Municipal Management Research Articles

A fuzzy synthetic evaluation approach to assess the risks associated with municipal waste management: Implications for sustainability

The rapid growth of industry, urban areas, and populations has substantially increased waste production worldwide. The inadequacy of robust waste management systems and limited resources poses significant challenges for many emerging economies, including Bangladesh, resulting in environmental contamination. Despite numerous academic studies on sustainable waste management, there is a noticeable gap in the literature concerning identifying, evaluating, and modeling critical risks associated with adopting sustainable municipal waste management systems, particularly in emerging economies like Bangladesh. This study, therefore, aims to fill this gap by identifying, categorizing, and assessing the crucial risks in implementing sustainable municipal waste management systems. Through an extensive review of existing literature and validation with expert feedback, this study employs a fuzzy synthetic evaluation method-based framework to prioritize the identified risks. The study calculates the probability of occurrence and degree of impact values to provide decision-makers with insights into the severity of different risk categories, aiding in case-by-case attention. Scores assigned on a 1 to 5 scale range from 2.59 to 4.14 for the various risk categories. Notably, “Industrial challenges related” and “Community and infrastructure requirements related” emerge as the most significant risk categories among those analyzed. This study contributes to the existing literature by employing fuzzy synthetic evaluation, a methodology rarely used to determine critical risks in municipal waste management. Furthermore, it is poised to offer valuable insights to industrialists and waste management authorities, empowering them to develop responsive strategies and contribute to the sustainable development of cities and urban communities.

Community Empowerment of PCM Kokap on Sustainable Municipal Waste Management through Black Soldier Fly Farming

Municipal waste management is one of complicated environmental problems found in many areas of Yogyakarta, including in Kokap, Kulon Progo. In addition, the awareness from local society towards the importance of waste management has not well built yet due to the lack of knowledge on this issue. Therefore, this program was aimed to promote better understanding and technical skill of Pimpinan Cabang Muhammadiyah (PCM) Kokap members regarding black soldier fly-mediated waste management. This community empowerment program involved 15 PCM members (aged ranging from 40-55 years old) and carried out using the experiential learning method through participatory approach. It started with focus group discussion and followed by the trial of BSF farming using municipal waste performed by the members for 40 days. Intensive supervision was provided through WhatsApp Group. Results showed that all PCM members were success in cultivating a complete cycle of BSF. Some of the BSF larvae had been used as feed for poultry and fish. The success of this trial was associated to the high enthusiasm from the members in following the technical guidelines provided virtually. Overall, this program has successfully educated the targeted community marked by the accomplishment of PCM Kokap members in executing the trial of municipal waste management. It also conferred the increased member’s understanding regarding the economic value of BSF products to be alternative source of secondary income. The success of this program could be a pilot project to generate society awareness and capacity for higher responsibility with the municipal wastes produced.

Осторожный разворот: Конституционный Суд РФ о месте местного самоуправления в рамках единой системы публичной власти

The article provides analysis of one of the decisions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation in 2023, devoted to the question of clarifying the place of local self-government in the unified system of public power. On the basis of a private example of solid municipal waste management, the Court raises the question of the problem of the established law enforcement practice of apportioning responsibility among public authorities, where the main burden is placed on the municipal level. On the basis of the material, the author concludes that there are some new legal positions formulated in the decision that may allow to apply the emerging systemic relationships of constitutional provisions more accurately. The examples of such legal positions are the prohibition of establishing a hierarchy of public authority and the necessity of applying the mutual principle of responsibility of levels of public authority.

Local Economic Conditions Affect Aedes albopictus Management

Invasive mosquitoes are an emerging public health issue, as many species are competent vectors for pathogens. We assessed how multiple environmental and socio-economic factors affected the engagement of municipalities in Italy (n = 7679) in actions against Aedes albopictus, an invasive mosquito affecting human health and well-being, between 2000 and 2020. We collected information about mosquito control from official documents and municipal websites and modeled the role played by multiple environmental and socioeconomic factors characterizing each municipality through the random forest algorithm. Municipalities are more prone to manage A. albopictus if more urbanized, in lowlands and with long infestation periods. Moreover, these variables are more predictive of management in municipalities with a high median income and thus more economic resources. Only 25.5% of Italian municipalities approved regulations for managing A. albopictus, and very few of them were in Southern Italy, the most deprived area of the country. Our findings indicate that local economic conditions moderate the effect of other drivers of mosquito control and ultimately can lead to better management of A. albopictus. If the management of invasive mosquitoes, or other forms of global change, is subjected to local economic conditions, economic inequalities will jeopardize the success of large-scale policies, also raising issues of environmental and climate justice.

