Local government managers are exploring new ideas about democratic governance and developing new strategies for pubic engagement. These experiments reflect a growing recognition that the challenges facing communities are so complex and the policy choices so value-laden and contentious, that forming a workable consensus required a more rigorous approach to public engagement.
Through its century and a quarter history, the organization has been at the center of innovative efforts to improve the civic life of America’s communities. What began as a nuts and bolts “good government” reform organization has evolved over time along with the changing nature of our communities and the challenges they face.
Energy experts say more than half of expenses associated with adopting solar energy are related to “soft‐costs” such as financing, permitting, inspection, installation, and other costs unrelated to the hardware. By participating in the SolSmart program, more than 200 communities are showing how they are overcoming these barriers and making solar energy more affordable and easier for homeowners and businesses to adopt.
