Municipal Administrators Academy Curriculum
Year 1 Schedule
| Sunday, July 27 | 7:00 – 8:00 pm | Registration |
| Monday, July 28 | 7:00 –
8:00 am 8:00 am – Noon Noon – 12:45 pm 12:45 – 4:45 pm |
Registration Working in Difficult Political Environments; Crag Rapp Lunch The Art of Small Talk: How to Build Relationships and Networks; Sarah Gibson |
| Tuesday, July 29 | Less
Painful than a Root Canal: Obtaining Property and Casualty Bids; Joy Gander Labor Issues; Robert Mulcahy Lunch How to Read the Audit and Internal Reports, and the Red Flags That Signal Financial Problems in the Municipality; Wendy Unger Government by Referendum: Direct Legislation; Dan Olson |
|
| Wednesday, July 30 | 9:00 am –
Noon Noon – 12:45 pm 12:45 – 4:45 pm 5:00 – 5:30 pm |
Assessment
& Impact Fees, Special Tax, and Charges; Vicki Hellenbrand Lunch Employment Law 101; Nancy Pirkey Meeting in regard to new Administrator Certification |
| Thursday, July 30 | 8:00 – 9:50
am 10:10 am – Noon |
In
Search of Revenues; Bernie Kahl How to Finance Public Projects; Dawn Gunderson and James Mann |
Year 2 Schedule
| Sunday, July 27 | 7:00 – 8:00 pm | Registration |
| Monday, July 28 | 7:00 –
8:00 am 8:00 am – Noon Noon – 12:45 pm 12:45 – 4:45 pm |
Registration Managing the Generations; Sarah Gibson Lunch Lean Thinking in Government; Craig Rapp |
| Tuesday, July 29 | Green
Municipal Government: Sustainable Communities; Irene Blakely Less Painful than a Root Canal: Obtaining Property and Casualty Bids; Joy Gander Lunch Developing an Information Management Program for Your Community; Harold Coltharp |
|
| Wednesday, July 30 | 8:00 – Noon Noon – 12:45 pm 12:45 – 4:45 pm 5:00 – 5:30 pm |
Employment
Law Continued; Nancy Pirkey Lunch Understanding Group Dynamics in the Decision Process of Councils; Doug Ihrke Meeting in regard to new Administrator Certification |
| Thursday, July 30 | 8:00 - 9:50 am 10:10 am – Noon |
Tools
to Evaluate Your Municipalities Financial Condition; Craig Maher Financial Management Planning; Greg Johnson and Todd Taves |
Year 3 Schedule
Curriculum Descriptions
Assessment & Impact Fees, Special Taxes, and Charges
Instructor: Vicki Hellenbrand, Virchow Krause & Co.
Learn all about Assessment and Impact Fees, Special Taxes, and Charges. You will hear about the latest developments and also what your fellow communities are doing.
Collaboration Both Internal and External
Instructor: Tim Hanna, Mayor of the City of Appleton.
This class will examine the many ways that are possible to collaborate both internally and externally.
Developing an Information Management Program for Your Community
Instructor: Harold Coltharp-Section Chief, State of Wisconsin Department of Administration, Record Management
Developing an information management program for your community can be a long process. Implementing your program with built-in compliance, review, and updating capabilities are some of the steps within this process, but these elements can be some of the most challenging. Most organizations have or are developing a defined strategic or business plan. This session will give you an overview of information management and how combining information management with your strategic planning can assist you in implementing and administering your information management program. Ultimately, it can also help meet the objectives of your community’s strategic or business plan.
Employment Law 101
Instructor: Nancy Pirkey- Attorney, Davis & Kuelthau
Topics that will be covered:
• Interviewing and hiring issues
• Employee handbooks -- policies, legal issues
• Managing employee performance
• Discipline and discharge
• Special issues for police & fire departments
• Personnel records -- what to keep, what is a public record
Employment Law Continued
Instructor: Nancy Pirkey- Attorney, Davis & Kuelthau
Topics that will be covered:
• Health & Safety Issues -- Worker’s compensation, workplace
violence
• Harassment and discrimination
• The Duty of Reasonable Accommodation -- light duty, leaves of absence,
etc.