Evaluating the efficacy of social capital in facilitating sustainable municipal waste management: Reflections from Harare, Zimbabwe

The volumes of waste in urban areas around the globe continue to increase due to the upsurge in disposals from exponentially growing urban populations. Ideally, the waste must be regularly collected by responsible councils, but in some countries, the collection has been erratic due to operational challenges. Unfortunately, this is the current and perpetually unresolved problem in Zimbabwe. A lack of garbage collection vehicles, as well as a lack of fuel for the available refuse collection trucks, has resulted in sporadic refuse collection in urban areas. The accumulation of uncollected waste in Zimbabwe's urban areas pollutes the environment and exposes the inhabitants to health risks, leaving waste management responsibilities to the community. This research, adopts the mixed-methods approach to evaluate the efficacy of using community social capital in waste management in urban Zimbabwe. Data was collected through a survey, observations and key informant interviews. The study revealed that due to poor refuse collection by the Harare City Council, residents have taken the initiative to use their social capital to manage waste in their communities through mechanisms like clean-up exercises, environmental cleanliness training workshops as well as forming collaborations with community-based organisations. However, these social capital initiatives are backtracked by some errant residents who continue to dump waste in undesignated areas. Measures such as the introduction of waste recycling income generation projects, giving incentives to community clean-up participants and enforcement of penalties for dumping waste in illegal places are recommended to support social capital initiatives in municipal waste management in Harare.

Meeting the challenges of the waste hierarchy: A performance evaluation of EU countries

The focus of this paper is to evaluate how well European countries are advancing towards a Circular Economy transition and to which extent they are fulfilling the European Union (EU) requirements in terms of municipal waste management. With this aim, an innovative composite indicator is devised by integrating the Goal Programming Synthetic Indicator (GPSI) methodology with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The suggested methodology allows to encompass not only the guidelines provided by the EU directives and the EU Waste Hierarchy, but also the deviations from the EU thresholds. As a first step of the analysis, a dashboard of indicators is identified together with a set of targets that European countries are supposed to meet. Indicators, targets and their relative importance in the dashboard have been discussed and validated by a team of experts. Then, two Goal Programming Synthetic Indicators are computed taking into account two different perspectives. The first one rewards the countries with good performance in the higher level of the Waste Hierarchy, while the second one penalizes countries whose infringements are in the lower part of the Waste Hierarchy. Hence two different systems of aggregating weights are identified by means of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and accordingly two scenarios are explored. The analysis is performed using Eurostat data on 28 European countries from 2013 to 2018. For each year, countries are assessed in terms of their ability to keep the right waste management track delineated by the Waste Hierarchy principles. Countries’ ranking over time is first obtained and then interpreted in light of countries policies and achievements, deriving policy suggestions to improve waste management strategy able to reach the expected results.

Municipal Compost Public Health, Waste Management, and Urban Agriculture: A Decadal Study of Fugitive Pb in City of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Compostable materials constitute roughly half of waste generated globally, but only 5% of waste is actually processed through composting, suggesting that expanding compost programs may be an effective way to process waste. Compostable waste, if properly collected and processed, has value-added end use options including: residential and park landscaping, remediation of brownfield sites, and as growing media in urban agriculture (UA). Since 2001, our lab has partnered with The Food Project, a non-profit focused on youth leadership development through urban farming. From 2006 to 2022 we collected compost materials that were delivered to the farm from a variety of local sources and analyzed a suite of biogeochemical properties including lead (Pb) concentrations, organic carbon, and grain size distribution. Pb concentrations of Boston's municipal compost always exceeded the current City of San Francisco soil and compost purchase standard (80μg/g). In 2012 Boston's composting program was halted when it exceeded the 400μg/g Environmental Protection Agency's Pb in soil benchmark. Urban Pb is geomobile and must be managed to minimize resuspension and transport of fines whose Pb concentration is often elevated compared to bulk compost. Consequently, urban farmers have to source lower Pb compost from suburban suppliers at significantly greater cost. Over a 15 year period and through several city vendor contracts, Pb concentrations in municipal compost remain at levels that warrant continued surveillance and risk assessment.

