Now Seeking Four More Years

I did it. I filed for re-election this morning.

This is not a decision to take lightly. Campaigning ranks on my list of fun somewhere below visiting the dentist and going through labor. But it is obviously the most important and necessary step for anybody interested in public office. I view the campaign itself as an act of service. It has more power to engage the public than any other discussion, and enables people and government jointly to sift through current issues and determine priorities.

I'm seeking a second term not because I think one good term deserves another, but because there's more I want to do. On this subject, read more at my campaign Web page. It is up and running today, though it is not complete. Tune back in over the coming month as I hope to nail in the planks of my platform soon.

A few housekeeping items are in order. I am no longer using my City email signature to promote my blog, as I am now a candidate and will avoid even the appearance of using City resources to further the campaign. Any campaign-related emails should be addressed to my personal account, HRodeback@att.net.

To those who follow this blog: My plan is to continue my present habit of providing detail on current council pursuits. I cannot cover every issue (never could) but will continue to post on whatever topics seem most relevant and most accessible in the occasional hours that pop up between council projects.

I signed a pledge this morning when I filed for office, a "pledge of fair campaign practices." It deals more with unethical practices than negative campaigning, but it appeals to me because I am by nature a positive campaigner. It makes no sense to catalog a colleague's demerits and leave voters without any sense of my own strengths. You can expect me to focus on my own record and views, leaving others to tell their own stories.

All other candidates will sign the pledge. You can read it below, then help keep us honest.

Pledge of Fair Campaign Practices

There are basic principles of decency, honesty, and fair play which every candidate for public office in the State of Utah has a moral obligation to observe and uphold, in order that, after vigorously contested but fairly conducted campaigns, our citizens may exercise their right to a free election, and that the will of the people may be fully and clearly expressed on the issues.

THEREFORE:

I SHALL conduct my campaign openly and publicly, discussing the issues as I see them, presenting my record and policies with sincerity and frankness, and criticizing, without fear or favor, the record and policies of my opponents that I believe merit criticism.

I SHALL NOT use, nor shall I permit the use of, scurrilous attacks on any candidate or the candidate's immediate family. I shall not participate in, nor shall I permit the use of, any other criticism of any candidate or the candidate's immediate family that I do not believe to be truthful, provable, and relevant to my campaign.

I SHALL NOT use, nor shall I permit the use of, any practice that tends to corrupt or undermine our American system of free elections, or that hinders or prevents the free expression of the will of the voters, including practices intended to hinder or prevent any eligible person from registering to vote or voting.

I SHALL NOT coerce election help or campaign contributions for myself or for any other candidate from my employees or volunteers.

I SHALL immediately and publicly repudiate support deriving from any individual or group which resorts, on behalf of my candidacy or in opposition to that of an opponent, to methods in violation of the letter or spirit of this pledge. I shall accept responsibility to take firm action against any subordinate who violates any provision of this pledge or the laws governing elections.

I SHALL defend and uphold the right of every qualified American voter to full and equal participation in the electoral process.

I, the undersigned, candidate for election to public office in the State of Utah, hereby voluntarily endorse, subscribe to, and solemnly pledge myself to conduct my campaign in accordance with the above principles and practices.

Signed:

Heidi Rodeback
July 1, 2009

Let the Sunshine In

A reader recently posted this question here at the blog:

I have always been diligent about watching American Fork's issues as they used to be published in the Thurdsay American Fork Citizen's "public notices" section. Because that paper is no longer published, I feel like I have lost my connection to the issues coming before the city. Could you tell me where/when these public notices are published now? Also, would it be possible to simultaneously publish these notices on American Fork's website? It would be nice to provide a no-subscription-required access to these important notices anyway.

Public notice is not just a good idea; it's the law. Utah's Open and Public Meetings Act states that the government exists to conduct the people's business and must therefore both take action openly and conduct its deliberations openly.

The act accomplishes this by requiring all public bodies to provide not less than 24 hours public notice of each meeting including the agenda, date, time, and place. In addition, each public body must publish its annual meeting schedule at least once each year.

"Public body" is defined as "any administrative, advisory, executive, or legislative body . . . [which] expends, disburses, or is supported in whole or in part by tax revenue; and is vested with the authority to make decisions regarding the public's business." This includes not only the city council, but also the finance committee, the planning commission, and all of the City's various volunteer boards and commissions such as the Arts Council, the Beautification Committee, or the Library Board.

