cutting through the red tape
Cutting Through the Red Tape
reviewing expectations: my first week in the City/Parish of Baton Rouge
by Emily Patrick, 2011 Baton Rouge Fellow
Months before I started carrying boxes up to my second floor apartment or scoped out the local grocery stores the Sunday before work began, my thoughts had revolved around the Red Stick City. For the first time I would be living an extended period of time out of my home state of Virginia. Personally I had very little anxiety about the possibilities that lay ahead even as friends and family weighed in their opinions on what I could ...
<< MORE >>Social Cities
by Miki Litmanovitz, 2010 San Francisco Fellow
A major responsibility of cities is to engage with their residents and keep
them involved, and cities have been turning to social
media to help them achieve that goal. The City of San Francisco has always
been at the forefront of technology and social media. Mayor Gavin Newsom was
even recently named America’s Most Social Mayor for his use of social media.
How can other cities and nonprofits use social media to their advantage?
Is Twitter the answer? Or is it Facebook? Blogging? YouTube? Cloud computing? What's the next trend in bleeding-edge
technology, and how can NGOs be prepared to use it?
I recently attended a training on how to use social media in the public and
nonprofit sectors, and here are some best practices I learned:
- Remember that the purpose of social media isn’t to talk about you; it’s to get information about your organization. Keep your personal accounts and your organization’s accounts separate.
- Make sure you pick names that are intuitive, like the name of your organization. (Good example: Unicef)
- Keep your posts short, no more than a few very short paragraphs. (Good example: World Wildlife Fund)
- Your Twitter and Facebook accounts should contain unique information, not just link to other social networking sites. (Good example: Red Cross Twitter, Red Cross Facebook)
- Make it easy for people to donate! Include relevant information on your website/blog/etc. regarding how funding is used. (Good example: PETA)
- Take the extra time to make sure that all the links on your website work. Having inoperable links on your website looks unprofessional and makes it harder to find relevant information about your organization.
Training the People Who Transform Our Neighborhoods
Recently I was asked to guest author a blog for the Pepsi Refresh Project. Here's my post, republished in full
from the Refresh Blog. This was originally posted on March 16, 2010.
Every week, each of the Refresh Ambassadors brings in a new voice to take stock of the ideas populating their category and to gather up a “playlist” of their favorites. Bethany Rubin
Henderson, Founder and Executive Director of City Hall
Fellows, weighs in.
...
<< MORE >>
the convergence of local economic impact research and politics
By Shyamali Choudhury, 2010 San Francisco Fellow
As a research analyst in the Controller’s Office, I work in a division called the Office of Economic Analysis (OEA). We look at economic
impacts of proposed legislation and frequently field requests for data analysis from various departments. Still, this fall when a request from the City Attorney’s Office came through, it was unusual
enough to stir up considerable excitement in our tiny office of three.
The San Francisco City Attorney San Francisco City Attorney successfully
<< MORE >>
lead-ing the way: public health, clay pots, and potential lead-poisoning
By Minh Nguyen, 2010 Houston Fellow
<< MORE >>
In 2009, the Environmental Health Division of the City of Houston’s Health and Human Services Department (HDHHS) began the Flea Market Initiative (FMI) to investigate venues that it does not typically address - flea markets. The initiative itself was successful in curbing existent public health violations and even brought to bear another public health concern: pottery containing high lead levels. This initiative is a great example of how multidisciplinary teams and committed public health agencies can work together to improve a ...
energy efficiency & economic development
By Sara Mansur, 2010 Houston Fellow
I am serving my Fellowship year in the Office of Sustainable Growth here in the City of Houston. While my work for the year pertains mostly to renewable energy and environmental sustainability policy, I have had the opportunity to observe the operation of the City’s impressive Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP), which is also run out of my office.
REEP was created in 2006 as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce energy consumption throughout the City of ...
<< MORE >>are city health centers offering a healthy work environment for employees?
By Rachel O’Shields, 2010 Houston Fellow
Recently, as part of my Fellowship, I conducted an assessment of the morale among the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) Nursing Staff. The purpose was to assess retention, to ascertain a current demographic profile of Health Department nurses, and to allow for accurate HDHHS staff forecasting and planning based on retirement eligibility. This information was intended to lead the department to new retention and recruiting strategies, among other courses of action.
Of the indicators of morale, ...
<< MORE >>The San Francisco UrbaNexus
By Rance Graham-Bailey, 2010 San Francisco Fellow
In February, with tremendous help from the Craigslist Foundation , I planned a lunch-time panel discussion entitled “Community
Benefit Districts: The Future of San Francisco Development?” The event was part of URBANEXUS, a series of
conferences on urban issues taking place across the country at the initiative of Next American City magazine.
Community benefits districts (CBDs) are San Francisco’s version of business improvement districts. CBDs impose a special assessment on some combination of either property or business owners
...
