Newark Mayor’s ‘Urban Marshall Plan’ Idea; Iowa Rethinks Roadside Mowing
Newark, New Jersey mandritoiu / Shutterstock.com
Also: Providence mayor’s house under protection and late prisoners in New Orleans.
Here’s some of what we’ve been reading today …
NEWARK, New Jersey: Mayor Ras Baraka is calling for the creation of an “Urban Marshall Plan,” an adaptation of the federal program that helped rebuild Europe following World War II. Citing things like crumbling infrastructure and schools, the mayor told NJ Advance Media: "We need our cities rebuilt. The same way they rebuilt Europe after World War II, these cities need to be rebuilt — in America.” A price tag for such a huge investment? Around $130 billion. [NJ.com]
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa: State transportation officials are rethinking roadside mowing. Why? Traditional maintenance methods destroy the habitat of butterflies, bees and other pollinators. While Iowa “is a leader and ahead of the curve without a doubt” on this issue, a pollinator conservation specialist at the Xerces Society tells The Gazette, others say the state could be doing far more, especially stopping mowing when plants are flowering. [The Gazette]
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana: The opening of a new criminal justice facility certainly isn’t a leisurely walk through the park. In Orleans Parish, the opening of a new facility that houses incarcerated defendants has led to a big problem for judges hearing cases: defendants haven’t been delivered on time for hearings.
As The Times-Picayune reports:
Several judges and attorneys privately expressed frustration as dozens of routine court matters such as arraignments and hearings had to be rescheduled for lack of the incarcerated defendants. Fourteen newly arrested persons scheduled to have their bonds set – their constitutional right within 48 hours of arrest – had not been transported to make their scheduled first appearance when magistrate court began at 10:15 a.m. It was unclear whether they would be transported in time for the 3 p.m. magistrate court sitting.
"There are always logistical issues that come with a move of this magnitude," Blake Arcuri, an attorney for the Orleans Parish sheriff’s department, told the newspaper. [The Times-Picayune via NOLA.com]
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island: A heated controversy between Mayor Jorge Elorza and firefighters opposed to his plans to restructure fire platoons has led to the firefighters union to hire a private security firm to protect the mayor’s house after social media posts called for the torching of Elorza’s residence.
[Local firefighters union President Paul] Doughty said the detail started at 9 a.m. Tuesday and would include one security guard in a vehicle parked around the clock outside Elorza's residence.
"We know how it feels to have your daily life disrupted and want to make sure the mayor doesn't have to experience it," Doughty said, referring to both the threats and the change in Fire Department shift structure that has plunged the union and mayor into months of conflict.
"Cost isn’t my concern," he added "I just want [Elorza] to be able to rest easy."
FAIRBANKS, Alaska: Up in the Last Frontier, there seems to be a gap in state traffic laws addressing responsibilities for drivers navigating roundabouts. Such traffic circles are commonplace in Europe and in some parts of the Lower 48 states, but still relatively new in Alaska. A News-Miner editorial calling for clarity in state law details a case involving a traffic stop by campus police at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
Historically in Alaska, the police and public understanding of how state law applies to roundabouts has been consistent with the UAF police department’s interpretation. “You are not required to use your turn signal in a roundabout or entering a roundabout, however, you must signal your exit from a roundabout,” the North Pole Police Department wrote in a Facebook post on March 24. In the same post, the department acknowledged the fundamental uncertainty about state law requiring 100 feet of signaling before a turn begins.
The News Miner also points out another state traffic regulation worth revisiting: Requiring drivers to honk their horns before they pass another vehicle. [The News-Miner]
Michael Grass is Executive Editor of Government Executive's Route Fifty.
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