Local Government Technology Trends 2012

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:50:17 -0500

Every year about this time I try to predict the technology trends for local government that will influence how we do business in the coming year.  This year, I am doing something a little different.  I started with an article that covered some of the changes we have seen in the past few years that [...]

Technology Drivers for Trends 2012

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:36:33 -0500

Every year about this time I try to predict the technology trends for local government that will influence how we do business in the coming year.  This year, I am doing something a little different.  I am starting with an article that covers some of the changes that we have seen in the past few [...]

Winter is Coming; Do You Have Your Digital Milk and Bread?

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:46:58 -0500

Are you digitally prepared for the winter? Seems easy until you have no power and your battery in your mobile device is dead. Don't be caught digitally unprepared.

Why am I in Portland?

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:17:32 -0400

Why am I in Portland? Some of you have noticed that I have been posting tweets and Facebook from Portland, Oregon this weekend. So why am I in Portland? I am in Portland to talk about one of the treasures that we have in Catawba County, the EcoComplex. The CIO talking about a landfill? What’s [...]

A New Convergence

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 17:33:05 -0500

The convergence of voice, video and data is old news today, but when it happened it changed the world.  New possibilities became available for the delivery of services like phone, movies and entertainment. All this was enhanced with the flood of small mobile devices.  And now, we love being able to use our smartphone to [...]

Social Media in Catawba County (Communicating…….)

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:36:33 -0500

Over the last few years Catawba County has implemented many different ways for citizens to receive information and  interact with us.  I titled this Social Media because that term is recognized by everyone on the web.  It would be more appropriate to title it “Citizen Interaction with Catawba County” or just “Communicating” . And note [...]

What Is That Funny Little Thing On My Building Permit?

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:56:22 -0500

The permit center is in the process of adding QR Codes to the permit hard card.  The following is an explanation about how the code works from Steve Lackey.   By Steve Lackey Along with the use of smartphones and other related devices, QR Codes are becoming quite popular and useful.  Called “Quick Response Codes”, they store [...]

Government Technology Trends for 2011

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 21:12:40 -0500

What does 2011 hold for technology in government?  This is always hard to predict but we must continually be looking forward, researching the trends, separating the potential break through from the fads, and determining what solid technology in our past is now obsolete.  Investments must be sound to maximize the limited, available dollars.  As we [...]

What Does Value Mean to You?

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 16:48:53 -0500

This sounds like a simple question.  What does value mean to you? And it may be simple for you to answer. But when we asked several groups this question, we found that there were about as many answers as there were people answering.  We also found that the answers varied depending on whether you were [...]

The First IT Employee

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:26:27 -0500

By Rick Cook and Terry Bledsoe What does a career in IT look like? What does it mean to start in the infancy of the computer age? What’s it like to be in a field that’s constantly changing? Doug Bumgarner has lived this life and can tell the complete history of technology in Catawba County. [...]

Facebook Gets a Facelift

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:30:26 -0400

By now you have surely heard much about the changes to Facebook. The Timeline allows people to create a scrapbook of their entire life. Before, Facebook kept people up to date in real time on your present life. Now you can create a visual history to share with your audience more about who you are [...]

Liars, Be on the Look Out!

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:41:31 -0400

A new study at England’s University of Bradford uses thermal imaging cameras to detect liars.  Variations in facial temperatures during questioning can assist when determining truth from lie.  When people do not answer honestly, brain activity changes, which thermal cameras can detect. Researchers are combining thermal imaging with a regular camera that monitors facial expressions.  [...]

NCLGISA Fall Symposium

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:20:55 -0400

This fall, NCLGISA will hold its fall symposium on October 19-21 in Asheville, NC. The Crowne Plaza resort is the place to be. Our agenda has changed slightly from the spring to offer general sessions on Wednesday and Friday while having 4 concurrent sessions all day on Thursday. The Disrupt! theme stems from the keynote [...]

Hope in a Bottle

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:05:06 -0400

For those of you fortunate enough to have attended the NCLGISA Spring Symposium, you have heard Neal Petersen’s inspiring message.   For those who were not able to attend, the video of his session will be posted on NCLGISA.org once available.  In the meantime, here is an overview of his session and his book, Journey of [...]

Apps for Education

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:23:52 -0400

For decades Apple has offered incentives for teachers, educators, and parents to utilize their merchandise.  Many already use iPads in the classroom.  iPad users are likely savvy with Pages for word processing, Keynote for presentations, and Numbers for calculating & graphing.  AirPrint can turn your electronic work into a hard copy. This is just the [...]

