Insite LocalGovAffairs.com News and Resources

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In 2014, city councils across the country are set to be major battlegrounds in labor, environmental and other debates. Read the full article here. 

Photo cred.

The city of Eugene’s fines against Uber now top $118,000, and the ride service company will go before a city hearing official to contest the allegation that it is operating without the required license. 

The city requires any vehicle that transports a passenger for money to obtain a “public passenger vehicle” license. Companies that operate at least one of those vehicles also must obtain a license. City officials began fining Uber after the company failed to apply for the license despite repeated reminders from the city. Uber’s attorney maintains that the code does not apply because Uber does not own or operate the vehicles. Instead, passengers use an Uber application on their cellphones to communicate with individual independent drivers, who own and operate their own vehicles. For connecting passenger to driver, Uber takes a slice of the fare.

The city is looking at amending its taxi code to address an Uber-type business arrangement. See the full article here. 

City of Seattle to begin fining residents for failing to remove food waste from their trash. Seattle is the first city in the nation to fine people for not properly sorting their garbage. The law took effect on Jan. 1 as a bid to keep food out of landfills. Other cities like San Francisco and Vancouver mandate composting, but don’t penalize homeowners directly.

Read the full story here. 

The Hood River City Council passed a resolution opposing coal and oil transport through Columbia River Gorge.  The city lacks the legal authority to ban transport through the city limits, but the Council, with the assistance of a group called "Columbia River Gorge Climate Action Network" wanted to "make the political cost of [fossil fuel transport] high for the other side." 

The resolution notes that “because the rail alignment runs through our downtown area, the impact of existing and proposed oil trains is potentially catastrophic in terms of loss of life and devastation of the City of Hood River community, environment and economy.”

Photo by Hood River News

How does the International Sign Association protect its members' interests in 30,000 local jurisdictions?  Lots of hard work.  The good news is that technology like Insite's local government monitoring service make it easier for associations to manage this task.  

Photo by Connectivity

WAVELAND, Miss. (AP) -- Twelve years after losing a coin toss in a tied election for alderman in coastal Mississippi, independent Charles Piazza won a tie by drawing the longer of two straws.

Republican nominee Brett Ladner had held a 108-106 lead Tuesday night, but verification of four affidavit ballots on Wednesday tied the race in Waveland, leading to the straw draw.

Piazza tells The Sun Herald his 2002 re-election campaign also wound up in a tie.

City attorney Gary Yarborough says the law calls for a game of chance to decide tied elections.

Waveland's board of aldermen and mayor were sworn in Wednesday. For more on the story, visit the Associated Press. 

Insite LocalGovAffairs.com has been lucky and honored to have served all of you this year. It has been a pleasure helping you reach your goals in 2014. We look forward to contributing to your business goals in the years to come. We wish you a prosperous holiday season!

Feel free to contact us for any of your local government affairs and relations needs this busy season.