There's life in Detroit, as well as desolation. Defenders travel the city in these compelling videos, showing the other side of the story. Detroit Free Press
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Detroit Residents Meet to Plan for Future
As Mayor Dave Bing begins an ambitious plan to reshape and revitalize a sputtering Detroit, his administration and urban planners hosted the first of five community meetings today to hear what residents want in a new and improved city. The plan, called the Detroit Works Project, could be one of the most sweeping in the city’s history and define Bing’s public career. Detroit Free Press
City Manager Salaries Revealed
Amid the public outcry over Bell salaries, the League of California Cities has just released a survey of the compensation paid to city managers, and 16 of them, including Roderick Wood of Beverly Hills, reported total compensation of more than $300,000.They included Robert G. Gutierrez, who retired in December as city manager of Moreno Valley and received $459,000 in compensation last year, including $183,000 in accrued leave that was paid off at his departure. Los Angeles Times
Hartford Wrestles With "Butt-Ugly Building"
Proposition Would Ban State Grab of Local Government Funds
For nearly two decades, the state at various times has turned to cities, counties, special districts and redevelopment agencies for money to help bridge state budget gaps. Largely, the effort has involved "shifting" property tax funds from local governments to school districts, thereby reducing the state's obligation to use state funds to meet the minimum school funding level under Proposition 98. Sacramento Bee
Las Vegas Launches Website for Mobile Devices
Las Vegas launched a new mobile website last month, offering citizens and visitors the ability to report problems to the city (and later check the status) while “on the go.” According to the city's Greg Duncan, the service is accessible to any mobile device with a Web browser. Unlike specialized apps, there is nothing to download and it is not limited to any specific phone type (e.g., iPhone, Android, etc.). It will also work on feature phones (non-smart phones) with Web browser capability. The "Report A Problem service" lets people tell the city where the problem is and what the problem is. If a problem is not within the city limits, the site will direct the citizen to the responsible neighboring jurisdiction. Problems reported through the site are entered directly into the city's CRM systems and quickly relayed to field workers who respond to those issues. Duncan said that the city intends to add other services such as payments. Las Vegas
League of Mayors to Discuss State Issues
Sun Bruno Blast Probe Focuses on Shutoff Valves
Federal investigators and state legislators are zeroing in on whether inferior shut-off valves on the natural gas pipeline that exploded last week in San Bruno, Calif., led to a deadlier, costlier disaster. San Francisco Chronicle
Maricopa County's Feuding Tab Hits $5.6 Million
The vitriolic conflicts among Maricopa County, Ariz.'s elected officials have drained at least $5.6 million from the county's coffers over the past two years, according to the latest Arizona Republic analysis of public records. And the costs continue to mount as disputes over money, power, computer systems and public records persist among Sheriff Joe Arpaio, former County Attorney Andrew Thomas and the Board of Supervisors. Arizona Republic