Social Media as Emergency Management Tools

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 18:37:30 -0400

At the Raleigh CIO Forum, I had the opportunity to hear Lee Yount Jr. present on the many ways Catawba County has integrated social media & networking into its emergency response.   After the recent events in Japan, I decided to investigate how these tools are continuing to be utilized to provide updates and additional warnings [...]

SXSW: Predicting the Next Big Thing

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:54:17 -0400

It’s time for the forum that helped launch FourSquare and Twitter. On March 16-17, it’s the SXSW Interactive Festival  in Austin. What will be the next big tech trend? This year’s front runners enable group texting. Products like GroupMe, Buliga, and kik offer this capability.  GroupMe, the SXSW early favorite, lets you make a subgroup [...]

Park Smarter

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:53:53 -0500

Many cities across the country are replacing aging coin-and-dial parking meters with smart meters.  These solar-powered, automated attendants can control multiple parking spaces, accept credit/debit/cell phone payments, and notify an officer when its ticket time. Single meters can cost as little as $150 each when purchased in bulk, and multi-space meters start at $7,000 each. [...]

Setting Yourself Up For a Successful New Year

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:51:38 -0500

If you have made a New Year’s resolution, it may be harder to keep than you expected. Research suggests that people have a finite amount of willpower and volitional energy.  At the end of a hectic, decision-filled day, you may have more difficulty adhering to your resolution. Here are some tips for a more successful [...]

High Tech School Bus

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:50:05 -0500

In rural Hector, Arkansas, the school district has converted one bus into a mobile classroom for approximately $20,000. Students in this region average 2 hours per day on the bus. During their commute, students have access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) educational resources. The bus has been outfitted with five streaming video screens [...]

Board Member Financial Interest: Mapping the Points on the Continuum

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:30:18 -0500

We say it until we’re blue in the face: municipal and county governing board members have a duty to vote. There is no authority to abstain, or to be excused for a mere “appearance of impropriety.” Instead, state law is specific about when members can be excused from voting. Previous blog posts about these statutes are here, and here. Most often, questions about voting center around a board member’s financial interest in a matter that comes before the board. Municipal and county governing boards make lots of decisions that affect citizens’ pocket books. Governing board members are citizens too. Clearly, members can’t be excused from voting on every decision that affects them financially to any extent. There would be no one left to vote on some matters. How should a board determine which financial interests are sufficient to allow, or require, that a board member be excused from voting? A common approach is to consider the different types of financial interests as lining up along a continuum: that is, along a line which has, at one end, a situation in which the board member is affected in the same way as all other citizens (such as, when voting on the [...]

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s . . .

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:27:52 -0500

Harry Potter and those Twilight vampires need to move over and make room for a new literary superhero.  The mighty local government tax collector returns to the best seller lists this week after a fourteen-year absence with the release of my new book, Fundamentals of Property Tax Collection Law in North Carolina. That’s right, I said superhero.  True, tax collectors can’t cast spells, aren’t immortal, and don’t wear capes or spandex.  (And for that we should be thankful, especially about the spandex.) But they do have plenty of super powers.  After all, who holds the power to generate the revenue that supports nearly every local government in the state?   Who’s strong enough to freeze a million-dollar bank account with a single piece of paper? Who can track down tax scofflaws and their ill-gotten gains from Murphy to Manteo and beyond? The tax collector, that’s who. It was way back in 1998 that my predecessor Bill Campbell last detailed the thrilling adventures of local tax collectors in his treatise on tax collection law.   But changing technology and the General Assembly’s habit of messing with the Machinery Act each year necessitated a rewrite of Bill’s excellent book.  Over the past four years I’ve been releasing Property Tax [...]

Tolling Ends, But Permit Extension Law Leaves Many Approvals in Place

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:33:04 -0500

The recession that began in 2008 hit the real estate market particularly hard.  Many projects that had been approved lost their funding or had little market for the housing, offices, and shops that would have been built.  One response to this was a decision by the General Assembly in 2009 to extend the life of all development approvals made between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010.  S.L. 2009-406 provided that any time limits for development approvals that were valid anytime within this three year period would not start running until January 1, 2011.  That law is described in this earlier blog post, with examples of its application provided in this additional post.   S.L. 2010-177 added an additional fourth year to this suspension of the clock for development approvals, but allowed local governments to opt out of the fourth year.  That extension for an additional year is described in this earlier post.  So now that we have reached January 1, 2012, what is the status and impact of these permit extension laws?  The General Assembly did not act to further extend the period for tolling of time periods last year, so the clock has now resumed running on all development [...]