Design of resilient communication tower with retractable antenna mast

Effective communication infrastructure is crucial for disaster response and management, particularly in typhoon-prone regions like the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. This study aims to design a resilient communication tower with a retractable antenna mast to enhance the communication capabilities of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) in the island of Catanduanes during typhoon and disaster. The study adopts a capstone project design method. It includes qualitative analysis with an extensive review of literature and guidelines related to resilient communication infrastructure, typhoon preparedness, and disaster response strategies specific to the island of Catanduanes. Factors such as wind loads, structural stability, and mechanisms for deploying the retractable antenna mast pole are considered during the design process. Advanced tools such as computer-aided design software and structural analysis and design software application simulations are employed to model and assess the tower's structural integrity under extreme weather conditions. The outcomes study includes a detailed design plan for a resilient communication tower with a retractable antenna mast pole, specifically tailored for the typhoon-prone environment in Catanduanes.

Personality traits and the use of performance information: enthusiastic and diligent public managers

Drawing on a survey of 385 municipal public managers in Italy, this article investigates the potential association between managers’ personality traits and their use of performance information. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the results show that cons cientiousness, extraversion, and openness emerge as relevant personality traits that help explain public managers’ use of performance information. Moreover, the study points to the presence of two distinct groups of users of performance information, which we label “enthusiastic” and “diligent” managers. For “enthusiastic managers”, performance information use is mainly associated with extraversion and openness, while for “diligent managers”, conscientiousness and agreeableness drive its use. Implications for the theory and practice of performance management are discussed.

Is it possible to implement the idea of zero waste in waste management in Poznań?

The aim of the study was to find out the awareness and readiness of Poznań residents to implement the Zero Waste (ZW) idea in the city. Residents' knowledge of the hazards of municipal waste generation and their familiarity with and degree of adherence to ZW principles were investigated. The research was carried out through a questionnaire survey. The article is a form of answering whether the inhabitants of a large city in Poland are ready to implement the ZW idea. The research presents the level of preparation (readiness) of the inhabitants of Poznań and the conditions enabling the implementation of ZW in the city. The results were statistically analysed. Conclusions indicate a significant readiness of the respondents to implement the ZW idea. A preliminary concept of reducing municipal waste by promoting ZW in the city was indicated. This is important because Poznań is currently rebuilding its municipal waste management.

A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHLOROPHYLL AND DISSOLVED SUBSTANCES IN COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTH BALTIC SEA – ANTHROPOGENIC AND NATURAL INFLUENCES

The objectives of this study were to indicate the relationship between chlorophyll levels, dissolved metal group minerals and phosphates in the studied area of the Central Polish Coastal Waters and to relate these data to the influence of the terrestrial environment. In 2020, in the Central Polish Coastal Waters (PLB990002), which is a special area for the protection of birds, tests were carried out on the concentrations of chlorophyll, phosphates, dissolved microelements: zinc, cobalt, nickel and iron, and electrolytic conductivity. For the analysis of dissolved microelements, a graphite cuvette version of atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS-GF) was used. Chlorophyll and phosphates were studied using UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The concentrations obtained in coastal sea water in the spring after the wintering of waterfowl and in the autumn were compared. Microelement and phosphate concentrations were higher in spring than in autumn. The relationship between the level of chlorophyll and phosphates and the tested microelements in coastal waters was demonstrated, and the results were linked to the possible sources of these chemical substances, such as wintering of birds, tourism, municipal and port management. It was also observed that the upwelling effects occurred in the study area, which significantly influenced changes in the chemical composition of sea water.

Do what we did last year, but do not stray too far from the pack: A behavioral public finance approach to municipal cash reserves

AbstractWe leverage a national panel of US municipalities to show that behavioral finance helps explain the number of months of expenses that municipalities save in cash and investment reserves. We hypothesize that municipal managers may be using numerical anchoring based on historical values to target the number of months of savings to hold and that they may also be engaged in social learning to target months of savings based on the behavior of neighboring municipalities. We test for these effects by combining two innovative techniques, a two‐stage regression designed to test for anchoring of present financial values based on theoretically unimportant historical values, and a measure of the spatial autocorrelation of savings to test for social learning. The results suggest that, in deciding how much to save, municipal managers are influenced by the levels of savings they held in the past and the savings levels of their neighbors, and that they underreact to changes in theoretically relevant economic fundamentals. Further tests also suggest that the smallest cities by population are more influenced by the behavior of their neighbors than their past savings, whereas the largest cities show the opposite result, effectively choosing themselves as their own role models.