<< MORE >>
Sustainable Energy Financing: Bringing Solar to Houston’s Residents
By Sara Mansur, Houston Fellow '10
In cities across the nation, a new model for solar financing is popping up. This model, called PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy), allows municipalities and city governments to provide the upfront financing for property owners to purchase and install solar panels and energy efficiency improvements on their homes. Property owners repay these low interest rate loans over an extended period of time, as a line item on their property tax bills. PACE Sustainable Energy Financing Districts are rapidly proliferating in municipalities across the country, from Boulder County, CO to Berkeley, CA to Austin, TX. The crux of any PACE program is that it eradicates the highest barriers that property owners face when trying to enter the market for solar energy: high upfront costs.
Land-secured financing districts are commonly used tools in municipal finance. In traditional assessment districts, a municipality issues bonds to fund projects that are explicitly in the public interest, such as streetlights, sewer systems, etc. Typically, each resident in the land-secured district will pay a special tax towards these improvements. The PACE program allows a local government to establish a voluntary assessment district, such that only those property owners who wish to take part in the program will “opt-in” to the district. These property owners will then pay back the loan they have received from the government in the same way as their property tax bills. This allows the municipality to offer a loan to its residents without tapping into its General Fund, while minimizing risk of default. In turn, property owners are afforded access to a low-interest rate, long term loan for solar installations and energy efficiency improvements that would not normally be provided by the free market.
I believe PACE presents an opportunity for the City of Houston – where I am serving my year as a City Hall Fellows - to encourage the proliferation of an innovative technology across its residential and commercial sectors. In Berkeley, the pilot program reached capacity enrollment within the first 15 minutes of the opening of applications. By establishing a market for solar renewables and energy efficiency initiatives, the City of Houston can attract stakeholders in the industry across the supply chain, from manufacturers to contractors and installers. A PACE consultant recently estimated that a PACE program brought a 9% increase in positive job growth to the construction industry in Southern California. Such a program can provide immediately tangible results for Houston, in the form of economic development and sustainable employment across the city. Most crucially, however, PACE would be an important step towards encouraging the proliferation of clean energy alternatives among property owners and ultimately addressing climate change in the City of Houston.
In cities across the nation, a new model for solar financing is popping up. This model, called PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy), allows municipalities and city governments to provide the upfront financing for property owners to purchase and install solar panels and energy efficiency improvements on their homes. Property owners repay these low interest rate loans over an extended period of time, as a line item on their property tax bills. PACE Sustainable Energy Financing Districts are rapidly proliferating in municipalities across the country, from Boulder County, CO to Berkeley, CA to Austin, TX. The crux of any PACE program is that it eradicates the highest barriers that property owners face when trying to enter the market for solar energy: high upfront costs.
Land-secured financing districts are commonly used tools in municipal finance. In traditional assessment districts, a municipality issues bonds to fund projects that are explicitly in the public interest, such as streetlights, sewer systems, etc. Typically, each resident in the land-secured district will pay a special tax towards these improvements. The PACE program allows a local government to establish a voluntary assessment district, such that only those property owners who wish to take part in the program will “opt-in” to the district. These property owners will then pay back the loan they have received from the government in the same way as their property tax bills. This allows the municipality to offer a loan to its residents without tapping into its General Fund, while minimizing risk of default. In turn, property owners are afforded access to a low-interest rate, long term loan for solar installations and energy efficiency improvements that would not normally be provided by the free market.
I believe PACE presents an opportunity for the City of Houston – where I am serving my year as a City Hall Fellows - to encourage the proliferation of an innovative technology across its residential and commercial sectors. In Berkeley, the pilot program reached capacity enrollment within the first 15 minutes of the opening of applications. By establishing a market for solar renewables and energy efficiency initiatives, the City of Houston can attract stakeholders in the industry across the supply chain, from manufacturers to contractors and installers. A PACE consultant recently estimated that a PACE program brought a 9% increase in positive job growth to the construction industry in Southern California. Such a program can provide immediately tangible results for Houston, in the form of economic development and sustainable employment across the city. Most crucially, however, PACE would be an important step towards encouraging the proliferation of clean energy alternatives among property owners and ultimately addressing climate change in the City of Houston.
Civil Lawsuits: A New Approach to Suppress Crime
By Mercedes Sanchez, Houston Fellow '10
Gang crime and violence is gradually becoming a pressing problem in our society. Who is to blame for such a rapid increase? And how can our justice system eliminate this problem? The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that there are more than 800,000 gang members and 30,000 gangs in the United States. In response to the fast proliferation of gangs, law enforcement has been exploring new ways to suppress gangs and their violence. Because traditional means of combating street gangs have not been enough, law enforcement has looked for alternative tools such as civil gang injunctions. But, is this truly the solution to our problems?
Civil gang injunctions are court-issued restraining orders that prohibit named gang members from participating in a variety of specified activities. The gang injunction is filed by district or city attorneys under the law of public nuisance, which is meant to protect the greater good of the community by suppressing minor offenses. Under the assumption that street gangs’ presence interfere with the rights of the community, gang injunctions become protective orders for those neighborhoods infested with such crimes. The nuisance law is applied to gangs because as an organization, its’ members must be held accountable for their actions. Nonetheless, the way injunctions are currently in place allows law enforcement to imprison gang members for suspicious activities rather than actual crimes.
