October VLGMA eNews

VLGMA October eNews
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VLGMA October eNews
Supporting local government managers
building great communities through
inclusion, innovation and leadership
In This Issue
A Memo from Steve O
Tedd's Take
Innovation Edge
Municipal Fiber Networks Conference
A DAO in the Life
Certificate News
2012 VALHSO Annual Conference
A Memo from Steve O
A Memo from Steve O
Dear Friends,
As I write this I am between two conferences, VML and
ICMA. It was abundantly clear that Williamsburg City Manager
Jack Tuttle and Assistant City Manager Jodi Miller had worked
very hard to ensure that Williamsburg was ready for VML. What
a great city and conference! The cradle of our democracy
always shows well, but the new Colonial Williamsburg Lodge and Conference
Center proved to be a perfect venue and I hope VML will return there many times.
During the conference, VGLMA's Professional Development Committee (aka Greg
Kelly and the PDC) met and worked hard to develop a strong program for the
VLGMA Winter Conference next February in Staunton. I was particularly glad that
our VLGMA luncheon speaker, Dr. William E. White of the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation, believes in free speech, because he had been asked to provide one.
Arguably the best speaker we've had in a while, his remarks about the birth of our
democracy right there in Williamsburg and the teaching of that incredibly
important history to the next generation were profound and enlightening. Thanks
to Jack for arranging for Dr. White to be with us.
The VLGMA board meeting provided officers an opportunity to report on our
areas of responsibility, from budget to member support to Range Riders to Free
Range Riders. Our membership now stands at 371, up from 365 a year ago. Life
Members now total 69, up from 59 a year ago. I assume from these stats that the
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economy is improving and that some of us are getting older.
The Board seemed open to my appointing an ad hoc Sustainability Committee to
take the burden of sponsorship development off the back of the PDC. I am pleased
to announce that Falls Church City Manager Wyatt Shields has agreed to chair this
effort and is looking for other members to join him. Please contact Wyatt at
703-248-5004 or email: wshields@fallschurchva.gov if you can spare a few hours to
serve VLGMA with this new initiative.
Finally, the ICMA Conference convenes on October 7-10 in Phoenix. I am looking
forward to attending and seeing many of you there and at the VLGMA/SEI Monday
Evening Reception at Coach and Willies restaurant on Monday night, October 8.
Shelby and I were in Phoenix last November for the conference planning weekend
and were impressed with the huge conference center and the city's vibe,
cleanliness and rich cultural amenities.
It's a busy and beautiful time of year, coupled with the Washington Nationals
having a terrific season, R.G. III looking great for the Redskins, and what promises
to be a glorious fall foliage season. Life is good.
--Steve
Contact Steve Owen
Tedd's Take
A DAO in the Life
Managers and
Administrators Need
to be Supportive of
Each Other During
Stormy Times
An unscientific random sampling of
managers and administrators at various
recent events clearly indicates that the
vast majority are dealing with
increasingly difficult governing bodies.
Be it the election of a new, fiscally
ultra-conservative majority or minority,
or an old, disruptive single member, the
tenor of many boards is becoming more
adversarial and even antigovernment. It
goes without saying that such negativity
can make the job of the chief
administrative officer much more
difficult, and many times that official
becomes a focal point of the angst.
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DAO's as the
Back-up
Quarterbacks of
Local Government
Over the past 21
years, I've called over
100 football games as a
Matt Hankins
college football stadium
announcer, enjoying countless more as a
fan, witnessing the response of backups
in critical situations time and again.
Some - like the deaf wide receiver
converted to starting quarterback performed spectacularly; others, like the
national champion running back's baby
brother, failed at every turn.
Spectators love backup quarterbacks,
particularly when starters hit rough
times. It won't be long until you sports
fans will be hearing calls for Tim Tebow
to start over Mark Sanchez or for a
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VLGMA October eNews
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Aggravation caused by fellow board
members has a difficult time being
vented. There's nothing the elected
officials really can do to corral the
agitator(s). So where is all that pent up
frustration to go? Too often, the
whipping post is the staff, and, more
specifically, the CAO. It may be totally
undeserved and baseless, but it happens.
"Been there, done that" in my short
tenure in Florida - and I fear that what
was and, unfortunately, continues to be
common in Florida could be spreading
far and wide in Virginia.
What can be done? More than
anything, managers and administrators
need to be supportive of each other
during stormy times. We need to reach
out to peers and assure them that it is
not "just them", and that this is not
about their professional or personal
character. It is a rattling experience,
and something we as managers cannot
simply "fix". Sure, efforts can be made to
educate, and hold retreats and goals
setting sessions, but if the membership
is truly dysfunctional, there is little that
can be done other than rise above it, be
the adult in the room, and soldier
through....... or find somewhere else to
go.
One wonders if this is the new
normal, or just a phase. I'm pretty well
convinced it's the former.
Contact Tedd Povar
Innovation Edge
Building More
than Just
Reservoirs:
Turn
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flagging college starter to be replaced
by an up-and-coming reserve perceived
by the bleacher backers as better,
stronger, faster, younger than their
formerly beloved starter.
While DAOs don't exactly mirror
backup quarterbacks, I posit that their
positions inspire important
considerations for those of us standing
behind the "big chair". Due to space
constraints, I'll share more of those
considerations next month, but here are
a couple to get you started.
1. Be prepared - for this game and
the next. Don't assume you're not
going into the game. Change
happens, and you can't play well if
you don't know the game plan and
the playbook. Be in sync with the
big chair, and be familiar with and work with - all the other
players.
