Welcome from Local Government Committee Chairwoman -- Ruth Garner

On behalf of the Local Government Planning Group I invite you to participate in the 16th annual Local Government Conference on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 hosted at SUNY Potsdam. This year's conference theme is Managing Local Government: Training Today for Tomorrow. Please join us for this opportunity to interact with your colleagues and other local government officials from across the state as we work together to find solutions to problems and issues facing us in the 21st century.

This year the conference will take place in Kellas Hall. All of the sessions will take place in Kellas Hall and vendors will be showcased in the Kellas hallway. All classrooms in this building are technologically equipped and have internet access. Opening remarks will be in Kellas 106. This is in response to your input and comments regarding more interactive based trainings that involve the use of the technology. Lunch and Keynote will take place in the Barrington Student Union -- just a short distance from Kellas Hall.

The workshops will provide you with information related to new laws, best practices, emerging issues, and strategies for solving "real world" problems as well as opportunities for asking questions. We look forward to seeing you at the 16th Annual Local Government Conference as well as many of our returning businesses, vendors and state agencies.

Won't you please take a moment to complete the registration form at https://secure.potsdam.edu/conf/localgov? You will be glad that you did!

Schedule of Events

Registration Form

Workshops

Assessors Kellas Hall, Room 101
All sessions CE credits eligible

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Introduction to Report Writing in RPS

In this workshop we will go over how to generate standard and custom reports using the Real Property System (RPS) programs. If there is a special type of report that you are interested in, please bring your request and we will use it as a demonstration. This class will cover the basics and move forward as far as we can get in this session.

Presented by L. Scott LaPenna, Real Property Analyst II, ORPS, Syracuse and moderated by Jane Powers, Director, St. Lawrence County Real Property Tax Office.

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

Quality Edits Using SPSS

This workshop will focus on going beyond standard RPS edits. This class will try to uncover hidden inventory data or assessment problems on your roll. SPSS software will be used.

Presented by John Stack, Real Property Analyst II, ORPS, Raybrook and moderated by Jane Powers, Director, St. Lawrence County Real Property Tax Office.

2:00 -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

2007 Legislation, Including STAR Rebate Issues

2007 legislation as adopted and pending the governor's signature; any STAR changes will be provided-please bring any STAR questions for the experts; we will discuss the veterans legislation allowing post taxable status day applications and what St. Lawrence County is doing.

Presented and moderated by Jane Powers, Director, St. Lawrence County Real Property Tax Office.

Board Members, Kellas Hall, Room 102

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Codes of Ethics

A code of ethics is a formal statement of an organization's values on certain ethical and social issues. Some set out general principles about an organization's beliefs on matters such as quality, employees or the environment. Others set out the procedures to be used in specific ethical situations such as conflicts of interest or the acceptance of gifts, and delineate procedures to determine whether a violation of the Codes of Ethics occurred and, if so, what remedies should be imposed. The effectiveness of such codes of ethics depends on the extent to which management supports them with sanctions and rewards. This session will discuss the realism of municipal Codes of Ethics.

Presented by James Cole, NYS Association of Towns and moderated by Bob McNeil, St. Lawrence County Treasurer.

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

Working with Unionized Work Force: Panel Discussion

This session will provide municipal officials an opportunity to understand the groundwork and logistics of working with organized personnel. The speaker will address topics ranging from union negotiations, handling grievances, importance of documentation and the formation of a new union group. Time will be made available for a question and answer session.

Presented by Peter Jones of Bond, Schoeneck & King, Attorneys at Law and moderated by Bob McNeil, St. Lawrence County Treasurer.

2:00 p.m. -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

Transparency & Openness in Government

This session will speak to the real meaning of transparency and openness in government. How much information do you have to provide, what information should not be provided, as well as what the rules are regarding meetings and minutes. This session will be an interactive to allow board members to address their municipality concerns with the expert.

Presented by Robert Freeman, Executive Director of the Committee on Open Government and moderated by Peggy Mousaw, St. Lawrence County Deputy Budget Officer.

Budget & Finance, Kellas Hall, Room 103

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Municipal Bonding: Panel Discussion

"Do you know your BAN from your RAN?" The subject matter will focus on the importance of a good credit rating, different types of bonds, the bond process, and bonding requirements for a municipality. A brief open question and answer session will be available at the end of the session.

