PM Magazine, May 2024

PUBLIC HEALTH

ECONOMIC MOBILITY

Inviting a new cohort of local decisionmakers to enhance economic mobility and opportunity in their communities.

APPLY NOW FOR THE 2024 ECONOMIC MOBILITY & OPPORTUNITY COHORT

PARTICIPANTS IN THE COHORT WILL

X Receive up to a $20,000 grant for their local government to participate in this learning cohort. Funds may be used to support implementation of an economic mobility assessment, planning or engagement process, or other eligible local activity.

X Network with other local government professionals.

X Participate in virtual and in-person learning opportunities, with travel expenses covered.

X Access resources and coaching from economic mobility experts.

Learn about what other local governments have done through this program and access guidance on applying at icma.org/emo.

Cohort applications close May 10, 2024.

Growing Local Government Leadership for Economic Mobility & Opportunity

With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Economic Mobility and Opportunity program, ICMA offers programming and content around boosting upward economic mobility in local communities. Embedded within ICMA’s Local Government Reimagined initiative, offerings include evidence-based resources, virtual and in-person trainings, and a peer learning cohort for a select group of highly motivated ICMA members. Through these, local leaders can learn about the drivers of economic mobility and opportunity as well as what’s working to move the needle for the security, health, and welfare of vulnerable residents in communities across the country.

FEATURES

12

Opioid Addiction and Public Health Practices

Leaning into relationships and collaborations with community partners is the key to addressing this public health crisis.

Desmar Walkes, MD; Kelly N. Weidenbach, DrPH, MPH; and Robert Harrison

16

Strengthening the Local Government Public Health Emergency Response

Analyzing survey data from more than 100 local governments, several key determinants of effective COVID-19 management emerged.

Vaswati Chatterjee and Theodore Arapis

20

Data-driven Mental Health Solutions

How city and county managers can use valuable data to address critical mental health outcomes in their community

Samantha Breslin 24 A Mental Health Conversation Starter in Remote Australia

An innovative approach to mental health awareness among staff and in the community

Mark Crawley

A Manager’s Guide to Supporting Employees Experiencing a Mental Health Challenge

A proactive approach has a positive effect on employee vitality and workplace culture.

Cigna Healthcare

Organizational Culture with the Power of Stay

How a new city manager and his management group worked hard and changed everything

Dr. Peter Pirnejad and Dr. Frank Benest, ICMA-CM (Retired)

Think Differently About Our Stupid Rules

These rules damage your organization and create a stagnant culture. Here’s how to start getting rid of them. Ed Everett, ICMA-CM (Retired)

Wyoming:

Strong Local Government Organizations Emphasize Workplace Well-Being

BY MARC A. OTT

Mental Health Awareness Month presents an opportunity to engage all levels in leading change.

MARC A. OTT is CEO/Executive Director of ICMA, Washington, D.C.

If you have been following my column over the past few years, you will know the level of importance I put on workplace mental health. At the height of the pandemic, I joined with CEOs from like-minded nonprofit organizations—NLC, YMCA, APHA, and APA—to address vaccine hesitancy. We then worked to address changing the culture around mental health in the workplace. At the 2021 ICMA Annual Conference in Portland, we had only one session specifically on workplace well-being. Based on member input, the mental health track has grown steadily with a dozen sessions planned for the 2024 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh this fall.

Two years ago, we asked leaders across all public and private sector organizations to join us formally in committing to change the culture around mental health in the workplace. More than 250 organizations have done so.1 It has been especially inspiring to see how many local governments registered their commitment to this crucial priority.

Public Management (PM) (USPS: 449-300) is published monthly by ICMA (the International City/County Management Association) at 777 North Capitol Street. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4201. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICMA.

COPYRIGHT 2024 by the International City/County Management Association. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced or translated without written permission.

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Bold and Deliberate Leadership

Based on discussions with local government leaders around the world, it’s clear that while the pandemic may have highlighted the issues interfering with employee well-being, building a more supportive work environment had not been prioritized. It takes bold and deliberate leadership to address employee mental health and well-being. It is a cultural shift that requires that managers lead by example, and for most of us, modeling healthy behaviors like work-life balance and self-care has been a challenge. I shared some great ideas from a session at the ICMA 2022 Annual Conference on ways leaders can normalize conversations around mental health.2

We are making progress in eliminating the stigma associated with mental health. For many leaders, it’s beginning to feel more natural to talk openly with their team, which has helped to erase the feelings of shame that often accompany mental health difficulties. In addition

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ICMA

Creating and Supporting Thriving Communities

ICMA’s vision is to be the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities throughout the world. It does this by working with its more than 13,000 members to identify and speed the adoption of leading local government practices and improve the lives of residents. ICMA offers membership, professional development programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and training to thousands of city, town, and county chief administrative officers, their staffs, and other organizations throughout the world.

Public Management (PM) aims to inspire innovation, inform decision making, connect leading-edge thinking to everyday challenges, and serve ICMA members and local governments in creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world. International City/County Management Association

ARTICLE PROPOSALS: Visit icma.org/writeforus to see editorial guidelines for contributors.

For more information on local government leadership and management topics, visit icma.org.

2023–2024

ICMA Executive Board

PRESIDENT Lon Pluckhahn*

Deputy City Manager Vancouver, Washington

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Tanya Ange*

County Administrator

Washington County, Oregon

PAST PRESIDENT

Jeffrey Towery

City Manager

McMinnville, Oregon

VICE PRESIDENTS

International Region

Rebecca Ryan

General Manager

Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional

Council, New South Wales, Australia

Colin Beheydt

City Manager

Bruges, Belgium

Doug Gilchrist

City Manager

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Midwest Region

Corri Spiegel* Manager in Transition

Michael Sable* City Manager Maplewood, Minnesota

Jeffrey Weckbach

Township Administrator Colerain Township, Ohio

Mountain Plains Region

Kenneth Williams** City Manager Beaumont, Texas

Dave Slezickey* City Manager The Village, Oklahoma

Pamela Davis

Assistant City Manager Boulder, Colorado

Northeast Region

Scott W. Colby Jr.

Assistant Town Manager Windsor, Connecticut

Dennis Enslinger

Deputy City Manager Gaithersburg, Maryland

Steve Bartha*

Town Manager Danvers, Massachusetts

to team meetings where staff can be reminded about resources available to them and personal stories can be shared, one-on-one check-ins also work well. This issue of PM features an article on “stay interviews,” which many city and county governments have incorporated into their best practices. It’s an opportunity to show staff members that they matter.

Addressing the “Whole Person”

Performance appraisals present another avenue to normalize discussions about mental health. We expect team members to bring their “whole selves” to the workplace. That is what truly leads to peak performance experiences and real organizational breakthroughs. It’s also why as leaders, it’s important to open that door and ask lots of questions to better understand how someone is really doing, inquiring about their physical and mental health in addition to how they perform their specific job functions.

It’s exciting and daunting to see the changes that have occurred in this area over these past few years. The very definition of work has been evolving as employees quit their jobs in record numbers during the Great Resignation. The U.S. Surgeon General has added workplace mental health and well-being

Southeast Region

Valmarie Turner*

Deputy City Manager Fairfax, Virginia

Jorge Gonzalez*

Village Manager Village of Bal Harbour, Florida

Eric Stuckey City Administrator Franklin, Tennessee

West Coast Region

Pamela Antil* City Manager Encinitas, California

Jessi Bon

City Manager Mercer Island, Washington

Nat Rojanasathira**

Assistant City Manager Monterey, California

* ICMA-CM ** ICMA Credentialed Manager Candidate

ICMA CEO/Executive Director Marc Ott

Managing Director, Lynne Scott lscott@icma.org

Brand Management, Marketing, and Outreach; Director, Equity & Social Justice and Membership Marketing

Senior Managing Editor Kerry Hansen khansen@icma.org

Senior Editor Kathleen Karas kkaras@icma.org

Graphics Manager Delia Jones djones@icma.org

Design & Production picantecreative.com

For many leaders, it’s beginning to feel more natural to talk openly with their team, which has helped to erase the feelings of shame that often accompany mental health difficulties.

as one of its top priorities.3 As leaders we have been challenged to find new ways to address employee well-being, covering everything from remote work to upskilling.

For certain, creating a more sustainable workplace culture demands that we involve everyone and that we engage the whole person in finding solutions. While I stressed the importance of leadership in modeling good mental health behaviors, lasting change can only occur when all levels of the organization are involved, when people can depend on their peers for understanding and encouragement. That includes ICMA members. We encourage you to share your

experiences and leading practices through PM, our Leadership Matters enewsletter, ICMA conferences, and online learning. Now that we are fully engaged in the process of cultivating a mentally healthy workplace and workforce, there’s no way to go but forward.

ENDNOTES

1 https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/ mental-health/who-made-commitment

2 https://icma.org/articles/pm-magazine/letter-ceoedelevate-your-organization-prioritizing-mental-health

3 https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/ workplace-well-being/index.html

ICMA Calendar of Events

MAY

Strategic Communication in the Age of AI

May 7 | Webinar

Transforming Town Meetings with Teletownhalls

May 8 | Webinar

Improving Trust and Transparency with Better Public Communications

May 9 | Webinar

Build Success by Creating and Communicating a Powerful Vision

May 15 | ICMA Coaching Webinar

The Future of Work

May 16 | Online Workshop

Association of City Managers of the Czech Republic (STMOÚ)

May 19 | Conference

Forum PA 2024

May 21 | Conference

Talking Policy with your Elected Officials

May 29 | Webinar

Exello.net Members’ Conference

May 30 | Conference

Shaping Sustainable Town Centres

May 31 | Conference

9th ICMA Europe Summit

May 31 | Conference

JUNE

2024 CAMA Conference and Annual General Meeting

June 2 | Conference

A Budgeting Guide for Local Government 2024 3-Part Series

June 4 | Online Training

Deploying Your Vision and Strategy

June 4 | Online Workshop

Explore the Future of AI in Local Government (Palm Desert, California)

June 5–7 | Local Government Reimagined Conference

Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Annual Conference and Trade Show 2024

June 6 | Conference

MuniExpo 2024

June 9 | Conference

Gettysburg Leadership Institute 2024

June 12 | Leadership Development Program (This program is full.)

or

icma.org/events. Shop all courses at learning.icma.org

Reflections from the President’s Desk

A gratifying and humbling ride so far

By the time this article hits PM Magazine, I will be two thirds of the way through my year as ICMA’s president. It has been a fantastic experience, and the time has passed much faster than I expected it to go.

To date, I have had the honor of representing ICMA at nearly a dozen events and state association meetings and have met with hundreds of our members and affiliate members. It’s been a great reminder of the importance of the work our members are doing every day, and the creativity and compassion with which we go about the work. As a firm believer in the power of story to motivate and unite, I have been able to meet some exceptional people and to hear theirs.

I’ve gotten the opportunity to meet Johnny Crowder, the founder of Cope Notes and learn about the genesis of his personal passion for mental health. I’ve learned about the work that city manager Brian Riblet and his team in Montgomery, Ohio, are doing in the mental health arena and the vision the city has for supporting their employees and community. In North Carolina, I was able to see the announcement of the state association’s partnership with a credit union that will provide up to half a million dollars for professional development and support of their members. And at every opportunity I have engaged with our student members and next generation leaders that will carry the profession into the future.

There have also been numerous reminders of the longterm impact of the foundational work that ICMA and our partners are doing. At the Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN)conference in Mesa, Arizona, I met the director of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who got his start in graduate school due to a scholarship from the precursor to LGHN. I have met some of the giants in our profession, including founding members of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and LGHN. The passion and dedication these individuals have to excellence in public service is inspiring. I have also been struck by the commonality of issues faced by our communities around the world. Concerns about the recruitment and retention of employees, lack of civility and distrust in government, inadequate resources in contrast to growing demand, and others are universal. Our peers everywhere are grappling with the same sticky problems regardless of location.