This means that whether you have a general interest in how your tax dollars are spent, a local interest in how the vacant lot on the corner will be developed, or even a personal interest in, say, library collections, you are entitled to notice of any and all relevant meetings. What's more, you are welcomed and encouraged to attend.

This is heady stuff, people. This is what empowers our American vision of democracy. This is what it means to have a voice and a right to participate in government.

So, how to follow public notices now that there is no more American Fork Citizen? Three ways:

1. At the Utah Public Meeting Notice Web site. Go to this site, type in "American Fork" under "entity" at the search box, then click on "see results." You'll see several pages of results showing notices for each of the City's public bodies dating back to May 2008. Click on the name of any of these public bodies, and you'll be given an option to subscribe either via RSS feed or email.

As of 2008, this is the only form of public notice required under Utah State code. However, American Fork City is committed to the principle of public notice and goes above and beyond the requirements of the law. Hence, notices may also be accessed --

2. Physically, on the bulletin board in the vestibule of the City administration building at 51 East Main.

3. Electronically at the City's Web site, though notices are harder to find here than at the Utah Public Meeting Notice site. For council meeting agendas, choose the quick link entitled "Minutes and Agendas," which is located on the left-hand side of the home page. For the planning commission, choose "Planning Commission" under the government tab, then look for the minutes and agendas link. Other City boards and commissions post their agendas on their own pages (access them through "Boards and Commissions"), but these are hit-and-miss.

Additionally, council meeting agendas only (because of expense) are published in the Daily Herald. The Open and Public Meetings Act states that public bodies must notify "at least one newspaper of general circulation within the geographic jurisdiction of the public body." American Fork now submits its notices to the Daily Herald, but as the law does not require the Herald to publish them, it generally does not do so unless the City pays for the service as a legal ad.

Legals can be expensive. I saw a recent city council notice which cost $239 to publish. One could question whether the expense is justified in a tight City budget, but the mayor has rightly decided that the City must value the seasoned judgment of seniors and others who continue to follow the print edition of the Herald.

I hope this information empowers more of my gentle readers to follow and attend City meetings. Remember what John Adams said: "The government ought to be what the people make it."

Stay-cationing in American Fork

Looking for your summer fun? Consider the many benefits of a stay-cation in American Fork. You'll save on gas, lodging and travel time, and you'll get to know your own home town.

Here are a few stay-cation opportunities sponsored by the City:

1. Fun at the Fitness Center. Take advantage of the summer pass sale for three months' unlimited access to all facilities. These include the track, racketball courts, swimming pool, and much more. Purchase before June 19 for a great rate.

2. Be Creative @ Your Library. This is the library's theme for its many summer activities. Story time with the kids followed by a picnic at Robinson Park and a book under a tree -- life doesn't get any better than this. Patrons can also support their library by donating books or flats of annuals. Learn more at the library's Web site.

3. Go to the park. In American Fork's 27 parks, no two playgrounds are alike. Establish a Friday night tradition and plan a picnic at a new park each week. Don't forget to bring bubbles and a frisbee!

4. Go to the state park. Through an innovative partnership with Utah State Parks, the American Fork Public Library is able to check out an annual pass to patrons for a week at a time, free of charge. The pass grants free admission to all state parks but two and entitles the bearer to discounted camping. Use it to "revitalize and inspire children's interest in nature and encourage creative outdoor play." Full details at the library's Web site.

5. Children of Eden. See your friends and neighbors perform Stephen Schwartz's popular musical under the very talented direction of Neal Johnson. Performances are scheduled for June 25, 26, 27, and 29 at American Fork High School.

6. Steel Days, July 11-18. This year's many fun events include the Tour de Donut bike race, free swimming, the quilt, doll, and art shows, the parade and carnival, and much more -- but no Big Show. (No comment.) Full calendar at this link.

7. Concerts in the Park. Cold Creek, Debra Fotheringham, Sam Payne, and the AFHS Marching Band are just a few of the many popular acts presenting this summer at the amphitheater. This free family concert series runs Monday nights through September 14, starting at 7:00 p.m. each night. Full line-up at this link.