• Coordinating State and Federal FMLA Laws
• Wage and Hour Issues -- exempt vs. non-exempt, hours of work, comp time,
breaks etc.
Financial Management Planning
Instructors: Greg Johnson, Financial Advisor; Todd Taves, Financial Advisor/Executive Vice President
Declining revenues, levy limits, and taxpayer demands for more services have left many local governments wondering how to make ends meet from year to year. There are no easy answers, but moving from a one-year annual budget focus to a multi-year view allows staff and governing body members to better understand the financial futures of their communities and the long term effects of annual budgeting decisions. This class, through case studies and discussion, will review the key components of a municipal five-year financial management plan, and how they can be used to build consensus among local policy makers to develop long term strategies for managing operating, capital, and debt service budgets.
Government by Referendum: Direct Legislation
Instructor: Dan Olson, Assistant Legal Counsel, The League of Wisconsin Municipalities
Government by referendum/direct legislation is a new trend that is already affecting some communities. Learn all about this concept and its ramifications.
Green Municipal Government: Sustainable Communities
Instructor: Irene Blakely, Mayor of the City of Washburn
To go “Green” in municipal government is not just a buzz word. It is our future. Learn from Mayor Blakely what the City of Washburn has done to go “Green.”
How to Finance Public Projects
Instructors: Dawn Gunderson, Financial Advisory; James Mann, Financial Advisor/Vice President, Ehlers and Associates
Among the many duties of municipal administrators is planning for and implementing public improvement and economic development projects in their communities. Financing large projects can be a complex process with many options available. From the planning stages, through post-debt issuance responsibilities, this course will review the typical process, financing options, key considerations in the structuring of debt, the players involved, and the role of the Administrator in producing a successful outcome.
How to Read the Audit and Internal Reports, the Red Flags that Signal Financial Problems in the Municipality
Instructor: Wendi Unger & Steve Henke, Virchow Krause & Co.
Learn:
• How to read the annual audit report
• How to read the municipalities internal reports
• Red flags that signal financial problems in the municipality
Information Technology Security: Where are Your Problems
Instructor: Jeff Lemmermann, Practice Manager for IT Security in Wisconsin, the 12th largest CPA firm in the nation, Clifton Gunderson LLP
The purpose of this class is to provide you with an understanding of the information technology security issues of today. You will learn what areas you should be considering when assessing your own security environment.
Class participants will:
• Identify current threats to information assets
• Understand the key areas to evaluate in looking at
an organizations information security environment
• Learn the importance of good password policies
• Identify the methods and tools hackers use to compromise
their targeted networks
In Search of Revenues
Instructor: Bernie Kahl, Retired Administrator from Mukwonago
An interactive course exploring and discussing the many ways your fellow classmates are creating revenue streams in their community.
Labor Issues
Instructor: Robert Mulcahy, Attorney, Michael Best
A practical discussion on:
• Contract negotiations
• How to counter union demands
• It takes one person to form a union
• And much more
Lean Thinking in Government
Instructor: Craig Rapp, Consultant for ICMA
Improving the performance of office and service processes is the key to increased competitiveness and rising living standards in the next decade. This Lean Service workshop brings together leading-edge examples of Lean Management in practice, and offers a unique opportunity to begin the Lean transformation of your organization.
You will learn:
• To see the new opportunities for creating value for customers, for
removing waste from every process, and for creating more rewarding jobs for
employees opened up by Lean Thinking.
• To show how Lean Management can be applied in every kind of office and
service activity in both the private and public sector.
• To learn how to choose the Lean pathway that is right for you, and to
create your own action plan for implementing Lean in your organization.
Less Painful than a Root Canal: Obtaining Property and Casualty Bids
Instructor: Joy Gander, Consultant, Gander Consulting Group
This session will provide ‘how-to’ information on:
• When to start the process of obtaining bids for property and casualty
insurance and the time-line for doing so
• The information that should be provided so that all bidders have and
use the same underwriting information
• The types and amounts of coverage to include in the process, particularly
with regard to Umbrella liability limits
• The information that should be included in the proposals submitted by
the agents/brokers and carriers
• How to ensure the proposals received are “apples-to apples”
• What criteria and priority should be used to review and assess the proposals
Managing the Generations
Instructor: Sarah Gibson, Consultant, Accent Business Communication
This course will assist you to better understand your employees. You will learn the impact of generational differences on individuals and companies, study specific differences in business philosophy between the generations, examine clash points between generations through case studies, and how to increase productivity by using the best people for the job.