BY LON PLUCKHAHN, ICMA-CM

The work that ICMA is doing to support our members with best practices and innovative ways to solve these difficult problems is more critical than ever.

I am proud to be part of an organization that has so many dedicated members that are leaning into some of the greatest challenges our communities have ever faced.

We have also been advancing the work of the organization. The task force on governance has been engaged with our member states and regions, learning from their perspective what should be considered as we seek to modernize the way we do business. Our global work is also ongoing as ICMA is moving toward a continuum of partnerships rather than the traditional affiliation agreement. ICMA’s regions just wrapped up the interview process for the next cohort of candidates for the executive board that are seeking to join us in September. And finally, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the ICMA Code of Ethics throughout the year. It has truly been a gratifying and humbling ride so far. I am proud to be part of an organization that has so many dedicated members that are leaning into some of the greatest challenges our communities have ever faced. Over the next few months, I will have more opportunities to meet our members where they are, and I look forward to seeing you all at the ICMA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh in September.

LON PLUCKHAHN, ICMA-CM, is the 2023–2024 ICMA president and deputy city manager of Vancouver, Washington, USA.

President Lon Pluckhahn onstage at the 2023 ICMA Annual Conference in Austin, Texas.

Managing Personnel Matters with Fairness and Impartiality

How Tenet 11 evolved and maintains its relevance today

To celebrate the Code of Ethics centennial, I made it a first-year goal in this role to be visible and meet members where they gather at conferences. So far, I have presented at Cal-Cities; the Virginia Local Government Management Association; the Northwest Regional Manager’s Conference encompassing the states of Alaska, Oregon, and Washington; the Local Government Reimagined Conference in Boston; the Colorado City/County Management Association; and the Indiana Municipal Management Association. Still to come this year is the Maryland City/County Management Association, the New York City/County Management Association, the Florida City/County Management Association, the Local Government Reimagined Conference in Palm Desert, the South Carolina City/County Management Association, ICMA’s Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, and the Tennessee City Management Association.

I have gathered some common themes through participating in these conferences that I wanted to share with you:

1. There is honor in being a public servant working toward the betterment of the community every day.

2. We exercise independence to do what is right even if you pay the ultimate price and are fired for it.

3. There is a deep commitment to integrity and a drive to use tools like generative artificial intelligence in a way that thoughtfully approaches this emerging technology.

4. We respect the roles and contributions elected officials make to the community, and to accomplish this, members share information equally with the governing body.

5. Political neutrality is always the hallmark of a professional local government manager, especially when faced with contentious issues or an election that divides the community rather than unites it.

6. We equitably serve the public and keep the community informed.

JESSICA COWLES is ethics director at ICMA (jcowles@icma.org).

7. We model excellence by providing support and leading employees.

8. We never seek any favor from a public position. These statements are expressed as the profession’s values demonstrated in the Code’s tenets and have been so for 100 years.

If you were to assess how you spent your time in the past day or week, I would guess aspects of personnel

ICMA CODE OF ETHICS Established 1924 YEARS BY

JESSICA COWLES

management would be top of mind. Perhaps it was looking at how to make employee pay more competitive, reviewing an employee request for training or development with a cost implication, or having a tough conversation that results in an employee’s performance improvement plan.

With this theme, let’s focus on Tenet 11 and the ethical obligation to “manage all personnel matters with fairness and impartiality.” This tenet includes the guideline on diversity and inclusion: “It is the member’s responsibility to recruit, hire, promote, retain, train, and support a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization.”

One outstanding resource I used as a manager was ICMA’s Effective Supervisory Practices book. For the accompanying webinar series,1 I joined lead author Michelle Poche Flaherty to help provide training for first-time supervisors. The third webinar in this series will focus on managing employees fairly.

Tenet 11 History

My predecessor Martha Perego wrote about L. P. Cookingham, the legendary Kansas City manager who fought systemic corruption in the city from 1940 to 1959.2 For two decades prior to his arrival, political boss Tom Pendergast’s patronage system “bloated the payroll with both no shows and police officers who could neither read nor write. ‘Voluntary’ payroll deductions from the police raised $78,000 in donations to Pendergast’s political party one year… The new police chief, a former FBI agent, reported receiving $150,000 in bribes the first five weeks on the job. . . and death threats!”

Pendergast was eventually convicted of federal tax evasion. A reform-minded mayor and city council hired Cookingham. Cookingham quickly took several steps to reform the organization and two of those steps relate to personnel management:

“Build a competent leadership team. Cookingham selected all the new department directors, the former having been fired by the interim city manager at council’s insistence to rid the organization of Pendergast legacies. Not all were familiar with municipal management, but they were competent and understood for whom they worked. Right size the workforce with the right skill set. In their first six months on the job, the new department directors fired more than 2,200 employees who were not needed, not qualified, or viewed as not loyal. That was onethird of the workforce.” 100

As a reaction to that state of municipal affairs, the Code’s 1938 version included the principle, “The city manager handles all matters of personnel on the basis of merit. Political, religious, and racial considerations carry no weight in appointments, salary increases, promotions, and discipline in the municipal service.” It has been amended over the years and through the comprehensive Code review from 2020 to 2023, the membership overwhelmingly approved new tenet language: “Manage all personnel matters with fairness and impartiality.”

In 1972, the guideline on equal opportunity to Tenet 11 was added:

Equal Opportunity. A member should develop a positive program that will assure meaningful employment opportunities for all segments of the community. It shall be the intent to provide equality of opportunity in employment for all persons; to prohibit discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation,

physical handicaps, age, or marital status in all aspects of personnel policies, programs, practices, and operations; and to promote the full realization of equal opportunity in employment through continuing programs of affirmative action at every level with the organization. It should be the member’s personal and professional responsibility to actively recruit and hire minorities and women for their professional staffs and throughout his organization.

The guideline’s language was revised in 2009:

Equal Opportunity. All decisions pertaining to appointments, pay adjustments, promotions, and discipline should prohibit discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, political affiliation, disability, age, or marital status.

As part of the review process that culminated in membership voting to amend the existing Tenet 11 language, the Board adopted revisions to the guideline at the Committee on Professional Conduct’s recommendation:

Diversity and Inclusion: “It is the member’s responsibility to recruit, hire, promote, retain, train, and support a diverse workforce at all levels of the organization.”

The commitment to managing personnel matters with fairness and impartiality dates to the 1938 version of the Code and has been a defining principle of the council-manager form of government. It is “what you know” not “who you know” that continues to set the standard for this profession.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

1 https://shop.learninglab.icma.org/products/ lp_240193

2 https://icma.org/articles/article/cookinghams-legacy

David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Lander, Wyoming: Form of Government in Emerging Cities

BY JASON GRANT

The city of Lander demonstrates how the council-manager form of government may affect emerging rural communities on the outskirts of larger municipalities.

Earlier this year, I participated in a work session with the mayor and city council of Lander, Wyoming, USA, to inform their discussions about potential changes to their current mayor-council form of government.

As ICMA continues to engage with small and rural communities to address their unique challenges, Lander provides a valuable case study to understand how the form of government might affect emerging rural communities on the further outskirts of larger municipalities. Lander (population: 7,587) is the county seat of Fremont County. It lies adjacent to Wind River Indian Reservation and is surrounded by large tracts of land used for hunting, fishing, ranching, and mining/drilling operations. Lander is also approximately 30 minutes from the Central Wyoming Regional Airport, approximately 2.5 hours west of Casper, and 5.5 hours north of Denver, Colorado.

Over the past 20 years, Lander and neighboring cities and towns have experienced growth in population and economic activity. Infrastructure investments from the state and federal levels have strengthened economic opportunities and created greater complexity in both service demands and fiscal management. This, in turn, raised the question for the mayor and city council about the

potential need for professional government administration support if they are to achieve their long-term vision and goals for the city.

Figure 1 shows that communities under 5,000 in population tend to operate under mayor-council form of government. But notice that jurisdictions with a population between 5,000 and 250,000 tend to operate under councilmanager form. This starts to shift back to a preference for mayor-council with an even split in cities with population between 250,000 and 500,000; and then the largest cities are more likely to operate under mayor-council once again. So, why is there a tendency for the largest and smallest cities to operate under mayor-council, and why do we see the transition to council-manager more prominent everywhere else? While I have not seen any research to prove my theory, what I have learned from my experience is that large city mayors more commonly seek a longer political career with aspirations of higher state or federal office. And an executive mayor can better position themselves with name recognition and access to financial and political support necessary to compete for state or federal offices.

For smaller communities, those under 5,000 in population generally have far less complexity in programs

JASON GRANT is the director of advocacy at ICMA (jgrant@ icma.org).

and service and much smaller budgets. So, hiring a professional city manager is not always seen as necessary nor fiscally possible. However, when cities and towns start to grow above 5,000 in population, budgets tend to increase and demands and expectations for government grow along with it.

Over the past four years, those jurisdictions between 5,000 and 25,000 in population that have reached out to ICMA for insights on form of government have primarily come from mayor-council cities where the elected officials are looking for possible solutions to help make certain they can continue to manage the city effectively in the years ahead. Mayors become overextended when they have to run the city operations, meet with residents, and develop new ideas and solutions for local problems. What’s more, most of these jurisdictions have a mayor trying to do all this with a part-time city salary while they are simultaneously balancing the demands of a separate full-time job. And this isn’t even taking into account their family and personal lives.

This is the type of challenge facing the city of Lander as well. The mayor and city council stated that the proposition of a professional city manager under council-manager form or the addition of a city administrator under the mayorcouncil form are potentially promising solutions to building continuity and future stability for their government. They also identified the need to better codify the powers of

the mayor, council, and staff since they currently do not have a city charter or resolution explicitly articulating those functions.

The greatest challenge that the council and mayor raised in regard to the potential to add a professional city manager is how to fund the position and attract the talent necessary to ensure long-term continuity. Certainly, compensation and quality of life are driving factors for recruiting any position in any industry, and city management is no different. Any community needs to promote their quality of life and make an appeal to potential managers who may be unfamiliar with their area. They may have internal staff with the necessary background and experience but still need a succession plan to make certain they continue to grow managerial talent from within. Each city may be unique, but ICMA would do well to continue to identify strategies to encourage and train city managers for service in these small and emerging rural communities as we seek to strengthen local governments.

As ICMA continues to support Lander in their efforts to identify the form of government that best suits their needs, we know that there are cities and towns across the globe in similar situations. While larger municipalities and counties tend to get greater attention and coverage on form of government advocacy, we must be mindful of the opportunities and needs of these growing communities.

Using a Cultural Calendar to Guide Your DEI Programming

A great tool for awareness and employee recognition

For any municipality new to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work, it can be hard to decide where to begin. Programming or policy, internal efforts or external, the answer could be all of the above as long as you actually take action and start!

As the DEI strategist for Concord, North Carolina, USA, I was tasked with expanding and maintaining a cultural and recognition calendar to (1) inform our internal team about the range of holidays that uplift various cultures and (2) acknowledge the hard work of every team through targeted shoutouts during worker appreciation periods.

Our public affairs (PA) unit asked department heads to consult their teams for celebrations they would like to see acknowledged on such a calendar. I also added additional cultural considerations and PA added more worker appreciation moments. We then decided that I would do all internal postings about cultural recognitions and PA would do all external postings across both the cultural (with my input) and worker appreciation categories.

BY

JAIME BROWN

JAIME BROWN is the diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist for Concord, North Carolina, USA.

Worker appreciation posts typically include a picture of my colleagues in their respective office/ site or in action with a huge note of appreciation. These posts generate high interaction across our social media platforms. Internal cultural recognition postings live on our intranet and are only accessible to colleagues. Using Canva, I design appealing graphics with the most informative and pertinent details. For instance, in April, we are acknowledging NC Second Chance Month1 with a coinciding learning and development workshop focused on hiring and housing. The graphic includes logistics about the event, facts about the community, and a call to show support.

