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A number of years ago, I applied to be the city manager of a small Eastern Oregon community. My wife and I visited the town, met with community leaders, and went through the typical process of interviewing for a new job. During a break, we drove around town and turned on the local radio station to pick up a sense of what the community might be like. While we were driving, a newscast reported that a local resident in a wheelchair was killed when he was struck by a train while attempting to cross some railroad tracks. … Continue Reading

I had a discussion a few weeks ago with a skeptic about the City’s efforts to improve performance through more rigorous measurement and a systematic approach to problem solving. The skeptic has lived through many of the same management waves that have washed over organizations I’ve served in the past 20 plus years and understandably felt that the latest initiative is probably just one more bright idea that will grow dim with time.

Our critic could be right. Excellent performance is dependent on so

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I’ve spent a good part of this week writing a grant application for $36,000 to fund a part-time Safe Routes to School Coordinator. We have been working on this issue for the past three years but have yet to get access to federal funds that would enable us to achieve significant results. We are concurrently applying for $500,000 from the Safe Routes Infrastructure Program to build sidewalks on Gibson Hill Road. It would be nice to see our efforts to date rewarded with something tangible.

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My annual physical is scheduled for next Monday; so I’ve been stepping up my exercise program in an effort to create an illusion of health for my doctor. I have long believed that if I run enough miles I won’t have to take cholesterol-reducing drugs or other unpleasant pharmaceuticals. Sadly for me, my ratio of miles to junk food has steadily declined since moving to Albany, with predictable and weighty results.

I am still able to run long distances, but it’s slower and harder going

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