Local Funding of Courts

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:58:44 -0500

Before the 1960s North Carolina had a hodgepodge of local courts below the state superior court. In one place or another there were general county and city courts, county criminal courts, domestic relations courts, juvenile courts and recorders courts. Some were established by general state law, many by local act of the General Assembly. Then there were mayors’ courts and justices of the peace. The judges of these local courts — estimated at about 1,400 local courts scattered around the state — were usually part-time and many were paid by the fees they collected. There was no uniformity in the kinds of cases the courts could hear or the procedure they followed. State constitutional amendments in the early 1960s created a uniform statewide court system. All courts were placed in the General Court of Justice and those various local courts and justices of the peace were replaced with the new district court and magistrates. The jurisdiction of the courts and their rules and procedure were to be the same statewide; all judges were to be chosen by the same method; and all judges and court employees were to be salaried rather than depending on fees. A state Administrative Office of [...]

Finance Officer Fidelity Bonds: When Are Multiple Bonds Required?

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:52:54 -0500

Prudence serves as a finance officer for a North Carolina county. As a condition of her initial (and continued) employment Prudence is required to obtain and maintain a “true accounting and faithful performance bond” with coverage of up to $50,000. (The county pays the annual premium on the bond.) Recently, the county agreed to handle the finances for the local tourism development authority (TDA). The TDA is a public authority that was created by resolution of the county’s governing board, as authorized by a local act of the General Assembly. The TDA is funded mainly through occupancy tax proceeds levied by the county. It has its own governing board, whose members are appointed by the county commissioners. Pursuant to the agreement between the TDA and the county, Prudence maintains the TDA’s accounts, deposits and invests its funds, and disburses TDA monies according to the directives provided by the TDA’s governing board. Prudence also prepares the TDA’s financial reports. Because of the nature of the relationship between the TDA and the county, the TDA is considered a component unit of the county and its financials are audited along with the county’s financials. Prudence is a cautious person by nature and a [...]

Cancelling and Rescheduling Meetings

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:55:54 -0500

Sometimes there just aren’t enough board members to have a meeting. Suppose that a clerk for a North Carolina city or county learns in advance of a meeting that several governing board members have conflicts and will not be able to attend. There won’t be a quorum without these members. What should be done?  What is the process for cancelling and rescheduling meetings? Must the clerk provide notice of the cancellation to the public and the board members? What notice is required of the rescheduled meeting? Must anyone be present at the time and place of the originally scheduled meeting? Who can cancel a meeting? Surprisingly, there is hardly any law (statutes or cases) addressing these issues.  This blog post summarizes several relevant statutory provisions and suggests approaches that may be used when meetings can’t happen. Regular meetings (when there is plenty of time) State law doesn’t establish procedures for cancelling meetings. There is, however, a specific procedure for changing the schedule of regular meetings.  City and county governing boards are required to adopt schedules of regular meetings. The open meetings law requires public bodies to file and post the schedule in locations as set out in the statute, and [...]

Happy Delinquent Tax Day!

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:36:38 -0500

Don’t you just love the holiday season? We kick it off with a Thanksgiving feast, exchange presents on Hanukah and Christmas, and then celebrate a fresh start on New Year’s Day. But the fun doesn’t end just because we’ve all headed back to work and school.  Late last night, the Delinquent Tax Fairy visited local government tax offices across the state, leaving nicely wrapped presents filled with 2% interest and attachment notices.  It must be Delinquent Tax Day! That’s right: as of 12 a.m. this morning all unpaid 2011-2012 property taxes officially became delinquent.  In a nutshell, this means that interest accrues and enforced collection remedies can begin.  Please allow me to interrupt your holiday celebrations to provide a few details on what should and can happen after Delinquent Tax Day. Interest I covered the mechanics of Machinery Act interest in this post last month.  For the most part, the interest calculation is automated: your tax software will accrue 2% the first month and .75% for every month thereafter.  But some issues still need attention.   The most important manual adjustment that a tax office may need to make involves the “postmark” rule.  GS 105-360 states that tax payments made [...]