I am able to track the calendar’s effectiveness by seeing who shows up to events, requesting anecdotal feedback from colleagues at all training sessions, and soliciting additions to the calendar in the fourth quarter of every calendar year.

Admittedly, creating a cultural calendar is for organizations still early on in their journey. And there are many reasons why a municipality may opt not to commit to following a cultural calendar

because of the likelihood of overamplifying particular cultures and/or neglecting others. In fact, an article from Axios, “Avoid Corporate Platitudes during Cultural Heritage Months,” does a great job reminding us to avoid certain pitfalls.2 It is not enough to have a social media post or proclamation if our everyday practices do not show a true commitment to embracing the diversity in our communities.

Striving to be inclusive and to ensure our efforts extend beyond quick catchphrases, we opted to move forward with the calendar because we recognize the employee learning and morale that it could generate. I strive to make sure the calendar is as inclusive as possible. I encourage our entire team to uplift all the cultures that make up our community year-round. I am also acutely aware that passive programming like a social media post is not as engaging as active programming, and it certainly does not always have the large impact of a policy change or culture shift.

As far as a place to start, the cultural calendar is one option that has to be weighed by your organization for possible strengths and challenges. When done effectively, the calendar serves as a great learning tool and introductory point into the much-needed DEI conversation.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

1 www.dac.nc.gov/blog/2023/04/03/april-second-chance-month

2 www.axios.com/2023/02/02/avoid-corporate-platitudes-duringcultural-heritage-months

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OPIOID ADDICTION and Public Health Practices

Leaning into relationships and collaborations with community partners is the key to addressing this public health

crisis.

BY DESMAR WALKES, MD; KELLY N. WEIDENBACH, DRPH, MPH; AND ROBERT HARRISON

Though the opioid addiction crisis is not attracting the attention it did before the COVID-19 pandemic, the numbers associated with it remain staggering:

• In 2023, deaths from opioids among Americans topped 112,000 for the first time, more than car accidents and gun violence combined.

• The national economic toll of the crisis is estimated at $1.5 trillion, and it has contributed to recent declines in average life expectancy.

• In addition to fentanyl, ever-more dangerous drugs such as xylazine and nitazenes are causing new waves of overdose deaths.

The toll in cities and counties is equally devastating. In Austin and Travis County, Texas, USA, there were 546 opioid overdoses from 2020 to 2022, with the rate of overdose deaths due to fentanyl increasing by 599% in that period. In Adams County, Colorado, USA, the rates of drug overdose deaths involving prescription opioids tripled, and death rates involving fentanyl increased by eight times between 2018 and 2021. The impact of opioid-related deaths on Colorado’s economy was estimated to be $15.2 billion last year. In Yakima County, Washington, USA, more than 100 deaths a year are attributed to overdoses. Every local government in the United States has its own devastating numbers.

Beyond the statistical toll, the opioid crisis has wrought immeasurable suffering from the deaths of parents and children, poverty caused from lost jobs, homelessness, treatment for the uninsured, and other social costs. While people of all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups suffer from the ill effects of substance use, it has disproportionately impacted those experiencing homelessness, Hispanics and Blacks, and men more so than women. Settlement funds with many of the opioid manufacturers have brought in some money to offset these costs, but it is a drop in the bucket relative to the cost of the overall impact on individuals and the community as a whole.

What are cities, counties, and other local government agencies doing to combat the crisis and alleviate the suffering? What should they be doing? We have worked in local governments across the country, and we’ve gathered best practices and ideas on mitigating the harm from opioids. This is not an easy fight, but by learning from each other we hope to make progress and ease the suffering that so many communities are experiencing.

Collaboration Is Key

It helps, of course, to first understand how individuals develop opioid addictions. Many young people who think they may be taking painkillers have ended up inadvertently taking fentanyl. Many who started taking pain medication following medical procedures find themselves addicted and have moved on to fentanyl. The stories of how people have

gotten addicted are many, but once addicted, easy access to the pill supply and the low cost of purchase have significantly increased the misuse of these drugs.

Once addiction takes hold in a community, local leaders must realize the gravity of the challenge and the inability of one agency to solve it alone. Given the multiple challenges that are contributing to the crisis, the only solution is collaboration among community groups, nonprofits, law enforcement and first responders, health providers, and state and federal elected officials to bring resources and organizational focus to their part of the solution. The local government needs to provide leadership and to begin to coordinate efforts and decrease the competition for limited resources with a focus on being able to partner with state and federal agencies for additional resources. Enhancing coordination between the various vested parties that are working on this crisis can improve successful outcomes.

As an example, Austin Public Health, Travis County Health and Human Services, the hospital district, Central Health, and mental health

In Austin and Travis County, Texas, USA, the rate of overdose deaths due to fentanyl increased by 599% from 2020 to 2022.

authority Integral Care have formed a collaboration with other community-based organizations and harm reduction partners. Together they meet monthly to discuss their mitigation strategy, which follows the CDC’s evidencebased guidance for substance use disorder mitigation.

In Adams County, Colorado, officials have developed collaborative plans for opioid abatement through a systematic, collective impact approach. Over 18 years, Colorado expects to receive $467 million to combat the opioid epidemic. Colorado has a joint framework that prioritizes regional collaboration to distribute the opioid settlement funds in partnership with 312 participating local governments. The framework grants local governments and regions control of 80% of the settlement funds with oversight from the Colorado Opioid Abatement Council and support from the

Colorado Department of Law.

The Adams County Opioid Abatement Council works to reduce the impact of the opioid epidemic locally, especially for those community members who are disproportionately impacted. The council’s nine voting members work to align with the statewide joint framework, making decisions on how to distribute funds from the litigation settlement based on prioritized needs, and identifying policy priorities and opportunities related to addressing the opioid crisis.

The Rocky Mountain Partnership (RMP), a local nonprofit entity, is the backbone organization supporting the council’s collective impact work and is responsible for ensuring funds are invested in the region in a way that will have the greatest effect and are implemented using a data-driven approach to monitor impact in real-time. The council has representation from county and municipal governments, law enforcement, judicial branch, public health, and human services. The council has identified outcome measures and targets for those outcomes, which are displayed on public dashboards to ensure that the council’s work is visible and accountable.

Leveraging Partnerships

Subject-matter experts participate in council subcommittees to increase dialogue between voting councilmembers and others

who work along the mental and behavioral health continuum or otherwise support persons living with substance use disorders. The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council also has an executive committee and a number of multidisciplinary subcommittees comprised of subject-matter experts and people with lived experience. The two complementary councils have significant overlap in terms of membership but have distinct goals and objectives. Representation on both councils is broad and inclusive. Opioid abatement funding has been dispersed through community grant

The impact of opioidrelated deaths on Colorado’s economy was estimated to be $15.2 billion last year.

funding opportunities where the Opioid Abatement Council has carefully identified funding targets for specific priorities based on need. Both councils are heavily informed by multiple public health data sources largely provided by the Adams County Health Department and Rocky Mountain Partnership. Communication Is Critical Using a communication strategy that focuses on reducing stigma, many

communities are working toward normalizing the conversation about addiction and working to reduce stigma as well. They are working to become intentional about educating the public that substance use disorder is ubiquitous and is a chronic disease. They are letting the public know that there is effective treatment and that those who stay on their medications can thrive. They are also incorporating the stories of individuals with lived experience in our media and communications strategies, including sharing personal stories of recovery journeys and the importance of carrying naloxone. In Austin and Travis County, this messaging is being disseminated through the press, social media, and bus wraps developed by our internal public information team and the University of Texas. They are deploying paramedics to discuss addiction medicine strategies for harm reduction with local providers and their staff. These training courses will be accredited to the providers that participate. The curriculum for the academic detailing is being developed by a physician advisory board comprised of addiction medicine and emergency medicine specialists and the University of Texas School of Pharmacy.

Also, in Austin/Travis County, there is an effort to prevent opioid-related deaths by providing education, increasing availability of naloxone, and increasing awareness of the signs of opioid overdose widely in the community. In addition, officials are contracting with harm reduction organizations to provide services and outreach to individuals who use drugs. They have increased funding for peer recovery coaches who can link individuals to services, and they have mobile street teams in the field working to resuscitate individuals who have overdosed. If the individual refuses to go to the hospital for care, team members can start buprenorphine in the field and continue their management until their appointment with an addiction specialist. Currently, there is no wait to be seen for addiction care.

What’s Missing: Funding and Policy Priorities

Many communities lack funding for injectable Sublocade, a long-acting addiction medication that can be a game changer, especially for those people who are transitioning from incarceration. Fentanyl and xylazine test strips are not legal

Stigma, blaming, and shaming are all stumbling blocks on the road to success.

and counseling. When we are working to get to yes on the things that cause our neighbors pain, then and only then will we see progress.

in some states, so organizations that can purchase these life-saving harm-reduction tools are doing so using their funds. Additionally, there is often a lack of funding for the coordination of care activities necessary to ensure that those living with substance use disorder have the “warm handoff” to the members of the care team that is needed to support them on their journey. Grant funding for data collection is essential for decision-making and deployment of assets.

Stigma, blaming, and shaming are all stumbling blocks on the road to success. Relationships and collaborations with community partners is what will make the difference, as well as loving those in our community who need to be restored through peer mentoring, medications, medical social work assistance,

The Local Government Hispanic Network (LGHN) hosted and collaborated with the National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) and the National Association of County Administrators (NACA) to develop content and presentation of the education session on opioid addiction and public health practices (that this article is based upon) at the 2023 ICMA Annual Conference in Austin, Texas.

DESMAR WALKES, MD, is public health medical director of Austin, Texas.

KELLY N. WEIDENBACH, DRPH, MPH, is executive director of the Adams County Health Department, Adams County, Colorado.

ROBERT HARRISON is the former city manager of Yakima, Washington, and member of the board of directors of the Local Government Hispanic Network.

Strengthening the Local Government Public Health

BY VASWATI CHATTERJEE AND THEODORE ARAPIS

Emergency Response

Analyzing survey data from more than 100 local governments, several key determinants of effective COVID-19 management emerged.

The Pandemic Management Survey

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of local governments during a crisis response. Municipal leaders were on the frontlines, enforcing health rules, ramping up public health and social services, helping vulnerable communities, and keeping residents informed on public health guidelines.

Responding to this unprecedented global crisis wasn’t easy. Municipal managers faced many challenges, including lack of expertise and resources, conflicting public health information and federal directives, tight budgets, and partisan divide and public skepticism that often hindered a community’s compliance with public health guidelines.

To that end, we conducted the Pandemic Management Survey (PMS),123 examining pandemic response by local governments specifically in the states of Pennsylvania and Florida. The survey, distributed among municipal managers and chief appointed officials of the two states, focused on the following themes:

1. Preparedness of jurisdictions for natural and manmade/technological disasters and disease outbreaks.

2. Risk perception of local government managers regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their jurisdiction’s public health, local economy, social services, and budget.

3. Sources of information for public health–related issues and communication strategies adopted in response to the pandemic.

4. Socioeconomic and public health response actions adopted in response to COVID-19.

5. Actions taken to reduce the adverse economic impact of COVID-19 on the community and the jurisdiction’s budget.

During the spring of 2021, we distributed the survey via email to 913 local governments with populations greater than 5,000. After data cleaning and coding, the final sample consisted of 102 municipal governments.

Local Response Policies

A central aspect of the survey focused on understanding strategies adopted by local governments in response to the pandemic. We divided response actions into three categories: socioeconomic and public health, communication and community engagement, and budgetary response actions.

