During the conference you’ll hear exciting keynote presentations from former Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut, CNN commentator and author John Avlon, and the “Category 5 General” Russel Honore.
The following is a tentative schedule of workshops. The workshops are subject to change – the final program will be available at the Registration Desk during the conference.
Round I: Friday 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
· Pensions: How Cities Can Reduce Costs
· Partnering with the Arts: Building Community without Increasing Costs
· TABOR 2010: An Update on the Proposed Amendment
· OPEB, TABOR, Pensions and More: Report from the Collins Institute
· Successful Civil Discourse: The Village Square Model
Round II: Friday 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
· Public Integrity and Transparency in Government
· Ballot Issues: The Law and Your City’s Rights to Spend Money
· A Showcase of Municipal Achievement: The Florida Municipal Achievement Awards
· Amendment #4: Voter Approval of Comprehensive Plan Amendments
· Lessons Learned from the Recent Biomass Projects in Florida: Green Fuel or Folly
· Are You a Business-Friendly City? Economic Development
Round III: Saturday 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
· The ‘New Normal’: How Tough Times will Change Your City
· Red Light Cameras: The New Law
· The 2010 Ballot: Understanding the Constitutional Amendments
· When Disaster Strikes: What Every Offical Should Know About Property Insurace, Recovery & Financial Exposure
· How to Start a Charter School
There are also two City Sessions on August 19 from 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: one with Scott Paine on leadership and one on building community with the Partnership for Livable Communities. There will be a Cities 101 workshop on August 19 from 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. for newly elected or newly-appointed officials.
Live Feeds Via Twitter and Facebook
by Florida League of Cities
The League will be offering live updates via Twitter and Facebook during the conference. Follow the League at
www.twitter.com/homerulechk or become a fan of the League on Facebook to participate. If you would like to receive these conference updates via e-mail, be sure to provide your preferred on-site e-mail address on the conference registration form.
Municipal Youth Councils
by Mandy Stark
The League is inviting municipal-sponsored youth councils to attend its annual conference on Saturday, August 21 at the Westin Diplomat Hollywood. The League’s goal is to provide attendees with additional insight into municipal governance, as well as to gain real-world experience about issues facing municipalities statewide and nationally. It also will be an opportunity to network with other Florida youth councils. Details about the schedule will be available soon. The price per person is $15. Contact Mandy Stark at
mstark@flcities.com or (850) 701-3638 for more information, a registration form and a tentative agenda.
Potential Candidate Meet and Greet
by Rose Hall
The Florida League of Cities will host a “meet and greet” reception in conjunction with the annual conference for any current or former municipal official who is considering running for the Legislature. The reception will be held August 20 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Contact Rose Hall at (850) 222-9684 or
rhall@flcities.com to RSVP or more information.
League Offers Free Webinar Training for Cities
by Jan Piland
The Florida League of Cities continues to offer free monthly Webinar training for members. Webinars allow multiple participants to view presentations over the Internet on their computer screen from the comfort of their own office or home. You can register up to the day of the Webinar. Registrants will automatically be e-mailed a link prior to the start of the Webinar. Then, with a click of the mouse you are able to see the presenter’s computer screen. From there, participants can view the presentation and listen to the speaker’s comments by calling in to a designated telephone number. Any questions can be e-mailed or sent to the presenter using the Webinar message box that appears on your computer screen. Webinars are an excellent way to get valuable training in a short hour-long crash course – without incurring travel costs.
Webinar Schedule:
September 9 – Grants Writing
October 21 or 28 – Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Statistics for Everyone Webinar
by Liane Schrader
Is a difference in citizen satisfaction in backyard versus curbside trash pickup important enough to switch all pickup to backyard? Is a savings of $2 worth changing contracts for office supplies? What would be a cost-efficient way to survey citizens? Leave your math phobia behind and join a session on how statistics can help you do your job better. Hear practical examples in local government to understand how statistics can be used to create solutions to everyday decisions from Dr. Maureen Berner, associate professor and author. The Webinar, presented by the Florida Association of City Clerks (FACC), will be held August 26 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST. The Webinar is $50 for FACC members, $75 for nonmembers. Registration forms and online registration will be available August 2 at
www.floridaclerks.org. Space is limited. For more information, contact Liane Schrader at the League at (850) 222-9684 or
lschrader@flcities.com.
City Government Week
by Sharon Berrian
Florida City Government Week will be held October 17-23. The League wants every city, town and village to take an active part in promoting municipal government through civic education. Increase citizen engagement by participating in Florida City Government Week. This is a wonderful time to speak to schools and civic groups, host an essay contest on city government, create a youth council or establish a citizens’ academy. It also provides a special time to develop new partnerships or expand current ones. Contact Sharon Berrian at
sberrian@flcities.com for more information.
