Forms of City Government

There are three basic forms of local government - these are covered in chapter six.

1) Mayor-council
2) City manager-council

Here's a chart comparing/contrasting the two forms.

3) Commission - rarely used

Here's a link to one of the few cities that uses this form of government, Portland.

First beat story

Hello. Just a reminder that your first beat story is due today. Good luck!

Meeting reminder

Hello all. Just a reminder that in place of class today, you should cover either the Seminole or Orange County School Board meeting based on your beat community. Send me your meeting brief by email (voss.kimberly@gmail.com) after the meeting. Please bring the agenda to class. Good luck!

Good story pitch example

REDCAMS (Weiner) - "Currently our chief estimates it take two officers to run a red light enforcement detail," said Oveido's city manager at a city council meeting last month. But that fact alone isn't enough to make three proposed red light cameras, which would be the city's first, a no-brainer. At the meeting, the council approved - for some memebers, reluctantly - the city police to look into the cameras, taking the first step into a debate that in other communities has proven especially heated.

The city is basing its light system on nearby Winter Springs, where the cameras have been implimented successfully. Based on the Winter Springs model, according to Oveido's police chief, the cameras would not cost the city anything, but could coust motorists who run the lights quite a bit. The average violation caught on camera in Winter Springs runs $125, of which a whopping $40 goes to the company that provides the cameras.

Though the measure passed unanimously, at least two coucil members have expressed outright dislike of the idea. "I'm not a fan," said Councilman Stephen Schenck. Members of the council expressed concerns that the system could in fact cause accidents rather than prevent them. Studies conducted in other commmunities have shown as much as a 15 percent increase in rear end collisions at lights where the cameras are installed. However, Police Chief Jeffrey Chudnow dismissed those concerns as easily remedied.

"That can be mitigates with proper signage an some speed enforcement on those roads coming up to those lights," he said. There is still a log way to go before the lights could be installed, including negotiations with potential suppliers of the cameras, and an ordinance, which Chudnow said would be necessary to make the violations captured on camera non-moving violations.

Story would include interviews with all mentioned above. I realize that the content above reads more like a meeting brief than a story, but I obviously have only been working on this for a few hours. I'm just looking to get the pitch approved so that I'm sure of my game plan, as our first deadline draws near.

Blogging & Google Maps

The goal today is to have you create a blog in Blogger, create a Google.Map to show your beat communuity's schools and embed it. We'll get started in class and you can finish it on your own.

Next week we will post a photo so be sure to take at least one picture at your school board meeting.

Education Resources

Here is a link to great organization: Education Writers Association. The page includes links to education data.

Here is a link to the Florida PTA.

Here is a link to the Florida School Board organization.

Here is the Florida Department of Education. Here is information on FCAT - including school and district scores.

Here is information on Florida chater schools.

Here are the school report cards for Florida.

Covering education