Streamline Blog

By Mac Clemmens, CEO, Streamline

By Mac Clemmens, CEO, Streamline

The Department of Justice has issued new website accessibility guidelines that will significantly impact special districts nationwide. Here are the 5 biggest takeaways:

Special District Grant Accessibility Act - H.R. 7525 The Special District Grant Accessibility Act codifies in federal law a first-ever formal definition of “special district.” In addition to establishing such a definition, H.R. 7525 would direct federal agencies to recognize special districts as local governments for the purpose of ensuring that districts are eligible to receive appropriate forms of federal assistance, including funding and resources through key grant programs.

Goldman Sachs has said that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will have 100x more of an impact than the personal computer in terms of productivity and GDP growth.

Now Special Districts will have one of their own leading the customer support, onboarding, and education teams at Streamline. Effective July 1, Karey Hansen will be promoted to Head of Customer Support. She will carry the torch from Chris, who has stepped down from the position to spend more time with his family after four years at Streamline.

Many districts are not currently using a .gov domain, or they don't realize they can get one. However, we are starting to see more and more districts setting up their website with a .gov. Some states are even pushing for it, like AB 1637 in California, which could mandate the use of a .gov by districts. If history has shown us anything, it's that California often sets the tone for districts across the country. So if .gov domains become a requirement in California, other states could follow suit (note: a .gov domain is not currently required for districts in any state).

What did it mean to be a special district in 2022? Over the last year, we talked with thousands of district managers, board members, attorneys, associations, management companies, mayors, state senators, US senators, and legislators. Here are the top 6 most impactful things that stood out to us in 2022.

As special districts, we know the importance of reaching out to our communities to share our expert information, and to ensure our behind-the-scenes work doesn't go unnoticed. Which is why we have launched the Special District Outreach Score!