CaliforniaCityNews.org

Participate Now in Illegal Dumping Survey

From the League of Cities' website:

City managers, in conjunction with other city departments that oversee solid waste issues, are encouraged to participate in an important statewide survey on illegal dumping and litter abatement. Developed by the League of California Cities, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), the survey is a shortened version of a similar survey conducted two years ago.

The 2008 survey is critical to local governments. The previous survey produced a significant database on the costs of illegal dumping to local governments as well as the demographics of illegal dumping. Thirty-seven cities and 35 counties participated in the 2006 survey which found that local governments spent $44 million annually on abatement and enforcement.

The 2008 survey must be completed by April 25. The League encourages all jurisdictions to take part in the five minute survey.

Click here to access the survey.

Design Build Legislation on the Move

Lois Wolk's AB 642 was approved by the Assembly Local Government Committee yesterday, paving the way (so to speak) for increased freedom for cities and local governments to utilize design-build in the construction of public buildings and other related infrastructure.  The Vacaville reporter has a good piece on how design-build helped Solano County build a government center in Fairfield under budget and nearly a year ahead of schedule. 

The advantages of ‘Design Build’ are abundant, though public contract law has historically been hostile to it (this dates back over a century to case, Ertle v. Leary, over the construction of a jail in Placer County).  Cost savings, reduced claim exposure and reduced administrative burden are all facets of removing arduous steps in the construction of public buildings and infrastructure, and Wolk's bill deserves attention and support. 

From Toilet to Tap -- The Solution to the Water Crisis?

The headline on Tuesday’s DrudgeReport said it all: "California towns begin turning toilet sewage into drinking water..."

Yes, the Orange County Water District has begun to implement its Groundwater Replenishment System, whereby sewage water will be recycled into -- get ready -- tap water.  Perhaps not surprisingly, the story’s gaining national attention, and it doesn’t get any more national than Drudge and the New York Times.

Jokes aside, this program, now popularly referred to as (ok, one more joke) “toilet to tap,” could not only spell relief for the long term challenges the state faces regarding its most critical resource, but many cities are jumping on the “T2T” bandwagon...