Socioeconomic and Public Health Response Actions: We found that municipal leaders acted as community stewards by implementing measures to keep their residents safe and extending additional support to those who were vulnerable. Nearly one in five governments offered financial assistance to households facing economic hardships and evictions. More than a third provided masks, sanitizers, and other medical supplies to communities. Approximately 14% specifically expanded services to the homeless and elderly, recognizing their increased vulnerability. A significant portion (32%) of respondents also developed community response and reopening plans since the start of the pandemic.

Communication and Community Engagement Strategies: The most frequently adopted actions were public awareness campaigns (77%) to keep the community consistently informed on public health guidelines, communicating with local businesses (47%) and ensuring their engagement in response, and receiving community input (45%) to understand their concerns and needs. Other strategies like holding community stakeholder meetings (25%) to foster collaboration and trust with key community groups and facilitating participation of youth (8%) were also adopted.

The data suggests that a multi-pronged approach in crisis communication was adopted during the pandemic. Leaders combined public awareness campaigns with targeted communication to specific groups like businesses and vulnerable residents. They also actively incorporated community input to address specific concerns and build public trust.

Budgetary Response Measures: Seventy percent of responding jurisdictions implemented some form of expenditure cuts that included postponing capital projects, furloughs and staff layoffs, hiring freeze, and reduction of benefits. Almost two-thirds (63%) implemented some revenue raising strategies that included seeking federal aid and borrowing from other jurisdictions. Finally, 12% sought productivity gains by reducing hours of operation, reorganizing and consolidating various departments, and closing some departments.

In summary, the pandemic forced local governments to innovate in managing their finances. The data suggests that while cost cutting was necessary, managers were also required to balance these reductions with increased social service demands from residents. They sought federal aid and focused on long-term efficiency gains by streamlining government operations.

Preparedness Matters

We asked a series of questions designed to assess preparedness capabilities of responding jurisdictions for public health crises events. While three-fourths (75%) of responding jurisdictions had a continuity of operations plan in place, fewer (37%) reported already having a pandemic plan at the start of COVID-19 outbreak. Why is preparedness important? Having an emergency management plan in place can position jurisdictions for a more effective crisis response by:

Developing a stronger foundation: A plan helps develop the necessary resources like staff, funding, and administrative capabilities to handle a crisis.

Assigning clear roles: The plan assigns clear responsibilities to different stakeholders involved in the response, ensuring everyone knows their part.

Promoting seamless teamwork: The plan establishes collaborative networks and communication channels among various agencies, enabling smooth cooperation during a crisis.

Analysis of our data showed that jurisdictions with an independent continuity of operations plan were 11.5 times more likely to adopt public health and socio-economic response actions such as distribution of medical supplies, expanding services for unhoused residents and the elderly, developing plans for reopening businesses and other community services, and providing financial assistance to those unemployed or facing evictions. Alternatively, jurisdictions with an independent pandemic preparedness plan were 32.5 times more likely to adopt similar response actions.

These findings highlight the urgency to invest in planning for continuity of operations and pandemic management. While local communities can initiate developing these plans, advocating for broader support may also be necessary. These include:

Federal/state funding: Lobbying for increased financial resources from federal and state governments.

Grant opportunities: Exploring and pursuing grant programs that support the development and implementation of local preparedness plans.

Mandates as a catalyst: Advocating for clear mandates from federal or state governments that encourage or require all localities to develop preparedness plans. This can help ensure broader adoption across communities.

Risk Perception Drives Action

The emergency management literature demonstrates that while objective assessment of a threat is necessary, a leader’s subjective perception of the same also matters in crisis decision-making. Leaders with higher risk perception are more likely to have a clearer understanding of the severity of a threat. Their heightened awareness can translate into a stronger sense of urgency to adopt necessary organizational/community protective action measures.

We therefore asked respondents of our survey to indicate major concerns related to the pandemic for their jurisdiction. The top three reported concerns were spread of infection (90%), reopening of businesses (81%), and reopening of schools (74%). Some other frequently reported concerns were availability of healthcare resources, unemployment, public safety, and budgetary issues.

Our analysis indicates that how leaders perceived pandemic risk mattered in their choice of pandemic response actions. For example, leaders with higher levels of concerns about reopening businesses and schools, both politically charged topics across various communities in the United States, adopted more community and stakeholder engagement strategies in their response. It is possible that managers with higher levels of concern with divisive issues felt the urgency to implement more avenues for communicating with and engaging with residents so as to lessen the tension surrounding some of these sensitive policies and build public trust and support.

Alternatively, our analysis also indicates that during a crisis, specific concerns of public managers can also influence how leaders approach budget challenges. We observed the following:

• Leaders concerned about hospital capacity and public safety were more likely to seek additional funding sources like federal aid or borrowing.

• Leaders worried about healthcare resources and school reopening were less likely to implement expenditure cuts.

• Leaders concerned over budget constraints and human services adopted both expenditure cuts and productivity gains in government operation.

Our analysis indicates the following actionable items for leaders: Self-assessment: When a crisis hits, take time to reflect on your own risk perception regarding potential threats from the situation.

Community dialogue: Engage with stakeholders to understand their concerns about potential impacts.

Flexible response plans: Adapt your response in a way that can address both objective assessment of threats and ease specific concerns of community members and stakeholders.

The City/County Manager Effect

While local communities were instrumental in leading the crisis response, we were interested to examine how those communities with the council-manager (C-M) form of government compared to other local government structures in adoption of pandemic response strategies. The debate on performance comparisons between the C-M form and other forms of government is not new. Scholars and practitioners have argued that jurisdictions

with an appointed chief administrative officer (CAO) benefit from increased professionalism and administrative expertise of managers. Consequently, communities with the C-M form are advocated to be more efficient, responsive, and effective in government operations.

Our analysis reveals that the form of government mattered. Jurisdictions with the C-M form of government led to adoption of more socioeconomic and public health strategies and impacted budgetary decisions. C-M communities in our sample seemed to prefer productivity gains in operation over cost-cutting measures to navigate budget shortfalls. In essence, C-M local governments can lead a more effective pandemic response because of the following factors:

Reduced political influence: C-M local governments, unlike those led by elected officials, are less susceptible to political agendas. This allows for evidence-based decision making, prioritizing tough public health and socioeconomic programs, even when politically unpopular.

Collaborative approach: C-M local governments, guided by professional ethics, can effectively navigate conflicting needs and foster collaboration. City/county managers can build trust and engage diverse community stakeholders, leading to a more comprehensive crisis response.

Innovation and adaptability: During needed budget adjustments, managers, leveraging their professional expertise, have the capability to go beyond cost-cutting measures and explore other techniques such as cost control and productivity enhancement.

Conclusion

The findings from our survey provide insight into local response during COVID-19 and reveal various actionable steps that municipal governments can take to address future public health crises. The sidebar on this page contains a summary of key takeaways.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

1 Chatterjee, V., & Arapis, T. (2024). Crisis communication during COVID-19: Insights from Pennsylvania and Florida local governments. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy.

2 Arapis, T., & Chatterjee, V. (2024). Analysing cutback management strategies amidst the Covid 19 pandemic: Insights from Pennsylvania municipalities. Public Money & Management, 1-12.

3 Chatterjee, V., & Arapis, T. (2023). Examining COVID-19 response among local governments through the political market framework. Journal of Emergency Management, 21(7), 111-131.

Key Takeaways

1. Comprehensive Preparedness: Invest in developing both continuity of operations plans and dedicated pandemic preparedness plans. These plans establish a foundation for effective response by allocating resources, assigning clear roles, and fostering collaboration across agencies.

2. Multi-Pronged Communication: Utilize a communication approach that combines public awareness campaigns with targeted outreach to specific groups. Actively solicit community input to understand concerns, address them directly, and build trust. Leaders with heightened concerns about contentious issues, like reopening businesses or schools, should prioritize participatory communication strategies.

3. Financial Resilience: While cost-cutting measures may be necessary, prioritize a balanced approach that minimizes disruptions to essential services. Explore federal aid and long-term efficiency gains to ensure financial sustainability.

4. Understand Risk Perception: A leader’s perceptions of risk significantly impacts their response actions. Reflect on your own views of pandemic threats, identify potential differences with stakeholders, and tailor your response to address diverse needs and concerns.

5. Professional Management: Consider the potential benefits of a council-manager form of government. Council-manager governments, with their emphasis on professionalism and administrative expertise, may be more effective in implementing comprehensive response strategies, navigating budgetary challenges, and prioritizing support for vulnerable populations during crises.

VASWATI CHATTERJEE is an assistant professor in the department of public administration at Villanova University, USA.

THEODORE ARAPIS is an associate professor and chair of public administration at Villanova University, USA.

Data-driven Mental Health Solutions

How city and county managers can use valuable data to address critical mental health outcomes in their community

BY SAMANTHA BRESLIN

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and with it comes the opportunity to bring renewed attention to the growing mental health crisis currently gripping the nation. This crisis cuts across regions, race/ethnicity, age,

and socioeconomic status, and though not solely caused by,1 was accelerated and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with symptoms yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.2

Cities continually grapple with how to address complex

environmental, socioeconomic, and systemic issues that affect resident health. Along with physical health, mental health is partially driven by one’s access to resources and opportunity, and social connections to friends, family, and community. Yet as cities

strive to develop creative public health solutions that can respond to the unique needs of their communities, significant gaps in resources to support these changes often exist at the local level.

Data can help reveal trends in mental health challenges

and provide the information necessary to help cities work to address them, improving overall health and well-being.

The City Health Dashboard (cityhealthdashboard. com) and Congressional District Health Dashboard (congressionaldistrict healthdashboard.org) are two free online tools that provide granular data on health and the social drivers of health for U.S. cities and congressional districts, respectively.

Developed by the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, both tools provide users with a broad view of population health, highlighting socioeconomic and environmental drivers, like unemployment and air quality, as well as more

traditional health outcomes, such as diabetes and hypertension rates. City managers and other municipal leaders can also find a number of metrics related to mental health, ranging from frequent mental distress to firearm suicides and opioid overdose deaths. Armed with these local data, communities can more effectively address mental health challenges through community engagement, program design and implementation, policy making and resource allocation.

Diving into City-Level Data and Trends

The City Health Dashboard (CHDB) offers leaders in government, nonprofits, education, media, and the

Armed with local data, communities can address mental health challenges through community engagement, program design and implementation, policy making, and resource allocation.

community a resource with which to find local data on over 40 health measures for nearly 1,000 U.S. cities. Any city with a population of 50,000 or larger is included on the website, and a growing number of smaller places are added each year. The dashboard also provides users with features like the ability to compare city performance on any metric with peer cities; view data broken down by race/ethnicity, age, and sex; and compare two metrics at once. The site also provides multi-year data for many metrics, with some measures, like opioid overdose death rates, going back to 2012. We took a look at rates of self-reported frequent mental distress between 2014 and 2021 to better understand the

FIGURE 1

state of mental health across the dashboard’s cities before and during the pandemic. See Figure 1.

Public health campaigns have worked hard to raise awareness of the ongoing mental health crisis, including a recent Surgeon General’s Advisory3 on the epidemic of loneliness, but despite these initiatives, new years of data continue to show a steady increase in frequent mental distress nationwide through 2021. College cities—defined by the dashboard’s City Type Report4—and towns near college campuses consistently had among the highest levels of frequent mental distress. With reported frequent mental distress increasing by nearly 33% over the past seven years, cities are working hard to address this enormous challenge, investing in help

lines, refining mental health screening, improving access to benefits, and more.

The State of Mental Health in U.S. Congressional Districts Building off the experience of creating and managing the City Health Dashboard, the NYU team launched the Congressional District Health Dashboard (CDHD), in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in January 2023.

The CDHD is a first-of-itskind resource, offering data on 37 measures of health and its drivers for all 50 states and 435 U.S. congressional districts (and Washington, D.C.). Most of these measures are the same as measures available on the City Health Dashboard. City leaders can use these two tools together to get a better understanding

With reported frequent mental distress increasing by nearly 33% over the past seven years, cities are working hard to address this enormous challenge.

of both regional and local challenges, support engagement with elected federal officials, and leverage federal opportunities to advance local change, including infrastructure grants and brownfields initiatives.