Presented by Jeanine Rodgers Caruso Executive Vice President/Partner, at Fiscal Advisors & Marketing, Inc., and a Certified Independent Public Finance Advisor (CIPFA) and Douglas Goodfriend, Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe and moderated by Bob McNeil, St. Lawrence Country Treasurer

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

Best Budgeting Practices

You'll discover best practices and benchmarks that will help you compare the effectiveness of your processes, such as: establishing the importance of the budget process, linking the budget to corporate strategy, reducing budget complexity and cycle time, and leveraging technology to facilitate budgeting.

Presented and moderated by Peggy Mousaw, St. Lawrence County Deputy Budget Officer.

2:00 -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

Cash Management

In simplest terms, the goal of anyone who manages their municipalities' cash flow cycle is, "If their cash isn't working for them, then they're not working their cash." Experience suggests that without the right approach, it's often the simplest goals that are the most challenging to achieve. This session will explore cash management techniques to optimize your resources.

Presented by Nancy Weiss, MBIA and moderated by Bob McNeil, St. Lawrence Country Treasurer.

Community Development, Levitt Computer Lab, Merritt Hall

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Surf the Web for Community Development Information

There is a lot of help out there for communities or individuals who are looking to do a community development project. But how do you find it? The Internet is a wonderful tool that can put you in touch with background, data, funding and other information necessary to get the job done. This session will have live Internet connections for all who attend. Come surf with us and we'll show you how to hang ten on the keyboard!

Presented by John Tenbusch, St. Lawrence County Planning Office and moderated by moderated by Jason Pfotenhauer, Deputy Director, St. Lawrence County Planning Office.

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

Using the Internet to Tap Census Data

Have you ever been asked what the Per Capita Income is for your community? Do you need to know how many bathrooms there are in your town? Do you need a map for CT 9905, Block Group 3? Does your next grant depend on whether you can find out the travel time to work for workers 16 years of age or older? We'll show you how to get these answers and a whole lot more. This session will have live Internet connections for all who attend.

Present by John Tenbusch, St. Lawrence County Planning Office and moderated by Jason Pfotenhauer, Deputy Director, St. Lawrence County Planning Office.

2:00 -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

Community Development: One-on-One

Do you have a community development idea that you would like help with? Are you missing some pieces of information and just can't find them? This session will be a personal tutorial for attendees who might have specific questions or just need a little help with some research. Staff from the County Planning Office will assist you via the web in any way they can.

Presented by St. Lawrence County Planning Office Staff.

Emerging Issues, Kellas Hall, Room 100

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Shared Municipal Services

The Department of State's Division of Local Government administers the Shared Municipal Services Incentive (SMSI) Grant Program partnering with municipalities across the State to help build projects, conduct feasibility studies and tackle regional projects.

This session focuses on the issues municipalities need to consider in developing a shared services application and what to expect when your application is reviewed and scored. SMSI staff will cover the SMSI grant application form, section by section, and the corresponding scoring system that is used to rank an application.

Time permitting; we will also discuss the contract and management phases of a Shared Services Grant award.

Presented by Kyle Wilber, New York Department of State SMSI Project Director and moderated by Deborah Elek, Director of the Center for Regional Research and Community Education (CRRCE), SUNY Potsdam.

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

North Country Shared Services Case Study Review

Case studies describing successful shared services initiatives in Northern New York completed for the SMSI Technical Assistance Project will be reviewed. Discussion will include issues which were addressed, arguments raised pro and con, the impact of media coverage, and how implementation matched expectations. A summary of lessons learned will be provided.

Presented by Patrick Turbett, CRRCE and moderated by Deborah Elek, Director of CRRCE.

2:00 -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

Shared Municipal Services Incentive: Preparing an Application

Staff from the Department of State, and the Government Law Center's SMSI Technical Assistance Project, will be available to provide direct assistance. Help will be available for those communities preparing applications for this year's SMSI grant program; and more generally for those communities interested in learning about opportunities for sharing services.

Presented by Kyle Wilber, DOS SMSI Project Director and Paul Moore, Government Law Center of Albany Law School and moderated by Deborah Elek, Director of CRRCE.