American Fork's many arts and water lovers may also be interested in the free Friday night concert series at the Central Utah Water Conservancy District's display gardens, located just above Krispy Kreme in Orem. Concerts begin June 12 with Fiddlesticks. Whether or not you take in the series, be sure to visit the gardens, which are dedicated to showing the incredible beauty that is possible in a Utah landscape through use of native plants and limited watering. Garden hours are 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and admission is always free. You'll be surprised at how much you enjoy your visit, but be warned: If you're not careful, you'll end up learning something.

Thought for the Day

Who is wise? He that learns from everyone.
Who is powerful? He that governs his passions.
Who is rich? He that is content.
Who is that? Nobody.

-- Benjamin Franklin

On Preliminary Budgets

The Cedar Hills city council recently passed a resolution that "mocks the state legislature for forcing the city to pass a preliminary budget and challenges legislators to spend more time attending city meetings so they can better understand how they force municipal government to function." The editorial staff of the Daily Herald endorsed the council's point of view by issuing a buffalo chip to the state legislature for requiring "pointless preliminary budgets." (See Caleb Warnock's article here and the Herald's editorial here.)

Council members based their complaint on the fact that the tentative budget must be adopted by the first council meeting in May, a good four weeks before June 8, when the county is required to issue the certified tax rate. This, they say, leaves cities guessing at what their revenue will be for the coming year. Plus it feels to them like micromanagement.

I disagree with this point of view for two reasons.

First, it is the legislature's right and duty to regulate the basic functions of city government. A city government's authority derives from the enabling acts of the state legislature. Given that the budget is the city's single most influential document -- it authorizes all spending and taxation -- the legislature is wise to prescribe how it will be drafted. The legislature's "micromanagement" protects the people from the inexperience of citizen council members like myself. In the best democratic spirit, city council members are lay leaders elected more for their ability to interpret the public will than for their financial, legal, or managerial acumen. Municipal councils rely on the state's guidance in much the same way as the local PTA relies on the state and national PTA for operation and policy manuals. They rightly submit to processes established by better and more experienced planners.

Second, with or without the certified tax rate, preparing a preliminary budget is good planning. There's nothing magical about that certified tax rate -- it doesn't guarantee the coming year's revenue. But a good financial officer can ballpark a good estimate, and this estimate is enough to give a fairly final form to the budget. Doing this in May gives council members meaningful time to grapple with the tactical realities of the budget and make any necessary adjustments before final adoption. It also gives department heads time to plan for the coming year.

Here's how the budget time line works under Utah state law:

• First council meeting in May. By this date, the chief financial officer of the city must present a balanced budget to the City Council together with a memo detailing the highlights of the budget. The city council adopts this tentative budget on this same date.
• June 8. The county must provide the coming year's certified tax rate to the city. (This is a provision of Utah's Truth in Taxation law, about which see here.)
• June 22. By this date, the final budget and the certified tax rate must be adopted by the city council unless there is to be a tax increase. If a tax increase is proposed, the deadline for adoption shifts to August 17. This gives the city council time to complete the extensive process of public notice required by Truth in Taxation.
• July 1. The fiscal year begins. (If a tax increase is proposed, the tentative budget governs between July 1 and August 17.)

A realistic draft. Time to consider, haggle, and proof-read. Advance notice to department heads. This is just plain good planning.

I confess to scratching my head a little more when Cedar Hills said their process begins in April. Perhaps this works in a small town with few services. In American Fork, on the other hand, the process begins in January. In January, council members begin meeting with department heads and advisory committees to look at needs and priorities. In March, the mayor schedules an all-day retreat where department heads present formal budget requests to the city council, both orally and in writing. Between March and May, at least a couple more retreats are held, and council members visit individually with department heads and the chief financial officer.

Essentially, we use the first half of the fiscal year, from July to January, to evaluate the current budget, and the second half, from January to July, to plan for the coming budget. This is a thorough process that enables careful stewardship of public dollars.

Cedar Hills set out to mock the legislature. Mockery is intended to provoke laughter. I hope the legislature will see the resolution in this spirit and laugh it off.

In accordance with statute, the American Fork city council heard the financial officer's budget memo and adopted the preliminary budget on May 7. I share the text of the memo below.

Preliminary Budget 2010

AMERICAN FORK CITY
BUDGET DISCUSSION ITEMS
WORK SESSION
MAY 7, 2009


The following adjustments have been made in the operating budget for the 2009-10 operating budget for the City:

Attrition. Current employee positions have not been eliminated. However, if a position is vacated, that position has not been replaced; cost reduction has been obtained through attrition.

