Adhere to the guidelines. Whatever they say they are going to fund, that’s what they’re going to fund.

In 2009 with the departure of the incumbent P&R Director and facing the reality of laying off park line employees the City Burlingame again considered combining departments or sharing of a P&R Director. The relatively new Librarian didn’t relish the thought of taking on Parks and Recreation, two services in which she had no previous experience. The City of Brisbane 8.5 miles north of Burlingame offered to share it’s P&R Director in anticipation of eliminating that position when the incumbent retired in the future.

Today, the Care1st Avondale Resource and Housing Center is a model for duplication by other communities. In 2011, Care1st opened its second facility in the Town of Gila Bend, located in a remote section of Maricopa County. By providing area residents access to much needed health and social services in one convenient location, the Care1st Avondale Resource and Housing Center has improved the lives and health of families in the region.

Examples of how localities are successfully stretching beyond traditional means to tackle challenging problems, build community and foster a civic culture.

Why use technology to engage our citizens? If it is for one-way communication, we suggest you ask yourself, “Is the time and effort you have to dedicate to it worth it…”

The examples in this article demonstrate the impact and importance of utilizing technology to successfully stretch beyond traditional means to tackle challenging problems, build community and foster a civic culture.

This article details a series of problems with public hearings, and then culminates with an explanation of how online public comment forums complement public hearings in ways that (1) address their deficiencies, (2) enhance the perspectives and deliberations of government decision makers – and ultimately, (3) increase public trust in government.