by Antero Rivasplata

Hurricane Katrina's devastation to the Gulf Coast drove home the economic, environmental and human costs of catastrophic flooding. For California, the frightening reality is that New Orleans had a higher level of flood protection than most Central Valley cities.

In fall 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a package of six bills that mandate comprehensive planning for flood protection at the state and local levels. While these bills focus largely on the Central Valley, some requirements apply to cities and counties statewide. City officials should familiarize themselves with these new requirements, which directly impact the municipal General Plan.

Perspectives on Civic Participation: An Intoduction

This article is the first in a Western City series that looks at how local officials throughout California are using civic participation strategies to inform policy decisions, build stronger communities and create more effective governance. This month, the series fea tures local officials' perspectives on public involvement and offers resources for civic engagement efforts.

In the coming months, the series will address ensuring broad representation in public engagement efforts; local leadership and the state's changing demographics; using community participation in plan ning, housing, local budgeting, emergency preparedness and youth development; sustaining capacity for public engagement; and evaluating civic participation efforts.

Working With Local Businesses to Increase Recycling

by Kathleen Les

While residential recycling has become mainstream, the bigger challenge ahead for local governments is to increase recycling by retail, service, office and industrial businesses.

Each year in California, more than 42 mil lion tons of waste -- enough to fill garb age trucks placed bumper to bumper stretching 1.25 times around the earth -- is hauled to landfills. Nearly 60 percent of this paper, cardboard, plastic, food and construction waste is generated by commercial, industrial and institutional sources, according to the California Inte grated Waste Management Board.

Some cities and counties throughout the state are already taking aggressive action to curb waste generated from commercial sources and increase the amount of refuse diverted to recycling plants. Offices, retail stores, restaurants, shopping centers, hospitals and manufacturing firms can significantly reduce disposed waste if they are given guidance and incentives to follow the state's policy on diverting waste: Reduce or reuse waste, and then recycle what would otherwise go to landfills.

While many cities and counties have achieved a 50 percent solid waste diversion rate (the statewide diversion rate currently stands at 54 percent), recycling programs typically focus on residential customers. Local governments, waste haulers and individual businesses all have a key role to play in ensuring that business-generated waste is recycled rather than sent to landfills.