Overtime. Most overtime throughout the City has been eliminated. However some overtime has been added back to allow for safety issues. Specifically, some overtime has been added back to police, streets (winter), and water (secondary irrigation). For the coming budget year, the City would like to emphasize compensation time and management intervention to manage employee schedules.

Social events. Social events such as Christmas parties, Halloween contribution, secretaries’ day, etc. have been eliminated. This is not to say the City does not want to recognize the hard work of the City employees, boards etc., but in these economic times the City would like to encourage recognition and camaraderie through pot luck activities, creative planning and recognition, etc.

Training/education. While the City recognizes the terrific contribution that training gives to the employees, during these times, the City is only going to pay for training or education for those individuals that need continuing professional education to stay in compliance with licenses or certifications.

Regularly scheduled pay period. A regularly scheduled pay period for employees of American Fork City has been set at 80 hours. This includes schedules for public safety and ambulance personnel.

Pay rates. No pay increases have been included in the budget. There has been an accrual for the year end pay period that crosses fiscal years, for which we need to recognize 10 out of 14 pay days in the budget. This has the affect of making the payroll line-items appear higher than the current fiscal year.

Operations. Most departmental budgets closely mirror the adjusted 08-09 operational budgets. With few exceptions, departments have been given what they have requested in their operational budgets.
Public Relations. The public relations contract has been eliminated.

Video arraignments. The City is still seeking approval from the Administrative Courts to use video arraignments. It is anticipated this will reduce police overtime in transportation of prisoners to and from court.

Traffic School. The City is looking into the possibility of doing a trial run of on-line traffic school, concurrently with the in-class traffic school, to see if citizens would be more likely to pay a premium rate to attend on-line traffic school, and perhaps reduce City overhead in the administration of that program. This on-line program is operating successfully in surrounding Cities.

Water. An adjustment in the water department budget has been made to allow for the anticipated $20,000 fee for the Highland aquifer study.

Sewer. It is anticipated that the base rate for sewer will be raised 4% to reflect the increased charges for the Timpanogos Sewer Special Service District fees. This resolution will be brought forward to the Council.
Dispatch Fees. We are anticipating increased charges in dispatch fees for police, fire and ambulance.

Revenues. For the most part, we are anticipating revenues similar to what we have received in the current 08-09 fiscal year. One exception is a small adjustment to sales tax, because we anticipate increased competition for our Wal- Mart tax dollars due to the opening of two new Wal-Marts in surrounding communities.

Celebration. The Celebration committee has scaled down the Steel Days celebration.

Building Authority. A Building authority fund has been added with a minimal transfer from the general fund to pay for publications etc. for administration of that fund.

Capital Improvements and equipment. Capital equipment purchases have been limited to current lease obligations, bond obligations and previously agreed contractual obligations. Library computer purchases are contingent upon the City receiving a library grant from the State.

Building-related revenues. The City does not anticipate any increases in building-related revenues including impact fees.

Broadband. Broadband has a very tight operational budget. The City is in hopes that we can come to some resolution of the broadband deficit. Currently, the general fund is covering the major portion of the broadband bond.

Fund balance. Fund balance is being used to balance the general fund operational budget. If revenues come in higher than anticipated, this will reduce the need to rely on fund balance.

Possible events that could affect the budget, not currently recognized

Equipment failure. Police vehicles, ambulance etc.
Significant emergencies.
Unexpected requests. Tri-City operational support, safety issues.

Is it American Fork or American Fark?

It's American Fork, people.

A Call to Civility and Community

Last Fall, Mayor Thompson attended an event sponsored by the Utah Coalition for Civic, Character and Service Training. There he was given a document which so positively impressed him that he asked the City Council to adopt it as part of the City code for conducting public meetings. The City Council so acted at its November 18 meeting. In May, Mayor Thompson distributed the document to City employees asking them to "please make these principles part of your daily relationships with the public."

For your interest, I reproduce the document herebelow.

===============

Ground Rules for Respectful Public Discourse and Behavior

"Freqent recurrence to fundamental principles is essential to the security of individual rights and perpetuity of free government." Constitution of Utah, Article I Section 27

Being concerned about growing incivility in our civic and public settings we call upon the people of Utah to return to fundamental principles that will lead to greater civility and a new spirit of community. Among our "inherent and inalienable" Constitutional rights is the fundamental right "to communicate freely about our thoughts and opinions", and yet we are also "responsible for the abuse of that right" (Constitution of Utah, Article I Section 1.) In that context we believe that there must be a renewal of respectful discourse and behavior in civic and public settings in Utah.

