03.21.13: Your Morning Buzz

Jack Dorsey sent the first tweet ever six years ago today. These are the first 30 tweets ever. Back when Twitter was just twttr.

The High Five

Toward a More Resourceful City – If you read a lot of urbanism blogs, you would think cities’ futures depend on placemaking, efforts at combatting climate change and sprawl, growing new employment sectors and defending cities from gentrification. But make no mistake: The greatest threat to cities comes from none of these. It’s the very unsexy threats of escalating pension and entitlement costs, matched only by the danger of a cowardly and unimaginative public sector.
Riverside, Calif., Hires New Chief Innovation Officer – Approximately four months after Riverside, Calif.’s longtime Chief Innovation Officer, Steve Reneker, announced his departure, City Manager Scott Barber named his successor: Lea Deesing has been appointed as Riverside’s new Chief Innovation Officer, effective April 8.
Multiple guilty verdicts in Bell case – No decision has been made on whether jurors will resume deliberations on the remaining undecided counts.
Oregon’s Telecoms Aren’t Preparing for the Big One – IT’S BEEN WEEKS since the “Big One.” And Portland is in shambles. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake has reduced the city’s brick and concrete buildings to piles of rubble. Here and there—with their glass skins shattered and dribbling down—steel frames rise from the debris like withered weeds sprouting from cracks in the pavement.
Council launches city manager search – The Lake Oswego City Council kicked off its search for a permanent city manager this week. Greg Prothman of the Prothman Company, an executive search firm selected to conduct a nationwide recruitment effort, told the council that the entire process, from the council’s Tuesday meeting to eventual interviews with finalists for the job, will take 90 days.

The ELGL 4-1-1

Newest ELGL Member: Sara Singer, Tualatin Deputy City Manager

2nd Annual ELGL Bureaucrat Bracket Challenge – March Madness is nearly upon us, and ELGL is ready with its 2nd annual ELGL Bureaucrat Bracket Challenge. There is one question on the minds of bracketologist everywhere is anyone capable of breaking the incredible one-year winning streak of Tanya Johnston, last year’s winner.

ELGL members, Kent and Kirsten Wyatt, are the keynote speaker at PSU ICMA chapter meeting tonight at 6:30 – 8:00 pm in room 611 of the Urban building. Topic of the March 21st meeting: “ELGL: Who They Are, What They Do, and General Tips/Tricks for Emerging Public Administration Professionals”. Kent Wyatt is the Senior Management Analyst for the City of Tigard, and Kirsten Wyatt is the Assistant City Manager for the City of West Linn.

The ELGL Resume Book…It’s Back – ELGL is now accepting entries for the 2^nd edition of the Resume Book. We encourage all ELGL members to submit a resume whether you are employed or you are looking for employment. Non-ELGL members can also submit a resume but members will receive priority placement in the book.

Upcoming ELGL Forums – April 11: Greg Baker, Damascus City Manager and April 17: K.L. Wombacher, Hillsboro Hops General Manager

What You’re Reading – Top Five Blog Posts:

I’m Just a Bill

The Fiscal Cliff

Inside Portlandia

Outside Portlandia

The Career Center

Study: Portlanders choose to work less, earn less – The famous quote from Portlandia may not be a total exaggeration after all. A study on Portland jobs released Tuesday by the Portland Business Alliance claims adults in the Metro area choose to work less.

‘Pay for Performance’ No Longer a Punchline – A shift toward ‘pay for performance’ highlights the growing role of investors in shaping compensation.

The CEO’s Memo to Staff: Take More Risks – When Jim Donald took the helm at Extended Stay America a year ago, he sensed fear.

The World Wide Web

7 Cities Using Smart Technology In Unusual Ways – Some cities are really leading the charge with super cool projects that show just how wonderful city life can be.

Everything You Need to Know About the New Pinterest – For a synopsis of Pinterest’s recent changes, review the infographic below, created by PinnableBusiness. What else could Pinterest stand to alter? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.

Not A Happy Accident: How Google Deliberately Designs Workplace Satisfaction – While much has been said about Google’s enviable employee perks, those just scratch the surface of how it totally re-engineered traditional HR to ensure a happy and profitable workplace.