Civil gang injunctions vary throughout districts, cities, and states. The injunction is drafted to address the specific problems a neighborhood is facing and it is up to the prosecutors to decide what they want to include on the injunction. Prosecutors must decide the area covered by the injunction, known as the safety zone, as well as the individuals who will be included on the injunction. Once the injunction is in place, it can be reinitiated, modified, expanded, and names can be added to ensure the injunction fits the problem area.
Injunctions allow judges to prohibit enjoined individuals from engaging in activities that would otherwise be legal. For example, by law, gang members who are enjoined could potentially be prohibited from associating with any other known gang members, required to comply with curfew hours, banned from local restaurants or bars, or restricted from being around drugs and alcohol. These activities are restricted because they are thought to facilitate the performance of criminal activities; therefore, the law is willing to create injunctions that can result in the arrest of people in the absence of a crime – for example, simply for having lunch with a friend in a banned establishment.
In order to be bound by the injunction and its terms, a gang member must be made aware that the injunction has been enacted. This notification is imperative, because violating the injunction is treated as criminal contempt of court, a Class A misdemeanor, which under the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code 125.066, can result in maximum fine of $10,000 and/or confinement in jail for up to 30 days.
Gang injunctions are seen as an innovative way to disrupt everyday gang activities due to their suppression and preventive effects. Currently, gang injunctions are taking a voracious suppression approach, basically incarcerating as many criminals, gang members, and even potential gang members as possible in an effort to prevent possible future crimes. However, gang injunctions are not the sole solution to eradicate gangs. Gangs are multifaceted, with various layers of involvement, and in order to truly hinder their criminal activities, gangs must be attacked from different angles. It is necessary to combat the root of the problem - the reason that individuals are joining gangs - as well as reform those who are criminally active. Regulatory measures should be in place to ensure a fair and effective way of using this tool. A balance must be applied. In other words, a compromise amongst all services needs to be in place, so that law enforcement cannot be in a position to be given the opportunity to abuse their power by depriving gang members’ everyday civil liberties; however, at the same time, they should have enough tools to maintain order and safety in the community.
Gang crime and violence is gradually becoming a pressing problem in our society. Who is to blame for such a rapid increase? And how can our justice system eliminate this problem? The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that there are more than 800,000 gang members and 30,000 gangs in the United States. In response to the fast proliferation of gangs, law enforcement has been exploring new ways to suppress gangs and their violence. Because traditional means of combating street gangs have not been enough, law enforcement has looked for alternative tools such as civil gang injunctions. But, is this truly the solution to our problems?
Civil gang injunctions are court-issued restraining orders that prohibit named gang members from participating in a variety of specified activities. The gang injunction is filed by district or city attorneys under the law of public nuisance, which is meant to protect the greater good of the community by suppressing minor offenses. Under the assumption that street gangs’ presence interfere with the rights of the community, gang injunctions become protective orders for those neighborhoods infested with such crimes. The nuisance law is applied to gangs because as an organization, its’ members must be held accountable for their actions. Nonetheless, the way injunctions are currently in place allows law enforcement to imprison gang members for suspicious activities rather than actual crimes.
Civil gang injunctions vary throughout districts, cities, and states. The injunction is drafted to address the specific problems a neighborhood is facing and it is up to the prosecutors to decide what they want to include on the injunction. Prosecutors must decide the area covered by the injunction, known as the safety zone, as well as the individuals who will be included on the injunction. Once the injunction is in place, it can be reinitiated, modified, expanded, and names can be added to ensure the injunction fits the problem area.
Injunctions allow judges to prohibit enjoined individuals from engaging in activities that would otherwise be legal. For example, by law, gang members who are enjoined could potentially be prohibited from associating with any other known gang members, required to comply with curfew hours, banned from local restaurants or bars, or restricted from being around drugs and alcohol. These activities are restricted because they are thought to facilitate the performance of criminal activities; therefore, the law is willing to create injunctions that can result in the arrest of people in the absence of a crime – for example, simply for having lunch with a friend in a banned establishment.
In order to be bound by the injunction and its terms, a gang member must be made aware that the injunction has been enacted. This notification is imperative, because violating the injunction is treated as criminal contempt of court, a Class A misdemeanor, which under the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code 125.066, can result in maximum fine of $10,000 and/or confinement in jail for up to 30 days.
Gang injunctions are seen as an innovative way to disrupt everyday gang activities due to their suppression and preventive effects. Currently, gang injunctions are taking a voracious suppression approach, basically incarcerating as many criminals, gang members, and even potential gang members as possible in an effort to prevent possible future crimes. However, gang injunctions are not the sole solution to eradicate gangs. Gangs are multifaceted, with various layers of involvement, and in order to truly hinder their criminal activities, gangs must be attacked from different angles. It is necessary to combat the root of the problem - the reason that individuals are joining gangs - as well as reform those who are criminally active. Regulatory measures should be in place to ensure a fair and effective way of using this tool. A balance must be applied. In other words, a compromise amongst all services needs to be in place, so that law enforcement cannot be in a position to be given the opportunity to abuse their power by depriving gang members’ everyday civil liberties; however, at the same time, they should have enough tools to maintain order and safety in the community.