Media Relations
Instructor: Al Probst., UW-Extension, Local Government Specialist
The Media Relations course is a no-nonsense discussion of how to effectively deal with the media as a local government official. It seeks to help the local government official and staffer determine how to best get their message out to the people and minimize any difficult or contentious situations that can arise with the media. It covers all aspects of the media from network television to the local gossip.
Performance Measurement and Performance Based Budgeting
Instructor: Al Probst., UW-Extension, Local Government Specialist
This course is a “how to” class intended to make the local government official and staffers come away with a basic understanding of performance measurement, benchmarking, and performance/outcome based budgeting. Although this course is not intended to make you an expert on the subject, it will give you the tools to start putting workable systems together for your community.
Planning and Zoning
Instructor: Rebecca Roberts, Land Use Specialist with UW-Extension at the Center for Land Use Education at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
Learn about comprehensive planning, zoning, and other land use tools used to shape the look, feel, and function of your community. Explore the role of the municipal official, planning and zoning staff, boards, commissions, and legal counsel in the development process. Analyze and discuss a real world development scenario.
Professional Advisor Services
Instructor: Attorney John Macy of Arenz, Molter, Macy & Riffle, S.C. and panel
A panel consisting of experienced municipal administrators, planners, and clerks moderated by Attorney John Macy will explore how municipal officials and staff can best utilize the services of their out-of-house consultants taking into consideration how best to save money while still providing the best possible service to the residents. The best administrators, planners, and clerks know “when to call and when not to call.” We will explore why and when outside services are needed. The objective of the course is to educate the audience on the “tricks of the trade” emphasizing what lessons have been learned the hard way. It is the hope that the panel along with the moderator will instill in the audience what to think about prior to making the call as well as what happens if they do not make the call. There will be an emphasis on cost saving.
Property Tax Timelines
Instructor: Attorney John Macy of Arenz, Molter, Macy & Riffle, S.C.
This course will be a summary overview of the Wisconsin property tax system including a timeline dealing with the assessment of properties, a discussion on how property taxes are levied, and property tax collection. The objective of the course is to teach the participants how their job fits into the overall property tax picture. It is felt that all municipal administrators and clerks play a role in the property tax system without having an understanding of how the entire system works.
The Art of Small Talk: How to Build Relationships and Networks
Instructor: Sarah Gibson, Consultant, Accent Business Communication
This course is designed to give you the tools that will assist you in feeling comfortable engaging in small talk with people you don’t know well or not at all. This half-day session will discuss the impact of small talk, techniques for remembering people’s names, how to generate a conversation off of verbal and nonverbal hints, and the use of applying a memory aiding device for starting conversations.
Tools to Evaluate your Municipality’s Financial Condition
Instructor: Craig Maher- Professor, UW-Oshkosh
This is a hands-on training in which participants will learn how to create and use measures which evaluate a community’s financial position. Such measurements include fund balances, revenues, and expenditures. Students are required to bring their audited annual financial reports and budgets to class. The anticipated outcome for the course will be the application of tools learned to measure and understand the financial position of your community.
Understanding Group Dynamics in the Decision-making
Process of Councils
Instructor: Doug Irhke, Professor, UW-Milwaukee
This highly active class will help you understand how different personality types can affect the decision-making process of councils.
Working in a Difficult Political Environment
Instructor: Craig Rapp, Consultant & National Speaker
Through the use of interactive media, real-life situations, and group discussion, Managing in Difficult Political Environments explores the challenges that face public administrators, when local politics reaches the breaking point and the administrator becomes the focus of attacks from elected officials and citizens. This action-packed workshop will keep you on the edge of your chair.
Contact information:
Kassie VanRemortel
Director of Governmental Affairs and Economic Development
Outreach and Extension, WH 480
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001
Phone: 920-465-2468 or 800-892-2118
E-mail:
Contact information:
Kassie VanRemortel
Director of Governmental Affairs and Economic Development
Outreach and Extension, WH 480
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311-7001
Phone: 920-465-2468 or 800-892-2118
E-mail: