Learning from Abroad: “Citizen Engagement and Legitimacy” and “Inter-Municipal Collaboration and Regionalism”
How can US local governments learn from abroad in order to better address their jurisdiction’s problems and their residents’ needs? What is politically and culturally feasible for adoption in the United States?
The Local Government Research Collaborative contracted with George Washington University, Institute of Public Policy, in 2015 to answer these question, specifically looking at “Citizen Engagement and Legitimacy” in Australia and “Inter-Municipal Collaboration and Regionalism” in British Columbia:
Hal Wolman and Bill Barnes, Principal Researchers, answered two key questions on these two practices:
1) Did it work or, more formally, what was its effect, where it was in place?
2) Given the differences in context and setting between where it was in place and your own local government, is it likely to work, and with what adaptations, for your own situation?
Download the five reports summarizing their findings:
Developing Legitimacy for Action by Connecting Citizens and Government: Lessons for U.S. Local Government Leaders from a Citizen Engagement Process in Australia
Learning from Abroad: Multi-Purpose Special Districts in British Columbia as a Possible Model for Governance Innovation for Local Governments in the United States
Learning From Abroad: A Framework
Pass these around to others in your organization or network who also might find one or more of these interesting.
For more information contact lgrc@transformgov.org.
Sterling Heights, Michigan
When a member of the council in the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights, Michigan expressed concerns to City Manager Mark Vanderpool about seniors in the community struggling with snow removal, they weren’t expecting a digital revolution. But that’s exactly what happened.
Until recently, the only way a citizen in Sterling Heights could receive guaranteed snow removal was to sign a contract with a company, spending hundreds of dollars up front for a service they may need only a few times a year. With most seniors in the community on a restricted income, signing an expensive contract is not an option. Vanderpool and his staff met with a large snow removal company to see if they could work out a “pay as you use it” program, but they were quite frank in explaining that such a service would not be beneficial to the company’s profits.
Determined to find a solution, Vanderpool and his staff didn’t give up. They began researching alternatives and stumbled on the app Plowz & Mowz. Created by two young entrepreneurs from Syracuse University, New York (a city that knows its snow), the app offers an on-demand platform for delivering snow removal and lawn services. App users summon a contractor, pay for a service and have a photo of the cleared driveway or mowed lawn sent back to their phone.
Vanderpool saw a lot of potential in working with a start-up company that was trying to get into the Detroit market. Soon they were on the phone with the Plowz & Mowz founders and CEOs Wills Mahoney and Andrew Englander discussing a potential partnership.
“Mark Vanderpool’s vision and passion for his community enabled us to create a program geared toward the individual needs of the city of Sterling Heights. He recognized a key issue facing many of his residents, and worked tirelessly to remedy. He was a true partner in every sense of the word, and was a pleasure to work with” explained Andrew Englander.
Plowz & Mowz worked with Vanderpool and his staff to structure a service model for all Sterling Heights residents, including seniors. An Internet-based service can pose a challenge for seniors who do not have access to a smartphone or computer. As a solution, the company enabled the Sterling Heights city staff to access the service on behalf of seniors in the community who are unable to use the internet. The staff is available to input orders and to answer any general questions residents may have.
Vanderpool and his staff reviewed the service with their legal team to make sure the city can’t be held liable for any service performed by the company. They emphasized that residents who pay for this service are paying a private company, and any customer service issues are directed to the company itself.
Additional benefits they incorporated include public sidewalk snow removal (required by city ordinance), and assistance for residents who have snow removal warnings/violations or grass cutting warnings/violations. Sterling Heights residents can now have their snow removed or grass cut for a fraction of the price it would cost them for a city contractor to perform the service. A typical “Mowz” service is around $40, whereas a city contractor can charge upward of $100.
The Mayor and City Council were very pleased to be the first municipality to partner with Plowz & Mowz and to finally tackle a long standing issue in the community. As of December 2015, 1,400 Sterling Heights residents had downloaded the app. The landing page on the city’s website is full of testimonials from citizens raving about their experiences, and that’s all thanks to the vision, hard work, and leadership of City Manager Mark Vanderpool.
Meet the Manager
Mark Vanderpool
City Manager
City of Washington, Illinois
When representatives from the Washington Area Community Center, Inc., Washington Community High School District 308, Washington Public Library District, Washington Park District, and the City of Washington gathered on April 3, 2003, for a joint signing ceremony – they knew they were starting something big. Now known as “Five Points Washington,” the complex is the final product of an unprecedented collaborative effort for the region.
The creation of a community center–combining an aquatic center, gymnasium, public library, performing arts center, meeting rooms, and administrative offices into a community one-stop-shop–is never an easy task. How did they get a project of this magnitude off the ground? It began with an eager board comprised of representatives from each of the five participating entities meeting weekly in 2002 to hash out ideas and discuss plans.
They divided up the leadership responsibilities and roles as follows:
- Washington Area Community Center: lead agency for overall project; fund-raising, project design, and construction.
- City of Washington, IL: contributor toward capital costs; lead agency for project bonding.
- Washington Community High School: contributor toward capital and operating costs related to the performing arts center; principal advisor for design of performing arts center.
- Washington Park District: contributor toward capital and operating costs related to recreational center component; key advisor for recreation and aquatic centers.
- Washington Public Library District: contributor toward capital and operating costs related to library; lead agency for library component
Collaborating is easier said than done. “The first and foremost ingredient, and it isn’t money, is cooperation,” City Administrator Bob Morris stated to reporters from the Washington Courier in 2002. “They don’t always agree but find a way to work through it. The second ingredient is the commitment to see it through.”
Morris took on the lead role of financial planning. After securing two-thirds of the funding before they even broke ground, he was able to complete the project through grants and fundraising efforts, without raising taxes. Donations came pouring in from Rotary clubs, swim teams, and spaghetti dinners. By early 2016, the $15 million community center was run as a nonprofit, multipurpose facility that uses fitness center user fees, rental revenue, and event admission sales to finance day-to-day operations, support community activities, and build reserves for major repairs and replacements.
“Bob Morris played an instrumental role in the financial planning for the Five Points project” current City of Washington City Administrator Jim Culotta explained. “He was a key contributor to this five entity partnership.”
Resilience and Recovery
When disaster struck on November 17, 2013, in the form of an EF-4 tornado, Five Points Washington became more than just a complex. Roughly 1,100 homes were destroyed or damaged when the twister roared through the community. Tornado survivors gathered at the facility, and for weeks its halls were filled with donated household supplies for displaced residents. Two years later, a plaza and sculpture were built to pay tribute to the city’s resilience and recovery. The three-sided base of the sculpture contains a note saying it is dedicated “... to all those whose strength and courage rebuilt Washington after the tornado of November 17, 2013” and a quote from George Washington: “Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.”
Watch this video and learn more about what Five Points Washington offers its community.
Meet the Manager
Robert A. Morris
City Administrator