This is not an appeal for us all simply to get along. We recognize that there are profound differences among us and that spirited debate is a vital part of American democracy. Participation in American civic and public life does not require us to sacrifice our deepest convictions; rather we best protect our own rights by protecting the rights of others and adhering to high ethical standards.

With that in mind we propose the following ground rules of civic and public engagement that recognize the important place of the rights, responsibilities and respect inherent in our civic and constitutional compact.

1. Remember the Importance of Rights and the Dignity of Each Individual. Our society is founded upon the proposition that all people are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and that freedom of conscience and expression are at the foundation of our rights.

2. Responsibly Exercise your Rights While Protecting the Rights of Others. Each of us should be responsible both in the exercise of our rights and in protecting the rights of others. Especially on matters of personal faith, claims of conscience, and human rights, public policy should seek solutions that are fair to all.

3. Respect Others. All people -- especially our leaders and the media -- should demonstrate a commitment to be respectful in discourse and behavior, particularly in civic and public forums. Respect should also be shown by being honest and as inclusive as possible, by mindfully listening to and attempting to understand the concerns of others, by valuing their opinions even when there is disagreement, and by addressing their concerns when possible.

4. Refrain from Incivility. Public discourse can be passionate while maintaining mutual respect that reaches beyond differing opinions. Intimidation, ridicule, personal attacks, mean spiritedness, reprisals against those who disagree, and other disrespectful or unethical behaviors destroy the fabric of our society and can no longer be tolerated. Those who engage in such behavior should be brought to light, held accountable and should no longer enjoy the public's trust.

5. Rekindle Building Community. Our social compact "of the people" and "by the people" is "for the people." Each one of us has a responsibility to build community. On divisive issues, areas of common ground should first be explored. Effort should be given to building broad-based agreement, giving due regard to the concerns of minority points of view.

We invite all Utahns to join us in affirming these ground rules and putting them into action.

The time has come for us to work together.

Adopted by the American Fork City Council this 18 day of November 2008.

Questions about Pressurized Irrigation

Now I am fashionable. My street has a gravel stripe down the middle just like everybody else's.

With pressurized irrigation coming to my block, I have been fielding many questions from my neighbors.

Q. Would it really have been cost prohibitive to build a water treatment plant instead?

A. Yes. The treatment plant itself would have equalled the cost of the pressurized system. However, the delivery system (the underground pipes) was not sized to serve the City's growing population, and would still have needed an upgrade. So we could have built a treatment plant, but we'd still be digging up streets and installing new pipes. This would have doubled the price of the current project, which uses a new pressurized system to deliver untreated water.

Q. Why wasn't the delivery system originally sized for growth?

A. Originally, American Fork built itself a culinary system for indoor water use, but relied on irrigation ditches for outdoor needs. Over the course of the 20th century, families pulled away from their agricultural roots and developers built subdivisions without irrigation ditches. Over time, the majority of American Fork's households shifted to the use of culinary water via hose hook-ups for outdoor irrigation. But the culinary system was never designed for this, and never anticipated the day when it would need to support 7,000 suburban yards.

Q. Why not dig more ditches?

A. Engineers estimate that 30 percent of the water delivered in ditches is lost due to evaporation and seepage. The pressurized system of underground pipes makes more efficient use of a scarce resource.

Q. If American Fork continues to develop at the rates of the last two decades, how long will it take for the City to outgrow the new system?

A. One reason the present system is so costly is that the City sized it for growth. In hearing after hearing, the City's longest and most knowledgable water users begged us to create something bigger than a band-aid for the problem. We listened and directed engineers to propose a project that would last for fifty years. They accomplished this through two means: First, by designing a structural backbone that will support the City's needs to build-out. Second, by calculating the costs of depreciation and maintenance and incorporating these into the rate structure. If present and future City Councils will hold to the rate structure that was approved, they will accrue the necessary funds to upgrade the system when the time comes. Hopefully, American Fork will never again see a 2006, when the City was out of water and had no money to solve the problem.

