THE STATES AND LOCALITIES JuneJune 20192019 CLEAN CARGO Can America’s biggest ports go green? cover.indd 18 5/14/19 7:32 AM __________Designer __________Creative Dir. 100 Blue Ravine Road Folsom, CA 95630 916-932-1300 __________Editorial __________Prepress www.erepublic.com CMY grey T1 T2 T3 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 Page # __________Other ____________OK to go BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN Smarter A government executive’s guide to understanding the network of the future and its role in transformative change. Get your copy at bit.ly/GovFuture © 2019 2019 AT&T AT&T IntellectualIntellectual Property.PropertyA Allll rights rights reserved.reservedr re AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of o AT&T Intellectual Property. __________Designer __________Creative Dir. 100 Blue Ravine Road Folsom, CA 95630 916-932-1300 __________Editorial __________Prepress www.erepublic.com CMY grey T1 T2 T3 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 Page # __________Other ____________OK to go BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN VOL. 32, NO. 9 Contents 06.2019 Rising funeral expenses and shifting attitudes about burials are changing the way states and localities think about death. 22 Clearing the Air 44 Neither/Nor California’s two biggest ports have A growing number of states set an audacious goal: reducing their and cities are letting residents greenhouse gas emissions to zero. identify as gender nonbinary. By Daniel C. Vock By Candice Norwood 30 Just Do It 50 The Right to Running a small city doesn’t often an Attorney get you much attention. One mayor Governments still don’t provide is beating the system. lawyers for many poor people By Liz Farmer who are lost without them. By J. Brian Charles 36 Dying in America Funerals and burial practices are going through a time of great transition, forcing governments to adapt. By Liz Farmer, Mattie Quinn and J. Brian Charles SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; COVER PHOTO BY DAVID KIDD SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; COVER PHOTO BY DAVID June 2019 | GOVERNING 1 GOV06_01.indd 1 5/14/19 7:35 AM __________Designer __________Creative Dir. 100 Blue Ravine Road Folsom, CA 95630 916-932-1300 __________Editorial __________Prepress www.erepublic.com CMY grey T1 T2 T3 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 Page # __________Other ____________OK to go BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN Departments 6 Dialogue URBAN NOTEBOOK TRANSPORTATION + INFRASTRUCTURE 18 The Life Cycle of a City 61 A Remedy for Older metros don’t grow the same Urban Dullness Observer way younger ones do. Why don’t we How can you build a great place? acknowledge that? Expand the number of people 10 They’ve Got Beef who own it. How should states defi ne “meat”? BEHIND THE NUMBERS 20 Where the HEALTH + HUMAN SERVICES 11 Taking the Heat Governments Are 62 Aged Out Donna Arduin has helped cut state Some states have a lot more local There are new ways to help young budgets across the country. jurisdictions than others. people transition from foster care. 12 Is 311 Fair? The Business ENERGY + ENVIRONMENT When it comes to city services, are of Government 63 Peak-Hour Power rich and poor neighborhoods treated Utilities want to curb energy use the same? SMART MANAGEMENT through surge pricing. 56 Is Evidence the Answer? 13 PILOTs Under Pressure Problems arise when evidence-based Boston hopes nonprofi ts in the city policy meets the real world. will contribute more through the 64 Last Look payment-in-lieu-of-taxes program. ON LEADERSHIP 57 Rise of the Nerds ASSESSMENTS Activist auditors like Atlanta’s are 14 Transit (Dis)connections making their mark on government. Public transportation is faltering, but there are some surprises. PUBLIC MONEY 60 Let’s Get Together WASHINGTON WATCH Coordinating commissions could be 16 Disasters and Distrust central players in state budgeting. In an emergency, government must convince people it knows what’s best for them. That’s easier said than done. SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 2 GOVERNING | June 2019 GOV06_01.indd 2 5/14/19 7:35 AM __________Designer __________Creative Dir. 100 Blue Ravine Road Folsom, CA 95630 916-932-1300 __________Editorial __________Prepress www.erepublic.com CMY grey T1 T2 T3 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 Page # __________Other ____________OK to go BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN __________Designer __________Creative Dir. 100 Blue Ravine Road Folsom, CA 95630 916-932-1300 __________Editorial __________Prepress www.erepublic.com CMY grey T1 T2 T3 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 Page # __________Other ____________OK to go BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN Publisher Mark Funkhouser Executive Editor Zach Patton Managing Editor