rights and Military Leave for Reservists and Members of the National Guard

Following the tragic events of September 11, President Bush activated some military reservists; it is anticipated that additional reservists may be activated, as the United State's response to the acts of terrorism is further developed. During the upcoming weeks, many questions involving military leave and the reemployment of returning reservists will undoubtedly arise. MRSC has compiled a series of questions, answers and links to assist cities and counties in responding to these issues. (October 15)

Implicit Price Deflator (IPD) Increase is 1.89 Percent

On September 1, we announced that, based on unpublished data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the increase in the implicit price deflator for personal consumption expenditures from July 2000 to July 2001 was 1.89 percent. However, the Department of Revenue does not consider this number official until it is confirmed by data published in the September 2001 issue of the Survey of Current Business. That publication has taken place. More ... (October 4)

Issaquah's Youth Center Web Site

The city of Issaquah's Youth Center Web Site was designed and is maintained by youth center members and includes a center events calendar, daily activity schedule, a list of volunteer/job opportunities, a news page and more. The Web is a great place to involve the youth in your community. We like it! (November 1)

Expanding Affordable Housing

A new report, "Expanding Affordable Housing through Inclusionary Zoning: Lessons Learned from the Washington Metropolitan Area," (Adobe Acrobat Document104 Kb) by Karen Destorel Brown, from the Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, examines the effectiveness of inclusionary zoning programs as tools for providing affordable housing throughout a jurisdiction. (November 1)

Web Sightings - Renewable Energy Sources

With the increasing emphasis on renewable sources to meet today's energy needs, MRSC has developed a new Web page on Renewable Energy. Here's a sampling of the information you'll find there:

General

(November 1)

Looking for New Ways to Present Your Budget Information?

At a recent WSAC conference, Commissioner Judie Stanton showed how Clark County presents its general fund budget under four basic program categories: mandatory, essential, discretionary, and support. See their "Budget by Purpose" outline and "Schedule of Programs" (Microsoft Excel Document1,045 Kb) spreadsheet. (October 22)

Washington City/County History Quiz

On May 7, 1792 British explorer Capt. Robert Gray sailed into the bay next to future site of this city and named it Bullfinch Harbor. Later explorers re-named the area after the Captain. Early settlers used the area to raise cattle. In 1969 a real estate investment corporation bought up the area for $1,000,000 and launched plans for a "California-style" development. By 1969 the "Richest Little City" had an assessed evaluation of $35 million and 900 permanent residents. During the 1980s, the city struggled through many setbacks brought on mainly by the state's Economic recession. By the 1990s, the slump was over and construction of homes and businesses began again. What city is it? And the answer is ~drum roll~ ... (November 1)

Selected New MRSC Library Materials

Browse through a selected list of new MRSC Library materials (listed by subject). The list includes new library books, videos, articles, government publications, and more.