Municipal Clerks, Kellas Hall, Room 104
All sessions CEU credits eligible

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Charitable Gaming Questions and Answers

Texas Hold'em, Pitch Tournaments, Casino Nights...are they legal? Bingo, Games of Chance and Raffles? Attend this session and we just BET that all your questions will be answered about charitable gaming regulations in New York State.

Presented by Daryl Messner, Public Information Officer with Racing & Wagering and moderated by Cindy Goliber, Potsdam Town Clerk.

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

New York State Archives - The ABCs of Records Management

What is the difference between inactive and active records? What types of grant funds are available to local governments? What is the best way to organize files? Please bring your questions to this back to basics session on managing records.

Presented by Denis Meadows, Region 4 Advisory Officer and moderated by Cindy Goliber, Potsdam Town Clerk.

2:00 -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

NYS State Department of Health: Births, Deaths & Marriages

Please join Jim O'Connor as he shares his expertise about the Department of Health and issuing and filing of birth, death, and marriage certificates in New York State. Jim will update us on new contact information upon his retirement.

Presented by James O'Connor, Vital Records Field Representative and moderated by Cindy Goliber, Potsdam Town Clerk.

Planning and Zoning, Kellas Hall, Room 105
All sessions listed below may be counted towards the State mandated 4-hour annual training requirements for Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Appeal.

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Adopting and Amending Zoning

This session will examine the origins of zoning and the purposes for adopting regulations; the role of the municipal comprehensive plan; specific steps a municipality must take to prepare their first set of zoning regulations; procedures for the adoption and amendment of zoning laws and ordinances, including referral to the county planning board, public hearings, and filing requirements.

Presented by representatives from the Department of State and moderated by Dawn Mullaney, St. Lawrence County Planning Board Member.

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

State Environmental Quality Review Act: Mini Course -- SEQRA

Have you been wondering what this "seeker" thing is, or what a Type I, Type II or Unlisted Actions is? This session is an introduction to the State Environmental Quality Review Act. It will include a review of the regulations and the role of municipal boards in complying with SEQRA. It will also address how SEQRA relates to municipal planning.

Presented by representatives from the Department of State and moderated by Dawn Mullaney, St. Lawrence County Planning Board Member.

2:00 -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

Local Planning and Zoning: Who Does What to Whom and When

In 1966 Richard Babcock coined the term, "the zoning game." Come find out who the players are in the local planning and zoning process, what positions they play, and how they play the game. We'll discuss dug out rules (board procedures), picking teams (appointments), the umpires (enforcement officers), watching the game (open meetings), and the bottom of the 9th (making decisions).

Presented by representatives from the Department of State and moderated by Dawn Mullaney, St. Lawrence County Planning Board Member.

Public Works, Kellas Hall, Room 106
All sessions CEU credits eligible

8:45 -- 10:15 a.m. SESSION 1

Cross-Connection Control: The Basics

In this first of three sessions, you will learn what cross-connection is and why it is important to public health to control it. You will hear of incidents in which the lack of proper controls led to dangerous situations. You will learn about New York State laws regarding cross-connection. This session is important not only for operators, but for managers and elected officials because the consequences of a cross-connection control program involve the public and budget officials.

Presented by Teresa Boepple, New York State Department of Health and moderated by Mike Weil, Village of Potsdam Administrator.

10:45 a.m. -- 12:15 p.m. SESSION 2

Practical Cross-Connection for Water Suppliers

Attendees should attend the first session or have a good familiarity with cross connection. In this "nuts and bolts" session, the presenter will discuss how to actually set up a cross connection control program. Topics will include containment, internal controls, degrees of hazard, devices, responsibilities, and how to survey your system.

Presented by Teresa Boepple, New York State Department of Health and moderated by Mike Weil, Village of Potsdam Administrator.

2:00 -- 3:30 p.m. SESSION 3

Cross-Connection Systems: Design, Approval and Testing Requirements

This detailed session will continue with practical information and will cover, model ordinances, how engineers design systems, how to review plans, and how to become a certified tester. The information gained from this topic will provide communities with the "how-to" steps to set up and implement a program.

Presented by Teresa Boepple, New York State Department of Health and moderated by Mike Weil, Village of Potsdam Administrator.