Since launching last year, the Congressional District Health Dashboard has expanded to include census tract–level data and multi-year data for many of its measures, including frequent mental distress, firearm suicides, and opioid Overdose Deaths. As the team worked with these data to investigate potential relationships between these metrics, several interesting observations emerged.

Frequent Mental Distress and Opioid Overdose Deaths

There is a positive, though modest, correlation between

opioid overdose deaths and frequent mental distress across regions of the country, which is stronger in the Midwest and Northeast. See Figure 2. Examining the relationship between frequent mental distress and opioid overdose deaths in your locale could provide insights into potential approaches to prevention and care.

Firearm Suicides by Population Density

Population density can also provide additional context when exploring health outcomes in a community. This is because places with higher population density tend to have more health-promoting resources like parks, community health clinics, and well-paid jobs. Conversely, places with lower population density may lack needed services, requiring residents

to travel long distances to receive the care they need or to access needed resources in other ways.

Last year, the Congressional District Health Dashboard released the District Density Index5 to categorize districts across a population density spectrum, from pure rural to pure urban. Firearm suicides tend to decrease as district density increases, meaning that firearm suicides tend to be higher in pure rural districts and lower in pure urban districts. This pattern holds across all demographic groups. If we look at trends by sex, males in pure rural districts are six times more likely to die by firearm suicide than males in pure urban districts. Males also tend to die by firearm suicide more often than females across districts of all densities. See Figure 3.

Conclusion

Exploring mental health data like that provided on both the City Health Dashboard and Congressional District Health Dashboard is an important first step in understanding this pervasive challenge at the city, congressional district, and regional levels, and from a demographic standpoint. The data can provide evidence for prioritizing focus on this widespread, urgent public health concern and enhancing your city’s programmatic and policy responses to best support this vital facet of resident and community well-being. Explore city data on the City Health Dashboard and congressional district data on the Congressional District Health Dashboard today.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

1 https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/ trend/archive/fall-2023/americasmental-health-crisis

2 https://www.whitehouse.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2023/02/White-HouseReport-on-Mental-Health-ResearchPriorities.pdf

3 https://www.hhs.gov/about/ news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-generaladvisory-raises-alarm-about-devastatingimpact-epidemic-loneliness-isolationunited-states.html

4 https://content.cityhealthdashboard. com/drupal/media/20/download

5 https://www.congressionaldistricthealth dashboard.org/article/2022-cdhd-districtdensity-index

SAMANTHA BRESLIN is the program supervisor for the City Health Dashboard (cityhealthdashboard. com) and Congressional District Health Dashboard (congressionaldistrict healthdashboard.org), both housed at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in the Department of Population Health.

A Mental Health Conversation Starter in Remote Australia

An innovative approach to mental health awareness among staff and in the community

BY MARK CRAWLEY

Carpentaria Shire Council in Queensland, Australia, is a very remote local government located in the northwest part of the state in the Southern Gulf Region, covering an area of 64,000 square kilometers, with a population of 2,000 people and a staff of 100.

A priority for the council over the past few years has been mental health awareness. Our staff has not only increased their knowledge of mental health issues and ways to help others, we have also become more proactive in our mental health outreach in the community. And it all started with some funky shirts.

In 2022, the executive leadership team were considering the introduction of uniforms for the staff.

At a workplace health and safety meeting, a member proposed the idea of a shirt from TradeMutt, an Australian social impact workwear brand. This put the wheels in motion for Carpentaria Shire Council to partner with TradeMutt to develop a uniform for the entire staff. This was the first time that staff both indoors and those working in the open spaces would have a similar uniform. The print used for the shirts was developed from a painting by local indigenous artist Margaret Sailor, which was a great opportunity to celebrate our region while also

creating a sense of team unity at the council.

Workwear with a Purpose TradeMutt (trademutt.com) makes colorful clothing with a special purpose: their funky, eye-catching workwear is intended to spark conversations about mental health and to provide access to free counseling via a QR code under the left pocket. The company got its start after one of the two founders learned that a friend had tragically and unexpectedly taken his own life. By creating TradeMutt, they hoped to make a difference:

We are an Australian Workwear brand that aims to make…workers of all kinds look and feel great at work, and in doing so, reduce the rate of blue-collar suicide in

Australia. Our loud and vibrant shirts act as a catalyst to starting the conversation around mental health in men, a topic that has been hard to approach in the past for blokes, mostly due to the attached stigmas and perceived weakness. However, seeing the emptiness in the eyes of a family who have lost a loved one to suicide makes it blatantly obvious that the courage that us blokes pride ourselves on is the very thing required to address this silent killer.1

Carpentaria Shire Council chose TradeMutt as the supplier for our uniforms to help continue the discussion about suicide and mental health in the interest of both the

wellbeing of our staff and our wider community. The shirts are true conversation starters, encouraging team members to have authentic conversations with one another, and in doing so, create a greater level of trust and companionship. Each shirt comes with a QR code sewn into the left breast pocket or collar that links directly to TIACS (which stands for This Is A Conversation Starter), a notfor-profit mental health service that provides free counseling via call or text. TradeMutt donates 50% of their profits directly to TIACS (tiacs.org).

Already Making a Difference

Our staff received their new uniforms in February 2023, and they were an immediate success. Everywhere employees go, we receive compliments on how well we look, and the staff continue to take the time to tell the story of the mental health message behind the shirts. Not only do we look like a team, but we also have an important message to share.

One Carpentaria Shire Council team member had a particularly moving experience as a result of sharing the TradeMutt story. I have sought permission to share the team member’s experience, as it demonstrates the fact that

conversations can change—and save—lives. A true story with a powerful message.

Since the changeover and introduction of the new uniforms at Carpentaria Shire Council and the constant message about mental health, this has allowed me to be more open and unembarrassed about my dealings with depression and most recently anxiety.

Depression is a dark place which seems like there is no escape. You start to distance yourself from family and friends, withdraw from activities, lose all your interest, and start to contemplate your own existence. Because of my own dealings and understandings, I was able to notice a change in a previous employee. I kept letting him know if they needed to talk, I’m here. After a few times he eventually sat down with me and spoke about what was happening. I asked him to see a doctor and he was diagnosed with severe depression.

During the recovery he would sometimes contact me around midnight asking if he could sleep over, which he did. Before he left to take up another job, he gave me a bag and said, “thank you,” and “Can you get rid of this for me? I won’t be needing it.” The bag had items he was considering using to take his life.

Sharing this message lets people know that they’re not alone and helps those who haven’t experienced a mental illness to understand what it’s like. Upon realizing that our uniforms had contributed to the saving of a valuable life, I was proud of what we had achieved in such a short time. In partnering with TradeMutt, we were able to connect with our small community and to highlight the importance of mental health and wellbeing through the messaging on the garments.

Making Mental Health a Top Priority

Effective April 1, 2023, a new code of practice was introduced into Queensland and approved by the minister under the Work Health and Safety Act: “Managing the

risk of psychosocial hazards at work.” With this new code of practice, the council began supervisor and staff training and accreditation from a number of mental health first aid providers. We had 12 staff members volunteer to participate in the training and become accredited to be able to assist colleagues struggling with their mental health and to identify early signs of depression and anxiety. The licensed mental health first aid instructor provided the team with additional resources for distribution through the smoko (break) rooms and for the notice boards.

The council also engaged the services of an employment law firm to provide training for our supervisors by conducting a psychosocial risks management training workshop using case studies, scenarios, and role play. This training has now equipped our supervisors and managers with additional tools for their toolkit when looking after the health and well-being of staff and identifying anything that may be impacting their lives more broadly.

At Carpentaria Shire Council, we are genuinely committed to the physical health and safety of our employees, and we want to ensure that they return home to their loved ones at the end of each workday. We are now also committed to looking after their mental health and well-being. This is something that as a very small and remote council we are immensely proud of.

ENDNOTE

1 https://trademutt.com/pages/ trademutt-social-impact

MARK CRAWLEY is chief executive officer of Carpentaria Shire Council in Queensland,

Australia.

City Health Dashboard: Supporting Data-Powered Change to Improve Health

LOCAL DATA LOCAL CHANGE

The City Health Dashboard makes it simple for local leaders in nearly 1,000 cities nationwide to see where their cities or neighborhoods stand on over 40 key measures of health, such as diabetes and hypertension rates, and on factors that shape health, such as air quality and unemployment. These kinds of data can uncover health challenges and the links between them. Users can compare their cities to others and learn how similar cities work to address their challenges.

The Dashboard’s mission is to help local governments build healthier and more equitable communities by serving as a FREE one-stop data resource. Using the Dashboard, city leaders can:

f Pinpoint health challenges and wins

f Measure health and wellbeing over time

f Prioritize what needs to be achieved to build healthier, more equitable communities

A Manager’s Guide to Supporting Employees

Experiencing a Mental Health Challenge

A proactive approach has a positive effect on employee vitality and workplace culture.

GBY CIGNA HEALTHCARE

ood mental health is fundamental for maintaining individual well-being and vitality. However, nearly one in four U.S. adults are struggling with a mental health disorder1 in any given year, with two in five working adults experiencing persistent stress or excessive anxiety2 on a daily basis. Additionally, only half of people with a mental health disorder receive treatment.3 Unaddressed emotional and mental health challenges can impact America’s workforce, reducing productivity, increasing absenteeism, and even lowering workforce morale.

“Traditionally, there has been apprehension around talking about mental health at work due to stigma,” said Sandra Shaklan, a licensed clinical social worker and innovation lead of Workplace Well-being Services at Cigna Healthcare (cigna.com). “Individuals were afraid that admitting to having even a minor mental health issue would make them appear weak or inferior to their colleagues.”

That perspective started to shift during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the public collectively acknowledged the importance of seeking help for stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues, Shaklan added. The sentiment was echoed among the working population as well. Shaklan noted that 81% of workers report that having a workplace that supports employee mental health would be a key consideration when seeking a future employer.4 This means managers need to do their part to create and maintain an emotionally supportive work environment. “Managers and team leaders need to be able to recognize mental health issues among their staff, as well as feel comfortable approaching employees that are struggling and help them get connected

to the support they need,” Shaklan said. This approach not only helps employees address issues more quickly, it can also have a positive impact on workplace culture by decreasing stigma around mental health, as well as improving manageremployee relationships. Strong manager relationships have been associated with workers who have high levels of vitality.5 Shaklan provides three steps for managers to provide support.

1. Recognize Signs of an Employee Having a Difficult Time

Shaklan noted that everyone can have a bad day from time to time, which does not necessarily signal a mental health issue. However, it is important for managers to be on the lookout for significant changes in a worker’s behavior or mood, such as increased difficulty in completing assignments, frequent absences from work, or a notable uptick in worry or sadness.

2. Respond to Concerns with Care and Respect

If one of your team members is showing signs of a potential mental health issue, you should approach the person, in private, as soon as possible.

In the discussion, Shaklan recommended sharing with employees the specific behaviors or changes that are causing you concern, and politely ask if there is anything you can do to help. “It’s important to let the employee take the lead on what they would like to share with you.” she said.

Shaklan emphasized the importance of expressing concern and support for the employee as you review your observations. “Sometimes employees see management as insensitive, focusing more on the work being done than the people doing it,” she noted. “When talking to team members, let the person know that you care about them, treat them with dignity and respect, and provide emotional support when needed.”

3.

Refer to Supportive Resources

If the worker mentions a personal or emotional concern that is bothering them, share resources that may be available through your organization’s benefit plans, such as an employee assistance program (which typically offers initial counseling sessions at no cost) or behavioral health benefits.

Check with your human resource team in advance of the conversation to find out what services and programs are available. Shaklan added that even if the employee is reluctant to share personal information, the manager can always remind the person that these services are available for all employees if they should need them.

