Polco

Why do permit applications get stuck in the queue?

Many people assume it's because reviewers need more time to make decisions. But much of the delay actually happens before a decision is ever made.

Staff often spend hours checking for missing documents, reviewing plans for completeness, and organizing information before they can begin evaluating an application.

Our latest blog explores how Clara helps permitting departments tackle this challenge by identifying gaps, flagging potential issues, and organizing information before staff begin their review.

The goal isn't to replace human expertise. It's to help professionals spend more time making decisions and less time searching for information.

Read the full article to learn how local governments can clear permit backlogs without cutting corners.
👉

The Permit Bottleneck Is a Solvable Problem: How Clara Is Clearing the Queue Without Cutting Corners Discover how Clara is revolutionizing the permitting process by streamlining workflows, reducing delays, and empowering professionals to focus on critical decisions.

What if one of the most effective ways to reduce polarization isn't political at all?

At the 2026 ICMA Conference, local government leaders participated in an assessment using the Community Connections Index, a framework developed by Telosa Foundation and Polco to measure factors that strengthen connection, trust, and belonging.

The biggest takeaway?
🏡 Placemaking emerged as the top priority for action.

From parks and public spaces to community events and walkable neighborhoods, the places where people gather play a powerful role in building relationships and strengthening communities.

The lesson is simple: before communities can solve division, they need to understand where connection is breaking down.

Read the full blog to see what local leaders learned and why strengthening community spaces may be one of the most impactful investments communities can make.

Reducing Polarization Starts with Understanding Community Connections Explore how the Community Connections Index helps local governments address polarization by fostering community connection through effective placemaking strategies.

AI is one of the biggest topics in government today, but most explanations make it sound far more complicated than it needs to be.

Our newest article, The 2026 Plain-Language Guide to AI in City Hall (No Computer Science Degree Required), explains AI in simple terms for city and county leaders.

Learn how AI can help governments:

• Better understand resident feedback
• Improve communications
• Save staff time
• Support strategic planning
• Make more informed decisions

Most importantly, the article explores what AI can do, what it cannot do, and how local governments can use it responsibly.

Read the full guide here: https://hubs.li/Q04jyxp00

How is your organization approaching AI today?

The 2026 Plain-Language Guide to AI in City Hall Discover how AI can enhance local government operations, improve resident engagement, and streamline processes, all while preserving human oversight and accountability.

Are your dashboards helping your team make decisions, or just creating more information to sort through?

Many organizations collect plenty of data but struggle to identify what truly matters when it's time to prioritize projects, allocate resources, or plan for the future.

Our newest blog explores the five types of data that help department leaders move from visibility to action.

Learn why trends, benchmarks, resident feedback, outcomes, and predictive insights matter more than simply tracking more metrics.

Read the blog here: https://hubs.li/Q04jmpqX0

From Dashboard to Decision: What Data Actually Helps Department Heads Most dashboards provide visibility but not action. Learn the five types of operational data that help department heads prioritize resources, improve services, and make confident decisions.

What makes a strategic plan actually last?

Not politics.
Not guesswork.
Not whoever speaks the loudest in the room.

The best plans are built around measurable community needs.

In our newest blog, we explore the 10 livability domains local governments should track before starting their next strategic plan, from safety and mobility to housing, wellness, and economic resilience.

When leaders use real resident feedback and community data, planning becomes clearer, smarter, and easier to defend over time.

Read the full article and see how data-driven communities are planning for the future with confidence.
https://hubs.li/Q04h_S0d0

The 10 Community Domains You Should Be Tracking Before Your Next Strategic Plan Discover the 10 essential community domains for strategic planning that enhance livability and foster resilience in local governments.

Budget conversations are getting harder for school districts everywhere.

Families want transparency. Staff want clarity. Communities want to understand the “why” behind difficult financial decisions.

That’s why Polco and National School Public Relations Association are hosting a free webinar focused on engagement strategies for budget deficits and referendum readiness.

📅 Wednesday, May 27, 2026
⏰ 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

You’ll discover how districts are using:
✅ Interactive budget simulations
✅ Stakeholder engagement tools
✅ Transparent communication strategies
✅ Community feedback approaches

…to build trust and create more informed conversations around school finances.

Presenters include Nick Mastronardi and Garrett Hernandez Rimer from Polco.

Save your spot today:
https://hubs.li/Q04hSY_30

What makes some communities consistently earn higher resident satisfaction scores?

After analyzing decades of National Community Survey (NCS) data, one thing is clear: the happiest communities are not always the wealthiest.

The communities that perform best tend to:
✔ Listen to residents consistently
✔ Communicate transparently
✔ Focus on everyday quality of life
✔ Act on community feedback

Our newest blog explores the real drivers behind resident satisfaction and what local governments can do to build stronger trust and engagement.

Read the full article here:

What Communities with the Highest Resident Satisfaction Scores Have in Common Discover the key traits of communities with high resident satisfaction scores and learn how intentional engagement and transparency foster trust and resilience.

Dashboards are everywhere in local government. But are they actually helping leaders make better decisions?

In our recent webinar, Dashboard Theater, Polco’s Tobin McKearin and Michelle Kobayashi discussed how communities can move beyond “pretty dashboards” and create data tools that truly improve outcomes.

Topics included:
✔ Measuring what matters
✔ Avoiding dashboard overload
✔ Using benchmarking and trends effectively
✔ Building a culture of learning and innovation
✔ Turning data into action

Read the full webinar recap:

Dashboard Theater: How Local Governments Can Turn Metrics Into Meaningful Action Discover how local governments can transform dashboards from mere visuals into actionable insights that drive meaningful decision-making and community improvement.

Digital distrust is real, but local governments can rebuild confidence one clear, transparent engagement process at a time.

See how verified surveys help communities collect resident feedback, share results, and close the feedback loop.

Read more:

Digital Distrust Is Real. How Local Governments Are Rebuilding It One Survey at a Time Local governments are tackling digital distrust by enhancing transparency and accountability in resident engagement, rebuilding trust one survey at a time.

Does your community have dashboards nobody actually uses?

You’re not alone.

Many local governments invest huge amounts of time building dashboards that look great… but never make it into the room where real decisions happen.

Join us tomorrow for a practical webinar on how to turn dashboards into real decision-making tools.

📊 Dashboard Theater: Moving Beyond Impressive-Looking Metrics to Decisions That Actually Stick

📅 Wed, May 20
🕙 10 PT / 11 MT / 12 CT / 1 ET

You’ll leave with practical strategies to:
✔ Focus on decision-driving metrics
✔ Align dashboards with leadership priorities
✔ Build a stronger data-driven culture

Last chance to register: https://hubs.li/Q04h79m10