Sunday, September 5, 2021 | 2 a.m
Publisher’s Note: Following a longstanding tradition, Brian Greenspun gave his “Where I Stand” column to others in August. Today we continue to present columns submitted by these guests. As we present this year’s column series by community leaders, it is important to us that our readers who are trying to get out of the ravages of the pandemic hear from some of the people who can help us lead us into a better future. Today’s guest is Ryann Juden, City Manager of North Las Vegas.
In New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann wrote to Louis Brandeis, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, “A state can, if its citizens so wish, serve as a laboratory; and try new social and economic experiments without endangering the rest of the country. “
Indeed, states are a wonderful laboratory for democracy; However, the experience of the city of North Las Vegas has shown that local governments are also perfectly suited to function as “laboratories of democracy” in which guidelines are drawn up and tested. As test sites, cities can provide insights to political decision-makers who are looking for solutions at state and federal level.
As with any experiment, measuring the final results and verifying the final results inform scientists of the success of the experiment, and replication increases the reliability of the results. Without a doubt, one of the most rewarding parts of my time in North Las Vegas has been sharing our data when other local governments, scientists, or think tanks contact us to understand our achievements. In 2018, financial analysts from Wall Street bonding firms made an infrequent site visit to sit down with our team to better understand how we turned the city’s finances upside down. Local governments from countries as far away as Japan have inquired about the economic development model we have used to attract new businesses. Scientists from think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and the Pew Research Center visited us to better understand our methods and transformation.
There are laboratories around the town hall that are looking for innovative approaches and new models for providing services to our residents.
Results can be seen in the success of the city’s parking services division, founded in 2018 and purposely set up as an economic development arm to beautify neighborhoods, increase community safety, provide efficient and responsive customer service to citizens, and add value to To increase residential buildings. The goal wasn’t to give people a ticket; it should make our streets safe and our neighborhoods inviting, attractive, walkable and more valuable.
We have applied similar out-of-the-box thinking to public safety, first at the North Las Vegas Community Correctional Center and more recently at the North Las Vegas CARES Court. Recognizing that most of the people who visit our center and will be gone within days, we wanted to find a way to meaningfully combine them with services to address the fundamental problems – not just crime – that got them there. The coordinated rehabilitative justice program that originated in North Las Vegas connects offenders and their families with ongoing social services and support, reduces relapses and most importantly, gives our neighbors a second chance at life.
Operationally, we have tried to do the government differently since day one. A perfect example is our remote video inspection program in North Las Vegas, the first of its kind for a southern Nevada community that has become a role model for efficiency, customer service and convenience. The program was first tested in 2019 to reduce customer waiting times and make inspectors more efficient. The program now includes 45 types of inspections and served as a prototype during the pandemic so that we can continue to serve our members seamlessly during the quarantine.
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the success of our “Laboratory of Democracy” mindset. Our ability to resolve problems quickly and approach them analytically as a problem solver has enabled the City of North Las Vegas to provide an innovative and effective response to both the health and economic effects of the pandemic, and to take proactive action to minimize the spread of the virus seize. Fighting for equity and resources for the citizens of North Las Vegas and anticipating and mitigating the long-term economic effects of this crisis.
From the start of the pandemic, we have reinvented city operations and immediately transformed workers who are not necessarily at risk of vacation into first responders who address the most urgent needs of our community. Staff from libraries, the leisure department and other affected departments were reassigned to new roles related to the COVID response and used their working hours to pack and distribute meals with the Three Square Food Bank while people were home. Assisting the Southern Nevada Health District with contact tracing to contain the spread of the virus; Establishment and operation of a dedicated call center to support businesses and residents; and developing and operating a nationwide first classroom school in converted urban facilities so parents can work while the public school remains virtual.
With the city receiving federal funding for the response, it was never a question from the city council or management that the money be used in the best interests of taxpayers and provided with the public’s confidence. Nearly 90% of our funds went directly to taxpayers in the form of small business grants, rental and mortgage grants, utility grants, broadband access, COVID testing, contact tracing, flu vaccination, and mobile pantries. The rest of the money was spent on protective equipment for first responders and equipment that allows staff to work remotely to continue providing customer service during shutdowns.
In addition, our enormous North Las Vegas Fire Department provided residents with more than 100,000 doses of vaccines. In a matter of days and on just $ 6,000, our IT department was able to create a vaccination registration and delivery system that met the needs of our community without a single system crash. Skilled leadership throughout our laboratory who excelled in her role as chief scientist in various departments with a consistent commitment and dedication to finding solutions through experimentation.
Not everything we try is successful, but our mistakes are the best teachers of future success. Not everyone supports the issues we are addressing; However, the mayor and council have made it clear that problems should be resolved within the corporate boundaries of North Las Vegas. A tremendous number of resources have been devoted to solving some of society’s most pressing problems, and when we step on another person’s trail we advance the narrative and threaten entrenched interests that benefit from the status quo. Whenever possible we join the valiant efforts of others, and whenever necessary we form our own research questions and begin experimenting.
Our country and our state need courageous, persistent experimentation. I am proud of our team of prudent officials who are actively reinventing democracy through their experiments. As a region and country, we have the unique opportunity to learn from the pandemic and simply do better! With unprecedented federal funds flowing into Nevada, we must first support programs, groups, and institutions that have been proven to work; second, we need to consciously experiment to find new solutions to the problems we all know exist.
Now is not the time to be stupid – let’s support success and be brave and determined in our laboratories!
