September 2, 2011 By Wayne Hanson from News Reports
Feed Parking Meter From Phone in Indianapolis
Next week, you'll be able to feed the meter without leaving the restaurant. Starting Tuesday, Indianapolis motorists will be able to satisfy their parking meters or pay boxes by using a free smartphone app or calling a customer service number. They also can get a warning when meter time is about to run out. Indianapolis Star
Arrested, Man Blames His Sandwich
The man had lettuce, tomatoes and dressing all over his face, shirt, pants and the steering wheel, according to police. Detroit Free Press
(Video) Police Motorcycle Training
Eight officers lined up on 1000 cc Kawasaki motorcycles at the Utah State Fairpark parking lot with the hope of filling one open spot on the squad. Salt Lake Tribune
Obama Cancels New Smog Rules -- Cities off the Hook?
The ground-level ozone standard proposed by the EPA would have reduced allowable levels of ground-level ozone, the main ingredient of smog, by up to 20 percent. The president yanked the proposal today after several EPA delays in issuing it, citing concerns about the cost to business and regulatory uncertainty. In Oregon, the new rules could have led to expanded vehicle emissions testing around cities, more pollution control at factories and power plants and expanded retrofits of diesel engines to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, a key component of ozone. Oregonian
Most Livable City Named
The concept of livability is simple: it assesses which locations around the world provide the best or the worst living conditions. Assessing livability has a broad range of uses. The survey originated as a means of testing whether Human Resource Departments needed to assign a hardship allowance as part of expatriate relocation packages. Economist Intelligence Unit
Ohio Salary Database So Popular it Crashes
The Ohio treasurer's office database of state workers' salaries and wages was so popular when it went online Wednesday that a server linked to it crashed several times, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel said. The searchable database includes 2011 salaries for all state workers and wages for other public workers as recent as 2010. Cleveland Plain Dealer
Bill Would Prohibit Municipalities From Banning Graywater Systems
If signed by the governor, the new state law would prohibit local jurisdictions from banning graywater systems, which have gained popularity as more municipalities face restrictions on fresh water. It would allow those jurisdictions to enact stricter graywater standards than those of the state only if they provide climatic, geographic and topographic reasons for the tougher regulations. Los Angeles Times
This Digital Communities white paper highlights discussions with IT officials in four counties that have adopted shared services models. Our aim was to learn about the obstacles these governments have faced when it comes to shared services and what it takes to overcome those roadblocks. We also spoke with several members of the IT industry who have thought long and hard about these issues. The paper offers some best practices for shared government-to-government services, but also points out challenges that government and industry still must overcome before this model gains widespread adoption.
Don't miss this opportunity to see the latest in digital government solutions, keep abreast of current policy issues and network with key government executives, technologists and industry specialists.