GovPile's local government innovation & Best Practices

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Library to buy Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) checkout system
The St. Joseph County Public Library soon will be using radio
frequencies to loan books and other materials
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/16198.html

A new 'green' concept comes to Maine
Using soil and plants atop buildings for environmental benefit
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/15743.html

2006 Innovations in American Government Award Winners Announced
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/spotlight.html?id=140&preview=1

Privately run cities
Two unincorporated communities in Fulton County, Georgia may become
the latest to follow the lead of Sandy Springs by starting their own
privately run cities; Governmental hybrid has a public government staffed
by employees of private companies
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/13322.html

Self-Service Kiosks
Residents of the city of Denton, Texas, can pay their utility and property tax
bills, as well as traffic and other citations, at easy-to-use self-service
kiosks located in the police department and a local shopping
http://www.icma.org/main/ld.asp?ldid=19588&ideas=1&mgtinsite=1

Best of New York Winners Announced
Sixteen of New York's most innovative, tech-savvy state and local
government leaders and agencies have been selected by the Center for
Digital Government and Government Technology to receive their
prestigious Best of New York award, an annual award that recognizes
excellence and outstanding contributions in the area of information
technology
http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=99929

Oregon tests a new system that could replace the gas tax
To help fund road maintenance, the state of Oregon is experimenting with
a tax based on vehicle miles traveled instead of a tax per gallon of
gasoline purchased
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/12832.html

Tax breaks for handicapped access; Town council adopts ordinance
offering incentives to homeowners
Residents who make their homes handicapped-accessible will be able
to delay increases in their property assessments, under an ordinance
unanimously adopted by the town council
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/12883.html

San Francisco Mayor Announces Citywide B20 Plan
Biodiesel is a renewable diesel fuel that is made from domestic
resources such as soybean oil or other domestic fats and vegetable oils.
It can be used in any diesel engine with few or no modifications, and can
be blended with petroleum diesel at any level
http://www.ig.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1069

Rising Energy Costs Spur County Innovation
In response to soaring energy costs, counties have been getting creative
in devising ways to cut energy costs in their buildings and vehicles
http://www.naco.org/CountyNewsTemplate.cfm?
template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=20279

Washington State Uses Innovation Index to Measure and Guide
Technology Growth
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.
9123e83a1f6786440ddcbeeb501010a0/?
vgnextoid=30e95031c119b010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD

Innovation with a Southern Accent
The 2006 Report on the Future of the South
http://www.southern.org/pubs/2006AnnualReport/Innovationlowres.pdf

More than just a bank: branch at school is a teaching tool
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/12730.html

Howling Innovation: Chicago puts a new spin on its moniker with
turbine power
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/12674.html

Taxpayer list scares up cash
Wisconsin's Internet list of tax scofflaws has been credited with
generating $9.7 million in additional tax collections or promises to pay in
the first five months of the experiment in public shaming. Revenue
Department officials had estimated that the postings would bring in only
$1.5 million more a year
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=429180

Virtual high school offers real diplomas
While many schools offer on-line courses, this fall Washington will host
the state's first entirely virtual public school
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/12370.html

Pennsylvania moves notaries into electronic era
Pennsylvania has begun the nation’s first state-sanctioned program to let
notaries digitally sign electronic documents, a move officials expect will
spur e-commerce by enabling more secure transactions across state
lines
http://www.gcn.com/print/25_8/40382-1.html

Check online, then dine
Kansas' new Web site on restaurant health inspections allows instant
access to two years' worth of inspection records for all 10,300 food
service establishments in the state
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/14505905.htm

Bright Ideas Compete for Cash
Six state programs, ranging from Maine's comprehensive health care
reform to Wisconsin's environmental program for businesses, are
competing for $100,000 grants in one of the nation's premiere good
government competitions
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?
siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=110065

NALGEP database of successful projects
The National Association of Local Government Environmental
Professionals has compiled a database of successful local projects in
the areas of air quality, brownfields revitalization, transportation choice,
smart growth, and water quality
http://www.nalgep.org/issues/localinnovation/

Montgomery County, Alabama is National Leader in Wind Energy
Renewable wind energy sources are producing 5% of the electricity used
by the County, which is the largest wind power purchase from a local
government in the Mid-Atlantic Region
http://www.nalgep.org/localinnovations/index.cfm?
LinkAdvID=64077&NavInclude=tabmenu%2Dlocalinnovation%2Ecfm

Order raises energy efficiency standards
Appearing at a showcase for energy efficiency in downtown Milwaukee,
Wisconsin Governor signed an executive order designed to spur the
"greening" of state government buildings
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/11950.html

States stepping in to underwrite stem cell science
Maryland is the fifth state to set aside funds for human embryonic stem
cell research, a promising, but controversial tool in the fight against
diseases, such as Parkinson's and diabetes
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/11828.html

Top 50 Government Innovations for 2006
Fifty programs compete for Good Government “Oscar” from Harvard
http://www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu/Ash/2006IAGtop50.pdf

`Green' cars worth greenbacks on New York Thruway
New York State has unveiled plans to use its toll system to encourage the
purchase of environmentally friendly cars. Owners of fuel-efficient hybrid
cars will get a discount when they use E-Z Pass
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/11644.html

Detergent phosphate ban targets pollution prevention in Washington
The state of Washington is the first in the nation to ban dishwashing
detergents with phosphates to protect its rivers and fish from the
excessive growth of devastating algae and aquatic plants
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/news/11708.html

Learning Globally: Innovations and Ideas from Abroad
http://www.nlc.
org/Newsroom/Nation_s_Cities_Weekly/Weekly_NCW/2006/04/10/9368.
cfm

Innovation