Category: Mary Scott Nabers’ Insights

There are many public officials and economic development organizations with critical projects that can’t be launched because of a lack of funding.  Some of them, however, got lucky a few months ago. The fortunate ones are located in newly-designated “Opportunity Zones.”  Investors with project funding are already knocking on some of their doors with millions […]

Eager to ride in a computer-controlled vehicle? Worried about driverless cars approaching you on city streets?  Better not worry about either scenario because no matter how you feel about autonomous vehicles (AVs)… that is the future. Driverless vehicles have attracted the attention of city leaders nationwide and big changes are occurring. The Smart Transportation Market […]

With midterm elections only a month away, the media is talking non-stop about who will win, what party will prevail and how voters feel about volatile issues. Most commentators and reporters are focused on House and Senate races… but it is likely that gubernatorial campaigns will determine whether infrastructure reform moves forward. States like Georgia, […]

Demand for construction projects is at an all-time high in the U.S.  But, construction firms cannot respond aggressively because of the lack of skilled workers.  With no relief in sight, there is great angst! Spending on new construction projects reached $1 trillion by the end of 2017, but we’ll not see that again in 2018. […]

When it comes to public transportation, the United States lags far behind other countries. Governments in Europe, Asia and Canada invest heavily in public transportation because it is viewed as an essential public good. The U.S. government, however, views public transit a little differently and funding has been inadequate for decades.  As a result, America’s […]

Many parts of the country were already in “full disaster recovery mode” when Hurricane Florence hit the East Coast last weekend. The Texas Gulf Coast, the state of Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are all still rebuilding after weather-related disasters.  Now the East Coast region resembles a war zone. Flooding has been widespread […]

Weather-related disasters have become all too common. The destruction is horrific and the rebuilding costs are astronomical – not to mention the pain and sadness related to the loss of lives. Last year, weather-related disaster costs exceeded $306 billion. Companies that offer disaster recovery and rebuilding services no longer find their services cyclical.  Instead, demand […]

Unprecedented and rapid growth multiplies challenges for municipal leaders. That could be extremely problematic, but fortunately, cities are not just getting bigger, they are also getting “smarter.” The “smart city” culture continues to sweep the country. Forward-thinking leaders are finding innovative solutions to problems created by unparalleled growth – problems like traffic gridlock, renewable energy, […]

Water utilities in the United States were once operated almost completely by private companies. That began to change when Boston, New York, Los Angeles and other large cities expanded in the late 19th century.  Water utilities failed to manage the increased demand and government leaders stepped up to assume responsibility for adequate water resources. That’s […]

If there’s one thing that government has a lock on, it’s data! The information that government is required to collect, protect and preserve is massive and diverse.  It covers almost everything – student school records from kindergarten through college, every imaginable type of crime statistic, licensing and permitting records, medical records, social program participation, purchasing […]

As city leaders struggle to help their communities become “smart cities,” elected officials also grapple with more basic issues.  Affordable housing is a priority in every city in the country.  America is literally teetering on the brink of declaring an affordable housing crisis. Cities cannot grow – cannot become smart – and cannot function without […]

Officials of the University of California, Merced (UCM) last week celebrated the first visible signs of a unique and successful $1.3 billion public-private partnership (P3) initiative that truly sets the bar for P3s in higher education. An on-campus event marked the opening of a trio of the 13 new campus buildings that will be completed […]

Government funding is tight at every jurisdictional level, but there is a huge disconnect between available funding at the state level compared to the local levels of government. That disparity is causing strains that may soon play out in ways that are negative for taxpayers and citizens. As fiscal years end for local governments, many […]

Strange as it might seem, the threat of administration-imposed tariffs has not slowed investment in America’s ports. The extremely large megaships are coming through the Suez Canal headed to America and U.S. ports will be ready.  Most are already engaged in making upgrades, performing maintenance, expanding to facilitate the larger ships and constructing new storage […]

Something significant happened at the end of 2017.  The federal government signed into law the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act. This signals a massive trend that will sweep the country, touch every state,  every jurisdictional level of government and all  IT systems. Big changes are coming that will create huge new opportunities for companies that […]

Although somewhat guarded because the Trump administration’s energy policies appear to favor fossil fuels, cities and states remain steadfast in their efforts to lower carbon emissions as they continue to embrace sustainability and renewable energy. Energy experts say that approximately one-half of the growth in the U.S. renewable energy generation since 2000 can be attributed […]

As local government leaders finalize fiscal year budgets, many are even more focused on long-range transportation planning. That’s because transportation planning is much harder than planning next year’s budget. How do government officials plan for transportation costs considering the fact that the technology that will be required in three, five or 10 years is still […]

Digital platforms are changing every sector of business as well as lifestyles for all Americans. Digitization is also changing almost every aspect of government. Digital data makes it possible for citizens to handle transactions with government in a quick and convenient way. Citizen and taxpayer demands for online, real time access to data and the […]

Problems facing municipal governments continue to compound. Constrained budgets make it almost impossible to address many critical community needs.  Additionally, city leaders are faced with a paradox – how to develop a rundown area without pushing out the residents who have lived in the area for many years. Gentrification is sweeping through major cities creating […]

Although there is no compromise in sight on an omnibus spending bill, House members left the Capitol for a month-long August break. However, members of the Senate stayed behind and just passed a minibus appropriations package. The package includes allocations to several federal agencies, including billions of dollars in funding for the U.S. Department of […]

Last week, President Trump held a National Security Council Meeting to discuss election security. The meeting covered Russian interference and the overall state of the country’s election systems. Just the fact that this meeting was called is evidence of a problem and the realization that elections security vulnerabilities must be addressed. Earlier this year, Congress […]

We may be experiencing a building boom but it is not producing affordable housing …and that’s what municipal leaders desperately need. The lack of affordable housing has become a national problem. The Urban Institute reports that for every 100 low-income American households seeking affordable apartments, fewer than 30 units are available. And the National Apartment […]

Now that the rhetoric and the debate over passage of the federal tax bill have subsided, one component of that legislation is getting lots of attention. That would be “Opportunity Zones.” Last month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury approved the final round selection efforts for designated opportunity zones. This new program allows investors to […]

In its newest 21st Century reorganization effort, the U.S. Army has announced that Austin – known as a hub for innovation, technology, research and academia – has been chosen as its base for the country’s new high-tech, four-star Army Futures Command. The Army  Futures Command will be responsible for coordinating efforts to modernize the Army, […]