Sometimes the conversation can reach a point where you may be concerned about the person’s safety. In this case, you should suggest they get immediate support via the 988 Lifeline (988lifeline.org) or by calling 911.

Where Managers Can Go for Help

Shaklan noted that identifying potential issues and starting conversations can be difficult. “While many people recognize the importance of mental health care, there is still a lingering stigma around it,” she said. She recommended a number of resources that can help managers with each

of these steps, including management consultations offered by most employee assistance programs, as well as mental health first aid courses offered in the local community.

Cigna Healthcare, for example, offers commercial clients an interactive manager training program, called Mental Health Recognition and Response, to help managers and human resource professionals better support their employees with mental health challenges. This three-hour virtual training course focuses on the three steps above, offering education and practice activities that help participants better understand mental health issues, combat stigma, and develop the skills to respond appropriately to an individual who has a mental health problem or is in crisis.

This training program was developed by Shaklan and Rebecca Quade, a licensed professional clinical counselor and strategy lead of Workplace Well-being Services at Cigna Healthcare, and their team of

More than 80% of workers report that having a workplace that supports employee mental health would be a key consideration when seeking a future employer.

mental health clinicians. “The program came to fruition due to ongoing requests from Cigna’s clients looking for more ways to support the mental health of their employees,” Quade said.

The Workplace Well-being team, led by Quade, consists of licensed behavioral clinicians employed by Cigna Healthcare, who personally conduct every Mental Health Recognition and Response training session. Managers who have taken the training stated that they were better able to recognize team members in crisis, felt more comfortable having conversations around mental well-being, and were able to guide people to the help they needed, Quade said.

Shaklan and Quade agree that managers do not have to wait for emotional issues

to present themselves when supporting their workers in improving their mental health. Shaklan advised team leaders to make sure all employees are aware of their company-provided mental health benefits and support programs, as well as how to access them.

Setting an example is also a good way to encourage employees to care for their mental well-being. “When managers model good behaviors, taking steps to understand and address their own mental health needs, their teams will know that it’s okay to do the same.” Quade said.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

1 https://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/ press-announcements/20230104/samhsaannounces-nsduh-results-detailing-mentalillness-substance-use-levels-2021

2 https://adaa.org/workplace-stress-anxietydisorders-survey

3 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/ statistics#:~:text=Research%20shows%20 that%20mental%20illnesses,with%20 mental%20illnesses%20receive%20 treatment.

4 https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/workwell-being/2022-mental-health-support

5 https://newsroom.cigna.com/vitality-fuelsa-healthy-workforce-chapter-2

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Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative

Need help with a community challenge? Host a YSEALI Fellow!

Hosting a YSEALI Fellow presents communities with a distinctive and unparalleled opportunity to provide four weeks of mentorship and work experience to highly motivated young professionals from Southeast Asia, each with 3-5 years of valuable work experience. Additionally, hosts have the chance to apply for reciprocal visits to the Fellow’s country. Read the blog and dive deeper to understand the profound potential of this opportunity and make a significant impact by mentoring an emerging Southeast Asian leader!

2023 YSEALI Fellows meeting with Loudoun County, Virginia, employees to learn about wetlands rehabilitation.

RESETTING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

with the Power of Stay Interviews

How a new city manager and his management group worked hard and changed everything

BY DR. PETER PIRNEJAD AND DR. FRANK BENEST, ICMA-CM (RETIRED)

InOctober 2021, the town of Los Altos Hills, California, USA, welcomed a new city manager, Peter Pirnejad. Immediately, Peter realized that he and his small management group were facing a variety of workforce realities exacerbated by the pandemic:

• A number of staff vacancies due to the Great Resignation and the Silver Tsunami of retiring Baby Boomers and older Gen-Xers.

• The remaining staff feeling overworked, stressed out, and unappreciated.

• Employees were prioritizing life over work.

• A desire from the existing workforce to embrace remote/ hybrid work and other flexible work options.

• An ambitious list of priorities from councilmembers, city commissioners, committee members, and a very active community of 8,000 residents. Sound familiar?

Resetting Culture Post-Pandemic

It quickly became apparent to the city manager that low compensation was an issue in attracting and retaining staff. Consequently, he secured council approval to conduct a total

compensation study, which ultimately helped the council raise salaries and benefits to align with the mid-market of comparable cities.

Recognizing that competitive compensation was necessary but there was more to be done, the city manager then convened the small management group of department directors and mid-managers for a series of discussions about organizational culture. With the assistance of a consultant, the management group focused on three areas to improve culture or “the way we do things around here.”

1. Create an array of more flexible and hybrid work schedules.

2. Work with the city council, commissions, and committees to set reasonable workload expectations.

3. Conduct “stay interviews” with all 26 employees. Small work groups were designated to take action in these three focus areas. To create more scheduling flexibility, the management group conducted a series of conversations with employees and then agreed to offer several work schedule options: a traditional Monday through

Friday 8/5 schedule (eighthour work days/five days a week), , a 9/80 schedule (nine-hour work days for a total of 80 hours in two weeks, allowing for a day off), and a 4/10 schedule (four 10-hour days per week), as well as hybrid and remote options. The group also agreed that employees would discuss with their supervisor what schedule would work best for them and for the team.

To set more reasonable workload expectations, the management group developed a doable two-year work plan, including margins of uncommitted capacity to allow for new city council requests during the year. The city manager then worked with the council to hold an annual workshop and a mid-year check-in

Stay interviews are powerful because they provide actionable feedback on how to enhance the employee’s workplace experience.

meeting on priorities and key projects.

Given the staff’s current workload, the council also adopted a two-step protocol for any councilmember, commission, or committee to request new projects for staff and secure council approval. The process would first include agendizing a discussion on the merits of any new priority, and if warranted by the majority of the council, then direction to staff to come back with a plan that includes resources, timeline, and reprioritization of the approved work plan.

The Power of Stay Interviews

In resetting culture, the stay interviews proved to be the most impactful effort. As opposed to exit interviews conducted after the employee has already decided to leave, a stay interview is a one-on-one interview between a manager and a valued employee. The purpose of the interview is to learn what will keep the employee working with the organization and elicit what would entice the employee to leave the agency. Stay interviews are powerful

because they provide actionable feedback on how to enhance the employee’s workplace experience. The goals of the stay interviews were to:

• Retain talent.

• Demonstrate that the employee is valued and that the organization cares about the employee.

• Identify areas to enrich the organizational culture and enhance job satisfaction.

• Help create an organization that would attract new talent.

The group selected the stay interview questions (see

Stay Interview Questions

• What do you like most about your work?

• What do you find meaningful about the work you do?

• What keeps you here?

• What do you want to learn this year?

• What makes for a great day at work?

• Do you have some flexibility and autonomy in how you get the job done?

• Is there something you’d like to change about your job?

• Do you feel appreciated or recognized for your contributions and achievements?

• What strengths or talents do you have that aren’t being used?

• What is your greatest roadblock or challenge?

• What would make your work more meaningful or satisfying?

• How can I or the organization help you reach your career goals? What can you do?

• Do you have one or several workmates with whom you socialize on or off the job?

• Do you feel that your opinion counts at work?

• If you could wave a magic wand, what is one positive change that you would make in the work environment?

• What can we do to ensure we keep you with us?

Figure 1) and approved a form to help the manager capture the information elicited by the individual conversations. All the managers then conducted the interviews with direct reports in May 2023. Subsequent to the interviews, the consultant created a summary of the themes that emerged from the discussions with employees, which was then submitted to the management group and city council for action.

Stay

Interview

Themes

Several themes from the stay interviews were evident, which led to an action plan aimed at enhancing the culture. Three areas were key:

1. Learning and Career Development. Employees recognized that management supported learning and growth, but they wanted additional development opportunities.

Actions taken: The management group has completed the following:

• Trained all managers on how to conduct “development conversations” with their direct reports. A development conversation is an informal discussion conducted by a manager/ coach with an employee that allows the manager to help the employee explore their career aspirations, provide feedback, identify opportunities to learn and grow, and offer support and resources.

• Ensured that development conversations were conducted with 100% of employees.

• Offered all employees a “lunch and learn” training opportunity to create an individual career development plan.

• Provided a menu of development opportunities. For a sample menu format, go to calicma.org/ talent-initiative

• Continued full funding for training, certification, and professional involvements by staff.

2. Reasonable Workload Expectations. A top concern and theme from the stay interviews was heavy workloads.

Action taken: In addition to the city council’s two-year work plan with a margin of unfilled capacity, the management group did the following:

• Secured funding for interns, part-time extra help, and a Management Fellow.

• Identified a few targeted areas where part-time employees, interns, or contract help could handle lower-level tasks, thus freeing up staff to do higher-level work. The group also hired a full-time Management Fellow who was a recent graduate.

3. Culture of Appreciation. The management group committed to a number of efforts to promote a sense of employee appreciation.

Action taken: Continued practice of recognizing employees at every quarterly all-hands meeting; continued funding to conduct annual employee recognition event; recommended that the city council award service pins to longer-tenured employees at council meetings.

Based on the results of the stay interviews, the management group committed to conduct another round of stay interviews by the end of the fourth quarter in 2024.

Winning the War for Talent

The management group of Los

Only an enriched culture could create the organizational “stickiness” necessary for employees to stay.

Altos Hills recognized that it was in a war for talent with other agencies. While competitive compensation was necessary, it was insufficient to attract and retain talent. Only an enriched culture could attract talented employees and create organizational “stickiness” so they would stay.

DR. PETER PIRNEJAD, Cal-ICMA presidentelect, is the city manager of Los Altos Hills, California, USA.

DR. FRANK BENEST, ICMA-CM, is the former city manager of Palo Alto, California, USA, and serves as the ICMA liaison for Next Generation Initiatives.

Let’s Think Differently About Our Stupid Rules

These rules damage your organization and create a stagnant culture. Here’s how to start getting rid of them.

BY ED EVERETT, ICMA-CM (RETIRED)

Thesis

All organizations, both public and private, have “stupid rules,” and local government is no exception. These rules anger both residents and employees, causing mistrust or frustration from residents and stifling the creativity of our employees.

Context

Stupid rules can be found in regulations, policies, and ordinances. What are stupid rules? They are rules that restrict common sense thinking, prevent flexibility, and create an overregulated bureaucracy. Some rules are just plain out of date.

In case you don’t believe that local government has stupid rules, I have listed some classics from the United States. A study in 2011 listed a host of such local government rules.1 By simply googling

“local government stupid rules,” you will find similar lists from more than 20 different websites.

• Baldwin Park, California: You can’t ride a bike in a swimming pool.

• Blyth, California: You are not allowed to wear a cowboy hat unless you own two cows.

• Hartford, Connecticut: It is illegal to cross the street while walking on your hands.

• Sarasota, Florida: It is illegal to sing in a public place while attired in a bathing suit.

• Marietta, Georgia: It is illegal to spit from a car but OK to spit from a truck.

• Las Vegas, Nevada: It is illegal to pawn your dentures.

• Mesquite, Texas: It is illegal for kids to have unusual haircuts.

• Nicholas County, West Virginia: Clergy cannot tell a joke or funny story from the pulpit on Sunday.

• Saint Croix, Wisconsin: Women are not allowed to wear red in public.

• Brooklyn, New York: Donkeys are not allowed to sleep in bathtubs.

Although these rules are incredibly funny, many of our stupid rules are confining, controlling, and restricting, without corresponding benefits either to residents or employees.

Stupid rules demoralize employees and anger residents.

point and promptly develop a rule to handle this singular situation. These organizations are establishing rules based on the actions of marginal employees, thereby insulting their best employees. Instead, the organization should have disciplined or fired these marginal employees.

