I think each article in the October issue of PM magazine is tied to the same goal: help make communities and their managers a little more safe, healthy, and resilient.

We were working on the cover story this past summer on smart policing when several public safety incidents were taking place in the United States that involved deadly force. So it seemed as if the timing was right for such an article, and plans are to follow up with more articles on public safety topics during 2015. The cover story focuses on three communities that are using collaboration to organize resources and achieve quality-of-life goals.

A feature article author who was working on community health needs assessments and community health plans over the past year found relationships between public health and local government fascinating and has shared what she learned. While some local governments may shy away from conducting assessments or health planning, the article shows why this might not be such a good idea because a local government’s good health is an economic issue.

Even though I read the “Balancing Act” department a number of times while the October issue was in production, I still go back to it to get tips on how to manage my own information overload and put the tips to use. One example is not to cc and bcc every person in the world on an e-mail message if they don’t actually need to be a part of the information loop. Knowing me, I’ll have to keep trying with this one.

I hope readers learn something reading this entire issue that will help them and their local governments be safe, healthy, and resilient. Be sure to leave your comments at the bottom of online articles or don’t hesitate to send them directly to me at bpayne@icma.org.