Q. Does this mean that today's residents are subsidizing tomorrow's developers?

A. No. Fortunately, Utah law allows a City to oversize an amenity to accommodate future growth, then to be reimbursed by future developers through impact fees. This is called "equity buy-in." (We treated our parks the same way when we passed the parks bond, which will be retired through present and future impact fees.) So the present irrigation bonds are building an oversized backbone which future developers will buy into. At that time, developers will themselves bear the expense of extending the system from the backbone to their individual properties.

Thought for the Day

Click on image to enlarge.
From the book, Powers and Duties: A Handbook for Utah's Municipal Officials, Utah League of Cities and Towns.

The New AFCity.org

Some time last November, the City launched a "soft" opening of its new Web site, AFCity.org. On February 10, the Web site was formally presented to the City Council. I reproduce here remarks made on that date by Rachel Parrish of ThinkBox Design Marketing, the firm which created the Web site.

American Fork is a city dedicated to providing friendly quality service, big city opportunities and small town goodness. Reflective of the depth of American Fork quality, in November the city unveiled the re-designed American Fork city Web site. The Web site has been designed by ThinkBox Design Marketing with consultation from the city and an executive committee of city officials, department heads and administration. This dynamic Web site was designed to communicate effectively with the target audience of current and prospective businesses, residents, developers, and visitors.

The Web site is fully functional and user friendly. It provides online functions that reduce the amount of time city staff spend on mundane tasks such as making phone calls, transcribing information, processing forms, updating the site, and so on. The Web site provides a variety of online services to current and prospective residents, businesses, and visitors. The site utilizes extensive content management tools and a database related architecture to provide a consistent user-friendly interface. All this takes place through a secure environment.

The branding of the Web site was based on the American Fork logo design and layout of the Economic Development press kit. The design of the Web site will allow visitors to easily and quickly navigate the site to find desired information. Top and side navigation bars have been utilized, including a list of quick links for the most frequently asked topics. Due to the varied thought processes of visitors to the site, there are numerous ways to find a particular page or piece of information. For example, one can find the Library from the For Residents link, a quick link, or through departments. Careful planning has strategically placed similar information in numerous areas of the site. Information on the numerous facets of life in American Fork can now be found in one place. Questions ranging from housing permits, recycling, and a search for an American Fork ancestor can all be answered.

The core of the American Fork City Web site is built with ASP.NET technology and a combination of Java script, Ajax and flash. The content management system is driven by a MSSQL database with 244 tables with a size of 0.5 GB and growing. The file system contains 817 Folders and 7209 Files for a total of 1.6 GB and growing.

The website now includes:

• Home Page


• An About the City page which includes the history and the benefits of living and doing business in American Fork


• Contact Us with easy access to a map and department information


• An interactive Calendar of Events including color-coded events from all departments. This calendar can be updated in real time by department heads and is an excellent avenue for informing residents of upcoming events.


• Department News/Minutes and Agendas. Each department is able to update their own web pages through the Content Management System.


• Numerous Business Visitors can find answers to questions on Building Permits, Economic Development, Planning, and American Fork Chamber of Commerce opportunities.


• Residents can find information on Fitness and Recreation, the Arts Council, Yard Sales and fun events within the city for the whole family.


• Visitors to American Fork can find highlights of the Points of Interest within the city and includes photos of historic areas and scenic parks.


• The site includes a search feature allowing visitors to enter a topic and receive a list of related links on the site.


• The site allows for a variety of forms to be available which can be filled out and submitted online. Potential forms include: utility services sign up, business license renewal, records request, fence permit, building permit, etc.


• The site continues to offer online utility bill payments and account information.


• Parks can now be reserved from the Web site.


• A visitor to the Web site can sign up for the city newsletter. This enables visitors to be informed of city announcements and events.


• A Weather link has been added to the site showing the current temperature and link to the extended forecast for American Fork City.

Since its launch the site has received over 86,482 visitors. Currently the site receives around 12,000 visitors a month, up to 2,800 visitors a day, 50% of which are new visitors every month. Visitors ranging from as far away as Germany and Russia have visited the site.

My thanks to Rachel and her colleagues at ThinkBox for their artful and arduous work.

Personally, I'm willing to concede that the site lacks the glitz and functionality of, say, Amazon.com or WhiteHouse.gov, but it also lacks their generous budgets, funded as it is on a local taxpayer's shoestring. On the whole, therefore, I'm pleased to recommend the new Web site to you. It is the latest in the City's efforts to improve communication with residents -- a goal which has been a personal focus for me during my term of service.