GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government - Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL)

Latest Episodes:

#418 Regional Benchmarking Initiative with Kate Bender, Stephen Wade & Reagan Mitchell May 18, 2021

Show notes

Using data to make better decisions. Three guests joined the podcast to talk about how the Regional Benchmarking Initiative in the Kansas City metro area. Kate Bender, Deputy Performance Officer for the City of Kansas City, Missouri; Stephen Wade, Budget and Performance Manager for the City of Topeka, Kansas; and Reagan Walsh, Former Budget & Performance Intern for the City of Olathe, Kansas highlighted the relationship between the Regional Benchmarking Initiative and the University of Kansas Masters of Public Administration students. They also shared what benchmarks the students explored and capacity issues with data collection.

Host: Toney Thompson

#417 Civil Rights & Racial Equity with Joshua Barr, Des Moines, IA May 14, 2021

Show notes

Breaking bread, building bridges. Joshua Barr, Director of Civil & Human Rights at the City of Des Moines, Iowa, joined the podcast to discuss his work with the City, including his Emmy Award-winning documentary. He talked about the engagement and policy work the City has done around equity, including their Bridging the Gap initiative and a cultural competency training for employees. Joshua also gave a sneak preview of his #ELGLPopUps keynote session.

Host: Ben Kittelson

#416 Land Use & Sprawl in Houston with William Fulton, Rice University May 11, 2021

Show notes

Building better cities. William Fulton, the Director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, joined the podcast for a wide ranging conversation about development, planning, and land use in Houston, Texas. He talked about the market forces in an environment with low regulation and sprawl, plus how gentrification is occurring in Houston. He also discussed how the City is planning for resilience, what other cities can learn from Houston, and his new book about the Texas Triangle.

Host: Ben Kittelson

#415 Investing in Infrastructure with Kip Eideberg, Association of Equipment Manufacturers May 07, 2021

Show notes

Rebuild with purpose. Kip Eideberg, Sr. Vice President at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), joined the podcast to talk about infrastructure and manufacturing. He shared results from AEM's recent Infrastructure Vision 2050 report and the need for federal infrastructure investments to be targeted at States and local governments. He also discussed rural broadband and building the manufacturing workforce.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

#414 Sustainability & Energy Management with John Morrill, Fairfax County, VA May 05, 2021

Show notes

Audacious goals and clean energy. John Morrill, Division Manager for Innovation & Sustainability at Fairfax County, Virginia, joined the podcast to talk about sustainability and energy efficiency. He discussed the strategies needed to implement local government sustainability plans and the goals associated with them. John also talked about the energy grid, the need for electrification to meet energy goals, and power purchase agreements.

Host: Toney Thompson

#413 Student-Led Sustainability Action Planning with Victoria Castor & Steve Russell Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

Students helping cities. Victoria Caster, Water Conservation and Sustainability Coordinator at the City of Peoria, AZ, and Steve Russell, Program Manager of Project Cities at Arizona State University, joined the podcast to talk about student-led sustainability plans. They discussed projects that students with Project Cities have completed, like in the City of Peoria, and the impact of those projects on the communities they worked with. They shared how communities in Arizona could partner with Project Cities and how cities across the nation can partner with EPIC-N to bring students into their organization.

Host: Javon Davis

#412 COVID-19 Relief Spending with Michael Hotard and Kevin Kearney Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

How relief funds are being spent. Michael Hotard, Director of Operations at CivicPulse, and Kevin Kearney, City Manager of the City of Bradbury, California, joined the podcast to talk about COVID-19 relief funding for local government. They discussed the key findings of CivicPulse's survey on past and future COVID-19 relief spending. They also shared how local governments can use these results in their own community.

Host: Lauren Palmer

#411 Expanding Housing Options for the Unhoused Community with Brian Platt, Kansas City, MO Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

The Land Bank Dollar Sale. Brian Platt, City Manager for the City of Kansas City, Missouri, joined the podcast to talk about the Land Bank Dollar Sale. He shared other creative things the City is doing to expand housing options for the unhoused community. Brian discussed starting a new Housing Department within the City. He also shared lessons learned while working with the unhoused community and the next steps for others looking to start this work.

Host: Kirsten Wyatt

#410 Restorative Housing Reparations with Nicholas Cummings, Evanston, IL Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Redressing institutional racism and redlining. Nicholas Cummings, Corporation Counsel for the City of Evanston, Illinois, joined the podcast to talk about the new program approved last month to address the historic impacts of housing discrimination. He shared the details of the program and the City's Local Reparations Fund. Nicholas also discussed the legal limits of reparations programs in local government and how the program fits into the broader racial equity conversation.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

#409 American Rescue Plan Act FAQs with Ryan Gallant, SLATE Research & Consulting Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

The impacts of the Federal funding. Ryan Gallant, CEO & Founder of SLATE Research & Consulting, joined the podcast to dive deep on the American Rescue Plan Act and answer questions about how it will impact local government. He discussed what the funding could be used for and how it differs from the CARES Act funding. He also makes the case for using ARPA funding for IT needs and digitizing services.

Host: Alyssa Dinberg

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