Integrated municipal management of waste from tree pruning and removal

Urban forests generate a significant amount of waste from leaf fall, pruning and removal of trees. This lignocellulosic material is typically used for composting, burned (with or without energy generation) or disposed in landfills. Despite its potential use for environmentally friendly purposes, access to the material is still limited, mainly due to the lack of knowledge about its generation and quantity, difficulties in sorting, and issues related to the transport and storage of this waste. Thus, this article characterizes an urban afforestation system, quantifies the generation of waste, and proposes an integrated municipal system for the use of this waste material. After describing the procedures and operations performed for tree pruning and removal, we report a case study of the city of Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil, covering a period of 15 months. We adjusted empirical equations (Log Spurr, Spurr, and Schumacher-Hall models) to estimate the volume of waste produced, serving as a basis for the development of waste quantification methods. The city was estimated to generate an average of 180 tons of afforestation waste per month, composed mainly of leaves and thin branches (69%). Composting alone was considered an inefficient use of the material (about 31% of waste is not beneficially utilized). This material can be applied for the production of different products with high added value. Models to predict the generation of waste can contribute to the planning of municipal waste management. The Schumacher-Hall and Log Spurr models produced the best results. In general, the results indicated that adequate urban planning can help reduce waste disposal and burning by local governments. Additionally, carrying out the quantification of waste and exploring the use of new recovery measures of waste from urban afforestation can help support sustainable local development.

The French municipal management controller in the instrumental prism

Cet article s’inscrit dans les domaines de la gestion publique, de la sociologie et du contrôle de gestion. Il vise à éclairer la fonction de contrôle de gestion dans les municipalités. Dans cette perspective, une analyse du rôle du contrôleur de gestion territorial et de ses outils, basée sur la littérature académique, est présentée. Ensuite, une étude empirique quantitative sur le contrôle de gestion dans les municipalités de plus de 20.000 habitants est présentée : elle identifie cinq types de contrôleur de gestion territorial, à savoir le stratège, le partenaire, le conseiller, l’analyste et l’hybride. Le rôle de chaque type de contrôleur de gestion territorial est ensuite précisé. Ce rôle, déjà défini par la variabilité de la taille de l’organisation, serait déterminé par ses outils de gestion, vecteurs d’action dans l’organisation.

Ultrahigh pressure filtration dewatering of municipal sludge conditioned by steel slag in combination with Fe2+/ sodium persulfate

Municipal sludge treatment in urban contexts faces significant challenges, especially when dealing with sludge characterized by exceptionally high water content and organic content. This study investigates the application of sodium persulfate oxidation activated by ferrous ions (Fe2+/SPS) in conjunction with waste steel slag as a conditioning agent for municipal sludge, capillary suction time and specific resistance filtration experiments were conducted on conditioned sewage sludge, along with dewatering tests under ultrahigh pressure conditions. Additionally, to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms, Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis, Zeta potential measurements, and comprehensive sample analyses were performed. The research reveals substantial improvements in sludge dewatering performance when steel slag is combined with Fe2+/SPS treatment. This combined treatment introduces additional ferrous ions into the sludge, generating radicals that disrupt the structure of extracellular polymeric substances and cells within the sludge. Steel slag also acts as a skeleton builder material, creating larger drainage pathways within the sludge cake under ultrahigh pressure, enhancing permeability, and accelerating moisture release. This combined treatment method holds promise for achieving deep sludge dewatering, under ultrahigh filtration pressure, with water content reduced to below 40%. The study not only highlights the advantages of using steel slag in combination with Fe2+/SPS treatment for sludge dewatering but also provides insights into the underlying mechanisms. This comprehensive treatment method reduces the excessive use of ferrous ions and costs while significantly enhancing dewatering performance, offering a promising solution for municipal sludge treatment and management.

The evolution of cities and the issues related to Sustainability

This research aims to analyze the evolution of cities regarding the problems that have emerged over time. After all, cities are dynamic and constantly changing, so urban management must keep pace with these changes and adapt to new realities. However, many problems sometimes accumulate, and finding a solution can be more challenging. Population concentration can lead to issues related to health, education, unemployment, and poverty, among others, affecting the economic level and quality of life. As cities become the economic centers of nations, housing the highest productivity rates, there are challenges to face when considering the goals for 2030. The city as a whole plays a central role in achieving sustainable development. It is the responsibility of the population and municipal managers to work together towards the goals of sustainable development. This research concludes that it is necessary to analyze each city individually to consider sustainability. Checking local culture, geography, and economy, and adopting actions that effectively benefit residents and the environment.