4. Rules Lead to More Endless Rules: As soon as you make rules that state what someone can or can’t do, you open yourself up to trying to close every loophole. This leads to an endless and wasteful process that often causes more stupid rules. The preferred and sensible alternative is to establish “guidelines” or “guiding principles” that regulate behavior, not hard and fast rules.

How Did We Get These Stupid Rules?

Distrust is the root cause of most of our stupid rules, whether it is distrust that our residents will do the right thing or distrust of our employees to act like mature adults. Under the umbrella of distrust, there are several reasons that stupid rules have been enacted:

1. Historical Rules from Another Time: Some of our stupid rules were enacted long ago during a very different time. These rules could well have been silly then, but certainly are now.

2. Political Pressure: Elected officials and city/ county leaders often experience a loud and persistent constituency demanding that something be done about a particular issue. When an organization caves into such a group’s demand, there are often unintended negative consequences. Many times, the rule is not liked by the majority of our residents or employees.

3. Gotcha: Occasionally a local government will try to discipline an employee for a negligent or careless action. The union or the employee confronts the organization and protests by saying: Show me the rule I violated! Many organizations panic at this

5. Fear, Risk Aversion, Overly Cautious, and Lack of Courage: Local government is often too concerned that something will go wrong or someone will make a mistake. We are overly afraid of losing control or getting criticized. (Remember, you can’t be criticized if you allow nothing new to happen.) We also worry too much about possible legal action, regardless of how remote that possibility might be. I have encountered numerous situations where an organization’s legal counsel is exceedingly cautious. They interpret laws in a very risk-averse framework, causing local government to develop more stupid rules.

6. What If Something Goes Wrong? Many stupid rules are written by “staff” versus “line” employees (i.e., human resources, finance, purchasing, compliance, etc.) Many staff employees think their job is to write and enforce rules so nothing bad can ever happen. This is completely wrong! Their role should be to provide common sense guidelines that allow the rest of the organization to get s**t done.

What Are the Organizational Impacts of Stupid Rules?

Stupid rules demoralize employees and anger residents. Gallup research shows that 70% of employees in all sectors consider themselves disengaged at work.2 This is a stunning figure that kills organizational effectiveness.

The World Economic Forum3 lists six reasons why employees feel disengaged, and “stupid rules” is one of them. Based on research by L. DeHart-Davis, a professor at University of Kansas,4 the impact of “ineffective rules/policies,” “red tape,” or “stupid

rules” on an organization include the following:

1. Reduces services to customers.

2. Causes management alienation.

3. Inhibits creativity and flexibility.

4. Reduces entrepreneurial energy. No city or county can tolerate these negative impacts and be an exceptional organization.

How to Get Rid of Stupid Rules?

First, you must believe you have stupid rules. Second, you need to care that these rules are hurting your organization. Third, you need courage and passion to get rid of them.

If you are not sure if you have stupid rules, ask your frontline employees what rules are stupid, unnecessary, demotivating, or a waste of time. You will get an earful—and a long list. The

following are some suggestions for moving forward. (I have done these things and they work!)

• Take all new employees out to lunch. Let them know that one of their tasks is to challenge rules that they think are unnecessary or stupid. As new employees, they are better at this than long-term employees as they haven’t yet been enculturated. Make a point to recognize and reward all employees who call out a stupid or unnecessary rule.

• Email this article to all your employees and challenge them to identify at least one stupid rule. You will be amazed at what you get back.

• Try appointing a temporary “Stupid Rules Elimination Gang.” Put your best and brightest employees from different departments in this gang. Ask them to review stupid rules and recommend the ones to be eliminated. (Don’t do this unless you are willing to take nearly 90% of their recommendations.)

• Use humor to make this process fun. Getting rid of stupid rules will rub a few people the wrong way but it will free up your best employees. Murphy’s Laws are always a good place to start in having fun, including:

○ It is impossible to make any rule foolproof because fools are ingenious.

○ A rule is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer.

○ A person who cannot lead and won’t follow makes a dandy roadblock and rule maker.

○ Given a sufficient number of people and an adequate amount of time you can create insurmountable rules to the most inconsequential ideas.

Closing Thoughts

Most stupid rules are based on an inherent mistrust of employees and residents. These rules damage your organization and create a stagnant culture.

Our bureaucratic local government structure is mired in stupid rules that impede innovation, create fear, encourage inaction, and destroy motivation. Such rules provide cover for marginal employees and kill the motivation of the best and brightest.

Have fun with this! Make a game or competition with employees and residents to weed out stupid rules. Tell your council that this exercise will make the organization leaner, smarter, and less bureaucratic because it will.

It is rare that any project will please all three groups: employees, residents, and your council. This effort will. I again stand ready to assist (free of charge) any organization who asks for my help. Let’s not defend or encourage stupid any longer.

Author’s Note: I will be presenting two “Let’s Think Differently About…” sessions at the ICMA Annual Conference, September 21–24, 2024 (conference.icma.org). Each session will cover different topics. I hope to see you there!

Our bureaucratic local government structure is mired in stupid rules that impede innovation, create fear, encourage inaction, and destroy motivation.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

1 https://forestgrove.pgusd.org/ documents/Computer-Lab/StrangeState-Laws.pdf

2 World Economic Forum Nov 6, 2016 “Future of Work.”

3 World Economic Forum Nov 6, 2016 “Future of Work.”

4 North Carolina State 2013 Journal of Public Administration, Research and Theory.

ED EVERETT, ICMA-CM (RETIRED), is a retired city manager (everetted@comcast.net).

A PM Retrospective: A Heritage for the Future

Commemorating 100 years of the ICMA Code of Ethics by revisiting an article from the PM archives

In this article from 1974, ICMA assistant director William E. Besuden wrote that ethics are fundamental to this profession’s past, present, and future. Adopted in 1924, the principles outlined in the ICMA Code of Ethics 100 years ago remain timeless.

A Heritage for the Future

Traditions can be limiting and stifling, or they can be the foundation upon which growth and change take place. This is an issue about our heritage—about the profession and the Association. And, our heritage is one which is a foundation for growth and change. Six decades have created traditions for the profession and the Association that are conducive to meeting new challenges.

Dimensions—There are, in effect, three dimensions to our heritage. The first is the council-manager plan, whose creation in 1908 meant the creation of our profession, whose growth since then has meant the growth of our profession, and whose strength in the future will mean the profession’s continued strength.

The second dimension to our heritage is the profession itself, its contribution to understanding and working toward solving local government problems. The third dimension is ICMA, the Association of the municipal management profession, which this year celebrates its 60th year of service to local government managers and administrators.

These three dimensions—the plan, the profession, the Association—are all dealt with in this issue. The history of each sums up to our heritage for the future.

The plan—The issue begins with a discussion of the history of the council-manager plan. Upon reading the history, one of the virtues of the plan emerges that is often overlooked. The council-manager plan is quite adaptable. Robert P. Boynton, director, Doctoral Program in Public Management, College of Public Affairs, the American University, points out in his article, The Council-Manager Plan: An Historical Perspective, that in the adoption of the plan, compromises are made with the requirements of the local situation. It is not the plan that is often bought, but its essential ingredient—the professional city manager.

Our heritage began because of the rapid growth of cities and the failures of traditional government arrangements to meet changing conditions. It is these values of adaptability, change, and service that come through as we look at the past 60 years.

The profession—The second dimension to our heritage is the contribution the profession has made to local government. Perhaps our most profound and longest lasting contribution has been ethical. The profession is characterized most by its determination to define what is ethical and then live by it.

In 1924, the profession adopted a Code of Ethics. The Code, amended four times since then, has provided a heritage of true value—for it asks each member to assume a commitment that is both personal and professional to make the Code a part of the member’s life. It demands observance of standards for public life that provide a goal for others. The Code sets standards of integrity that forbid turning the values of service, change, and adaptability into a rationale for any action.

There are many other aspects of the profession, however. Stephen B. Sweeney, in his article, points out the profession’s contribution to the education and training

needs of local government. This, of course, is a subject that Dr. Sweeney is well equipped to discuss, as the many hundreds of students of city management under him at the Fels Institute for Local and State Government for some 30 years can attest.

Carleton F. Sharpe, president of ICMA in 1957-58, in his article, Reflections of a Veteran Administrator, and William J. Leidinger, city manager, Richmond, Va., in his article, Commentary of a Young Professional, give us a split image of the profession from both ends of the seniority spectrum. As a veteran manager, Mr. Sharpe gives us a broad brush picture of changes in the profession over the last several decades. As a relative newcomer to the profession in a position of considerable responsibility, Mr. Leidinger gives his views on the challenges to the profession today.

This section concludes with a profile of the profession today, authored by Stanley M. Wolfson, director of ICMA’s Urban Data Service Center.

We have always been concerned with what needs to be done to meet people’s needs, not just with efficiency per se. In the 1920’s, the City Manager Magazines were filled with how council-manager government was centered on service. In the 1930’s, articles in PM reflected the growing concern over intergovernmental problems and the problems of the depression.

Even where resources were scarce, city managers did their best to meet the needs of people caused by the depression. Fred M. Stephenson, city manager of Edmond, Okla., in 1934, reported that he paid much attention to getting the people in town out of the dumps. Many things were done to cheer up the people and to cater to the enforced leisure time of the unemployed.

The 1930’s were a forerunner of what was to come.

C. A. Dykstra, president of ICMA in 1932, stated in 1934: The problem of urban organization today is to so condition a thronging population that it can live under the most complex social conditions in the face of centuries of experience which develops habits, customs, and institutions to meet an entirely different kind of life. . . . There is no inherent reason why we cannot, through a representative system and sound administrative practice, meet the challenge thrown down to a democratic government and maintain our values for which democracy has stood. In any event the city will be the battle ground and we will be participants.”

The battle of creating effective and responsive urban organizations has been with us since—and we have been participants. The battle has been somewhat diverted at various times. The war years (1941-1945) created their own set of problems revolving around one great national effort. After the war, we had at least

15 years of catching up from the depression and war—housing, repair of existing facilities, new roads, and new communities in the suburbs which created urban sprawl.

Let us remember the past with pride as we move forward by continuing to help strengthen democratic, responsive, and effective local government.

In the 1960’s, we began to return to fundamental questions of urban organization as we wrestled with how to provide more voice and service in government for all people and how to meet the growing, complex urban problems. This is taking place today in all size communities because urban does not mean just central city. It describes the type of society in which we live. It is a society that must deny privilege, accept different life styles, and, above all, maintain faith in its governmental institutions.

The Association—The third dimension to our heritage is the Association. ICMA’s history is one of service to the profession and growth. This picture emerges from the articles in the third section of this issue.

Clarence E. Ridley, ICMA executive director in 1929-56, in his article succinctly describes the years between 1914 and 1947. Clarence H. Elliott, president of ICMA, 1952-53, takes up the thread of our history in 1947-53. And, Elder Gunter, city manager of Stockton, Calif., and ICMA President, 1962-63, takes us from 1962 to the present.

This leaves two gaps in our Association’s activities. The first is our international activities, which are treated in depth in the article by Orin F. Nolting, executive director, 1956-67. The second is the period from about 1956 to 1962, which is discussed briefly below.

Years of consolidation—The history of the Association is marked by the needs of the profession and the growth of 2 council-manager government. By 1956, most of ICMA’s basic programs of service had been established, upon which the expanded program (1963-67) was built. The expanded program (see Elder Gunter’s article) led to the move to Washington and the extensive Goals Study of 1968. In 1969, the membership approved broadening the membership base, and the Association began again to expand its program.

In July of 1967, Mark E. Keane was appointed director of ICMA. A past president of ICMA, he had served as city manager of Tucson, Ariz., Oak Park, III., and Shorewood, Wis. Under his directorship, the Association has continued to broaden and expand its activities to anticipate and respond to the needs of its members.

