Best PDF Remediation Tools: What to Use (and Why) for Accessible PDFs
How to Remediate a PDF: A Step-by-Step Guide
Ensuring your PDFs are accessible not only broadens your audience but also helps you meet legal and organizational compliance standards. Remediating a PDF means making it usable..
ADA Compliance Deadlines Are Coming: What to Know About the DOJ Ruling
Digital accessibility is about more than just meeting legal standards—it’s about ensuring everyone in your community has equal access to public information and services. For local..
Website Compliance: What Special Districts Need to Know in 2025
Between federal ADA requirements, state open meetings acts, state-specific transparency laws, WCAG standards, and the recent Department of Justice (DOJ) ruling, special districts..
Be Careful What You Widget For: Evaluating Website ADA Compliance and Avoiding Lawsuits
Website accessibility is no longer just a best practice—it’s a legal requirement. Many special districts are finding themselves caught in unexpected and costly ADA compliance..
Simplicity Meets Power: How Genoa Public Library Transformed Its Digital Presence
In an era where smartphones and digital platforms dominate, libraries face an evolving challenge—staying relevant in the digital space. The Genoa Public Library District in..
Harnessing AI for Special Districts: Less Stress, More Success!
Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just for Silicon Valley startups or blockbuster movies—it’s here and changing the game for special districts like yours. Streamline is all about..
Always Ready: The Digital Toolkit for Fire Districts
When an emergency strikes, it’s critical to have the right tools to communicate quickly and effectively. Think of Streamline as your digital Emergency Communication Toolkit—packed..
Breaking Down an Overwhelming Problem into a Solvable One
By Mac Clemmens, CEO, Streamline
Balancing Transparency and Compliance: Lessons from Colorado Special Districts
By Mac Clemmens, CEO, Streamline
5 Things Special Districts Need to Know About the Latest DOJ Ruling
The Department of Justice has issued new website accessibility guidelines that will significantly impact special districts nationwide. Here are the 5 biggest takeaways:
Help Our Community Gain Access to Federal Resources
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..
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Opportunities and Risks for Districts
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.
Karey Hansen to Lead Customer Support at Streamline
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..
Are .gov Domains Coming to Special Districts?
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..
State of Special Districts: The Top 6 Insights From 2022
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,..
State of Special Districts 2022: Outreach Score
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...
State of Special Districts 2022: Growth by State
While the number of Special Districts has increased since 2017, this story of growth has unfolded differently in each state. States like Colorado and Florida saw their district..
The State of Special Districts 2022
Special districts are the most common form of government in the United States, and their popularity continues to grow. Since 2017, the U.S. has added almost 800 new special..
Website accessibility for special districts: What is the risk, really?
By the end of 2023, more than 10% of districts were affected by a website ADA claim. This rapid increase is startling, and we want to help you stay informed and prepared for any..
How this district’s newsletter went from bust to boom
We’ve heard from a lot of districts that using email to better communicate with the community is a priority, but they just don’t know where to get started. How do you find email..
Everyone Needs a Special District Rockstar
We speak with literally hundreds of special districts every week. And we’ve found that the best-run districts all have a special district "rockstar." This isn’t the person who..
HB 2560 FAQ: Remote Public Meetings for Oregon Special Districts
As of January 1, 2022, governing bodies in Oregon are now required to make meetings accessible remotely and provide the opportunity for members of the public to remotely submit..
How this special district helped create Colorado
Special districts are carved into the foundation of Colorado. As early settlers moved west, they found themselves well beyond the reach of the government back east, and needed a..
Streamline’s Commitment to Compliance
Streamline has always stood for holding ourselves and our community accountable to good governance and transparency to the public. We don’t just help you build a website. We..
Streamline partners with Elon Musk’s SpaceX
In a revolutionary partnership, Streamline CEO, Mac Clemmens, and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk, have reached an agreement to put special districts on Mars by the year 2026.
3 Districts Getting Community Engagement Right
As a special district, how do you combat the often-heard sentiment, "They just don’t do that much..."? While your district may not be directly competing with anyone, keeping your..
Learning From Florida's Bid to Dissolve Conservation Districts
Late last year, a bill was filed in the Florida Legislature to dissolve all of the state's 58 Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
What to do if you know you have accessibility issues with your website
So, you’ve tested your site for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, and while you’re well on your way, you still have some areas of your site that aren’t quite up to modern standards. Perhaps..
Special districts pre-date the formation of the United States
Special districts are fundamentally and uniquely American.
What will 2022 mean for your District?
Please help us with our 2022 District check-in so we can all better understand what did, and did not, go well for districts in 2021, and what we're all thinking for 2022. Of..