Urban rats are the 'fall-guy': Resident motivations for municipal rat complaints.

Rats are an important issue in cities globally. Despite their ubiquity, perceptions and concerns about rats vary with circumstance and the context in which a person interacts with them. Municipal rat management programs are a service to communities and therefore must be responsive to the varied concerns of their residents. Understanding why communities are concerned about rats can help inform rat management programs to meet the specific needs of their residents. The objective of this study was to identify why the residents of Vancouver, Canada care about rats and what they want done to address them. To do this, we qualitatively analyzed 6,158 resident complaints about rats made to the city's municipal government between January 2014 and May 2020. Using a qualitative descriptive coding process, we found that rats were a priority in a minority of cases. In general, people were more concerned about broader community issues, such as neighborhood disorder, of which rats were one part. Complaints tended to be made when problems were highly visible, nearby, and when the complainant wanted the city to take action to alleviate this issue, particularly when they were in and around their living spaces. The rates of complaints were highest in the most economically and socially deprived neighborhoods and lowest in the most privileged neighbourhoods. We synthesize this information with a view towards understanding how to develop objectives and actions for municipal management strategies that are grounded in community concerns.

The profile of the brazilian municipal sports manager

This study aims to identify the profile of the public sports manager working at the municipal level in different Brazilian states. The Northeast, Centre-West, Southeast, and South regions were considered as the sample, through the states of Bahia, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Rio Grande do Norte, Santa Catarina, and Sergipe, for a total of 1.955 municipalities in this research. The analysis was based on data relating to the "Human Resources" axis of the Sports Management in States and Municipalities (GEEM) instrument. The results showed a predominance of males, differences in Race; Age; Schooling; Level of School; Remuneration, both for each state and each region of the country. The conclusion is that there is a need for the academic and professional training for public managers in the field of physical education, combined with sports management, in order to make public policies more effective, as well as the continuation of public service programmes independent of the region. Keywords: Management, Sport Management, Public Policy, Sports Manager, Profile Manager.

Morphometric Characterization of The Catu River Hydrographic Sub-Basin in The Municipality of Alagoinhas-BA

Purpose: The aim of this work is to carry out the morphometric characterization of the Catu River Sub-Basin, located in the municipality of Alagoinhas-BA, with the Catu River being one of the tributaries that make up the Recôncavo Norte and Inhambupe Basin - BHRN/I . Methods: Data from the ALOS Palsar radar were used to obtain the Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The processing of spatial data occurs through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), with the morphometric characteristics of the sub-basin being determined with the aid of the QuantumGIS Palmas 2.18 software. Results and discussion: The morphometric parameters were calculated, obtaining that the sub-basin has an elongated shape, relief considered wavy, little prone to flooding and 4th order classification. Research implications: The research highlights the characteristics of the sub-basin regarding the drainage network, relief and susceptibility to flooding, these factors being associated with the occupation of the region's land and the release of effluents into water bodies. Originality/value: Enables the understanding of hydrological vulnerabilities and can become support material for municipal management, as well as promoting reflection on compliance with legislation and implementation of public policies in environmental management.

A sustainable model of municipal economy

Sustainable development is a dynamic process based mainly on quantitative and qualitative changes in the economic, social and ecological spheres in accordance with the needs and preferences of the commune's inhabitants. Municipal management, however, creates favourable conditions for local development and constant improvement of the quality of life of residents. The aim of the study is to analyse municipal management from the perspective of sustainable development. The basic research method used in the study is indicator analysis. The indicators selected for development describe the concept of sustainable development in fundamental areas of the municipal economy, such as energy, water and sewage, waste, municipal housing, public transport and road infrastructure. The research was conducted in Poland in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in 2020-2022. The subjects of the study are the 12 municipalities of the Olsztyn district. On the basis of the results obtained, it can be concluded that the best results in terms of creating a sustainable municipal economy are obtained by municipalities which have carried out the largest number of projects in this area, as well as those which have the largest share of forests and waters in the municipal area, e.g. Stawiguda, Dywity, Dobre Miasto, Gietrzwałd. The implementation of sustainable development in municipal management is determined by many economic, social, environmental, spatial and technological conditions. The research will enable local authorities and decision-makers to practically implement the concept of sustainable development in the municipal economy and may also be used in the process of planning investments and local activities, taking into account the economic, ecological and social aspects. The research constitutes the basis for further research work related to the practical implementation and management of sustainable development in municipal management.