North Carolina in the Electoral College

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:32:13 -0500

Most North Carolinians understand that when we mark our ballots for Jimmy Carter or Ronald Reagan or George Bush or Barak Obama for President, we are not in fact voting for those candidates.  We are, instead, voting for a small set of “electors” who will cast the state’s official votes in the election of the President in the nation’s Electoral College.  But how does that really work?  There are 28 steps, start to finish. Nomination of Electors 1.  Each party in a statewide convention (or otherwise as the plan of organization of the party may provide) nominates 15 electors (one from each Congressional district and two at-large) and two alternates.  Unaffiliated candidates nominate their own.  GS 163-1 (“GS” refers to North Carolina state statutes.) 2.  The names of the nominated electors are filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State.  GS 163-209 Election of Electors 3.  The election is held in November.  GS 163-1;  3 USC § 1 (“USC” refers to federal statutes.) 4.  The names of the electors do not appear on the ballot.  Instead, the names of the candidates for President and Vice-President appear on the ballot.  GS 163-209, GS 163-165.5.  Each voter has one vote for President and [...]

Wrapping up the Year: Updates on Two of 2011’s Most-Discussed Public Health Law Issues

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:18:17 -0500

It’s been a busy year in public health law in North Carolina, as both legislation and litigation have reshaped policy and practice in areas ranging from environmental health to health promotion programs to reproductive health services. As the year comes to a close, many of us who follow public health in the state are paying particular attention to two matters that have the potential to bring even more change in 2012: legislative proposals that could affect local public health agency organization and governance, and litigation over the 2009 law that banned smoking in most North Carolina restaurants and bars. Here’s an update on both of those issues. Local Public Health Service Delivery North Carolina counties have a statutory duty to provide public health services to their residents, which they carry out by operating or participating in some form of local public health agency. I described the types of local public health agencies that are presently authorized by state law in a June 27 blog post. During its 2011 regular session, the General Assembly considered several bills that addressed how local public health agencies may be organized. No new legislation was enacted, but three bills made the legislature’s crossover deadline and remain eligible for consideration by the [...]

Ensuring Local Policy Complies with New Residential Inspections Law

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:52:12 -0500

The city manager of Tooltime, North Carolina, picks up the phone and calls Tim Taylor, the city’s minimum housing public officer and lead housing inspector. “Tim, I understand why you suspended all periodic inspections in Tooltime that did not comply with the new periodic inspections law.  I know we have much less flexibility now than we had before. But residential buildings still need to be inspected, and new complaints about neglected dwellings come in every week. I need a plan for moving forward that I can explain to the council. Can we modify our inspections program to comply with the law?” Tim had already been working on it. Earlier that week, he and city attorney Heidi Keppert had reviewed and discussed a School of Government (SOG) bulletin on the new law. Although the law now requires inspectors first to find “reasonable cause” prior to inspecting a residential building, there was no other guidance on the procedural aspects of an inspection program. Heidi explained that the lack of guidance offers some flexibility to the city, but there are pitfalls as well. In the absence of clear procedures, inspections might be conducted inconsistently, or similarly-situated owners and landlords might be treated differently, [...]

InTheNews,January26,2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:52:57 -0500

InTheNews,January24,2012

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:15:13 -0500

InTheNews,January19,2012

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:48:13 -0500

InTheNews,January17,2012

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:56:53 -0500

Career Opportunities (classifieds)

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:59:00 -0500

Receive notification when we update our classifieds page with new career opportunities.

Calendar of Events

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:57:00 -0500

Receive notification when we update our Calendar of Events page.

Legislation of Interest to Counties

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:38:00 -0500

Receive notification when we update our legislative tracker.

NCLeague: NCLM is offering Police Driver Training the week of 3/19-3/23. #SlowerIsFaster http://t.co/swwpWssE

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:06:10 -0500

NCLeague: NCLM is offering Police Driver Training the week of 3/19-3/23. #SlowerIsFaster http://t.co/swwpWssE

NCLeague: #nclm InTheNews,January26,2012 - Title: In The News, January 26, 2012 Article Date: 1/26/2012 Page Content: ANNEXATI... http://t.co/PCQQOo95

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:33:49 -0500

NCLeague: #nclm InTheNews,January26,2012 - Title: In The News, January 26, 2012 Article Date: 1/26/2012 Page Content: ANNEXATI... http://t.co/PCQQOo95

NCLeague: http://t.co/XnTv6U0J: Gov. Perdue expected to annce she will NOT seek reelection.

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:00:16 -0500

NCLeague: http://t.co/XnTv6U0J: Gov. Perdue expected to annce she will NOT seek reelection.