2. Know your role, and play it well.
You may not be the starter, but
you are in your seat because you
do particular things well. Support
your team by excelling at what you
do within the role that fits you.
More follows next month. In the
meantime, what considerations can you
come up with that fit into this concept?
Contact Matt Hankins
Certificate News
As the leaves
begin to fall and
the first blasts of
cold air come
rushing in, the
Local Government
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VLGMA October eNews
Infrastructure into Engagement
What do a new water reservoir, a
tailgate party and workforce education
have in common? For the City of
Hillsboro, Oregon Water Department, it
was the perfect way to introduce the
new 10 million gallon concrete reservoir
to the neighborhood. Rather than hold
the typical open house in a government
building the fun folks at the Water
Department thought it would be far
more relaxing to invite the neighbors to
a barbeque at the future reservoir site
and just chat over hamburgers and root
beer floats.
Staff set up tents, some chairs and
fired up the barbeque and did something
that in today's fast-paced, online-centric
world may seem old-fashioned:
face-to-face talking with the neighbors.
And, the neighbors asked plenty of
questions including what the impact of
the reservoir would be on the water
supply, how the drainage pond would
affect mosquitoes, and what could be
done to minimize construction noise
impacts on a resident's homing pigeons.
The creative energy for the reservoir
project became contagious as staff
began to think about different ways to
engage the community in this important
project. Getting people involved and
excited about water infrastructure can
be challenging, but not for the Hillsboro
Water Department. Continue Reading...
Visit the Alliance for Innovation for
more information or contact Toni Shope,
East Regional Director at
tshope@transformgov.org
Municipal Fiber Networks Conference
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Certificate students are full speed ahead
into the fall semester. To students and
non-students alike, the fall is the
quintessential time to think about
school. This is especially true for anyone
thinking about returning to school. The
Certificate is the perfect way to dip
one's toe back into the academic waters.
A handful of years ago, the first
cohort of Certificate students decided to
go back to school and test the waters of
the new program. Many of those
students have since moved on in their
careers thanks to the program. For
example, Spencer Suter, assistant
county administrator of Botetourt
County, has been appointed County
Administrator of Rockbridge County.
Also, Greg Kelly, town manager of the
Town of Abingdon, is finishing his MPA at
Virginia Tech this fall. For these two
individuals and all other students in the
program, the Certificate has provided a
great jumpstart to their professional and
academic careers.
In addition to the Local Government
Management Certificate, Virginia Tech is
also now offering a new Public and
Nonprofit Financial Management
Certificate. This program is great for
anyone who is interested in the world of
finance and wants to try a program with
a little more specialization. Plus, in the
spring, Joe Casey, deputy county
administrator of Hanover County, and
Stephanie Davis of Springsted will be
teaching in the program.
So, with fall's arrival, the time is
perfect to think about the many ways of
getting back into academia. There is
truly a cornucopia full of opportunities
and benefits available once that first
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VLGMA October eNews
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step is made. December 1 is the
deadline to apply for all programs in the
spring. Bob Stripling is anxious to talk to
Municipal Fiber Networks
Conference, November 8 - 9, 2012, anyone interested in the Certificate. He
can be reached at chars08@vt.edu or
Danville, Va
540-448-1102.
Co-sponsored by Broadband Communities
Magazine and the City of Danville,
Find the Certificate online:
Virginia, this is the first conference of its
kind in this country, an event devoted
entirely to the relationship between a
2012 VALHSO Annual Conference
community's economic vitality and the
presence of advanced broadband
networks. Nations around the world have
recognized this powerful linkage and
responded to it, as have a growing
number of communities in the United
The 2012 VALHSO Conference is being
States. Each event in this new
held October 25-26 in Newport News at
conference series will be held in a city
the Newport News City Center Marriott.
with an advanced broadband system.
Please register by October 10th.
This initial conference is in Danville,
Click here for more info and to register.
Virginia, the "Comeback City" that
Future Newsletter Articles
rebounded from devastating job losses
when its traditional textile and tobacco A goal of this
industries closed down with a visionary e-newsletter is
broadband strategy that's creating jobs to keep you
informed on
and attracting the businesses and
industries of tomorrow. The conference activities
features an impressive array of speakers relative to our
profession. As
who will help attendees evaluate the
options and opportunities to develop the with any membership-based
organization, contributions by members
optimal, affordable broadband
are welcome and encouraged. Topics
telecommunications solution for their
communities. Check out the conference can range from a recent achievement in
your locality to an upcoming event with
at http://bbcmag.com/danville
networking potential to human interest
Local Government Virginia News
stories about current or retired
Stay connected via Facebook
members. To contribute simply send
with relevant stories from our
your brief e-newsletter content (~5
group called " Local
sentences or less) via email to Molly
Government Virginia
News " - simply request to be a member Harlow.
of this group (it is a closed group
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so only other accepted members
participate). Once you're a member,
feel free to comment on postings and
post stories from your local
government to share with others. This
new communications tool is
designed for us to share, network and
learn.
Calendar
Upcoming Events
VALHSO Conference October 25-26 in
Newport News
Municipal Fiber
Networks Conference - November 8-9 in
Danville
Winter Conference - February 13-15,
2013 at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel,
Staunton
More Dates
Quick Links
VLGMA Website
ICMA Website
Alliance for Innovation
Virginia Municipal League
VA Association of Counties
Weldon Cooper Center forPublic Service
Website Contact
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