A Very Merry Special District Christmas
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the website,
Maria Lara to lead as National Director
Role will drive Streamline’s expansion to new states and bring leadership to districts on key issues from ADA compliance and cybersecurity
Transparency trends and tips for special districts
Many states have begun adopting legislation requiring transparency, and this can feel like a chore to comply with, but there are a lot of benefits for Districts that embrace..
A Free Collection of GIF's for Special District Websites
It's essential for our special district websites to capture the attention of constituents. Motion is an effective way to do this. And while video can be time-consuming, expensive,..
What is Cybersecurity? A Brief Guide for Special Districts
We're here to keep you updated (and safe!) with the latest cybersecurity information for special districts.
Special District Website Makeover
Seeing the before and afters of a special district "Website Makeover" is so satisfying. We've recently seen some really good transformations as districts have taken their websites..
Create Your Special District Mad Lib
The fun crew at Streamline has taken over the blog for a day to bring you your very own Special District Mad Lib.
Stunning free images hand selected for special district websites
Images are arguably the most powerful part of your special district website. Your audience is naturally drawn to view them first, and when done right, they leave a lasting..
Special district trend alert... GIF’s!
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then surely, an animated GIF must be worth millions?
How to Create Your Special District Mission Statement
For special districts, a mission statement is a rallying cry. It reflects the reason your district exists in the first place, helps you connect with your constituents, AND unites..
And the winners are...
Thank you so much to everyone who joined us for our "back on track" edition of Streamline Live! earlier this week. We had such a blast seeing all your smiling faces again, sharing..
Special Districts Get Payments Done
Special districts are making good progress moving payments online, much to everyone's delight! Of course, we'll all do whatever it takes to get the job done. We'll open the..
6.5 Million Visits to Special District Websites Powered By Streamline
Our community of special districts just passed 6.5 million monthly visits to their Streamline-powered websites in May!
Social Media - Districts that do it well
Special districts ranked the importance of keeping the public informed of the great work you do 9.3 out of 10 in our recent survey. Phew, we were a little nervous for a minute..
California special districts deserve COVID-19 relief funding
We believe California special districts deserve COVID-19 relief funds. So we’re partnering with CSDA and a growing coalition of communities and local leaders to urge the State of..
The Benefits of Online Payments For Districts
Over the last few weeks we've received valuable feedback from the Special District community on how you would like to use online payments. We've also dug into what districts feel..
Special Districts Aren't Paper Pushers
We speak with over 300 special district folks every month. And sometimes they surprise us. Like when we asked the big question of what you need the most help with, you said..
Engaging Special District Newsletters
Special districts thrive when connected to the communities they serve, which can be done with something as simple as a newsletter. Our team is inspired by the newsletters we're..
Inspiring Special District Websites
Sharing best practices is important for the Special District community. Which is why the Streamline team is excited to highlight a few outstanding websites districts have created...
Small but mighty fire district excels at community engagement
Jackie Vaughn has been serving the Lockwood Fire Protection District, in the tiny town of Volcano, California, for more than 20 years.
Humboldt Bay Water saves time, strengthens culture while remote
Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District had wanted an internal staff site for years, but when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred it became critical that they tackle the project right..
Philomath Fire and Rescue upgrades to 21st century technology
In 2019, wildfires across the west coast brought attention to local fire departments and districts, putting a spotlight on outreach and effective communication to protect the..
How one special district got communication right during covid
I want to share a story from the Carmel Area Wastewater District - a story that highlights the amazing work special districts do behind the scenes, as well as the great job..
Community Services District uses upgraded technology to save thousands
Twain Harte CSD plays a big role in their community by providing a variety of essential services, however finding an efficient way to communicate with the public wasn’t always..
Special districts: let’s be amazing, together
Streamline is the only company in the world building online tools just for special districts. Why is that?
Disaster Planning phase 4: Recovery
Recovery is defined as the actions taken to return the community to normal following a disaster. Repairing, replacing, or rebuilding property are examples of recovery.
Introduction to Disaster Planning
The need for special districts to plan for unforeseen events has become more obvious than ever before. Whether it’s a threat from a pandemic that forces people to work from home,..
Disaster Planning phase 3: Response
Response is defined as the actions taken to save lives and prevent further damage in a disaster or emergency situation. Response is putting preparedness plans into action...
Disaster Planning phase 2: Preparedness
Preparedness takes the form of plans or procedures designed to save lives and to minimize damage when an emergency occurs. This is a continuous cycle of planning, organizing,..
Disaster Planning phase 1: Mitigation
In this post we’ll go over the basics of the mitigation phase and share resources to help you perform a Risk Assessment for your district. This may sound like a big complicated..
Going Paperless - remote collaboration tools for special districts
In today's Going Paperless webinar, we discussed a variety of tools that can enable special districts to collaborate and work remotely. We covered cloud-based systems for..