NCLeague: Gov. Perdue expected to NOT seek reelection. Ancmnt expected soon. http://t.co/XnTv6U0J

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:59:32 -0500

NCLeague: Gov. Perdue expected to NOT seek reelection. Ancmnt expected soon. http://t.co/XnTv6U0J

NCLeague: Editorial suggests open dialogue, our 'better angels,' on water issues around annexation plans in Asheville. http://t.co/7U5N4u5M

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:14:17 -0500

NCLeague: Editorial suggests open dialogue, our 'better angels,' on water issues around annexation plans in Asheville. http://t.co/7U5N4u5M

NCLeague: http://t.co/7U5N4u5M: Asheville fights to keep control of its water systems to ensure best interests of city residents are met.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:07:39 -0500

NCLeague: http://t.co/7U5N4u5M: Asheville fights to keep control of its water systems to ensure best interests of city residents are met.

NCLeague: Asheville council members say changing ownership could allow system to sink back into disrepair like prior to city takeover in 2005.

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:06:14 -0500

NCLeague: Asheville council members say changing ownership could allow system to sink back into disrepair like prior to city takeover in 2005.

NCLeague: State legislative committee consider stripping Asheville of control of its water systems; concerns over quality, costs. http://t.co/7U5N4u5M

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:03:10 -0500

NCLeague: State legislative committee consider stripping Asheville of control of its water systems; concerns over quality, costs. http://t.co/7U5N4u5M

NCLeague: Water issues, always a topic in local gov'ts, in the news today. Asheville may lose control of its water system. http://t.co/7U5N4u5M

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:00:44 -0500

NCLeague: Water issues, always a topic in local gov'ts, in the news today. Asheville may lose control of its water system. http://t.co/7U5N4u5M

NCLeague: #nclm InTheNews,January24,2012 - Title: In The News, January 24, 2012 Article Date: 1/24/2012 Page Content: WATER SY... http://t.co/qO2XkbnH

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:34:57 -0500

NCLeague: #nclm InTheNews,January24,2012 - Title: In The News, January 24, 2012 Article Date: 1/24/2012 Page Content: WATER SY... http://t.co/qO2XkbnH

NCLeague: RT @NancyMcFarlane: @usmayors Rahm Emanuel talks about importance of Community Colleges

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:22:07 -0500

NCLeague: RT @NancyMcFarlane: @usmayors Rahm Emanuel talks about importance of Community Colleges

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeeds: Rep. Alexander: State govt coverage isn't "must-see TV" but should be available nonetheless.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:53:09 -0500

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeeds: Rep. Alexander: State govt coverage isn't "must-see TV" but should be available nonetheless.

NCLeague: RT @DPGilmartin: Talented ppl concentrating in big metros, particularly in central #cities. So if cities don't work then it drags ALL. # ...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:50:38 -0500

NCLeague: RT @DPGilmartin: Talented ppl concentrating in big metros, particularly in central #cities. So if cities don't work then it drags ALL. # ...

NCLeague: Rep Avila @ #FCCInfoNeeds: it is frustrating to find out how many people don't care about what I am doing vs. HOW to communicate to people.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:50:08 -0500

NCLeague: Rep Avila @ #FCCInfoNeeds: it is frustrating to find out how many people don't care about what I am doing vs. HOW to communicate to people.

NCLeague: RT @DPGilmartin: The single greatest predictor of a city/ region/state's economic success is the % of residents with a four year degree. ...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:45:03 -0500

NCLeague: RT @DPGilmartin: The single greatest predictor of a city/ region/state's economic success is the % of residents with a four year degree. ...

NCLeague: RT @LeagueLINC: #NCGA LGERS Decisions Impact Municipal Government - Date: 1/20/2012 Description: The NC Local Government Retirem... ...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:37:18 -0500

NCLeague: RT @LeagueLINC: #NCGA LGERS Decisions Impact Municipal Government - Date: 1/20/2012 Description: The NC Local Government Retirem... ...

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeeds: News14Carolina is a model for local coverage.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:36:25 -0500

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeeds: News14Carolina is a model for local coverage.

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeeds: Charlotte Observer underwriting topics that the paper was not covering, like science, fine arts and youth.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:24:04 -0500

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeeds: Charlotte Observer underwriting topics that the paper was not covering, like science, fine arts and youth.

NCLeague: Charlotte Obsever's Rick Thames @ #FCCInfoNeeds: local reporting is a community asset.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:19:31 -0500

NCLeague: Charlotte Obsever's Rick Thames @ #FCCInfoNeeds: local reporting is a community asset.

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeed: panel on gaps and opps in accountability journalism underway.

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:07:59 -0500

NCLeague: #FCCInfoNeed: panel on gaps and opps in accountability journalism underway.