September/October Quality Cities News Briefs
by Mandy Stark
Has your city recently started a new program, solved a problem or done something great? If so, let Mandy Stark at the League know! She is compiling News Briefs for the September/October issue of Quality Cities, and wants to include photos and information about the great things League members are doing. E-mail her at
mstark@flcities.com or call (850) 701-3638 to submit your innovative solutions, successful programs or moments of pride.
Talking About Your City Budget: Tips for Public Engagement
by Lynn Tipton
Talking about city finances and the budget can be difficult. But city leaders should provide good, clear information to the citizens they serve. Dr. Scott Paine, former city councilmember, noted author, professor and League blogger, offers some suggestions via video on ways to discuss your city's budget. Visit
www.floridaleagueofcities.com/advocacy.aspx?cnid=3197 to view the video and for a summary of the points Paine covers. For more information, contact Lynn Tipton, director of membership development for the Florida League of Cities, at 1-(800) 342-8112 or
ltipton@flcities.com.
Salary and Benefit Survey Data Online - Prepare for Budget Season
by Carol Westmoreland
Did you know that you can obtain salary data from other cities and counties, build your own survey group online, and generate reports from that list, or statewide, or by county? The Florida League of Cities supports an online salary survey for its members through a partnership with Human Resource Management Partners, Inc. and the Florida Public Personnel Association (FPPA). Survey data for benefits and salaries in public entities throughout Florida is available for the cost of participation. All you need to do is participate, which is very easy when you visit
www.surveys.us. You will be prompted to enter your password if you have participated in the past, or obtain one should you need it. If you have any questions, contact Carol Westmoreland at the League office at
cwestmoreland@flcities.com or (850) 701-3608. We invite all cities that have not yet participated in the 2010 statewide Florida League of Cities/FPPA salary and benefits survey to get started today. When you go online, you can save the entries and then go back to the process easily. As budget season heats up, be prepared – enter your data now so that when you need a survey quickly, the data will be available. For technical support or help accessing the Web site, contact Jack Coletti at
mailto:support@surveys.us.
Advisory Board Training
by Jan Piland
The League offers four-hour advisory board training seminars that are held at a city facility. The goal is to provide this training in various locations throughout Florida to avoid travel costs for our members. "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Helping to Make Advisory Boards More Effective" covers the do's and don'ts of advisory boards, and how to resolve conflicts and build relationships with advisory board members. Participants will learn to channel conflict into constructive cooperation, solve problems, save city dollars, build support and utilize citizen volunteer time productively. Elected officials, advisory board members, administrators and other leaders who want their citizen boards and committees to be more productive should attend. The seminar is held from 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. The registration fee is $45 per person, which covers a refreshment break, educational materials and speaker. For more information, to host a workshop or to register, contact Jan Piland at the League at (850) 222-9684 or
jpiland@flcities.com.
Developer Match Up at FRA Conference
by Carol Westmoreland
Developer Match Up is a new exhibit-style event being featured at the Florida Redevelopment Association (FRA) Annual Conference, October 13-15, 2010, at the Peabody Orlando. Developer Match Up will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 14. Public sector FRA members and any city or county are invited to present their property or portfolio of properties at this event. For $100, you will receive a six-foot skirted table and two chairs; promotion of the event to a wide sector of private-sector investors in Florida; consultation with experts in the fields of commercial real estate, financing and environmental issues; refreshments (does not include lunch) and a pre-printed banner with the name of your entity. You will also have access to experts from the real estate, financial and environmental fields who can answer your questions about how to best attract redevelopers to your sites. Contact Carol Westmoreland at
cwestmoreland@flcities.com or (850) 701-3608 for more information and to register.
No-Cost Microsoft Training Vouchers
by Elevate America
Through Microsoft® Elevate America, 40,000 vouchers for no-cost training and certifications are available to Floridians for a limited time. This initiative provides an opportunity for Florida workers to improve their technology skills, productivity and value. Businesses and organizations, including local governments, can benefit directly by encouraging their employees to upgrade their skills through free training. Each Elevate America training voucher is redeemable for one online course or certification exam. Vouchers must be activated by August 21 and will be available while supplies last. Additional information on the Florida vouchers and an application is available at
http://elevateamerica.floridajobs.org.
Community Success Workshop
by Source
Attorney General Bill McCollum presents, "Analyzing Your Community for Success," a free one-day workshop that will teach participants how community analysis can be used to foster community transformation. Experts will discuss specific techniques that include community-asset mapping, a housing condition study and windshield surveys. The workshop will be held August 14 at East Pensacola Heights, 3208 E. Gonzalez Street, Pensacola, FL 32503 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The registration deadline is August 9. Visit
http://uacdconline.org/uacdc/ac_workshops.aspx or call (813) 558-5212 for more information and to register.