The fundamental purpose of the Association has not changed—it has always been to increase the proficiency of local government administration

and to strengthen local government. The development of basic services, such as the Year Book, MIS, and Green Books, has been fundamental to ICMA’s service and success. Mr. Ridley’s article points out that it was not until the early 1950’s that ICMA became financially independent. This independence was made possible because of the development of these basic services that covered their own cost, i.e., Green Books, in-service correspondence training, MIS, and so on.

The period 1956-1962 was largely one of consolidation. It was during this period that many existing services were refined and enlarged. For instance, 1959 marked the first week-long seminar on management with 80 in attendance. A new Green Book, Supervisory Methods in Municipal Administration (the predecessor to Developing the Municipal Organization), was published, and MIS reports were expanded. A monograph written by Clarence Ridley entitled The Role of the City Manager in Policy Formulation caught wide attention for it said what the profession had known all along—managers were concerned with the what as well as the how. It was during this period that the Association accumulated the cash reserve that enabled it to implement

Perhaps our most profound and longest lasting contribution has been ethical. The profession is characterized most by its determination to define what is ethical and then live by it.

the expanded program of 1962 and move to Washington in 1967. The future of our history—We began by talking about heritage and tradition. But, to look back, as this issue largely does, has little value if it does not point the way to the future. The future of the profession and the Association looks bright. It looks bright because all of us are working together to strengthen each member and to continue to live up to our Code of Ethics, which requires all of us to be dedicated to concepts of effective and democratic government. It is the element of professional integrity that more than any other factor has built a profession. and an Association.

Our 60 years of tradition has left us legacies of growth, creative adaptability, and success—and yes, some failures. It has left us leaders of the profession to remember and the basis for future leaders to build upon. Let us remember the past with pride as we move forward by continuing to help strengthen democratic, responsive, and effective local government.

Visit the icma.org/ethics100 as ICMA celebrates the legacy of ethical leadership and the enduring principles ICMA members uphold in their personal and professional conduct.

These

Mentors Make a Difference

BY JESSIE O’BRIEN

The crucial role of mentorship to advance careers and bridge leadership gaps

Climbing the career ladder as a young professional can be challenging in any profession. This is especially true in local government, a public-facing profession with less room for mistakes and where decisions can have long-lasting impacts on communities. But mentorship can make this transition easier.

In the city of Whitewater, Wisconsin, USA, Taylor Zeinert is transitioning from the role of chief of staff to economic development director. She has already reached the rare status of a woman in local government leadership, but she got her foot in the door with help from her mentors. “When I finished grad school, [I realized] I had spent thousands and thousands of dollars to get this master’s in public administration, [but kept] getting rejection after rejection. It was heartbreaking,” she said. “It almost made me question the things that I was doing.”

Zeinert persevered with guidance from other women in local government. She had an internship with Clintonville, Wisconsin, and connected with the city administrator, Sharon Eveland, and assistant city administrator, Caz Muske. “I called Caz and asked, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ She made time to chat with me via Zoom about what I could do better and what positions make sense. That has been exceptional,” Zeinert said.

A recent analysis of the National Employee Survey (NES), a workplace climate assessment for local governments, identified opportunities for promotion and career development as top drivers of employee retention.1 (The NES is conducted by Polco, a civic analytics and community engagement technology company serving the information needs of the public sector.)

According to this research, about seven in 10 local government employees approve of the coaching and mentorship they receive from their organizations. Mentorship helps younger employees feel more integrated and connected. It also serves as a form of career development and is the best way to transfer knowledge. Mentorship can also help younger people navigate the unique challenges of working in the public sector, such as the pressure of public visibility. However, as Zeinert points out, finding a mentor takes work. She says most of her

younger peers in local government do not have mentors in the public sector but rather in academia, like professors. She says it’s even more challenging to find women mentors because there are far fewer in leadership roles.

“As someone who is an aspiring city manager, the majority of managers are men, so it’s hard to find a woman in general that has that role, and then it’s even harder to find someone who you click with,” she says. Polco research, in partnership with ICMA, shows that less than 40% of elected officials and local government senior managers are women. Moreover, only about three in 10 city managers in the United States are women.2

Mentorship is essential to leadership development and bridging gender gaps at the highest levels. Zeinert acknowledges that a female mentor in leadership, who has already navigated life transitions like balancing motherhood and work, could offer first-hand guidance on how to manage those challenges. Even so, it’s wise to seek mentors regardless of shared gender. Mentorship, whether with men or women, is a valuable asset to anyone at any point in their career.

Zeinert herself already has a mentee just a few years younger than her. He was an intern who worked for her during a political campaign season. “We had similar life goals. He also wanted to stay local and do the city management route…. When it came to him filling out his applications or securing internships, he has always called me and asked me questions,” she says.

For Zeinert and many others, mentorship is key to moving their careers forward. It drives job satisfaction and staff retention by building trust and making newer employees feel welcome. Mentors help develop skills and prepare the next generation of leaders. And, as the workforce grows more diverse, mentorship even helps to bridge representation gaps in leadership positions overall.

ABOUT POLCO

Polco brings people and data together to help build stronger, healthier communities. We offer access to clear insights from industry-leading surveys, government performance data and AI, interactive simulations, and more—all within a single awardwinning engagement and civic analytics platform. Thousands of government leaders trust Polco to better align community decisions around the most important priorities and to strengthen public trust. Learn more at polco.us.

ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES

1 https://info.polco.us/the-national-employee-survey

2 https://www.zippia.com/city-manager-jobs/demographics/

JESSIE O’BRIEN serves as the lead copywriter for Polco.

It’s 2:15 p.m. and several employees of Douglasville, Georgia, are walking out of city hall for a break from their daily work routine to take a stroll downtown. This 15-minute walk is seen as a wellness break for city employees and is encouraged. Wellness breaks, such as taking a short walk outside, can help clear your mind, reset your focus, and lower stress levels. (Pictured: Douglasville employees stop to take a photo during an afternoon wellness break).

10 Ways to Prioritize Employee Health

Ideas for creating a workplace where everyone can thrive

As managers in the public sector, we play a crucial role in the well-being of our team members. While the focus often lies on meeting deadlines and achieving targets, it’s equally important to prioritize the mental health of your employees. As public servants, we take care of our residents, but often forget to take care of ourselves. A mentally healthy CAO and ACAO is more engaging than one who has chosen to place mental health on the back burner.

CHELSEA JACKSON is deputy city manager of Douglasville, Georgia.

This article provides 10 tips for not only CAO/ ACAOs but all public servants on how to prioritize health within your organization, along with innovative ways to do so that won’t “break the bank.” By prioritizing public health within their organizations, public service managers can create a culture of wellness and contribute to the overall well-being of their employees and communities.

Work-related stress, burnout, and mental health issues can have profound effects on employee performance, productivity, and morale in the public sector. When left unaddressed, these issues can undermine organizational effectiveness and compromise the well-being of both individuals

BY CHELSEA JACKSON

and teams. How can you prevent these related issues? Introduce innovative safeguards in the workplace to assist with burnout.

1. Lead by Example. Managers should exemplify healthy behaviors themselves, such as taking breaks, practicing good hygiene, and maintaining a work-life balance. This sets a positive example for their team members to follow.

2. Implement Workplace Wellness Programs.

Introduce programs that promote physical activity, healthy eating, stress management, and regular health screenings. Encourage participation and provide incentives for employees to engage in these programs. The city hosts a quarterly produce giveaway for employees. The city partners with a local vendor to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to city staff. Staff members are allowed one bag of produce and can choose up to five items to add to their bag.

3. Provide Health Education. Offer educational sessions or workshops on various health topics relevant to your organization, such as nutrition, mental health, and disease prevention. Ensure that employees have access to accurate and up-to-date health information.

Douglasville employees enjoy the quarterly produce giveaway.

4. Create a Healthy Work Environment. Design workspaces that support employee health and well-being, such as ergonomic furniture, adequate lighting, and proper ventilation. Encourage regular breaks and provide opportunities for employees to move around throughout the day.

5. Promote Mental Health Awareness. Implement policies and programs to support employee mental health, such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), counseling services, and mental health awareness training for managers and employees. Foster a supportive work environment where employees feel comfortable seeking help for mental health issues.

6. Encourage Physical Activity. Promote physical activity by offering incentives for employees to participate in fitness challenges, providing access to onsite exercise facilities or discounted gym memberships, and organizing group fitness activities.

Employees walking for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. After the walk, a speaker discussed the importance of breast cancer screenings.

Employee

HEALTH FAIR

TUESDAY

9AM - 1PM

7. Stay Informed and Adapt. Stay informed about emerging public health issues and adapt your policies and procedures accordingly. Be prepared to respond effectively to health crises or emergencies, such as disease outbreaks or natural disasters, to protect the health and safety of your employees and the community.

8. Flexible Work Arrangements. Offer flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible hours, to support work-life balance and reduce stress among employees. This can also help employees avoid long commutes and have more time for physical activity or relaxation.

9. Peer Support Networks. Facilitate peer support networks or wellness committees within the workplace where employees can connect with colleagues who share similar health goals and interests. Peer support can provide motivation, accountability, and a sense of community around health and wellness initiatives.

10. Health Screenings and Preventative Care. Provide access to health screenings, preventive care services, and immunizations onsite or through partnerships with healthcare providers. Encourage employees to participate in regular health screenings and preventive health measures to detect and prevent health problems early. Idea: Create an employee health fair to provide onsite screenings free of charge and to provide healthcare information to employees. As managers in the public sector, you have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of your employees by prioritizing their mental health. By fostering a supportive work environment, recognizing signs of mental health issues, providing resources and support, and investing in training and education, you can help create a workplace where everyone can thrive.

City employees enjoy afternoon yoga together after their workday.

Marie Peoples, PhD

City Manager

Webster Groves, Missouri

ICMA is recognizing professionals who have had unique local government experiences through engaging in global knowledge exchange and fellowship programs. Marie Peoples, PhD, talks about the benefits she has gleaned from global exchange programs over the years.

Global exchanges provide firsthand opportunities to experience diverse cultures, customs, and ways of doing business. Our communities are comprised of people from all imaginable backgrounds. The power of cultural competence cannot be overlooked when delivering services to all residents.

When I reflect on the times that my community hosted an exchange, I realize I learned so much from those individuals, as did my team and other teams in my organization. There were projects and initiatives that our exchange participants had done that were forward thinking and creative. Their generosity of thought and willingness to share enhanced what we were attempting within our organization at the time.

Communities around the world experience a lot of common issues. I recently participated in an exchange in Saudi Arabia, and while this community may seem vastly different from my own, everything I heard in their conference sessions and networking conversations was absolutely applicable to what I’m experiencing in my community. We’re undertaking a comprehensive plan, and while in Saudi Arabia, we covered many of the topics being considered in the plan—building space, placemaking, bringing intentionality and ground-level work to public engagement, and so forth. These types of exchanges teach you that everything is transferable and applicable if you can be open-minded.

International exchanges shine a light on the connectivity we all share as a global community.

I hope that ICMA will continue bringing people together to learn from each other, honor each other, understand what we’re doing in our communities, and demonstrate how that shared knowledge is transferable to everybody else’s community.

Watch Marie’s full interview and learn more about ICMA’s global journey by viewing the ICMA Global playlist on YouTube.

Lead Change. Transform Communities.

Unlock the Power of Inclusive Leadership

Apply for this groundbreaking program, in its 4th year, a 12-to-18-month journey designed for leaders committed to driving meaningful change in their communities.

Why Apply?

Gain Insight: Explore the intersection of race, equity, and inclusion in local governance through expert-led sessions and interactive workshops.

Drive Impact: Equip yourself with practical tools and strategies to address systemic inequities and foster inclusive policies and practices.

Build Networks: Connect with a diverse cohort of leaders from across the nation, fostering collaboration and peer support. ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Apply Today!

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Visit icma.org/Lead-the-Change to learn more, and complete and submit the application by May 31.

icma.org/Lead-the-Change