Municipal boards should be aware of all state, federal and local laws that affect them, either directly or indirectly. Section 508 of the federal law pertains to accessibility for people with disabilities. Municipal board directors should be well-informed about Section 508 of the law and ensure that the municipality’s website meets the standards of the law. The federal government requires municipal governments to guarantee equal opportunity for people with disabilities. The intention of Section 508 is to encourage the development of products and web-based services that meet certain … [Read more...] about The Importance of Complying With Section 508 for Local Government Boards
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Why Your Government Should Adopt a Paperless Solution
Digitization has been growing continuously in every industry. It’s safe to say that technology is here to stay, and for good reason. Technology gives every industry, including municipal governments, a competitive edge. Software solutions provide new and improved ways for governments to receive, store, secure and manage data. The general public has also recognized that their governments could better utilize technology to improve their processes and access to data. Unfortunately, due to longer procurement cycles and spending constraints, governmental entities are better known for bureaucracy … [Read more...] about Why Your Government Should Adopt a Paperless Solution
The Top Five Things to Look For in an Agenda Management Solution
If you ask any municipal clerk what their number-one challenge is, they are likely to tell you that it’s simply a heavy workload. In fact, the iCompass survey of government workers showed that workload was the top concern for all departments within their municipalities. iCompass designed software solutions for municipalities in response to their concerns over heavy workloads. These solutions are designed to tackle the most common problems with board agendas. The agenda is a standard board management tool that has been in use for many decades. The agenda is a useful tool, and agenda software … [Read more...] about The Top Five Things to Look For in an Agenda Management Solution
Municipal Boards: Best Practices for Adopting Technology
The public has long relied on mailings and newsletters to learn about all the happenings with their local governments. In many situations, technological solutions can save municipalities on manual processes, such as costs for mailing supplies and postage. Technology is simpler than it used to be. Most citizens are starting to get better acquainted with how to use technology to obtain information in which they’re interested. As their knowledge of mobile devices and smartphone apps has increased, citizens are beginning to expect to be able to use technological innovations to help manage most … [Read more...] about Municipal Boards: Best Practices for Adopting Technology
How to Get Younger Citizens Engaged in Your Meetings
Scott Resnick of Madison, Wisconsin, was elected as an alderperson at the age of 24, making him the youngest alderperson in the country. Resnick attributes his enthusiasm for service in local government to becoming involved in city councils throughout his high school and college years. He states that the voice of younger citizens “…adds value to the design of local policies, practices, and public spaces.” Our iCompass survey of government workers shows that local governments are very interested in engaging younger citizens in community work. Local governments need the technological skills … [Read more...] about How to Get Younger Citizens Engaged in Your Meetings
How to Reduce Your Workload as a Clerk
If your work schedule suddenly granted you a couple of extra hours in the day, what would you want to accomplish using the extra hours? The biggest challenge that municipal clerks face is managing their workloads. Each day brings many regular duties. As the dates of council meetings draw nearer, clerks have many additional duties to perform to prepare for meetings and complete tasks afterwards. While current workloads for clerks are already considerable, most clerks expect their workloads to become even more challenging in the future. According to a recent survey of municipal clerks by … [Read more...] about How to Reduce Your Workload as a Clerk