Elizabeth Daigneau Senior Editors Alan Ehrenhalt, John Martin Chief Copy Editor Miriam Jones Copy Editors Kate Albrecht, Lauren Harrison Staff Writers J. Brian Charles, Liz Farmer, Alan Greenblatt, Mattie Quinn, Daniel C. Vock, Graham Vyse Correspondent John Buntin Contributing Editor Penelope Lemov Columnists Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene, Scott Beyer, Mark Funkhouser, Nicole Gelinas, Peter A. Harkness, Donald F. Kettl, Anne Kim, Justin Marlowe, Alex Marshall, Pete Saunders Senior Editor, Governing.com Caroline Cournoyer Data Editor, Governing.com Mike Maciag Web Producer and Writer, Governing.com Candice Norwood Chief Content Offi cer Paul W. Taylor Chief Design Offi cer Kelly Martinelli Photo Editor David Kidd Graphic Designer Kale Mendonca Production Director Stephan Widmaier Founder & Publisher Emeritus Peter A. Harkness Advertising 202-862-8802 Associate Publishers Shelley Ballard, Kim Frame, Stacy Ward-Probst Strategic Account Director Melissa Sellers Chief Customer Success Offi cer Arlene Boeger Offi ce Manager Alina Grant Marketing/Classifi ed [email protected] e.Republic Inc. CEO Dennis McKenna President Cathilea Robinett Executive VP Alan Cox CFO Paul Harney CAO Lisa Harney Reprint Information Reprints of all articles in this issue and past issues are available (500 minimum). Please direct inquiries for reprints and licensing to Wright’s Media: 877-652-5295, [email protected] Subscription/Circulation Service Eenie Yang [email protected] www.governing.com/subscribe Governing (ISSN 0894-3842) is published monthly by e.Republic Inc., with offi ces at 1100 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 1300, Washington, D.C. 20036 and at 100 Blue Ravine Road, Folsom, CA 95630. Telephone: 202-862-8802. Fax: 202-862-0032. Email: [email protected]. Periodical postage paid in Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offi ces. Copyright 2019 e.Republic Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Governing, Governing.com and City & State are registered trademarks of e.Republic Inc.; unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Governing, 100 Blue Ravine Road, Folsom, CA, 95630. Subscribers: Enclose mailing label from past issue. Allow six weeks. Member: BPA International. Made in the U.S.A. GOV06_01.indd 4 5/14/19 7:35 AM __________Designer __________Creative Dir. 100 Blue Ravine Road Folsom, CA 95630 916-932-1300 __________Editorial __________Prepress www.erepublic.com CMY grey T1 T2 T3 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 Page # __________Other ____________OK to go BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN CAN WE SAVE RECYCLING? AS ECONOMIC SHIFTS THREATEN EXISTING EFFORTS, ROBUSTNESS AND RESILIENCE CAN HELP CAN WE SAVE ENSURE PROGRAMS SURVIVE. RECYCLING? AS ECONOMIC SHIFTS THREATEN EXISTING EFFORTS, ROBUSTNESS AND RESILIENCE CAN HELP ENSURE PROGRAMS SURVIVE. Learn more at www.governing.com/papers/recycling GOV19 HA Republic Services.indd 18 4/4/19 12:59 PM __________Designer __________Creative Dir. 100 Blue Ravine Road Folsom, CA 95630 916-932-1300 __________Editorial __________Prepress www.erepublic.com CMY grey T1 T2 T3 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 5 25 50 75 95 100 Page # __________Other ____________OK to go BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN Dialogue “People try to talk about the city culture, but they may leave crucial things out. There is such a big diff erence between Detroit and everywhere else.” —Detroit’s Aaron Foley, the fi rst chief storyteller for the city, as reported in a recent story on Governing.com. The position was created in 2017 by Mayor Mike Duggan in an effort to help shift the narrative of Detroit beyond bankruptcy, crime and sports. Last month, Foley announced he would be leaving for a yearlong journalism fellowship at Stanford University. DAVID KIDD DAVID The city, he said on Twitter, was already “on the hunt” for someone to continue his role. ZONE DEFENSE Back in February, J. Brian Charles’ feature “In the Zone” looked at how the new federal opportunity zone program could help bring development to struggling communities. The zones were created in the 2017 federal tax overhaul as a way to entice private companies to invest in underdeveloped areas. Since then, Charles has continued to follow the story online. In particular, he’s looked at certain “sweeteners” that states and cities have been adding to make themselves more attractive to investors. With 8,700 opportunity zones across the country, Charles recently wrote, many of them in big cities that already draw in considerable development dollars, some places are worried about distinguishing themselves. Rural communities in particular are worried about being West Virginia lawmakers considered an income tax exemption able to attract opportunity zone dollars, Charles’ colleague Liz for new opportunity zone investment.