Tech Tips (for the not-so-tech-savvy)
Learning technology can be such a long and dedicated process that it’s easy to assume everyone has the same knowledge you do. Things that a lot of techy folks think are basic..
Polk County Fire #1 combines guerrilla marketing with online tools
One of our favorite customers (ok, you’re all our faves, of course) reached out with an amazing guerrilla marketing story: Fire chief Ben Stange of Polk County Fire #1 decided to..
Using Zoom Meeting to hold remote special district public meetings
We’ve been working to help so many public agencies figure out how to hold remote public meetings using Zoom that we decided to host a webinar and write our own guides. The first..
Special District online forum is ready - join your peers
We’ve been working exclusively with special districts across the country for over five years now. One of the reasons we chose to serve special districts is because it’s a highly..
Streamline Live! - Quarantine Edition
We just finished up our second quarterly Streamline Live! webinar, where we announced some exciting new products and handed out quarantine-themed customer awards. We also held a..
Using Zoom Webinar to hold remote special district public meetings
We’ve been working to help so many public agencies figure out how to hold remote public meetings using Zoom Webinar that we decided we’d write our own guide! Note that we aren’t..
How do you recite the pledge of allegiance in a remote meeting?
We've fielded some questions around how to handle the pledge of allegiance, if you are used to starting your meetings by reciting it but are now required to meet remotely. Having..
Holding Remote Public Meetings for Special Districts During a Crisis
We’ve received many requests to help our special districts communicate the need to host public meetings remotely for the foreseeable future. We hear you, and are developing..
Special District Internal Team Collaboration
If your organization is moving to remote collaboration for the first time, these tips will help!
FAQs for special district remote public meetings
Updated April 22, 2020 We have received many requests for help communicating our special district’s need to host public meetings remotely. We will continue to update this FAQ page..
Remote meeting restrictions lifted in CA during COVID-19 pandemic
On Thursday, May 12, 2020, Governor Newsom issued an executive order giving our special districts greater flexibility to hold remote meetings during the current crisis. See item..
Senate's proposed SB 931 places undue burden on California special districts
California legislators are pushing for additional transparency requirements for local government agencies. Their latest bid, Senate Bill 931, will require our districts to provide..
SDLF and Streamline increase website scholarships for California special districts
The Special District Leadership Foundation announced that it will be increasing the amount of their joint SDLF / Streamline scholarship pool for 2020. In the past, districts with..
What's a billboard got to do with it?
I know, I know … the majority of special districts aren’t spending money on billboard advertising. So why am I writing about billboards? Our online attention span is now hovering..
Importance of getting the positive attention your district deserves
[This is the first of a series of posts on the subject.] We often speak with folks at special districts who feel that “promoting” the district (whether via a website, social..
Using Chrome Lighthouse to test your site for accessibility
Creating websites that are accessible to visitors with disabilities can be challenging, especially for developers building one-off / standalone sites. Most websites that were..
FAQs: Website requirements for California special districts, SB 929
We get so many questions about the new California special district website requirements going into effect Jan. 2020 that I thought a blog post was in order. Hopefully this helps..
SB 929 passes: all California special districts must have websites
A bill that requires all independent special districts in California to have a website was signed into law by Governor Brown this month. State Sen. Mike McGuire’s SB 929 – the..
Website accessibility standards for local government
There are a few formatting requirements that apply to local government agencies in California: Section 508 (for visitors with disabilities); AB 169 guidelines for anything..
California website requirements -- an overview
Special district websites must comply with federal and state mandates, but how do you keep up with changing requirements? The state doesn’t send you a letter after they’ve passed..
The Brown Act and new California agenda posting requirements
The Ralph M. Brown Act is an act of the California State Legislature passed in 1953 that guarantees the public's right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative..
What are the most common types of special districts?
This infographic from the 2012 Census on Local Government shows the breakdown of districts across the United States by type:
A powerful defense of special districts at Little Hoover Commission hearing
And we’re not done yet!
Being a special district isn't always so special
If you're one of the few people who haven't seen the John Oliver video poking fun at special districts, watch it (click on the video below this paragraph), and then finish reading..
The 5 things your website should do for you
A lifetime of involvement in special districts and a love for small local government has given us an understanding of just how challenging it can be for agencies to communicate..
FAQs on SB 272 Compliance
From the CSDA Webinar on May 25, 2016 and the Streamline webinar June 29, 2016 – by Sloane Dell'Orto
California Senate Bill 272 updates California Public Records Act
SB-272, SECTION 6270.5 OF THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RECORDS ACT: LOCAL AGENCIES: INVENTORY. SB 272 requires local agencies (excluding school districts) to create catalogs of all..