{"podcast":{"title":"Ground Floor Government","slug":"ground-floor-government-7436219","podcast_index_feed_id":7436219,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/phonelive/","website_url":"https://phonelive.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/abcc3168-2607-4e42-b503-249fe0f5a08e/lYp3grs3bQMt5MSDA5X8ULKG.jpg","author":"PhoneLive.io","episode_count":96,"summary":"Ground Floor Government is the podcast for the people who make local government work—behind the scenes. Hosted by David Plappert, founder of PhoneLive.io, this show gives city and county clerks, IT leads, communication pros, and public servants their time at the mic. ㅤ Each week, we dig into what really keeps cities and counties running—last-minute meeting prep, tech shifts, team leadership, and the quiet but essential work of transparency and public service. If you’ve ever hit publish on a public notice, stayed late to prep a meeting, or solved a problem no one even saw coming, this show is for you.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-23T08:19:55.001303+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ground-floor-government-7436219"},"episode":{"title":"The Dual Roles of a Town Manager and Clerk (with Austin Simko) | Ep. 94","slug":"the-dual-roles-of-a-town-manager-and-clerk-with-austin-simko-ep-94","published_at":"2026-07-20T18:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ground-floor-government-7436219/the-dual-roles-of-a-town-manager-and-clerk-with-austin-simko-ep-94","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ground-floor-government-7436219","url":"https://phonelive.captivate.fm","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/c0a4075e-0622-4be2-b7d0-9fb5ef63649e.mp3","summary":"Summary In this conversation, Hugh Plappert speaks with Austin Simko, a deputy town manager and town clerk in Andover, Massachusetts. They discuss Austin's unconventional journey into local government, the dual roles he plays, the challenges and rewards of working in this field, and the importance of community engagement. Austin shares insights on budgeting, consensus building, and the impact of unfunded mandates on local governance. He emphasizes the variety of career opportunities in municipal government and encourages others to consider a career in this vital sector. Ready to explore your own local government career options? Download this free guide on how to transition into a successful career in local government: https://icma.org/documents/breaking-local-government-guidebook-career-transitions Takeaways Working in local government can be a winding career path. Volunteering can lead to unexpected career opportunities. Dual roles in local government provide a comprehensive view of operations. Local government is about being close to the community. Challenges in local government can arise unexpectedly. Long-term projects require patience and problem-solving skills. Budgeting is a critical aspect of local government operations. Consensus building is essential in a diffused power structure. Unfunded mandates can complicate local governance. Municipal government offers diverse career opportunities for various talents.","meta_description":"Summary In this conversation, Hugh Plappert speaks with Austin Simko, a deputy town manager and town clerk in Andover, Massachusetts. They discuss Austin'…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1198,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/ground-floor-government-7436219/episodes/the-dual-roles-of-a-town-manager-and-clerk-with-austin-simko-ep-94/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/ground-floor-government-7436219/the-dual-roles-of-a-town-manager-and-clerk-with-austin-simko-ep-94.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}